What Physicists Do
Physics 123 Spring 2019
(First 5 weeks) Fridays, 6a (3:30-4:30), Olin 141 1 Credit; S/CR/NC
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to announce this year’s Physics 123 Line-up. “What Physicists Do” is our annual series of five lectures by invited speakers, many of whom are Carleton Physics alumni. It is intended to introduce students to a broad range of real-world physics and to give some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background. The course is open to all interested students who have taken PHYS 151; those considering a major in physics are particularly encouraged to enroll.
The presentations are in OLIN 141 on Fridays during 6th period (3:30-4:30pm). The only requirement, beyond attending five talks, is to read an assigned article beforehand and then to submit a short (one page) typed essay afterwards commenting on both the talk and the reading. Speakers will be available for informal discussions over refreshments afterward. Questions: Arjendu Pattanayak, Olin 337, x7166, arjendu@carleton.edu
April 26th Lisseth Gavilan ’06: “The astrochemical journey of cosmic dust: from space to the lab”
How was the solar system formed? What is the origin of complex molecules? How far is the observable universe? To answer these questions we require a clear understanding of how dust forms and evolves in space. This can be achieved via astronomical observations but also via laboratory experiments. In this talk I will discuss how laboratory data helps interpret observations of cosmic dust and how such observations are guiding experiments to unveil new mechanisms of dust evolution. I will introduce current challenges in laboratory astrophysics and will present how state-of-the-art facilities, like radio telescopes and synchrotrons, are helping us unravel the dusty and molecular universe.