Vorträge, Kolloquien

17:00 Uhr KIP, INF 227, Otto-Haxel-Hörsaal
Prof. Michael Hesse Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen

Heliophysics: The Science of Beauty and the Beast

Heliophysics encompasses research of phenomena as diverse as dynamo processes in the solar interior, solar eruptions, the interaction of solar particles and field with the Earth’s magnetic field, and the aurora. These processes and interactions are largely of plasma physical nature. Heliophysics systems range from cold, collisional plasmas, to hot, collisionless, and even relativistic scenarios, the dynamics of many of which are still not or only poorly understood. We do know, however, that this chain of plasma physical processes does create beauty in form of the fascinating evolution of the solar corona to the intricate forms of the aurora. In addition to these captivating evolutions – and tantalizing science problems, Heliophysics can also affect society in a more sinister fashion. Eruptions and their impact on Earth can, for example, accelerate charged particles to energies large enough to damage satellites or harm humans in space. They can impact our ability to communicate with space infrastructure and affect GPS accuracy or access. Finally, large current systems, generated as part of violent dynamical processes in Earth’s magnetic field, can induce damaging currents in extended power grids.

This presentation will provide a primarily phenomenological overview of both sides of the Heliophysics coin: The scientific chain of processes and scientific puzzles, and their potential effects on our infrastructure.

17:00 Uhr Neues Physikalisches Institut INF 226, Konferenzraum 1-3 (Room 00.101 bis 00.103)
Prof. Alain Blondel Département de Physique Nucléaire et Corpusculaire, Université de Genève, Genève (Suisse)

tba

17:00 Uhr Kirchhoff-Institut, INF 227 SR 1.403, SR 1.403
Prof. Dr. Luis Santos Institut für Theoretische Physik, Leibniz Universität Hannover

Polar gases: from supersolids and rotons to peculiar disorder models

16:15 Uhr Philosophenweg 12, großer Hörsaal
Bryan M. Gaensler Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysic, Univ. Toronto

Magnets in the Sky

Everywhere we look, the Universe is threaded with magnetism. These magnetic fields are surprisingly organised and coherent, and are vital to many of the fundamental processes that astronomers take for granted. However, the mechanisms that create and then sustain magnetism in the Universe are not understood, in no small part because magnetic fields are usually not directly observable. I will present innovative new observations of radio polarimetry and Faraday rotation, and will explain how these data sets provide a unique view of magnetic fields in the Milky Way, in distant galaxies, and in the intergalactic medium. I will conclude by showcasing the powerful new generation of radio telescopes that are at last fully opening the window to the magnetic Universe.