Events List for the Academic Year
Event Time:
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-12-06T13:00:00
2024-12-06T14:00:00
The complex Liouville string
Event Information:
Abstract:
I will introduce the complex Liouville string, a novel and controllable model of two-dimensional quantum gravity that is defined by coupling two copies of Liouville CFT with complex conjugate central charges on the worldsheet. I will describe how by harnessing the exact solution of the worldsheet CFT we can bootstrap the string amplitudes and reveal a rich holographic duality with a double-scaled two-matrix model. Topological recursion of the matrix model leads to a recursion relation for the string amplitudes which solves the theory at the level of string perturbation theory. Finally, I will describe how the string amplitudes may be interpreted as cosmological correlators of massive particles in three-dimensional de Sitter space, integrated over the metric of future infinity. The duality with the matrix integral then establishes a novel holographic scenario for dS_3 quantum gravity. Based on work in collaboration with Lorenz Eberhardt, Beatrix Mühlmann and Victor Rodriguez.
Bio:
I am a theoretical physicist with broad interests in non-perturbative aspects of quantum field theory and quantum gravity. My research harnesses powerful non-perturbative field theory techniques together with holographic duality to bootstrap fundamental questions in quantum gravity and black hole quantum mechanics. Some of my recent work at PCTS has focused on questions related to the role of spacetime wormholes, disorder averaging and quantum chaos in holographic dualities. I am also interested in the worldsheet string theory formulation of holographic dualities.
Learn More:
See his MIT webpage here: https://physics.mit.edu/faculty/scott-collier/
View his LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-collier-79103a201
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-12-03T16:00:00
2024-12-03T17:00:00
Entanglement Bootstrap, a perspective on quantum field theory
Event Information:
Welcome to the third talk in our new Pioneers in Theoretical Physics Colloqium Series.
On December 3rd, we present Dr. John McGreevy, professor of physics at UC San Diego.
Abstract:
I will introduce the Entanglement Bootstrap, a program to extract and understand the universal information characterizing a phase of matter starting from the entanglement structure of a piece of a single representative state. This universal information is usually packaged in the form of a quantum field theory; the program therefore provides a surprising new perspective on quantum field theory. I will discuss what we can learn about gapped topological phases and their associated topological field theories, and about quantum critical points in 1+1 dimensions and their associated conformal field theories.
Bio:
Professor McGreevy is a theoretical physicist with interests in quantum matter, string theory, and quantum field theory. His current research centers on the study and application of quantum field theory, both in condensed matter physics and in high energy physics.
Learn More:
See his personal webpage here: mcgreevy (ucsd.edu)
View his faculty profile at UC San Diego here: UC San Diego | Faculty Profile (ucsd.edu)
For more on what is Quantum Field Theory, see this Quantum Field Theory summary, from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, December 2, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-12-02T16:00:00
2024-12-02T17:00:00
From Light to Insight: Discovering the Evolving Universe with Big Eyes and Big Data
Event Information:
Abstract:Have you ever wondered how we can glimpse what the Universe looked like billions of years ago or understand our place in the cosmos without ever leaving the Milky Way? This remarkable understanding comes from studying cosmic radiation—such as radio waves—that reaches us from across space. Analyzing how this radiation encodes information is key to using the Universe as a natural laboratory to address fundamental questions: How did the Universe evolve to its current state? What shaped the formation and growth of stars, galaxies, and the intricate web of plasma linking galaxies, interwoven with magnetic fields?
In recent years, large-scale sky surveys ("Big Data") conducted by modern radio telescopes ("Big Eyes") have revolutionized our ability to map the Universe across time and space.
In this talk, I will explore the state of the field in understanding the evolving Universe, with a focus on probing magnetic fields and gas using cosmic radiation. I will discuss how radiation transport in an expanding Universe—known as cosmological radiative transfer—enables us to:
• Draw meaningful comparisons between observational data and theoretical predictions, driving discoveries about cosmic magnetic fields and gas ionization on cosmological scales. • Push beyond the limits of traditional methods. • Provide valuable insights, tools, and data for frontier research and STEM outreach.
Join me in this exploration as we uncover how light transforms into profound cosmic insights, revealing the Universe’s intricate story.
