Seminars and Colloquia, January through June, 2011

• This Week's schedule.
• Earlier Semesters.
• Typical Week's schedule.
• January 3-7, 2011's schedule.
• January 10-14, 2011's schedule.
• January 17-21, 2011's schedule.
• January 24-28, 2011's schedule.
• January 31-February 4, 2011's schedule.
• February 7-11, 2011's schedule.
• February 14-18, 2011's schedule.
• February 21-25, 2011's schedule.
• February 28-March 4, 2011's schedule.
• March 7-11, 2011's schedule.
• March 14-18, 2011's schedule.
• March 21-25, 2011's schedule.
• March 28-April 1, 2011's schedule.
• April 4-8, 2011's schedule.
• April 11-15, 2011's schedule.
• April 18-22, 2011's schedule.
• April 25-29, 2011's schedule.
• May 2-6, 2011's schedule.
• May 9-13, 2011's schedule.
• May 16-20, 2011's schedule.
• May 23-27, 2011's schedule.
• May 30-June 3, 2011's schedule.
• June 6-10, 2011's schedule.
• June 13-17, 2011's schedule.
• June 20-24, 2011's schedule.
• June 27-July 1, 2011's schedule.

Seminars and Colloquia, Typical Week:

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Journal Club on Statistical Mechanics and Condensed Matter Physics, and Optics (Informal):

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, January 3-7, 2011

No talks scheduled: Prelim Exams

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, January 10-14, 2011

First Week of Classes

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, January 17-21, 2011

Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 17, 2011

Second Week of Classes

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Postponed, as OU is closed because of snow.

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Gases of atoms can be cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero, where intriguing quantum behaviors such as Bose–Einstein condensation and superfluidity emerge.  A new direction in experiments is to try to produce an ultracold gas of molecules, rather than atoms.  In particular, polar molecules, which have strong dipole-dipole interactions, are interesting for applications ranging from quantum information to modeling condensed matter physics.  I will describe experiments that can now produce an ultracold gas of polar molecules.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, January 24-28, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Quantum limits on sensing a time-dependent classical force have long been of interest for gravitational-wave detection and will be relevant to the sensitivity of the upgraded version of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory.  Such limits are now becoming important at an entirely different scale in the rapidly emerging field of optomechanics for nanoscale mechanical resonators.  I will review how the standard quantum limit for force detection arises and discuss how to overcome it using ideas that have been developed over the last thirty years for gravitational-wave detection and using a new, general framework that is now emerging from quantum information science.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, January 31-February 4, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Postponed until February 17, as OU is closed because of snow.

Physics Colloquium:

Postponed, as OSU is closed because of snow.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, February 7-11, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Postponed because of snow.

Physics Colloquium:

Postponed until February 17 because of snow.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, February 14-18, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) belongs to a large family of RNA viruses, retroviruses. Retroviruses are characterized by their unique infection strategy of reverse transcription, in which the genetic information flows from RNA back to DNA. Unlike assembly of most enveloped RNA viruses which happen inside the cell, HIV (and many other retroviruses) assembles on the cell membrane and bud out of the membrane concurrently. The kinetics of HIV assembly is therefore strongly affected by the elastic energy change of the membrane and qualitative different from that of normal enveloped RNA viruses. In this talk, a simple model of HIV assembly kinetics will be discussed. The main result shows that the kinetics is adjustable from a fast total assembly process to a slow and effectively trapped partial assembly process, by varying simple parameters of the system, such as the bending modulus of the cell membrane. The comparison with the current experimental results will be discussed as well.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, February 21-25, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Abstract: I discuss the single W_R boson production in an asymmetric left-right model, where the left and right quark mixing matrices are not constrained to be equal. I investigate the cross sections as well as branching ratios of W_R bosons at the Tevatron through pp → W_R → (dijets) and at the LHC in pp → W_R t → t (dijet) production, including constraints from low energy phenomenology. Taking into account the background, I show that while no signal is expected to appear at the Tevatron, LHC could see significant signals for the new charged bosons. I compare our results throughout with the manifest left-right symmetric model and comment on similarities and differences.

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Proton transfer is a basic process in physics, chemistry and biology. At least three Nobel laureates have devoted their efforts to problems associated with proton transfer, including Lars Onsager (Nobel prize in 1968), Manfred Eigen (1967), and Peter Mitchell (1978). In my talk, I will give an overview of some milestones in the ongoing long journey (>70 years) toward understanding the biological function and physical mechanism of proton transfer. In addition, I will show our recent major progress that we revealed a fundamental mechanism on controlling the direction and rate of proton transfer in proteins.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, February 28-March 4, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Canceled.

