Physics

Over the last decade, there have been many Perimeter efforts in the realm of EDI, and they have unquestionably enhanced the Institute’s culture. Paradoxically, some of these efforts have illuminated areas where we can do more, and there are still others to be addressed.  

In Perimeter’s short life, we’ve built a unique institution, with a culture characterized by intellectual fearlessness and excellence. Yet we can do even better. Our culture is connected to our research. We’re here to make breakthroughs in our understanding of our universe – and breakthroughs are made by thinking in new ways. We can’t afford to leave any great thinkers, or any great ideas, behind.  

In 2020, we embarked on a project to develop a coherent, concrete strategic plan to guide Perimeter’s efforts in EDI, in partnership with experts at Shift Health and the Laurier Centre for Women in Science. All members of the Perimeter community have been consulted to ensure that the final strategy is reflective of our whole community.  

Our actions to date are a step in an intentional and comprehensive effort to make Perimeter an institute where everyone can thrive and find a sense of belonging. 

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/93399374837?pwd=QlBTSnluRk84L2x0eE0zYXlGQ0JFZz09

The new science of Gravitational Wave Astronomy, risen with the detections of gravitational waves emitted by compact binary coalescences, has opened up new possibilities for scientific investigation also in cosmology and fundamental physics. In this colloquium, an overview will be given of the theoretical methods presently in place to improve the current analytic knowledge of waveform models, whose accuracy is crucial to maximizing the physics output of gravitational wave detections. In particular, it will be highlighted how techniques borrowed from effective field theory in particle physics enabled a deeper and more accurate understanding of the General Relativistic two-body problem.

Under the conditions of phase separation, systems present an interface between the coexisting phases. In experiments, coexistence is identified through the presence of a plateau in thermodynamic potential isotherms. Given the scarcity of exact solutions for satistical model systems, coexistence is frequently analysed in terms of mean field treatments, or of numerical simulations. Under both treatments, thermodynamic potentials display loops in the phase separating region. The origin of such apparently unstable behaviour, forbidden by the 2nd Law, is attributed to interface tension, in the case of numerical experiments for spin-like models, as indicator of chain colapse for polymer models, or even as a consequence of long-range interactions. In this work, we show that proper interpretation of the measured thermodynamic potentials should eliminate the violation of thermodynamic convexity. New questions may also arise.