Bio:
Jennifer Chan is a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, supported by joint CITA and University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science fellowships. She earned her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Astrophysics from University College London, and a Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on investigating the origins, evolution, and properties of large-scale magnetic fields in the Universe, essential for understanding their impact on cosmic structures. She also studies cosmological reionization, the transition of the Universe from a neutral state to a highly ionized intergalactic medium, which shaped the vast cosmic web connecting galaxies. To advance these studies, she develops tools that bridge theory and observation in the fields of cosmic magnetism and reionization, such as covariant cosmological radiative transfer formalisms, which accurately model the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through different astrophysical environments in an expanding, evolving Universe.
Learn More:
See her page at the Dunlap Institute: https://www.dunlap.utoronto.ca/dunlap-people/jennifer-chan/
Read this special biography from the University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/astrophysics-centre/events/astroseminar-jennifer-chan-person
Read this article: "Dr. Jennifer Y.H. Chan CITA Postdoctoral Fellow, is awarded the 2020 Michael Penston Thesis Prize": https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/jennifer-y-h-chan-cita-postdoctoral-fellow-awarded-2020-michael-penston-thesis-prize/
Links to sky mapping groups:
National Radio Astronomy Observatory VLA Sky Survey: https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vlass
SLOAN digital Sky surveys: https://www.sdss4.org/surveys/
Large surveys at NOIRLab: https://noirlab.edu/science/data-services/surveys
Read this article: "Very Large radio surveys of the sky": https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.96.9.4756
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, December 2, 2024 | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-12-02T14:30:00
2024-12-02T15:30:00
PHAS Monday Tea!
Event Information:
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, November 28, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2024-11-28T16:00:00
2024-11-28T17:00:00
Language Models for Quantum Design
Event Information:
Abstract:In the last several years, generative language models like GPT have scaled to the point where they routinely demonstrate emergence behaviour. I will demonstrate how language models can be trained on the qubit measurement data produced by today's quantum devices, and discuss how large models could help scale quantum computers in the future.
Bio:
Roger Melko is a professor at the University of Waterloo, and associate faculty at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He received his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005 and spent two years as a Wigner Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before coming back to Canada. His research involves the development of computer strategies for the theoretical study of quantum materials, atomic matter, quantum information systems, and artificial intelligence. He was the recipient of the 2016 CAP Herzberg Medal and the 2021 CAP/DCMMP Brockhouse Medal.
Learn More:
See his faculty page from University of Waterloo: Roger Melko | Physics and Astronomy | University of Waterloo
See his Github page: Roger G. Melko | rgmelko.github.io
See his page at the Perimeter Institute: Roger Melko | Perimeter Institute
Links:
What is quantum computing? Quantum computing - Wikipedia
Read about Generative Language Models in this article from the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET): "What Are Generative AI, Large Language Models, and Foundation Models?" What Are Generative AI, Large Language Models, and Foundation Models? | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Read this article from MIT TECH: What is a quantum computer? Explainer: What is a quantum computer? | MIT Technology Review
Event Location:
HENN 201
Event Time:
Thursday, November 28, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2024-11-28T10:00:00
2024-11-28T11:00:00
Measurement induced criticality in monitored quantum systems
Event Information:
Abstract: A novel aspect of recent experiments with quantum devices is that measurements can play an active role in preparing the state of the system, not just in diagnosing it. Unlike unitary evolution, the quantum collapse induced by local measurements can have a highly non-local impact on entangled quantum states, instantaneously destroying or creating new long distance correlations. I will review the surprising collective effects that can arise, such as measurement induced phase transitions and new entanglement structures. There is, however, a fundamental challenge to observing post-measurement correlations, conditioned on the outcome of many-measurements with exponentially small Born probability of recurring. I will discuss how to resolve this post-selection problem by cross-correlating experimental data with results of an approximate classical model. This allows us to reframe the measurement induced transition as a transition in the ability of a classical intelligent agent to learn the quantum state.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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:
Wednesday, November 27, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-27T10:00:00
2024-11-27T11:00:00
Searching for continuous gravitational waves from unknown neutron stars in binary systems
Event Information:
Abstract:
Unknown neutron stars in binary systems might be one of the best sources of continuous gravitational waves (yet to be detected), due to their millisecond rotation rates and the accretion from their companion that can source the required asymmetry. However, searching for these signals poses significant computational challenges due to the extensive number of unknown parameters and the substantial amount of data required to achieve detectable signal-to-noise ratios. In this talk I will review the different search results up to date and discuss recent advancements in data analysis techniques that improve the efficiency and sensitivity of these searches.
Learn More:
Article: More computing power to search for continuous gravitational waves, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
Dr. Pep Blai Covas Vidal's contact page: Dr. Pep Blai Covas Vidal (mpg.de) and CV.