Physics Colloquium:

Canceled.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, March 7-11, 2011

Journal Club on Statistical Mechanics, Condensed Matter Physics, and Optics (Informal):

Abstract:

The phenomenon of entanglement, which lies at the heart of quantum physics, is present if the state of a quantum system as described by its wavefunction cannot be formulated independently from the state of another system. This property of quantum states has many applications in quantum information theory.

Recent years have seen the ability to create large varieties of entangled states among radiating particles. The question then arises how the optical properties of such entangled photon sources differ from a radiating source in a state, which is not entangled. In this talk we want to present how entanglement of photon sources can lead to an enhancement of the emission of radiation. We trace back the enhancement to quantum interference of multiple photon pathways, which can be occupied by the emitted photons. Furthermore, we show that the interference also leads to a directionality of the emission from entangled states.

Acknowledgments: Work done in collaboration with Prof. Dr. J. von Zanthier and Prof. Dr. G. S. Agarwal.

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

The performance of the best atomic clocks is limited by the quantum noise in the final readout measurement, a situation referred to as the standard quantum limit. This limit arises from the projection postulate when applied to an ensemble of independent particles, i.e. it arises from single-particle quantum mechanics. I will discuss how quantum mechanically correlated (entangled) states of the many-body system can be used to overcome the standard quantum limit, and how to generate such states in an ensemble of distant atoms using light. We demonstrate an atomic clock operated with a phase-squeezed input state that achieves a given precision almost three times faster than a clock operating at the standard quantum limit.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, March 14-18, 2011

Student’s Spring Break

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, March 21-25, 2011

APS March Meeting

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Confinement of light to single or deep sub-wavelength scales opens new possibilities for fundamental studies of light-matter interactions, and enables numerous new device applications. In this talk, I will discuss our on-going efforts in understanding photon-photon interactions in highly-confined one-dimensional waveguides coupled to two-level systems. I will also present some of our recent fundamental works for nanophotonic light trapping with the aim of enhancing solar cell performance.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Journal Club on Statistical Mechanics, Condensed Matter Physics, and Optics (Informal):

Abstract:

Topological insulator is a new state of quantum matter. It is different with trivial insulator in the sense that its bulk is insulating, while its surface supports metallic Dirac type surface states. Exotic quantum phenomena, such as Majorana Fermions, magneto-electric effect, and quantum anomalous Hall effect, have been expected from topological insulators, while their experimental realizations remain challenging, due to the lack of suitable samples or requirement of extreme conditions. Within recent couple of years, more and more topological insulators were discovered, yet lots of new compounds still wait to be explored. In this talk, I will start from our earlier studies on Bi₂Se₃ family compounds, and then move to recent study for the topological aspect and quantum magnetoresistance of Ag₂Te. The possible realization of quantized Anomalous Hall effect and Majorana fermions will be also discussed from the view point of materials design.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, March 28-April 1, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Canceled

Biophysics Seminar:

Abstract:

It has become clear that lipid bilayers are not merely structural scaffolds for biomembranes. The heterogeneous composition of lipid membranes offers the possibility of higher levels of lateral phase separation and ordering (lipid rafts) within membranes that can affect signaling, binding, protein oligomerization, and a host of other biological functions. Modeling offers a potential set of tools that can be employed to explore lateral organization in membranes at atomistic levels of detail. However, traditional methods of bilayer computer simulation at an atomistic level fail to capture length and time scales of biological interest. To address this fundamental problem we have developed a multiscale approach that inputs data from atomistic Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations into a coarse-grained model based on self-consistent mean-field theory (SCMFT). We have applied this model to binary and ternary mixtures of lipids and cholesterol. The thermodynamic behavior of these systems is of interest because they are known from experiment to exhibit coexisting regions of lipid order and disorder, related to lipid rafts, at certain temperatures and concentrations. In this talk I will describe predictions of the SCMFT model for lipid mixtures, over a range of mixture concentrations, and over microsecond time scales. I will also discuss new efforts to model membrane fusion with a coarse-grained form of MD, and I will describe ongoing atomistic MD studies of the effect of cytoskeletal anchor points on membrane properties.

