Events

Among the great surprises of modern cosmology was the discovery of Dark Energy. In this talk, I will introduce the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), an ambitious project to study Dark Energy by tracing out 4 billion years of cosmic history, using a purpose-built radio telescope at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory

The development of X-ray free-electron lasers has enabled new experiments for studying uncrystallized biomolecules that were previously infeasible with traditional X-ray sources.

Quasar Absorption Lines: From Reionization to Dark Matter George Becker, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, UC-Riverside Absorption patterns in the spectra of distant quasars are one of our most powerful probes of cosmic structure. The rich “forest” of lines produced …

Homotransfer FRET Sensors for Biological Exploration

"All That Glitters is Not Necessarily Gold: the accurate identification of metals in metalloproteins and post X-ray diffraction structural remediation"

The Local Black Hole Occupation Fraction

"Atomic Scale Imaging of Molecular Dynamics" Martin Centurion, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Physics Understanding and controlling conversion of light into mechanical and chemical energy at the molecular level can have an impact across many fields, from biology to solar …

"Cosmology, Cell Phones & Video Games: Mapping Dark Energy with CHIME"
Keith Vanderlinde, University of Toronto
Among the great surprises of modern cosmology was the discovery of Dark Energy, which dominates the energy budget of the Universe and is driving the acceleration of its expansion rate . . .

"Scaling Down the Laws of Thermodynamics"
Christopher Jarzynski, University of Maryland - College Park
Thermodynamics provides a robust conceptual framework and set of laws that govern the exchange of energy and matter. Although these laws were originally articulated for macroscopic objects, it is hard to deny that nanoscale systems, as well, often exhibit “thermodynamic-like” behavior. To what extent can the venerable laws of thermodynamics be scaled down to apply to individual microscopic systems, and what new features emerge at the nanoscale?