Undergraduates

Inquiry@Queen's is seeking proposals for their 18th annual undergraduate conference.

Due date for proposals is Feb 9, 2024.

iatq@queensu.ca

I@Q website

Conference Information

Joyce Poon
Director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics,
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto

Abstract

Emerging applications, such as ultra-low energy optical interconnects, depth sensing, quantum computing, and biosensing rely on shorter wavelengths, in the visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) part of the spectrum (wavelength < 1100 nm), which can be addressed with silicon photonic technology that guide light in silicon nitride or aluminum oxide layers. I will review the development of silicon photonic technology for VIS and NIR light and discuss the opportunities and challenges.

Bio

Joyce Poon is a Director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto, and an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Technical University of Berlin.  She and her team specialize in integrated photonics on silicon.  Prof. Poon obtained the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Caltech in 2007. She currently served as a Director-at-Large for Optica from 2021 to 2023. She is an Optica Fellow and a Fellow of the IEEE.

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium.

Sarah Gallagher
Professor, Physics and Astronomy & Director, Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, Western University

Abstract

The Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and uv Research (CASTOR) is a proposed Canadian Space Agency (CSA) mission that would image the skies at ultraviolet (UV) and blue-optical wavelengths simultaneously. Operating close to its diffraction limit, the 1-m CASTOR telescope is designed with a spatial resolution similar to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), but with a field of view about one hundred times larger.  The exciting science enabled by the CASTOR suite of instruments and the planned legacy surveys encompasses small bodies in the Solar System, exoplanet atmospheres, cosmic explosions, supermassive black holes, galaxy evolution, and cosmology.  In addition, this survey mapping capability would add UV coverage to wide-field surveys planned for the Euclid and Roman telescopes and enhance the science return on these missions.  With a CSA-funded phase 0 study already complete, the CASTOR science case and engineering design is on track for a launch in 2030 pending continued funding.

Bio

Dr. Sarah  Gallagher is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and the Director of the multi-disciplinary Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University. As the first Science Advisor to the President of the Canadian Space Agency (2018-2022), she served as the liaison to the space science community and the Chief Science Advisor of Canada. Her research focuses on understanding the growth of supermassive black holes and the evolution of galaxies.  She is active in science policy and an advocate for creating a diverse and inclusive space science community.  She regularly talks to the public about astronomy and space, and is currently serving as the President of the Canadian Astronomical Society.

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium.

Art McDonald
Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair Emeritus
2015 Nobel Physics Laureate
Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen’s University

Abstract

Liquid argon has excellent properties for the detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPS) as candidates for Dark Matter. Gravitational effects of Dark Matter in our galaxy imply a significant density of WIMP particles if they form a significant fraction of the Dark Matter. It is possible to search for such particles causing nuclear recoils in large underground liquid argon detectors as we move through the galaxy. Interactions from gamma and beta rays can be strongly suppressed due to very different duration of the light emission from such background. A progression of detectors from DEAP to Darkside to ARGO will be discussed that will push the sensitivity for WIMPS by several orders of magnitude, to the point where the sensitivity is limited by background from atmospheric neutrino interactions.

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium.

Ré Mansbach
Assistant Professor of Physics
Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, CA

pronouns: they/them/iel ou il

Abstract

Physicists enjoy simplicity; there is a reason that the spherical cow in a vacuum is a running joke. And simplicity can be very important in making progress on complex problems. If there is some way to reduce the number of considerations in a problem from thousands even to hundreds, it is often a much easier problem to solve. But how do you know what's important? There is no one single, straight answer. I will talk today about some of the tactics I take towards problems—in my science, in my career, and in my mental health. I will introduce you to techniques such as multi-scale molecular dynamics simulations, deep learning, and dimensionality reduction, in the context of one of my lab's major areas: the design of small proteins (antimicrobial peptides or AMPs) that can destroy bacteria. I will also describe some of our early results in probing and describing search spaces for AMPs and assessing the molecular properties of an unusual beta-sheet-forming AMP. Along the way, I will describe my own career trajectory and some advice I have for younger scientists from all backgrounds (but spoilers! my favorite piece of advice is to ignore any advice that isn't right for you.)

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium