Upcoming Events

Extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) measurements, capable of capturing signals with an amplitude of just 10-30 cm/s, are needed to uncover low-mass planets and inform planet formation scenarios, calculate planetary interior composition, and constrain atmospheric models.  This need has given rise to innovation in precision spectroscopy at all levels--from the instrumentation to the extraction software through to the astrophysics guiding the final derived RV measurements.

As educators, we would like to prepare our students for 21st century physics careers. Overall, to ensure all students will become successful scientists, physics departments need to be able to provide evidence to make sure that we are reaching these goals. The field of Physics Education Research has made major contributions to various educational practices and materials to reform instruction in order to recruit and retain more students.

In this talk I will discuss the workings of the NIST timescale which generates UTC(NIST). Additionally, in support of the timescale, our group is also developing a singly-trapped ⁸⁸Sr+ ion based clock. While the S1/2 -> D5/2 transition in the ⁸⁸Sr+  ion system can support high precision, our initial goals of uncertainty at below a part in 1016 are comparatively modest. Our primary objective is rather high operational uptime in pursuit of frequent comparison with atomic clocks within the ensemble that forms the timescale.

Our planetary neighbors hold important clues about the universal limits planetary evolution and atmospheric escape place on habitability. In my work, I take a whole-atmosphere approach to understanding how these objects have evolved, combining ab initio computational modeling, spacecraft mission data analysis, and instrument and mission development to propel the field forward.

Explore physics and quantum-related research throug

The conventional idea of experimental physical chemistry has been to interrogate molecules under well-defined, usually pristine conditions. An interesting direction to advance experimental physical chemistry is to be able to study chemical dynamics in situ—complex systems that are highly heterogeneous both in space and time. The active feedback-based 3D single-particle μs tracking technique was developed in order to achieve this overarching goal.

CU Chemistry Professor Wei Zhang and his team consisting of chemistry, mechanical engineering and industry (RockyTech) collaborators will present an all new show that highlights the past, present and future of plastics. During this show students will learn more about pros and cons of plastics in our daily life, as well as the innovation that fosters sustainability and recyclability of plastics!

Time-domain astronomy is entering a new era. With JWST, we can now discover and study supernovae in the early universe, while the Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will find rare transients across wide areas and in unprecedented numbers. These complementary facilities are transforming the transient sky into a laboratory for precision astrophysics and cosmology. In this talk, I will show how these observations are opening new ways to study cosmic expansion and probe the physics of the early universe.

As exoplanet science moves towards bigger, noisier datasets, smaller signals, and more complicated physical models, statistical inference is becoming more and more essential.

The first year of a Ph.D.

This century is witnessing a second quantum revolution, and quantum sensing represents an area in which chemists can make significant contributions. Achieving quantum sensing requires more than precise control of quantum states at the molecular level; it is also crucial to organize molecular qubits so that they function effectively in complex environments. In this seminar, I will discuss materials chemistry approaches to molecular quantum sensors, focusing on their extension from biological systems to engineered materials.

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The Will Lab studies quantum systems of ultracold atoms and molecules. The lab cools atoms and molecules to temperatures less than a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, where atomic behavior is fully governed by quantum mechanics. Under these conditions, the lab controls individual quantum particles and their interactions with high precision using atomic physics tools, enabling novel platforms for many-body quantum physics, quantum simulation, quantum computing, and quantum optics.

Condensed matter physics aims to explore and underst

I will discuss the standards of time and frequency and how these standards have evolved over the centuries. I will present the current definitions of time and frequency and how these definitions are likely to evolve in the coming years.

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