RESIDENTS are being reminded to make the most of an opportunity to be brought up to date with international efforts to place Stawell at the heart of world-first research to detect dark matter.
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The community event 'From Italy to Stawell - Why Dark Matter matters' will be held tonight from 7pm-8.30pm at the Stawell Town Hall Entertainment Centre in Main Street.
Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics (CoEPP) Professor Elisabetta Barberio will report on the progress of testing at the site of the Stawell Gold Mine and the proposed Underground Physics Laboratory.
Two visiting Directors from the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Professor Stefano Ragazzi and Professor Antonio Masiero will be on hand to answer questions relating to the dark matter experiment and its link with Italy.
Their presentations tonight will be the culmination of a three day joint CoEPP - Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics workshop being held in Great Western.
Co-sponsored by the Australian Research Council and The Office of the Scientific Attache, Embassy of Italy, Canberra the workshop has been attended by physicists from around Australia and Italy.
Participants have discussed the physics of dark matter, worldwide programs for the direct detection of dark matter and the potential for the first southern hemisphere underground physics laboratory at Stawell.
The Nationals Member for Western Victoria, David O'Brien has renewed an offer of support for the funding push towards the establishment of a 'dark matter' laboratory at Stawell Gold Mine.
"I believe this is a rare opportunity for regional Victoria in terms of being at the forefront of scientific research," he said.
"While currently at the early stages, the particle laboratory considered for Stawell would be the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere."
RSVP's for tonight's meeting are essential and should be directed to Meg Newton on 5358 8732. All are welcome.
General enquiries relating to the potential Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory should be directed to Team Leader, Strategic Projects, Amanda Western on 5358 8700.