BEGIN:VCALENDAR CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:iCalendar-Ruby VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:The search for gravitational waves using ground based laser int erferometers is now well underway\, and becoming progressively more sensiti ve through an ongoing programme of instrument upgrades. In this talk\, Dr D aw will discuss gravitational waves and the physical principles of interfer ometric detectors such as LIGO\, Virgo and GEO600\, before exploring the in triguing possibility of detection of a counterpart to a putative gravitatio nal wave transient either in the optical or the radio. Such a dual-channel detection would provide compelling evidence for first direct detection of g ravitational waves\, as well as providing a wealth of information on the ph ysics of compact gravitational wave sources.\n\n"Programme online":http://w ww.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091016T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091016T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:The Hunt for Gravitational Waves UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_923716068@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For this week's colloquium\, on Friday 9th October\, we're deli ghted that *Michael Kraft* of our own School of Electronics & Computer Scie nce will give a talk about '*Engineering atom chips*'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas\, a nd undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nAtom Chips are a n ew and exciting technology that enable the manipulation of atoms close to a chip surface. These chips combine cold atom physics with MEMS microfabrica tion techniques to create electric\, magnetic and optical fields to trap an d manipulate ultra-cold atom clouds.\n\nThe microfabricated chips realise o ptical cavities\, electrostatic actuators and current carrying wires to set up magnetic trapping fields. Besides fundamental physics experiments\, the re are a range of novel devices and sensors on the horizon that use this te chnology. In prototype devices\, atom chips are already being used to make Bose Einstein condensates for applications including atomic clocks on a chi p\, atom interferometry\, and quantum information processing.\n\nThe talk w ill describe micro-fabrication technologies that can realize the required b uilding blocks and components to realize such atom chips. It will mainly fo cus on the microfabrication and design engineering aspects of these chips\, as they almost entirely rely on non-standard fabrication techniques\, whic h need to be specially developed for these chips. Additionally\, they combi ne a range of different physical domains such as optical\, magnetic and ele ctrostatics\, which makes their design and realization challenging.\n\n*2:3 0 in the Physics Seminar Room\, Tea and cakes afterwards*\n\n"Programme onl ine":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/\n DTEND:20091023T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091023T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Engineering atom chips UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_428320935@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Quantum entanglement and the addition and subtraction of a phot on presented by Myungshik Kim from Queen's University\, Belfast\n\nOne of t he most striking formulas we learn during the undergraduate quantum mechani cs course is the commutation relation\, [a\, a+] = 1. For a light field\, t his means that photon annihilation after creation is different from photon creation after annihilation and the difference is equal to the unity. The n on-commutativity is closely related to the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics\; the precise measurement of two non-commutative observables sim ultaneously is impossible. Even though the bosonic commutation relation is taught in every quantum mechanics course\, the direct and 'exact' proof see med to be experimentally unreachable. In this talk\, the verification of th e bosonic commutation relation is discussed using single photon interferenc e.\n\nProf Kim will demonstrate a scheme based on single-photon interferenc e for transferring the microscopic quantum behaviour to macroscopic classic al objects (as in Schrödinger's cat paradox) by realising arbitrary superpo sitions of distinct quantum operations. Applying them to a classical light field the commutation relation to be verified directly. The Belfast group's results may be interesting because\, in addition to clear demonstration of the fundamental textbook concept in quantum mechanics\, the possibility of implementing general operator superpositions is an alternative promising t ool to control and engineer quantum information for future technologies.\n\ n"Programme online":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091106T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091106T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Quantum entanglement UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_148330674@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:PET imaging presented by Will Hallett from GSK Clinical Imaging Centre\, Imperial College\n\nDetails to be confirmed.\n\n"Programme online ":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091113T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091113T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:PET imaging UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_706550770@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Current and future power generation presented by Jonathan May f rom E-On UK.\n\nThe critical questions of how\, where and from what we gene rate power\, and how it is distributed\, depend upon environmental sustaina bility\, geopolitics\, technological developments\, and the availability an d geographical distribution of energy sources. Our current pattern of coal\ , gas\, nuclear\, hydroelectric and wind-based power stations will have to change substantially if we are to meet future demand in a safe\, secure and sustainable fashion.