Bulletin of the American Physical Society
20th Annual Meeting of the APS Northwest Section
Volume 64, Number 9
Thursday–Saturday, May 16–18, 2019; Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Session F1: Plenary Session II |
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Chair: Jeffrey McGuirk, Simon Fraser University Room: Communications Facility 115 |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 8:20AM - 8:30AM |
F1.00001: Announcements |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 8:30AM - 9:05AM |
F1.00002: Size Matters: Crystals, clouds, climate Invited Speaker: Ann-Lise Norman Transformation from gas to liquid or solid phase affect the scale at which fog, clouds and precipitation occur and ultimately lead to variability in both weather and climate. Dynamics that affect sea to air transfer, gas to aerosol conversion, and particle growth take place across scales that span from nanometers to global scales and minutes to decades. Capturing these processes at appropriate scales is key to determining when and where extremes in meteorological events take place. Ultimately, over large enough time and spatial scales it’s important to where persistent precipitation occurs affecting surface albedo as well as cloud reflectivity and height which in turn affect climate. This is the enormous challenge facing climate research attempting to foresee what weather will occur and where, so that society and agricultural production can adapt to changing climate conditions at scales that are relevant to policymakers. An overview of the important processes leading to cloud and precipitation properties and attempts to incorporate this information into relevant models will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 9:05AM - 9:40AM |
F1.00003: Balloon Borne Eclipse Observations Invited Speaker: Angela Des Jardins High altitude balloon platforms provide opportunities for unique total solar eclipse (TSE) space science and atmospheric observations. Until recently, however, the coordination of such observations has been limited. One source of coordination difficulty has been logistics -- changing flight paths, need for large ground teams, need for lightweight technology, dealing with federal and international regulations, and much more. The special opportunity of a TSE sailing right through the US in 2017 provided an irresistible chance to face these logistical hurdles head-on. Aided by NASA and Space Grant networks, our Montana BOREALIS group was able to leverage 60 teams of faculty and students to make unprecedented observations surrounding the August 21, 2017 TSE. In this talk, I will briefly review the challenges, lessons learned, and science results of the 2017 eclipse. Then I will describe our 2019 effort -- sending a single team to conduct an atmospheric science campaign in collaboration with the NSF Andes Lidar Observatory in Chile. Finally, I will explain our longer range plans, calling for potential collaborations and observation technique ideas for 2024. In particular, there is a possibility that NASA will conduct a large balloon flight that will intersect the 2024 path of totality, providing a platform for larger payloads. I will describe the case I'm building for flying an InGaAs short-wave infrared (SWIR) capable of observing a bright coronal line not visible from the ground due to atmospheric absorption. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 9:40AM - 10:15AM |
F1.00004: Quantum information processing with trapped atomic ions Invited Speaker: David Wineland Research on precise control of quantum systems occurs in many laboratories, for fundamental research, precise standards, new measurement techniques, and more recently for Quantum Information Processing (QIP). I will briefly describe efforts to use trapped atomic ions for QIP; this is just one possible physical platform among several that are intensely studied around the world. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 10:15AM - 10:45AM |
F1.00005: Break |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 10:45AM - 11:20AM |
F1.00006: Reducing dissipation in far-from-equilibrium biomolecular processes Invited Speaker: David Sivak Cells must operate far from equilibrium, utilizing and dissipating energy continuously to maintain their organization and to avoid stasis and death. However, they must also avoid unnecessary waste of energy. Recent studies have revealed that molecular machines are extremely efficient thermodynamically when compared to their macroscopic counterparts. How- ever, the principles governing the efficient out-of-equilibrium operation of molecular machines remain a mystery. A theoretical framework has been recently formulated in which a generalized friction coefficient quantifies the energetic efficiency in nonequilibrium processes. Moreover, it posits that to minimize energy dissipation, external control should drive the system along the reaction coordinate with a speed inversely proportional to the square root of that friction coefficient. Here, we demonstrate the utility of this theory for designing and understanding energetically efficient non-equilibrium processes through the unfolding and folding of single DNA hairpins. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 18, 2019 11:20AM - 11:55AM |
F1.00007: Alternative Careers in Physics: Patent Law Invited Speaker: Dario Machleidt Dario Machleidt, an attorney with the law firm Kilpatrick Townsend {\&} Stockton LLP, will discuss the unique path he took after receiving his physics degree: patent law.~ Mr. Machleidt will explain his career trajectory, beginning with the switch he made from physics to law, and how his physics background has helped him throughout a 10-year career that includes an appearance before the United States Supreme Court in a closely watched patent case and, more recently, being part of a team that achieved a verdict in excess of {\$}20 million.~ The presentation will include an overview of what it is like to practice patent law---as a litigator (a lawyer who handles disputes about patent matters), a prosecutor (a lawyer who helps inventors turn their ideas into patents), and a patent agent/scientific advisor (roles that entail similar work as a prosecutor but avoid the need to go to law school).~ Consider attending this presentation if you are interested in learning about an exciting and challenging alternative career that you can pursue with your physics degree. [Preview Abstract] |
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