2014 EAPS Lecture Series: Monsoons: Past Changes, Present Impacts, Future Projections
David McGee, Assistant Professor of Paleoclimate
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Seasonally reversing atmospheric circulations known as monsoons determine the intensity and seasonality of precipitation throughout the tropics. Monsoon rains supply water for approximately two-thirds of the world's population, govern the distribution of tropical ecosystems and agriculture, and drive continental weathering in low latitudes; as a result, monsoon variability has wide-ranging impacts on human society and natural systems.
This January, EAPS' IAP seminar will explore the magnitude, drivers and impacts of changes in monsoon precipitation in the past, present and future. Featured speakers will share their research into a diverse array of topics, including past abrupt changes in the African monsoon, the role of monsoon changes in the collapse of Mayan civilization, the dynamics of monsoon-associated cyclones, and the impacts of present and future monsoon changes on societies in the Sahel region of North Africa.
Individual lectures in the series will be given in 54-915, noon to 1pm. Please check individual session listing for descriptions of each topic and the day it will be offered.
Since there is a delay in information posted to the IAP website please see <http://eapsweb.mit.edu/events/iap-2014> for up-to-date schedule information.
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Contact: Vicki McKenna, 54-910, x3-3380, vsm@mit.edu
| Jan/13 | Mon | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915 |
An introduction to monsoons
Paul O'Gorman - Assoc. Professor of Atmospheric Science
| Jan/15 | Wed | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915 |
Potential impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on the monsoons
Chien Wang - Senior Research Scientist, EAPS, MIT
| Jan/17 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915 |
Monsoon cyclones: the dynamics of high-impact storms at the edge of the Tropics
William Boos - Asst. Prof. of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University
| Jan/22 | Wed | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915, POSTPONED DUE TO STORM |
Glacial-Holocene shifts in the Atlantic ITCZ, North African climate, and culture
¿New date will be posted as soon as it is arranged.
Peter deMenocal - Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences, LDEO/Columbia U.
| Jan/24 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 56-154, note room change |
Re-interpreting the influence of the oceans on Sahelian climate, from daily to multi-decadal time scales
Alessandra Giannini - Research Scientist, IRI and LDEO/Columbia U.
| Jan/27 | Mon | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915 |
Hazard prediction in the developing world: Tales of efforts to span the "Valley of Death"
Peter Webster - Professor, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Tech.
| Jan/28 | Tue | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-819, note room change |
Towards a general theory of monsoon dynamics
Peter Webster - Professor, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Tech.
| Jan/30 | Thu | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915, note that this is a Thurs. talk |
Fundamental monsoon dynamics: Aquaplanet monsoons and their response to climate changes
Simona Bordoni - Asst. Professor, Geological and Planetary Sciences, CalTech
| Jan/31 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:00PM | 54-915 |
Synoptic view of past climates in the Yucatan Peninsula and the fate of the ancient Maya Kingdom
Martin Medina - Visiting Asst. Professor, Amherst College
A Short History of Spin
Richard Milner, Professor of Physics; Director of LNS
| Jan/14 | Tue | 02:00PM-03:00PM | 26-414 (Kolker Room) |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None
This talk outlines the historical development of spin in physics from about 1920 to the present. It aims to provide the audience with an accurate chronology of important developments, both scientific and technical.
Sponsor(s): Lab for Nuclear Science, Physics
Contact: Richard Milner, 26-505, 617-253-7800, milner@mit.edu
Copernicus Revolution II?
Douglas Sweetser '84
| Jan/23 | Thu | 04:00PM-06:00PM | 3-270 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Copernicus knew how to do calculations in the Ptolemaic system (not easy). He figured out how to transform that system to the Sun centered one using parallelograms. We know the symmetries of the Standard Model and General Relativity. Can we preserve most of those insights with a new view of the quaternion group Q8 as the foundation for mathematical analysis of spacetime physics? Tall tales, truffles and cheese doodles will be served.
Alumni Talks feature MIT alumni sharing their career paths, offering insight, and introducing their companies to students. Look for more of these events, sponsored by the Alumni Association, throughout the year. *All members of the MIT community may attend.
