Dr. Ronald Garcia-Ruiz, MIT

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

Dr. Leonard Susskind, Stanford University

Title: Gravity and Quantum Mechanics Finally Meet and Maybe they are the Same Thing

Dr. Jim Sauls, LSU

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

Dr. Ryan MacLellan, University of Kentucky

Title: 

What will be the next surprise from neutrinos

Abstract:
Neutrinos are the last remaining pieces of the Standard Model of Particle Physics with unknown mass. The fact that they have mass at all has been the only new physics discovered in the Standard Model in generations. Although we do not know the scale of neutrino mass, there is strong evidence that it is sufficiently small that measuring it will be even more challenging than its discovery. The smallness of their mass begs the question: do neutrinos acquire mass through the same mechanism as all of the other, charged, elementary fermions? Neutrinos, being neutral fermions, are the only particles that can be Majorana fermions, which might naturally explain not only the smallness of their mass, but also help explain why the Universe is dominated by matter.

Neutrino-less double-beta decay provides both an "intense" source of potentially Majorana neutrinos and a likely non-negligible capacity to detect them. The process probes baryon-number minus lepton-number conservation, the Majorana nature of neutrinos and possibly the origin of neutrino masses. However, interesting lifetimes to probe already exceed 10^26 yr.  I will describe the nEXO experiment, a 5-tonne enriched Xenon experiment with sensitivity extending beyond 10^28 yr, or >100 times the current state of the art, as the project I have dedicated my research efforts to over the past 12-1 yr. Since the nEXO project has been indefinitely suspended by DOE, I will also introduce a novel program for the direct measurement of the neutrino mass scale using Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy. The project is called Project 8. Dr. Crawford and I hope our Department will contribute to Project 8 over the next decade or more and eventually to a measurement of the neutrino mass scale.

Dr. Emmanuel Momjian, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Title: The Highest Redshift Quasars at the Highest Angular Resolutions 

Abstract: Quasars at the highest redshifts offer laboratories to study the interplay among supermassive black holes, the host galaxies and their larger environments during one of universe's most transformative epochs. In recent years, optical surveys revealed large samples of quasars out to z ≥ 7, and studies have shown that at such high redshifts we are effectively within the Epoch of Reionization, when the first stars and massive black holes were formed. Despite the large number of quasars discovered at high redshifts, observations at radio wavelengths show that only some are radio loud.

In this talk, I will present very high angular resolution studies on various radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars at redshifts z > 4. I will showcase results on extreme infra-red emitters at z > 4,  the most extended radio source discovered at z~6 and the highest redshift radio-loud source known-to-date within the Epoch of Reionization, at z=7. Throughout the presentation, I will briefly overview the radio-mm instruments used for these studies and conclude with some remarks on the next generation radio interferometer that will revolutionize this field of research and astronomy in general. 

Dr. Charles Cao, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Title: From quantum error correction to quantum gravity -- and back again

Abstract: Recent advances in quantum computing have generated tremendous excitement. Quantum bits, however, are easily corrupted and protocols called quantum error correction are essential for maintaining quantum coherence during the computation process. Although quantum error correction may sound like a purely engineering concept, it bears a surprising connection to quantum gravity. In this talk, I will discuss how techniques developed to protect quantum information against decoherence have reshaped the way we think about spacetime and gravity. Conversely, insights from quantum gravity have inspired powerful “quantum Lego” design principles, allowing us to construct quantum error-correcting codes piece by piece, much like playing with Lego blocks.

Dr. Kate Scholberg, Duke University

Title: How to Spot a Supernova from Deep Underground

Abstract: Stellar core collapses create enormous bursts of 10ths-of-MeV neutrinos on a timescale of a few 10ths of seconds after collapse and preceding optical fireworks by hours or days. These neutrinos can be observed in underground neutrino detectors worldwide. The neutrinos themselves carry directional information that can be exploited to determine the position of the supernova (or of the compact remnant, in the case of failed explosion) on the sky. I will give an overview of methods for low-latency pointing to core-collapse events with neutrino detectors.