MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2018 Activities by Category - Physical Sciences

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Broken Symmetries in the Cosmos

Tom Chang, Research Scientist

Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 01:30PM-02:00PM 37-252 Marlar Lounge

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

If there is any running of the propagator (fundamental interaction) coupling constant at large spatial scales in renormalization-group (similarity) transformations of the gravitational effective action, cosmological observations may experience “apparent” antiscreening distortions with possible dark matter implications.  A narrative description of this novel idea of symmetry-breaking will be conveyed to the general scientific audience, along with some simple illustrative examples utilizing the fractional differintegral operators. 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Death to Riemann! Long Live Minkowski using Quaternions!

Douglas Sweetser '84

Add to Calendar Jan/25 Thu 03:00PM-05:00PM 3-333

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

Einstein asked his great buddy and math savant Marcel Grossman for a flexible math tool for geometry. Marcel went to the library and returned the next day with his answer: Riemann geometry. It was a great answer even if arcain and has ruled the road ever since. Yet not efforts to unify gravity with the rest of physics have worked.

In this two hour jam session, we challenge Grassman's suggestion by working with a number that can be added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided and has 4 part harmony, the quaternions. Leonard Susskind's three books from The Theoretical Minimum series will be our guide. Always having four parts to every written expression no matter how simple or complex is odd but opens many new views on mathematical physics. Register today!

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU


Defense R&D and the Military-Industrial Complex: Science and National Priorities

Subrata Ghoshroy, Research Affiliate

Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 04:30PM-06:00PM 2-105
Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 04:30PM-06:00PM 2-105
Add to Calendar Jan/30 Tue 04:30PM-06:00PM 2-105
Add to Calendar Feb/02 Fri 04:30PM-06:00PM 2-105

Enrollment: Pre-registration recommended but not required. Email carlsonc@mit.edu.
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: Pre-requisites, an interest in science and defense policy

After the end of World War II, U.S. embarked upon a policy to spend large sums of money for defense. The rationale was two-fold. One was to fight the growing threat of communism and the other was to spur the post-war economy. A big part of the defense budget was for R&D in science and technology for weapons in order to have a technology-edge over the USSR. The dual Cold War rationale - prosperity at home and fighting wars abroad - to contain "communist aggression" continues 25 years after the collapse of the USSR. Today, the U.S. defense budget is about $600 billion, which includes more than $80 billion for R&D. An unfathomable $1-trillion  will be spent on nuclear weapons over the next 30 years, shortchanging the research on climate change, e.g. During the second world war, academics participated in the Manhattan project to build the atom bomb, and in the development of the radar, missile guidance systems, etc. Today's subjects are artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and cyber defense, among others. The Pentagon also funds research in social sciences like political science, anthropology, and psychology. President Eisenhower's warning in his 1961 farewell address of the danger of a "military-industrial complex" (MIC) has come true. 

There will be four sessions as follows:

  1. Defense spending, Congress, and the MIC
  2. The universities and the Pentagon
  3. Defense R&D: Are we getting the bang for our buck?
  4. Showing of the award-winning documentary Why We Fight? (Optional)

 

Sponsor(s): Science, Technology, and Society
Contact: Subrata Ghoshroy, E51-296, 617 253-3846, GHOSHROY@MIT.EDU


Exoplanet Science in the era of TESS

Dr. Jenn Burt, Torres Postdoctoral Fellow

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 01:30PM-02:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

The beginning of the TESS spacecraft's science mission in mid 2018 promises the detection of thousands of exoplanets orbiting bright, nearby stars. These planets will provide astronomers with our best ever opportunity to mount extensive follow up observation efforts and try to understand the composition, distribution and evolution of planets in our galaxy. This talk will describe the anticipated TESS planet yield, its impact on the exoplanet field, and some of the follow up methods that astronomers will use to probe the composition of the planets' rocky cores and/or gaseous outer atmospheres.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory; Tour of the Chandra Operations Control Center

Dr. Michael Nowak, Research Scientist, Dr. Norbert Schulz

Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 01:00PM-03:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/22
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: attend 1:00pm talk to take Chandra OCC tour that follows

The Universe in X-ray Light (talk followed by tour of Chandra X-ray)

Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory

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.

Tour of Operations Control Center for Chandra X-ray Observatory

Tour departs 37-252 shortly after 1:30pm (following 1:00pm talk above). Tour signup deadline: Monday, Jan 22 @ noon.  Email meinbres@mit.edu your first & last name (as it appears on your ID) & the country of your citizenship. Your tour attendance will be confirmed by Jan 26.