Sponsor(s): Alumni Association, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU
Error and Fraud in Chemical Research
Rick Danheiser, A C Cope Professor of Chemistry
| Jan/16 | Thu | 04:00PM-05:30PM | 6-120 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: Introductory level organic chemistry
Case studies of error and fraud in chemical research.
Sponsor(s): Chemistry
Contact: Rick Danheiser, 18-298, 617-253-1842, danheisr@mit.edu
Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory
Dr. Michael Nowak, Research Scientist, MIT Kavli Institute
| Jan/09 | Thu | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
In the summer of 1999, NASA launched the third of its great observatories -- the Chandra X-ray telescope. Like the Hubble Space telescope which preceded it, Chandra is designed to have an unprecedented ability to create images and spectra of astrophysical objects, except working with high energy X-rays instead of optical light. This means that Chandra views some of the universe's most exotic and energetic phenomena: supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, jets traveling at nearly the speed of light emanating from near the center of clusters of galaxies. In this talk, we'll take a tour of the discoveries made by the Chandra X-ray telescope, starting with studies of our own solar system, moving outward to nearby stars, to the center of our own Galaxy where a black hole 40 millions times the mass of our Sun lurks, to distant clusters of Galaxies where the most massive black holes, billions of times the mass of our Sun, reside.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
PLEASE NOTE: Following this talk there will be a tour of the Chandra Space Telescope ACIS CCD Lab by
Dr. Steve Kissel (MIT Kavli Institute)
Tour will be limited to max 15 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252.
Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour
For a complete listing of all IAP Events sponsored by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please look at our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Extreme Solar Systems
Ms. Katherine Deck, Graduate Student, MKI
| Jan/23 | Thu | 02:30PM-03:00PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
What does a typical planetary system look like? Thanks to an enormous amount of observational work, we know now that planet formation can be considered efficient: most stars like the Sun host an exoplanet. Furthermore, systems of multiple planets are also par for the course. However, the systems we are finding don't always resemble our own Solar System. I'll discuss how we measure the shapes and orientations of planetary orbits when we cannot directly see the planets themselves, and then describe a few of the most intriguing multi-planet systems we've found.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
For a complete listing of IAP activities offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please see our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
FT-IR Sampling Capabilities in CMSE
Tim McClure
| Jan/27 | Mon | 10:00AM-01:00PM | 13-2137 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/24
The Center for Materials Science and Engineering's Analysis Shared Experimental Facility has an extended range FT-IR Microscope with a variety of sampling accessories that are available for the use of researchers. Come find out about the many sampling options now available for FT-IR. Pre-register via e-mail.
Sponsor(s): Center for Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Tim McClure, 13-4149, x8-6470, mtim@mit.edu
Health and Safety Issues of Nanomaterials
Marilyn Hallock, Susan Leite
| Jan/23 | Thu | 11:00AM-12:00PM | 46-3189 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
The exciting field of nanotechnology is creating the next industrial revolution in engineering. It is also creating the new field of nanotoxicology. Are nanoparticles more toxic than dust particles we normally work with? Could carbon nanotubes possibly be the next asbestos? Come find out what we know and don't know and how to work safely in your laboratory with nanomaterials. No prerequisite.
Sponsor(s): Environment, Health and Safety Office
Contact: Marilyn Hallock, N52-496, x3-0344, hallock@mit.edu
High-resolution x-ray optics at the Space Nanotechnology Laboratory: From nanometers to gigaparsecs
Dr. Ralf Heilmann, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Kavli Institute
| Jan/28 | Tue | 02:30PM-03:00PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
The Space Nanotechnology Laboratory (SNL) develops advanced lithography and nano-fabrication technology for high performance space instrumentation, as well as nanometer-accuracy metrology and assembly technology. Two current efforts are the development of nanofabricated soft x-ray gratings, the so-called critical-angle transmission (CAT) gratings, and the development of high-precision focusing X-ray mirrors. CAT gratings require the fabrication of sub-micron structures with extreme geometries and sub-nanometer precision, while x-ray mirrors are formed at 600 deg C while floating on porous air bearings. These efforts are aimed at instruments that can help find the missing baryons in the Cosmic Web and reveal the secrets of dark matter.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be a tour of the Space Nanotechnology Laboratory from 3:15-4:15pm. The pre-requisite for going on this tour is attending the two talks preceding the tour (2:00-2:30pm; 2:30-3:00pm). The tour is limited to SIX people.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
How to Photograph Birds
Frank Taylor, Senior Research Scientist (Physics/LNS), Emeritus
| Jan/10 | Fri | 11:00AM-12:00PM | 26-414 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None
Have you ever wanted to observe birds really closely? A pair of binoculars, or better still a spotting scope, will provide a good view only if the bird stays still, but what do birds look like when they fly, how are their feathers deployed? In this one hour talk I will discuss the challenge of photographing birds, describe equipment and technique and the pursuit of the (European) Common Swift (Apus apus).
Sponsor(s): Lab for Nuclear Science
Contact: Frank Taylor, 26-569, 617-253-7249, fet@mit.edu
Hunting Dark Matter
Mr. Adam Anderson, Graduate Student, MIT Kavli Institute
| Jan/28 | Tue | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none for talk; see pre-requisites for 3:15pm tour
Instruments That Enable the Exploration of the Universe
Hunting Dark Matter
Understanding the composition and properties of the matter in the universe is one of the most basic goals of physics, yet we know scandalously little about most of the matter. A concordance of diverse evidence from astrophysics and cosmology suggests that 85% of the matter in the universe is "dark": it is non-electromagnetically interacting and fundamentally different than the familiar matter of atoms that we experience in our day-to-day life. Though the existence and astrophysical properties of dark matter are established, its particle properties are unknown. I will describe the different pieces of evidence that have led to our current understanding of dark matter, culminating in the state-of-the-art direct searches that are probing its particle properties.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up for this talk. Please note, however, that there is a tour of the Operations Control Center for the Chandra Space Telescope from 3:15-4:15. In order to take that tour, you must attend this talk as well as the "The Cost of Cosmic Real Estate: Galaxy Evolution in Dense Environments" talk from 2:00-2:30pm. In addition, you need to sign up for the tour by Friday, January 10 by submitting your full name to meinbres@mit.edu.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
IAP 2014- The Feynman Films
Andy Neely, Manager of the Technical Services Group
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
The Feynman Films
Sponsor(s): Physics
Contact: Denise Wahkor, 4-315, 617 253-4855, DENISEW@MIT.EDU
| Jan/15 | Wed | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The law of Gravitation
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/16 | Thu | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The Best Mind Since Einstein
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/17 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The Relation of Mathematics to Physics
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/21 | Tue | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The Great Conservation Principles
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/22 | Wed | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
Symmetry in Physical law
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/23 | Thu | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The Last Journey of a Genius
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/24 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
Take the World from Another Point of View
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/27 | Mon | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
The Distinction of Past and Future
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/29 | Wed | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
Probability and Uncertainty
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
| Jan/31 | Fri | 12:00PM-01:30PM | 6-120 |
Seeking New Laws
Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group
IAP Physics Lecture Series
Krishna Rajagopal, Associate Dept Head & Prof/MacVicar Faculty Fellow
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
IAP 2014 Physics Lecture Series
Sponsor(s): Physics
Contact: Denise Wahkor, 4-315, 617 253-4855, DENISEW@MIT.EDU
| Jan/15 | Wed | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
The development of new technologies at scales approaching the quantum regime is driving new theoretical and experimental research in engineered quantum systems.
I will show how ideas from quantum information and coherent control are driving the development of novel devices, such as sensors and computers, that surpass the performance of any classical device.
Paola Cappellaro - Professor- Department of Physics
| Jan/16 | Thu | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
Fermions, particles with half-integer spin such as electrons, protons and neutrons, are the building blocks of matter. Strong interactions among them give rise to novel states of matter whose properties are often not fully understood. I will describe our experiments on Fermi gases in and out of equilibrium, including the observation of superfluidity and the creation and observation of propagating topological excitations.
Martin Zwierlein - Professor- Department of Physics
| Jan/17 | Fri | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
It is an exciting time in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics; new
detectors are under construction around the world and significant results are
expected in the next few years. I'll introduce the technological challenges
involved in gravitational wave detectors, talk briefly about the status of the
projects that are currently underway, and wrap up with the research that is
happening at MIT.
Matthew Evans - Professor- Department of Physics
| Jan/21 | Tue | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
The concept of symmetry plays a vital role in modern physics. I will talk about the experiments that have forced us to accept that many presumed symmetries of nature are broken. I will also discuss how studying asymmetric processes at the LHC provides an opportunity to look for new types of forces.
Michael Williams - Professor- Department of Physics
| Jan/22 | Wed | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
Quantum mechanics is not only a theory of physics, but also a theory of information. In this talk, I'll sketch some of the implications that quantum mechanics has for information and computing. These implications include secret messages that are immune to eavesdropping and computers that perform certain tasks exponentially faster than any previous computing device.
Aram Harrow - Professor- Department Physics
| Jan/23 | Thu | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
The organization was Kimball Physics, now successful high tech company. The mission is to do good physics, and have fun. However, if mistakes are learning experiences, there were numerous learning experiences. The learning experiences will be shared.
Dr. Chuck Crawford - '59 (VI), SCD '62 (VI)
| Jan/24 | Fri | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
A talk about cybersecurity, but it's also about a Lagrangian-like approach to finding a career path after graduation, given a special set of boundary conditions. I will talk about what to make of Edward Snowden's revelations about our current surveillance state, why it's not as bad as that sounds, what it's like to pretend to be a software engineer, why Internet freedom and strong cryptography should matter to physicists.
Yan Zhu - '12 (VIII)
| Jan/27 | Mon | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
The early chemical evolution of the Galaxy and the Universe is vital to our understanding of a host of astrophysical phenomena. Since the oldest Galactic stars are relics from the high-redshift Universe, they probe the chemical and dynamical conditions of a time when large galaxies first began to assemble. I will show a few video clips about observing with the 6.5m Magellan telescope in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Anna Frebel - Professor- Department of Physics
| Jan/29 | Wed | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
Dark matter comprises five-sixths of the matter in the universe, and is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for new physics beyond the Standard Model. I will explore how measurements of photons can be used to probe the nature of dark matter, and discuss a potential signal of dark matter annihilation in gamma rays.
Tracy Slatyer - Professor-Department of Physics
| Jan/31 | Fri | 01:30PM-02:30PM | 6-120 |
During the past few years, scientists have been marveling at the amazing properties of 2-dimensional
crystals. I will introduce the properties of graphene and several other 2D crystals, which can serve as ingredients to make (relativistic) quantum sandwiches, by combining and stacking the different ingredients.
Pablo Jarillo-Herrero - Professor- Department of Physics
In Search of Sunset on Alien Worlds
Dr. Zach Berta-Thompson, Torres Fellow, MIT Kavli Institute
| Jan/23 | Thu | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
We now know of thousands of planets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way, but what do we really know about each one of them individually? For a particular subset of known extrasolar planets, we can measure their sizes, their densities, and even the composition and structure of their atmospheres. This talk will take you on a tour through the methods astronomers use to observe the weird and wonderful worlds that populate our Galaxy, particularly focusing on what we can learn from current and upcoming space telescopes. Come prepared to explore strange new planets!
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
For a complete listing of all IAP activities offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please see our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
It's Always Darkest Before the Cosmic Dawn
Mr. Josh Dillon, MKI Graduate Student
| Jan/16 | Thu | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
We know quite a lot about the very early universe from observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background and about the later universe from observations of distant galaxies and supernovae. But the period between--and therefore a huge volume of the observable universe--remains unexplored. We know that during that time the universe went from dark to bright as the first stars and black holes formed and helped ionize the hydrogen between galaxies. By studying the state and distribution of that hydrogen with novel radio telescopes, we hope to soon shed light on the so-called "Cosmic Dawn" in order to test our astrophysical and cosmological theories that describe history of the universe from the Big Bang to today.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
To see all of the IAP Activities offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please see our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Movement, Science and the Creative Process
Larry Pratt, Senior Scientist, WHOI, Mariah Steele, Founder and Artistic Director of Quicksilver Dance
| Jan/14 | Tue | 04:00PM-07:00PM | bldg 50-Dance Studio |
| Jan/16 | Thu | 04:00PM-07:00PM | bldg 50-Dance Studio |
Enrollment: Students should register with Larry Pratt: lpratt@whoi.edu
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
This class will use dance and dance making to explore the creative process in art and science. By “dance” we do not mean the pursuit of technical virtuosity, but rather refer to strategies for creating, improvising and communicating through movement, informed by the philosophies and histories of modern/contemporary dance. No prior dance training is necessary and we welcome participation from all levels of experience.
