TITLE: Energetic optimization during cell division ABSTRACT: Living systems are driven far from thermodynamic equilibrium through the continuous consumption of ambient energy. This energy is invested in the formation of complex, internal macromolecular structures and diverse spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and mechanical activities, which in turn orchestrate cell phenotypes and behaviors. This self-organization […]

TITLE: Exploring Planetary-Mass Brown Dwarfs in Young Star Clusters with JWST ABSTRACT: The discovery and characterization of free-floating planetary-mass objects (FFPMOs) is fundamental to our understanding of star and planet formation. The James Webb Space Telescope affords the opportunity to search for objects down to the opacity limit for fragmentation in nearby star-forming regions. We […]

TITLE: Multi-messenger observations of gravitational waves sources: from LIGO to Cosmic Explorer, ABSTRACT: The direct detection of gravitational waves is revolutionizing our view of the universe and has opened a new era in the field of time-domain multi-messenger astronomy. In this talk, I will summarize key open questions on the astrophysics of stellar-mass compact objects […]

All members of the department are invited and encouraged to attend.   The purpose of the meeting will be to make some announcements and to provide information and updates on various research, education, outreach, and administrative initiatives in the department.    As with the colloquium, a wine and cheese reception will follow.

Hosted by JHU Gender Minorities & Women in Physics (G-WiP), TITLE: A new vision for the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian ABSTRACT: I will present the latest discoveries and developments at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA).  Our discoveries cover solar astrophysics, star formation and evolution, galaxy formation & evolution, extrasolar […]

TITLE: The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius, ABSTRACT: Patchen Barss will discuss his new biography of Roger Penrose, in conversation with Sean Carroll (JHU)  

TITLE: The Legacies of Hubble, Webb,  and future NASA astrophysics flagship missions ABSTRACT: For the past four decades, the Space Telescope Science Institute has served as the bridge between NASA's flagship astrophysics missions and the scientific community through its role as the science operations center for Hubble, Webb, and Roman.   The Hubble Space Telescope is […]

TITLE: Learning to navigate complex environments ABSTRACT: Living systems face the challenging task of navigating complex natural environments. Notable examples include long-distance orientation using airborne olfactory cues transported by turbulent winds, the tracking of surface-bound trails of odor cues, and flight in the lowest layers of the atmosphere. Terrestrial animals, insects, and birds have evolved […]

TITLE: A Physicist Following Faraday's Hint in the Search for Quantum Gravity, ABSTRACT: Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction occurred due to his inference that magnetic fields about wires must be as wheels about a spoke.  This visualization led to understanding the physics of B-fields. Currently mathematically enabled research uses computers to augment this important tool.  The speaker will discuss […]

Title: New Photo-galvanic effects, Abstract: The conventional device to convert light to electrical current uses two different kinds of doped silicon merged together known as pn junction or heterostructures. The current only flows one way in the pn junction due to a built-in electric field. Fabricating such heterostructures requires sophisticated thin film deposition methods. In […]

TITLE: Precision measurement in tabletop experiments, Abstract:  Many theories of physics beyond the Standard Model predict small deviations from Standard Model behavior at low energy scales.  We can search for such deviations by performing precision measurements in "tabletop" experiments.  In this talk, I will describe some of the frontiers of research in this field.  I […]