Jan. 29
Observations of He+ in the Low and Middle Topside Ionosphere Under Solar Maximum Conditions at Equinox
Dr. Keith West, TAMUC-Physics
Abstract
Although some studies suggested otherwise, He+ was long considered to be a minor ion in the topside low and middle latitude ionosphere. In the last decade measurements made with the incoherent scatter radar at Arecibo, Puerto Rico have shown the presence of a nighttime He+ layer. While present under all solar conditions, the layer is more prominent under solar maximum conditions. One drawback of the Arecibo data is that they were taken at a fixed location. In this work, in situ data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) have been examined at equinox for solar maximum conditions. The DMSP data are restricted in local time and altitude but have the advantage of giving a global coverage when averaged over a month. Longitudinal and latitudinal variations in the He+ layer are presented. In addition the general behavior of He+ during solar maximum are discussed.
Feb. 5
Student Opportunities in the Coming Revolution in Near-Earth Space Science
Prof. Gregory D. Earle
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas
Abstract
Interactions between the co-located “oceans” of ionized and neutral gas that surround the Earth create a host of interesting phenomena that have real-world consequences for satellite and terrestrial communication and navigation systems. These gaseous media and the physics governing their behavior have been studied over the last 50 years using a combination of rocket probes, satellites, radars, and computational modeling. Such studies are multi-faceted, and require cooperative efforts between scientists and engineers with expertise in plasma physics, gas dynamics, fluid flow, instrumentation, signal processing, micro-machining, and many other disciplines. Due to the high cost of spaceflight, previous missions have been limited in scope, with the result that our knowledge of the near-Earth space environment is based largely on measurements that cannot adequately separate spatial and temporal causes and effects. Recent developments in the microsatellite arena are beginning to change this by making it feasible to launch suites of satellites that make simultaneous measurements at many locations around the Earth. These developments are poised to revolutionize space science. In this talk the promise and challenges associated with these new microsatellite ventures are described and set in the context of the current “big problems” in space science. It will be demonstrated that universities have a significant part to play in these new state-of-the-art endeavors, with a clear role for students. Examples of ongoing research at the University of Texas at Dallas will be used to highlight a number of these areas, and will reveal some research avenues leading to rewarding career opportunities in aerospace industries.
The recently launched C/NOFS satellite contains 7 science instruments (2 from UT Dallas).
Gregory D. Earle
Bio:
Prof. Earle received his BS and M.S. in Engineering Physics from Purdue University and his Ph.D. in Space Plasma Physics from Cornell University in 1988. Dr. Earle is currently a Professor of Physics and an Affiliated Professor of Electrical Engineering at the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences at UT-Dallas. The major research thrusts of Dr. Earle's Space Physics Instrumentation Laboratory (SPI Lab) include design, modeling, and improvement of space based instruments to measure electric fields and neutral winds in near-Earth space, flight experiments on rockets and satellites, and mid-latitude plasma dynamics in Earth's ionosphere. His recent collaborators on these efforts include scientists from the Goddard Space Flight Center, Utah State University, the Aerospace Corporation, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Southwest Research Institute. More information about Dr. Earle’s research can be found at www.utdallas.edu/~earle.
Feb. 12
Dynamic aspects of electron-transfer reactions between metalloproteins
Prof. Nenad Kostic
Department of Chemistry, TAMU-Commerce
Abstract
Because oxidoreduction reactions of metalloproteins are essential for photosynthesis, respiration, and other biological processes, molecular mechamisms of these reactions are being vigorously studied and debated worldwide. Especially important is the interplay between the electron-transfer step and protein rearrangement. This study is unprecedented in two ways. First, we show that the same pair of proteins, which are biological partners, can undergo essentially the same electron-transfer reaction by all three current mechanisms for interplay between electron-transfer and rearrangement steps. Second, we estimate energetics of this rearrangement and propose a general method for making such estimates.