The tour is limited to the first 20 people who sign up by Jan 22 @ noon. 



Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Finding New Worlds with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

Dr. Diana Dragomir, Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 01:00PM-01:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Abstract:
Just 25 years ago, humanity did not know whether planets were common in the Universe or whether the Solar System was an anomaly. Then, in 1995 a giant planet was discovered in a 4-day orbit around a main sequence star. Since then, the number of exoplanets discovered every year in our Galaxy has been increasing exponentially. In a few months, the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) space mission will launch, with the goal of finding the nearest exoplanet systems to us. The TESS science instruments will be operated from the MIT campus, and the satellite is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. TESS will focus on discovering Earth- and super-Earth-sized planets in the solar neighborhood, as well as exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars, where conditions might be suitable for the existence life. Once discovered by TESS, these new exoplanets will be much more easily studied than those we already know of, thanks to their proximity.

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Generative (Algorithmic) Art Workshop

George Varnavides, Emma Vargo

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Generative (algorithmic) art is a type of visual art generated using an algorithm. It often lies at the intersection of mathematical patterns and aesthetic appeal and its results can be stunning and refreshing.
In this workshop we will explore some of the aspects of generative art starting with more traditional examples such as fractals and chaotic attractors, extending it to physical systems such as symmetry operations, diffusion limited aggregation and microstructural evolution, as well as exploring the realm of machine-learning art. The instructors will be using the Wolfram Language to illustrate concepts and examples, but participants can choose to use any appropriate language of their choice for their projects*.

 

Please contact instructors via email before January 8th if you plan on attending, and by filling in this interest form:
https://goo.gl/forms/O9sNdRHqZS4nPKmu1

 

*Note: Depending on the available time, participants may choose to focus on a larger-scope project on the last day and/or participate in a “tattoo one-liner competition”, an example such entry is shown below (evaluate using the Wolfram Language to see output):

c = #\[Conjugate]
ArrayPlot@
 Log[BinCounts[
    ReIm@# & /@
     NestList[(5 # c + Re@#^6 - 2.7) # + c^5 &, .1 + .2 I, 9^7],
    a = {-1, 1, 0.001}, a] + 1]

 

Sponsor(s): Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: George Varnavides, GVARNAVI@MIT.EDU


Day 01

Add to Calendar Jan/30 Tue 01:00PM-04:30PM 4-159, Please Bring a laptop

*Tentative outline, subject to google form responses

George Varnavides, Emma Vargo


Day 02

Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 01:00PM-04:30PM 4-159, Please Bring a laptop

*Tentative outline, subject to google form responses

George Varnavides, Emma Vargo


Day 03

Add to Calendar Feb/01 Thu 01:00PM-04:30PM 4-159, Plese bring a laptop

*Tentative outline, subject to google form responses

George Varnavides, Emma Vargo


Health and Safety Issues of Nanomaterials

Marilyn Hallock, Susan Leite, Iraj Aalaei

Add to Calendar Feb/01 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM N52-496

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


Heavier than the Sun, Smaller than a City: The Neutron Star

Dr. Paul Hemphill, Dr. Norbert Schulz, Dr. Herman Marshall

Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: no limit or advanced sign up for talk; tour signup at 12:55
Sign-up by 01/24
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: none

X-ray Spectroscopy: Talk and Tour. Learn about the development and application of x-ray spectroscopy.

Heavier than the Sun, Smaller than a City: The Neutron Star (1:00-1:30pm)

Dr. Paul Hemphill

Abstract:
Neutron stars are some of the most extreme objects in the knownUniverse. More massive than the Sun, but just a few miles across, theyhave some of the highest densities, strongest magnetic fields, and highest temperatures of any celestial objects. In this talk I will give an overview of the origins and properties of the various types of neutron stars that we observe, as well as how we can detect them and their usefulness for astrophysics as a whole.

Tour of the X-ray Polarimetry Lab -- please note tour limit and prerequisite below (2:00-3:00pm)

Drs. Norbert Schulz and Herman Marshall

Tour of MIT's X-ray Polarimetry Lab, where new X-ray instrumentation is currently being developed.

Please Note:
20 people max for tour. Advance sign-up required starting at 12:55pm in 37-252 immediately before Dr. Hemphill's talk. Attendance of talk is required for tour of the Lab. Tour will leave from 37-252 at 1:30pm, and last about an hour until about 3:00pm.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


IAP 2018 Physics Lecture Series

Professor Scott Hughes, Interim Associate Head of Physics

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Physics Lecture Series IAP 2018

Sponsor(s): Physics
Contact: Denise Wahkor, 4-315, 617 253-4855, DENISEW@MIT.EDU


Many-electron quantum entanglement

Add to Calendar Jan/08 Mon 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Quantum condensed matter theory show how entanglement across the many electrons in a solid can let counter-intuitive phenomena, such as fractional charge, emerge

Dr. Itamar Kimchi - Postdoctoral Fellow


Black holes, neutron stars, and ripples

Add to Calendar Jan/10 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Title: Black holes, neutron stars, and ripples in the fabric of spacetime

Ever wonder how black holes and neutron stars snash into one another so hard they disturb spacetime? Come learn about the birth of gravitational-wave astronomy!

Dr. Carl Rodriguez - Postdoctoral Fellow


Looking for 0nBB

Add to Calendar Jan/12 Fri 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

A very rare process, neutrinoless double-beta decay, could tell us why the universe is made of matter. How can we detect it?

Dr. Julieta Gruszko - Postdoctoral Fellow


Correlated fermions: from atom traps to

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Title: "Correlated fermions: from atom traps to neutron stars".

I will describe studies of short-range correlations between nucleons in nuclei and how they are manifested in a universsal way in various other systems in nature.

Professor Or Hen - Professor of Physics


From Blackholes to Black-Scholes

Add to Calendar Jan/19 Fri 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Title: From Blackholes to Black-Scholes: A Physicist's Adventures in Finance

This talk will aim to give an overview of where financial markets sit within the wider economy, the role of professional investment managerin that ecosystem and how physicists and other quantitatively inclined researchers have come to occupy an increasingly central position within it. 

Dr. Neil Constable


Quantum Meets Topology

Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

When topology comes into play, theory predicts a new level of quantum weirdness. How to achieve the situation experimentally and why is it important?

Dr. Sanfeng Wu - Postdoctoral Fellow


Nuclear Physics From The Ground Up

Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Numerical simulations of the Standard Model of particle physics can reveal how nature assembles its basic building blocks and predict hard-to-measure nuclesr fusion rates.

Dr. Michael Wagman - Postdoctoral Fellow


Colliding Neutron Stars in the Lab:

Add to Calendar Jan/26 Fri 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

Title: Colliding Neutron Stars in the Lab: Ultracold Fermi Gases as Model Matter

Inducing strong interactions in an ultracold gas allows the formation of exotic states of matter with analogies ranging from high-temperature superconductors to neutron stars.

Professor Martin Zwierlein - Professor of Physics


Cracking your Career

Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

As a physicist, you have developed and honed a skill set that has vast potential in a wide variety of professions. Finding a career that is a good match for your talents and passions can feel like a risky and daunting task. This talk will describe a specific approach to cracking the career problem.

Ken Davis PhD '95 - Alum


Space, time and quantum mechanics

Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM 6-120

I will discuss how the efforts to describe the phenomenon of gravitation in the framwork of quantum mechanics strongly suggest that space is an emergent concept.

Dr. Lampros Lamprou - Postdoctoral Fellow


IAP 2018- The Feynman Films

Andy Neely, Manager of the Technical Services Group

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

IAP 2018 The Feynman Films

Sponsor(s): Physics
Contact: Denise Wahkor, 4-315, 617 253-4855, DENISEW@MIT.EDU


The Feynman Films

Add to Calendar Jan/08 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/10 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/12 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/19 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/26 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120
Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

The Feynman Films

Andy Neely - Manager of the Technical Services Group


Many-electron Quantum Entanglement

Add to Calendar Jan/08 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Itamar Kimchi

Quantum condensed matter theory shows how entanglement across the many electrons in a solid can let counter-intuitive phenomena, such as fractional charge, emerge.

Session Leaders TBD


Black holes, neutron stars, and ripples

Add to Calendar Jan/10 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Carl Rodriguez

Ever wonder how black holes and neutron stars smash into one another so hard they disturb spacetime? Come learn about the birth of gravitational-wave astronomy!

Session Leaders TBD


Looking for 0nBB

Add to Calendar Jan/12 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Julieta Gruszko

A very rare process, neutrinoless double-beta decay, could tell us why the universe is made of matter. How can we detect it?

Session Leaders TBD


Correlated fermions: from atom traps to

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Or Hen

I will describe studies of shot-range correlations between nucleons in nuclei and how they are manifested in a universal way in various other systems in nature.