The workshops will be led by Mariah Steele and Larry Pratt. Mariah Stelle is the founder and artistic director of Quicksilver Dance, a company that rehearses at MIT and has performed up and down the East Coast. She currently teaches Modern Dance and Dance History at Endicott College in Beverly. Larry Pratt is a senior scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He is a MIT alum and has been teaching at fluid physics at MIT in the Woods Hole/MIT Joint Program since 1989.
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Contact: Larry Pratt, lpratt@whoi.edu
Plasma Science and Fusion Center IAP Series
Martin Greenwald, Abhay Ram, Paul Rivenberg
Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
This series introduces plasma physics research and areas of related interest at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. See URL below. http://www.psfc.mit.edu/
Sponsor(s): Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Contact: Paul Rivenberg, NW16-284, x3-8101, rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu
| Jan/14 | Tue | 11:00AM-12:00PM | NW17-218 |
Prospects, Promises and Problems: An Introduction to the Physics and Policies Behind Fusion Energy
This talk will provide an introduction to the basic nuclear physics and plasma physics forming the scientific foundation for fusion energy research; and will also present summaries of national strategies, from around the world, to develop fusion energy.
Anne White - Assistant Professor
| Jan/14 | Tue | 02:00PM-03:00PM | NW17-218 |
Developing a Road Map to Magnetic Fusion Energy
A status report will be given on the early stages of a grass roots effort to develop a framework for a US Road Map to Magnetic Fusion Energy.
Dale Meade - Head of Next Step Options and FIRE Design, PPPL
| Jan/15 | Wed | 11:00AM-12:00PM | NW17-218 |
Fusion Energy Research at The National Ignition Facility: The Pursuit of the Ultimate Clean, Inexhaustible Energy Source
This talk will discuss the science of the inertial confinement approach to fusion energy and review recent results from the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
John Moody - Research Scientist
| Jan/15 | Wed | 02:00PM-03:00PM | NW17-218 |
MIT Research in High-Energy Density Plasmas at OMEGA and the NIF
The High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP) division at MIT performs cutting-edge research programs using laser-generated plasmas and unique nuclear spectral, imaging, and time-resolved diagnostics. Recent work with relevance to Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), Plasma Nuclear Science, and basic plasma physics will be presented.
Hans Rinderknecht - PSFC Graduate Student
| Jan/16 | Thu | 02:00PM-03:00PM | NW17-218 |
Voyager in the Interstellar Plasma: What are We Seeing?
The Voyager spacecrafts, still operational more than 35 years after launch, are now traveling beyond the outer limits of the sun's influence into the interstellar plasma.
John Belcher - Professor of Physics
| Jan/16 | Thu | 03:15PM-04:15PM | NW17-218 |
Tour the PSFC Inertial Confinement Fusion Laboratory to see how they are contributing to energy experiments at the University of Rochester's OMEGA laser and the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Maria Gatu Johnson - Research Scientist
| Jan/17 | Fri | 11:00AM-12:00PM | NW17-218 |
What's Over the Horizon? The Future of Magnetic Fusion Research at MIT
Alcator C-Mod has been an innovative, world-leading facility for fusion energy research at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center for over 20 years. As they look towards the future, MIT scientists and engineers will continue to use their experience from C-Mod to push the frontiers of fusion science and technology at home and around the globe.
Greg Wallace - Research Scientist
| Jan/17 | Fri | 01:00PM-02:00PM | NW17-218 |
Visit the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, a well-tested approach to fusion research that has direct applications to ITER, the world's largest tokamak, currently under construction in France.
Mark Chilenski - Alcator C-Mod Grad Student
Reducing the Danger of Nuclear Weapons and Proliferation
Professor A. M. Bernstein, Professor of Physics
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Students are welcome to participate in any or all of these sessions.
Prereq: There are no prerequisites.
