ARC Complex Open Systems Research Network

Dr Rowena Ball

 

Senior Research Scientist, The Australian National University Address: Dr Rowena Ball Mathematical Sciences Institute, Building 27, and Department of Theoretical Physics The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia Phone: +61 (0)2 6125 0727, +61(0)4 88 Fax: +61 2 6125 4676 Email: Rowena.Ball@anu.edu.au, Rowena.Ball@gmail.com Webpage: www.rsphysse.anu.edu.au/~rxb105/rb.html Research Node: Central/CCS

 

Role in Network

Academic - Researcher

COSNet Research Themes

1. Irreversibility and Emergence in Nonequilibrium Systems
2. Turbulence and Coherent Structures, Control and Computation
3. Dynamics and Statistics of Multi-Scale Systems
4. Network Theory

COSNet Application Areas

1. Complex Physical Systems
2. Complex Biological Systems
3. Complex Computational Systems
4. Complex Socio-Economic Systems

 

Research Topics

* Biochar, carbon capture, carbon sequestration, carbon cycles
* The charχive challenge
* Turbulence and transport in quasi two-dimensional flows
* Dynamical systems, stability, and chaos
* Singularity and bifurcation theory
* Thermally unstable reactive flows
* Stability and control of complex networks
* Thermal refraction and mirages

 

Publications

Refereed Publications:

Book – edited volume of refereed contributions:

1. Ball, R (2003) (editor and introduction). Nonlinear Dynamics: From Lasers to Butterflies. World Scientific Lecture Notes in Complex Systems Vol. 1. World Scientific, Singapore, 452pp.

Book Chapters – refereed:

2. Rowena Ball and Philip Holmes (2007). Dynamical systems, stability, and chaos. Chapter 1 in: J.P. Denier and J.S. Frederiksen (editors), Frontiers in Turbulence and Coherent Structures. World Scientific Lecture Notes in Complex Systems Vol. 6, World Scientific Singapore pp. 1–27. Freely available at www.worldscibooks.com/chaos/6320.html.

3. Ball R (2007). Distilled turbulence. A reduced model for confinement transitions in magnetic fusion plasmas. In: J.P. Denier and J.S. Frederiksen (editors), Frontiers in Turbulence and Coherent Structures. World Scientific Lecture Notes in Complex Systems Vol. 6, World Scientific Singapore pp. 395–414.

4. Numata R, Ball R and Dewar RL (2007). Nonlinear simulation of drift wave turbulence. In: J.P. Denier and J.S. Frederiksen (editors), Frontiers in Turbulence and Coherent Structures. World Scientific Lecture Notes in Complex Systems Vol. 6, World Scientific Singapore pp. 431–442.

Refereed Journal Articles:

5. Ball R (2008). Combustion of Biomass as a Global Carbon Sink. Accepted by The Open Thermodynamics Journal 15/10/2008.

6. Stals L, Numata R and Ball R. (2008). Stability analysis of time stepping for prolonged plasma fluid simulations. Paper #070356 accepted by SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing 07/01/2008.

7. Ball R (2008). The case of the trapped singularities. Complexity International 12, www.complexity.org.au/vol12/msid64, 21 pp.

8. Numata R, Ball R and Dewar RL (2007). Bifurcation in electrostatic resistive drift wave turbulence. Physics of Plasmas 14, 102312.

9. Ball, R (2005). Suppression of turbulence at low power input in a model for plasma confinement transitions. Physics of Plasmas 12, 090904-1–8.

10. Horton W, Wong HV, Morrison PJ, Wurm A, Kim JH, Perez JC, Pratt J, Hoang GT, LeBlanc BP, and Ball R (2005). Temperature gradient driven electron transport in NSTX and Tore Supra. Nuclear Fusion 45, 976–985.

11. Ball R, McIntosh AC, and Brindley J (2004). Feedback processes in cellulose thermal decomposition. Implications for fire-retarding strategies and treatments. Combustion Theory and Modelling 8, 281–291.

