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Abstract: The launch and commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope is ushering in a new era in our understanding of our cosmic origins. Galaxies are a fundamental building block of the universe, yet how they formed has remained enigmatic owing to our inability to observe them at early cosmic times. In just its first three years of operation, JWST has already upended our understanding of galaxy and black hole growth in the early universe. In this talk I will discuss some of the surprising results that have come out of our work with JWST and their impact on our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies and black holes. This includes remarkably mature galaxies at early times, bulges where we thought there were none, a new method for measuring galaxy kinematics that has revealed galaxies lacking dark matter, and perhaps a theorized but never before observed early phase of supermassive black hole growth. I’ll conclude with a discussion of where the field is moving and the rich discovery space in this new era of extragalactic astrophysics.

Host: Dylan Taatjes

Host: Mihaly Horanyi

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Abstract: Magnetic reconnection in asymmetric environments such as the solar corona and Earth’s magnetosphere exhibits distinct particle acceleration behavior compared to symmetric cases, due to differences in plasma density and magnetic field across the current sheet. Using 3D hybrid and particle-in-cell simulations, we explore how this asymmetry influences particle acceleration. We find that increasing asymmetry leads to a systematic reduction in particle acceleration efficiency. The energy spectra display a distinct shoulder associated with the early stages of nonthermal acceleration, which shifts to lower energies in asymmetric reconnection due to reduced outflow velocities. This weakened acceleration is linked to a misalignment between magnetic curvature and reconnection outflows, resulting in softer spectral slopes. Based on these results, we develop a theoretical model that quantitatively predicts how particle acceleration rates and spectral indices scale with reconnection asymmetry.

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Due to their strong, long-range, and tunable dipolar interactions, ultracold polar molecules can realize spin-motion models with rich many-body physics. Using a spin encoded in rotational states of fermionic KRb molecules, we demonstrate tuning of Heisenberg XXZ models with electric fields and Floquet engineering of XYZ models with microwave pulse sequences. By controlling motion with optical lattices, we explore highly tunable generalized t-J models. Observing new dynamics and phases predicted for these models also requires low-entropy initial states. We report progress toward producing a deeply degenerate Fermi gas in an isolated 2D layer using a tunable-spacing optical lattice.

Host: Dylan Taatjes

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Host: Mihaly Horanyi

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Host: Ana Maria Rey

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Abstract: Social bonds live in our biology. To understand the computations that allow our brains to form social bonds, my lab studies monogamous prairie voles. Unlike laboratory mice and rats, these rodents often mate for life, parenting together and defending a shared home. We have found that social information is organized at multiple scales in the brain's reward center—from stable encoding in individual neurons to coordinated ensembles—to enable bond formation. Once these bonds are formed, they lead to an alignment of brainscapes between partners, evident in patterns of neural activity and molecular alignment. Ultimately, this work delineates how social relationships change the brain beginning with their initial encoding mechanisms and then establishing a framework that facilitates connectedness and may help pairs effectively navigate the world together.

The Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with CUbit and JILA is hosting the third annual Physics and Quantum Career & Internship Fair on Friday, October 17^th from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom.

This event will feature employers across all areas of theoretical, experimental, and computational physics. The fair will connect physics undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni with laboratory and industry leaders to learn about internships and employment opportunities.

Sign up online

Handshake is CU's online recruiting tool used by thousands of employers. It is recommended, but not required for students to sign up for the 2025 Physics and Quantum Career Fair on Handshake.

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Full Technical Registration Required
JILA is one of the nation’s leading research institutes in the physical sciences. Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, JILA was founded in 1962 as a joint institute of CU Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. JILA’s scientists explore some of today's most challenging and fundamental scientific questions about the limits of quantum measurements and technologies, the design of precision optical and X-ray lasers, the fundamental principles underlying the interaction of light and matter, the role of quantum physics in chemistry and biology, and the processes that have governed the evolution of the Universe for nearly 14 billion years. JILA’s history is marked by many scientific breakthroughs, including the first demonstrations of a frequency comb and a Bose-Einstein condensate. During your visit to JILA, you will have the opportunity to tour research laboratories and the world-renowned JILA Instrument Shop, followed by a walk through the beautiful campus of CU Boulder to a delicious campus dining hall (the C4C), which can accommodate most common food allergies.

Tour Itinerary

09:00: Depart from Denver (Location to be Determined)

10:00: Arrive at University of Colorado Boulder

10:00 - 12:30: JILA Lab Tours

12:30 - 13:30: Break for Lunch

13:30: Ride back To Denver

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