Astrophysics Research Group Evolution of Galaxies, Neutron Stars
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Prof. Haggard's group RESEARCH IN Professor Prof. Tracy Webb’s investigates the extreme Cynthia research focuses in PHYSICS endpoints for matter in the Chiang’s foundation & universe: black holes and Astrophysics research group evolution of galaxies, neutron stars. Her team is focuses on using some of the McGill’s Astrophysics group works at pursuing intensive, observational world’s most the front of major astrophysical multiwavelength studies of the cosmology to powerful telescopes. research areas. supermassive black hole at the This is a fascinating time in piece together heart of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*, and searches for astrophysics, with new observational the history of our universe & the Prof. Jon electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave capabilities offering a more detailed physical processes that govern it. Sievers is sources discovered by the LIGO-Virgo Observatories. view of the universe and its Her team specializes in the design, developing constituents than ever before. construction, & fielding of custom analysis Recipient of the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in instrumentation, as well as data techniques for Fundamental Physics with the Event Horion Telescope analysis for these experiments. upcoming large Collaboration, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, Canada cosmological Research Chair in Multi-messenger Astrophysics surveys, including surveys of the cosmic microwave background and Prof. Vicky the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen. Kaspi’s research currently Prof. Adrian Liu centres on the Prof. Matt Dobbs’ leads a hands-on new CHIME CIFAR Azrieli Prof. Robert Rutledge’s group is experimentalist group designing, Global Scholar, telescope, & primarily interested in measuring the building, & using observational Sloan Research Fast Radio size of neutron stars through x-ray cosmology to better understand the Fellow, William Bursts (FRBs); observation, which provides direct origin, fate, and composition of the Dawson Scholar working to understand CHIME/FRB discoveries & their measurements of strong-force physics. universe. implications for the nature of FRBs. Kaspi also pursues Prof. Liu’s group her long-term interest in neutron stars, using both focuses on CHIME and other radio and X-ray telescopes to study connections between theory, data pulsars - rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron analysis, and observation in 21cm stars. Prof. Cumming’s group takes a cosmology to shed light on Cosmic theoretical approach to study neutron Dawn—the period when first- She is the first woman & one of the youngest stars, such as thermo-nuclear burning, generation stars and galaxies were researchers ever win the Herzberg Canada Gold Medal Prof. Nicolas magnetic field evolution, & properties of formed. in 2016. dense matter, as well as the formation Cowan’s of exoplanets. Group focuses on characterizations Prof. Ken Ragan is Prof. Eve Lee's group of the surfaces & also a VERITAS focuses on theoretical atmospheres of member and studies of exoplanets, focuses on particle , to understand monitoring how astrophysics, the origin of diversity in observing exoplanetary systems. their brightness & color change with Prof. David Hanna is a member of Specific topics include the origin of time. the VERITAS collaboration & uses astrophysical planetary atmospheres, the orbital gamma ray observation to search sources of high architecture of planetary systems, star- Member of the scientific committee for signals produced by annihilation energy gamma rays, allowing him and his group to disk-planet interactions, and the for the James Webb Space Telescope of dark matter particles in the study sources of black hole driven galaxies, supernova dynamics of debris disks. and the Ariel Mission. centers of dwarf galaxies. remnants, pulsar-wind nebulae, and microquasars. RESEARCH IN EXPERIMENTAL BOPHYSICS PHYSICS Prof. Walter McGill Physics is growing a strong Biophysics Reisner’s and highly collaborative biophysics bionanofluidic Due to its complexity, we know far lab explores research community, including 5 more about the inner working of stars than we do about a cell. how complex in-Department and several out-of- Biophysics attempts to characterize Velocity map of retrograde submicron Department members. Their active complex networks that govern the transport of alpha-actinin/EGFP in a essential cellular processes like the mouse fibroplast cell. Measured bu nanotopographies embedded in a research programs are seeking ability to sense, transmit, & generate STICS analysis. confined slit-like nanochannel can be highly motivated graduate students signals. used to perform manipulations of single biopolymers, such as DNA, in