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Events on Friday, August 16th, 2013

Astronomy Colloquium
SPECIAL TALK
Towards 1% Measurements of Cosmological Distances with Cosmic Sound
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Place: 4421 Sterling Hall
Speaker: Nikhil Padmanabhan, YALE
Abstract: <br>
Measuring the accelerated expansion of the Universe with the goal of better understanding its underlying physics is one of the leading programs in cosmology today. The baryon acoustic oscillation technique is one of the foremost tools in our toolbox today. This talk will explain the underlying physics of this method and the reasons it is extremely robust to observational and theoretical systematic errors. I will then present the latest results from the SDSS and BOSS surveys, currently the most precise distance constraints from this method. These will include a new analysis technique to undo the effects of the nonlinear evolution of the density field and partially &quot;reconstruct&quot; the initial density field. I will discuss the implications of these measurements, and will conclude by discussing prospects for improvements in the immediate and not-so-immediate future.<br>
Host: Astronomy
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NPAC (Nuclear/Particle/Astro/Cosmo) Forum
Thermal Kinetic Inductance Detectors for X-ray Spectroscopy
Time: 1:30 pm
Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Cecil, Argonne National Laboratories
Abstract: Since their introduction ten years ago, microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) have been examined for applications ranging from the far infrared to gamma rays. Although these detectors have been shown to work with x-rays, several technical challenges have prevented their widespread use. At Argonne, we are developing thermal kinetic inductance detectors (TKIDs), a variation of the MKID in which the superconducting inductance serves as sensitive thermometer. In this talk I will provide a general overview MKIDs and introduce the concept of TKIDs. I will discuss our ongoing research into TKIDs, including device theory, thermal modeling, and device fabrication. Finally, I will discuss possible applications for TKIDs in X-ray spectroscopy.
Host: Dan McCammon
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