Biography of Professor Nenad M. Kostić
Dr. Kostic was born and raised in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia. As a high school student, he won state and national competitions in chemistry. As an undergraduate student, he represented Yugoslavia internationally. He graduated from the University of Belgrade with high distinction from the University of Belgrade and came to the U.S. on a Fulbright Fellowship. He worked in theoretical and computational chemistry with R. F. Fenske, at University of Wisconsin, and earned his Ph.D. degree in less than four years, in 1982. As a Research Fellow with H. B. Gray, at Caltech, in 1982-84, he entered bioinorganic chemistry.
He came to Iowa State University in 1984, became a full professor in 1994, and voluntarily resigned in 2005. He was a visiting professor at Leiden University, The Netherlands, in 1994. His group introduced 195Pt nmr spectroscopy into study of biomolecular stereodynamics and discovered new methods for selective labeling and cross-linking of proteins with metal complexes. More recently, his group worked in bioinorganic, biophysical, and materials chemistry. They used metal complexes as artificial peptidases, for catalyzing selective cleavage of peptides and proteins; studied interplay between dynamic rearrangements and electron transfer in mechanisms of redox reactions of proteins; and encapsulated enzymes in glasses and studied biochemical and chemical reactions of reactants confined in glass pores.
As a professor at Texas A&M University at Commerce since 2006, he continues research in metal complexes as artificial peptidases. Besides studying the reactions in solution, he has set two new goals: to convert these complexes into heterogeneous catalysts by tethering them to mesoporous solids and to apply metal complexes as reagents in proteomics.
Among his honors are a Presidential Young Investigator Award, an A. P. Sloan Research Fellowship, a Karić Award for Scientific Research, and a Faculty Excellence Award by the Iowa Board of Regents. He was elected a Nonresident Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and a Fellow of the AAAS. His small philanthropy, Nenad M. Kostić Fund for Chemical Sciences, modestly supports research and teaching in his old country.
Feb. 19
The Many Faces - and Phases - of Neutron Stars
Prof. Jorge Piekarewicz
Department of Physics, Florida State University
Abstract
Understanding the nuclear matter equation of state (EOS) is a central goal of nuclear physics that cuts across a variety of disciplines. Indeed, the limits of nuclear existence, the collision of heavy ions, the structure of neutron stars, and the dynamics of core-collapse supernova, all depend critically on the nuclear matter EOS. In this talk I will concentrate on the role of the EOS on the structure and dynamics of neutron stars. In particular, I will discuss the many fascinating phases that are encountered as one travels from the low-density crust to the high-density core.
Dr. Jorge Piekarewicz
Professor, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1985
Prof. Piekarewicz received his Ph.D. in theoretical nuclear physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985, and carried out postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology and Indiana University. In 1990 he joined FSU where he has been ever since. Jorge's main research interests focus on the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of density, such as those found in the interior of neutron stars. One of the main goals of his research is to use physical observables that may be determined from terrestrial experiments to constrain the properties of neutron stars. Conversely, he aims to incorporate observations from new telescopes operating at a variety of wavelengths - and that have turned neutron stars from theoretical curiosities into powerful tools - to elucidate the structure of nuclear matter at the extremes.
Feb. 26
Inquiry-Based Teaching for American and Middle-School Science Teachers: Two Views, Two Practices
Dr. Sachiko Tosa
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Abstract
Since the publication of National Science Education Standards in 1996, learning science through inquiry has been regarded as the heart of science education. However, the TIMSS 1999 Video Study showed that inquiry-based teaching has been taking place less in the United States than in Japan. This study examined similarities and differences in how Japanese and American middle-school science teachers think and feel about inquiry-based teaching. Teachers’ attitudes toward the use of inquiry in science teaching were measured through a survey instrument (N=194). Teachers’ understanding of inquiry-based teaching was examined through interviews and classroom observations in Japan (N=15) and the United States (N=9). The results show that teachers in both countries strongly agree with the idea of inquiry-based teaching. However, not much inquiry-based teaching was observed in either of the countries. The data indicate that Japanese teachers do not generally help students construct their own understanding of scientific concepts in spite of well-organized lesson structures and activity set-ups. On the other hand, the observational data indicate that American teachers often lack meaningful science content in spite of the high level of pedagogical knowledge. Implications regarding the role of science education in higher education will be discussed.
Dr. Tosa received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Rochester in 1986. She is expected to receive her Ed.D in Mathematics and Science Education in May 2009 from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Her current research interest is in science education.
March 5 (special time: 4:30-5:30)
Inquiry-based Science Teaching in Higher Education
Dr. Lynne M. Raschke
Center for Adaptive Optics, University of California at Santa Cruz
Abstract
College science classes serve a variety of students, including pre- service teachers, future scientists, and our next generation of citizens and leaders. However, many college science courses do not effectively teach students both the science content and the scientific reasoning skills needed to understand, interpret, and do science. Inquiry-based science teaching has been shown to be effective at accomplishing these goals. We have worked to prepare future science educators, including both pre-service K-12 teachers and future science faculty, to design and implement inquiry-based laboratory activities within their classes. I will present our professional development model and some of the outcomes from this work.
Dr. Raschke received her Ph.D in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2007 and her BS in Astronomy and Physics from Haverford College in 1998.
She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the NSF Center for Adaptive Optics at UC-Santa Cruz. Her current research interests are in science education, astronomy & astrophysics.
March 12
First-principles modeling and simulations of materials
Prof. Qiming Zhang
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
Abstract:
First-principles computational studies are widely used in modeling and simulations of the electronic and magnetic properties of materials. In this talk, I will briefly review the theoretical methodology and present several applications conducted recently in our group. They include a comparison study of carbon adsorption on Cu and Ni surfaces, studies on the exchanged-coupled nanocomposite permanent magnet materials, SmCo, and the native defect formations in cuprous and cupric oxides.
Dr. Qiming Zhang is an Associate Professor of physics at UT-Arlington. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in China. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical condensed-matter physics from the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) at Trieste, Italy in 1989, under the supervision of Profs. A. Selloni, R. Car and M. Parrinello. He did his postdoctoral research at N.C. State under the supervision of Prof. J. Bernholc from 1989 to 1993. After that, he worked in Cray Research, Inc. He joined UT-Arlington’s faculty in 1996.
March 26
Solar Fusion Reactions
Prof. Carlos Bertulani
Department of Physics, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Abstract:
Nuclear fusion reactions play a key role in the understanding of energy production, neutrino emission and nucleosynthesis of the elements in stars. Our Sun is the best laboratory to test our ability to describe nuclear reactions with the accuracy compatible with astronomical observations. Despite intensive and expensive efforts, many aspects of solar reactions are still poorly known. In this colloquium I will discuss how several theoretical and experimental studies are being performed around the world in an attempt to clarify the microscopic/macroscopic interface of the solar structure and dynamics.
http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/cbertulani/
April 2
Materials Science Research for Sustainable Energy Technology
Prof. Kyeongjae (KJ) Cho
Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Dallas
Abstract:
Global community is facing serious environmental and energy challenges caused by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have enabled rapid development of industrial societies over the last two centuries, but their use has produced CO2 leading to global warming problem. The current global energy consumption of 13 TW is expected to grow three times (45 TW) by the end of the 21st century. Such increasing energy demand is facing two major problems of global warming and depletion of fossil fuels. These two problems require a rapid development of renewable energy sources to meet the increasing energy demand, and it will be necessary to replace all fossil fuel use by renewable energy by 2050 to stabilize the global warming trend at the current level. The major outstanding scientific and technological challenge is to develop renewable energy sources over the next 40 year to meet the expected demand of 30 TW. Physical science including material science should provide the major solutions to enable the renewable energy technologies which will include solar cells, wind power, geothermal power, and biomass energy. Novel material development is critical to enable efficient energy conversion technologies utilizing optimized material properties for diverse target applications such as photon to electricity conversion for solar cells. This talk will overview the current challenges in energy and global warming and discusses the materials science research which can enable renewable energy solutions. I will discuss the role of multiscale modeling in the rational design of nanoscale materials which can play critical roles in the renewable energy technology development.
