Events During the Week of February 3rd through February 10th, 2019
Monday, February 4th, 2019
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- Available energy of magnetically confined plasmas
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Per Helander, Max Plank Institue for Plasma Physics
- Abstract: In this talk, the energy budget of a collisionless plasma subject to electrostatic fluctuations is studied. In particular, the excess of thermal energy over the minimum accessible to it under various constraints that limit the possible forms of plasma motion is considered. This excess measures how much thermal energy is “available” for conversion into plasma instabilities, and therefore constitutes a nonlinear measure of plasma stability. The “available energy” defined in this way becomes an interesting and useful quantity in situations where adiabatic invariants impose non-trivial constraints on the plasma motion. For instance, microstability properties of certain stellarators can be inferred directly from the available energy, without the need to solve the gyrokinetic equation. The technique also suggests that an electron-positron plasma confined by a dipole magnetic field could be entirely free from turbulence.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2019
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- The changing context for the social sciences -- and especially for social and behavioral science research
- Time: 12:05 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin (refreshments will be served)
- Speaker: Cora Marrett, UW Department of Sociology
- Abstract: These thoughts have been stimulated of late by a Task Force on which I serve for the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The Task Force has been examining the changing -- and increasingly complex ecosystem -- in which the social sciences operate. At a roll-out of our report, we noted the challenges the changes pose and potential responses to them.
The Task Force is not the only development prompting my interest in the topic. Changes and challenges dominate the agenda as well of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Education (DBASSE) at the National Academies, on whose Advisory Committee I sit. Significantly, my service as the inaugural head for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences(SBE) at NSF clearly prompted me to attend to developments across these fields, related especially to research and policy making. My time as Deputy Director at NSF (and two stints during that time as Acting Director) enabled me to see beyond these fields to activities affecting and affected by science and engineering writ large.
- Host: Clint Sprott
- Chaos & Complex Systems Seminar
- The changing context for the social sciences -- and especially for social and behavioral science research
- Time: 12:05 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin (refreshments will be served)
- Speaker: Cora Marrett, UW Department of Sociology
- Abstract: These thoughts have been stimulated of late by a Task Force on which I serve for the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The Task Force has been examining the changing -- and increasingly complex ecosystem -- in which the social sciences operate. At a roll-out of our report, we noted the challenges the changes pose and potential responses to them.
The Task Force is not the only development prompting my interest in the topic. Changes and challenges dominate the agenda as well of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Education (DBASSE) at the National Academies, on whose Advisory Committee I sit. Significantly, my service as the inaugural head for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences(SBE) at NSF clearly prompted me to attend to developments across these fields, related especially to research and policy making. My time as Deputy Director at NSF (and two stints during that time as Acting Director) enabled me to see beyond these fields to activities affecting and affected by science and engineering writ large. Wednesday, February 6th, 2019
- No events scheduled
Thursday, February 7th, 2019
- R. G. Herb Condensed Matter Seminar
- Strongly correlated models with odd frequency pairing
- Time: 10:00 am
- Place: 5310 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Alexei Tsvelik , BNL
- Abstract: Formation of frequency dependent order parameters which amplitudes are odd in frequency require strong interactions whose adequate treatment requires nonperturbative approaches. I will discuss a particular model which allows such approach. The result will be a rigorous demonstration of odd-frequency pairing and much more.
- Host: Lev Ioffe
- Cosmology Journal Club
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: 5242 Chamberlin Hall
- Abstract: Please visit the following link for more details:
http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/journal/index.html
Feel free to bring your lunch!
If you have questions or comments about this journal club, would like to propose a topic or volunteer to introduce a paper, please email Ross Cawthon (cawthon@wisc.edu) and Santanu Das (sdas33@wisc.edu). Friday, February 8th, 2019
- Physics Department Colloquium
- The Quest for Neutrino Mass Ordering
- Time: 3:30 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Wei Wang, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou
- Abstract: Neutrino mass is currently the only sign of new physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. Unfortunately, due to the challenges in measuring the three absolute neutrino masses, we currently only know the two mass-squared differences manifested in neutrino oscillation data. The mass ordering is very likely to be the first experimental handle we could have on physics related to neutrino mass. Thus a concrete experimental measurement could provide invaluable clues to the fundamental questions in particle physics. The means to measure the neutrino mass ordering via neutrino oscillation can be grouped into two types: one natural approach is to take the advantage of the so-called Matter Effect which happens in solar neutrinos and has made differentiating two of the three neutrino mass eigenstates possible; the other is quite unique in that it carefully arranges two oscillation frequencies into the same energy spectrum which would exhibit different phase shifts under different mass orderings. In this talk, we will give a general review on neutrino physics, the discovery of neutrino oscillation and its recent experimental progresses, and explain the different experimental efforts of measuring neutrino mass ordering. The second type approach utilizing nuclear reactor neutrinos was made possible by the unexpected large value of the third mixing angle θ13 measured by the current generation short-baseline reactor neutrino experiments. We will focus more on the only neutrino oscillation experiment taking the second type approach: the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), which plans to measure neutrino mass ordering utilizing powerful nuclear reactors in Southern China. We will explain its design, recent progresses and its physics opportunities.
- Host: Albrecht Karle
Saturday, February 9th, 2019
- Wonders of Physics
- Physics of the Periodic Table
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Clint Sprott and others, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: This 36th annual fun-filled presentation of dramatic physics demonstrations is aimed at families and individuals. Free tickets are available from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm
- Host: Clint Sprott
- Wonders of Physics
- Physics of the Periodic Table
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Clint Sprott and others, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: This 36th annual fun-filled presentation of dramatic physics demonstrations is aimed at families and individuals. Free tickets are available from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm
- Host: Clint Sprott
- Wonders of Physics
- Physics of the Periodic Table
- Time: 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Clint Sprott and others, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: This 36th annual fun-filled presentation of dramatic physics demonstrations is aimed at families and individuals. Free tickets are available from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm
Sunday, February 10th, 2019
- Wonders of Physics
- Physics of the Periodic Table
- Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Clint Sprott and others, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: This 36th annual fun-filled presentation of dramatic physics demonstrations is aimed at families and individuals. Free tickets are available from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm
- Host: Clint Sprott
- Wonders of Physics
- Physics of the Periodic Table
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
- Place: 2103 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Clint Sprott and others, UW Department of Physics
- Abstract: This 36th annual fun-filled presentation of dramatic physics demonstrations is aimed at families and individuals. Free tickets are available from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/tickets.htm
- Host: Clint Sprott