Fall 2019
9/12/2019 Benjamin Jones, University of Texas at Arlington
9/19/2019 Sally Hicks, University of Dallas
9/26/2019 Marcos Caballero, Michigan State University
10/3/2019 Stephen Sekula, Southern Methodist University
10/10/2019 Calvin Johnson, San Diego State University
10/17/2019 Andrew Dahir, University of Colorado Boulder
10/31/2019 Michael Forbes, Washington State University
11/7/2019 Jingbo Ye, Southern Methodist University
11/14/2019 Bing Zhang, University of Nevada at Las Vegas
11/14/2019
Astrophysics
Electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves
Dr. Bing Zhang
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
Dr. Bing Zhang is a Professor of Astrophysics and Associate Dean for Research of College of Sciences at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Fellow of American Physical Society. His research direction is multi-wavelength, multi-messenger, transient high-energy astrophysics. His latest research interests include electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves, fast radio bursts and gamma-ray bursts. He has published over 400 refereed papers with more than 24000 citations. More information about Dr. Zhang can be found at
http://www.physics.unlv.edu/~bzhang/index.html
Abstract
I will discuss several expected electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of gravitational wave (GW) events, including short gamma-ray bursts, their afterglows, and kilonovae. I will discuss how GW170817/GRB 170817A/AT2017gfo have confirmed these predictions and raised additional open questions in understanding EM counterparts of GWs. Finally, I will discuss several yet-discovered EM signals possibly associated with GW events.
11/7/2019
Experimental Particle Physics
The fun and life of a physicist in ATLAS
Dr. Jingbo Ye
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Dr. Jingbo Ye earned a B.Sc (1986) degree in Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and a Ph.D. degree (1992) in Physics at USTC in conjunction with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland, and the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) Beijing, China. His Ph.D. research topic was on quantum electro-dynamics, and he has always been an experimental physicist in the field of particle physics. After his degree he worked at USTC, CERN, before moving to SMU, and worked on data analyses, detector simulation and construction, with experiments L3, CLEO and ATLAS. In 2004 Dr. Ye began his appointment as an assistant professor at SMU where he has established the opto-electronics lab. He leads his team in the lab to excel in high speed data transmission of experiment data from particle physics detectors in challenging operating environment. His team set and maintains world records in transmission speeds of particle physics detector front-end optical link readout circuits and systems. More information about Dr. Ye and his research can be found at https://www.physics.smu.edu/web/research/
Abstract
I often use my brain doing my research but I always follow my heart in choosing my career. I am having so much fun in ATLAS (www.atlas.cern) that I never had to work a single day: I am enjoying my life! I will share my experience in the past decades (yes, with an s) in constructing the ATLAS detector, in particular the optical readout of the Liquid Argon Calorimeter that played a key role in the discovery of the Higgs boson. I will also talk about the current projects at SMU for the upgrades of the ATLAS detector to make it suitable for the operation in the new era of the High Luminosity LHC (Large Hadron Collider), paving the road for discoveries and precision measurements for the coming decades using the largest detector in particle physics on the collider of the highest energy human has ever built. Finally, I will offer a peek into the R&Ds we are doing at SMU that are aimed for physics experiments even beyond those at the HL-LHC.
10/31/2019
Nuclear Physics
Negative-mass Hydrodynamics
Dr. Michel Forbes
Washington State University
Dr. Michel McNeil Forbes has worked in a variety of fields of physics, starting at UBC in Vancouver BC where he worked on aspects of cosmology at the QCD phase-transition, including a model for quark anti-matter nuggets explaining dark-matter and baryogensis. He obtained his Ph.D. from MIT working with Frank Wilczek and Krishna Rajagopal on aspects of high-density matter in neutron stars, and related properties of superfluids in cold atom systems. After post-docs at UW in the nuclear theory group, as a directors fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and a research assistant professor at UW in the Institute for Nuclear Theory (INT), he is now an assistant professor at WSU and affiliate professor at UW where he works on problems related on superfluid dynamics in cold atoms, quantum turbulence, nuclear structure, LIGO, and astrophysics. More information about Dr. Forbes’ research can be found at https://physics.wsu.edu/people/faculty/michael-forbes/
Abstract
The idea of negative inertial mass is quite counter intuitive: for example, if pushed, an object with negative mass will accelerate towards the pushing force rather than in the direction of the push. While such bizarre objects likely do not exist in the vacuum, one can coax rubidium atoms to behave as if they have negative effective mass using lasers to setup a so called spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate (SOC BEC). In this talk I will discuss some properties of these systems, which have been created at WSU, such as how shockwaves propagate in a system with negative effective mass.
