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Inside the Perimeter Is Published by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics the Perimeter spring/summer 2015 Convergence: Special Supplement Turbulent Black Holes Beautiful Entanglement Why Do Eggs Spin Up? Editor Graphic Design Natasha Waxman Gabriela Secara [email protected] Photo Credits Contributing Authors Tenille Bonoguore Tenille Bonoguore Avery Broderick Erin Bow ESO Colin Hunter Liz Goheen Neil Turok Lance Hayashida Natasha Waxman istockphoto John D. & Catherine T. Copy Editors MacArthur Foundation Tenille Bonoguore Magnus Manske Mike Brown Brian Meech Colin Hunter NASA Angela Robinson Friedrun Reinhold Natasha Waxman Gabriela Secara Sonya Zikic Inside the Perimeter is published by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. www.perimeterinstitute.ca To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada p: 519.569.7600 f: 519.569.7611 02 IN THIS ISSUE 04/ Particles 06/ Turbulent Black Holes, Erin Bow 08/ Symmetry in Motion, Tenille Bonoguore 10/ A Gravitational Atom in the Sky, Colin Hunter 12/ Ephemera, Tenille Bonoguore 14/ The Quantum Distillery, Erin Bow 17/ Hunting for Dark Matter with Atomic Clocks, Erin Bow 18/ New Chair Supports Rising Star, Colin Hunter 19/ Convergence 19/ Neil’s Notes 21/ Immanuel Bloch 22/ Aitor Lewkowycz 23/ David “Doddy” Marsh 24/ Nergis Mavalvala 25/ John Preskill 26/ Sara Seager 27/ Maria Spiropulu 28/ Converging Streams: Art and Science, Colin Hunter 31/ Speaking to the Future, Erin Bow 32/ Shining Light on Black Holes: A Conversation with Avery Broderick, Colin Hunter 34/ Conferences 36/ Bigger, Older, and Stranger Than Ever, Colin Hunter 38/ Science for All: Highlights from Perimeter’s 2014/15 Public Lecture Season 41/ Beautiful Entanglement: The Quantum Symphony 42/ Thanks to Our Supporters 44/ Expanding Minds, Expanding Universe 45/ From the Black Hole Bistro, Erin Bow 46/ PI Kids are Asking, Erin Bow 03 particles Pedro Vieira Garners Sloan Fellowship and Gribov Medal It’s been a good year for faculty member dimensions – is the toughest and most Pedro Vieira. In February, he won a long-standing set of problems in the field. Sloan Research Fellowship. The early- Vieira has used a mathematical technique career researchers who win Sloans are called holography to translate questions widely viewed as people to keep an eye about four-dimensional field theories into on, and with good reason: 42 have questions about two-dimensional string gone on to win Nobel Prizes. theories. That makes it possible for him In April, Vieira was awarded the to tackle the questions through the use 2015 Gribov Medal, which honours of integrability, a powerful mathematical outstanding work in theoretical particle technique for exactly solving two- physics or field theory by a physicist dimensional theories. Holography then under 35 years old. The prestigious allows him to relate the solution back to award is presented once every two years four dimensions. by the European Physical Society. Following the flow of ideas up and down Perimeter Faculty Chair Robert Myers the dimensions and through different commented, “Pedro has a rare theoretical lenses is tremendously combination of mathematical talent challenging, but it is paying off scientifically. and physical intuition, and he is doing Vieira and his collaborators have opened remarkable work. We are delighted to field theory are either not exact – they are a path to a richer conceptual and practical see him recognized for it.” arrived at by making and improving upon understanding of quantum field theory – Vieira is on a quest to find exact estimations – or are in two dimensions, the language in which particle physics, solutions in four-dimensional quantum where our real world has four. Changing condensed matter physics, and much of field theory. Most solutions in quantum that – finding exact solutions in four cosmology is written. Nine Primed for Discovery able to do in its first 15 years – become unimaginative or hesitant,” said the The Natural Sciences and Engineering one of the top centres for theoretical Canadian astronaut. “We got here by Research Council (NSERC) has physics in the world – is an incredible being driven and restless and hungry awarded nine Discovery Grants to accomplishment. I think Perimeter about ideas, and we tried to build Perimeter researchers this year. Faculty Institute presents a great opportunity for structures that allowed the brightest members Niayesh Afshordi, Asimina the Region of Waterloo, for the Province among us to solve problems in new Arvanitaki, Alex Buchel, Cliff Burgess, of Ontario, and for Canada as a whole. ways. Go to Silicon Valley, or go to the Philip Schuster, Lee Smolin, Pedro I’m very happy to be a part of it.” Perimeter Institute, or go to UBC and Vieira, Itay Yavin, and PI teaching TRIUMF, or walk over