2014 Winter Conferences
*
Denotes physicist in charge of diversity
Condensed
Matter Physics I
January 5 - 11, 2014
Unconventional Order in
Strongly Correlated Electron Systems
Organizers:
Elihu Abrahams, UCLA
Sudip Chakravarty, UCLA
*Steven Kivelson, Stanford
Strongly interacting
quantum systems exhibit an astonishing
variety of emergent behaviors, the study
of which has long been central to many
branches of physics and materials science.
In recent years, many of the most
intensive studies have been motivated by
the discovery of various materials, which
exhibit unconventional superconductivity,
along with a variety of electronic phases
with unusual broken symmetries, and/or
behavior beyond the expectations of
conventional Fermi-liquid theory. The
problems involved are deep and important.
The reasons for designing a workshop in
this general area are to assess the
progress made in the past year or two and
to search for promising new directions.
This conference will focus on recent
advances in the understanding of
unconventional forms of electronic order
both superconducting and
non-superconducting.
For more information, please
click here.
Condensed
Matter Physics II
January 12 - 18, 2014
Beyond Quasiparticles:
New Paradigms for Quantum Fluids
Organizers:
Olexei Motrunich, Caltech
Satoru Nakatsuji, University of Tokyo
Senthil Todadri, MIT
The quasiparticle concept
underlies textbook descriptions of
many-body physics. Modern condensed matter
physics has, however, increasingly
commonly unearthed situations where the
low-energy physics defies a description in
terms of elementary quasiparticle
excitations. Striking examples are various
metals where the standard Fermi-liquid
theory breaks down. Other examples are
novel phases of magnetic matter where the
spins form a gapless, fluid-like state
with no elementary excitations. Developing
ideas and methods to address such states
of matter is one of the most fundamental
problems in modern quantum many-body
physics. This conference will be on recent
progress in a number of diverse
experimental and theoretical directions on
this grand challenge in the field.
For more information, please click here.
Particle Physics
January 18 - 24, 2014
Frontiers in Particle
Physics: From Dark Matter to the LHC and
Beyond
Organizers:
Kyle Cranmer, NYU
Kalanand Mishra, Fermilab
Michele Papucci, LBNL
*Tomer Volansky, Tel Aviv University
Jure Zupan, University of Cincinnati
With the recent discovery
of the Higgs particle, this workshop will
be devoted to the status of our
understanding of the Electroweak symmetry
breaking and related topics. Particular
emphasis will be given to the many
possible mechanisms that may be realized
in nature, and how these can be tested in
the near future. The workshop will provide
a broad overview of the latest results in
particle physics, bringing together
experimental and theoretical particle
physicists. Additional topics will
include: indirect and direct dark matter
searches, SUSY searches, top quark
physics, exotic phenomena, flavor physics
and improved understanding of standard
model processes. An important aspect of
the workshop is to provide a look into the
future, from the experimental viewpoint,
as well as the the theoretical one.
For more information, please click here.
Biophysics
January 27 - February 1, 2014
Active Fluids: Bridging
Complex Fluids and Biofluids
Organizers:
Arezoo Ardekani, University of Notre Dame
Eric Lauga, University of Cambridge
Yuriko Renardy, Virginia Tech
David Saintillan, University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign
Jun Zhang, New York University and Courant
Institute
Active fluids encompass
many branches of physics, mathematics, and
engineering, including fluid mechanics,
hard and soft condensed matter physics,
polymer physics and engineering,
biophysics, continuum mechanics, complex
fluids, and biologically inspired
engineering. This conference will foster
cross-fertilization of ideas among
researchers with an interest in the areas
of complex and non-Newtonian fluids on one
hand, and biological fluids on the other,
within the common theme of active fluids.
The schedule consists of informal in-depth
lectures and discussions, with a large
number of contributed oral and poster
presentations. The scope includes but is
not restricted to:
- How to model active fluids?
- How to experimentally capture the
range of time and length scales in
prototypical active fluids?
- How to adapt these techniques to the
study of active matter which typically
requires resolution at both the nano
scale and at the continuum level?
For more information, please click here.
