Graduate Student Seminar Series – Fall 2009

Next seminar:

Multipartite entanglement verification
Jun Yin

16:00, Nov. 25, 2009
Wil. 240D (OCO)
No abstract



Current Schedule

DATE

TITLE

SPEAKER

ABSTRACT
16:00, Oct. 21, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Elections All physics graduate students The almost-all-powerful vice-prez-Dash has decided that elections shall be held during the graduate student seminar (GSS) time slot, a tradition that we started last year. This is where the party committees get chosen, the future physics graduate student leaders get elected, and various other jobs get tasked to various physics students (see here for a list of offices). All should come. There should also be a lot of pizza.
16:00, Oct. 28, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Top Quark Production at the LHC Jake Searcy Experimental High Energy physics is entering a new age with the turn on of the LHC. I will be discussing the LHC and one of its main detectors, ATLAS. Together these machines will create and measure a huge number of top quarks. Exactly how many is an interesting physics question. The measurement of the top quark pair production cross section will be one of the first probes of new physics. I will summarize a method to measure this quantity sutiable for ATLAS's first data.
16:00, Nov. 04, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Characterization and Three Dimensional Modeling of Chemically Deposited Silver Thin Film Nanostructure Lawrence Mick Davis A method for estimating the three dimensional morphology of chemically deposited metal thin films is presented. The two dimensional projections of experimental films are characterized via analysis of scanning electron microscope images over a range of surface coverage levels. Data from the characterization, including particle size distribution and time dependence of the surface coverage are used to group all parameters that govern the growth process into only three parameters which are estimated directly from the data. This process allows for a simplified three dimensional film growth model which reduces computing requirements while still providing direct access to the complete three dimensional structure of the films throughout the growth process. The projection of the simulated films is compared to the experimental projection data to verify the accuracy of the model. Information about the three dimensional structure of the films provided by this method is useful in predicting metal thin film properties such as optical response.
16:00, Nov. 11, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Ethanol Induced Shortening of DNA in Nanochannels Greg Gemmen (postdoc in Parthasarathy lab) The entropic confinement and manipulation of DNA in fabricated nanostructures has facilitated both the study of DNA-protein interactions and the polymer physics of DNA conformations in different solvent conditions and geometries. Moreover, it holds great promise as a powerful tool for rapid genomic sequencing. Ethanol precipitation is a common tool in molecular biology used to purify and concentrate DNA, typically in 70% (or greater) ethanol solutions. Even at lower ethanol concentrations, however, DNA has been shown to undergo a transformation from its physiological B-form to A-form, a shorter yet slightly less twisted molecular conformation. To examine this transition, we isolated individual YOYO-1 labeled lambda-DNA molecules in 100nmX100nm nanochannels in 0, 20, 40 and 60% ethanol solutions. We observed a dramatic shortening in the mean measured lengths with increasing ethanol and a broadening of the distribution of measured lengths at the intermediate ethanol concentrations. These observed lengths are less than that of fully A-form lambda-DNA, suggesting that other mechanisms are involved in shortening the observed molecules. First, the possible effect of ethanol dislodging of the intercolated fluorophores and subsequent shortening the observed molecule is discussed. Second, the substantial variations in intensity in our observed molecules at the higher ethanol concentrations are (i) suggestive of the higher order DNA conformations such as loops and toroids that have been observed in DNA dried on mica surfaces and (ii) in accord with the observation that the effective persistence length of DNA is reduced in ethanol solutions.
16:00, Nov. 18, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		1D Transverse Spatial State Determination for Single Photon Ensembles Dashiell Vitullo Quantum state determination is a foundational quantum technology which yields estimates of the quantum state of an input ensemble. An experimental method for determining one dimension of the transverse spatial state of an ensemble of single photons will be presented. Future avenues of research will be outlined. Passive voice will be used!
16:00, Nov. 25, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Multipartite entanglement verification Jun Yin No abstract
16:00, Dec. 02, 2009
in Wil. 240D (OCO) 		Linking upstream and downstream aquatic ecosystems: is it just a matter of scale? Maryanne Reiter, Hydrologist for Weyerhaeuser No abstract


What is the “Graduate Student Seminar” (GSS)?

This seminar series exists to provide students a forum to share their work and interests with their peers. Seminar talks are given by students on the topic of their choice. The audience is comprised of other students. Faculty are not invited to these talks. The atmosphere is congenial and non-threatening. Our hope is to maintain a vigorous schedule of regular weekly talks. Please volunteer yourself, or suggest a friend; our contact information can be found below.


When and where is the GSS?

The GSS, by default, is at 4:00pm in the OCO conference room, 240D Willamette Hall. Deviations from this will be noted on the schedule.


Why should I attend?


Why should I give a presentation?


The GSS committee until the next election (in the beginning of Fall 2009) is:

Jeremy Thorn is the maintainer of this website.

If you feel the urge to give a talk or give comments about the GSS, these are the people to contact. If you feel the urge to shout loudly, try shouting into a pillow.

You may use this form to send an email to the GSS committee. If you wish to send an anonymous message, just leave the From: field blank.


Things we are working on:


Links

GSS talk archive:

Files of possible interest to physics graduate students:

Physics graduate student committees

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