Events at Physics |
Events During the Week of October 26th through November 2nd, 2008
Monday, October 27th, 2008
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- "Stellarator Research at Auburn University
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: 1227 Engineering Hall
- Speaker: Stephen Knowlton, Auburn University, Physics Department
- High Energy Seminar
- Measurement of dijet angular distributions in the TeV regime and searches for new physics beyond standard model
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin: Coffee and Cookies at 3:45 pm
- Speaker: Nirmalya Parua, Indiana University
- Host: Matthew Herndon
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- Chaos and its application in secure communication
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin (Refreshments will be served)
- Speaker: Kehui Sun, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: Chaotic systems have several significant features favorable to secure communication, such as aperiodicity (useful for one-time pad cipher); sensitivity to initial conditions and parameters (useful for effective bit confusion and diffusion); and random behaviors (useful for producing output signals with satisfactory statistics). Thus, chaotic systems and their application in secure communication have received increasing attention. Up to now, four main secure communication schemes based on chaos synchronization have been investigated, such as chaos masking, chaos shifting key, chaos modulation, and chaos spread spectrum. In fact, chaos synchronization is one of the key technologies in the chaotic secure communication for its practical use. So I will focus on the chaos synchronization and chaos secure communication schemes in my talk.
- Astronomy Colloquium
- Understanding the Interstellar Neighborhood: Structure, Dynamics, and Quasar Scintillation"
- Time: 3:30 pm
- Place: 6515 Sterling Hall
- Speaker: Dr. Jeff Linsky, UC- Boulder
- Abstract: Absortion line spectroscopy provides a precise tool for understanding the properties of gas in the very local region of the Galactic disk and by implication interstellar media elsewhere in the universe. I will describe our recent studies of the dynamics and structure of local warm gas based on high-resolution HST and ground based Ca II spectra. Analysis of 157 sight lines shows that most velocity components can be modeled with 15 velocity vectors indicating the presence of 15 parcels of warm gas located within a few parsecs of the Sun. Cloud-cloud interactions may explain the morphologies and physical properties of these clouds.<br>
Large-amplitude intraday and annual variability of quasars can be simply explained as scintillation produced by nearby turbulent-scattering screens.<br>
I will show that the scattering screens are located near the edges of nearby warm clouds and that the turbulence responsible for the scattering could be explained by the interaction of clouds with large differences in radial and transverse velocities. - Host: Professor Blair Savage
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
- Career Advising seminar
- Undergraduate Career Advising seminar
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Greg Iaccarino, L&S Career Services
- Abstract: Greg Iaccarino from L&S Career Services will speak about resume writing, resume building, and non-academic careers for Physics majors.
- Host: Physics Undergraduate Program
Thursday, October 30th, 2008
- NPAC (Nuclear/Particle/Astro/Cosmo) Forum
- Thermal inflation, gravitational waves, baryogenesis and dark matter
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Wan-Il Park, KAIST
- Abstract: We propose a simple extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model which
gives rise to thermal inflation, baryogenesis and dark matter in a natural and
remarkably consistent way.
We consider the $lambda_phi = 0$ special case of our previous model, which is the
minimal way to incorporate a Peccei-Quinn symmetry.
The axino becomes the lightest supersymmetric particle with $m_{ ilde{a}} sim 1
extrm{ to } 10 GeV$ and is typically over-produced during the flaton decay.
Interestingly though, the dark matter abundance is minimized for $m_{ ilde{a}} sim
1 GeV$, $f_a sim 10^{11} extrm{ to } 10^{12} GeV$ and $|mu| sim 400 GeV
extrm{ to } 1 TeV$ at an abundance coincident with the observed abundance and
with significant amounts of both axions and axinos.
Futhermore, for these values the baryon abundance naturally matches the observed
abundance.
As an observable, thermal inflation which is the key idea of the model produces a
background of gravitational waves.
It is likely to be detected at BBO and DECIGO style direct detection experiments.
- Host: Dan Chung
- Graduate Introductory Seminar
- Atomic and Molecular Intro Seminar
- Time: 5:30 pm
- Place: 2223 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Atomic & Molecular Group, Physics Department
- Abstract: Introductory Seminar for first year Grad Students (others welcome)
- Host: Atomic & Molecular Group
Friday, October 31st, 2008
- Joint String Theory/Phenomenology Seminar
- Holographic Superfluidity and Superconductivity
- Time: 1:30 pm
- Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Chris Herzog, Princeton University
- Physics Department Colloquium
- H.T. Richards Lecture
- Surveying the TeV Gamma-Ray Sky with Milagro and HAWC
- Time: 4:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 3:30 pm)
- Speaker: Brenda Dingus, Los Alamos National Lab
- Abstract: TeV gamma rays point to Nature's astrophysical accelerators. Many of these accelerators output most of their electromagnetic energy in gamma rays, and their output may flare by more than an order of magnitude. In order to study these TeV accelerators, a new type of detector was developed with a large field of view and >90% duty factory. This detector, called Milagro, used a 5000 square meter pond of water to detect Cherenkov light from extensive air showers. Milagro surveyed the 2 pi sr of the Northern Hemisphere and discovered new sources of TeV gamma rays as well as diffuse emission from the plane of the Milky Way galaxy. The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is a next-generation version of the Milagro observatory that will be built in Mexico at an altitude of 13500' and will have over 10 times the sensitivity of Milagro.
- Host: Westerhoff