Events List for the Academic Year
Event Time:
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Event Location:
HENNINGS building
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2025-03-01T08:30:00
2025-03-01T16:30:00
47th Physics Olympics
Event Information:
Welcome to the Physics Olympics!
We welcome you, high school students and teachers!
The Physics Olympics High School competition is one of the largest physics events in Canada.
This annual competition, hosted by the Department of Physics & Astronomy Outreach and the UBC Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, invites hundreds of high school students and their teachers from across British Columbia to compete in six physics & astronomy events. The high school team with the highest overall score receives a trophy for their school, as well as other awards. Up to five students from a team can participate in any given event, and different students from a team can participate in different events. As such, teams may have between 1 and 30 students.
Events include: two pre-build projects, two labs, one Fermi questions event and Quizzics!: a game-show style physics question event.
More details will be posted soon on our website: Welcome to UBC Physics Olympics Website | UBC Physics Olympics
Event Location:
HENNINGS building
Event Time:
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm
Event Location:
HEBB 100
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2024-12-08T13:15:00
2024-12-08T15:00:00
2024 Faraday Show
Event Information:
We are thrilled to announce that our annual Faraday Show will be held on Sunday December 8th, in-person, on the UBC-Vancouver campus in HEBB 100.
The Faraday Show is UBC’s annual science lecture, designed for children and all those who are ‘young at heart’. It is presented by UBC Physics & Astronomy students, faculty and staff.
This year’s theme is: "Physics in your House!". We will answer questions such as, How does the best fire alarm work? Where does static electricity come from? Why do your windows mist up in the winter? All these and more will be answered through fun demonstrations and hands-on activities!
Show schedule:
Pre-Show (table top demonstrations): 1:15PM – 1:55PM
Stage Show (stage presentations): 2:00PM – 3:00PM
This show is FREE! We ask that you please bring non-perishable food items to support Greater Vancouver Food Bank member, The Kettle Society. No RSVP required, although we recommend arriving 15-20 minutes earlier for good seats.
*Planning Tip:
Plan a day on campus! Mention “Faraday Show” and get 50% off admission at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum on Sunday December 8th, between 10am-5pm!
Event Location:
HEBB 100
Event Time:
Thursday, November 28, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-28T09:00:00
2024-11-28T12:00:00
Exotic Decay Measurements at the Experimental Storage Ring for Neutron Capture Processes
Event Information:
Abstract:
The slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron capture processes are responsible for producing almost all elements heavier than iron. Both processes require a lot of nuclear data to make more reliable predictions, and heavy-ion storage rings provide unique methods for measuring nuclear masses and exotic decay modes that can play an important role in these processes. A prime example is bound-state β− decay, where the β-electron is produced in a bound state of the decaying nuclei. This decay mode for highly-charged ions can currently only be measured at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
This thesis describes the analysis of the bound-state β− decay of 205Tl81+ at the ESR. 205Tl is a particularly interesting isotope due to its applications in solar neutrino spectrometry and for dating the early Solar System. A bound β-decay half-life of 291(+33,−27) days was measured, which is much longer than previously predicted. The experimental half-life determines the nuclear matrix element of this transition, which allows for the calculation of accurate astrophysical decay rates of 205Tl and 205Pb in the stellar plasma. This enables models of the s process in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to provide accurate 205Pb yields, which are essential for using 205Pb as a cosmochronometer to date processes in the early Solar System, like the time required for the solar material to isolate from its parent molecular cloud. This thesis presents a preliminary determination of the isolation time of the Solar System using 205Pb.
In complement, a heavy-ion detector called PLEIADES was constructed and commissioned at the ESR, which will be used to detect decay products leaving the storage ring acceptance. PLEIADES is a δE–E telescope that uses silicon pads to measure energy loss and a scintillator stopper to measure the total ion energy. It was commissioned with a 208Pb beam at the ESR, and achieved a FWHM resolution of δZ = 0.66 and δA = 1.14.
PLEIADES and its predecessor CsISiPHOS will be used as multi-purpose detectors for future measurements in the ESR.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Thursday, November 21, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2024-11-21T10:00:00
2024-11-21T11:00:00
Topological qubits from fractional quantum spin Hall states
Event Information:
The recent experiments have shown evidence for a fractional quantum spin Hall (FQSH) state in twisted MoTe2 bilayers. In this talk I will review these experiments, survey some theoretical scenarios for candidate abelian and non-abelian FQSH orders. I will also describe a possible route towards building a topological quantum memory by interfacing FQSH states with superconductors, and propose an all-electrical scheme to detect their topological ground-space degeneracy.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
Event Time:
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-20T12:00:00
2024-11-20T13:30:00
USRA Application Workshop
Event Information:
Have questions about how to apply to Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (USRA)? Need some help navigating all the steps required for USRA (SURE, NSERC, WLIURA) and other non-USRA research opportunities?
