From the stars, to the atomic nuclei, and back: The rebirth of stellar intensity interferometry | Colóquio IFUSP

Sobre o evento:

The technique of stellar intensity interferometry (SII)— quite distinct from the ubiquitous Michelson interferometry— was developed in the 1950s and abandoned in the 1970s for technical reasons.  It remains the only way to directly measure the geometry of a stellar photosphere at visible wavelengths.  I will briefly discuss the history of SII and its surprising connection to high-energy nuclear physics, as well as its recent revival into a vibrant new field.  I will discuss the VERITAS SII system and recent results on the oblate photosphere of the rapid rotator gamma Cassiopeia and preliminary measurements of the binary system alpha Virginis.

Minibiografia do palestrante: 

My research connects nuclear physics and high-energy particle physics through experimental studies of heavy atomic nuclei collisions at near-light speeds. These experiments help us probe the quark-gluon plasma, last present microseconds after the Big Bang, to better understand the Strong Force. My team conducts studies at AGS, RHIC, and LHC, specializing in space-time substructure analysis using femtoscopy. We recently discovered hyperon polarization as an indicator of quark-gluon plasma vorticity. Our work spans detector design, software development, analytical techniques, and theoretical modelling. I have also expanded into astronomical imaging, adapting two-particle correlation methods to measure distant objects and collaborating with VERITAS for cosmic ray and stellar structure studies, bridging research between the universe’s smallest and largest systems.