Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2021 Annual Meeting of the APS Four Corners Section
Volume 66, Number 11
Friday–Saturday, October 8–9, 2021; Virtual; Mountain Daylight Time
Session A01: Plenary I |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Astrid Morreale, Los Alamos National Laboratory |
Friday, October 8, 2021 9:00AM - 9:15AM |
A01.00001: Welcome Invited Speaker: Alysia Marino Welcome to the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Four Corners Section of the American Physical Society. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 8, 2021 9:15AM - 9:45AM |
A01.00002: The modes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses: What we know now, and how to protect ourselves Invited Speaker: Jose Jimenez The modes of transmission of COVID 19 have been the subject of intense controversy. Overwhelming evidence supports that COVID 19 transmission is mostly airborne: some infected people (those with high viral load) exhale little balls of respiratory fluid and saliva that contain the virus (``respiratory aerosols''), that float in the air like an invisible smoke, following air currents. Aerosols infect when we inhale them, and easily explain substantial transmission in close proximity, superspreading events, and why transmission indoors is far larger than outdoors. Surface transmission is difficult, and not a single case of surface transmission has been demonstrated. A small fraction may go through ballistic ``WHO'' droplets, mostly important when an infected person coughs or sneezes on someone's else face. The causes of the WHO's extreme resistance to aerosol transmission are rooted in a century of denial of airborne transmission, since the work of American public health luminary Charles V. Chapin in 1910. I will present some ideas about how to protect ourselves better from COVID 19 in the coming months and also from other respiratory diseases, focusing on the ones that appear to be underappreciated: (1) the use of visible CO2 monitors in all public spaces where we share air with others; (2) the critical importance of mask fit; and (3) the types of air cleaners, of which some are very useful (filters and UV) and others are likely or certainly dangerous (those based on chemistry such as ions, plasmas, and hydroxyls, or those based on spraying chemicals in the air). Resources include: Lancet: \underline {https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00869-2}; Science 1: \underline {https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6543/689}; Science 2: \underline {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abd9149}; Scientist's frequently asked questions: \underline {http://tinyurl.com/faqs-aerosol}; Presentation slides: \underline {http://Bit.ly/COVID-Aerosols3}; Estimator of COVID-19 transmission: \underline {http://tinyurl.com/covid-estimator}; Twitter: http://twitter.com/jljcolorado [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, October 8, 2021 9:45AM - 10:15AM |
A01.00003: The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument: Exploring Dark Energy, Dark Matter and the Cosmos Invited Speaker: Arjun Dey Astronomical observations provide one of the best ways of improving our understanding of two key mysteries: the nature of dark energy and dark matter. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) project will, over the course of its 5-year mission, measure the redshifts of approximately 40 million astronomical sources, provide detailed measurements of the expansion history of the universe, and deliver sub-percent precision constraints on the equation of state of dark energy. Since DESI is carrying out the largest spectroscopic survey of the universe ever undertaken, its dataset will additionally bear on many key areas in astrophysics. I will present the status of the experiment, describe its current mission, its impact on astrophysics and cosmology, and its possible future roles in expanding our understanding of cosmology and dark matter. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700