10/17/2019
Astrodynamics, Satellite Navigation
Autonomous Lost-In-Space Cubesat Navigation
Mr. Andrew Dahir
University of Colorado Boulder
A Texas A&M University-Commerce alumnus, Andrew graduated in 2013 with a dual major in mathematics and physics with an astronomy minor. Andrew is currently a PhD student working under Dr. Scott Palo and Dr. Daniel Kubitschek in the Ann and H. J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences focusing on Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation. He is part of the satellite testing and integration laboratory working on small satellites under Dr. Palo and his PhD research focus is on Deep Space Autonomous Cubesat Navigation in conjunction with NASA JPL. Andrew has directly worked on 5 small satellites and advised on 23 others while at Boulder and will begin work as a systems engineer at MIT Lincoln Lab in January. He currently holds 4 world records in indoor rock climbing which were all broken at the Texas A&M University-Commerce climbing wall.
Abstract: Autonomous navigation in the satellite world is at best, a semi-autonomous solution. There is no system that exists currently that requires no outside presence or a priori state to get a navigation solution. As spacecraft become more numerous, the need for truly autonomous navigation becomes a greater necessity for deep space travel as communication resources become limited. When spacecraft are in deep space, communication times between a satellite and the Earth can be prohibitive and ride-sharing opportunities as well as on-board faults can leave the spacecraft without time information. This approach uses optical observations of available planets and corresponding celestial satellites (for interplanetary operations) to initially recover the approximate time and state. These observations are then followed by precise, filter-based determination of time, position and velocity from the chosen optical beacons available in interplanetary spaceflight. The innovation of this approach is to use artificial satellites and celestial bodies periodicity to initially determine time. This capability is analogous to that of advanced star trackers that can initialize themselves by identifying any star field in the celestial sphere. Being able to quickly and autonomously recover time and position from an environment with no Earth contact will advance mission safety and automation from current methods which require an Earth contact. The impact of this concept crosses both human (full loss of communication scenario) and robotic (autonomous recovery from onboard fault) exploration applications, where some form of spacecraft-to-ground communication is required to establish approximates for time and position. In both cases, the current state-of-the-art navigation systems require some knowledge of time and some approximate position to initialize the estimation process before the mission objectives can be obtained. While the solution is applicable to a wide range of missions, small satellites used for solar system exploration will be the focus as small satellite solutions can then be scaled to larger spacecraft.
10/10/2019
The anatomy of atomic nuclei
Dr. Calvin Johnson
San Diego State University
Dr. Calvin Johnson earned a BS (1985) in Physics and in Mathematics at the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. degree (1989) in Physics at the University of Washington, studying neutrino physics and the nuclear shell model. He worked as a postdoc at Caltech and then at Los Alamos, and was a faculty member at Louisiana State University from 1995 to 2001; in 2002 he moved to San Diego State University, where he is now a full professor, as well as an associate editor at Physical Review C. His research involves the nuclear shell model, weak interaction physics, high performance computational physics, and, most recently, quantum computing. He currently teaches a course on science and science fiction. More information about Dr. Johnson and his research can be found at
Abstract
In the early days of nuclear physics, atomic nuclei were visualized as little liquid drops which could vibrate and spin, explaining their characteristic spectra. Later the nuclear shell model described nuclei as built from a finite number of discrete protons and neutrons. While these two pictures may seem completely different, a uniform description can be found in the mathematics of quadrupole deformations and angular momentum, based in the group SU(3). Applying group theory to nuclei can seem abstract and forbidding, but the alternative, brute force 'first principles' calculations using supercomputers and enormous Hilbert spaces, can seem equally difficult to understand. To paraphrase mathematician Richard Hamming, how do we get insight from billions of numbers? The paradoxical answer is to use group theory to analyze huge calculations, and I will show how, even if one knows almost nothing about groups--I certainly don't--one can still use it to graphically visualize the underlying 'anatomy' of nuclear wave functions.