Session Leaders TBD


A Physicist's Adventures in Finance

Add to Calendar Jan/19 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Neil Constable

This talk will aim to give an overview of where financial markets sit within the wider economy, the role of professional investment managers in that ecosystem and how physicists and other quantitatively inclined researchers have come to occupy an increasingly central position within it.

Session Leaders TBD


Quantum Meets Topology

Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Sanfeng Wu

When topology comes into play, theory predicts a new level of quantum weirdness. How to achieve the situation experimentally and why is it important.

Session Leaders TBD


Nuclear Physics From The Ground Up

Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Michael Wagman

Numerical simulations of the Standard Model of particle physics can reveal how nature assembles its basic building blocks and predict hard-to-measure nuclear fusion reaction rates.

Session Leaders TBD


The Best Mind Since Einstein

Add to Calendar Jan/26 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

The Best Mind Since Einstein

Session Leaders TBD


Take the World from Another Point of Vie

Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Take the World from Another  Point of View

Session Leaders TBD


Space, time and quantum mechanic

Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 6-120

Speaker: Lampros Lamprou

I will discuss how the efforts to describe the phenomenon of gravitation in the framework of quantum mechanics strongly suggest that space is an emergent concept.

Session Leaders TBD


IAP Mars Settlement Workshop

Bruce Mackenzie

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Mars Settlement, a Minimum One-Way Program
Bruce Mackenzie, Mars Foundation
Jan. 29th,   Monday  12 noon – 1 pm
Will show a proposal for a very small, relatively inexpensive
manufacturing base for Mars. It starts with just 2 people, and can
grow into a permanent human settlement; a draft design in progress by
the Mars Foundation.

Internships on Mars
Jan. 29th,  Monday  4 pm – 5 pm
Interested in an internship on the subject of Mars, or  other ways you
can help settlement of space?
This will be an informal discussion of (mostly volunteer) internships
with various non-profit space activist organizations, including the
National Space Society, Mars Society, Moon Society, and Mars
Foundation; and how they might fit your academic and career plans.
Meetings at other times can be arranged.

Overview of Hillside Mars Settlement
Feb. 1st, Thursday,   7pm – 9pm
This “Hillside Settlement” proposal by the Mars Foundation would build
a permanent settlement on Mars, constructed by 12 people from local
materials such as fiberglass and masonry. Preliminary mass and cost
estimates show that we may be able to establish a permanent, growing
settlement for the same launch cost as a program of round-trip
exploratory missions. Members of National Space Society are invited.

Raising the First Children in Space
Feb. 2nd, Friday  12 noon – 1 pm
Open discussion of the safety and ethics of raising children at an
early settlement on Mars or other frontier location.

 

Sponsor(s): Astropreneurship and Space Industry Club
Contact: Bruce Mackenzie, 2-146, 781-249-5437, bmackenzie@alum.mit.edu


Mars Settlement, a Minimum One-Way Prog

Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 2-146


Will show a proposal for a very small, relatively inexpensive
manufacturing base for Mars. It starts with just 2 people, and can
grow into a permanent human settlement; a draft design in progress by
the Mars Foundation.

Bruce Mackenzie


Internships on Mars

Add to Calendar Jan/29 Mon 04:00PM-05:00PM 2-146


Interested in an internship on the subject of Mars, or  other ways you
can help settlement of space?
This will be an informal discussion of (mostly volunteer) internships
with various non-profit space activist organizations, including the
National Space Society, Mars Society, Moon Society, and Mars
Foundation; and how they might fit your academic and career plans.
Meetings at other times can be arranged.

Bruce Mackenzie


Overview of Hillside Mars Settlement

Add to Calendar Feb/01 Thu 07:00PM-09:00PM 2-146


This ¿Hillside Settlement¿ proposal by the Mars Foundation would build
a permanent settlement on Mars, constructed by 12 people from local
materials such as fiberglass and masonry. Preliminary mass and cost
estimates show that we may be able to establish a permanent, growing
settlement for the same launch cost as a program of round-trip
exploratory missions. Members of National Space Society are invited.

Bruce Mackenzie


Raising the First Children in Space

Add to Calendar Feb/02 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 2-146


Open discussion of the safety and ethics of raising children at an
early settlement on Mars or other frontier location.

