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Events on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023

GREAT IDEAS DEI Reading Group
GREAT IDEAS Coffee Hour
Time: 12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Place: Chamberlin 4274 or online
Abstract: Article TBD; check back soon!

GREAT IDEAS stands for Group for Reading, Educating, And Talking about Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Advocacy in Science. It is a multimedia reading group dedicated to amplifying the experiences of underrepresented groups in science and academia in order to become better advocates for our peers. GREAT IDEAS is open to everyone (students/ faculty/ staff/ etc), and all are welcome and encouraged to engage with the material and contribute to the discussions. To keep a welcoming and safe environment for everyone, we ask that everyone understand and adhere to our community guidelines for the discussions. If you would like to submit an article for a future GREAT IDEAS discussion, you can do so on this form.
Host: GMaWiP and Climate and Diversity Committee (contact Jessie Thwaites or R. Sassella with questions)
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Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
Axion assisted Schwinger effect
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Place: 5280 Chamberlin
Speaker: Yohei Ema, University of Minnesota
Abstract: Particle production in strong electromagnetic fields, the Schwinger effect, is a recurring theme in solid state physics, heavy ion collisions, early universe cosmology and formal quantum field theory. In this talk, after reviewing the standard Schwinger effect, we show that the pair production rate of charged fermions in a strong electric field is enhanced in the presence of time dependent classical axion-like background field, which we call axion assisted Schwinger effect. While the standard Schwinger production rate is proportional to $\exp(−\pi(m^2+p^2_T)/E)$, with $m$ and $p_T$ denoting the fermion mass and its momentum transverse to the electric field $E$, the axion assisted Schwinger effect can be enhanced at large momenta to $\exp(−\pi m^2/E)$. We interpret the origin of this enhancement as a coupling between the fermion spin and its momentum, induced by the axion velocity.
Host: George Wojcik
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