BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//RLASKEY//CALENDEROUS//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120124T203000Z DTEND:20120124T213000Z UID:event353@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/353 SUMMARY:Final Results from MuLan: A High Energy Experiment with Low Energy Muons DESCRIPTION:Featuring Robert Carey\, Boston University\nHosted by: Rama Ban sil\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/01_Carey.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract: Three of the most important inputs to the Standard Model of Elementary particle physics are the fine structure constant\, \, the mass of the Z and the Fermi constant\, GF \, the last of which is determined through measurements of the muon lif etime. Until 1999\, incomplete theoretical calculations limited the precisi on with which GF could be extracted from experiment. When van Ritbergen and Stuart finished their work on the missing radiative corrections in 1999\, the precision was entirely limited by knowledge of the muon lifetime\, pavi ng the way for a new measurement. After several years of technical developm ent\, the MuLan experiment\, sited at the Paul Scherrer Institut (Villigen\ , Switzerland)\, was commissioned in 2004. The collaboration staged major p roduction runs in 2004\, 2006 and 2007. Our first result appeared in 2007. The final result (1 ppm on τμ\, 0.6 ppm on GF ) is the most precise particle lifetime measurement ever made. In my talk\, I will explain how th is very simple measurement is made and describe our strategies for controll ing the systematic errors. I hope to convince you that it is still possible to do interesting and important experiments in particle physics with a rel atively small budget. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120207T203000Z DTEND:20120207T213000Z UID:event507@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/507 SUMMARY:Quantum Matter: Topological Insulators\, Superconductors and Nano-d ots DESCRIPTION:Featuring Arun Bansil\, Northeastern University\nHosted by: Mic hael El-Batanouny\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/02_Ban sil.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract:\nT heoretical modeling combined with spectroscopic measurements is enabling un precedented new opportunities for unfolding and exploring the consequences of quantum mechanical principles as they dictate the behavior of assemblies of atoms into molecules\, clusters and solids. I will discuss recent examp les drawn from our work on topological insulators\, high transition tempera ture superconductors and nano-particles. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120214T203000Z DTEND:20120214T213000Z UID:event352@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/352 SUMMARY:Gene Surfing and Survival of the Luckiest DESCRIPTION:Featuring David Nelson\, Harvard University\nHosted by: Rama Ba nsil\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/03_Nelson.pdf\n\nPa rt of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract:\nIt is widely a ppreciated that population waves have played a crucial role in the evolutio nary history of many species. In parallel with Fokker-Planck descriptions o f stochastic processes in physics\, population geneticists have developed m ethods for understanding mutations\, genetic drift and selective advantage in such situations.   Provided number fluctuations at the frontie r are taken into account\, neutral genetic markers can be used to infer inf ormation about growth\, ancestral population size and colonization pathways .   Mutations optimally positioned at the front of a growing popu lation wave can increase their abundance via a "surfing" phenomenon. Experi mental and theoretical studies of this effect will be presented\, including recent work on bacteria and on mutualistic strains of yeast. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120306T203000Z DTEND:20120306T213000Z UID:event836@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/836 SUMMARY:Quantum entanglement and the phases of matter DESCRIPTION:Featuring Subir Sachdev\, Harvard University\nHosted by: Anatol i Polkovnikov\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/04_Sachdev .pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract: In ma ny modern materials\, electrons quantum-entangle with each other across lon g distances\, and produce new phases of matter\, such as high temperature s uperconductors. We face the challenge of describing the entanglement of 10^ {23} electrons\, which is being being met by many ideas. A promising recent approach uses string theory. This theory was originally constructed as a u nification of the quantum field theory of elementary particles with Einstei n's theory of gravitation. Unexpectedly\, the "dualities" of string theory have given us a new perspective on long-range entanglement in quantum model s which describe electrons in modern materials in easily accessible laborat ory environments.\n  LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120320T193000Z DTEND:20120320T203000Z UID:event837@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/837 SUMMARY:Synthetic Quantum Matter under the Microscope DESCRIPTION:Featuring Markus Greiner\, Harvard University\nHosted by: Anato li Polkovnikov\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/05_Greine r.