Bruce Mackenzie


Introduction to TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy)

Yong Zhang

Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 02:00PM-03:00PM 13-2137 von Hippel

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

The lecture provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of transmission electron microscopy. Topics covered include the illumination system, electron lenses and their aberrations, image formation and resolution. A variety of imaging and analysis techniques and their roles specific to inorganic materials, such as crystallography, diffraction patterns and high resolution imaging are to be present with practical demonstration.  This presentation will also introduce TEM sample preparation techniques for a wide range of materials, including metals, semiconductors, powders and thin films. 

 

Contact: Yong Zhang, 13-1034, 617 253-5092, YZHANG05@MIT.EDU


Learn about supermassive black holes, R process of neutron stars and star formation!

Dr. Shuo Zhang, Postdoctoral Associate, Dr. Rana Ezzeddine, Postdoctoral Associate, Dr. Hans Moritz Guenther, Research Scientist

Add to Calendar Jan/25 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

The Glorious Past of Our Monster Black Hole (Speaker: Dr. Shuo Zhang)

The center of our Galaxy resides a monster black hole, called Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*), containing 4.5 million times the mass of our sun. While Sgr A* is quite inactive nowadays, there have been abundant observation evidence pointing to a glorious past of this supermassive black hole. (see full abstract)

Formation of Gold and other heavy elements via the r(apid neutron capture)-process (Speaker: Dr. Rana Ezzeddine)

Most chemical elements up to Iron are formed in the core of the stars via nucleosynthesis fusion processes of lighter elements into heavier ones. Elements heavier than iron, however, require neutron-capture processes to take place. I will talk about our current understanding of the formation of heavy elements, such as Gold and Uranium (see full abstract)

How Stars are Born (Dr. Moritz Guenther)

While our Sun is almost 5 billion years old, stars still form in the the dark clouds of our Milky Way. When we observe those regions we can learn how star and planet formation works, so that we also understand the formation of our own solar system and the Earth better. I will describe how we observe those regions that are hidden to the naked eye using infrared and X-ray telescopes to obtain stunning images of stellar nurseries. (see full abstract )

 

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Magnetic Property Measurement System (MPMS3) Seminar

Patrick Boisvert, Research Specialist

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 40 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

MPMS3 Applications Seminar on the sensitivity of a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) magnetometer that provides the choice of three possible measurement modes: DC Scan Mode (standard), VSM Mode, and AC Susceptibility Mode.

January 9 & 10. von Hippel Room, 13-2137

R.S.V.P. Patrick Boisvert, pboisver@mit.edu

 

Tuesday, January 9. Introductory Training

Base Theory Discussion. Hardware. Field Control. Temperature Control. Intro to MultiVu. Software Control. Sample Mounting Techniques 

 

Wednesday, January 10. Advanced Training

Base Theory Discussion. Hardware. Field Control. Temperature Control. Intro to DC SQUID. Theory of Operation. Modes of Operation (DC vs. VSM vs. AC)

Contact: Patrick Boisvert, 13-1018, 617 253-3317, PBOISVER@MIT.EDU


Introductory Training

Add to Calendar Jan/09 Tue 09:30AM-03:30PM 13-2137

9:30 AM  Refreshments

10:00 AM  Base Theory Discussion (Incl. MultiVu Software Control)

11:15 AM  Break

11:30 AM  Sample Mounting Techniques

12:00 PM  Lunch / Break

1:30 PM  Measurement Demo/Discussion: Remanent Field in Superconducting Magnets

2:15 PM  Break

2:30 PM  Measurement Demo/Discussion: Moment vs. Field Measurements

3:30 PM  End for the Day


Advanced Training

Add to Calendar Jan/10 Wed 09:30AM-01:45PM 13-2137

9:30 AM  Refreshments

10:00 AM  Base Theory Discussion (Incl. DC SQUID Theory of Operation)

11:15 AM  Break

11:30 AM  Measurement Modes (DC/VSM/AC)

12:30 PM  Lunch / Break

1:15 PM  End for the Day


Making Sense of Scent

Andreas Mershin, Research Scientist

Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 03:00PM-05:00PM E14-633

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 60 participants
Prereq: none

In 1914, Alexander Graham Bell said: "If you are ambitious to find a new science, measure a smell".

 This MIT IAP course is designed to give you the knowledge and practical experience necessary to understand why it's 2018 and we still haven't "measured a smell" and why it's more important than ever to do so.

During the lecture part of this activity you will learn how biological and machine noses work. We will cover emerging applications ranging from diagnostics to drug discovery and how new experimental methods are challenging old theoretical models of olfaction.