\nThis talk will describe some of the methods by which we generate and distribute power at present\, and their suitability for me eting future needs. It will then examine a range of technologies for future power generation\, and some of the challenges that they present. \n\n"Prog ramme online":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091127T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091127T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Current and future power generation UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_809948159@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:You are cordially invited to attend the fifth annual Physoc Nob el Lecture\,\n \nThrough a glass\, brightly\nand\nHow to see in the dark\n \ncelebrating the award of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics to Charles Kao\, Willard Boyle and George Smith for the invention of telecommunications opt ical fibres and CCD image sensors.\n \nThe lecture will be on Thursday 3rd December at 6pm in Lecture Theatre A (building 46)\, with refreshments befo rehand in the Seminar Room on level 5.\n \nWe're delighted that this year's lecture will be given by\n \nProf David Payne\, CBE FRS FREng\nDirector of the Optoelectronics Research Centre\, and\nDr David Smith\nReader in the S chool of Physics & Astronomy. DTEND:20091203T190000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091203T180000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Nobel Lecture 2009 UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_861759730@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Cold atoms presented by Ed Hinds from Imperial College\, London \n\nDetails to be confirmed.\n\n"Programme online":http://www.phys.soton.ac .uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091204T213000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091204T203000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Cold atoms UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_106911364@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For our final Friday afternoon colloquium of the year\, on 11th December\, we're delighted that Becky Parker of the Langton Star Centre an d some of her pupils from the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys will gi ve a presentation about 'LUCID (Langton Ultimate Cosmic-ray Intensity Detec tor) - putting a CERN detector in space and in schools'. The presentation i s based upon the Langton's astonishing show at the Royal Society Summer Sci ence Exhibition earlier this year\, which prompted several simultaneous sug gestions from here in Physics to enlist Becky and her team for an end-of-ye ar colloquium. This colloquium will be of very general interest\, and under graduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nThe Langton Star Centre at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys is working closely with CERN and Sur rey Satellite Technology Limited to put a new design of cosmic ray detector into space. This will be linked to an array of school detectors with the aim of giving students the opportunity to be involved in real physics resea rch when they are at school. The wealth of data expected will make use of the facilities of the GridPP. We are hoping that working in this way with CERN technology will enthuse students and encourage them to consider taking physics and engineering further.\n"Programme online":http://www.phys.soton .ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20091211T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20091211T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:LUCID UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_417708496@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For this afternoon's colloquium\, we're delighted that Matthias Weidemüller of the University of Heidelberg will talk about 'Rydberg aggre gates: interactions in an ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas \, and undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nDue to the lon g-range character of the interaction between highly excited atoms\, the dyn amics of an ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms is entirely determined by van-de r-Waals and dipole-dipole interactions. One outstanding property is the tun ability of the strength and the character of the interactions with static e lectric fields. This allows one to explore the transition from a weakly cou pled two-body system to a strongly coupled many-body system. The long-range interaction leads to many-body entanglement and has possible applications in quantum computing. In this talk\, Prof Weidemüller will first give a gen eral introduction into the field of Rydberg gases with special emphasis on our recent experiments.\nIn recent experiments\, the Heidelberg group has s tudied coherent phenomena in an ultracold gas of Rydberg atoms under the in fluence of dipolar interactions. The Rydberg gas is formed in in a magneto- optical trap via cw two-photon excitation of Rb atoms into states with prin cipal quantum number 30 to 100 using cw lasers at 780 nm and 480 nm. Recent results include coherent Rabi oscillations between ground and Rydberg stat es and the observation of the dipole blockade in a mesoscopic sample\, stim ulated rapid adiabatic passage with 90% transfer efficiency into Rydberg st ates\, and studies of the many-body character of resonant energy transfer p rocesses. These experiments reveal the role of interaction-induced mechanic al forces as well as the influence of black-body radiation on the many-part icle motional dynamics of the system. The latest experiments have revealed the antiblockade of excitation\, as the antipode of the dipole blockade\, a nd have explored coherent population trapping under the influence of long-r ange van-der-Waals forces.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/c olloquia/ DTEND:20100129T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100129T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Ultracold Gases UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_676693037@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For our next colloquium\, on Friday 5th February\, we're deligh ted that Hugh Hunt of the University of Cambridge will talk about 'Climate change and sustainable energy'. This colloquium will be of very general int erest\, and undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nIs climat e change for real? If so\, what can we do about it? What is my own carbon f ootprint? What can I do make a difference? These are the sorts of questions that are addressed in this talk. To answer them we need to do "sums" - jus t simple addition and multiplication is enough. We must reject solutions th at don't "add up" and we mustn't rule out possible solutions purely on emot ive grounds. Most people take sides before they've looked at the sums. Our future is in the balance and we're in danger of making the wrong choices.