6 September 2019 - Quiz

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Quiz tournament

"Speaker": Rolf Jonas Persson

Abstract: Department of Physics Quiz tournament, see above.

13 September 2019 - ExcITEd

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: TBA

Speaker: Prof. Guttorm Sindre

Abstract: Prof. Guttorm Sindre er senterleder for Excited SFU. Excited består av 5 delprosjekter. Det første av disse retter seg mot IT-utdanning i ungdomsskole og videregående, og hva slags effekt denne kan ha på IT-feltets image og dermed rekruttering til studiet og yrket. Fokus for det andre delprosjektet er primært førsteårsstudenter og hvordan de kan hjelpes til å takle overgangen fra videregående til  universitetet, få gode arbeidsvaner fra dag 1 og et faglig-sosialt fellesskap. Det tredje, «Learning through Construction», handler om læringsaktiviteter hvor studentene lager artefakter (f.eks. programvare), gjerne i form av prosjektbasert undervisning. Tverrcampusundervisning er tema for det fjerde delprosjektet, mens det femte handler om relasjonen mellom utdanning og arbeidsliv. Foredraget vil først gi en oversikt over hva Excited driver med i disse fem delprosjektene, deretter gå mer spesifikt inn på didaktisk forskning knyttet til undervisning av programmering

20 September 2019 - Active Matter

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Active Matter

Speaker: Prof. Paul Gunnar Dommersnes

Abstract: Collective dynamics is a generic feature of living matter, and occurs on virtually all length scales, ranging from the collective effort of molecular motors in our muscle cells, to swarming of cells, bacteria, ants and  gigantic flocks of birds, fish and mammals.  A characteristic feature of these systems is that energy is consumed at the “particle” level and transformed into work, resulting in self-moving units that interact and self-organize to produce work collectively at a “macroscopic” level.  This is what is known as Active Matter.  Many active matter systems exhibit generic properties that can be understood by physical modelling, involving statistical mechanics (phase transitions), elasticity theory, fluid dynamics, liquid crystals and topological defects.  The interplay between biology and theoretical physics has created new ways to look at biology, and also inspired a new field in materials science called “synthetic active matter”, seeking to emulate the behavior of living matter. In this presentat on I will attempt to give an overview of the active matter field covering recent experimental and theoretical developments, while keeping it at a non-specialist level.

27 September 2019 - Quantum computing

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Quantum computation with solid‐state spin qubits

Speaker: Jeroen Danon

Abstract: In this talk I will introduce the basics of qubits and quantum computation and present a (personal) view on the development of the solid-state quantum-dot-based spin qubit over the past two decades. I will then discuss the main remaining challenges for creating reliable and scalable spin qubits, and I will end my talk by giving a flavor of recent proposals from my group aimed at overcoming these challenges.

4 October 2019 - Quiz

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Quiz tournament

"Speaker": Rolf Jonas Persson

Abstract: Department of Physics Quiz tournament, see above.

11 October 2019 - Mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics

Speaker: Miguel Rubi, Departament of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona

Abstract: We show that a probabilistic interpretation of nonequilibrium thermodynamics which uses the concept of local equilibrium at the mesoscale     sets the basis of a theory able to analyze irreversible processes in the presence of fluctuations. The theory obtains the Fokker-Planck equation as a diffusion equation for the probability and the nonlinear relationships between activation rates and affinities proper of activated processes. The situations that can be studied with this formalism include, among others,  barrier crossing dynamics, chemical reactions, entropic driving, and non-linear transport.

18 October 2019 - Quiz

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Quiz tournament

"Speaker": Rolf Jonas Persson

Abstract: Department of Physics Quiz tournament, see above.

