Events at Physics |
Events During the Week of October 25th through November 1st, 2026
Monday, October 26th, 2026
- Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
- Prospects for Supernova Magnetometry with Neutrinos
- Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
- Place: Chamberlin 5280
- Speaker: Garv Chauhan, Arizona State University
- Abstract: A Galactic supernova neutrino burst could offer a way to investigate the magnetic fields of a newly formed neutron star. Electron spin polarization in a strong magnetic field introduces a directional dependence in neutrino interactions, potentially producing anisotropic emission from the proto–neutron star. If the magnetic axis is inclined to the rotation axis, this anisotropy can generate a periodic modulation in the neutrino signal observed at Earth. In this talk, I will discuss the physical origin of this effect and a phenomenological framework for estimating its impact on the electron-antineutrino flux. I will examine the prospects for detecting such a modulation with IceCube, discussing the potential detection reach and whether the modulation’s amplitude and temporal evolution could constrain the magnetic-field strength and its evolution near the neutrinosphere. I will also discuss the potential role of complementary neutrino observations with DUNE, gravitational-wave measurements, and future IceCube-Gen2 capabilities. This approach could open a new avenue for supernova magnetometry, offering insight into the magnetic fields of newborn neutron stars.
- Host: Toni Bertólez-Martínez
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- A Dipole Approach to Fusion Power in Space
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Edward Hinson, Zephyr Fusion
- Abstract: Access to power beyond tens of kilowatts remains a central constraint on activity in space. Numerous mission architectures studied in detail for microgravity manufacturing, human habitation, and propulsion, among others, call for power at the megawatt scale and above. However, the largest power systems in orbit are solar arrays operating at the 100 to 200 kW level, on crewed, government-operated platforms. Because array power scales with collecting area, arrays become impractically large at megawatt power levels. At the megawatt scale and above, the remaining options are nuclear. Fission systems at the few-kilowatt electric level have flown, and megawatt-class designs have been studied, but fission carries regulatory and programmatic risk. Fusion has received comparatively little study as a space power source.
Fusion plasmas in space do not need to be as compact, or as high power as is customary in magnetic fusion, though launched components are bound by fairing volume and mass. For some magnetic configurations, the space environment can provide access to a large magnetized vacuum volume at low marginal cost. Zephyr Fusion is developing a superconducting dipole as the basis for a megawatt-class fusion power system in space.
The talk outlines the requirements and advantages specific to a fusion system in the space environment, along with Zephyr Fusion's development path, including the partnerships assembled in its first year and an orbital superconducting magnet demonstration targeted for 2028.
Bio: Edward Hinson is co-founder and CEO of Zephyr Fusion, a Y Combinator company based in San Diego, California. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015. - Host: Vladimir Zhdankin
Tuesday, October 27th, 2026
- No events scheduled
Wednesday, October 28th, 2026
- No events scheduled
Thursday, October 29th, 2026
- R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminar
- Quantum algorithms for differential equations
- Time: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Xiangyu Li, PNNL
- Abstract: Multiscale nonlinear complex systems are ubiquitous in nature and engineering and are often cursed by high dimensionality. Predicting their emergent behavior across scales has been a longstanding challenge. Quantum computing promises an exponential speedup in dimension for solving linear systems. However, it cannot efficiently solve strongly nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) governing those complex systems due to the linear nature of quantum mechanics. In this talk, we will discuss how to harness the power of quantum computing to break the dimensionality curse of multiscale nonlinear complex systems, such as fluid dynamics, biosciences, and fusion energy science. In turn, we will discuss the fundamental limit of quantum advantage/disadvantage in solving nonlinear dynamics by utilizing the domain-driven development of quantum algorithms.
- Host: Vladimir Zhdankin
- Astronomy Colloquium
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place: 4421 Sterling Hall
- Speaker: Lewis McCallum, Harvard-CfA
- Abstract: TBD
- Host: Bob Benjamin
Friday, October 30th, 2026
- Physics Department Colloquium
- Molecular movies: Ultrafast strong field AMO Physics
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place: Chamberlin 2241 -
- Speaker: Philip Bucksbaum, Stanford University
- Abstract: Chemistry begins with the motion of electrons. We study this motion on its natural time scales—from femtoseconds to attoseconds, among the shortest events ever measured. Using ultrashort laser or x-ray laser pulses, we can both observe and manipulate electrons and atoms as molecules change, allowing us to watch the first steps of chemical reactions unfold. By using very intense laser fields, we can even direct electron motion in ways that are impossible under ordinary conditions. These experiments produce "molecular movies" that reveal quantum dynamics in real time and help us understand how light controls matter at its most fundamental level.
- Host: Uwe Bergmann