Physics and Astronomy Seminar Series
On Friday, Jan. 22, 3-3:50 pm (Hagen 325), faculty members will give 10-15 minute talks about current projects of interest.
Juan Cabanela, Color Imaging in Astronomy: More than Just a Pretty Picture. I will briefly discuss the testing of a color astronomical camera and the new science that can be done using such a camera at a small observatory like Feder.Matt Craig, Searching for low-amplitude variables in the field of view of transiting exoplanets. An exoplanet transit occurs when a planet orbiting another star passes between that star and the Earth. In a deep (i.e. easy to observe) transit the star dims by 1-2%. Unfortunately, many other stars in the field of view also likely vary with that amplitude. Obtaining the best possible measurement of the transit entails identifying those variables so they can be excluded from the group of stars with which the transit star is compared.
Linda Winkler, Thoughts on the Casimir Effect. This effect was predicted to occur based on Quantum Field Theory. Its main importance is to verify the foundations of quantum mechanics, although you will hear items in the news that its existence may lead to warp drive and/or anti-gravity devices. Despite the long-standing prediction, the effect has yet to be tested precisely in a lab experiment. I will show an acoustical analog of an experiment that simulates the effect, and will discuss the status of the experiments to date.