During the practical session you will be trained on methods to enhance your olfactory intelligence while participating in a blindfolded perfume discrimination exercise. Most perfume novices will be surprised to discover how sensitive their noses become upon minimal training. If you are a perfume aficionado, expect to be surprised that you may actually be able to beat a Gas Chromatographer-Mass Spectrometer. If you are completely anosmic (lack the sense of smell) we direly need you as a control! (and we'll teach you fun tricks such as how to terminally confuse Master Sommeliers or how to cause olfactory hallucinations in yourself and others).  

By the end of the course you will be able to answer Shakespeare's own question better than he did:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

Contact: Andreas Mershin, E15-401G, 617 515-4192, MERSHIN@MIT.EDU


MIT.nano Tool Talks: Advanced Technologies for Analysis and Metrology in Nanotech, Life Science, and Material Science Applications

Dennis Grimard, MIT.nano, Managing Director;, Michael Georgalis, TMC

Add to Calendar Jan/25 Thu 09:30AM-03:45PM 34-401A

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/24

The MIT.nano Tool Talks are a seminar series to engage the MIT.nano community before the facility even opens, introducing the latest, transformative technologies, tools, methods, and even new sciences emerging from these advances. Join us for the January Tool Talks with experts from Ametek: EDAX, Spectro, Zygo, Cameca, and TMC — come for one seminar or stay for all!

Agenda and registration here.

http://mitnano.mit.edu/events

 

Sponsor(s): MIT.nano
Contact: MIT.nano, mitnano@mit.edu


Modern Cyclopses - The Era of Giant Telescopes

Gabor Furesz, Research Scientist

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 01:30PM-02:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

While astronomical observations have been carried out for thousands of years it is only the past four centuries when our naked eyes have been aided by telescopes. With today's 'giant eyes' we can peer really deep into the night sky, literally reaching the edge of the (observable) Universe. But to get there we have to build larger and larger, ever more sensitive, better telescopes and instruments. It has been really just the past few decades when progress was exponential, just like in other fields: thanks to computers, highly sensitive digital detectors and other modern design and manufacturing technologies. But progress in astronomical instrumentation is also influenced by commercialization, the consumer market, as well as history and politics - as these extremely large and complex scientific machines require collaboration and unique technology developments that point beyond a single nation, even the U.S. One could rightfully ask: do we really need these even larger giant telescopes, if they are so expensive and we already can see to the edge of the Universe? I will argue for the "yes" answer... Read the full abstract for this activity

See space.mit.edu/events for a complete listing of MKI's IAP activities

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Night-time observing with MIT's Sidewalk Astrogazers Outreach Team

Dr. Duane Lee, MLK Postdoctoral Fellow

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

Please join MIT's Sidewalk Astrogazers Outreach Team for night-time observing on January 23, 24, 25 from 7:00-9:00pm.  The group will have telescopes set up in North Court (behind Stata and Koch Buildings) -- weather permitting. Talk with astronomers and observe the night sky.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Night Sky Observing

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 07:00PM-09:00PM North Court
Add to Calendar Jan/24 Wed 07:00PM-09:00PM North Court
Add to Calendar Jan/25 Thu 07:00PM-09:00PM North Court

Join MKI's Sidewalk Astrogazers Outreach Team for 3 evenings of night observing (weather permitting)


Pharmacy on Demand

Klavs F Jensen, Professor Chemical Engineering

Enrollment: Send CV, candidate interview
Sign-up by 01/01
Limited to 3 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

The Pharmacy on Demand initiative seeks to create mobile, reconfigurable platforms capable of synthesizing multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients. Following on from past iterations, the group is now working towards the design build and implementation of this platform for one selected API and gaining regulatory approval of the synthesis and platform. To accomplish this, the system and synthesis needs to be characterized to ensure a complete understanding of the different process parameters, residence time distributions (RTD) etc.

 UROPs will be involved with the characterization of different system components, i.e. reactors, liquid/liquid separators, pumps etc. Accurate RTD measurements will be acquired for each of the components and integrated into a basic software model that can predict RTD of the entire system; an essential criterion if the project goal of regulatory approval is to be realized. Students will also get some exposure to organic flow synthesis, the creation and use of FTIR models as a process monitoring tool and some basic HPLC exposure.

Prerequisites (if any): The major requirements are motivation and an eye for detail. Knowledge of (or interest in) the Pharmaceutical industry, basic organic chemistry, reactor characterization/RTD models and some experience with LabVIEW/Matlab.

