Adelaide Optics Chapter

This year, Children's University reached out to us to show school students physics demonstrations about light and colours. This included our demonstration of colour dye separation, where students can magically unmix the colours of the M&M food dyes using chromatography. In an approachable way, these children were able to learn about the interconnection between the illuminating light and the colours visible. For us, it was rewarding to see such young children excited and eager to learn about physics.

Congratulations to the Honorary Mentions! ?? More information below ?? ?? In order: · Ilaine Silveira Matos · Elnaz Khazaie · Corey Bridger · Camron Alley · Ilaine Silveira Matos · Elnaz Khazaie · Ramsés Bautista Gonzalez #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

Congratulations to the winner of both the Scientist's Eye & Artist's Eye prizes, awarded a total of $200. ?? More information below ?? "Captured lighting – Shows an electron tree created in a cylindrical rod. This one was created by irradiating the rod along one of the axial planes until it discharged at the defect point (the drill hole). This created the dense well-defined base of the tree. After which, the rod was rotated 180 degrees and irradiated again to create the finer electron tree pathways above the original discharge pathways, giving the appearance of tree branches." Corey Bridger #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

Congratulations to the winner of the People's Choice prize, which was awarded $100 for receiving the most votes! ?? More information below ?? "This photograph of Kathmandu captures a natural yet concerning phenomenon, the buildup of pollution within a valley due to temperature inversion, topography, and air density. In valleys, temperature inversions are common especially during calm cold nights. A temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air traps a layer of cooler air closer to the ground, acting like a lid that prevents vertical mixing. This traps pollutants, such as vehicle emissions and industrial outputs, near the surface leading to a visible haze. The topography of Kathmandu, surrounded by mountains, intensifies this effect by limiting air flow which would typically disperse the pollutants. Additionally, denser cooler air holds the particles close to the ground, creating an accumulation that is both visible and persistent. This image illustrates not only the physics of atmospheric layering and air quality but also serves as a reminder of the hidden impact of pollution on urban life. Much of this pollution goes unnoticed in daily life here in Australia due to our open cities and low population density, yet its presence is still there, hidden, highlighting the unseen reality of emissions and the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address air quality." Harry Russell #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"The image was taken using a smartphone camera from a simple office fluorescent tube light when seen through the lenses of diffraction grating glasses. The magic happens when white light goes through the lenses, being separated by diffraction into its components. It points to the fact that even the most commonly found white light actually conceals a hidden rainbow in it, but which can only be seen through the right lenses." Pedro Sansoldo Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"A photograph of water droplets resting on a leaf of Achyrocline satureoides. This photo illustrates the phenomena of leaf water repellency, a plant trait that describes how well a leaf surface repels water. In hydrophobic leaf surfaces (such as the one depicted here) water droplets are rounded, as the leaf epidermis contain substances that repel water. Contrastingly, in hydrophilic leaves, the water droplets tend to spread out on the leaf surface. Leaf water repellency is an important trait that affects several plant processes such as: leaf capacity to absorb water, development of leaf pathogens, canopy water storage, among many others. This photo was taken with a standard digital camera." Ilaine Silveira Matos Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"The intricate leaf venation network of the species Aextoxicon punctatum. This photo highlights the complexity of the vein network that transports water across the leaf. This network composed of thousands of microscopic dead conduits (called xylem vessels) is fundamental to bring water to the leaf cells responsible for photosynthesis. This photo was produced using the LeafVeinCNN app co-developed by me in collaboration with scientists in the Universities of Oxford (UK) and Berkeley (US). This app uses deep learning algorithms to segment venation networks from cleared leaf images." Ilaine Silveira Matos Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"The hidden beauty inside a fern leaf. This is a cross-sectional microscopic image showing the different cells and tissues inside a leaf of the fern Dicksonia antarctica, a species of evergreen tree fern native to eastern Australia. This image was taken under an optical microscope, using a 40x objective lens." Ilaine Silveira Matos Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"Phase Matching - This entry was produced using a combination of Matlab and photoshop. The surface is given by the phase matching function for Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion in a nonlinear crystal pumped by a laser; in this simulation, the speed of light has been arbitrarily altered to produce the desired low-frequency wave oscillation." Zane Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"The Apparition - This photograph depicts the image of a candle flame produced by a concave mirror, refracted through a crystal and projected onto a wall. A kangaroo skull and lampshade provide the background. The concave mirror has been cropped in the final submission, but is visible in the raw image file." Zane Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024