Come hear our panel of PHAS undergrads relate their research experiences and tips for applying. All are welcome! Snacks will be available.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Thursday, November 7, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
xʷθəθiqətəm (the Place of Many Trees) at the Liu Institute for Global Issues (6476 NW Marine Drive)
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2024-11-07T16:00:00
2024-11-07T17:00:00
PHAS EDI Town Hall
Event Information:
Please save the date to join the UBC Physics and Astronomy EDI committee for an EDI town hall meeting in place of our usual dept colloquium slot on November 7th.
When: Thursday November 7th at 4:00 pm (as this week's dept colloquium)
Where: xʷθəθiqətəm (the Place of Many Trees) at Liu Institute for Global Issues (6476 NW Marine Drive)
Details: We will hear a short overview of the Physics and Astronomy EDI committee's new strategic plan for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion based on feedback from our last EDI town hall meeting. Please bring your ideas: together we will brainstorm how we can further transform the department's initiatives to build community, offer better support structures, and provide professional development opportunities to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Please keep an eye out for a registration link (to help us order snacks and coffee) and an open call for asynchronous feedback - coming soon!
Event Location:
xʷθəθiqətəm (the Place of Many Trees) at the Liu Institute for Global Issues (6476 NW Marine Drive)
Event Time:
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2024-11-06T17:30:00
2024-11-06T20:30:00
PHAS Career Night
Event Information:
PHAS undergrads, come meet our PHAS Alumni panel to get some good stories, tips, tricks and recommendations on carving out a career path with a Physics, or Astronomy degree in Canada and abroad.
Panelists, faculty and staff will be available after the presentations for questions and networking!
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Monday, November 4, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-04T16:00:00
2024-11-04T17:00:00
Gas-Rich Galaxies as Cosmological Probes
Event Information:
Abstract:
The HI content of nearby galaxies provides important insight into how they form and evolve within the standard cosmology. In this talk, I will highlight some of my group's recent efforts to build statistical samples of HI detections for nearby galaxies to use as cosmological probes. I will first focus on how sensitive single-dish observations of dwarf satellite and ultra-diffuse galaxies are a powerful tool for measuring their structure and constraining formation models. I will then describe how the widefield WALLABY survey on ASKAP is delivering the first spatially-resolved populations of HI disks for comparison with cosmological predictions. This work paves the way for probing HI disks across cosmic time using the SKA when it comes online towards the end of this decade.
Bio:
Kristine Spekkens' research focuses on understanding of the structure and evolution of nearby galaxies in a cosmological context. She is spearheading a variety of projects to help reconcile long-standing discrepancies between the observed properties of spiral galaxies and predictions from galaxy formation theory, and is particularly interested in developing robust techniques for inferring the distribution of dark matter in these systems. Dr. Spekkens is also involved in planning surveys with the next generation of radio telescopes to map the distribution and kinematics of atomic hydrogen in galaxies in diverse environments out to moderate redshifts. Dr. Spekkens' program thus affords graduate students the opportunity to carry out research with the world's largest radio and optical telescopes, and to develop new tools for interpreting the high-quality data obtained from these facilities.
Learn More:
See her faculty webpage from Queen's University here: Kristine Spekkens | Queen's Astronomy Research Group (queensu.ca)
Read about her 2022 Cowan prize for Excellence in Research from the Royal Military College of Canada here: 2022 Cowan Prize for Excellence in Research awarded to Dr. Kristine Spekkens (rmc-cmr.ca)
Watch her youtube video on this topic: "Gas-rich Galaxies as Cosmological Probes" here: Kristine Spekkens : Gas-Rich Galaxies as Cosmological Probes (youtube.com)
Links:
Read about Galaxy formation and evolution (Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics): Galaxy Formation and Evolution | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Read this Nature article, "Galaxy formation and evolution science in the era of the Large Synoptic survey Telescope": Galaxy formation and evolution science in the era of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope | Nature Reviews Physics
Find out more about Radio telescopes (National Radio Astronomy Observatory/NRAO): What are Radio Telescopes? – National Radio Astronomy Observatory (nrao.edu)
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2024-10-31T16:00:00
2024-10-31T17:00:00
The Euclid Satellite: Exploring the Dark (and Light!) Universe
Event Information:
Abstract:
Euclid has been designed to probe the "dark cosmos", using gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering to map the distribution of dark matter and measure how dark energy is affecting the expansion of the Universe. To do so, Euclid performs optical and near-IR imaging, plus spectroscopy, for roughly 1/3 of the sky. This European Space Agency mission has a science team with 2000 members, including about 30 from Canada (and 3 UBC faculty). Euclid launched in July 2023 and is working well, mapping 10 square degrees every day. With its wide-field imaging from a space environment, the images coming from Euclid are spectacular - you can't study the dark Universe without learning a vast amount about the light Universe! Although the main cosmology results will take years to uncover, Euclid is already telling us new things about the structure and evolution of our own Galaxy and the billions of other galaxies that will make up its final data set.