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract:\nUlt racold atoms in optical lattices enable experimenters to create and study s ynthetic quantum matter\, opening a window into the fascinating world of many-body quantum physics. With quantum gas microscopy we are now a ble to take the control of atoms in an optical lattice to the next and ulti mate level of high fidelity addressing\, manipulation and readout of s ingle particles. I will present microscopic studies of strongly correlated quantum matter and the first realization of quantum magnetism in an op tical lattice. This work opens a wide range of new possibilities and b rings the realization of exotic states of matter within experimental reach. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120330T190000Z DTEND:20120330T200000Z UID:event518@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/518 SUMMARY:Understanding the Columbia Shuttle Accident DESCRIPTION:Featuring Douglass Osheroff\, Nobel Laureate\, Stanford Univers ity\nHosted by: David Bishop\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Sp ring/MSE-Osheroff.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n \nAbstract: The NASA Space Shuttle program began in April\, 1981 and is sch eduled to end in May\, 2011. During this time NASA will have flown 134 miss ions. Nearly all of these missions have been flown successfully\, but two s pectacular disasters have blemished an otherwise perfect record. These\, of course\, were STS 51L\, resulting in the Challenger Accident on January 28 \, 1986 and STS-107\, the Columbia Accident on February 1\, 2003. I was a m ember of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board\, the 'CAIB'\, and in th is talk I will discuss the origins of this accident\, and the investigation that resulted in a report showing that both accidents were organizational in origin\, and that both could and should have been avoided. This is an in teresting talk\, as it gives the audience an insider's look at the investig ation of a spectacular accident. It has been most popular when given for la rge organizations\, as large organizations are more likely to suffer from t he deficiencies that led to both of these accidents. LOCATION:PHO 205\, 8 Saint Mary's Street\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120410T193000Z DTEND:20120410T203000Z UID:event838@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/838 SUMMARY:What a Particle Physicist Can Learn from Graphene DESCRIPTION:Featuring Gordon Semenoff\, University of British Columbia\, Ca nada\nHosted by: So-Young Pi\nPoster: http://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Sp ring/07_Semenoff.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\ nAbstract: Graphene is a two-dimensional semi-metal where the electron obey s an emergent relativistic Dirac equation. The resulting electronic propert ies of this material make it both a fascinating case study in condensed mat ter physics and a promising new substance for electronics technology. It al so offers a novel testing ground for issues associated with the quantizatio n of the relativistic particle\, such as Zitterbewegung and the Schwinger a nd Klein effects which have proven difficult to test in the particle physic s world\, but have profound effects on the physics of graphene. As well\, g raphene electrons are putatively strongly correlated and some effects of st rong interaction\, such as dynamical symmetry breaking and the fractional q uantum Hall effect\, have been observed. This provides both a simple exampl e of the symmetry breaking phenomenon as well as posing a puzzle as to why\ , if interactions are strong\, so much of the physics of graphene is descri bed by weakly interacting\, or even non-interacting electrons. Attempts at some insight into this question will be presented. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20120516T121944Z LAST-MODIFIED:19991130T050000Z DTSTART:20120424T193000Z DTEND:20120424T203000Z UID:event516@buphy.bu.edu URL:http://physics.bu.edu/events/show/516 SUMMARY:Searching for Exotic Physics in a Pin-Head Sized Storage Ring DESCRIPTION:Featuring Eric Cornell\, Nobel Laureate\, University of Colorad o and JILA\, Boulder\nHosted by: Lee Roberts\, Lawrence Sulak\nPoster: http ://physics.bu.edu/posters/2012_Spring/08_Cornell.pdf\n\nPart of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.\n\nAbstract: In every experiment to date\, th e electron appears to be essentially spherical - its north and its south po les seem exactly the same.  In the world's smallest particle physics l ab\, we are taking a closer look\, trying to determine if it is\, in fact\, a little egg-shaped at the level of 10-15 femtometers.  The out-of-ro undness\, the electron's so-called Electric Dipole Moment\, provides clues to the kinds of particles that might be discovered at monster facilities\, such as the Large Hadron Collider. LOCATION:SCI 109\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215 STATUS:CONFIRMED CLASS:PUBLIC END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR