Tue, 20 Jan 2015

12:00 - 13:15
L5

Axion Cosmology

David Marsh (Perimeter Institute)
Abstract

Axions are ubiquitous in string theory compactifications. They are
pseudo goldstone bosons and can be extremely light, contributing to
the dark sector energy density in the present-day universe. The
mass defines a characteristic length scale. For 1e-33 eV<m< 1e-20
eV this length scale is cosmological and axions display novel
effects in observables. The magnitude of these effects is set by
the axion relic density. The axion relic density and initial
perturbations are established in the early universe before, during,
or after inflation (or indeed independently from it). Constraints
on these phenomena can probe physics at or beyond the GUT scale. I
will present multiple probes as constraints of axions: the Planck
temperature power spectrum, the WiggleZ galaxy redshift survey,
Hubble ultra deep field, the epoch of reionisation as measured by
cmb polarisation, cmb b-modes and primordial gravitational waves,
and the density profiles of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Together

these probe the entire 13 orders of magnitude in axion mass where
axions are distinct from CDM in cosmology, and make non-trivial
statements about inflation and axions in the string landscape. The
observations hint that axions in the range 1e-22 eV<m<1e-20 eV may
play an interesting role in structure formation, and evidence for
this could be found in the future surveys AdvACT (2015), JWST, and
Euclid (>2020). If inflationary B-modes are observed, a wide range
of axion models including the anthropic window QCD axion are
excluded unless the theory of inflation is modified. I will also
comment briefly on direct detection of QCD axions.

 

Thu, 29 Jan 2015

16:00 - 17:00
L5

On the mod p reduction of Fredholm determinants for modular forms

John Bergdall
(Boston University)
Abstract

Fix a prime $p$. In this talk, we will discuss the $p$-adic properties of the *coefficients* of the characteristic power series of $U_{p}$ acting on spaces of overconvergent $p$-adic modular forms. These coefficients are, by a theorem of Coleman, power series in the weight variable over $Z_{p}$.  Our first goal will be to show that in tame level one, the simplest case, every coefficient is non-zero mod $p$ and then to give some idea of the (finitely many) roots of each coefficient. The second goal will be to explain how it the previous result fails in higher levels, along with possible salvages. This will include revisiting the tame level one case. The progress we've made has applications, and lends understanding, to recent work being made elsewhere on the geometric structure of the eigencurve "near its boundary". This is joint work with Rob Pollack.

Thu, 15 Jan 2015

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Regularity for double phase variational integrals

Giuseppe Mingione
(Parma)
Abstract
Those mentioned in the title are integral functionals of the Calculus of Variations

characterized by the fact of having an integrand switching between two different

kinds of degeneracies, dictated by a modulating coefficient. They have introduced

by Zhikov in the context of Homogenization and to give new examples of the related

Lavrentiev phenomenon. In this talk I will present some recent results aimed at

drawing a complete regularity theory for minima.

So what should you do if the dead should begin to rise? Dr Thomas Woolley talks to the BBC about avoidance strategies based on mathematical modelling, strategies that can be applied to understanding how infections such as swine flu, HIV and Ebola spread, not least because of the role of media reporting. The item is 3 hours and 17 minutes in to the programme.

Our Mathematical Sciences submission to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, covering research from the Mathematical Institute and the Department of Statistics, has been ranked overall best in the UK. The outcomes, released today, gave Oxford Mathematical Sciences the top ranking for research publications and for the impact of our research outside academia, and the equal top ranking for our research environment.

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 09:00 -
Tue, 21 Apr 2015 17:00
L3

Networks and Criminality (see abstract for more details)

Various
Abstract

The Network and Criminality Workshop will explore the capacity of mathematics and computation to extract insight on network structures relevant to crime, riots, terrorism, etc. It will include presentations on current work (both application-oriented and on methods that can be applied in the future) and active discussion on how to address existing challenges.

Invited speakers (in alphabetical order) are as follows:

Prof. Alex Arenas, Professor of Computer Science & Mathematics, URV, http://deim.urv.cat/~alexandre.arenas/

Prof. Henri Berestycki, Professor of Mathematics, EHESS, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Berestycki

Prof. Andrea Bertozzi, Professor of Mathematics, UCLA, http://www.math.ucla.edu/~bertozzi/

Dr. Paolo Campana, Research Fellow, Oxford, http://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/academic-staff/paolo-campana.html

Toby Davies, Graduate Student,  UCL, http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/casa/people/mphil-phd-students/Toby_Davies

Dr. Hannah Fry, Lecturer in the mathematics of cities, UCL, https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=HMFRY30

Dr. Yves van Gennip, Lecturer in Mathematics, Nottingham, http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mathematics/people/y.vangennip

Prof. Sandra González-Bailón, Assistant Professor at UPenn, http://dimenet.asc.upenn.edu/people/sgonzalezbailon/

Prof. Federico Varese, Professor of Criminology, Oxford, http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/profile/federico.vareserecep

 

If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register by following this link: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/13764/.

Thu, 22 Jan 2015

14:00 - 15:00
L5

Electron correlation in van der Waals interactions

Professor Ridgway Scott
(University of Chicago)
Abstract
We examine a technique of Slater and Kirkwood which provides an exact resolution of the asymptotic behavior of the van der Waals attraction between two hydrogens atoms. We modify their technique to make the problem more tractable analytically and more easily solvable by numerical methods. Moreover, we prove rigorously that this approach provides an exact solution for the asymptotic electron correlation. The proof makes use of recent results that utilize the Feshbach-Schur perturbation technique. We provide visual representations of the asymptotic electron correlation (entanglement) based on the use of Laguerre approximations.
Mon, 09 Feb 2015
14:15
L5

Automorphism and isometry groups of Higgs bundle moduli spaces

David Baraglia
(Adelaide)
Abstract

The moduli space of Higgs bundles on a hyperbolic Riemann surface is a complex analytic variety which has a hyperkahler metric on its smooth locus. As such it has several associated symmetry groups including the group of complex analytic automorphisms and the group of isometries. I will discuss the classification of these and some other related groups.

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