Bio:
Physical Cosmology can be split into two major branches: the detailed study of how structure formed; and the investigation of the parameters which describe the entire Universe. My research involves several different parts of both of these branches.
In the last couple of decades we have been measuring observable quantities that describe the Universe on the largest scales, e.g. anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background, the clustering of galaxies and gravitational lensing. The most extraordinary thing that we have been learning about cosmology is that these measurements can be fit with a simple model requiring just a handful of parameters. This immediately makes us wonder why such a simple model works, why the parameters have the values they do, and how exactly the Universe grew from this simple state into the richness of astronomical objects that we see all around us today.
I have been part of large collaborations (e.g. Planck, Herschel survey teams) and smaller experimental collaborations (SCUBA-2, BLAST, ...), but also work with students on independent observational and theoretical projects across a range of projects in astrophysics and cosmology.
Learn More:
See Douglas Scott's Department of Physics & Astronomy faculty page here: https://phas.ubc.ca/users/douglas-scott, and his research website here: https://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/basic.html
Read about Euclid (European Space Agency): https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Zoom_into_the_first_page_of_ESA_Euclid_s_great_cosmic_atlas
Links:
Cosmic Wave background (Douglas Scott): https://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/cmb.html
Gravitational Lensing (European Space Agency) https://esawebb.org/wordbank/gravitational-lensing/
Dark Matter and Dark energy (NASA): https://science.nasa.gov/universe/dark-matter-dark-energy/
See Douglas on youtube explaining, "What's wrong with the universe?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcjBtcXIaHQ
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2024-10-31T10:00:00
2024-10-31T11:00:00
Efficient microwave-optical conversion mediated by color centers in silicon
Event Information:
Quantum networks are expected to boost the quantum technology by enabling distributed quantum computing and quantum communication. A coherent converter between microwave and optical photons could enable the creation of these quantum networks where quantum information is locally processed in the microwave regime and distributed by optical photons. I will talk about the general requirements and challenges of building a microwave-optical converter with high conversion efficiency. Then, I will introduce our proposed magneto-optic converter, which is based on the effective nonlinearity of an ensemble of spin-bearing color centers implanted in silicon photonic resonator and coupled to a superconducting cavity. I will discuss the physics of the system and how it can be engineered to achieve near-unity conversion efficiency.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
Event Time:
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-10-28T16:00:00
2024-10-28T17:00:00
The Fall of Giants: How to Build and Kill Massive Galaxies in the Early Cosmos
Event Information:
Abstract:
One of the most puzzling discoveries of the decade is that substantial populations of massive galaxies ceased forming stars as early as two billion years after the Big Bang (i.e. by z = 3). These are likely some of the first galaxies in the Universe, yet we have failed to understand how they form and then quench so early on. In order to piece the evolutionary puzzle together, we must capture massive galaxies at all phases of their evolution, from gas-rich star formers to fully quiescent systems -- all at z > 3. Due to the rarity and diversity of the massive galaxy population at z > 3, such an endeavor requires a combination of wide-field observations from the UV to millimeter. In this talk, I will present new results using JWST and ALMA data to identify and characterize z > 3 massive dusty, star forming galaxies and their quiescent descendants. I will share preliminary results on their baryonic profiles (stellar, gas, and dust properties), and share the significance of these results in the context of rapid massive galaxy evolution in the first 2 Gyr of the cosmos.
Bio:
Prof. Arianna Long studies how massive galaxies form, grow, and die in the high-redshift Universe. Her work combines observations with numerical modeling to tease out links and test evolutionary theories between dusty, star forming galaxies in the early cosmos and their fated quiescent descendant galaxies at later times. She uses observations across the electromagnetic spectrum from both ground and space-based observatories, with a specific emphasis on combining JWST and ALMA data. Her research focuses on the baryonic components of these galaxies (i.e. stars, gas, and dust) and how these components evolve over time to create the most massive galaxies in the cosmos.