12. Kendl A, Scott BD, Ball R and Dewar RL (2003). Turbulent edge structure formation in complex configurations. Physics of Plasmas, 10, 3684–3691.

13. Ball, R., Dewar, R. L. and Sugama, H. Metamorphosis of plasma shear flow–turbulence dynamics through a transcritical bifurcation. Physical Review E 66, 066408-1–066408-9, 2002.

14. Ball R (2001). Understanding critical behaviour through visualization: A walk around the pitchfork. Computer Physics Communications 142, 71–75.

15. McIntosh A C, Gray BF, Wake GC and Ball R (2001). The stability of a near-adiabatic endex batch CSTR reactor. ANZIAM Journal 43 59–75.

16. Ball R and Dewar RL (2001). A walk in the parameter space of L–H transitions without stepping on or through the cracks. Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research 4, 266–270.

17. Ball R and Haymet AJD (2001). Bistability and hysteresis in self-assembling micelle systems: phenomenology and deterministic dynamics. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 3, 4753–4761.

18. Dewar RL, Cuthbert P and Ball R (2001). Strong “quantum” chaos in the global ballooning mode spectrum of three-dimensional plasmas. Physical Review Letters 86(10), 2321–2324.

19. Ball R and Dewar RL (2000). Singularity theory study of overdetermination in models for L–H transitions. Physical Review Letters 84(14), 3077–3080.

20. Ball R (1999). The origins and limits of thermal steady state multiplicity in the continuous stirred tank reactor. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A 455, 163–182.

21. Gray BF and Ball R (1999). Thermal stabilization of chemical reactors. I. The mathematical description of the Endex reactor. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A 455, 163–182.

22. Ball R and Gray BF. (1999). Thermal stabilization of chemical reactors. II. Bifurcation analysis of the Endex reactor. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A 455, 4223-4243.

23. Ball R, McIntosh AC and Brindley J (1999). The role of char-forming processes in the thermal decomposition of cellulose. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 1, 5035–5043.

24. Ball R, McIntosh AC and Brindley J (1999). Thermokinetic models for simultaneous reactions: a comparative study. Combustion Theory and Modelling 3(3), 447–468.

25. Ball RV, Eckert GM, Gutmann F and Wong DKY (1996). An electrochemical and spectrophotometric study of some charge-transfer complexes involving drug molecules in acetonitrile. Electroanalalysis 8, 66–74.

26. Ball R and Gray BF (1995). Transient thermal behaviour of the hydration of 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol in a continuously stirred tank reactor. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 34(11), 3726–3736.

27. Ball RV, Eckert GM, Gutmann F and Wong DKY (1994). Electrochemical study of amiodarone charge-transfer complexes. Analytical Chemistry 66(7), 1198–1203, 1994.

Conference Papers – refereed proceedings:

28. Ball R (2005). Trapped singularities in a dynamical model for plasma confinement transitions. Proceedings of the National Conference on Nonlinear Systems and Dynamics, Aligarh Muslim University, 23–26 Feb 2005, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.

29. Ball R (2005). Dynamical systems modelling of turbulence-shear flow interactions in magnetized fusion plasmas. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 7, 191–202. Editors S Benkadda, X Leoncini and GM Zaslavsky.

30. Ball R (2004). The case of the trapped singularities. Proceedings of the 7th Asia-Pacific Conference on Complex Systems 6–10 Dec 2004, Cairns.

31. Ball R, Dewar RL and Sugama H (2003). Bifurcation and Metamorphosis of plasma turbulence–shear flow dynamics: the path to the top of the hill. American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings 669, 711–714. Editors Falconer IS, Dewar RL and Khachan J.

32. Ball RV, Eckert GM, Gutmann F and Wong DKY (1994). A conductivity study of the charge-transfer interactions of drug molecules. Proceedings of the 9th Australasian Electrochemistry Conference, Wollongong, Australia, 6–10 Feb 1994. Editor Gordon Wallace.