Contact: Luke Rogers, 66-5.07, 857 559-3226, LROGERS@MIT.EDU


Plasma Science and Fusion Center IAP Series

Martin Greenwald, Deputy Director, PSFC, Paul Rivenberg, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Abhay Ram, Principal Research Scientist, Dennis Whyte, Director, PSFC; Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering

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, 617 253-8101, RIVENBERG@PSFC.MIT.EDU


Asymptotology: A primer

Add to Calendar Jan/09 Tue 11:00AM-12:30PM NW17-218
Add to Calendar Jan/11 Thu 11:00AM-12:30PM NW17-218
Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 11:00AM-12:30PM NW17-218
Add to Calendar Jan/18 Thu 11:00AM-12:30PM NW17-218

Asymptotology: a primer on the art of caricature in applied mathematics

The goal of this IAP course, which consists of four 90 minute lecture sessions, is to equip the students with the fundamental ideas and techniques needed to construct asymptotic solutions to differential equations. For more information click here

Ryan White - Postdoctoral Associate


Engineering superconducting Qubits

Add to Calendar Jan/10 Wed 02:00PM-03:00PM NW17-218

Quantum engineering of superconducting Qubits

Superconducting qubits are coherent artificial atoms assembled from electrical circuit elements. Over the past decade superconducting qubits have moved from the realm of scientific curiosity to the threshold of technical reality. We review this progress and how MIT is creating a future of engineered quantum systems. For more information click here.

William Oliver - Professor of Physics


The oceans in a warming world

Add to Calendar Jan/12 Fri 02:00PM-03:00PM NW17-218

Why have global-mean ocean surface temperatures not warmed in the last decade despite CO2 continuing to rise in the atmosphere? Why is the Arctic losing sea-ice, but not the Antarctic? Will Gulf Stream currents change? To learn more click here.

John Marshall - Cecil & Ida Green Professor


Manufacturing, fusion, wolves and hiking

Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 02:00PM-03:00PM NW17-218

Additive manufacturing (AM+), fusion technology, wolves and places I like to hike

Nygren explores AM+processes as a transformative technology for manufacturing robust plasma facing components or future fusion reactors.   He offers ideas about such reactors, the various technologies needed, and the potential for AM+ to enable innovations, mixing in humor and slides of his wilderness treks. For more info click here.  

Richard Nygren - Research Scientist


Discovery Science on NIF

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 11:00AM-12:00PM NW17-218

Exploring the universe through discovery science on NIF

Ultra-high power lasers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) allow laboratory study of matter in extreme conditions - ordinarily only found in stars or in the cores of giant planets.  This talk will review some of the new science revealed by this unique facility.

Bruce Remington - Research Scientist


PSFC Lab Astrophysical Experiments

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 02:00PM-03:00PM NW17-218

Recent progress in laboratory astrophysics experiments at MIT PSFC

Astrophysical phenomena are rich in exciting physics, providing tremendous but challenging opportunities for frontier sciences. This talk will outline a series of laboratory experiments recently performed at MIT PSFC.

Chikang Li - Senior Research Scientist


High-Energy Density Physics Lab Tour

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 03:00PM-04:30PM NW17-218

Join members of the PSFC's High-Energy Density Physics Lab to see how MIT supports research into inertial confinement fusion, collaborating with LLNL's National Ignition Facility and the University of Rochester's OMEGA laser.

Session Leaders TBD


The cosmic origin of chemical elements

Add to Calendar Jan/26 Fri 11:00AM-12:00PM NW17-218

We are made from star stuff -- but how exactly? Prof. Frebel will describe how elements up to and including iron are made in fusion processes within the hot cores of stars, and how all the heavier elements are synthesized in neutron-capture processes. There are a several astrophysical sites where neutron-capture can take place, including neutron star mergers. For more information click here.

 

Anna Frebel - Professor of Physics


Design challenges of nuclear tokamaks

Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 02:00PM-03:00PM NW17-218

The design challenges of nuclear tokamaks - lessons learned so far

This talk presents some of the key challenges in designing a tokamak for fusion research, with focus on ITER, currently nearing full design finalization, and with much of its construction well advanced. It will include some lesser-known aspects of design that may surprise even the cognoscenti! For more information click here.

Tom Todd - Chief Technologist


Alcator C-Mod tokamak tour

Add to Calendar Jan/31 Wed 03:00PM-04:00PM NW17-218

Visit the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, a major fusion energy experiment that recently completed its final fun with breakthrough results. Alcator C- Mod is the third in a series of tokamak devices at MIT that use very high magnetic fields to confine plasmas operating near 100,000,000 degrees.

