Events During the Week of September 13th through September 20th, 2020
Monday, September 14th, 2020
- Graduate Program Event
- Honeywell Info Session
- Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Place: Online-https://honeywellrandstad.recsolu.com/external/events/zRziEFSOj1tWSNIWPsg1jQ
- Speaker: Panel discussion featuring UW Physics Alumni-Trevor Knapp, Honeywell
- Abstract: Come learn about the exciting opportunities at Honeywell! As #futureshapers we are constantly pushing the boundary of what's possible, whether it's developing the world's highest performing Quantum Computer or breaking a new world record. Grab your lunch and join us in this virtual info session on the exciting career opportunities at Honeywell.
- Host: Michelle Holland, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Plasma Physics (Physics/ECE/NE 922) Seminar
- Electron Scattering by Low-frequency Whistler Waves at Earth’s Bow Shock
- Time: 12:00 pm
- Place: VIRTUAL
- Speaker: Mitsuo Oka, Scientist at Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Abstract: Electrons are accelerated to nonthermal energies at shocks in space and astrophysical environments. While shock drift acceleration (SDA) has been considered a key process of electron acceleration at Earth’s bow shock, it has also been recognized that SDA needs to be combined with an additional stochastic process to explain the observed power-law energy spectra. Here, we show mildly energetic (∼0.5 keV) electrons are locally scattered (and accelerated while being confined) by magnetosonic-whistler waves within the shock transition layer, especially when the shock angle is large (θ_Bn > 70 degrees). When measured by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission at a high cadence, ∼0.5 keV electron flux increased exponentially in the shock transition layer. However, the flux profile was not entirely smooth and the fluctuation showed temporal/spectral association with large-amplitude ((δB/B ~ 0.3), low-frequency (<~ 0.1Ωce where Ωce is the cyclotron frequency), obliquely propagating (θ_kB ~ 30 − 60 degrees where θ_kB is the angle between the wave vector and background magnetic field) whistler waves, indicating that the particles were interacting with the waves. Particle simulations demonstrate that, although linear cyclotron resonances with ∼0.5 keV electrons are unlikely due to the obliquity and low frequencies of the waves, the electrons are still scattered beyond 90° pitch angle by coupled nonlinear scattering processes.
*** recurring Zoom meeting for the 922 Seminar in Plasma Physics. This will be valid all semester. The link is
The ID and passcode are:
Meeting ID: 991 5610 7574
Passcode: 883688 - Host: Paul Terry
Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
- Council Meeting
- Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Place: Virtual
- Speaker: Sridhara Dasu, UW-Madison
- Host: Sridhara Dasu, Department Chair
- Academic Calendar
- Masters in Learning Analytics Webinar
- Time: 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
- Abstract: Informational session to learn about the program. Learn more about the Department of Educational Psychology's new online graduate program. The session will cover program logistics, curriculum details, tips for applying, and will open to any individual questions. Note: Applicants who attend the webinar will have their $75 application fee waived. For more information on the program, visit www.learninganalytics.education.wisc.edu CONTACT: 858-337-5858, jrutledge@wisc.edu URL:
Wednesday, September 16th, 2020
- Department Meeting
- Time: 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
- Place: Virtual see "abstract" for connection info
- Speaker: Sridhara Dasu, Department Chair, UW-Madison
- Meeting Coordinates: Meeting number: 120 392 9242 Password: Q5EjaTz3Pk3 (75352893 from phones) Join by video system Dial 1203929242@uwmadison.webex.com You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number. Join by phone +1-415-655-0001 US Toll +1-312-535-8110 United States Toll (Chicago) Access code: 120 392 9242
- Host: Sridhara Dasu, Department Chair
Thursday, September 17th, 2020
- PGSC Seminar
- Time: 2:30 pm
- Place: Zoom:
- Speaker: Rob Morgan, Physics PhD Graduate Student
- Abstract: Type of event: PGSC phenomeNal Open Graduate Seminars
Title: How to Find the Sources of Gravitational Waves and Astrophysical Neutrinos
Abstract: Cataclysmic astronomical explosions send invisible messengers to Earth, such as extremely high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves, that are detected all the time by instruments like IceCube and LIGO. The challenge in doing science with these messengers lies in the reality that these instruments cannot pinpoint the exact object in space that exploded: they can at best localize the explosion to an area on the sky roughly equivalent to the width of a couple of your fingers held at arm’s length. The task of finding the exact source of the messenger falls to the electromagnetic astronomical community. In my work, I help operate and process images from the most powerful optical telescope ever built in real-time to search for light from these explosions. In this talk, I’ll convey the thrill (anxiety) of working in real-time, overview the process of finding the sources of high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves using machine learning, and outline the vast array of scientific analyses that can be done once these sources are found. - Host: Rob Morgan, graduate student
Friday, September 18th, 2020
- Graduate Introductory Seminar (Physics 701)
- Particle Astrophysics
- Time: 12:05 pm
- Place: BBCollaborate
- Speaker: Justin Vandenbroucke
- Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
- Classical aspects of black hole interiors
- Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Place: For zoom link, sign up at:
- Speaker: Jorrit Kruthoff, Stanford University
- Abstract: In AdS/CFT, we know that relevant operators, for instance a scalar source, can drastically change the bulk geometry. Normally one is only interested in what happens outside the horizon, but during this talk I will dive inside various black holes and discuss the effects of relevant operators. The dynamics turns out to be rather intricate with even fractal-like behaviour emerging. Furthermore, we will see that generically, Cauchy horizons will be replaced by a spacelike singularity in the presence of a relevant scalar source. This motivates a notion of ‘holographic’ cosmic censorship. This talk is based on 2006.10056 and 2008.12786.
- Host: Lars Aalsma
- Department Coffee Hour
- Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Place:
- Abstract: Join us weekly for an informal virtual coffee hour! Catch up with others in the department, tell us how things are going, and impress everyone with your Zoom background skills. Coffee Hour is open to any and all faculty, staff, and students in the department. Sometimes we have a topic, and we'll try to get that topic posted here in advance or sent out by email before each coffee hour.
- Host: Department