Alongside her scientific roles, Prof. Long is also an expert in mentorship. As Chief Programming Officer of #VanguardSTEM, Prof. Long develops and leads radical mentoring initiatives to support gender minorities of color in STEM. She also dabbles in science communication, with her written work awarded the 2022 National Academies of Science Excellence in Science Communication Award and featured in the 2022 Best American Science and Nature Writing print compilation.
Learn More:
See Arianna's faculty webpage at the University of Washington Department of Astronomy here: https://astro.washington.edu/people/arianna-long
See her 'Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award' for Best Research Scientist here: https://grad.uci.edu/2022/10/13/arianna-long-named-eric-and-wendy-schmidt-award-winner/
Read the Vanguard STEM Conversations interview with Arianna here: https://conversations.vanguardstem.com/wcwinstem-arianna-long-m-s-she-her-eb5ad0cdc755
Links:
Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe (Harvard Department of Astrophysics): https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/most-massive-galaxies-universe
Early universe (NASA): https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/early-universe/
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): https://webbtelescope.org/home
Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA): https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/home/
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-10-28T14:30:00
2024-10-28T15:30:00
PHAS Monday Tea
Event Information:
Welcome everyone to Monday Tea!
This is a weekly event for students, staff and faculty to meet new-to-you colleagues, catch up with your community and to learn about what's happening in the PHAS Department.
Meet your hosts in the EDI Community Building Working Group:
Jess McIver
Adele Ruosi
Megan Bingham
Evan Goetz
Mona Berciu
Howard Li
Mandana Amiri
See you there!
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-10-28T10:30:00
2024-10-28T12:30:00
Anomalies in the cosmic microwave background
Event Information:
Abstract:The LambdaCDM model, with its six fundamental parameters, provides a remarkably successful framework for understanding the early Universe.
However, the pursuit of new physics beyond this standard model remains an active area of research, and there are several observations in tension with this model. One intriguing aspect of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is the large-scale dipole, which spans the entire sky. While this dipole is predominantly attributed to the Doppler effect from our motion through space, there remains the possibility of a contribution from a large non-adiabatic mode in the early Universe. If true, this would fundamentally change our understanding of the Universe.
In this work, I investigate the origins of the CMB dipole and present a novel measurement of a specific term correlated with the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect, marking the first such analysis. I provide a historical overview of dipole signal detections and identify several promising avenues for future exploration. Additionally, I explore another anomalous signal, known as cosmic birefringence, which could imply parity violation in the Universe -- potentially driven by exotic axion-like dark matter or forms of dark energy. While previous detections primarily relied on harmonic analysis, I adopt a map-space approach, allowing for the examination of spatial variations and the detection of any anisotropic components across the sky.
Finally, I present predictions for upcoming cosmic birefringence measurements by next-generation experiments such as LiteBIRD, highlighting the potential for significant discoveries in the near future.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2024-10-24T10:00:00
2024-10-24T11:00:00
Advanced LIGO: building a new window to the Universe with quantum matter
Event Information:
Have you ever wondered how the Advanced LIGO detectors can sense relative displacements more than 1,000 times smaller than the width of a proton? This unprecedented sensitivity is enabled in part by thin film technology! In this talk, we'll tour the Advanced LIGO detectors to get a sense for how we can detect gravitational waves with laser interferometers. We'll summarize the performance of today's gravitational-wave detectors and what we've learned about the Universe with gravitational waves so far. Finally, we'll discuss the pivotal role of material science advances in developing future gravitational-wave detectors and unlocking the invisible Universe.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
Event Time:
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-10-22T16:00:00
2024-10-22T17:00:00
From anyons in moiré materials to non-Abelions in quantum platforms
Event Information:
Welcome to the second talk in our new Pioneers in Theoretical Physics Colloqium Series.
On October 22nd, we present Ashvin Vishwanath, George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics at Harvard University.
*Note: this talk has been moved forward from it's original date on October 29th, 2024*
Abstract:
Anyons, particles with quantum statistics that go beyond that of bosons and fermions, rapidly transitioned from theoretical possibility to reality in the quantum Hall effect. However, the extreme conditions required for those realizations, including strong magnetic fields, have posed limitations. Recently, significant advances have led to the observation of anyons in moiré materials even in the absence of a magnetic field, alongside parallel efforts to realize them in quantum devices. This talk will highlight these exciting developments, with a particular focus on an even more remarkable generalization of quantum statistics represented by non-Abelian anyons, which offer promise for fault-tolerant quantum computing. I will describe how this power of measurements can be leveraged to efficiently create the long sought after non-Abelian anyons, and the new avenues this opens
Bio:
Ashvin Vishwanath is the George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics at Harvard University. He grew up in Bangalore, India, earned his undergraduate degree from IIT-Kanpur in Physics in 1996 and his Ph.D. from Princeton in 2001 under Duncan Haldane. Following a Pappalardo Fellowship at MIT, he served on the faculty at U.C. Berkeley from 2004-2016, before moving to Harvard University. He received the Europhysics Prize (2016) and the Sloan (2004) and the Guggenheim (2014) Fellowships. He is an APS Fellow and Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021). In 2024 he won with the APS Buckley Prize in Condensed Matter Physics and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Learn More:
Read about Ashvin on the Harvard University faculty pages: Ashvin Vishwanath | DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS (harvard.edu)
See the Vishwanath Group page at Harvard University: Vishwanath Group (harvard.edu)
Here is a brief bio of Ashvin's research on the Harvard University projects page: Ultra-quantum Matter: Ashvin Vishwanath | Ultra-Quantum Matter (harvard.edu)
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-10-21T16:00:00
2024-10-21T17:00:00
Near-field Cosmology with Stellar Streams
Event Information:
Abstract:
Stellar streams, the tidally-disrupted remnants of globular clusters and dwarf galaxies orbiting throughout the Milky Way’s halo, are some of the most powerful tools in the study of near-field cosmology. In particular, they are sensitive probes of the distribution and properties of dark matter across multiple scales, from the smallest subhalos, to the entire dark matter halo, as well as being excellent tracers of the growth and structure of our Galaxy. Thanks to recent large photometric, astrometric, and spectroscopic surveys, the population of stellar streams around the Milky Way is finally being revealed. In this talk, I will present the discovery, characterization, and modeling of the Milky Way stellar streams. I will also present the first comparative studies of stream populations in observations and cosmological simulations, which revealed inconsistencies in orbital parameters and disruption rates, as well as a wealth of potentially yet to be detected stellar streams. In addition, I will present plans to use upcoming surveys like the Rubin Observatory LSST in order to discover and analyze tidal structures throughout the Milky Way and across the local Universe. These data will further revolutionize the study of near-field cosmology, and reveal the answers to critical questions about the structure and assembly of our Galaxy and the nature of dark matter.
Bio:
Nora Shipp is a near-field cosmologist and Galactic dynamicist who uses observations and simulations of the Milky Way to understand dark matter and galaxy formation physics. She uses large astronomical surveys like the Dark Energy Survey, Gaia, and soon the Rubin Observatory LSST, along with cosmological and idealized simulations, to study the population of Milky Way satellite galaxies and star clusters across the spectrum of tidal disruption.
Learn More:
See her faculty webpage from the University of Washington site: https://astro.washington.edu/people/nora-shipp
View her personal website here: https://www.norashipp.com/
Read a short biography on Nora from the Vera Rubin C. Observatory staff page: https://rubinobservatory.org/explore/staff/nora-shipp
Links:
See the "Star Steams of NGC 5907", taken by R. Jay Gabany from Blackbird Observatory in collaboration with D. Martinez-Delado from IAC/MPIA: APOD: 2019 November 16 - The Star Streams of NGC 5907 (nasa.gov)
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, October 21, 2024 | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
Add to Calendar
2024-10-21T14:30:00
2024-10-21T15:30:00
PHAS Monday Tea
Event Information:
Welcome everyone to Monday Tea!
This is a weekly event for students, staff and faculty to meet new-to-you colleagues, catch up with your community and to learn about what's happening in the PHAS Department.
Meet your hosts in the EDI Community Building Working Group:
Jess McIver
Adele Ruosi
Megan Bingham
Evan Goetz
Mona Berciu
Howard Li
Mandana Amiri
See you there!
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
Add to Calendar
2024-10-17T16:00:00
2024-10-17T17:00:00
Quantum Gravity and Cosmology
Event Information:
Abstract: In this talk, I'll review how in our current best understanding of quantum gravity (known as holography), classical spacetime and Einstein's equations emerge from intrinsically quantum phenomena such as entanglement. I'll discuss recent efforts to describe cosmological physics (the physics of expanding universes with a big bang) using this approach. I will explain that while the holographic gravity theories are naively unrealistic because they have a negative cosmological constant, generic cosmological solutions in these models have time-dependent scalar fields that can lead to realistic cosmological evolution with late time accelerated expansion. Observationally, these models can be distinguished from the Lambda-CDM model by the presence of decreasing dark energy. I present an observational study (with Chris Waddell) using supernova and BAO data that suggests such models with decreasing dark energy via a time-dependent scalar are preferred over the standard Lamdba-CDM model in a standard likelihood analysis. The talk will be broadly accessible to undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty in all fields.
Bio:
I am a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia, where I have worked since 2002. Before that, I was a postdoc at Stanford University from 2000 until 2002. I studied as a graduate student at Princeton University from 1995 until 2000 when I received my PhD. My supervisor was Washington Taylor. Before that, I did a combined math/physics undergraduate degree at UBC.
I am currently a Simons Investigator and a member of the Simons Foundation "It From Qubit" Collaboration.
In my research, I work towards a better theoretical understanding of elementary particle physics, classical and quantum gravity, and cosmology. Most of my research has focused on string theory, quantum field theory, and the remarkable equivalence between the two suggested by gauge theory/ gravity duality (a.k.a. the AdS/CFT correspondence). Currently, I am exploring connections between quantum information theory and quantum gravity.
Awards:
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, 2023: Mark Van Raamsdonk joins Royal society of Canada Fellows Class of 2023 | UBC Physics & Astronomy
Killam Teaching Prize: PHAS James Charbonneau and Mark Van Raamsdonk awarded Killam Teaching Prize | UBC Physics & Astronomy, 2021
UBC Killam Faculty Research Award, 2016
Simons Investigator in Physics, 2015-2020
AP/CRM Medal in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics in, 2014
Learn More:
See his Department of Physics & Astronomy faculty webpage here: https://phas.ubc.ca/users/mark-van-raamsdonk
Browse through his personal research website: https://phas.ubc.ca/~mav/vanraamsdonk.html
View his Simon Foundation webpage here: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/mark-van-raamsdonk/
Watch his 2023 Royal Society of Canada Fellow interview on Youtube where he talks about his research and the relation between quantum mechanics and gravity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ_As78DZOE
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
AMPEL 311
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2024-10-17T10:00:00
2024-10-17T11:00:00
Quantum Sensation: a journey through arts and quantum physics
Event Information:
After a presentation of her artistic path and research, the painter Caroline Delétoille will share some insights about the "quantum sensation" art-science project embedded at the core of her upcoming residency. This research-creation based exhibition has been developed since the end of 2023 in close collaboration with a physicist and a philosopher. Its artistic creation and exploration will continue during the residency at the QMI laboratories.
Event Location:
AMPEL 311
Event Time:
Thursday, October 10, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2024-10-10T16:00:00
2024-10-10T17:00:00
Teaching & Learning Quantum Computing
Event Information:
Abstract:
As quantum information science and engineering continues to gain momentum, more courses dedicated to teaching these ideas are being offered at every instructional level. As new courses, programs, and certificates are being developed, there is a unique opportunity for research-based instruction to be embedded into the curriculum. Our work focuses on the introduction of quantum computing content in advanced undergraduate and early graduate courses. At this level, students have taken a significant number of technical courses. At the same time, students enroll in these courses from a variety of majors, including math, engineering, computer science, and physics. We focus on understanding student thinking as they learn foundational quantum information topics from these diverse backgrounds. I will present results on where quantum computing courses are being offered, what content is taught, the development of a conceptual survey on quantum computing, and research into student understanding.
Bio:
I am a physics professor at California State University, Fullerton. My research field is Physics Education Research, with a focus on the teaching and learning of quantum mechanics and quantum information science. My Ph.D. is from the University of Waterloo, where I studied quantum computing. I transitioned to the field of Physics Education Research with a postdoctoral position at the University of Washington. My research group studies how students learn quantum mechanical ideas and develop research-based instructional materials to improve student learning.
Learn More:
See her faculty page from California State University Department of Physics faculty profiles: https://physics.fullerton.edu/people/faculty-and-staff/?itemID=40b6-ae61-d31e536
View some of her presentations on student understanding of quantum mechanics and quantum information science here: https://underline.io/speakers/8808-gina-passante
Read her interview/Physicist profile from the American Physical Society (APS) Careers page: https://www.aps.org/careers/profiles/gina-passante
Event Location:
HENN 201