Events at Physics |
Events on Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- Chasing fast dynamos in the Plasma Lab
- Time: 12:05 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin (refreshments will be served)
- Speaker: Cary Forest, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: The Madison Plasma Dynamo eXperiment is now exploring a hitherto unexplored part of parameter space where dynamos operate in nature. Dynamos are systems which continuously transform kinetic energy from plasma flow into magnetic energy. Discovering the conditions under which dynamos self-generate magnetic fields and then understanding how this field changes plasma dynamics is one of the most compelling questions in all of plasma astrophysics. In plasma astrophysics, the most important issue to be resolved is the fast large scale dynamo problem, namely "How does a highly conducting turbulent plasma self-generate magnetic energy at small-scales that ultimately self-organizes into large scale field?" MPDX has the potential to study dynamos, including fast dynamos, and related processes experimentally. I'll explain what this is and how we can make this happen in my talk.
- Host: Clint Sprott
- Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
- Boosting Dark Matter Indirect Detection Signals with Black Holes
- Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Jessie Shelton
- Abstract: Super-massive black holes that grow at the center of dark matter halos distort the dark matter within their zone of influence into a steep density spike. Besides giving rise to strong enhancements of standard indirect detection signals, this spike can lead to qualitatively new windows into the physics of the early universe. I will talk about potential dark matter signals from the Milky Way's central black hole, some astrophysical caveats, and the possible use of black holes as dark matter accelerators.
- Host: Ran Lu
- Faculty Search Committee Meeting
- Faculty Search Committee Meeting (Particle)
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: 4272 Chamberlin Hall
- Host: Sridhara Dasu