Other: Encyclopedia articles – by unsolicited invitation and refereed:

33. Ball R (2005). The Kolmogorov cascade. In: Alwyn Scott (editor), Encyclopedia of Nonlinear Science. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group New York. “This Encyclopedia deserves to be on the bookshelf of every applied mathematician. The essays are paragons of exposition...Go out and buy and read and absorb as much of Alwyn Scott's Encyclopedia of Nonlinear Science as you can. You will not regret it.” – SIAM Review.

34. Ball R (2005). Singularity Theory. In: Alwyn Scott (editor), Encyclopedia of Nonlinear Science. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group New York.

35. Ball R (2005). Fairy Rings of Mushrooms. In: Alwyn Scott (editor), Encyclopedia of Nonlinear Science. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group New York.

Other: miscellaneous, non-refereed, or submitted to refereed journal:

Rowena Ball. The CharXive Reactor. Entry submitted 14 July 2008 on behalf of the Australian National University to the Virgin Earth Challenge Prize, www.virginearth.com. The Virgin Earth Challenge is a prize of $25m for whoever can demonstrate to the judges' satisfaction a commercially viable design which results in the removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases so as to contribute materially to the stability of Earth’s climate. Judging of all submitted designs will be conducted by a panel of judges comprising Sir Richard Branson, Sir Crispin Tickell, Al Gore, James Lovelock, Jim Hansen and Tim Flannery after 8 February 2010.

Ball, R (2008). The charXive challenge: Biochar production in nature and industry for carbon sequestration. Presentation made at the Australian Biochar Initiative Research Meeting, UNSW 14–15 Oct 2008.

Ball, R (2008). Biomass Combustion in the Global Carbon Cycle: Cellulose Thermal Decomposition and the Black Carbon Reservoir. Presentation made at the 2008 Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Cairns 28 July–01 Aug 2008.

Ball, R (2008). Combustion of biomass as a global carbon sink. Presented at Patterns in Our Planet: CSIRO Complex Systems Symposium, Victor Harbour 12–16 May 2008.

Ball, R (2008). Biomass burning as a carbon sink. Commentary on Ramanathan V & Carmichael G. Nature Geoscience 1, 221–227 (2008). Submitted to Nature, April 07 2008.

Ball, R (2008). Comment on “Future changes in climate, ocean circulation, ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycling simulated for a business-as-usual CO2 emission scenario until year 4000 AD,” by A. Schmittner et al. Submitted to Global Biogeochemical Sciences, May 6 2008.

Ball R (2008). Combustion of biomass as a global carbon sink. Archived preprint arXiv:0804.1390v1 [physics.geo-ph] at http://arxiv.org. Also news story by the Institute of Physics on this article at http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/futures/34224.

Ball R (1997). “Authority and Reason on Her Wait...” 1997 Graduation Address, by invitation from the Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University. A copy is posted at www.rsphysse.anu.edu.au/~rxb105/rb.html.

Ball R and Gray BF (1995,1996) – named inventors on “Reactor system design”, Provisional Patent PO0176, lodged by The University of Sydney 31/05/1996. Also PN3208, lodged by The University of Sydney 26/05/1995.  

Professional or Public Outreach Activities

Convenor of the 15th Canberra International Physics Summer School, 2002,
(www.anu.edu.au/dynamicsummer/).  

Grants

Year Short Title Funding
2000-2003 APD fellowship
2003-2004 ARC LI Award $9k
2003-2008 ARC Discovery Project $635k  

Membership/Fellowship of Key Organisations

Member of the AIP, Australian Mathematical Society, ANZIAM, and WISENET.  

Awards and Distinctions

2006: Prepared the successful nomination of the 2006 recipient of SWE Achievement Award, the most prestigious engineering award in the USA.
2005: Lagrange Fellowship, ISI Foundation Italy.
2000-2003: Australian Research Council Fellowship.
2001: Australian Academy of Science Visiting Fellowship to Europe.
1993: Macquarie University Medal.
1992: RACI Student Prize.
1976-present: Mother of 3 children, Carer of other children and
elderly people.