\n \nThis talk will draw on material from David MacKay's excellent book "Sust ainable energy without the hot air" (which is the recommended book for this semester's PHYS2015 'Energy and the environment').\n\nThis will be at 2.30 pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http ://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20100205T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100205T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Climate and Energy UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_380476199@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:This talk will be entitled "Micromechanical resonators" and be given by Markus Aspelmeyer from University of Vienna.\n\nFor our next collo quium\, on Friday 12th February\, we're delighted that Markus Aspelmeyer of the University of Vienna will talk about 'Quantum-Opto-Mechanics: quantum- optical control of nano- and micro-mechanical systems'. This colloquium wil l be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas\, and undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nNano- and microme chanical resonators are about to become a new paradigm system for quantum s cience. They combine features that allow unique approaches in both quantum foundations and quantum applications. For example\, their flexibility to co uple to a variety of physical systems (photons\, electrons\, atoms etc.) to gether with their on-chip integrability promises novel transducer schemes f or quantum information processing. At the same time\, their mass and size a llows access to a hitherto untested parameter regime of macroscopic quantum physics such as quantum superposition states involving objects that are vi sible to the bare eye.\n\nQuantum optics provides a well-developed toolbox to enter and control the quantum regime of mechanical systems. Prof Aspelme yer will briefly highlight the recent developments of the field and report the current status in his Vienna experiments on laser cooling micromechanic al resonators towards their quantum ground state and on strong optomechanic al coupling to achieve coherent quantum control. He will also discuss recen t progress towards generating optomechanical quantum entanglement\, which i s at the heart of Schrödinger’s cat paradox.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in t he seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http://www. phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20100219T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100219T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Micro-optomechanics UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_301804814@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For next week's colloquium\, on Friday 26th February\, we're de lighted that Raphael Levy of the University of Liverpool will talk about 'G old nanoparticles\, peptides and cells: the dynamic picture'. This colloqui um will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics ar eas. Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nThe dynamic inte ractions and fate of nanomaterials in contact with living systems is though t to be controlled by the structure and chemical properties of its interfac e. In most cases\, the interface is formed by a layer of organic molecules (polymers\, proteins or small molecules). This layer is itself dynamic and can evolve due to ligand exchange\, enzyme activity and non-specific bindin g. The layer encodes the specific recognition properties of the particle an d also often carries active moieties. It is therefore critical for the prog ress of the field that the chemical integrity of the layer and the fate of the core materials can be followed independently in real time.\n\nUsing a c ombination of photothermal (imaging of the core material) and fluorescence (imaging of the organic layer) the Liverpool group has shown that peptides and proteins attached to nanoparticles are degraded by the enzyme Cathepsin L upon cell entry (See et al\, ACS Nano\, 3\, 2461). This process is gener ic: Cathepsin L is ubiquitous and is able to cut a third of the proteome. S uch potential degradation has to be taken into account in the design of fut ure bioconjugated nanomaterials.\n\nThe degradation mentioned above occurs in the endosomal/lysosomal compartments of the cell. Finding intracellular delivery strategies which reach the cytosol and bypass these compartments i s of primary importance for applications of nanomaterials in imaging and na nomedicine. Dr Levy will present a range of approaches currently under inve stigation in our lab\, including the use of targeting peptides and permeabi lizing toxins.\n\nAnother major challenge in the field is the structural ch aracterization of nanomaterials. This challenge is similar to the one faced by biologists in the early days of structural biology. Dr Levy will report on recent progress on the structural characterization of peptide-capped na noparticles.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20100226T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100226T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Nanoscale biology UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_567944613@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For this week's colloquium\, on Friday 5th March\, we're deligh ted that Simon Hooker of the University of Oxford will talk about 'Laser-dr iven plasma accelerators'. This colloquium will be of very general interest \, and undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n\nElectrons are pushed away from the front and back of a high-intensity laser pulse as it p ropagates through a plasma\, leading to the formation of a plasma wave whic h trails the laser pulse. The longitudinal electric field within this wave can be as high as 100 GV/m ? more than three orders of magnitude larger tha n that found in the RF accelerators used at synchrotron and particle accele rator facilities around the world. Laser-driven plasma accelerators are the refore able to accelerate particles to high energies in a fraction of the l ength required with conventional technology\, and in the longer term may of fer a way to reach energies beyond those possible with current technology.