10/3/2019
The Edge of the Shadow: A Look Beyond the Discovery of the Higgs Particle
Dr. Stephen Sekula
Southern Methodist University
Stephen Sekula is an Associate Professor of Experimental Particle Physics at SMU in Dallas. He earned his B.S. in Physics from Yale University and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He held post-doctoral positions at MIT and The Ohio State University before joining the faculty at SMU in 2009. His current work focuses on the measurement of the properties of the Higgs particle, especially in its interactions with the second-heaviest matter particle, the bottom quark. In addition to his research and teaching, he recently co-authored a book for a general audience entitled "Reality in the Shadows (or) What the Heck's the Higgs?" with a literal rocket scientist (Frank Blitzer) and a hard-core theoretical physicist (S. James Gates Jr.). More information about Dr. Sekula can be found at https://www.physics.smu.edu/sekula/
Abstract
The discovery of the Higgs particle in 2012 was the end of one story and the beginning of a new one. While the Higgs particle was long-expected and aggressively sought, its discovery and the measurement of its properties leaves us with a clear set of frustrating questions that set the stage for the discoveries of the coming decades. In this talk, I will review the motivation for the existence of the Higgs particle, discuss how one produces and identifies this elusive particle, and motivate next steps not only in the study of the Higgs but in the wider context of what we want to know about the universe.
9/26/2019
Supporting the integration of numerical computation in physics education
Dr. Marcos Caballero
Michigan State University
Marcos (Danny) Caballero is a physics education researcher who studies how tools and science practices affect student learning in physics, and the conditions and environments that support or inhibit this learning. Danny earned his B.S. in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. He worked on opto-microfluidics transport and control experiments at the Georgia Institute of Technology earning his M.S. in physics before shifting his research focus to physics education. He helped found the Georgia Tech Physics Education Research group in 2007 and earned the first physics education focused Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in 2011 working on computational modeling instruction and practice. Danny moved to the University of Colorado Boulder as a postdoctoral researcher in the Physics Education Research group. Presently, Danny is the Lappan-Phillips Associate Professor of Physics Education and co-directs the Physics Education Research Lab at MSU. He also serves as research faculty at the University of Oslo’s Center for Computing in Science Education. More information about Dr. Caballero can be found at
https://pa.msu.edu/profile/caballero/
Abstract
Computation has revolutionized how modern science is done. Modern scientists use computational techniques to reduce mountains of data, to simulate impossible experiments, and to develop intuition about the behavior of complex systems. Much of the research completed by modern scientists would be impossible without the use of computation. And yet, while computation is a crucial tool of practicing scientists, most modern science curricula do not reflect its importance and utility. In this talk, I will discuss the urgent need to construct such curricula in physics and present research that investigates the challenges at a variety of all scales from the largest (institutional structures) to the smallest (student understanding of a concept). I will discuss how the results of this research can be leveraged to facilitate the computational revolution in science education. This research will help us understand and develop institutional incentives, effective teaching practices, evidence-based course activities, and valid assessment tools. This work has been supported by Michigan State University’s CREATE for STEM Institute, the National Science Foundation (DUE-1431776, DUE-1504786, DUE-1524128, DRL-1741575, DRL-1812916), the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT), the Norwegian Research Council, and the Thon Foundation.
9/19/2019
Neutron Cross Sections for Applied and Basic Science
Dr. Sally Hicks
University of Dallas
Dr. Sally Hicks earned a BS (1981) degree in Physics and Mathematics at Eastern Kentucky University and MS (1984) and Ph.D. degrees (1987) in Physics at the University of Kentucky. Her Ph.D. research topic was on Neutron Scattering on 48Ca in the Low-Energy Resonance Region. In 1988, Dr. Hicks began her appointment as an assistant professor at the University of Dallas, where she is currently doing research in nuclear physics studying neutron scattering for pure and applied science. She also serves as the Chair of the Texas Section of the American Physical Society. More information about Dr. Hicks and her research can be found at
https://udallas.edu/constantin/academics/programs/physics/faculty/hicks-sally.php
Abstract
Neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections, along with γ-ray production rates, are required in many technical fields such as basic nuclear science, experimental design and analysis, medical treatment and dosimetry, the fission and fusion power industries, homeland security, non-proliferation, safeguards, and the interrogation communities. Our collaboration, which includes scientists from the United States Naval Academy, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Dallas, has spent the last several years measuring neutron cross sections that are particularly important for the energy-production community and for our understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Facilities at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL) give us the opportunity to measure cross sections with well-defined incident neutron energies in the fast part of the spectrum. Our measurements have focused on the measurement of cross sections for 23Na, 54,56Fe, 12C, 7Li and 19F, which are materials for next-generation reactors, containment vessels, energy-calibration standards and global data evaluations. An overview of our experimental program and results from our studies will be presented.
