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Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy
 

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This is a superlist combining all those seminars on talks.cam taking place in one of the Departments of the School of Physical sciences, plus occasional other talks which would be of significant interest to researchers in the School. If you would like your talk or list included please contact Duncan (drs45)
URL: http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/6793
Updated: 45 min 12 sec ago

Mon 31 Mar 16:00: Title TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 18:30
Title TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Mon 24 Mar 16:00: Title TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 18:30
Title TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Tue 14 Jan 09:30: Title TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 18:30
Title TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Fri 10 Jan 09:30: Title TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 18:30
Title TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Mon 31 Mar 16:00: TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Mon 24 Mar 16:00: TBC MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
TBC

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Wed 29 Jan 15:30: Calculating Prodigies in the Nineteenth Century: Science as Spectacle or Real Skill? MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
Calculating Prodigies in the Nineteenth Century: Science as Spectacle or Real Skill?

A calculating prodigy, or mental calculator, is someone who can mentally perform mathematical operations involving very large numbers or very fast mental calculations. From the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century, this phenomenon met with considerable interest, and several calculating prodigies became famous enough for us to trace their careers. They found themselves at the crossroads of three worlds: the world of entertainment, where their skill at juggling numbers was admired; the world of the brain and psyche, where their peculiarities were explained and used to better understand how the brain functions; and finally, the world of mathematics, where the reproducibility of their methods and their potential as future scientists were of interest. By examining the commonalities in their trajectories, this article explores the images and practices behind the development of numeracy, at the intersection of reasoning and calculation, in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western societies.

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Fri 17 Jan 09:30: Calculating Prodigies in the Nineteenth Century: Science as Spectacle or Real Skill? MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
Calculating Prodigies in the Nineteenth Century: Science as Spectacle or Real Skill?

A calculating prodigy, or mental calculator, is someone who can mentally perform mathematical operations involving very large numbers or very fast mental calculations. From the nineteenth to the beginning of the twentieth century, this phenomenon met with considerable interest, and several calculating prodigies became famous enough for us to trace their careers. They found themselves at the crossroads of three worlds: the world of entertainment, where their skill at juggling numbers was admired; the world of the brain and psyche, where their peculiarities were explained and used to better understand how the brain functions; and finally, the world of mathematics, where the reproducibility of their methods and their potential as future scientists were of interest. By examining the commonalities in their trajectories, this article explores the images and practices behind the development of numeracy, at the intersection of reasoning and calculation, in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western societies.

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Tue 14 Jan 09:30: TBA MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
TBA

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Fri 10 Jan 09:30: TBA MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 14:30
TBA

MHM - Modern History of Mathematics

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Wed 11 Dec 10:30: Southern Ocean Centennial Oscillations and Response to Climate Forcing

Fri, 06/12/2024 - 13:10
Southern Ocean Centennial Oscillations and Response to Climate Forcing

Key features of the Southern Ocean (such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and meridional overturning circulation) show centennial oscillations in many of the CMIP6 models. These oscillations can be linked to changes in convection and formation of dense water which go on to influence the state of the whole Southern Ocean. This seminar will briefly discuss the range of behaviour seen in the pre-industrial control runs for these models, before examining the response of Southern Ocean centennial variability to climate forcing. The response to a range of CMIP6 warming scenarios will be examined, demonstrating a cessation of the oscillations and a significant reduction in the production of dense water, even in weaker forcing scenarios. These changes will then be examined further through novel idealised forcing simulations with gradual 1% annual increases in CO2 as well as abrupt warming and cooling scenarios. There will also be a discussion of how these oscillations affect our future projections and how we should consider the uncertainty in these projections.

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Fri 13 Dec 17:30: Title to be confirmed

Thu, 05/12/2024 - 18:49
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Tue 18 Feb 11:15: Accounting for Noise and Singularities in Bayesian Calibration Methods for Global 21-cm Cosmology Experiments

Thu, 05/12/2024 - 09:58
Accounting for Noise and Singularities in Bayesian Calibration Methods for Global 21-cm Cosmology Experiments

Due to the large dynamic ranges involved with separating the cosmological 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn from galactic foregrounds, a well-calibrated instrument is essential to avoid biases from instrumental systematics. In this talk I will present three methods for calibrating a global 21-cm cosmology experiment to characterise the low noise amplifier with a careful consideration of how calibrator temperature noise and singularities will bias your fit. Running these methods on a suite of simulated datasets based on the REACH receiver design and a lab dataset, our methods produce a calibrated antenna solution which is equally as or more accurate than the existing conjugate priors method when compared with an analytic estimate of the calibrator’s noise. For lab data I will show that we can calibrate the antenna spectra to within 5\% of the noise floor.