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Event Location:
Brimacombe 311
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2024-11-26T12:30:00
2024-11-26T14:00:00
Time-reversal symmetry breaking in topological and unconventional superconducting heterostructures
Event Information:
Abstract:
Time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) effects can be detrimental to superconductivity. For example, TRSB caused by magnetic fields can destroy superconducting states. However, the coexistence of TRSB and superconductivity can give rise to intriguing phenomena, such as non-trivial topological phases of matter. We explore TRSB in two-dimensional unconventional and topological superconducting heterostructures without external magnetic fields across three different platforms.
First, we examine a superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructure in which TRSB effects are engineered through a magnetic vortex. Here, a magnetic vortex couples with a superconducting vortex, creating a stable hybrid vortex structure that can host robust zero-energy Majorana modes at its core and a partner mode at the boundary of a topologically non-trivial region. We propose a novel mechanism for this topological phase formation that relies on the orbital effects of the magnetization field rather than the conventional Zeeman effect.
Second, we investigate TRSB in a twisted bilayer of the high-Tc cuprate Bi2212 with a twist angle near 45 degrees, which is theoretically predicted to exhibit chiral topological d+id' order parameter. Using a fully self-consistent microscopic model, we estimate the size of spontaneous chiral edge currents in this phase, finding small but non-vanishing currents that vary based on edge type. Importantly, we predict that the current magnitude exceeds the detection threshold of advanced magnetic scanning probe microscopy techniques.
Finally, we examine a d/s superconducting bilayer that exhibits a non-topological, time-reversal symmetry breaking d_{xy}+is order parameter. Such a system hosts non-chiral edge currents. Our findings indicate that supercurrents do not flow uniformly along the edges; instead, it appears that the currents along the horizontal and vertical edges converge into or diverge from the corners. This frustration of supercurrents at the corners, and their eventual resolution through bulk flow, gives rise to spontaneous flux patterns resembling large supercurrent vortices. We thoroughly characterize these currents using both fully self-consistent microscopic lattice models and an iterative multi-component Ginzburg-Landau formalism, exploring various shapes and edge configurations of the system. It can be possible to realize these effects in a high-Tc cuprate paired with an s-wave iron-based superconductor.
These findings deepen our understanding of engineered and spontaneous TRSB in superconducting heterostructures, offering insights into topological phases, unconventional superconductivity, and potential applications.
Event Location:
Brimacombe 311
Event Time:
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-26T10:00:00
2024-11-26T11:00:00
Long-duration transient gravitational waves from newborn neutron stars and glitching pulsars
Event Information:
Abstract:
All gravitational waves detected so far have been seconds-scale transients from compact binary coalescences. At the other extreme, a long-standing science target of ground-based interferometric detectors are years-long continuous waves from spinning, deformed neutron stars. Between these regimes, a rich variety of long-duration transient signals could be within the reach of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA or future detectors. The richest zoo of such signals is again provided by neutron stars, promising rich multi-messenger studies that probe both the overall structure and the dynamics of these extremely dense objects. This seminar will cover the physics and detection methods for the two most promising scenarios: (1) highly deformed neutron stars just after theirbirth in core-collapse supernovae or binary mergers, and (2) emission triggered by pulsar glitches, the enigmatic spin-up events observed in the radio, X-ray and gamma-ray bands.
Bio:
David Keitel, as a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) since 2011 and the GRAVITY group at UIB since 2020, focuses his research on gravitational waves (GWs) from neutron stars and black holes. His work covers large-scale data analysis and the modelling and interpretation of astrophysical GW sources. DK studied physics and astronomy in Bonn, Germany with a semester at Stony Brook, NY and graduated with a diploma thesis (master's equivalent) on statistical methods for weak gravitational lensing in 2010. He obtained his doctorate from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany in 2014 for work at the Albert Einstein Institute (AEI) on searches for continuous waves (CWs) from spinning neutron stars and a concept for space-based GW detection.
Learn More:
Read Dr. Keitel's faculty page from the Universitat de les Illes Balears: Dr David Benjamin Keitel - Personnel file - UIB - Universitat de les Illes Balears
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Monday, November 25, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-25T16:00:00
2024-11-25T17:00:00
The lives and deaths of star clusters, and the black holes they make along the way
Event Information:
Abstract:
The life cycles of star clusters are an integral part of the formation of galaxies and their black hole populations. In these dense stellar environments, stars and black holes participate in complicated dynamical interactions that can create many unique objects, such as detached black hole binaries, hypervelocity stars, and gravitational-wave sources. In this talk, I will review our currentunderstanding of the evolution of dense star clusters in the Milky Way, and their complicated relationship with their black hole populations.