The plan for this course is to start with the timely issue of Iran's nuclear enrichment program, it's possible development of a nuclear weapon, the efficacy of IAEA inspections, and the implications of the interim agreement and a possible agreement to curtail their program. This will be followed by a discussion of two ways that humans can change the climate. If nuclear war should occur, in addition to the immediate blast there are delayed effects of radiation and possibly "Nuclear Winter". By burning fossil fuels we are experiencing the steady, more gradual increase of Global Warming. The plan for the third lecture is to present a brief introduction to the production of nuclear weapons and how this can be detected by suitable international inspection. We anticipate that the final lecture will present an outlook for the further reduction of nuclear weapons and their deployment policy, including the administration's announced intention to reduce the role of nuclear weapons and work towards their elimination.
Students are welcome to participate in any or all of these sessions. There will be time for questions and discussion.
Sponsor(s): Physics, Lab for Nuclear Science
Contact: Professor A. M. Bernstein, 26-419, 617-253-2386, bernstein@MIT.EDU
| Jan/22 | Wed | 03:00PM-04:30PM | 26-414 |
Is Iran Close to Making a Nuclear Weapons?
Dr. Jim Walsh - Research Associate / Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| Jan/23 | Thu | 03:00PM-04:30PM | 26-414 |
Effects of Human activities on the Climate; Global Warming and Nuclear Winter
Kosta Tsipis - Former Director, MIT Program STIS
| Jan/27 | Mon | 03:00PM-04:30PM | 26-414 |
From Mutually Assured Destruction to Mutually Assured Detection
Dr. Mike Hynes
| Jan/28 | Tue | 03:00PM-04:30PM | 26-414 |
Nuclear Weapons and Non-Proliferation Policy Outlook
Professor A. M. Bernstein - Professor of Physics
Searching for Gravitational Waves with LIGO
Dr. Adam Libson, Postdoctoral Associate
| Jan/07 | Tue | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts the existence of gravitational radiation. Since gravity is a weak force, it takes extreme masses and energies to produce a detectable gravitational wave signature. Indirect evidence for the existence of this radiation has been collected using pulsar measurements. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is an experiment designed to directly detect this radiation, and use it to study exotic astrophysical phenomena. To do this, LIGO must measure length changes with a precision of 10-19 meters, less than a thousandth of a proton diameter. In this talk, I will briefly discuss gravitational radiation and its sources, and I will also describe the LIGO detectors and the physics involved in their operation. Finally, I will discuss some of the quantum limits on making this type of precision measurement, and the ways in which LIGO hopes to beat these limits.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up for this talk.
Please Note: A tour of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab will follow this talk. To take the tour (2:45-4:00pm), you must attend this talk and register for the tour.
See website for additional information.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
The Cost of Cosmic Real Estate: Galaxy Evolution in Dense Environments
Dr. Steven Ehlert, Postdoctoral Scholar
| Jan/14 | Tue | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none for talk; see pre-requisites for 3:15pm tour
One of the largest and most important questions regarding galaxy evolution is the role of the local environment, primarily other nearby galaxies and diffuse gas. Observations of galaxies using the full ensemble of modern telescopes have demonstrated that galaxies are inextricably linked to their neighborhoods through a number of processes that span from star formation and black hole accretion to dark matter and dark energy. In this talk, I will discuss the myriad ways in which we observe galaxies coupling to their environments with a particular emphasis on galaxies in the densest real estate in the Universe: galaxy clusters.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up for this talk. Please note, however, that there is a tour of the Operations Control Center for the Chandra Space Telescope from 3:15-4:15. In order to take that tour, you must attend this talk as well as the "Hunting for Dark Matter" talk from 2:30-3:00pm. In addition, you need to sign up for the tour by Friday, January 10 by submitting your full name to meinbres@mit.edu.
