Events
Physics Colloquium
The particle accelerator on a chip
Prof. Peter Hommelhoff
LMU Munich and FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg
Tue, 31 Dec 2024, 12:00
Zoom only
Abstract: Particle accelerators can be found in science, medicine and industry. Most of them rely on microwave-powered cavities that continuously impart momentum to the electrons traversing them. The same principle can be used with laser light, so with electro-magnetic fields powering the accelerator structure whose wavelength is a factor of 10,000 smaller than that of the microwave drive in classical accelerators. When using light, the relevant structures need to be shrunk by the same factor, so that now nanofabrication techniques are required to build the accelerator. Intriguingly, because the damage threshold of dielectrics is so large, acceleration gradients in excess of 1 GeV/m can be reached, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than in their microwave counterparts. We expect that 1 cm long on-chip accelerators can result, allowing for new medical instruments but also new light sources with attosecond timing. Last, the interaction of the light fields and the electrons happens quantum coherently, allowing for entirely new ways to shape electrons and thus to image hitherto hidden material properties.
Particles and Fields Seminar
Unlocking Hidden Realms of Physics: The Low-Energy Approach
Ayala Glick-Magid
University of Washington
Mon, 06 Jan 2025, 14:00
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207
Abstract: While the Standard Model of particle physics has been remarkably successful, it leaves fundamental questions unanswered—such as the origin of neutrino masses and the nature of dark matter—driving the search for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Low-energy experiments offer a promising path forward, but their success depends on advanced theoretical frameworks that address nuclear many-body challenges and high-order quantum effects.
In this talk, I will present recent theoretical advancements I have developed in three key BSM search areas: charged-lepton flavor violation (CLFV), dark matter detection, and forbidden beta decays. These include deriving previously missing components in non-relativistic effective field theory, essential for interpreting CLFV experiments and dark matter direct detection, and introducing new operators for muon-to-electron conversion, advancing CLFV searches. I will also discuss ongoing research that leverages CLFV experiments, poised to improve precision by four orders of magnitude, to probe axion-like particles and provide novel constraints on their parameter space.
Finally, I will present the first precision predictions for upcoming forbidden beta decay measurements, alongside novel insights into quantum effects, showing that, contrary to previous assumptions, unique forbidden decays can occur at zero momentum transfer. These findings highlight a unique sensitivity to light new physics, inaccessible in allowed decays, opening a new regime for BSM searches and sparking new experimental efforts in the US.
I will conclude by outlining key open questions and how combining nuclear structure insights with quantum calculations can bridge nuclear-scale precision with fundamental questions in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, expanding the scope of BSM searches and creating new opportunities for experimental discovery.
Physics Colloquium
New Insights into Exoplanets: Connecting Theory with Measurements from Space and Lab
Dr. Alona Vazan
Open University
Tue, 07 Jan 2025, 12:00
Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology (51), room 015
Abstract: The discovery of thousands of exoplanets in our galaxy has unveiled an extraordinary diversity in planetary compositions and properties, challenging conventional theories of planet formation and evolution. These observations have spurred the development of new theoretical models that incorporate additional physical processes to bridge the gap between theory and data. Informed by recent high-precision measurements of solar system planets from space missions and laboratory experiments on material interactions under the extreme pressures of deep planetary interiors, these models are transforming our understanding of planets.
This talk will highlight the critical role of this new knowledge in advancing models of planetary interior structure and evolution. I will discuss how it reshapes our interpretation of exoplanet data, its implications for linking planet formation processes to observed planetary properties, and the exciting prospects for the field with upcoming space missions.
Biological and soft-matter physics
TBA
Prof. Yair Shokef
School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel-Aviv University
Thu, 09 Jan 2025, 12:00
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207
Abstract: TBA
Particles and Fields Seminar
TBA
Ranny Budnik
Weizmann Institute
Mon, 13 Jan 2025, 14:00
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207
Abstract:
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