Events List for the Academic Year
Event Time:
Monday, March 17, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-03-17T16:00:00
2025-03-17T17:00:00
The cold Circumgalactic Medium and its role in galaxy evolution
Event Information:
Abstract:
Galaxies are not isolated systems but complex ecosystems. Current theories predict that they form in dark-matter halos connected by a network of filaments, mainly made of gas, but for galaxies to keep forming stars, fresh gas needs to be continuously accreted through filaments onto galaxy halos. Some of this gas is pristine, of cosmological origin, while some is recycled from galaxy discs by energetic events such as powerful winds. This cycle of gas inflow and outflow creates a reservoir between a galaxy's disc and its outer environment, known as the circumgalactic medium (CGM).
Recent studies are showing that a -- so far unconstrained -- fraction of the CGM mass may reside in the cold molecular and atomic phase, especially in high-redshift dense environments. These gas phases, together with the warmer ionised phase, can be studied through bright far-infrared and sub-millimetre emission lines such as [CII](158um), [OIII](88um), CI[1-0](609um) CI[2-1](370um), and the rotational transitions of CO.
Using observations from the largest ground-based and space telescopes (ALMA and JWST), combined with traditional and AI-driven analysis techniques, and advanced simulations, we are undertaking a project making use of gas emission, kinematics, excitation and magnetic fields to address key questions in galaxy evolution: Is there sufficient gas and dust to solve the cosmological missing baryon puzzle? How does outflowing gas that reaches the CGM regulate star formation in galaxy discs? How do galaxies acquire material to sustain star formation via inflows?
Bio:
Paola received her PhD in Physics from the Universita' di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy and has held positions at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), at the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) in Rome, Italy, the Max-Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, at the University of Padova in Padua, Italy, the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) and the Italian Ministry for University Research, Science, and Technology (MURST), and the Institut Astrophysique (IAP) in Paris, France.
She is currently Head of the ESO-Garching Office for Science and Chair of the Astronomer Faculty with academic interests in Cosmology and the Early Universe, the evolution of galaxies and the ISM and QSOs, observational cosmology, tand far infrared and submillimetric extragalactic backgrounds.
Learn More:
About Galaxy Evolution: https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/evolution/
About the Circumgalactic Medium (CGM): https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017ARA%26A..55..389T/abstract
About the European Southern Observatory (ESO): https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/
About ESO Telescopes: https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/
Links:
Discover Paulo Andreani's research website: https://www.eso.org/~pandrean/index.html
See article/images of the CMG in "Probing the Circumgalactic Medium with X-Ray Absorption Lines" from SpringNature: https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-16-4544-0_112-1/figures/1
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Friday, March 14, 2025 | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201 + observation event
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2025-03-14T19:00:00
2025-03-14T21:00:00
Beyond Earth: Unveiling the wonders of our Solar System
Event Information:
Abstract:
In this beginner-friendly talk, we will explore our solar system, focusing on the 2025 planetary alignment, upcoming eclipses and potential asteroid impacts! We will consider the planets and moons where we would most likely find life outside of Earth and discuss some of the findings and oddities of the inner planets and the outer gas giants. Tim will cover basic solar system structure and how we could ever achieve interstellar travel. And as usual, there will be time for Q&A where he will (hopefully) be able to shed light on a few queries of our unique place in the galaxy!
Your Host:
UBC Astronomy Club with guest speaker Tim Stephenson.
Tim Stephenson, from Langley BC, is a veteran science and astronomy educator with over 30 years of teaching experience, recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Known for his passionate approach, Tim focuses on making science accessible, meaningful, and relevant. He is the author of Beyond the Classroom, a book detailing his teaching journey, and he shares his knowledge as the host of the Science 360 podcast and YouTube channel (Science 360 - Beyond the Sky). Tim is also a regular public presenter on space and astronomy topics.