to General Fusion – Fellow David Kubiznak secured grants From ISSYP we’ve set up a structure that allows totalling $2.36 million. people to take thought and invention to to Astrophysics a level that’s never been seen before.” Perimeter is always happy to see the Michael Horgan Joins alumni of its International Summer School for Young Physicists go far. Perimeter Board of Directors Case in point: Henry Lin, who was just named one of the Forbes 30 under 30 in science. Lin, who is 19 and an undergraduate at Harvard, has published three first-authored papers on astrophysics. Among his findings: how to find rocky asteroids that orbit white dwarfs; and how to detect potential industrial pollution in the atmosphere of Earth-like planets in other solar systems. What they’re saying on the hill: Out of this World “The Perimeter Institute is widely Michael Horgan, Senior Advisor with Endorsement seen as the world’s foremost centre Bennett Jones LLP and Canada’s Commander Chris Hadfield, no stranger for theoretical physics, an anchor former Deputy Finance Minister, joined to exploration, recently commented institution for Waterloo’s Perimeter’s Board of Directors in May. on our shared quest to expand human growing Quantum Valley.” “I really like Perimeter’s vision,” said knowledge. “We didn’t get to where - The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister Horgan. “What the Institute’s been we are by being lackadaisical or of State for Science and Technology 04 Physics, Centre Stage Perimeter Welcomes Infinity, a new play about a theoretical New Distinguished Chair physicist, recently finished a sold-out Yan Soibelman (Kansas State University), world premiere run at Toronto’s Tarragon a mathematician and pioneer in the Theatre. Perimeter’s own Lee Smolin was theory of quantum groups, recently the consulting physicist to playwright joined Perimeter as our newest Hannah Moscovitch. Moscovitch found Distinguished Visiting Research Chair Smolin after reading his book Time (DVRC). Perimeter’s DVRCs are eminent Reborn, which argues that, contrary to scientists who make the Institute their prevailing physics wisdom, time is real second research home, spending and fundamental to the universe and its extended periods at Perimeter while laws. The two worked closely: Smolin retaining permanent positions at their wrote an eight-page backstory for the home institutions. Condensed matter physicist-protagonist, giving him a series researcher Ashvin Vishwanath (Berkeley) of purely fictional scientific discoveries to and quantum gravity expert Renate Loll shape his career. (Radboud University) recently renewed Quantum cars you say? their DVRC terms through 2017 and Takeshi Uchiyamada, the global chair 2018, respectively. of the Toyota Motor Corporation, visits Perimeter and examines a prototype quantum circuit held by Perimeter Perimeter Researchers Associate Faculty member Raymond Win Buchalter Prizes Laflamme. Ray Tanguay, then-Chairman Perimeter Faculty member Lee Smolin of Toyota Canada, looks on. Toyota and his collaborator Marina Cortês Motor Manufacturing Canada is a (University of Edinburgh) were awarded supporter of the International Summer the inaugural Buchalter Cosmology Prize School for Young Physicists. at the 225th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, What’s Growing in Washington. The pair was honoured for foundational work on causality and Quantum Valley? time. Two additional Perimeter scientists, Newly appointed NSERC President Luis Lehner and Matthew Johnson, were Mario Pinto (centre) visits Perimeter with among the winners of the third place COO Michael Duschenes (left) and Buchalter Prize. Their groundbreaking Faculty Chair Robert Myers (right). work on detecting possible collisions between “bubble” universes was featured in the Fall 2014 issue of Inside Stephen Hawking Centre the Perimeter. Awarded LEED Silver The Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Big Grants Institute has been awarded Leadership for Big Questions in Energy and Environmental Design The long-horizon research conducted (LEED) Silver status. Opened in 2011, at Perimeter sometimes requires equally the Hawking Centre, which was partly far-sighted support from scientific funded through a Canada Foundation foundations. A trio of such grants came for Innovation (CFI) grant, was designed in recently. Guifre Vidal is a member by Toronto-based Teeple Architects, of a large, multidisciplinary group of who consulted with scientists to design a scientists developing new ways to solve space to inspire and support great work. the quantum mechanical behaviour of Perimeter Institute Founder and Board In 2012, the building was awarded the systems comprised of many interacting Design Excellence Award from the Ontario Chair Mike Lazaridis recently hosted electrons.
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