TCU DEPARTMENT of PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY

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TCU Box 298840
Fort Worth, TX 76129
Phone: (817) 257-7375
Fax: (817) 257-7742
Email:physics@tcu.edu

This page maintained
by Kaoru Yoshida

Fall 2003 Seminar Information

Friday October 17 at 1.00 p.m. in SWR 357

Pre-Dissertation:

Jingyi Wang
Department of Physics and Astronomy
TCU

Temperature Dependence of The Lifetime Spectrum of Rubber-Carbon Black Composites

Sponsor: Dr. Quarles

The Eighth Annual
Joseph Morgan Lecture
(General information on the Morgan Lecture)

Monday October 27, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.
Lecture Hall 1, Sid Richardson Building
(Map for locating the Sid Richardson Building)

Refreshments will be served following the lecture

Dr. Edward W. (Rocky) Kolb

Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of Chicago
and
NASA/Fermilab Theoretical Astrophyics Group

``The Quantum and the Cosmos''

Abstract

Long before the emergence of planets, stars, or galaxies, the universe consisted of an exploding quantum soup of ``elementary'' particles. Encoded in this formless, shapeless soup were seeds of cosmic structure, which over billions of years grew into the beautiful and complex universe we observe today. The lecture will explore the connection between the "inner space" of the quantum and the "outer space" of the cosmos. The inner space/outer space connection may hold the key to the nature of the dark matter holding together our galaxy and the mysterious dark energy pulling apart our universe.

 

Dr. Kolb will also give a colloqium on October 27entitled:

"Thoughts on Dark Matter, Inflation, and Dark Energy"

Monday October 27, 2003
4 :00 p.m. Sid Richardson Building Room 357

The "lambda cold dark matter" model seems to be able to account for all cosmological observations. But its three basic ingredients, dark energy, dark matter, and inflationary perturbations, are a mystery. In the talk I will highlight what we don't know about the cosmological standard model.

For directions to the Sid Richardson Building see map, or contact the TCU Department of Physics and Astronomy at 817-257-7375.

Contact person: Dr. Quarles

RESCHEDULED (New date and time to be announced)

Pre-Dissertation:

Jackie Dunn
Department of Physics and Astronomy
TCU

Investigating the Role of Environment in the Star Formation History and Evolution of Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

Sponsor: Dr. Marcum

Monday December 15 at 1.00 p.m. in SWR 357

Dissertation:

Greg Sherman
Department of Physics and Astronomy
TCU

Synchronous Interferometric Probing of Microscopic and Nanoscale Materials

Abstract:
This is an age of new and exciting nanoscale science and emergent nanotechnologies. We all should expect big changes ahead, powered by increased miniaturization of electronics and machines made from a variety of hard and soft materials, and basic physics exploration is needed to understand the processes in this regime. To help guide all of these developments we need a greater variety of tools to detect, measure, and characterize materials at the nanoscale. We need nano-probing methods that are fast and efficient, as well as techniques that lend themselves to reproduction and automation. In this dissertation defense I will describe Synchronous Interferometric Probing, a new optical method for making sensitive and rapid measurements of microscopic and nanoscale objects, and discuss our initial measurements that demonstrate its potential.

Sponsor: Dr. Bradley