Learn More:
About planetary alignments and parades: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/planetary-alignments-and-planet-parades/
About future eclipses: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/
About Asteroids: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/
About Exoplanets (or habitable planets outside our solar system): https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/
Event Location:
HENN 201 + observation event
Event Time:
Friday, March 14, 2025 | 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Event Location:
Dodson Room (Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall )
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2025-03-14T12:00:00
2025-03-14T14:00:00
UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final
Event Information:
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. Originally developed at the University of Queensland, the 3MT is now held across the world.
UBC was one of the first universities in North America to host a 3MT competition, when it held the inaugural 3MT @UBC in 2011. Every year heats are held across campus beginning in February, with winners moving on to the UBC-wide Semi-Finals and Finals in March. More than 130 graduate students compete annually, hoping to advance.
Come support the last ten who have advanced to the final competition! The winner of the event will represent UBC at the Western Regional 3MT competition in Victoria in the spring.
Event Information:
https://3mt.grad.ubc.ca/schedule/
View Organizer Website
Event Location:
Dodson Room (Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall )
Event Time:
Thursday, March 13, 2025 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2025-03-13T10:00:00
2025-03-13T11:00:00
Electron-hole atomic double layers: towards high-temperature exciton condensation
Event Information:
Excitons, bound electron-hole pairs, in semiconductors are bosons that can form condensates. With a much smaller mass than atoms, they have been predicted to condense at a much higher temperature scale. Although the concept has been understood for more than sixty years, experimental realization of exciton condensates or superfluids has remained challenging. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts in creating a high-density equilibrium exciton fluid in atomic double layers made of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides. I will present results from both thermodynamics and transport measurements that establish high-temperature excitonic insulators. I will also discuss the physics of doped excitonic insulators that can support a Bose-Fermi mixture and an equilibrium trion fluid.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
Event Time:
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-03-11T13:00:00
2025-03-11T14:00:00
Supporting Students in Distress
Event Information:
Dear PHAS Community,
The PHAS EDI committee in coordination with the Head, has booked a workshop intended for faculty, staff, post docs and RAs, and Ph.D. students:
This workshop, "Supporting Students in Distress", will review resources for recognizing and supporting students through the Early Alert system, as described in UBC’s Green Folder (https://wellbeing.ubc.ca/supporting-students-distress). Brian Barth, Manager of Student Support Services at the VP Students Office explains when and how to use the Early Alert (EA) system to support students. Attendees will gain an understanding of student concerns and how to facilitate efficient coordination of support efforts.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 11:00 am - 3:30 pm
Event Location:
Abdul Ladha Science Student Centre
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2025-03-11T11:00:00
2025-03-11T15:30:00
2025 UBC Quantum Career Fair
Event Information:
2025 UBC Quantum Career Fair
Celebrate the International Year of Quantum and 100 years of quantum mechanics at the the 2025 UBC Quantum Career Fair! Open to all students, attend our event on March 11th 11am - 3:30pm at the Abdul Ladha Science Student Centre for a day of networking, booths, and panel discussions exploring quantum science and technologies in the real world. Joined by Amazon, SBQMI, a panelist from IBM, and many more—come meet the professionals and academics at the forefront of quantum research!
RSVP here: https://forms.gle/X45Q6eHFMhmDv7TU7
Visit our event page for updates: https://www.ubcquantum.com/2025careerfair/
Event Location:
Abdul Ladha Science Student Centre
Event Time:
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Location:
Dodson room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
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2025-03-11T10:00:00
2025-03-11T12:00:00
UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Semi-final Heat #1
Event Information:
UBC 3 Minute Thesis Semifinal Heat #1
Everyone is invited to come cheer on our PHAS grad student Vismaya Pillai as she competes in Semifinal Heat #1 of the UBC 3 Minute Thesis on March 11, 10am-noon, in the Dodson Room in Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, or watch on zoom.
See https://3mt.grad.ubc.ca/news/nearly-30-students-compete-in-semi-final-events/ for full information!
*This is also available via zoom.