\ n\nProf Hooker will describe the operation of laser-driven plasma accelerat ors and discuss the factors which limit the beam energy that they can reach . He will present the results of several experiments\, including recent exp eriments with the Astra-Gemini laser\, in which electron beams were generat ed with energies up to 1 GeV. He will also discuss the application of laser -driven plasma accelerators to the generation of tunable femtosecond-durati on x-ray pulses\, as well as their potential for reaching energies signific antly beyond the GeV range.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/ colloquia/ DTEND:20100305T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100305T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Laser-plasma accelerators UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_38944054@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:On Friday 12th March\, we're delighted that Almut Beige of the University of Leeds will talk about 'Energy concentration in composite quan tum systems'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in th e quantum/nano/photonics areas. Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most w elcome.\n \nThe spontaneous emission of photons from optical cavities and f rom trapped atoms has been studied extensively in the framework of quantum optics. Theoretical predictions based on the rotating wave approximation (R WA) are in general in very good agreement with experimental findings. Howev er\, current experiments aim at combining better and better cavities with l arge numbers of tightly confined atoms. Here we predict an energy concentra ting mechanism in the behavior of such a composite quantum system which can not be described by the RWA. Its result is the continuous leakage of photon s through the cavity mirrors\, even in the absence of external driving. We conclude with a discussion of the predicted phenomenon in the context of th ermodynamics.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterwards. "Programme online.":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20100312T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100312T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Energy in atom-cavities UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_506314367@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Our final colloquium of the term will be given by Alison Cooke of the University of Cambridge / Cooke Associates\, and follows the talk gi ven a few weeks ago by Hugh Hunt. Where Hugh was addressing the problems of energy consumption and sustainable sources\, Alison will discuss what's kn own as the '2050 roadmap'\, being developed by her colleague David Mackay i n his role as scientific advisor to the Department of the Environment and C limate Change - ie the options and preferred routes by which we can cut car bon emissions and reach a more sustainable balance of energy production and consumption. A working title for the talk is 'The 2050 roadmap to sustaina ble energy'\, but I'll let you have the final title and abstract as soon as I have it from Alison.\n \nThis talk\, like Hugh's\, will be of particular interest to those following our course PHYS2015 'Energy and the environmen t'.\n\nThis will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room\, Tea and cakes afterward s. "Programme online.":http://www.phys.soton.ac.uk/colloquia/ DTEND:20100319T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100319T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:2050 climate change roadmap UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_346922491@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For our first colloquium of the term (Friday 23rd April)\, we'r e delighted that Steve Mann of the University of Bristol will talk about 'S ynthesis\, emergence and new properties of hybrid nanoscale objects'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/phot onics areas. Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nOrganiz ed-matter chemistry is concerned with the synthesis\, characterization and application of complex materials that exhibit order on length scales from t he molecular to macroscopic. Recently\, new strategies have been developed for the integration of organic self-organization and inorganic assembly suc h that hybrid nanoscale objects and nanostructures can be constructed by eq uilibrium (bottom-up templating) or non-equilibrium processes (synergistic emergence). These principles will be illustrated using several examples of the Bristol group's most recent work including the co-assembly of block cop olymer/titania (silica) nanowires\, synthesis of metallic nanowires arrays within cross-linked protein crystals\, reconstitutive co-assembly of graphe ne/DNA nano-hybrids and the unprecedented formation of solventless liquid p roteins at room temperature. DTEND:20100423T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100423T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Synthesis\, emergence and new properties of hybrid nanoscale object s UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_820866028@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:For this week's colloquium (Friday May 7th)\, we're delighted t hat Neil Greenham of the University of Cambridge will talk about '*Plastic solar cells*'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in t he quantum/nano/photonics areas. Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nSolar energy is ubiquitous\, but for solar cells to contribute a significant reduction in carbon emissions they need to be cheaper than t he current silicon technology and capable of being produced over vast areas . Solar cells based on semiconducting polymers are therefore attractive si nce they can be produced by roll-to-roll printing onto flexible substrates. The efficiencies of these cells are improving rapidly\, but are still not high enough for large-scale application. Prof Greenham will describe some of the science surrounding organic solar cells\, addressing the issues of how to separate charges in an organic semiconductor\, how to reduce recombi nation losses\, and how to image and control nanostructures on the nanometr e lengthscales required. DTEND:20100507T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100507T163000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Plastic solar cells UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_990566110@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:We're delighted that our own Matt Coombes will talk about 'The first results from the LHC'. Matt is one of our own finalists\, and has jus t returned from spending a year at CERN as part of our prestigious 'Particl e Physics with a Research Year Abroad' programme. The colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas. Undergra duates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nWith the Large Hadron Collid er colliding particles at record energies since the end of 2009\, there has been a great interest from the world's media and scientists. This talk aim s to give a simple introduction to the exciting physics currently taking pl ace at the LHC. Each of the four main experiments on the LHC ring will be i ntroduced. The physics aims of each experiment will be discussed with a loo k at the new physics that may be observed at energy levels that only the LH C is capable of probing. A performance update of the LHC since its 2009 sta rt up will also be given. DTEND:20100514T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100514T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:First Results from the LHC UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_768104449@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:We're delighted that Kai Bongs of the University of Birmingham will talk about 'Quantum gases - quantum simulation and precision sensors'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nan o/photonics areas. Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nU ltracold atomic gases offer a pristine resource for the study of fundamenta l quantum phenomena as well as the realization of ultraprecise sensors. Thi s talk will present an introduction to cold atom physics and optical lattic es. Here the bosonic superfluid to Mott insulator transition is one groundb reaking example of the possibility to simulate one quantum system with anot her one. On the applied side the talk will discuss quantum sensors based on atom interferometry and some technological developments in the area of qua ntum gases in space. DTEND:20100521T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100521T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Quantum Gases UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_699451382@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:We're delighted that Charles Swithinbank of the Scott Polar Res earch Institute and British Antarctic Survey will talk about 'Sixty years o n ice'. This colloquium will be of very general interest\, and undergraduat es will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nCharles Swithinbank is the first person to have an unbroken career in polar research from graduation to ret irement. His first Antarctic expedition at the age of 22 led to an Oxford D .Phil in glaciology. He went on to work in Arctic Canada before enjoying 26 years with the Scott Polar Research Institute\, the British Antarctic Surv ey\, the U.S Antarctic Program and the Soviet Antarctic Expedition. He has voyaged to the North Pole in a submarine and has worked at the South Pole.\ n \nDr Swithinbank is the author of four volumes of autobiography. DTEND:20100528T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100528T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Sixty Years On Ice UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_208817498@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:The plague caused by the bacterium yersinia pestis is reckoned to have caused 200 million deaths since it was first recorded devastating t he Byzantine empire in the sixth century\, to have wiped out at least a qua rter of the population of Europe as the Black Death in medieval times\, and to have killed a fifth of London's population in the Great Plague of 1665- 6. Spread then by fleas as an infection of the lymph nodes (buboes\, hence bubonic)\, the plague can also infect the lungs and be spread directly from person to person through coughs and sneezes. Pneumonic plague is regarded as one of the most likely diseases to be used in a modern bioterrorism atta ck\, and its epidemiology is therefore keenly studied.\n \nDr Hall will dis cuss the nature of this unpleasant and often fatal disease\, how it is tran smitted\, its eco-epidemiology\, and the crucial part played\, when it occu rs in modern society\, by human perceptions and responses to it. He will ou tline some conclusions from epidemiological studies suggesting helpful stra tegies for managing any outbreaks\, and will describe the role of the Healt h Protection Agency and other agencies in planning for and management of su ch events. The talk will be lavishly illustrated.\n \nThe Microbial Risk As sessment group\, within the Health Protection Agency\, is tasked with provi ding evidence based advice relating to new and emerging infections. Plague\ , in its various forms\, is an endemic disease in parts of the world and is fatal in almost all untreated cases. As such it is a risk to public health and this presentation considers the effect of natural disease importation on wildlife ecology\, the impact of small numbers of human cases of pneumon ic plague and the control of larger releases. Whilst evaluating the control of larger releases we analyse the results from a behavioural survey on pub lic reaction to plague releases. The evidence base for assumptions and para meterisation of models when used to inform contingency plans must be critic ally appraised. DTEND:20100611T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100611T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Using mathematical models to plan for outbreaks of plague UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_102560404@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:We're delighted that Axel Kuhn of the University of Oxford will talk about 'Controlling and interfacing atoms and light'. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas . Undergraduates will\, as always\, be most welcome.\n \nIn the endeavour o f constructing a quantum computer\, a major challenge is to couple and cont rol a large ensemble of identical quantum systems at the single-particle le vel. In this colloquium\, Prof Kuhn will first show how to interface singl e atoms with single photons in high-finesse optical resonators\, and then i ntroduce his group's approach of manipulating these atoms with an array of optical tweezers. These two approaches are the keys to scalable quantum net works\, which one could use for quantum computing or simulation. DTEND:20100618T153000 DTSTAMP:20100906T092611 DTSTART:20100618T143000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:One at a time\, please! (or single atoms and single photons on dema nd) UID:2010-09-06T09:26:11-07:00_488884486@railgun64.29669 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR