22nd Annual Katzenstein Distinguished Lecture

Exploration of the Universe with Gravitational Waves

Professor Rainer Weiss,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
2017 Nobel Prize Winner,
Member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration

The observations of gravitational waves from the merger of binary black holes and from a binary neutron star coalescence followed by a set of astronomical measurements is an example of investigating the universe by "multi-messenger" astronomy. Gravitational waves will allow us to observe phenomena we already know in new ways as well as to test General Relativity in the limit of strong gravitational interactions -- the dynamics of massive bodies traveling at relativistic speeds in a highly curved space-time. Since the gravitational waves are due to accelerating masses while electromagnetic waves are caused by accelerating charges, it is reasonable to expect new classes of sources to be detected by gravitational waves as well. The lecture will start with some basic concepts of gravitational waves. Briefly describe the instruments and the methods for data analysis that enable the measurement of gravitational wave strains of 10-21 and then present the results of recent runs. The lecture will end with a vision for the future of gravitational wave astrophysics and astronomy.


Refreshments will be served at 3:00 p.m. outside of GW-38

Professor Takaaki Kajita of the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo and 2015 Nobel Prize recipient will be speaking on Oscillating Neutrinos

"Neutrinos have been assumed to have no mass. It was predicted that, if they have masses, they could change their type while they propagate. This phenomena is called neutrino oscillations. Neutrino oscillations was discovered by deep underground neutrino experiments. I will describe the discovery of neutrino oscillations and the implications of the small neutrino masses. The status and the future neutrino oscillation studies will also be described."

Suchitra Sebastian, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University

Exploring Materials Universes

Materials comprise trillions of electrons that interact with each other to create a diversity of physical behaviours. We owe much of modern technology - from powerful computing to the marvels of communication - to discoveries of new types of collective electron behaviours in materials. Such discoveries, however, are often serendipitous, given that materials can be thought of as complex universes teeming with vast numbers of electrons, making their behaviours challenging to understand or predict. A question we are often confronted with is how to make progress in discovering novel collective electron behaviours akin to new universes. I will discuss possible approaches to increasing the odds of making discoveries, with examples from cases such as new superconductors and new types of dual metal-insulating materials.


Coffee will be served prior to the talk, at 2:30 p.m., In Room P-103

Please notice the new colloquium time.

Solving the complex problems that we face in our world today requires a more talented workforce
than we have ever needed before. Such a workforce must be comprised of a wide range of diverse
talents and creative insights. No segment of the population can be ignored or overlooked in this
talent search. This presentation will describe the most recent research that demonstrates the
positive impact that social and informational diversity has on science and scholarly advancement,
the reasons for this impact and the importance of committed leadership in achieving a strong,
supportive and inclusive workplace where creativity and productivity is maximized.