*Please register for this event: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6PujFWab47txDTw
Event Location:
Dodson room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Event Time:
Monday, March 10, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-03-10T16:00:00
2025-03-10T17:00:00
Searching for Dark Matter with ADMX
Event Information:
Abstract:
What is the particle nature of dark matter? No standard model particle seems to fit, but the axion, a hypothetical particle motivated by the strong CP problem in nuclear physics, is an excellent candidate. The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) is an axion 'haloscope' that searches for local dark matter axions through their conversion to microwave photons in a strong magnetic field. ADMX is gradually expanding its reach to cover a wider range of theoretically well-motivated axion masses and couplings. I will discuss the principle of the axion haloscope as a dark matter search and its sensitivity to local dark matter structure, the current operations of ADMX, the near term search strategy, and potential improvements in future axion searches.
Bio:
Gray Rybka is an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Washington. His research focuses on precision measurements to expand our knowledge of the fundamental particle building blocks of the universe. These experiments often involve the use of superconducting quantum electronics in a deep cryogenic environment. He is co-spokesperson of the Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX), which searches for microwave signals produced from dark matter conversion in a superconducting magnetic field. He is also involved in the Project-8 effort to measure the neutrino mass scale using Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy.
Learn More:
Read his faculty webpage here: https://phys.washington.edu/people/gray-rybka and here: http://faculty.washington.edu/grybka/
Watch his lecture on "The Search for Axion Dark Matter" on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YlLnqs42mI, or his video lecture on "ADMX results" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tii9SZ3OA6Q
What is the Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX)? https://depts.washington.edu/admx/
What is Project-8? https://www.project8.org/
What is dark matter and dark energy? https://science.nasa.gov/universe/dark-matter-dark-energy/
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Location:
SFU Surrey (13450 - 102nd Avenue Galleria 250 Surrey, BC / V3T 0A3)
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2025-03-08T10:00:00
2025-03-08T12:00:00
Saturday Morning Lectures
Event Information:
March 8 (SFU)10:00 Darren Grant (SFU): "Ghost chasing 101: opening a new window to the extreme Universe"11:10 Stephan Malbrunot (TRIUMF): "Unraveling mysteries and (broken) symmetries of the universe with radioactive molecules"
Event Location:
SFU Surrey (13450 - 102nd Avenue Galleria 250 Surrey, BC / V3T 0A3)
Event Time:
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Event Location:
UBC Hospital’s Koerner Pavilion, Level 1, Brain Research Centre conference room (in-person only)
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2025-03-07T13:00:00
2025-03-07T15:00:00
Characterizing white matter: Adventures with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging
Event Information:
Abstract:White matter in the central nervous system alters throughout the healthy lifespan as well as in disease. It is important to have non-invasive methods of characterizing white matter, such as through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), so that changes to white matter in disease can be better understood. White matter is complex, and different quantitative MRI measures are sensitive to different aspects of its microstructure. In this thesis, I explored five MRI measures to characterize white matter: myelin water fraction (MWF), fractional anisotropy (FA), microscopic fractional anisotropy (µFA), a measure of tissue heterogeneity (CMD) and the magnetization transfer (MT) ratio.
I first investigated the relationship between MWF (from myelin water imaging) and FA, µFA and CMD (from tensor-valued diffusion imaging) in twenty-five healthy volunteers through correlation analysis and tract profiling, and created atlases of these measures. I also characterised the measures in five example cases of multiple sclerosis (MS), to explore how they varied in pathology. I determined from this initial investigation that MWF, µFA and CMD would be useful to explore both healthy and pathological tissue.
Next, I developed a data-driven tissue classification framework to classify tissue using only quantitative MRI measures and no spatial input, called Clustering for Anatomical Quantification and Evaluation (CAQE). In this framework, quantitative MRI measures from multiple healthy subjects were used to derive tissue classifications with specific microstructural signatures. I clustered MWF, µFA and CMD data from twenty-five healthy controls to create a classification scheme where clusters placed themselves into anatomically similar locations in healthy people even without spatial input. I applied the classification scheme to twenty-five people with MS and found regions of changes in white matter tissue classifications that were correlated with cognitive ability.
