School of Physical Sciences

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Prof Pedram Hassanzedeh, University of Chicago
• Friday 16 May 2025, 16:00-17:00
• Venue: MR2.
• Series: Fluid Mechanics (DAMTP); organiser: Professor Grae Worster.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Speakers listed in abstract in due course
• Friday 30 May 2025, 16:00-17:00
• Venue: MR2.
• Series: Fluid Mechanics (DAMTP); organiser: Professor Grae Worster.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Prof Omar Matar, Imperial College London
• Friday 06 June 2025, 16:00-17:00
• Venue: https://cassyni.com/s/fmws.
• Series: Fluid Mechanics (DAMTP); organiser: Professor Grae Worster.

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The observation of flocks of birds, schools of fish, and swarms of bees reveals captivating examples of collective behavior in nature. Over the past decade, physicists have unveiled intriguing features in such systems, giving rise to both spectacular phenomena and fundamental questions. In this presentation, we will first explore active wetting phenomena in a suspension of self-propelled Janus colloids near a vertical wall. While classical capillary rise is governed by equilibrium surface tension, active fluids challenge this paradigm. We investigate whether analogous interfacial effects emerge in non-phase-separated active sediments, uncovering how self-propulsion modifies wetting behavior. By studying the interaction between a non-phase-separated active sediment and a wall, we uncover how self-propulsion alters wetting-like behavior, offering insights into the role of activity in interfacial processes. In the second part, we turn to magnetotactic bacteria— microswimmers equipped with intracellular magnetic nanoparticles, enabling directed motion along magnetic fields. These bacteria exhibit dual sensitivity, responding not only to magnetic fields (magnetotaxis) but also to oxygen gradients (aerotaxis), which drives them to form dense, dynamic bands. We demonstrate how the interplay of magnetic steering, chemical gradients, and hydrodynamic interactions leads to rich self-organization.

• Speaker: Prof Cottin-Bizonne, Université Lyon
• Friday 23 May 2025, 16:00-17:00
• Venue: MR2.
• Series: Fluid Mechanics (DAMTP); organiser: Professor Grae Worster.

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A 2024 collection of articles in the Bulletin of the AMS asked “Will machines cange mathematics?”, suggesting that  ”Pure mathematicians are used to enjoying a great degree of research autonomy and intellectual freedom, a fragile and precious heritage that might be swept aside by a mindless use of machines.” and challenging readers to  ”decide upon our subject’s future direction.” According to three Fields medallists interviewed by Epoch AI late in 2024  ”AI will change math research by enhancing proof development, generating novel conjectures, lowering entry barriers, and potentially automating research in the future.” We look at the factors,  whether technical, social or economic, leading to the ongoing adoption, or otherwise, of previous computational interventions in mathematical practice. We ask what the role of historians might be in this rapidly changing landscape.

MHMW02 - Modern History of Mathematics: Looking Ahead

• Speaker: Ursula Martin (University of Oxford)
• Thursday 01 May 2025, 11:45-12:45
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker: Maryna Viazovska (EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
• Friday 13 June 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker: Emily Riehl (Johns Hopkins University)
• Monday 09 June 2025, 11:45-12:45
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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• Speaker:
• Tuesday 29 April 2025, 17:00-18:00
• Venue: Telecommunications Room.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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Binary neutron star mergers provide insights into strong-field gravity and the properties of ultra-dense nuclear matter. These events offer the potential to search for signatures of physics beyond the standard model, including dark matter. We present the first numerical-relativity simulations of binary neutron star mergers admixed with dark matter, based on constraint-solved initial data. Modeling dark matter as a non-interacting fermionic gas, we investigate the impact of varying dark matter fractions and particle masses on the merger dynamics, ejecta mass, post-merger remnant properties, and the emitted gravitational waves. Our simulations suggest that the dark matter morphology – a dense core or a diluted halo – may alter the merger outcome. Scenarios with a dark matter core tend to exhibit a higher probability of prompt collapse, while those with a dark matter halo develop a common envelope, embedding the whole binary. Furthermore, gravitational wave signals from mergers with dark matter halo configurations exhibit significant deviations from standard models when the tidal deformability is calculated in a two-fluid framework neglecting the dilute and extended nature of the halo. This highlights the need for refined models in calculating the tidal deformability when considering mergers with extended dark matter structures. These initial results provide a basis for further exploration of dark matter’s role in binary neutron star mergers and their associated gravitational wave emission and can serve as a benchmark for future observations from advanced detectors and multi-messenger astrophysics.

• Speaker: Violetta Sagun, University of Southampton
• Friday 30 May 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: MR9/Zoom.
• Series: DAMTP Friday GR Seminar; organiser: Xi Tong.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Benjamin Elder, Imperial College London
• Friday 16 May 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: MR20/Zoom.
• Series: DAMTP Friday GR Seminar; organiser: Xi Tong.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Robbie Hennigar, Durham University
• Friday 09 May 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: MR9/Zoom.
• Series: DAMTP Friday GR Seminar; organiser: Xi Tong.

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In Black Hole Perturbation Theory, confluent Heun functions appear as solutions to the radial Teukolsky equation, which governs perturbations in black hole spacetimes. While these functions are typically studied for their analytic properties, their connection to the underlying spacetime geometry has received less attention. In this talk, I will propose a spacetime interpretation of the confluent Heun functions, demonstrating how their behaviour near their singular points reflects the structure of key surfaces in Kerr spacetimes. By interpreting homotopic transformations of these functions as changes in the spacetime foliation, I will establish a connection between these solutions and various regions of the black hole’s global structure. I will also explore their relationship with the hyperboloidal formulation of the radial Teukolsky equation.

• Speaker: Marica Minucci, Bohr Inst., Copenhagen
• Friday 06 June 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Venue: Potter room/Zoom.
• Series: DAMTP Friday GR Seminar; organiser: Xi Tong.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Speaker to be confirmed
• Friday 30 May 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: MR12, Centre for Mathematical Sciences.
• Series: Statistics; organiser: Qingyuan Zhao.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Professor Kim Jelfs, Imperial College London
• Wednesday 05 November 2025, 14:30-15:30
• Venue: Unilever Lecture Theatre, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.
• Series: Theory - Chemistry Research Interest Group; organiser: Lisa Masters.

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OFBW73 - Topological Advances in the Life Sciences

• Speaker: Kelly Maggs (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)
• Tuesday 24 June 2025, 15:40-16:15
• Venue: No Room Required.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker: Emily Riehl (Johns Hopkins University)
• Friday 13 June 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker:
• Monday 09 June 2025, 16:30-18:00
• Venue: No Room Required.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker: Aidan Swope (Harmonic)
• Monday 09 June 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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BPRW03 - Big proof: formalizing mathematics at scale

• Speaker: Maryna Viazovska (EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
• Monday 09 June 2025, 11:45-12:45
• Venue: Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.
• Series: Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series; organiser: nobody.

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Abstract not available

• Speaker: Yining Chen (LSE)
• Friday 13 June 2025, 14:00-15:00
• Venue: MR12, Centre for Mathematical Sciences.
• Series: Statistics; organiser: Qingyuan Zhao.

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