Events During the Week of February 1st through February 8th, 2026
Monday, February 2nd, 2026
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- Helios Design: A Practical Planar Coil Stellarator Fusion Power Plant
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Speaker: Dr. David Gates, Thea Energy
- Abstract: Dr. David Gates, is the Chief Technology Officer at Thea Energy, a fusion technology company leveraging simpler, manufacturable hardware and software controls to create abundant energy. Since launching the company in 2022, David has helped to grow the Thea Energy team to over 70 employees and demonstrated the Company’s core technologies at fusion relevant scale at its headquarters in Kearny, NJ. Prior to co-founding Thea Energy, Dr. Gates was the Head of the Advanced Projects Department of PPPL and the stellarator physics leader at the Laboratory. He also held a joint appointment as a Senior Research Scholar at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. David previously led collaborative efforts with the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator in Greifswald, Germany and also on the Large Helical Device in Toki, Japan. He served as the Principal Investigator of the ARPA-E project “Stellar Simplification using Permanent Magnets”.
Prior to taking the role as stellarator leader, he was the leader of the NSTX Advanced Scenarios and Control topical science group as well as head of the Magneto-Hydrodynamic (“MHD”) Stability group. He also was a Physics Operator on NSTX. David did his undergraduate studies in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and did his graduate studies at Columbia University where he received his M.S., M. Phil., and Ph.D. in Applied Physics. He was a research associate at Culham Laboratory in Oxfordshire, England from 1993-1997 where he worked on the COMPASS-D and START devices. David was a visiting professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science in Toki, Japan in 2010 and 2011. He became a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2013. - Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
- Freezing-in the Axiverse
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
- Place: Chamberlin 5280
- Speaker: Christopher Dessert, Flatiron Inst., New York
- Abstract: The presence of light axions in the infrared is a generic feature of many ultraviolet (UV) scenarios, including string theory, with the number of such axions N naturally O(10-100). Even when these axions interact very weakly with the Standard Model (SM), the presence of N light axions is constrained by the number of relativistic degrees of freedom N_eff. Adopting an effective field theory approach, I compute the freeze-in abundance of Axiverse axions. Under generic assumptions for the structure of the axion-Standard Model couplings, the predicted N_eff may be already excluded by Planck or probed by ongoing cosmic microwave background surveys like Simons Observatory. Event recording:
- Host: Joshua Foster
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026
- No events scheduled
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026
- No events scheduled
Thursday, February 5th, 2026
- Astronomy Colloquium
- The Spectral Revolution at Cosmic Dawn: Interpreting High-Redshift JWST Observations with Next-Generation Models
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place: 4421 Sterling
- Speaker: Prof. Harley Katz, University of Chicago
- Abstract: JWST has revealed a remarkably diverse population of high-redshift galaxies, reshaping our understanding of early galaxy formation. However, interpreting these spectral data presents a fundamental theoretical challenge. In this talk, I will first highlight key early JWST results and the limitations of existing models in extracting physical properties from spectra. I will then introduce a new suite of simulations that incorporate non-equilibrium primordial, metal, and molecular chemistry alongside on-the-fly radiation transfer. These next-generation models enable first-principles forward modeling of JWST observations, offering new insights into the physical processes governing the formation and evolution of the first galaxies.
- Host: Michael Maseda
Friday, February 6th, 2026
- Black and Brown in Physics
- General Meeting
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
- Place: Chamberlin 2241
- Abstract: Come and join the Black and Brown in Physics (BBiP) student organization at our first general meeting of the Spring 2026 semester. During the meeting, we plan to give you all an overview of our plans for the semester (including a sneak peek into our Black History Heritage month celebration coming later this month -- more info coming later!), followed by a fun trivia game on Black History! There will also be donuts!
The general meeting will take place this upcoming Friday, Feb. 6th at 1 PM in Chamberlin 2241. We hope that you can join us! - Physics Department Colloquium
- Search for Anyons in Quantum Materials
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place: Chamberlin 2241
- Speaker: Philip Kim, Harvard University
- Abstract: Anyons, quasiparticles with fractional charge and exotic exchange statistics, have inspired decades of condensed matter research. Furthermore, it has been predicted that the exchange braiding of these particles, particularly non-abelian anyons, could produce topologically protected logic operations that may serve as the building blocks of fault-tolerant quantum computing. In this talk, I will discuss progress in researching two quantum materials platforms for realizing these exotic particles. In the first example, we will discuss anyon braiding arising in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effects in graphene, using quantum Hall interferometers for direct observation of the anyon braiding phase around a confined cavity. In the second example, we will describe our recent experimental efforts to realize non-abelian anyons in proximitized topological insulator surfaces. Using a Corbino device geometry, we demonstrate the controlled manipulation of non-abelian anyons contained in magnetic vortices. We report tantalizing experimental observations to show the presence of non-abelian anyons in both systems.
- Host: Tiancheng Song
Saturday, February 7th, 2026
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 43rd annual show
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: The Wonders of Physics annual show is a free physics demonstration show for all ages.
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 43rd annual show
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: The Wonders of Physics annual show is a free physics demonstration show for all ages.
Sunday, February 8th, 2026
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 43rd annual show
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: The Wonders of Physics annual show is a free physics demonstration show for all ages.
- Wonders of Physics
- The Wonders of Physics 43rd annual show
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Abstract: The Wonders of Physics annual show is a free physics demonstration show for all ages.