Finally, I developed MT imaging for characterizing white matter on a new point-of-care ultra-low field 64 mT scanner, to enable myelin-sensitive monitoring in demyelinating diseases such as MS. I did this using an on-resonance approach with steady state free precession imaging, validated the approach in phantoms, assessed its reproducibility, and demonstrated it in a person with MS.
Event Location:
UBC Hospital’s Koerner Pavilion, Level 1, Brain Research Centre conference room (in-person only)
Event Time:
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2025-03-06T16:00:00
2025-03-06T17:00:00
The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment
Event Information:
Abstract: Every time researchers have pushed the energy boundary in particle physics we have found something new about our Universe. Recently, IceCube has demonstrated that Neutrino Telescopes can use neutrinos from the cosmos as excellent tools to continue this exploration. To unlock the true potential of this field, advanced detectors are needed that will push the forefront of the cosmic frontier, revealing new knowledge of extreme astrophysical phenomena, including through multi-messenger follow-up programs, and testing fundamental physics at scales well beyond those reachable by Earth-bound accelerators. We aim to construct one of the largest neutrino telescopes deep in the northern Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia, the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE). The first detector line is planned to be deployed this year - marking the start of an exciting phase for this new project. In this talk I will cover results from early pathfinder missions and discuss the status of P-ONE.
Bio:
Matthias Danninger is an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University. In his research, he uses the ATLAS detector to search for signs of long-lived new particle signatures. This is challenging because these particles have a tendency to avoid interactions and can easily elude detection. Against this backdrop, he and his research team are trying to shed light on the universe’s biggest remaining mysteries: why matter prevailed over anti-matter in the early universe and what exactly dark matter is.
Matthias received his first physics education at the University of Canterbury. He completed a Diploma in Physics in 2008 (equivalent to MSc) at the Technical University of Munich, received his PhD in 2013 from Stockholm University, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at UBC from 2013-19. He is currently Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in Experimental Particle Physics.
His research interests include subatomic particle physics, the high energy frontier (ATLAS experiment), searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (Dark Matter and Long-Lived Particles), tracking detectors (track-, vertex-, and event-reconstruction techniques), Astroparticle physics and neutrino physics, and global statistical fits.
Learn More:
See his SFU faculty webpage here: https://www.sfu.ca/physics/people/faculty/mdanning.html
Read SFU news article, "SFU scientists working to build neutrino telescope to provide a new window into the universe": https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2024/09/sfu-scientists-working-to-build-neutrino-telescope-to-provide-a-.html
See him speak on the Saturday Morning Lectures here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7GrPcQTiU
What is the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzmCbos0RNU
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 200 (in the atrium outside of the classroom)
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2025-03-06T15:00:00
2025-03-06T16:00:00
PHAS Thursday Tea!
Event Information:
Event Information:
We welcome you to our weekly PHAS THURSDAY Tea!
Term 2 has delivered a new schedule for our friendly neighbourhood tea event: join us Thursdays from 3-4pm in the atrium outside of HENN 200. For those interested, we invite you to follow up with our weekly Department colloquia in HENN 201 from 4-5pm.
We welcome all students, staff and faculty to meet new-to-you colleagues, catch up with your physics community and to learn about current happenings in the PHAS Department.
Meet your hosts from the EDI Community Building Working Group:
Jess McIver
Adele Ruosi
Megan Bingham
Evan Goetz
Mona Berciu
Howard Li
Mandana Amiri
We look forward to meeting you!
Event Location:
HENN 200 (in the atrium outside of the classroom)
Event Time:
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-03-05T14:00:00
2025-03-05T15:00:00
Workshop: UBC Discrimination Policy
Event Information:
Dear PHAS Community,The PHAS EDI committee in coordination with the Head, is coordinating a series of presentations. Our next one is happening this week and is open to everyone (faculty, staff, post docs, RAs, graduate and undergraduate students):
Wednesday, March 5, 2PM-3PM, in Henn 318: UBC Discrimination Policy, by Nicole Gareau-Wilson, Human Rights Advisor at the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO)
We hope to see many of you at these events.
Thank you very much
The PHAS EDI committee___UBC DISCRIMINATION POLICY: Nicole Gareau-Wilson, Human Rights Advisor at the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office, will provide an overview of UBC’s Discrimination Policy (and BC’s Human Rights Code) and the 15 protected grounds (such as disability, sex, etc.). Nicole will also review the resources and funding that the Equity and Inclusion Office can provide to units and explain how Human Rights Advisors can connect confidentially with students, staff, and faculty who have questions or need support. Nicole will then address unit-specific questions and provide time for additional questions after the presentation.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, March 3, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-03-03T16:00:00
2025-03-03T17:00:00
Observational Cosmology Today
Event Information:
Abstract:
I will present an overview of the state of observational cosmology, with an emphasis on what we can learn about fundamental physics by treating the universe as a giant - but uncontrolled - physics laboratory. Most of the emphasis will be on cosmic microwave background observations: what they have told us to date, and what we might still learn in the coming decade. I will also discuss how other probes of large scale structure and expansion history additionally constrain the standard model of cosmology, and *perhaps* point to extensions beyond the standard model.
Bio:
Gary F. Hinshaw (born in San Rafael, California) is a cosmologist and physics professor at the University of British Columbia. Hinshaw worked on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) whose observations of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) have provided significant insights into cosmology.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Event Location:
TRIUMF - Main Office Building Auditorium (4004 Wesbrook Mall Vancouver, BC / V6T 2A3)
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2025-03-01T10:00:00
2025-03-01T12:00:00
Saturday Morning Lectures
Event Information:
March 1 (TRIUMF)10:00 Chris Charles (TRIUMF): "Particle Accelerator Chemistry: Radiolytic Production of Organic Molecules and Emergence of Life in Extreme Planetary Environments"11:10 Darren Grant (SFU): "Ghost chasing 101: opening a new window to the extreme Universe"
Event Location:
TRIUMF - Main Office Building Auditorium (4004 Wesbrook Mall Vancouver, BC / V6T 2A3)
Event Time:
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Event Location:
HENNINGS building
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2025-03-01T09:00:00
2025-03-01T17:30:00
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:
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2025-02-27T16:00:00
2025-02-27T17:00:00
Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
Event Information:
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience.
3MT was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, and is now held at many countries around the world.
UBC was one of the first universities in North America to host a 3MT competition, when it held the inaugural 3MT @UBC in 2011. Every year heats are held across campus beginning in February, with winners moving on to the UBC-wide Semi-Finals and Finals in March.
The inaugural Canadian national virtual competition was held in June 2014, allowing winners from several universities in Canada to compete in a virtual competition.
The assistance of the University of Queensland in launching this 3MT competition at UBC is very much appreciated.
Come see our students compete!
Students register here: https://phas.ubc.ca/~janis/3MT/
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Thursday, February 27, 2025 | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 200 (in the atrium outside of the classroom)
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2025-02-27T15:00:00
2025-02-27T16:00:00
PHAS Thursday Tea!
Event Information:
Event Information:
We welcome you to our weekly PHAS THURSDAY Tea!
Term 2 has delivered a new schedule for our friendly neighbourhood tea event: join us Thursdays from 3-4pm in the atrium outside of HENN 200. For those interested, we invite you to follow up with our weekly Department colloquia in HENN 201 from 4-5pm.
We welcome all students, staff and faculty to meet new-to-you colleagues, catch up with your physics community and to learn about current happenings in the PHAS Department.
Meet your hosts from the EDI Community Building Working Group:
Jess McIver
Adele Ruosi
Megan Bingham
Evan Goetz
Mona Berciu
Howard Li
Mandana Amiri
We look forward to meeting you!
Event Location:
HENN 200 (in the atrium outside of the classroom)
Event Time:
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
Add to Calendar
2025-02-25T16:00:00
2025-02-25T17:00:00
Spin dynamics with materials, atoms, and quantum computers: from Heisenberg chains at infinite temperature to emergent gauge fields on the triangular lattice
Event Information:
Welcome to the fourth talk in our new Pioneers in Theoretical Physics Colloqium Series.
On February 25th, we present Dr. Joel Moore, the Chern-Simons Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and Senior Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Abstract:
One of the first nontrivial examples of quantum matter to be understood at equilibrium was the behavior of a chain of two-state spins, or qubits, entangled by nearest-neighbor interactions. Hans Bethe’s solution of the ground state in 1931 eventually led to the concept of Yang-Baxter integrability, and the thermodynamics were fully understood in the 1970s. However, the dynamical properties of this spin chain at any nonzero temperature remained perplexing until some unexpected theoretical and experimental progress beginning around 2019. Atomic emulators and quantum computers are beginning to complement solid-state quantum magnetism experiments, and computer scientists, physicists, and mathematicians all have their own reasons to care about the dynamics of simple arrangements of quantum spins. The last part of the talk covers how dynamics of more complicated spin models in higher dimensions are being used to search for emergent gauge fields in quantum matter.
Bio:
Joel Moore received his Ph.D. from MIT in 2001 and joined UC Berkeley and LBNL in 2002 after a postdoc at Bell Labs Lucent Technologies. He was promoted to tenure in 2007 and is currently the Chern-Simons Professor of Mathematical Physics. His work is primarily on the theory of correlated and topological states of electrons in solids, with applications to their transport, optical, and quantum coherent properties. Areas of his scientific contributions include the theory of topological phases and their electromagnetic responses, the role of quantum entanglement in understanding quantum matter analytically and computationally, and the nature of coherent quantum dynamics in many-body systems. He has been an NSF CAREER and Fulbright grantee and is an elected Member of the NAS, a Fellow of the APS, and a Simons Investigator. He has more than 150 scientific publications with a total of more than 20,000 citations, including a recent book on topological phases of matter co-authored with Roderich Moessner. He is former chair of the science advisory board for the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and has chaired or co-chaired reports for the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.
Learn More:
See his faculty webpage here: Joel Moore | Physics
View his research page here: Joel Moore | Research UC Berkeley
Watch his videos:
Quantum Magnetism as a source of unusual fluids and fractional particles
Topological Order and Quantum Computation
J. Moore: Lecture 1: Introduction to Topological Phases of Electrons
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, February 24, 2025 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2025-02-24T16:00:00
2025-02-24T17:00:00
Not of this Earth - the new era of high-energy neutrino astrophysics
Event Information:
Abstract:
Over more than a decade, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has accumulated enormous datasets of neutrinos with energies in the GeV- to PeV-scale, opening a new window with which to observe the extreme Universe. In this talk I will discuss the latest IceCube results, and provide a look forward of what to expect from the next generation of neutrino telescopes, including the Canada-based Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment.
Bio:
Darren's research focuses on measurements to advance knowledge of neutrinos—one of nature’s most elusive fundamental particles—as well as direct and indirect searches for the elusive dark matter.
Grant’s work contributes to the understanding of the universe and our place in it. Their CERC supports three areas of innovation: data analyses of Antarctica’s IceCube Neutrino Observatory; the development of next generation detectors for large-scale neutrino observatories; and enhancing the reach of observations that involve multiple astrophysical messengers.
This work will provide the catalyst to establish an international centre in British Columbia and have substantial impact on the international particle physics arena, cementing Canada’s leadership in the field of multi-messenger neutrino astrophysics.
Learn More:
See his faculty webpage here: Darren Grant - Department of Physics - Simon Fraser University
See his Canada Excellence Research Chair in Astroparticle Physics page here: Canada Excellence Research Chairs - Home
Read about the IceCube Observatory: IceCube – IceCube Neutrino Observatory
What is the extreme universe? Extreme Universe
What are the next generation of neutrino telescopes? See articles here https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-02087-6 and here Record-setting neutrino opens ‘new energy window on the universe’ | Science | AAAS
Peruse through the IceCube gallery here: Detector – IceCube
Event Location:
HENN 318