'Gravitational Effects in Quantum Physics' EQUS Seminar Series
When: This event will run every Wednesday and Friday between 25th January to 17th February.
Wednesday seminars: 1pm - 2:30pm
Friday seminars: 10:30am - 12pm
Where: This will a hybrid online and in-person seminar series for EQUS members. Details of how to register will be sent via email.
This event is a seminar series on fundamental physics given by the charismatic speaker, Dr Pavel Fadeev (see bio below). The series will be comprehensive and self-contained set of lectures (8 in total, 2 per week) aimed at Honours/PhD/Postdoc/ECR level on the topic of Gravitational Effects in Quantum Physics.
How to integrate gravitational effects into quantum mechanics remains an open question and a major challenge in physics; it’s an area of research that is notoriously difficult, with a number of EQUS CI’s actively working on different aspects. This seminar series aims to provide a broad picture of the field to PhD/Postdoc/ECR’s, further deepening their expertise and enabling cross group/institutional collaboration.
Abstract:
Take two slits, rotate them. The interference pattern will change because of gravitational potential. We will understand this and other experiments that involve gravitational effects in quantum systems. For example, neutrons bounce on a surface. There is also a ceiling. The number of neutrons that go through depends on the height of the ceiling, but there are steps in the observed plot, as the quantum states of neutrons are in the Earth's gravitational field.
In the second lecture of each week, we will save our future time by practicing estimation methods. We will estimate using scaling, dimensional analysis, and equipartition, with applications in condensed matter and biological systems. Following Taylor, we will estimate the power of a nuclear explosion (secret at the time) by the picture of the mushroom cloud.
Bio:
Pavel Fadeev (Pasha for short) did his BSc in Jerusalem, MSc in LMU Munich, and PhD with Dmitry Budker from JHU Mainz and Victor Flambaum from UNSW Sydney. After lecturing in more than ten countries, working remotely from Thailand, and learning to sing, he is coming to UQ. He is currently a visiting researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and his next stop will be Oxford, UK
Recordings of past seminars are available to EQUS members via the Hub (requires login).
Major funding support
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present.