For a complete listing of IAP Activities offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please see our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
The Universe in a Box: Simulating Galaxy Formation
Mr. Alex Ji, Graduate Student, MKI
| Jan/16 | Thu | 02:30PM-03:00PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
In the 1920s, astronomers discovered that some of the spiral-shaped smudges seen in their telescopes were too distant to be part of our own Milky Way. These "island universes," now known as galaxies, have proved to be a critical component connecting cosmology to astrophysics. In this talk, we will follow the formation history of galaxies similar to our own Milky Way. Aided by computer visualizations, we will see how these galaxies grow from tiny density perturbations into the majestic gas disks we see today.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Tour of the Operations Control Center for the Chandra Space Telescope, One of NASA's Great Observatories
Dr. Norbert Schulz, Research Scientist
| Jan/14 | Tue | 03:15PM-04:15PM | 37-252, Tour originates in 37-252 |
Enrollment: Max 20 people, advance sign-up required by JANUARY 10
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: You must attend talks preceding tour: 2-2:30pm; 2:30-3
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world's most powerful X-ray telescope, allowing scientists to study the origin, structure and evolution of our universe in greater detail than ever before. The spacecraft and science instruments are controlled from the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We will take our visitors on a tour of the OCC and show where scientists and engineers direct the flight and execute the observing plan of Chandra, and where they receive the scientific data from the observatory. during the tour the visitors will learn about the basics of X-ray astronomy and about the latest, exciting discoveries made by MIT scientists with data acquired with Chandra.
Max 20 people, advance sign-up required by FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 by submitting full name to meinbres@mit.edu
Prerequisites: Attendance of two talks preceding the tour (2-2:30 talk "The Cost of Cosmic Real Estate"; 2:30-3:00 talk "Hunting Dark Matter")
For a complete listing of IAP Activites offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please visit our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Tour: Chandra Space Telescope ACIS CCD Lab
Dr. Steve Kissel, Research Scientist
| Jan/09 | Thu | 02:45PM-03:45PM | 37-252, Tour originates in 37-252 |
Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: Attendance of 2-2:30pm talk preceding the tour
In this tour, we will introduce the participant to the CCD detector development at MIT.
Max 15 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252
Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour
For a complete listing of IAP Activities being offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please see our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Tour: Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab
Dr. Adam Lipson, Postdoctoral Associate
| Jan/07 | Tue | 02:45PM-04:00PM | 37-252, Tour originates in 37-252 |
Enrollment: Max 10 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252
Sign-up by 01/07
Limited to 10 participants
Prereq: MUST ATTEND 2-2:30pm TALK PRECEDING TOUR
Visitors will be taken on a tour of the LIGO prototyping facilities at MIT. These include a full-scale prototype of the LIGO vacuum chambers, laser, isolation and suspension systems, and laboratories for thermal and optical noise measurements.
Max 10 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252
Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour
Please see all IAP offerings by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Tour: Space Nanotechnology Lab
Dr. Ralf Heilmann, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Kavli Institute
| Jan/28 | Tue | 03:15PM-04:15PM | 37-252, LIMIT 6--must attend two talks preceding tour |
Enrollment: advance sign-up required starting @ 1:55pm in 37-252
Sign-up by 01/28
Limited to 6 participants
Prereq: You must attend talks preceding tour: 2-2:30pm; 2:30-3
During the tour of the SNL's three clean rooms visitors will see sophisticated optical (interference lithography stations for the fabrication of submicron period gratings, high power UV laser, metrology station for optics shape measurements, sub-nanometer resolution interferometers, etc.), reactive-ion etching (Plasmtherm RIE, new STPS Pegasus DRIE) and mechanical systems (XY-air-bearing stage, environmental enclosure, active vibration isolation, etc.) as well as a scanning electron microscope, all of which support the development of thin-foil x-ray optics and gratings.
Max 6 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252
Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
Weak Gravitational Lensing: Because We're Stuck With Photons
Ms. Rebecca Sobel Levinson, MKI Graduate Student
| Jan/14 | Tue | 02:00PM-02:30PM | 37-252 |
Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none
Most of the universe does not emit light. Dark matter outweighs baryonic matter in the universe approx. 5:1. So how do we learn about this dark universe when our primary tools for observing it require light?
Come learn about gravitational lensing, one of the tricks of astronomy that allows us to peer into the darkness of our universe. I will review the basics of gravitational lensing, and some of the neat things we can learn from it. I will then focus on weak lensing in clusters, the science behind some of the most beautiful Hubble images ever taken.
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up for the talk. Please note that there is a tour of the Space Nanotechnology Lab from 3:15-4:15pm. The tour is limited to 6 people. Prerequisite for the tour is attending this talk as well as the 2:30-3:00pm talk "High-resolution x-ray optics at the Space Nanotechnology Laboratory: From nanometers to gigaparsecs".
For a complete listing of IAP activities offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please visit our IAP website.
Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU
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