I will then describe a project to self-consistently evolve star clusters formed in a high-resolution MHD simulation of a Milky Way-mass galaxy, from their formation from collapsing giant molecular clouds to their destruction by galactic tidal fields. Finally, I will show how the birth conditions of these star clusters create massive black holes- --from the 30 solar mass binaries detected by LIGO and Gaia to the ever illusive intermediate-mass black holes.
Bio:
Carl is originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, and is at UNC Chapel Hill since January 2023. Before that, he was an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, a position he had for two years after postdoctoral fellowships at MIT and Harvard. He completed his PhD in 2016 from Northwestern University, working with Fred Rasio on the evolution of star clusters and the formation of binary black holes, and received his BA in Physics from Reed College in 2010.
Learn More:
See his faculty webpage at the University of North Carolina: https://physics.unc.edu/people/rodriguez-carl/
Read this department bio of all members of the "Stars, Stellar Dynamics, Black Holes and Gravitational Waves at UNC": https://dynamics.unc.edu/who-we-are/
Links:
LIGO - The U.S. National Science Foundation Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (NSF LIGO), was designed to open the field of gravitational-wave astrophysics through the direct detection of gravitational waves predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Our multi-kilometer-scale gravitational wave detectors use laser interferometry to measure the minute ripples in space-time caused by passing gravitational waves from cataclysmic cosmic events such as colliding neutron stars or black holes, or by supernovae: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/
Gaia: an extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map of more than a thousand million stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Friday, November 22, 2024 | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-22T19:00:00
2024-11-22T20:00:00
Star Party!
Event Information:
Star Party, hosted by the UBC Astronomy Club, will be showcasing several of the UBC Astronomy Club's telescopes to an audience of undergraduates, graduates, and faculty members of the physics and astronomy department interested in astronomy. It will feature the live operation of Thunderbird South, UBC's Southern Observatory, configured and maintained by UBC professors Aaron Boley and Paul Hickson.
Pizza will be served to all in attendance!
Event Location:
HENN 318
Event Time:
Friday, November 22, 2024 | 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Event Location:
BRIM 311
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2024-11-22T15:00:00
2024-11-22T16:00:00
Symmetry-Protected Topological phases and Duality
Event Information:
Symmetry-Protected Topological (SPT) phases are, as the name suggests, topological phases without any conventional local order parameter, but distinct from the trivial phase only in the presence of a certain symmetry. The concept was first proposed by Gu and Wen in 2009 as a generalization of topological insulators discovered earlier. However, the prototypical example of the SPT phases, the Haldane gap phase in odd-integer spin chains, was discovered much earlier in the 1980s. Thanks to the pivotal construction of the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) state, numerous "topological" properties of the Haldane gap phase were identified by the 1990s. In particular, a non-local transformation introduced by Kennedy and Tasaki maps the Haldane gap phase and a conventional Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB) phase. The duality picture could have naturally led to the concept of the SPT phases. In this talk, I will review the concept of SPT phases from the duality point of view, and its historical developments. I will also discuss the recent resurgence of the duality approach, with applications including a systematic construction of SPT phases including a novel variety of “gapless SPT phases”.
Event Location:
BRIM 311
Event Time:
Thursday, November 21, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 201
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2024-11-21T16:00:00
2024-11-21T17:00:00
Biophysical models of cell motion in confined geometries - from single-cell to collective dynamics
Event Information:
Abstract:
Living cells move and change shape through forces created by a network of proteins inside them called the cytoskeleton. Scientists use biophysical models to study how this internal system makes cells move. A major challenge is understanding how the behavior of individual cells connects to the collective movement of many cells. In this study, we look at how single cells move along narrow tracks and in circular patterns using time-lapse imaging. These artificial patterns help control where the cells move and allow us to track many cells at once. We present models that explain how cells move, how their shapes change over time, and how they transition between different movement behaviors. Our findings show that mechanical models can explain universal patterns observed across different types of cells, such as the relationship between how strongly cells stick to surfaces and how fast they move. We also discuss how standardized tests can help measure cell movement and how simulations can improve our understanding of cell migration behaviors.