 

Session Leaders TBD


Predicted Radiation Precursors to the Collapse of Black Hole Binaries and High Energy Plasma Issues

Bruno Coppi, Professor of Physics

Add to Calendar Jan/25 Thu 04:00PM-05:00PM 26-414 (Kolker Room)

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None

The collapse of black hole binaries without a following or a simultaneous emission of  high energy electromagnetic radiation has led us to predict that this kind of emission should occur immediately before the collapse. The theoretical model on which this prediction was made involves plasma structures which are assumed to exist around black hole binaries.  These can sustain intrinsic plasma collective modes that have characteristic “low” frequencies about equal to the orbiting frequencies of the binary system components.  As the collapse approaches, with the loss of angular momentum by emission of gravitational waves from the binary system, it was suggested that intrinsic plasma density oscillations having the frequency of the fluctuating component of the gravitational potential are excited in the surrounding plasma structure. Thus the precursor to the event tentatively identified by the Agile X-ray observatory can be associated with the high energy radiation emission due to the fields produced by excitation of the proposed plasma modes. Following that, the August 17, 2017 event, identified first by the LIGO-Virgo detection of gravitational waves and featuring the inferred collapse of a neutron star binary, gave ample evidence of a precursor of electromagnetic emission preceding the collapse.

See for example

PlPhR 43 289-297

PRL 118 221101

ApJL 847 L20

Sponsor(s): Lab for Nuclear Science, Physics
Contact: Bruno Coppi, 26-547, 617-253-2507, coppi@mit.edu


Remembering Enrico Fermi and the Physics of His Time at U. Chicago

Bruno Coppi, Professor of Physics

Add to Calendar Jan/22 Mon 12:00PM-01:00PM 26-414 (Kolker Room), Bring your lunch!

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Reminisences from friends and collaborators on Enrico Fermi and the physics they were pursuing at Chicago, including presentations by Prof. Jerome Friedman, Prof. Lawrence Rosenson and Prof. Irwin Pless, with Prof. Bruno Coppi as moderator.  Commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Chicago Pile-1 experiment 12/2/42.

Sponsor(s): Lab for Nuclear Science, Physics
Contact: Bruno Coppi, 26-547, 617-253-2507, coppi@mit.edu


Searching for the First Stars

Ani Chiti

Add to Calendar Jan/23 Tue 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Abstract:
Old, “metal-poor” stars have helped us peer into the conditions of the early universe, as the chemical composition of a star’s photosphere mirrors the composition of its natal gas cloud. Recent efforts have been successful in detecting a number of stars that formed in the first few generations after the first stars. But we are yet to discover a surviving first star, which leads to some natural questions— Is there even a possibility of detecting a surviving first star? And if so, what open questions would such a remarkable detection answer? Come to this talk to learn about the background and techniques on studying and identifying the oldest stars. 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Simulating the Universe on a Supercomputer

Ryan McKinnon

Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Galaxies in the universe form and grow over time in a complicated nonlinear fashion. Recent advances in supercomputing ability make it possible to numerically model the essential physics and evolve a "mock" universe from shortly after the Big Bang to the present day, producing a fairly realistic population of galaxies. In this talk, I will highlight the key topics in physics that govern galaxy formation, display visualizations from state-of-the-art astrophysics simulations, and discuss the supercomputing resources needed to simulate the universe.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Talk and Tour! An Explanation of the Science Behind LIGO

Dr. Evan Hall, Postdoctoral Scholar, Dr. Lee McCuller, Postdoctoral Associate

Add to Calendar Jan/19 Fri 01:00PM-02:00PM NW22 InteractionArea

Enrollment: tour has a 15 person limit
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: for tour, you must attend the 1:00 pm talk

Dr. Evan Hall
How can we build a machine that can detect dead stars colliding with each other a billion light-years away?
Come hear about the physics that goes into building the LIGO gravitational wave observatories, and the astrophysics behind recent detections. Black holes, neutron stars, high-power lasers, and quantum optics!


MIT LIGO Lab tour:

Dr. Lee McCuller
Following the talk will be a tour of the MIT LIGO lab. Come see how the quantum optics research here at MIT will improve detections of binary neutron stars and black holes in LIGO to be more often and more informative.


No limit for the talk, but tour is limited to 15 people.  You must attend the 1:00pm talk in order to take the lab tour.  Tour sign up will begin at 12:55pm just prior to the talk.

 

See a complete listing of MKI's IAP 2018 activities

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU