Events

Events at Physics

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Events During the Week of February 10th through February 17th, 2013

Sunday, February 10th, 2013

Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar
Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 4:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Cosmology Journal Club
An Informal discussion about a broad variety of arXiv papers related to Cosmology
Time: 12:30 pm
Place: 5242 Chamberlin Hall
Abstract: Please visit the following link for more details:
    http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/journal/index.html
Please feel free to bring your lunch!
If you have questions or comments about this journal club, would like to propose a topic or volunteer to introduce a paper, please email Le Zhang (lzhang263@wisc.edu)
Host: Peter Timbie
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Tuesday, February 12th, 2013

Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
Was 2012 a failure for the polls? Was Nate Silver exceptionally accurate?
Time: 12:05 pm
Place: 4274 Chamberlin (Refreshments will be served)
Speaker: Charles Franklin, UW Department of Political Science
Abstract: In 2012 polls came in for exceptional scrutiny and criticism. Claims that polls where hopelessly skewed became a common meme of the fall campaign. And indeed, polling faces significant practical challenges. But did the polls, in the end, perform poorly? Interestingly, campaign leaders from both the Obama and the Romney campaign have been quoted saying the polls failed. And yet the Obama campaign made unprecedented use of polling in their data analytics. Meanwhile, Nate Silver came to personify the quantitative analysis of election campaigns. His successful predictions for 50 of 50 states is vindication of his forecasts. But did Nate do better than other forecasts?
Host: Sprott
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Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
Higgs to di-photon decay with new vector fermions
Time: 4:00 pm
Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Pedro Schwaller, Argonne National Laboratory
Abstract: The discovery of the Higgs boson opens the possibility to probe new physics scenarios by analyzing Higgs production and decay rates. The loop induced decay to photon pairs is particularly sensitive to new physics contributions, and a possible enhanced rate for this decay has generated some interest in models that can explain it. I will present an extension of the SM with a family of vector-like leptons. Not only can this model explain an enhanced di-photon decay rate of the Higgs, but it also provides a dark matter candidate while being in agreement with electroweak precision constraints. The necessarily large Yukawa couplings affect the running of the Higgs self coupling, such that an ultra violet (UV) completion is needed below the 10 TeV scale. A promising solution is to embed the model into a supersymmetric grand unified theory. Using RGEs upper bounds on the lepton Yukawa couplings can be derived, which limits the possible enhancement of the di-photon rate. Additional enhancement can be obtained if also the new sleptons are light, and I explore the parameter regions that are compatible with GUT-scale vacuum stability, LEP limits and electroweak precision constraints.
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Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Department Meeting
Time: 12:15 pm
Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
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Careers for Physicists
Epic
Time: 3:00 pm
Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Epic, Epic
Abstract: A representative from Epic will be giving a presentation about career opportunities with their company. It will be informal, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. There will be someone from HR, and a physicist who can tell us how and why he got started at Epic.
Host: Reina Maruyama
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Careers for Physicists
Epic
Time: 3:00 pm
Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Epic, Epic
Abstract: A representative from Epic will be giving a presentation about career opportunities with their company. It will be informal, and there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. There will be an HR person as well as a physicist who can tell us why and how he got started at Epic
Host: Reina Maruyama
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Thursday, February 14th, 2013

R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminar
Catch and release microwave photons with 99% fidelity
Time: 10:00 am
Place: 5310 Chamberlin
Speaker: John Martinis, University of California, Santa Barbara
Host: McDermott
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Astronomy Colloquium
Feedback in Faint Galaxies During the Peak Epoch of Star Formation
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Place: 4421 Sterling Hall
Speaker: Dawn Erb, UW Milwaukee Physics Dept
Abstract: Because faint, low mass galaxies are numerous at high redshifts, their impact on the Universe is expected to be significant. They may host a substantial fraction of global star formation, provide many of the energetic photons needed to reionize the universe, and contribute to the enrichment of the intergalactic medium through the expulsion of metals in galactic outflows. Because of their faintness, however, the properties of these galaxies are difficult to determine. I will discuss a variety of observations aimed at characterizing the physical conditions in low mass galaxies at redshifts z~2-3, the peak epoch of star formation in the Universe, with particular emphasis on the study of galactic outflows in faint galaxies.
Host: Rich Townsend
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Friday, February 15th, 2013

Physics Department Colloquium
Superconducting Quantum Computing
Time: 3:30 pm
Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 4:30 pm)
Speaker: John Martinis, University of California, Santa Barbara
Abstract: Recent developments of surface codes now place superconducting quantum computing at an important crossroad, where aEurooeproof of conceptaEuro experiments involving small numbers of qubits can be transitioned to more challenging and systematic approaches that could actually lead to building a quantum computer. Although the integrated circuit nature of these qubits helps with the design of a complex architecture and control system, it also presents a serious challenge for coherence since the quantum wavefunctions are in contact with a variety of materials defects. I will review both logic gate design and recent developments in coherence in superconducting qubits, and argue that state-of-the-art devices are now near the fault tolerant threshold. Future progress looks promising for fidelity ten times better than threshold, as needed for scalable quantum error correction and computation.
Host: McDermott
Poster: https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/posters/2013/2776.pdf
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Saturday, February 16th, 2013

Physics Fair
6th Annual Physics Fair
Time: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Place: Chamberlin Hall (1150 University Avenue)
Speaker: , UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages.
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Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar
Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 4:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar
Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar
Wonders of Physics
30th Anniversary Extravaganza
Time: 4:00 pm
Place: 2103 Chamberlin
Speaker: Clint Sprott, UW Department of Physics
Abstract: This fun-filled educational presentation is suitable for people of all ages. Visit http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm for info

Free tickets! Quantities limited! Order TODAY!!
* http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm (preferred)
* Call (608) 262-2927, or
* e-mail wonders@physics.wisc.edu
Add this event to your calendar