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Thu 13 Mar 17:00: Title to be confirmed

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 20:58
Title to be confirmed

=== Hybrid talk ===

Join Zoom Meeting https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/87143365195?pwd=SELTNkOcfVrIE1IppYCsbooOVqenzI.1

Meeting ID: 871 4336 5195

Passcode: 541180

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Thu 03 Apr 14:15: TBC OFBW72 - MHM OfB

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 16:30
TBC

OFBW72 - MHM OfB

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Thu 03 Apr 14:00: Welcome and Introduction OFBW72 - MHM OfB

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 16:30
Welcome and Introduction

OFBW72 - MHM OfB

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Tue 07 Jan 11:00: The compounding impacts of Sea-Ice Deficits: A Global Perspective

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 16:27
The compounding impacts of Sea-Ice Deficits: A Global Perspective

Sea ice plays a crucial role in the global Earth system, including regulation of temperatures, ocean-atmosphere exchange and ocean circulation. In the recent decades we have witnessed significant declines in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice including its thickness, albeit with stark hemispheric differences. These changes have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems, atmospheric circulation patterns, and global climate. I will discuss insights on Antarctic sea ice with focus on multifaceted impacts of sea-ice deficits, examining how these changes are interconnected. The complexity of sea-ice processes across scales and global pathways result in compounding effects of changing sea ice across the planet. Polar amplification intensifies the feedback loop between sea ice and the atmosphere, influencing atmospheric circulation patterns, with initial evidence to lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather events. This warming is also associated with the marine polar albedo feedback loop, preferentially concentrating ocean warming to the polar latitudes. The erosion of the Southern Ocean sea ice, partially driven by increased energy in the lower atmosphere, has been detrimental to the seasonal duration of sea ice including near coastal sea ice, and compounding in glacial melt and ice-shelf instability. A cascading effect of reduced sea-ice formation directly modifies the ocean signature impacting water-mass formation, ocean circulation as well as oceanic heat transport and nutrient distribution with global reach. Reduced and thinner sea ice also presents a habitat loss threatening marine biodiversity. The wider scientific community has provided a wealth of knowledge on sea ice and its role in the Earth system. However, the improved understanding highlights the complexity of polar processes and identifies further knowledge gaps, as well as how scientific information is used to better assess the risks associated with sea-ice decline and to identify (near-) immediate tangible mitigation strategies. To conclude I will provide an outlook to upcoming international and cross-disciplinary initiatives; considerations around methods and inclusivity; and the need to co-design these with view on societal pressures to ensure maximum impact and information uptake in policy decisions.

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Wed 04 Dec 14:00: Revisiting the Foundations of Ice shelf Basal Melt Parameterisations for Stably Stratified Ice-Ocean Boundary Layers

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 13:02
Revisiting the Foundations of Ice shelf Basal Melt Parameterisations for Stably Stratified Ice-Ocean Boundary Layers

Models are reported to overestimate basal melting under “warm water” ice shelves. Hence, ice-ocean heat exchange and its parameterisation are investigated using an ice-ocean boundary current model (IOBCM). Using the simplified case of a horizontal ice-ocean interface (IOI), we demonstrate how common parameterizations in z-coordinate ocean models can significantly overestimate melt rates in stably stratified boundary layers with slow far-field ocean currents.

We also conceptualise a hybrid approach for the simple case of density driven currents under ice shelves. The hybrid model is a combination of the classic plume model for unstable regimes and the parameterized version of the IOBCM for stable regimes. In the hybrid model, for stable regimes, the melt rate as well as its response to warming are significantly reduced when compared to the regime independent treatment in the plume model.

Our findings highlight the importance of careful consideration of the ocean stratification and flow conditions when parameterizing ice-ocean interactions, especially in regions with slow-moving currents and stable stratification.

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Thu 05 Dec 14:30: Large transversals in Equi-n-squares

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 12:50
Large transversals in Equi-n-squares

In 1975 Stein conjectured that any n by n square in which each cell has one of n symbols, so that each symbol is used exactly n times, contains a set of n-1 cells which share no row, column or symbol. That is, he conjectured that every equi-n-square must contain a transversal with n-1 cells. If true, this would be a widespread generalisation of the well-known Ryser-Brualdi-Stein conjecture on Latin squares, but, as shown by Pokrovskiy and Sudakov in 2019, Stein’s equi-n-square conjecture is false. I will discuss the extent to which this conjecture is false, giving new bounds in both directions for the underlying extremal problem, and in particular show that an approximate version of Stein’s conjecture is true.

This is joint work with Debsoumya Chakraborti and Teo Petrov.

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Thu 05 Dec 14:30: Large transversals in Equi-n-squares

Wed, 04/12/2024 - 12:50
Large transversals in Equi-n-squares

In 1975 Stein conjectured that any n by n square in which each cell has one of n symbols, so that each symbol is used exactly n times, contains a set of n-1 cells which share no row, column or symbol. That is, he conjectured that every equi-n-square must contain a transversal with n-1 cells. If true, this would be a widespread generalisation of the well-known Ryser-Brualdi-Stein conjecture on Latin squares, but, as shown by Pokrovskiy and Sudakov in 2019, Stein’s equi-n-square conjecture is false. I will discuss the extent to which this conjecture is false, giving new bounds in both directions for the underlying extremal problem, and in particular show that an approximate version of Stein’s conjecture is true.

This is joint work with Debsoumya Chakraborti and Teo Petrov.

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Microstructural Kinetics Group Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS + (0) 1223 334300

Contact: mkg@msm.cam.ac.uk

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