Talks

Entanglement entropies of two-dimensional gapped ground states are expected to satisfy an area law, with a constant correction term known as the topological entanglement entropy (TEE). In many models, the TEE takes a universal value that characterizes the underlying topological phase. However, the TEE is not truly universal: it can differ even for two states related by constant-depth circuits, which are necessarily in the same phase. The difference between the TEE and the value predicted by the anyon theory is often called the spurious topological entanglement entropy. We show this spurious contribution is always nonnegative, thus the value predicted by the anyon theory provides a universal lower bound. This observation also leads to a definition of TEE which is invariant under constant-depth quantum circuits.

Based on a joint work with Daniel Ranard (MIT), Michael Levin (U Chicago), Ting-Chun Lin (UCSD), and Bowen Shi (UCSD)

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/93809342984?pwd=QXJkK0ZYR3QzdjlUUWlkMEFXMWRnQT09

In massless QED, we find that the classical U(1) axial symmetry is not completely broken by the Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly. Rather, it is resurrected as a generalized global symmetry labeled by the rational numbers. Intuitively, this new global symmetry in QED is a composition of the naive axial rotation and a fractional quantum Hall state. The conserved symmetry operators do not obey a group multiplication law, but a non-invertible fusion algebra. We further generalize our construction to QCD, and show that the neutral pion decay can be derived from a matching condition of the non-invertible global symmetry. Finally, we find a non-invertible Gauss law in axion-Maxwell theory.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/93832561140?pwd=czFFSkVvYS9RbXRjOTJPQVFhL2hGZz09

For more than a decade, enigmatic extragalactic flashes called fast radio bursts (FRBs) have defied a definitive explanation for their origin. In addition, the unique properties of FRBs make them promising probes of both cosmology and the distribution of gas on intergalactic scales. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is the only radio telescope capable of instantaneously observing hundreds of square degrees with the sensitivity of a 100-meter scale aperture. As a result, its transient search instrument, CHIME/FRB, has detected thousands of FRBs, increasing the known sample by an order of magnitude. I will give an overview of CHIME/FRB's most recent results, where observations of particular sources and statistical analyses of the FRB population are starting to reveal the nature of this mysterious phenomenon. I will then describe an effort to augment CHIME/FRB's capabilities by adding Outrigger telescopes, which will be located across North America and will precisely localize FRB sources using very long baseline interferometry. The resulting large sample of localized FRBs will allow for detailed measurements of the large-scale distribution of baryons in the universe, providing precise constraints on feedback processes in galaxy evolution.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/93157775112?pwd=bzZDMVc3VnF1WHZzeVlLOTdDZmtQQT09

Every time researchers have pushed the energy boundary in particle physics we have found something new about our Universe. Recently, IceCube has demonstrated that Neutrino Telescopes can use neutrinos from the cosmos as excellent tools to continue this exploration. The true potential of this field, however, remains to be realized due to limited observations of neutrinos at the highest energies. To unlock this potential, advanced detectors are needed that will push the forefront of the cosmic frontier, revealing new knowledge of extreme astrophysical phenomena, including through multi-messenger follow-up programs, and testing fundamental physics at scales well beyond those reachable by Earth-bound accelerators. The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE) is a proposed initiative to construct one of the largest neutrino telescopes deep in the northern Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia. To overcome the challenges of a deep-sea installation, we have deployed two pathfinder mooring lines STRAW and STRAW-b in 2018 and 2020. These provide continuous monitoring of optical water properties at a potential detector site in the Pacific. In this talk I will cover results from these pathfinders and discuss the status of P-ONE. 

Zoom Link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/91718716984?pwd=Wm00anU4UjFWd0tKYVZ0TVZ6aVMrZz09