9/12/2019
The Search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
Dr. Benjamin Jones
University of Texas at Arlington
Dr. Jones earned his BS (2007) and MS (2008) degrees in Natural Sciences (specializing in Physics) at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a Ph.D. degree (2015) in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His Ph.D. research topics were searches for sterile neutrinos at Fermilab and the IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory, and his PhD thesis entitled “Sterile Neutrinos in Cold Climates" was awarded the Mitsuyoshi Tanaka Dissertation Award in Experimental Particle Physics from the American Physical Society. He worked as a post-doc at University of Texas at Arlington for one year, and from this position advanced to Assistant Professor of Physics in 2016. He is presently undertaking research in diverse areas of neutrino physics including the search for non-standard neutrino oscillation phenomena in atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos with IceCube, and development of technologies to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in high pressure xenon gas with NEXT.
Abstract
Detection of neutrinoless double beta decay is the only known experimentally viable way to test for the possible Majorana nature of the neutrino. Observation of this decay, which may have a half-life in excess of 10^27 years, would have existential implications: illuminating a possible explanation for the dominance of matter over antimatter in the Universe, making a definitive connection between standard model particles and ultra-high-scale physics, and demonstrating conclusively that lepton number is not a conserved quantity in nature. I will discuss the ongoing quest to detect neutrinoless double beta decay, with a focus on the NEXT program. NEXT plans to use high pressure xenon gas, eventually augmented with single molecule fluorescent imaging barium ion sensors, to extend experimental sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay into unprecedented new regimes.
Spring 2019
1/24/2019 Partick Ross TAMUC Planetarium
1/31/2019 Jirina Stone "University of Oxford UK, University of Tennessee at Knoxville"
2/7/2019 Santosh KC "University of California, Santa Barbara, Postdoc, currently in Dallas"
2/14/2019 John Hickman, Lawyer in Texas
2/21/2019 Jodi Cooley, Southern Methodist University
2/28/2019 Chris Packham, UT San Antonio
3/7/2019 Students presentation
3/14/2019 "Ruth Chabay,Bruce Sherwood" University of North Texas
3/21/2019 "Spring break, No colloquium"
3/28/2019 Students presentation
4/4/2019 Umesh Garg, University of Notre Dame
4/11/2019 Luis Peralta, Texas Tech University
4/18/2019 Donna Stokes, University of Houston
4/25/2019 Thomas Papenbrock, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
4/25/2019
Nuclear physics
From effective field theories to atomic nuclei
Dr. Thomas Papenbrock
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Dr. Papenbrock earned a Diploma (1994) and a Ph.D. degree (1996) in Physics at the University of Heidelberg/Germany. His Ph.D. research topic was on quantum chaos. He was converted to a nuclear physicist while working as a post-doc at the institute for Nuclear Theory in Seattle, WA, and became a staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2000. In 2004, Dr. Papenbrock began his appointment as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, where he is currently doing research in nuclear theory. More information about Dr. Papenbrock and his research can be found at http://web.utk.edu/~tpapenbr/default.html
Abstract
Ideas from effective field theory and the renormalization group, and advances in computing have revolutionized our understanding of atomic nuclei and our abilities to compute interesting nuclei and relevant nuclear properties. This talk gives an overview of recent advances in the field. It presents details about predictions for the structure of the rare doubly-magic isotopes 78Ni and 100Sn, the solution of a long-standing puzzle on ‘quenched’ beta decays in atomic nuclei, and the advent of quantum computing in nuclear theory.
4/18/2019
Physics education
Impact of a Physics By Inquiry Course on Preparing Qualified Physics Teachers
Dr. Donna Stokes
University of Houston
Donna Stokes is an associate professor of physics at the University of Houston. Her scientific research focuses on understanding the structural, optical and electrical properties of semiconductor materials for the development of novel detectors and lasers for infrared applications. She is also involved in physics education research focusing on improving student performance in introductory physics courses and on physics teacher education preparation. She is currently serving as the Undergraduate Academic Advisor for the Department of Physics, faculty advisor for the University of Houston’s Society of Physics Students, Astronomy Society and Sigma Pi Sigma. She received her BS in Physics from Southern University Baton Rouge (1988) and PhD in Physics from the University of Houston (1998). Prior to joining the faculty at UH, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Naval Research Laboratory (1998-2001). She is currently a fellow of the American Physical Society Physic Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), she is the recipient of the NSF Early Career Award (2002), the University of Houston Excellence in Group Teaching for Physics Award (2017) and the University of Houston Provost’s Faculty Advising Award (2011). She is a member of the American Physical Society and is an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Physics: Study and Research. See the http://www.uh.edu/~dwstokes/ website for more information about Dr. Donna Stokes.
Abstract
Nationwide, approximately twenty-eight percent of the physics teachers at the 8-12 grade level are uncertified and/or unqualified, meaning they do not hold a major or minor degree in physics; therefore, many out of field teachers are assigned to teach physics. It is critical that Physics programs make a commitment to expand the availability of teacher education programs for preparing qualified physics teachers to teach the future generation of scientists. To address the need for recruiting and retaining high-quality physics teachers at the University of Houston, the Physics Department, in collaboration with the teachHOUSTON teacher education program and the College of Education, has developed a Physics By Inquiry course and degree plans for promotion of students into the teaching profession. This presentation highlights the outcomes of our efforts in preparing qualified physics teachers who possess the knowledge base for teaching physics and the self-efficacy needed to retain them in the classroom.
4/11/2019
Nanophotonics
Scanning Diffracted-Light (SDL) Imaging
Dr. Luis Grave De Peralta
Texas Tech University
Dr. Luis Grave de Peralta earned his MS degree (1982) in Physics at the Oriente University in Cuba, and his Ph.D. degree (2000) in Electrical Engineering at Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock, TX. His Ph.D. research topic was on X-ray reflectivity. From 2000 to 2006, he worked as a post-doc at the Nano Technology Center at TTU doing research in integrated optics and ultrafast optics. In 2007, Dr. Luis began his appointment as an assistant professor at TTU, where he is currently a Professor doing research in nanophotonics, Fourier optics, and quantum optics. More information about Dr. Luis and his research can be found at
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/phas/People/Faculty/bio_grave_de_peralta/bio_grave_de_peralta.php
Abstract
Common cameras permit to obtain intensity images of objects; thus, are only sensible to the amplitude of the electric field. However, the phase of the electric field also carries information about the world around us. Intensity images of transparent objects reveal less about the structure of the objects than phase images. For instance, a large variety of living cells are clear; therefore, several phase-recovery imaging techniques have been developed for imaging the phase of light that passes through transparent tissues. The multitude of bright objects visible in the firmament are separated by a transparent and immense medium. The intensity images collected by telescopes give us amazing images of the bright objects filling our Universe. However, intensity images may not tell the complete history because intensity images carry few information about the transparent immensity that separates visible stars, galaxies, and mega structures. I will talk about a novel phase-recovery imaging technique that may allow developing a telescope for obtaining phase images of the Cosmos. I will also discuss how SDL imaging may also allow developing the first phase-recovery optical nanoscope.
April 4 2019
Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics
Nuclear Incompressibility: How Collective Excitation Modes of a Nucleus Characterize Astrophysical Processes
Dr. Umesh Garg
University of Notre Dame
Dr. Umesh Garg earned BS and MS degrees in Physics at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, and a Ph.D. degree in Physics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His Ph.D. research topic was on experimental investigation of collective properties of nuclei using techniques of in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy. He worked as a post-doc at Texas A & M University Cyclotron Institute where he started working on nuclear incompressibility. His research has continued on both these topics since after his postdoc, Dr. Garg joined the University of Notre Dame as an Assistant Professor and has remained there. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for Advancement of Science, as well as a Frulbright Specialist. He is currently a Honorary Guest Professor at the Peking University and an Adjunct Professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India. More information about Dr. Garg and his research can be found at: https://physics.nd.edu/people/faculty/umesh-garg/
Abstract
The Nuclear Incompressibility parameter is one of three important components characterizing the nuclear equation of state (EOS). It has crucial bearing on diverse nuclear and astrophysical phenomena, including radii of neutron stars, strength of supernova collapse, emission of neutrinos in supernova explosions, and collective flow in medium- and high-energy nuclear collisions. In this talk I will review current status of the research on direct experimental determination of nuclear incompressibility via the compressional-mode giant resonances. In particular, measurements on a series of Tin and Cadmium isotopes have provided an "experimental" value for the asymmetry term of nuclear incompressibility, which can provide constraints on the EOS of neutron stars.