Bio:
Dr. Sabrina Leslie PHAS faculty and Director of the Leslie Labs is pleased to host an expert in single-cell imaging, Dr. Joachim Rädler from Munich, for this MSL Seminar Series and PHAS Colloquium. Joachim is a world-recognized physicist, with an h-index of 67, who has advanced single-cell imaging and connects with biology and genomics. He's uniquely at a crossover between physics and biology, as well as stem cell therapeutics.
Learn More:
See Dr. Rädler's faculty contact page from LMU: https://www.physik.lmu.de/softmatter/en/people/contact-page/joachim-raedler-cd971327.html
What is soft matter physics? https://www.physik.lmu.de/softmatter/en/
Event Location:
HENN 201
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:
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Event Location:
Zoom
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2024-11-19T19:00:00
2024-11-19T20:00:00
AI and Your Child’s Future: Smart Strategies for Academic Success
Event Information:
Discover how AI can support your child’s education! This interactive workshop is designed for parents of middle and high school students to explore how AI tools can enhance learning, provide personalized support, and simplify homework. Learn practical strategies to guide your child’s responsible and effective use of AI while fostering their academic success. Join us to empower your family with the skills to thrive in the digital age!
Time and date: Tuesday, November 19, 7pm on zoom
Register here to receive your Zoom link
Learn More:
Follow Marina's blog" Thoughts on Science & Math Education' here
Event Location:
Zoom
Event Time:
Monday, November 18, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Event Location:
HENN 304
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2024-11-18T16:00:00
2024-11-18T17:00:00
Astronomy Jamboree!
Event Information:
Today's Astronomy Jamboree is a social to meet our new graduate students in Astronomy!
Join us as we mingle, network and share research ideas with this 2024 cohort.
Event Location:
HENN 304
Event Time:
Monday, November 18, 2024 | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 204
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2024-11-18T14:30:00
2024-11-18T15:30:00
PHAS Monday Tea
Event Information:
Welcome to Monday Tea!
This week we are celebrating the International Day of LGBTQ+ in STEM! Join us for some rainbow snacks and celebrations!
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!
*Due to renovations, we are in HENN 204 today!
Event Location:
HENN 204
Event Time:
Monday, November 18, 2024 | 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Event Location:
HENN 318
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2024-11-18T12:00:00
2024-11-18T13:30:00
An Introduction to Careers in Geophysics
Event Information:
Hey students! Did you know that geophysics careers include more than working the Oil & Gas industries? Join us with UBC Phd student Devin Cowan, who will present on a variety of lesser-known careers for physics students in the Geophysics spectrum. From data and computational sciences to climate change, physics students are in demand for their mathematics, problem-solving and technical skill-sets.
Presentation:
While physicists develop governing equations for understanding matter, energy and their interactions, geophysicists apply these governing equations to image planetary structure and understand geological processes. Some well-known applications include: earthquakes, glaciers, plate-tectonics and mineral exploration. Despite having its roots in Earth science, geophysics requires a strong background in physics, engineering and/or applied math. Unfortunately, many undergraduate physics, engineering and applied math students are never exposed to geophysics and will never consider it as a career. This presentation aims to provide a high-level overview of geophysics. By the end of the presentation, we hope the audience will gain a fundamental understanding of geophysics, the problems geophysicists solve, how geophysicists solve these problems, and the range of careers available.
Bio:
Devin Cowan is a computational geophysicist at the University of British Columbia Geophysical Inversion Facility (UBC-GIF). Devin obtained a BSc. in physics and Earth sciences from the University of Victoria in 2012. He then spent some time working in industry before joining the UBC-GIF group and obtaining an MSc. in geophysics in 2016. Following his Master's, Devin remained with the UBC-GIF group as a research scientist where he had the opportunity to lecture undergraduate geophysics courses, participate in geosciences without boarders projects, collaborate with industry professionals, write geophysics software and perform scientific research. In 2024, Devin enrolled as a PhD student to complete his scholastic journey. Devin's research is focused on the inversion of airborne natural source electromagnetic and time-domain electromagnetic data to recover geologically representative distributions of subsurface conductivity. Devin is also heavily involved in the development of SimPEG; an open-source Python-based package for forward simulation and inversion of geophysical data.
Learn More:
View Devin's LinkedIn here: Devin Cowan - PHD Student - University of British Columbia - Geophysical Inversion Facility | LinkedIn
Find out more about the UBC Geophysics Inversion Facility: About Us | UBC Geophysical Inversion Facility
Read up on Geophysics: Geophysics | UBC Science and UBC's Geophysics Research & Partnerships: Research and Partnerships | UBC Science
Event Location:
HENN 318