Prof. Matthew Guthrie, University of Connecticut;

A New Era for Connecticut’s Oldest Planetarium: Historic Roots to Modern Revival

The UConn Planetarium, built in 1954, has long been a central resource for astronomy education and outreach at the University of Connecticut. In this talk, I will present an overview of the planetarium’s historical roots at UConn, its significance in the community, and the extensive renovations we have completed to bring this important facility back to life. After years of disuse, the planetarium has been fully upgraded with modern technology and will officially reopen on November 1st, immediately following this colloquium.

Our efforts to restore the planetarium are guided by the legacy of Dr. Cynthia Peterson, UConn’s first woman physics faculty member and a pioneer in science education. The planetarium now officially bears her name as the Cynthia Wyeth Peterson Memorial Planetarium, in honor of her decades of dedication to astronomy outreach. Following my presentation, Nora Berrah and Celeste Peterson will speak about Dr. Peterson’s life and achievements - how her contributions to UConn and the wider scientific community continue to resonate today.

Prof. Moshe Gai, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut

Concepts of Stellar Evolution

Star are born, they evolve to a mature midlife and sooner or later die, some in an amazing last display. We will discuss how star reveal the stages of Stellar Evolution and what makes them tick. We will also seek feedback on the need for such a graduate class at UConn.

Prof. Philip Kim, Harvard University

Searching for Anyon in Quantum Materials

The search for anyons, quasiparticles with fractional charge and exotic exchange statistics, has inspired decades of condensed matter research. Moreover, it has been predicted that exchange braiding of these particles, especially non-abelian anyons, can produce topologically protected logic operations that can serve as building blocks for fault-tolerant quantum computing. In this talk, I will discuss the progress of research on two quantum materials platforms to realize these exotic particles. In the first example, we will discuss anyons arising in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effects, using quantum Hall interferometers for direct observation of the anyon braiding phase around a confined cavity. In the second example, we will discuss our recent experimental efforts to realize non-abelian anyons in proximitized topological insulator surfaces by controlled manipulation of magnetic vortices containing non-abelian anyons.

Jacob Heeren, Collins Aerospace

Skill sets for data science positions in industry

Webex URL: https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/meet/drl20003

Jacob Heeren is a data analyst at Collins Aerospace, where he supports both commercial and military operations. His responsibilities span the entire data pipeline, encompassing data engineering, visualization, analytics, and governance across diverse projects. He holds degrees in psychology and applied mathematics from Iowa State University, with additional studies in astrophysics at the University of Iowa. Outside of his professional role, Jacob enjoys rock climbing and creating music, reflecting his passion for both physical and creative pursuits. Jacob will discuss his career path, current role, and useful skill sets for data science positions

Profs. Xian Wu and Erin Scanlon and Matt Guthrie, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut

An Introduction to Physics Education Research

Physics education research (PER) is a subfield of physics that focuses on investigating questions such as: 1) how can we teach physics better?; 2) how do students learn physics?; and 3) how can we make the physics community more inclusive, equitable, and diverse? In this talk, we will give an introduction to PER, including common misconceptions, methods, and the PER happening at UConn. 

Prof. Jun Ye, University of Colorado and JILA

Title and abstract TBA

Román Fernández Aranda, Department of Physics, University of Crete and FORTH Institute of Astrophysics, Greece

A Burning Hot DOG: The extreme ISM conditions of the most luminous obscured galaxy in The Universe

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (or Hot DOGs) are a remarkable population of high-redshift galaxies. Hot DOGs harbor hyper-luminous supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which are believed to provide strong feedback, creating extreme conditions in the interstellar medium (ISM) of their host galaxies in recurrent episodes of strong accretion and heavy obscuration. W2246-0526 is a Hot DOG at redshift 4.6 and the most luminous obscured galaxy known to date. I will present ALMA observations of both the brightest far-IR fine-structure emission lines and their underlying dust continuum, combined with ISM modeling of the gas and the dust. This work sheds light on the extreme conditions galaxies can experience during the early stages of the Universe, which is critical to our understanding of how distant and young galaxies evolve.

Prof. Shohini Bhattacharya, Department of Physics, University of Connecticut

Exploring the Cosmic Core of Nucleons with the Electron-Ion Collider

Have you ever wondered what holds the universe together at its most fundamental level? The answer lies in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the theory that describes how quarks and gluons—collectively known as partons—interact to form nucleons, the protons and neutrons that make up all visible matter. Despite our understanding of QCD, the inner workings of partons remain one of the most profound mysteries in physics. How do they move? How do they contribute to a nucleon’s spin and structure? The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a cutting-edge facility soon to be operational, is poised to address these profound questions. In this talk, I will take you on a journey into the “cosmic core” of nucleons and explain how the EIC, like a super-powered microscope, will enable us to peer deep inside protons and neutrons, unveiling the dynamics of partons. I will focus on one of my key research projects aimed at unraveling the nucleon spin puzzle using the capabilities of the EIC. But the excitement doesn’t end there. Advancing our understanding of QCD not only helps us probe nucleons but also allows us to test the Standard Model of particle physics, our most comprehensive theory of the universe. Together, we will explore the far-reaching implications of this research field.