Mar/14/2019
Physics Education
Computational Models and Conceptual Understanding in Introductory Physics
Dr. Ruth Chabay
University of North Texas
Dr. Ruth Chabay earned a BA in Chemistry at the University of Chicago, and MS and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her background is diverse – she did a postdoc in Theoretical Biology at NIH, worked as a Research Associate in Psychology at Stanford, developed educational software, and taught Physics at Carnegie-Mellon University. In 2002 she became Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University. In 2018 she moved to the University of North Texas, where she is Professor of Physics and Chemistry. Her current research in Physics Education focuses on how to integrate computational modeling into the undergraduate physics curriculum. She is coauthor (with Bruce Sherwood) of the contemporary introductory physics textbook Matter & Interactions (4th Edition, Wiley, 2015). More information can be found at https://ruthchabay.net
Abstract
The process of constructing and exploring computational models can offer significant support for the development of conceptual understanding of key ideas in physics. However, most students who take introductory physics courses in college have had no prior exposure to programming. By selecting a minimal set of computational concepts to teach, and by introducing these concepts in the context of physics activities, we have been able to engage beginning students in constructing and refining computational models of interesting physical systems. The use of VPython allows students to produce navigable real-time 3-D animations as a side effect of their physics calculations. Research on how students engage with such models has helped refine instructional strategies. I will show examples from mechanics and from an introductory level course on soft condensed matter.
3/7/2019
Students Research Presentation
Examining Student Responses Following a Career in Physics Lesson
Thomas Head (Graduate)
The Effect of Different Solutions on a Hydrophobic Surface
Matthew Deutsch (Graduate)
2/28/2019
Astrophysics
MICHI: A Thermal-IR Instrument for the TMT
Dr. Chris Packham
University of Texas at San Antonio
Dr. Packham earned BSc (1992) and in Physics at the University of Hertfordshire (UK), and a Ph.D. degree (1997) in Physics at the University of Hertfordshire (UK). His Ph.D. research topic was on active galactic nuclei. He worked as a post-doc at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes on galaxies and IR instrumentation. In 2001, Dr. Packham began his appointment as an assistant professor at Florida University, and in 2013 he moved to University of Texas at San Antonio where he is currently doing research in astrophysics. More information about Dr. Packham and his research can be found at https://www.utsa.edu/physics/faculty/ChrisPackham.html
Abstract
To enable exoplanet, protoplanetary disk, AGN, follow-up JWST observations, and continuation of work started on 8m’s, we continue to plan the science cases and instrument design for a TIR imager and spectrometer for early operation on the TMT. I present the current status of our science cases and the instrumentation plans, harnessing expertise across the TMT partnership. This instrument will be proposed by the MICHI team as a second-generation instrument. I particularly focus on AGN studies.
2/14/2019
How did a physics major become a lawyer?
Dr. John Hickman
Lawyer in Texas
John L. Hickman, M.S., J.D. received his Juris Doctor degree in May 2017 from Texas A&M University School of Law. He received his Master of Science degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2010. As a former adjunct professor of physics and contract attorney, he has worked in both the scientific and legal fields. He has work on multiple multi-million dollar lawsuits, and has written both provisional and non-provisional patents. He is currently a managing partner at Hickman Wiedel PLLC. More information about Dr. Hickman can be found at https://www.johnhickmanlaw.com/
Abstract
Physics is a science concerned with natural laws. Although not directly required, a background in physics has applications in a myriad of other fields. The legal field is not an exception to this. A physics background in the law is a sufficient element for the United States Patent and Trademark Office's registration to practice. A physics background is also highly beneficial in other legal genres such as regulatory law. Moving into the field of law from physics requires some preparation but can be very rewarding.
Feb 7 2019
Surface and Interface Properties of van der Waals materials
Dr. Santosh KC
University of California at Santa Barbara
Dr. Santosh KC earned his B.S. (2003) degree in Physics from Tribhuvan University, NEPAL, and M.S. (2011) and Ph.D. (2014) in Materials Science from University of Texas at Dallas. His research focus was on the computational study of materials for semiconductor devices and energy storage applications. Then, he worked at the Materials Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory till June 2018. Currently, Dr. KC works as a post-doctoral research associate at the Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara. His overall research focuses on computational Materials Science and Condensed Matter Physics using quantum mechanical computations.
