Upcoming Seminars

Affiliation:BYU Physics and Astronomy
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: C215 ESC or Live Online

The Sound of Speed: Rocket Launch Noise, Sonic Booms, and Explosions

Although high-speed turbulent jets have been studied since the 1950s, predicting the sound they produce remains a challenging problem in physics. In the BYU Physics and Aerospace Student-Centered Acoustics Laboratory (PASCAL), we investigate aircraft and rocket noise, asking age-old questions important to both physics and philosophy: Where does it come from? What makes it unique? Where is it going? Why does it matter?

In this presentation, I’ll discuss recent PASCAL research on rocket noise, including cases when things go right (launch noise and sonic booms) and when they don’t (explosions). We’ll talk about how these sounds affect structures, humans, and wildlife. I’ll also share lessons from measurement successes and failures, as well as from engaging with government officials, the media, and local communities.

Biographical Sketch:

Kent Gee is a professor of physics at Brigham Young University, where he studies some of the loudest sound sources ever. He joined the BYU faculty in 2005 after a PhD in acoustics at Penn State. Kent’s a fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and was the recipient of the 2024 Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Fellowship.

Affiliation:Union College
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC or Live Online

Science Blogs and Talking Dogs: Reflections on 25 Years in Social Media

In this talk I will discuss lessons learned about physics and science communication in the online world, drawing on my experiences since starting a weblog to discuss physics in 2002. This will include pros and cons of various media, including blogs, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook, and a discussion of the opportunities and risks these technologies offer for physicists interested in engaging with a broad public audience.

Biographical Sketch:

Chad Orzel is the Gordon Gould Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Union College in Schenectady, NY, and the author of five books explaining science for non-scientists: 

• How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog (Scribner, 2009) and How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog (Basic, 2012), which explain modern physics through imaginary conversations with Emmy, his German shepherd
• Eureka: Discovering Your Inner Scientist (Basic, 2014), on the role of scientific thinking in everyday life
• Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of an Ordinary Morning (BenBella/ Oneworld 2018), 
• A Brief History of Timekeeping (BenBella/Oneworld 2022), which covers the last several thousand years of the science and technology of tracking the passage of time. 

He has a BA in Physics from Williams College and a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he did his thesis research on collisions of laser-cooled atoms at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the lab of Bill Phillips, who shared the  1997 Nobel Prize in physics (not for anything Chad did, but it was a fun time to be in that group). He has been blogging about science since 2002, on his own site, at scienceblogs.com, at Forbes, and on Substack. In 2021, he was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society for his work on public communication of science. He lives in Niskayuna, NY with his wife Kate Nepveu, their two children, and their new dog Charlie the pupper.

Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC

Nuclear in Utah: What’s Happening at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab

Utah is emerging as an important location for the development and demonstration of advanced energy technologies, but much of this work remains unfamiliar outside the industry. This talk will provide an overview of Utah’s evolving energy strategy, the role nuclear power may play in meeting the state’s growing energy needs, and the projects currently underway at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Orangeville. The presentation will explore how USREL is helping bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercial deployment through materials characterization, molten-salt research, engineering support, and facilities for testing and demonstrating advanced nuclear technologies. It will also discuss the scientific, regulatory, workforce, and infrastructure challenges involved in bringing a new nuclear technology from the laboratory into the field. Finally, the talk will highlight the expanding career opportunities available to physicists and other technical professionals as Utah builds a broader advanced-energy research and commercialization ecosystem.  

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Jaron Wallace is the Director of the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab, a State of Utah research and demonstration facility supporting the development and deployment of advanced energy technologies. He earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Utah, with professional experience spanning nuclear thermal-hydraulics, process modeling and control, molten-salt systems, and experimental energy research. As Director, he has led the expansion of USREL’s staff, facilities, scientific capabilities, and partnerships with companies developing advanced nuclear and other emerging energy technologies.  

Affiliation:UCLA
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC or Live Online

Quantum Error Correction with Trapped Atomic Ions

Quantum information processing with atomic qubits typically proceeds by identifying two energy eigenstates in each atom to serve as the basis for qubits.  The atoms, however, have far more internal quantum states than this, and can therefore store and process far more than one qubit each, at least in principle.  Since these resources already exist in atomic processors, I will discuss ways they might be used more efficiently.  In particular, this suggests the idea of using each atom as a so-called logical qubit, which is a qubit that can recover from errors.  As compared to the current paradigm in which many atoms are required per logical qubit, the idea of single-atom logical qubits is attractive, and I will outline some of the requirements and ideas for how this might become a reality.

Biographical Sketch:

Some years after receiving a prestigious certificate for “Excellent participation in Science” in Mrs. Borgmann’s 1st grade class, Wes Campbell completed his dissertation on trapped molecules at Harvard and became a postdoc at the JQI working with trapped ions.  Since starting UCLA, Wes’s group has been focusing on the development of a few new tools for trapped ion and molecular quantum information processing and basic science.

Affiliation:Los Alamos National Laboratory
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC

Advances in Laser-Based Radiography for Nondestructive Evaluation

X-ray radiography is the main pillar of the nondestructive testing program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. We inspect thousands of parts per year, analyzing them for internal structural anomalies that could affect performance. Standard commercially available X-ray systems at MeV energies are based on small linear electron accelerators. The main drawback of this method is the large spot size at which the X-rays are emitted, because in a CT scan, the spot size of the system is directly related to the size of the anomalies that are detectable. A radiography system based on optical lasers can achieve X-ray spot sizes that are an order of magnitude smaller. However, laser-based radiography presents its own set of challenges, which must be evaluated, understood, and mitigated before deployment. This talk summarizes several years of work at multiple laser facilities worldwide to perfect laser-based radiography techniques for Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. L. Tyler Mix grew up on the east coast but has steadily migrated to the mountains. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Brigham Young University in 2012, followed by a Master's degree in 2013 under Dr. Eric Sevy. He completed his Ph.D. at UC Davis under Dr. Delmar Larsen, studying ultrafast spectroscopy and the dynamics of photoactive proteins. In early 2019, Dr. Mix joined Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he is now a full staff scientist in V-6, the Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation group. He leads the maintenance, operations, and data analysis for four X-ray tomography systems as the group's system engineer. He also plays a key role in mentoring new staff and student interns in tomography methods. As the group's expert in lasers and optics, his research into novel X-ray techniques takes him to PW-class laser facilities worldwide. 

Affiliation:University of Utah
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC or Live Online

Affiliation:Idaho National Lab
Time: 4 pm
Location: C215 ESC or Live Online