and researchers. solution. THEORETICAL BIOPHYSICS DNA and Beads Prof. Paul Francois The image below depicts a bead optically trapped inside a nanochannel with an extended DNA Prof. Wiseman’s lab molecule. The DNA is driven against the bead at a fixed sliding speed V. is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in cellular adhesion & Multi-colour fluorescence excitation systems use lasers of how cells dynamically different wavelengths to simultaneously image different regulate adhesion molecular species. receptors to control cellular migration. Students and postdoctoral researchers trained in this Awarded in 2015 with one of the three environment gain quantitative and interdisciplinary skills, McGill Principal’s Prizes for Outstanding Emerging Researchers. and can come from biological or physics backgrounds. Our biophysics research programs offer students and How does an immune cell postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to gain recognize antigens? How does an expertise in state-of-the-art two-photon and nonlinear Visualizing dynamics and interactions embryo develop? Prof. Francois’ between biomolecules (e.g. protein, Prof. microscopy, image correlation spectroscopy and other group develop physics-inspired DNA) with single-molecule resolution Leslie’s lab fluctuation-based methods, direct tracking in live cell mathematical tools to understand allows for the biophysical mechanisms aims to methods, confocal microscopy, computational biology, these dynamics, as well as those underlying life preserving processes address lasers and optical trapping, atomic force microscopy, related to evolution tackling such as DNA transcription and repair unanswered protein-engineering, signal transduction, gene expression, to be newly uncovered and understood. questions questions such as: Is Darwinian neurophysiology, micro/nanofluidic bioanalysis device evolution similar to energy The collaborative effort between Leslie about & Wiseman and collaborators in the fabrication, nanoparticle labels, and total internal minimization of physics? If so, molecular transport in complex Department of Chemistry, opens the refection and fluorescence resonance energy transfer can we predict what networks biophysical environments. The door to creating ultra-sensitive microscopies. can evolve? biomedical diagnostics (e.g. of group is fascinated by how molecules move about & perform biomarkers that indicate cancer onset). myriad functions. RESEARCH IN THEORY Prof. Kartiek Agarwal’s group PHYSICS Materials conducts research on strongly Prof. Nikolas Provatas’ group correlated quantum systems, Condensed Matter ports over ideas & with a focus on their non- knowledge from McGill’s condensed matter physics microscopic scales equilibrium properties. researchers focus on the on which material synthesis, physical properties, and properties are characterization, theory and large- typically realized in scale modeling of novel materials. particular applications; models developed can thus be used in materials engineering. Member of Calcul McGill Physics Computational Materials Science Quebec’s Scientific Council. Group Prof. Martin Grant’s group The investigates universal phenomena in Meissner EXPERIMENT far more effect - New discoveries are equilibrium levitation Quantum Optics and Sensing systems by of a constantly made in nonlinear magnet Prof. Lily Childress’ research condensed matter analysis, using the largest above a group uses techiniques developed systems be it in the form computers in magnetic in quantum optics and atomic Canada. field repelling superconductor. physics to understand and of new materials, such as control th equantum states of Prof. Hong Guo’s group is focused on defect centres in crystalline graphene or magnetic two main areas: hosts, while exploring their superconductors, new quantum electronic potential application in quntum information science and transport theory and metrology. quantum phases, such as modeling in nanoelectronics, and strongly correlated materials physics of 1Cavity photons coupled to the nanotec hnology. MAGNETISM & drumhead motion of systems or topological SUPERCONDUCTIVITY a 50-nanometer-thick Prof. William Coish’s group studies phases, new frontiers membrane the quantum properties of nanoscale Prof. Tami Pereg-Barnea’s such as Terahertz or condensed matter systems, & how to group focuses on condensed use these systems matter systems with unusual Prof. Jack Sankey’s team is nanoscience, new for quantum properties often related to interested in creating new types of information light-actuated mechanical sensors paradigms, such as exotic/topological order or processing. operating near (or below!) the strong interactions. More standard quantum limit. We are quantum computing or specifically studying topological insulators, topological also part of collaborative efforts to the mechanics of light. superconductors,