Seeking Group Theory Mathematics For SUSY

Concepts in the mathematics of group theory (roots, weights, raising and lowering operators) lie at the foundation of the physics described in the Standard Model. A similar foundation for supersymmetry (SUSY) is currently lacking. Efforts to construct it are reviewed.

Phase-sensitive Josephson interferometry of unconventional superconductors and exotic quantum materials

Many of the most interesting and exotic quantum materials are intrinsic superconductors or are induced by proximity to a superconductor. In these materials, unique information about their quantum state and excitations can be revealed by measuring their phase-dependent properties. The directionality and phase-sensitivity of the Josephson effect, the tunneling of Cooper pairs between two superconductors, provides a powerful probe of the phase anisotropy of unconventional superconductors and the nature of coherent states in hybrid devices incorporating superconductors and complex materials. In this talk, I will first review the technique and applications of Josephson interferometry. I will describe how this approach, originally developed to determine the order parameter symmetry of the high temperature cuprate superconductors, is now being used to probe many other exotic superconducting materials which exhibit multiple superconducting states, complex order parameters that break time-reversal symmetry, and topological materials. I will then describe related schemes for measuring the current-phase relation of Josephson devices. I will outline how these measurements are being used to study supercurrent transport in hybrid devices that reveal phase-modulated electronic structure, explore the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism, and search for exotic excitations such as Majorana states in topological superconductor devices that could enable topologically-protected quantum computing.

Building a Legacy: the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time

The Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is about to usher yet a new era in data-intensive astrophysics. The "next-generation" ground-based astronomical survey, LSST will generate 20TB of information-rich optical-imaging data every night for 10 years starting in 2024. The survey is designed to study nearly all subdomains of astrophysics, from the closest Solar System objects to the farthest cosmological explosions, and with a unique data policy that gives unrestricted access to all US and Chilean scientists, it is staged to be truly transformational. I will talk about the status and prospects of Rubin and its revolutionary LSST, how we are optimizing the survey with a community focused approach, and how my group is preparing to discover unusual and even completely new phenomena, including light echoes, the reflections of transients on interstellar dust, and the shortest lived galactic and extragalactic transients.

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Engaging Students in Authentic Scientific Practices in Physics Lab Courses

Modeling, which includes developing, testing, and refining models, is a central activity in physics. Modeling is most fully represented in the laboratory where measurements of real phenomena intersect with theoretical models, leading to refinement of models and experimental apparatus. However, experimental physicists use models in complex ways and the process is often not made explicit in physics laboratory courses. We have developed a framework to describe the modeling process in physics laboratory activities. The framework has guided our course transformations, research into student learning, and our assessment of student outcomes. I will present the framework, how we use it to transform our lab courses, and a new scalable assessment used to measure students’ modeling ability.

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Center for Geospace Storms: Transforming the Understanding and Predictability of Space Weather

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