Events at Physics |
Events During the Week of September 26th through October 3rd, 2010
Monday, September 27th, 2010
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- Plasma Confinement on Shaped Open Field Lines: Results from the Maryland Centrifugal Experiment
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: 2535 Engineering Hall
- Speaker: Adil Hassam, University of Maryland/Dept of Physics
- High Energy Seminar
- A New Way to Measure Spin at Hadron Colliders
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin (Coffee and Cookies at 3:45 pm)
- Speaker: Matthew Buckley, Fermilab
- Abstract: I propose a new technique for determining the spin of new massive particles
that might be discovered at the Large Hadron Collider. The method relies on
pair-production of the new particles in a kinematic regime where the vector
boson fusion production mechanism is enhanced. For this regime, I show that
the distribution of the leading jets as a function of their relative
azimuthal angle can be used to distinguish spin-0 from spin-1/2 particles. I
illustrate this effect by considering the particular cases of (i)
strongly-interacting, stable particles and (ii) supersymmetric particles
carrying color charge. I argue that this method should be applicable in a
wide range of new physics scenarios. - Host: Michael Ramsey-Musolf
- Plasma Theory Seminar
- Kinetic Shielding of Magnetic Islands in 3-D Equilibria
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 514 ERB
- Speaker: Chris Hegna, UW-Madison Engineering Physics
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- Simplest Chaotic Circuit
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Bharathwaj Muthuswamy, Milwaukee School of Engineering/Dept of Electrical Engineering
- Abstract: A chaotic attractor has been observed with an autonomous circuit that uses only two energy-storage elements: a linear passive inductor and a linear passive capacitor. The other element is a nonlinear active memristor. Hence the circuit has only three circuit elements in series.We discuss this circuit topology, show several attractors and illustrate local activity via the memristor's DC v-i characteristic.
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
- No events scheduled
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
- R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminar
- Spin spirals in underdoped cuprates: theory and experiment
- Time: 10:00 am
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Oleg P. Sushkov, University of New South Wales
- Abstract: To shed light on generic physics of cuprate superconductors (doped Mott insulators) I discuss and relate the following issues:
1)Incommensurate spin ordering in LSCO and YBCO.
2)Difference and similarities between these compounds: disorder versus bilayer.
3)Quantum Critical and Lifshitz points in YBCO and LSCO.
4)Magnetic Quantum Oscillations in YBCO.
5)Recent MSR data. - Host: Andrey Chubukov
- NPAC (Nuclear/Particle/Astro/Cosmo) Forum
- Fundamental Physics at Low Energies
- Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Joerg Jaeckel, Durham University
- Abstract: Over the years we have accumulated a large number of indications for physics beyond the standard model. This new physics is often sought-after at high masses and energies. However, over recent years it has become increasingly clear that new physics can also appear at low energy, but extremely weak coupling. Experiments and observations at this `low energy frontier' therefore provide a powerful tool to gain insight into fundamental physics, which is complementary to accelerators.
- Host: Sonny Mantry
- Astronomy Colloquium
- Models of Wind-Driving Protostellar Disks
- Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: 4421 Sterling Hall Same Location
- Speaker: Seth Teitler, UW Astronomy Dept
- Abstract: TBD
- Department of Physics Special Seminar
- Dark Matter Searches with DM-Ice and CUORE
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin (cookies & coffee served at 3:30 p.m)
- Speaker: Reina Maruyama, University of Wisconsin at Madison
- Abstract: Observations from cosmology tell us that less than 4% of our Universe is comprised of ordinary visible matter, and that the rest is made of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Much of our understanding of Dark Matter is inferred from astronomical and astrophysical observations. There are concerted efforts to study the properties of Dark Matter by directly observing its interaction in underground detectors. I will present two new efforts: DM-Ice, a sodium-iodide detector to be located in the Antarctic Ice at the South Pole, will search for the expected annual modulation of the Dark Matter signal. I will also discuss the potentialof CUORE as a Dark Matter experiment.
- Host: Baha Balantekin
- Graduate Introductory Seminar
- High Energy Experiment
- Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
- Place: 2223 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Carlsmith, Dasu, Heeger, Herndon, Mellado, Pan, Pondrom, Smith, Wu
Friday, October 1st, 2010
- Physics Department Colloquium
- The Phase Diagrams of the High Temperature Superconductors
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 3:30 pm)
- Speaker: Subir Sachdev, Harvard
- Abstract: The last three decades have witnessed the discovery of many new superconductors, with properties dramatically different from the conventional low temperature superconductors described by the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. These new superconductors can have much higher critical temperature, and all display antiferromagnetism in their phase diagrams. I will highlight important experimental discoveries of the past two years, and argue that they support a unifying theory and phase diagram for these new superconductors. I will also note the still mysterious "strange metal" region of the phase diagram, and its recent holographic description by methods drawn from string theory.
- Host: Chubukov