Dr. Brent Seales, University of Kentucky

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Dr. Matthew Bayliss, University of Cincinnati

Title: Taking Galaxies Apart and Putting Them Back Together Again

Abstract: Understanding the growth and evolution of stars and galaxies across cosmic time is a cornerstone of modern observational cosmology. After Cosmic Dawn, the first generation of galaxies powered much of cosmic re-ionization. Later, the global star-formation density accelerated toward its peak at Cosmic Noon, when most of the stellar mass in the Universe was formed. The industry standard is to use individual galaxies as the de facto measurement unit. There are practical reasons for counting galaxy-by-galaxy: galaxies grow and reside in dark matter haloes that map back to primordial mass over-densities, and even space-based observatories can only marginally resolve galaxies in the distant universe. However, the physical processes that drive galaxy growth and evolution --- cloud collapse, star formation, feedback, etc. --- operate on scales much smaller than a galaxy. I will present ongoing work using bright, strongly lensed galaxies to zoom-in on the scales of individual star clusters to resolve the physics of what's happening inside distant galaxies. 

Dr. Elise Novitski, University of Washington

Title: A new approach to measuring neutrino mass

Abstract: Of all the fundamental fermion masses, those of the neutrinos alone remain unmeasured. From their unknown origin to their effects on the evolution of the universe, neutrino masses are of interest across cosmology, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Neutrino oscillation experiments have set a non-zero lower limit on the mass scale, in contradiction to the original Standard Model prediction. To measure neutrino mass precisely and directly one must turn to beta decay and search for a telltale distortion in the spectrum. I will describe a new technique called Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), in which beta decay of tritium occurs in a magnetic field and each electron's ~1 fW of cyclotron radiation is directly detected. Electron energies are then determined via a relativistic relationship between energy and frequency. I will present the first CRES-based mass limits from the Project 8 experiment, which demonstrate the promise of this technique for surmounting the systematic and statistical barriers that currently limit the precision of direct neutrino mass measurements. I will also describe the next steps on the path to sensitivity to a mass of 40 meV/c^2, covering the entire inverted ordering of neutrino masses

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Dr. Ambrose Seo, University of Kentucky

Title: Shaping Light and Charge in Two-Dimensional Materials with Plasmonic Nanostructures

Abstract: Two-dimensional materials such as MoS2 are just one atom thick, which gives them remarkable optical and electronic properties, but also makes them challenging to use efficiently in devices, since their ultrathin nature limits how strongly they interact with light. During my sabbatical in Seoul, I explored new ways to overcome this challenge by combining MoS2 with carefully designed metallic nanostructures that can trap and guide light at the nanoscale. By embedding gold or silver nanowires and nanogrooves beneath or alongside MoS2, we found that we could significantly boost its light emission, collect photo-generated charges more effectively, and improve the efficiency of heterostructures that pair MoS2 with oxide semiconductors. These studies show how "plasmonic" effects, i.e., collective oscillations of electrons in metals, can be harnessed to control light–matter interactions in atomically thin materials. I will present the key outcomes of these projects and discuss how they point toward future opportunities for next-generation devices.

Dr. Daniel Tataru, University of California, Berkeley

Title: Free boundary problems for Euler flows

Abstract: Free boundary problems are very interesting but also very challenging problems in fluid dynamics, where the boundary of the fluid is also freely moving along with the fluid flow. 

I will discuss two such models, governed by the compressible, respectively the incompressible Euler equations, including also MHD flows.  This is joint work with Mihaela Ifrim, and in part with Benjamin Pineau and Mitchell Taylor.

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Dr. Roger Pynn, Indiana University Bloomington

Title: What are Entangled Neutrons, Anyway?

Abstract: For more than 75 years, neutron scattering has been a powerful tool for probing the positions 
and dynamics of atoms, as well as the magnetic fields that shape material properties. In 
parallel, advances in light optics have increasingly harnessed the quantized nature of photons 
to achieve higher precision and uncover new phenomena. Can similar quantum ideas be 
applied to neutrons? Remarkably, the spin, momentum, and energy of individual neutrons can 
indeed be placed into entangled, Bell-like states. In this talk, I will describe how such 
entanglement has been realized experimentally, and how we validated its existence.
The challenge now is to exploit these mode-entangled neutrons to access new forms of 
information. Recent theoretical work suggests that entangled neutrons could uniquely probe 
electron spin entanglement in specific systems—though experimental confirmation remains to 
be achieved. Still, entanglement has already enabled measurements that would have been 
impossible otherwise. As one example, I will present the first observation of a giant Goos–
Hänchen effect for matter waves and indicate prospects for applying similar techniques to 
materials of scientific and technological relevance. Looking forward, these methods will be 
especially valuable at the next-generation neutron source now being planned at Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory.

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