Abstract
Recently, there has been significant research activities on two dimensional (2D) materials after the experimental realization of graphene. Layered transitional metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as the potential alternative channel materials for ultra-thin and low power nanoelectronics and opto-electronics devices. Highly tunable and unique electronic properties of TMDs made them promising novel materials for various other applications as well. However, to realize the superior performance of devices based on TMDs, the physical and chemical properties like their defect chemistries and stabilities under various chemical environments need to be understood. To facilitate the experimental efforts, it is important to examine the atomic level insights on the properties of TMDs. In this talk, I will present our research on the defect structures, oxidation, and corresponding electronic properties of TMDs as well as its interfaces, such as semiconductor-dielectric interface and semiconductor-metal contact. Moreover, the impact of various interfacial defects on electronic properties will be discussed, which in fact helps to simulate the realistic interfacial phenomenon and optimize the properties of the semiconducting devices. In addition, I will discuss some efforts in predicting atomic and magnetic properties of 2D magnetic materials and illuminating the importance of van der Waals interaction.
Jan 31 2019
Quark-Meson-Coupling Model for finite nuclei, nuclear matter and beyond
Dr. Jirina Stone
University of Oxford (UK), University of Tennessee (USA)
Dr. Stone earned Ph.D. degree (1975) in Physics at the Charles University of Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her Ph.D. research topic was on low energy nuclear spectroscopy. She worked as an associated Professor in Physics at the Technical University of Prague and did her research at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in Rez near Prague and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna (USSR) till 1983 when she moved to the University of Oxford and worked as a research associate and a college lecturer. Her research included experimental physics in Oxford, Daresbury and CERN ISOLDE as well as mean-field models of nuclear structure and nuclear matter. In 2005 she moved to the United States and became an Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville while still holding a position of an Academic visitor in Oxford in the condensed matter and later the astrophysics sub-department. She also held a position of a Visiting Professor in Chemistry at the University of Maryland, College park (1993-2018) and temporary positions at RIKEN, Japan and University of Adelaide, Australia. Her current research is focused on microscopic approaches to theory of neutron stars and in-medium nuclear forces.
Abstract
The fundamental problem of low energy nuclear structure is the understanding the change of the free nucleon-nucleon force in the nuclear medium. Commonly used forces of the Skyrme or Gogny type, with their empirical medium density dependence, cannot be determined uniquely. Hundreds of such forces have been constructed, fitting their numerous correlated parameters to selected experimental data. I will report a single, four-parameter form of the density dependent effective nucleon-nucleon force based on modification of the nucleon structure in-medium on the quark level, which represents a new paradigm for nuclear physics. The model yields predictions for the ground-state binding energies, electromagnetic properties and shapes of even-even nuclei, from the lightest to superheavy, in agreement with experiment within less than a few percent [1]. At the same time, it describes properties of high density nuclear matter and cold neutron stars, containing a full baryon octet, consistent with observation [2]. Critical comparison with other models and future developments will be presented.
[1] P.A.M.Guichon, J.R. Stone, A.W. Thomas, 2018, Progress in Nuclear and Particle Physics 100, 262 (2018)
[2] J.R.Stone, Eur. Phys. J. A 52, 66 (2016)
Jan 24 2019
Structural Parameters of Stellar Clusters in the M33 Galaxy
Mr. Patrick Ross
Planetarium at Texas A&M University-Commerce
Mr. Ross earned his Bachelor's of Science in Physics (2015) from the University of Michigan - Flint and Masters of Science in Physics (2018) from the University of Toledo where he completed his research project on the structure of stellar clusters in the M33 galaxy. While pursuing his degrees, he worked at both the Sloan*Longway Planetarium (2015-2016) in Flint, Michigan and the Ritter Planetarium (2016-2018) in Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Ross has begun the position of Planetarium Manager and Instructor at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Abstract
Star clusters provide a testing ground for a multitude of astrophysical theories. Our theories of gravitational dynamics can be studied through the kinematics of star clusters. As a whole, star clusters are used to trace out the structure of their host galaxies. This work measures the structural parameters of clusters in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) to determine if clusters underfill, fill, or overfill their Roche lobes and fit astrophysical models to calculate the cluster's tidal radii.