Events at Physics |
Events on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- Wind Turbine Generators: The Basics
- Time: 12:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Mitch Bradt, Program Manager, Department of Engineering Professional Development
- Abstract: During the years 2005 - 2009, US wind energy installations experienced growth annual growth rates of 20-45% capacity increase. In the talk, the speaker will give a presentation on some of the fundamental technical background on this maturing energy source. This will include the mechanical and electrical sides of the energy conversion process, a sample of Annual Energy Production estimates as well as the concept of Capacity Factor. We'll take you to the top of a turbine to see the equipment inside--hold onto your hat, it's 100 meters to the top! Then we'll climb back down and follow the electrons to the bulk transmission grid, onto the the distribution grid, and finally to your house to power your lights, ovens, and flatscreens.
- High Energy Seminar
- Probing the Universe with Neutrinos
- Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Erik Blaufuss, University of Maryland
- Abstract: The construction of large neutrino detectors sensitive to high-energy
neutrinos has opened a new window on the Universe. These unique
messengers are not affected by magnetic fields or interactions in dense
astrophysical environments and offer the potential to observe deep inside
the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. The IceCube Neutrino
Observatory, recently completed deep in the Antarctic ice under the
geographic South Pole, is sensitive to neutrinos of TeV energies and
higher. One of the leading candidates for the source of the highest
energy cosmic rays are gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Models producing the
highest energy cosmic rays in GRBs predict neutrino fluxes detectable in
IceCube. In this talk I will summarize the status of the IceCube searches
for neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts, and preview future neutrino studies
that are possible in the completed IceCube detector and in a future
massive detector at a deep underground laboratory.
- Host: Karsten Heeger