Glass Science Exhibition
Did you know that Australia is home to cutting-edge glass research?
Across from the Botanic Garden, Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem, 2024 SA Scientist of the Year finalist, is leading a glass revolution.
Industry Laureate Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem leads the Photonic Materials & Optical Fibres research team, which is part of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing at the 成人大片. In addition to this role, she leads the Adelaide hub technical team at 狈辞诲别-翱辫迟辞蹿补产.听Optofab Adelaide offers fabrication services for custom optical glass with unique properties.听Adelaide has a rare combination of glass science and fibre fabrication research facilities and expertise
Heike and her teams are working on unlocking the secrets of glass and light.
What is Glass?
At the molecular level, glass has a random atomic structure, unlike crystals, which have neatly arranged atoms. Glass molecules still flow, but so slowly that it鈥檚 barely noticeable. This is why chemists classify glass as an amorphous solid鈥攁 state between liquid and solid. This structure gives glass its strength, flexibility, and transparency.
What is Light?
Light is both a wave and a particle. As a wave, it spreads, bends, and interferes, creating effects like rainbows. As a particle, light consists of photons that carry energy, which can be absorbed or emitted.
The exhibition is divided into four main themes
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