Prof. Cho received his BS in Physics (1986) from the Seoul National University in Korea and his Ph.D. (1994) from MIT. He was a postdoctoral researcher at MIT (94-95) and Harvard (95-96) before joining Stanford University as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. He joined UT Dallas in 2006 as an Associate Professor in Physics and Electrical Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering Program). Prof. Cho’s research interest is computational modeling study of nanomaterials with applications to nanoelectronic devices and renewable energy technology. For materials modeling study, his research group has developed atomistic modeling method to simulate atomic structures of nanomaterials and tight binding method to calculate electronic structures and quantum transport properties of nanoelectronic devices. Advanced first principles quantum simulations methods (density functional theory) are used to investigate the nanomaterials with quantitative accuracy and fundamental understanding of structure-property relationship. More information about Prof. Cho’s research can be found at: http://www.utdallas.edu/~wxw079000/group/group.htm
April 9
Is the world fine-tuned?
Prof. Bira van Kolck
University of Arizona
Abstract:
Much theory building in particle physics and some discussion in theology revolve around the possibility that certain physical parameters are fine-tuned to yield the world we live in. A famous example is the smallness of the resonance energy in the triple-alpha reaction, which is crucial for the observed abundances of carbon and oxygen. Fine-tuning is best formulated in the framework of effective field theories (EFTs), which I will introbira.jpgduce together with the concept of naturalness.
Using EFT, I will present our current understanding of the emergence of an anomalously small nuclear scale, show examples of the rich physics it generates, and discuss plans for further study of nuclear fine-tuning.
Prof. Bira van Kolck received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993, working under Prof. S. Weinberg (1979 Nobel laureate). He was a postdoctoral associate (1993-96) and research assistant professor (1996-97) at the University of Washington in Seattle, senior research fellow (1998-2000) at Caltech, and assistant (2000-03) and associate (2003-date) professor at the University of Arizona. He has also been a RHIC Fellow, DOE Outstanding Junior Investigator, Sloan Research Fellow, and APS Fellow. His interests revolve around effective field theories at the intersection of particle, nuclear, atomic and astro physics. More information about Prof. Bira van Kolck’s research can be found at
http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~vankolck/
Rietveld and PDF analysis of HgSe nanoclusters in zeolites
Prof. M. Castro-Colin
University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract:
Fabrication of nanomaterials requires the availability of a template with a good degree of stability. Zeolites are basically alumino-silicates with various
topologies that provide a suitable framework for allocating a nanostructure. Such a framework, serves as a constraint that drives a change in the spectral response of the guest material. We have dealt specifically with HgSe as well as Se, which are hosted inside the pores of two types of zeolites, with tubular as well spherical pores.
Rietveld refinement provides structural information that is used to understand a diffuse signal through pair-distribution function (PDF) analysis. It will be highlighted the advantage that PDF analysis represents since it includes the entire scattering profile, unlike the Rietveld technique.
Dr. Castro-Colin is currently a faculty member in the Department of Physics at the University of Texas at El Paso. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Houston in 2003, while working on thin amorphous SiO2 studied with in-house and synchrotron X-ray sources. His main interest is the study of condensed matter using X-ray and neutron scattering accompanied by computer modeling, expanded also into the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy as well as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. His X-ray laboratory has capabilities to carry out powder diffraction, single crystal and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. The lab also has a Buerger precession camera to generate undistorted images in reciprocal space.
More information about Prof. Castro-Colin can be found at
http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=37079
Constraining the Nuclear Equation of State with Nuclear Collisions
Prof. William G. Lynch
Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University
Abstract:
Constraints on the Equation of State (EoS) for symmetric matter (equal neutron and proton numbers) at supra-saturation densities have been extracted from energetic collisions of heavy ions. Collisions of neutron-deficient and neutron-rich heavy ions now provide initial constraints on the EoS of neutron-rich matter at sub-saturation densities. Comparisons are made to other available constraints. The relevance of such constraints to dense astrophysical environments will be discussed.
Prof. Lynch received his PhD from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1980. His current research interest is in nuclear physics and astrophysics. More information about his research can be found at http://www.nscl.msu.edu/ourlab/directory/profile/lynch As a leader in experimental nuclear physics, Dr. Lynch has been serving on the Program Advisory Committees of many nuclear physics laboratories around the world and is a frequently invited speaker at many major international conferences. He is also a receipt of the NSF’s Presidential Young Investigator Award. Some of his recent publications can be found at
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/find/hep/wwwcitesummary?rawcmd=FIND+A+WILLIAM+G.+LYNCH&FORMAT=www&SEQUENCE=citecount%28d%29
The Fifth Dimension: It's Closer Than You Think
Prof. Keith R. Dienes
Department of Physics, University of Arizona
Abstract:
Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest in theories with large extra spacetime dimensions. Growing numbers of theorists and experimentalists are actively exploring the possibility that extra curled-up spacetime dimensions might soon be discovered, either in the next round of collider experiments, or in table-top Cavendish experiments. This recent interest in extra dimensions stems largely from the realization that extra spacetime dimensions have the potential to lower the fundamental high-energy scales of physics (such as the GUT, Planck, and string scales), perhaps making them experimentally accessible for the first time. If this theoretical possibility is realized, we might soon be able to probe the novel physics of grand unification, quantum gravity, and even string theory experimentally. In this talk, I will provide a non-technical survey of these recent ideas, and discuss how and why large extra spacetime dimensions can lead to such exciting physical possibilities.
Dr. Keith Dienes is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona. He received his Bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1985, and his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991. He then held postdoctoral research positions at McGill University in Montreal, at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and at CERN (the European Laboratory for Particle Physics) in Geneva, Switzerland. He joined the faculty of the University of Arizona in 1999, was promoted to Early Tenure in 2003, and has been the Director of Graduate Studies in Physics since 2005. Professor Dienes' research results have been featured in a number of nationwide publications, including Scientific American, New Scientist, Science Magazine, and Physics Today. He has also received various research honors, including a Research Innovation Award from Research Corporation, and has been an invited lecturer at numerous summer schools and workshops worldwide. In Arizona, he won a Distinguished Early-Career Teaching Award in 2004 and was named the 2008 Outstanding Administrator of the Year for his work directing the physics graduate program. He was also recently elected to the leadership of the Four Corners Section of the American Physical Society, serving as the Section Chair in 2007. Some of his recent publications can be found at:
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/find/hep/www?rawcmd=FIND+A+KEITH+R.+DIENES+&FORMAT=www&SEQUENCE=citecount%28d%29
May 7
NOTE: Before the colloquium, there will be a party in Science room 106 from 3-4 pm to celebrate
Bao-An Li's Lafferty Research Award-2009, everyone is invited
Some thoughts on the relationship between Physics and Psychology
Prof. Tracy Henley
Department of Psychology and Special Education, TAMU-Commerce
Abstract:
In what may be the most unusual physics colloquium ever given at TAMU-C, Dr. Tracy Henley will review how physics has shaped the rise and evolution of psychology from the mid 1800s through the early 1900s. This influence covers fundamental theory, methodology, the “sociology” of an emerging science, and even an important lingering philosophical issue – the relationship between a subjective observer and objective data. As time allows, Dr. Henley will also discuss some current connections between physics and psychology, ranging from esoteric problems about “reality,” to very concrete applications such as using physics as a way to motivate children to study math and science.
Dr. Tracy Henley started his undergrad education at Ole Miss, as you guessed it, a physics major. He switched to philosophy which he continued through his Masters work, before earning his PhD in psychology. Dr. Henley has taught at the University level for 25 years, both at Tennessee and Mississippi State before his arrival at TAMU-C. He also did an extended sabbatical with a computer software firm (2001-2) as a follow up to his first NSF grant that involved using games to teach kids math (and he, Dr. Gil Naizer, Dr. Sam Saffer and Dr. Bao-An Li are part of a new, similar grant, here at TAMU-C). His empirical work has been in the area of cognitive science, broadly defined. Over the years, some of his courses have been cross-listed in both computer science and philosophy. He has co-authored several books, including The Phenomenology of Everyday Life, Cambridge University Press, 1997, and Connections in the History and Systems of Psychology, Houghton Mifflin, which appeared in a 3rd edition in 2005. He has over 60 peer-reviewed publications and has been PI, Co-PI, or a named personnel on over 2 million dollars of grant work.
site maintained by C.A. Bertulani
Seminars and colloquia in previous semesters
