The Physics and Astronomy colloquium is a forum for invited scientists to present modern research in a fashion accessible to those with a background in physics, but who are not experts in the field. Talks are aimed at a graduate level.
The colloquium is held most Thursdays during the Fall and Spring semesters at 3:45 pm in Room 170 of Nielsen Hall.
If you have questions about our colloquia, please contact Doerte Blume at Doerte.Blume-1@ou.edu.
If you are looking for a schedule of past colloquim presentations for a particular semester, you can find them in our Colloquium Archive.
Host: Kuver Sinha
Title: "Pursuing Dark Matter Across the Cosmos"
Abstract: Understanding the fundamental nature of dark matter is one of the major challenges in physics and astronomy. There are dedicated experimental efforts to search for dark matter interactions with the Standard Model of particle physics, but no concrete evidence of such interactions has been observed. In this talk, I will demonstrate how cosmological and astrophysical observations offer exciting, new possibilities for understanding dark matter. I will describe how nonstandard dark matter physics in the early Universe can alter our predictions for cosmological structure formation and show how to test broad classes of models with observational data.
Host: Doerte Blume
Title: "Quantum Technology in Space: From NASA Missions to Industrial Quantum Systems"
Abstract: Quantum technologies are becoming essential components of future space exploration, enabling capabilities that extend far beyond quantum computing. This talk will introduce several quantum technologies currently being developed for space applications, including atomic clocks for autonomous deep-space navigation, cold-atom systems for precision sensing and fundamental physics, and Rydberg-atom technologies for next-generation sensing and communication. Drawing on examples from recent NASA and JPL research, the presentation will discuss the scientific principles, engineering challenges, and future opportunities of deploying quantum technologies in space. The talk will conclude with perspectives from my experience in the quantum industry, including lessons learned from developing quantum control systems at Keysight Technologies and from emerging commercial quantum hardware efforts, highlighting how research is transitioning into practical quantum technologies.
Host: Doerte Blume
Title: "We gotta talk about AI"
Abstract: This June, I spent a couple of weeks at the Aspen Workshop on AI Reasoning in Theoretical Physics: https://aspenphys.org/event/ai-reasoning-in-theoretical-physics/. It was an interesting mix of string theorists, particle physicists, young guns from OpenAI and Anthropic, and people like Paul Ginsparg and Mike Douglas. The meeting felt like an inflection point for the theory community. I'll tell you what I picked up on my hikes there, and what I'm seeing from the math and physics frontiers between June and September.
Host: Jackson Burzynski
Title: "Muon Colliders: the Next Generation of Particle Accelerators"
Abstract: Over the last century, the construction and discovery of the Standard Model of particle physics has been one of the greatest accomplishments in physics. To explore this new frontier, we built larger and larger colliders utilizing the two charged particles that are easiest to produce and manipulate, the proton and the electron. As we contemplate the future of high energy colliders, the use of these particles fundamentally limits our potential energy reach: the low electron mass due to synchrotron radiation and the proton due to its composite nature. Luckily, the Standard Model provides an alternative: the muon. In this talk, I’ll discuss the challenges and possibilities of a muon collider, and give an overview of recent progress towards making one a reality.
Time and Location: 11 am-11:50 am, Lin Hall 105
Host: Mukremin Kilic
Title: "JWST Views the Wreckage of Planetary Systems Around White Dwarfs"
Abstract: Planetary systems do not simply disappear when their stars die: planets and asteroids can survive on wide orbits and later be scattered inward toward the remnant white dwarf, generating compact debris disks. I will present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of two systems that let us study this wreckage in complementary ways. In G29−38, stellar pulsations act as a rapidly varying illumination source, revealing how an unresolved debris disk responds thermally to the star and providing new constraints on the geometry of the star–disk system. In ZTFJ0328−1219, years of photometric monitoring and Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopy reveal a transiting debris system evolving on rapid timescales, before JWST caught it in an unusually deep state of transit activity. Together, these observations connect the dynamics, grain sizes, mineralogy, and eventual accretion of planetary debris, showing that planetary systems can remain remarkably active long after stellar death.
Host: Xinyu Dai
Title: "Unravel the Physical Nature of AGNs via Radiation MHD Simulations"
Abstract: Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are accreting supermassive black hole systems that play an essential role in the evolution of galaxies. AGNs exhibit a wide range of spectral variations as black hole mass and accretion rate change, which remain puzzling and cannot be explained by standard accretion disk models. Photons emitted by AGNs also vary over a wide range of time scales, and they can put strong constraints on the accretion physics. In this talk, I will discuss how three-dimensional radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulations can serve as a laboratory for exploring accretion physics. I will show how the accretion disks vary from the sub-Eddington to the super-Eddington regimes. These simulations can generate spectra and light curves that can be directly compared with observational data. I will also discuss how the recently discovered little red dots can be understood within the framework of super-Eddington accretion, in terms of both spectral and variability properties.
Host: Michael Hayden
Host: Doerte Blume
Title: "High-cooperativity quantum optics with atomic antennas"
Abstract: Coherent and efficient light–matter interfaces between an atom and a single mode of the electromagnetic field are essential for quantum technologies. Traditionally, these systems employ optical cavities or waveguides to isolate a specific mode of light, but a more recent approach is to engineer antennas from ordered configurations of trapped ultracold atoms that exhibit controllable and directed scattering. In this talk, I will introduce a method to engineer an antenna from the center-of-mass wavefunction of a single atom, which can produce directed spontaneous emission and thereby exhibit strong coupling to a target mode of light in free space. Specifically, I will show that the resulting single-atom cooperativity can, in principle, surpass the current state of the art in optical cavity and waveguide QED experiments. Building on this approach, I will elucidate the unusual properties of such emitters across a variety of settings and applications in quantum optics.
Host: John Stupak