25 October 2019 - LISA mission

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: LISA: Space-based GW Astronomy

Speaker: Martin Hewitson

Abstract: On September 14th 2015, the merger signal from a pair of binary black holes arrived at Earth and was observed by the Advanced LIGO detectors. The signal had travelled for around 1 billion years to arrive at Earth, and its detection marks the beginning of Gravitational Wave astronomy. Over the coming decade, it is expected that LIGO, together with the Virgo and Kagra detectors, will make many more such detections, opening our `ears' to events in the Universe not visible through electromagnetic detections.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a gravitational wave observatory in space, targeting the millihertz frequency band where a large number of astrophysical and cosmological sources of gravitational waves is expected. In 2013, the European Space Agency selected the science theme\The Gravitational Universe", which focuses on this rich science and in 2016, a call was issued by ESA for missions to address this science, and the LISA Consortium responded to that call with the LISA mission.

This talk will introduce Gravitational Waves and the techniques used to detect them in space. It will review the LISA mission as a whole, highlight the outstanding science that it will deliver. We will also look at the technical aspects of the design, as well as the strong heritage from the LISA Path nder mission, all of which gives us a glimpse at the exciting future of Gravitational Wave astronomy.

1 November 2019 - Student projects at IFY

Place: TBA

Time: 14:15

Title: Student projects at IFY

"Speaker": Students!

Abstract: In the fall 2019, the department of physics introduced a new educational effort: Student research and development projects. The goal of this effort is two-fold. The first is to bring students and faculty closer together with the hope that these will lead to improved communication and transfer of knowledge, also outside these projects. The second is to promote student entrepreneurship and independence by the opportunity to conduct independent research and development projects. 
This presentations will give some background for why we have introduced this effort as well as examples of current projects, presented by the students.
 

8 November 2019 - Does God play dice?

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Does God play dice?

Speaker: Mikhail Katsnelson, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Abstract: Quantum mechanics does not deal with individual events and all its predictions are of a statistical nature. This situation leads to long-time and very hot debates on “completeness” of quantum mechanics, its applicability or inapplicability for macroscopic objects, existence or nonexistence of underlying classical reality (“hidden parameters”), role of measurement devices and observers, etc. Recently, we proposed a purely phenomenological way to build the quantum theory as the most robust description of reproducible experiments, based on separation-of-conditions principle, logical inference approach and a minimal amount of additional physical postulates, such as symmetry requirements and applicability of classical physics at the average. This allows us to derive the basic principles of quantum mechanics such as Born rules and Schrödinger equation. I will review this approach. 

15 November 2019 - Nobel Prize presentation

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Nobel Prize

Speaker: Michael Kachelriess

Abstract: The Nobel prize in physics 2019 will be announced some time in october (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2019/summary/). This presentation will highlight the content and importance of this year’s Nobel prize. Speaker and title will be announced soon after the prize has been announced.

22 November 2019 - Quiz

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Quiz tournament

"Speaker": Rolf Jonas Persson

Abstract: Department of Physics Quiz tournament, see above.

29 November 2019 - Norwegian 7T MR Center: Why relevant for a physicist?

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Norwegian 7T MR Center: Why relevant for a physicist?

Speaker: Pål Erik Goa

Abstract: This fall the Norwegian 7T MR Center is being established at NTNU/St.Olavs Hospital. The main objective of this facility is to serve as national research infrastructure for the neuroimaging community. The second objective is to enable clinical use of 7T MR at St.Olavs Hospital. Yet, the center is led by a physicist, and three of the four additional staff members are also physicists . Why is that? In this talk we hope to help answer that question by presenting the center, what we are planning to work on and some of the possibilities and challenges involved. If things go according to plan, we will also be able to show the very first MR images from the new 7T MR scanner at this Friday Colloquium.

6 December 2019 - Norsk Nukleær dekommisjonering

Place: D5-175

Time: 14:15

Title: Utfordringer med atomavfall, atomkraft og dekommisjonering

Speaker: Håvard Kristiansen

Abstract: Norsk nukleær dekommisjonering presenterer arbeidet med avvikling av de norske atomreaktorene og håndtering av det resulterende avfallet. Historien til anleggene, utfordringene med brukt brensel, deponiløsninger og avfallsbehandlingsanlegg presenteres. Prosjektet settes i en internasjonal sammenheng ved å sammenligne med avfallet fra moderne atomkraftverk.