Events at Physics |
Events During the Week of February 16th through February 23rd, 2025
Sunday, February 16th, 2025
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 42nd annual show
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: Fun, fast-paced, family-friendly physics demonstration show
- Host: Haddie McLean
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 42nd annual show
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: Fun, fast-paced, family-friendly physics demonstration show
- Host: Haddie McLean
Monday, February 17th, 2025
- Atomic Physics Seminar
- Title to be announced
- Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Dr. Haocun Yu, University of Vienna, Austria
- Host: Mark Saffman
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- "Solar wind turbulence in the young solar wind"
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
- Place: 1227 Engineering Hall
- Speaker: Anna Tenerani, University of Texas at Austin
- Abstract: The solar corona is a magnetized plasma at temperatures above a million degrees expanding into interplanetary space through the solar wind, which fills our solar system by generating the heliosphere. Although decades of remote and in-situ observations have enabled significant progress in our understanding of the solar corona and solar wind dynamics, the mechanisms underlying coronal heating and solar wind acceleration remain a fundamental unanswered question in space plasma physics. The NASA mission Parker Solar Probe, launched in August 2018, aims to find answers to these questions by measuring fields and particles’ energy at distances closer to the sun than any previous spacecraft. In this seminar, I will discuss how Parker Solar Probe, by flying to within 10 solar radii from the sun’s surface, has provided unprecedented observations of the young solar wind by reshaping our understanding of coronal heating and solar wind formation, including the role of waves and turbulence in solar wind dynamics.
- Host: Adelle Wright
- Physics Department Colloquium
- Special Monday Colloquium
- Future particle colliders: promise and challenges and how AI/ML can help
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: 5280 CH &
- Speaker: Prof. Ken Bloom, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Abstract: Particle colliders allow us to explore the smallest possible distance scales and learn essential truths about the origin and fate of the universe. The Large Hadron Collider, the premier collider of our time, has changed our understanding of particle physics, and set up an exciting future program at the High-Luminosity LHC and at more advanced colliders in the decades ahead. However, experiments at such colliders present many challenges, both in their operations and in the subsequent analysis of the large volumes of complex data that they produce. I’ll discuss the physics program that we will carry out, and how machine learning and artificial intelligence will help us address some of the challenges.
- Host: Sridhara Dasu
Tuesday, February 18th, 2025
- Network in Neutrinos, Nuclear Astrophysics, and Symmetries (N3AS) Seminar
- Simulating and Interpreting the Multimessenger Picture of Neutron Star Mergers
- Time: 2:00 pm
- Place: Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 965 9696 7335
- Speaker: Tim Dietrich , AEI, Potsdam & Potsdam University
- Abstract: Neutron stars are among the most compact objects in the Universe, and their collisions rank among the most energetic events observed. The groundbreaking multimessenger detection of gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals from such events has revolutionized astronomy, providing profound insights into fundamental physics. The correct interpretation of multimessenger data, including gravitational waves and electromagnetic counterparts, requires accurate theoretical predictions that can be cross-correlated with observations. These models can be constructed by combining ab initio numerical-relativity simulations with derived analytical knowledge. Finally, an efficient Bayesian framework for multimessenger analysis is indispensable for extracting meaningful information from observational data. We will discuss how numerical-relativity simulations and multimessenger data analysis go hand in hand to provide valuable insights into neutron star mergers and fundamental physics principles.
Topic: N3AS Online Seminar Series - Spring 2025
Time: Feb 18, 2025, 2:00 PM
NOTE: All participants and hosts are now required to sign into a Zoom account prior to joining meetings hosted by UC Berkeley.