Astrophysics
February 2 - 7, 2014
Unveiling The Formation
of Massive Galaxies - Theoretical and
Observational Challenges
Organizers:
Maruŝa Bradač, UC Davis
Charlie Conroy, UC Santa Cruz
Richard Ellis, Caltech
*Oleg Gnedin, University of Michigan
Andrey Kravtsov, University of Chicago
Crystal Martin, UC Santa Barbara
*Thorsten Naab, Max-Planck-Institute for
Astrophysics
Debora Sijaki, Cambridge, UK
Patricia Tissera, IAFE-CONICET, Argentina
Tommaso Treu, UC Santa Barbara
Alexey Vikhlinin, CfA Harvard University
Simon White, Max-Planck-Institute for
Astrophysics
During the last several
years traditional theories on the origin
of most massive galaxies have been
challenged by recent discoveries. Once
imagined to be simple systems with old
stellar populations, these galaxies are
now holding clues to rapid structural
evolution, violent galaxy cannibalism,
most massive black holes in the universe,
giant stellar clusters, environmental
factors shaping the initial mass function
of stars, and even properties of dark
matter. These galaxies are thought to
reside deep at the bottom of the potential
wells of massive dark matter halos, hosts
to galaxy groups and clusters, and provide
a unique window into processes that
operate at all redshifts in some of the
densest regions of the universe. From a
string of recent discoveries a new story
is emerging, a story of rich and complex
evolutionary paths that lead to present
day massive galaxies. This new story
defies old pre-conceptions, drives
progress in our understanding, and poses
new challenges for simulations. This Aspen
Winter Conference will synthesize the
latest theoretical and observational
developments and discuss strategies for
future surveys and numerical modeling.
For more information, please click here.
Quantum
Computations
March 9 - 14, 2014
Advances in Quantum
Algorithms and Computation
Organizers:
Adam Harrow, MIT
*Krysta Svore, Microsoft Research
Matthias Troyer, ETH Zurich
This conference
highlights topics at the forefront of
quantum computing and underlines the need
to foster collaboration and the exchange
of ideas among scientists in order to
further the possibility of breakthroughs
in quantum algorithms.
With the latest advances in quantum
devices and quantum algorithms, it is an
opportune time to discuss the current
challenges and the possibility of
breakthrough killer applications for a
quantum computer beyond factoring. The
primary goal of this winter conference is
to bring together experts from a rich
diversity of backgrounds to further the
prospect of revolutions in quantum
algorithms, and to discuss the key
challenges in developing new techniques
for solving computational problems on a
quantum computer.
Quantum algorithms take advantage of
methods founded on the laws of quantum
physics and promise computational
speed-ups over classical methods. Most
quantum algorithms draw from a small
number of techniques, such as amplitude
amplification, quantum annealing, and
quantum phase estimation, and offer fast
solutions to problems in a variety of
fields including number theory, database
search, physical simulation, chemistry and
physics.
The conference will highlight topics at
the forefront of quantum computing and
breakthroughs in quantum algorithms.
Specific topics to be covered at the
conference include:
- Adiabatic Quantum Optimization and
Quantum Annealing
- Quantum Walks
- Quantum Algorithms in the Quantum
Circuit Model
- Quantum Query Models
- Quantum Simulation of Physical Systems
- Classical Methods for Simulation of
Quantum Algorithms
- Quantum Fault Tolerance and Error
Correction
The conference will consist of invited talks
and poster submissions. Some poster
submissions may be considered for
contributed talks.
Interdisciplinary
Physics
March 16 - 22, 2014
New Perspectives on
Thermalization: Condensed Matter, Quantum
Information, QCD and String Theory
Organizers:
Vijay Balasubramanian, University of
Pennsylvania
Matthew Hastings, UC Santa Barbara,
Microsoft Station Q
Patrick Hayden, McGill University,
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical
Physics
The approach to thermal
equilibrium is filled with subtleties.
Remarkable new insights into this process
are being made at the boundaries between
condensed matter, quantum information,
particle physics, statistical physics and
string theory. This conference will bring
together leading researchers from each of
these fields to share their insights and
learn from each other. The conference will
address new and old challenging questions
about the relaxation to equilibrium,
including:
- To what extent can the formal
understanding of entangled equilibrium
from quantum information be given a
dynamical underpinning using techniques
from condensed matter and string theory?
- Can typicality help explain rapid
thermalization in strongly coupled field
theories, including QCD?
- Can cold atoms be used to simulate the
approach to equilibrium in holographic
thermalization?
- Are there firewalls at black hole
event horizons? The recent controversy
surrounding this issue illustrates our
continued inability to carefully
understand the structure of the
quasi-thermal entanglement generated
during black hole evaporation.
