Section 3: Results by Fields of Research Code

02 Physical Sciences

Physical Sciences is comprised of the following four-digit codes:

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics
0203 Classical Physics
0204 Condensed Matter Physics
0205 Optical Physics
0206 Quantum Physics
0299 Other Physical Sciences

15 out of 23 two-digit UoEs and 60 out of 65 four-digit UoEs assessed were rated above world standard

FoR Overview

Physical Sciences (02) accounted for approximately four per cent of the research outputs submitted to ERA 2015. The majority of Physical Sciences outputs were journal articles (84 per cent), while 15 per cent of the research outputs were conference papers. Astronomical and Space Sciences (0201) had the highest number of research outputs, research income levels, number of staff, and research commercialisation income. Optical Physics (0205) was the next highest four-digit code for these indicators, and in addition, almost half of the patents submitted in Physical Sciences were assigned to Optical Physics (0205).

Indicator	No.
Research outputs	16,990.8
Research income	$354,091,710
FTEs	1,148.8
Esteem count	243.9
Patents	44.6
Research commercialisation income	$2,593,697

Rating	Distribution
Rating	Two-digit	Four-digit
5	11	46
4	4	14
3	7	4
2	1	1
1	0	0
Total	23	65

Number of UoEs per rating scale score

Stacked bar chart showing the total number of UoEs by rating scale score (i.e. ratings 1-5) for all four-digit Physical Sciences codes. This chart includes data for two-digit and four-digit evaluations. Further details are located in each of the tables below the sub heading at the start of each four-digit code in this section.

Note: 02 Physical Sciences shows assessed two-digit UoEs only.

Research outputs submitted by type

FoR code	Book	Book Chapter	Journal Article	Conference Paper	NTRO	Total
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences	2.3	44.9	4,413.6	387.3	1.0	4,849.1
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics	2.5	17.6	2,488.3	243.9	4.0	2,756.4
0203 Classical Physics	2.0	10.3	540.8	150.1	1.0	704.2
0204 Condensed Matter Physics	4.5	49.8	1,982.2	306.9	0.0	2,343.4
0205 Optical Physics	2.2	57.9	2,406.6	1,163.6	0.0	3,630.3
0206 Quantum Physics	3.4	21.0	1,403.7	154.0	0.0	1,582.0
0299 Other Physical Sciences	2.3	33.0	1,007.4	81.8	1.0	1,125.4
Total	19.2	234.4	14,242.6	2,487.6	7.0	16,990.8

Research income by year-all categories ($)

Stacked bar chart showing total research income for all HERDC income categories by year for 2011, 2012, and 2013 for each four-digit code in Physical Sciences - 0201, 0202, 0203, 0204, 0205, 0206 and 0299. Full details are outlined in the following table.

FoR code	2011 ($)	2012 ($)	2013 ($)	Total ($)
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences	28,217,940	29,612,560	28,396,820	86,227,319
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics	14,697,295	13,503,247	13,592,588	41,793,129
0203 Classical Physics	3,883,590	3,977,099	3,020,368	10,881,057
0204 Condensed Matter Physics	17,630,495	19,974,680	25,895,499	63,500,674
0205 Optical Physics	23,357,147	25,803,275	24,505,585	73,666,007
0206 Quantum Physics	19,516,724	19,374,514	20,318,763	59,210,001
0299 Other Physical Sciences	5,866,610	6,619,185	6,327,727	18,813,523
Total	113,169,800	118,864,560	122,057,349	354,091,710

Staffing profile by academic level

FoR code	Level E	Level D	Level C	Level B	Level A	Other FTE	Total
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences	47.3	32.0	53.8	73.9	74.5	22.0	303.6
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics	24.0	16.6	24.4	28.2	37.4	17.8	148.4
0203 Classical Physics	7.4	5.9	4.6	12.1	12.4	10.5	52.9
0204 Condensed Matter Physics	38.9	23.0	25.5	45.5	30.1	15.6	178.5
0205 Optical Physics	22.6	33.7	31.9	50.9	67.3	13.3	219.6
0206 Quantum Physics	16.4	17.5	25.3	40.0	27.5	3.6	130.4
0299 Other Physical Sciences	9.4	10.2	24.8	24.9	27.9	18.0	115.3
Total	166.0	138.8	190.4	275.6	277.2	100.8	1,148.8

Patent profile

FoR code	Australia	USA	Europe	Japan	Other International	Total
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.0
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics	1.3	1.5	0.5	1.3	0.8	5.5
0203 Classical Physics	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
0204 Condensed Matter Physics	1.2	1.7	2.5	1.0	0.5	6.8
0205 Optical Physics	8.0	6.0	1.0	1.6	4.3	20.9
0206 Quantum Physics	1.3	1.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	3.0
0299 Other Physical Sciences	0.7	3.7	0.0	0.0	3.0	7.4
Total	12.5	13.8	4.0	4.3	10.0	44.6

Research commercialisation income by year ($)

FoR code	2011 ($)	2012 ($)	2013 ($)	Total ($)
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences	362,927	381,467	363,002	1,107,396
0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics	0	0	0	0
0203 Classical Physics	235,414	17,057	0	252,472
0204 Condensed Matter Physics	193,594	3,289	3,524	200,406
0205 Optical Physics	146,606	166,316	119,059	431,981
0206 Quantum Physics	25,656	164,415	0	190,071
0299 Other Physical Sciences	317,338	2,661	91,372	411,371
Total	1,281,535	735,205	576,957	2,593,697