Note: Coffee will be available.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, April 4-8, 2011

Southwest Mechanics Lecture Series Presentation:

Abstract:

Among diverse types of nanomaterials, arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes have captured a lot of attention, mainly because of their exceptional properties in addition to their simple fabrication process. In terms of mechanical properties, the carbon nanotube is widely known as one of the toughest synthetic materials ever discovered. The carbon nanotube is also known as the best conductor ever made by humans in terms of electrical and thermal properties. However the wetting properties of carbon nanotubes have not been fully understood until now. Here, the study of the wetting properties of a carbon nanotube array is presented. Based on this study, a superhydrophobic array of carbon nanotubes with excellent water repellency can be made. Such a superhydrophobic array can be used in multiple applications including the study of water droplets, self-cleaning coatings, and hydrodynamic friction drag reduction.

Note: Dr. Mory Gharib is Vice Provost for Research and a Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Bio-Inspired Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. He received his B.S.M.E. from Tehran University, his M.S. from Syracuse University, and his Ph.D. in Aeronautics from Caltech. After two years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he joined the faculty of the Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences Department at UCSD in 1985. He joined Caltech as a professor of aeronautics in 1993. Dr. Gharib’s current research interests include bio-inspired engineering for the development of medical devices, wind energy harvesting and propulsion systems. His other active projects include the development of advanced 3-D imaging systems, and nano and micro-fluidics. His biomechanics work includes studies of the human cardiovascular system and physiological machines. Dr. Gharib also has a keen interest in the history of science and engineering. His work has resulted in the History Channel documentary, “Flying Pyramids-Soaring Stones” and has been featured in the PBS series “Leonardo’s Dream Machine.”

Dr. Gharib’s many honors include being a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineering. He has received the Award for Excellence, Visualized Image (Artistic Section and Technical Section), from the Visualization Society of Japan, in 1995, and the Flow Visualization Award, from the American Physical Society in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2000, and 2004. He has received 5 new technology recognition awards from NASA in the fields of advanced laser imaging and nanotechnology. He received R&D Magazine’s “R&D 100 Innovation Award” for his 3-D imaging camera system in 2008 as one of the best inventions of the year. He served as Editor, Experiments in Fluids (1995-2003), and Associate Editor, Journal of Fluids Engineering, (1992-1995). Dr. Gharib has 173 publications in refereed journals and holds 45 U.S. Patents.

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

Most natural biomembranes are too fluid and flexible to have traditional crystallographic structures. My group has developed a method based on liquid crystal physics that provides appropriately detailed structure as well as information about membrane flexibility from diffuse x-ray synchrotron scattering. Unexpected results from recent work on cholesterol in lipid bilayers will be featured. (See also http://lipid.phys.cmu.edu).

Dr. Nagle is a renowned expert in both experimental and theoretical studies on the structure and properties of pure lipid bilayers that are the model systems for biological membranes. In addition, the Nagle and Tristram-Nagle Lab studies the interactions of lipids with cholesterol, anti-microbial peptides and HIV-related peptides. A variety of experimental techniques, including x-ray and neutron scattering, densimetry, calorimetry and some spectroscopy and light scattering, combined with physics theory and MD simulations (through collaborations) are employed in their studies.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, April 11-15, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Canceled

Physics Colloquium:

Canceled

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, April 18-22, 2011

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Abstract:

In early 2011, the LHC achieved collision luminosities at half the Tevatron intensity in a 2 week startup run. The instantaneous luminosity will exceed 5 times the Tevatron within 1 month with sustained operation throughout 2011-2012. By summer 2011, the TeV mass scale will be explored in a multitude of untested new theories of elementary particle interactions and potential hidden symmetries of Nature. If Nature has big surprises in store for particle physics, there is a high probability that we will see a first observation by summer. A perspective of LHC physics from data collected in October 2010 is presented.

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Journal Club on Statistical Mechanics, Condensed Matter Physics, and Optics (Informal):

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, April 25-29, 2011

Prefinals Week

Oklahoma High Energy Physics Seminar on Talk-Back Television:

Physics Colloquium:

Note: The traditional student-speaker chat will begin in Physical Sciences Room 147 at 3.00 PM. All students are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, May 2-6, 2011

Finals Week

No talks scheduled.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, May 9-13, 2011

No talks scheduled.

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, May 16-20, 2011

High Energy Physics Seminar:

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, May 23-27, 2011

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, May 30-June 3, 2011

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, June 6-10, 2011

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, June 13-17, 2011

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, June 20-24, 2011

Oklahoma State Physics Department

Seminars and Colloquia, June 27-July 1, 2011

Last Updated: August 23, 2010.

This page was prepared by Helen Au-Yang and Jacques H.H. Perk.