This is the first of a two-part series on the axion and the current experimental campaign to find it. This first seminar will focus on the history and motivation of the axion, rooted in the Strong-CP problem, i.e. the absence of the neutron electric dipole moment, some phenomenology, and an overview of experimental avenues to […]

Continuing on the topic of axion searches from last week, this seminar will highlight one experiment, HAYSTAC, which looks for an axion-induced power excess spectrally coincident with the resonance of a microwave cavity immersed in a strong magnetic field. This is the first such experiment to incorporate a dilution refrigerator and Josephson parametric amplifier and […]

This seminar gives a brief historical introduction to solar neutrino detection, and motivates the use of solar neutrinos as a tool to probe physics beyond the standard model. An analysis of SNO data constraining the lifetime of neutrino decay is presented, along with solar neutrino results from SNO+ water phase. Additionally, R&D for simultaneous detection […]

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The title and abstract are forthcoming.

The title and abstract are forthcoming.

Title: Reconstruction of Cosmological Fields in Forward Model Framework - Galaxy Clustering and Intensity Mapping Abstract: In this talk, I will outline the forward model approach to reconstruct cosmological fields in a Bayesian framework. I will focus on two examples - galaxy clustering and neutral hydrogen intensity mapping. In galaxy clustering example, I will use […]

Title: Cosmology with the Lya forest: beyond two-point statistics, DESI instrumentation Abstract: The Lyman-alpha forest is currently the only probe of cosmology and the state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) between redshifts of z=2 and 6. It's higher-order clustering, specifically its three-point correlation function (3PCF), contains information that can help to constrain fluctuations in the […]

Title: Challenges and pathways forward in supernova cosmology Abstract: Using the DES photometric supernova cosmology analysis as groundwork, I will summarise our current analysis methodologies, from simulations, to transient classification, selection effect treatment, and cosmology. Despite recent improvements in analysis methods, there still exist fundamental challenges in areas spanning the initial empirical SN Ia model […]

Title: The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: clustering measurements, lessons, and prospects Abstract: In this talk, I will present the clustering analysis of the ELG (Emission Line Galaxy) sample from the eBOSS (extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) program of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and review the other clustering analyses of the eBOSS program, dedicated […]

Title: Clustering measurements in the final eBOSS quasar sample and their cosmological implications Abstract:In this talk I present the clustering analysis of the final extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) quasar sample at redshift 0.8<z<2.2, which bridges the redshift gap between the eBOSS LRG and Lyman-alpha measurements. Mapping the evolution of the expansion and growth […]

Title: Full analysis of the background for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in Gerda Abstract: The GERmanium Detector Array (Gerda) experiment aims for the discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) decay in 76Ge. It uses HPGe detectors enriched in the isotope 76Ge, which are directly immersed into liquid argon (LAr). In second […]

Speaker: Karthik Ramanathan (University of Chicago)   Title: Dark Matter Taking Selfies: The DAMIC Experiment  Abstract: The DAMIC (Dark Matter in CCDs) experiment uses silicon charge-coupled devices (CCDs), traditionally employed for imaging purposes, to detect potential ionization signals from dark matter interactions. These approx. mm thick devices feature an impressively low leakage current (< 10-21 A/cm2) and […]

Speaker: Harikrishnan Ramani (LBNL)   Title: Nuclear Isomers as Dark Matter accelerators Abstract: Weak-scale dark matter particles, in collisions with nuclei, can mediate transitions between different nuclear energy levels. In particular, owing to sizeable momentum exchange, dark matter particles can enable de-excitation of nuclear isomers that are extremely long lived with respect to regular radioactive decays. […]

Title: Breakthrough Listen's search for intelligent life in the Universe  Abstract: The discovery of the ubiquity of habitable extrasolar planets, combined with revolutionary advances in instrumentation and observational capabilities, have ushered in a renaissance in the millennia-old quest to answer our most profound question about the Universe and our place within it - Are we alone? […]