- Host: Baha Balantekin
Wednesday, February 19th, 2025
- NPAC (Nuclear/Particle/Astro/Cosmo) Forum
- From Data to Discovery: Machine Learning and Real-Time AI at the Frontier of Particle Physics
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: 5280 CH &
- Speaker: Dr. Abhijit Gandrakota, Fermilab
- Abstract: Uncovering beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics near the electroweak (EW) scale remains one of the most formidable challenges in high-energy physics, where subtle signals are often obscured by overwhelming background processes. In this talk, I demonstrate how advanced AI and machine learning techniques are revolutionizing the search for new physics at the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). I start by discussing the application of data scouting and Gaussian Process regression for low-mass hadronic resonances, which simplifies the detection of slight excesses against smooth backgrounds. Recognizing the limitations imposed on these searches by the Trigger and Data Acquisition systems, we introduce AXOL1TL—an innovative anomaly detection method utilizing real-time AI tools implemented on FPGA hardware that achieves ultra-fast event processing in just 50 ns. Further advancements are presented through robust multi-background representation learning and attention-based methods for event filtering, which enhance both the efficiency and interpretability of our ML models at the HL-LHC. Together, these cutting-edge developments pave the way toward overcoming the challenges of identifying BSM signatures at the EW scale, opening new avenues for discovery in particle physics.
- Host: Sridhara Dasu
Thursday, February 20th, 2025
- R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminar
- Spontaneous synchronization: from fireflies to Schmidt-Higgs mode in Superconductors
- Time: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Maxim Dzero , Kent State University
- Abstract: The tendency to synchronize is one of the most ubiquitous and at the same time mysterious drive in all of nature. In the introductory part of my talk, I will show how the study of synchrony could deepen our understanding of not only certain aspects enormous congregations of fireflies blinking on and off in complete unison, but also the collectively synchronous behavior of 10^23 electrons in superconductors. In the main part of my talk, I will discuss an example of spontaneous synchronization in superconductors which are driven out of equilibrium by a sudden perturbation. The particular focus of my talk will be on collective excitation of the amplitude (Schmidt-Higgs) mode and how the dynamics of this mode changes in the presence of disorder. Finally, I will discuss how the phenomenon of spontaneous synchronization in conventional superconductors can be probed experimentally.
- Host: Alex Levchenko
- Astronomy Colloquium
- Strengthening our profession through structured learning experiences
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place: 4421 Sterling Hall
- Speaker: Nicholas J. McConnell, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Abstract: Ingredients for a successful career in astrophysics include (but are not limited to) talent, opportunity, committed effort, knowledge, resilience, and mentorship. We all have roles in cultivating and strengthening these ingredients for ourselves, our students, and our colleagues, while relying on training structures that often aren’t effective at balancing and integrating them. While learning physics and astronomy content in a high school or college class is the entry point for many future researchers, a narrower cross-section will access on-the-job development for crucial skills like research design, adaptive planning, and leadership. With intention these skills can be incorporated into astrophysics curricula and practiced early on, so they can bear upon students’ persistence in the discipline. I will share two case studies: one scaffolding research practices and mindsets in a UW-Madison astronomy course, and AstroTech – a summer program broadening undergraduate and graduate students’ participation in astronomy instrumentation.
- Host: Melinda Soares-Furtado
Friday, February 21st, 2025
- Physics Department Colloquium
- Path to Scale QCCD Architecture for Trapped Ion Quantum Computers
- Time: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: Discovery Building, DeLuca Forum
- Speaker: Patty Lee, Quantinuum
- Abstract:
The quantum charge-coupled device(QCCD) architecture enables trapped ion systems to scale up to a large number of qubits while maintaining high-fidelity operations in the physical layer. Recent key demonstrations, such as quantum supremacy with random circuit sampling, fidelity improvement with encoded qubits, and digital quantum simulation of non-Abelian topological order, underscore the computational capabilities of Quantinuum's H2 system, currently operating with 56 qubits. Along with advancements in ion trap microfabrication, transport control, and integrated photonics, these demonstrations establish a robust foundation for achieving quantum advantage and fault-tolerant quantum computing.
This event starts at 3:30pm with refreshments, followed at 3:45pm by a short presentation titled "Cross Resonant CNOT Gates in Hybrid Fluxonium-Transmon Systems", by Nick Dimitrov (Vavilov group). The invited presentation starts at 4pm.
- Host: Mark Saffman