HIP NEWS January 25th 2016
==============================

THREE-YEAR RESEARCH GRANTS CALL ANNOUNCEMENT, FUNDING PERIOD 2017 – 2019
——————————————————————————-
The grants for three-year research projects are intended for promising researchers of the University of Helsinki. The funding is aimed to support future research leaders who are starting to conduct independent research and establishing a research group at the University of Helsinki.
The Call for research grants has two stages. In the first round of the Call, applicants submit a letter of intent.
Letters of intent are submitted online at www.helsinki.fi/aava.
The application period begins on Thursday, 4 February, and the deadline for letters of intent is Wednesday, 2 March at 3:45 pm.
Application instructions are available on intranet Flamma, at https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY278533
Further information: Krister Talvinen, Senior Adviser in Research Administration
(krister.talvinen[AT]helsinki.fi)

Info sessions for international staff & visitors 3.2., 10.2. and 17.2.2016
—————————————————————————————————–
A “Lost in Finland” info session is launched to provide guidance to all international staff members of the University of Helsinki.
The info point will pop up at the Töölö Towers three times in February.
More information and sign-up:
3.2.2016 Theme: Free-time in Helsinki
https://www.lyyti.in/Lost_in_Finland__Info_Session_for_International_Staff__Visitors_5275
10.2.2016 Theme: Studying Finnish
https://www.lyyti.fi/group/Lost_in_Finland__Info_Session_fo_International_Staff__Visitors_8261
17.2.2016 Theme: Sports opportunities
https://www.lyyti.in/Lost_in_Finland__Info_Session_fo_International_Staff__Visitors_2575

Upcoming events for international staff
——————————————————
Experiencing Finland 8.3.2016.
Welcome to the University 9.3.2016. Sign up in until 28.02.2016
Finnish Working Culture 13.4.2016. Sign up in until 03.04.2016
Sign up in http://www.helsinki.fi/trainingcalendar ( Staff Training Calendar HENKKA)

The Helsinki Workshop on Quantum Gravity
————————————————————–
A workshop on quantum gravity will be held in the Physics department the 1st to 3rd of June 2016. The idea of the workshop is to introduce the subject of quantum gravity in Finland. In particular to the interested student.
Homepage: www.hip.fi/qg_helsinki
Deadline for registration: 15th of May 2016
Further information: miklos.langvik[AT]helsinki.fi
The organizing committee
(Esko Keski-Vakkuri, Antti Kupiainen, Miklos Långvik, Kari Rummukainen, Aleksi Vuorinen)

Visitors
————–
P. Dendooven 24.2. – 31.3.
F. Rennecke 8.2. – 11.2. (AV)
M. Zumalacárregui 8.2. – 14.2. (SR)

HIP NEWS January 18th 2016
==============================

COSMO-seminar
————————
Wednesday 20 January 2016 at 14:15 in A315
Till Sawala (Helsinki)
Cosmological simulations: a brief overview

Abstract: Numerical simulations have become an essential tool for much of theoretical astrophysics and for our understanding of the non-linear evolution of the universe. I will give a brief overview of the field, with a focus on simulations both of cosmic structure formation and of galaxy formation. I will discuss the successes and shortcomings of numerical simulations in these areas, and recent work to overcome the current limitations.

New digital teaching and learning environment services on campus tour
————————————————————————
Explore the new digital teaching and learning environment services, such as My Teaching, My Studies, the Course page and the timetabling software Optime.
Thursday 21 January at 13:00 – 15:00 Kumpula, Physicum

The Helsinki Workshop on Quantum Gravity
————————————————————–
A workshop on quantum gravity will be held in the Physics department the 1st to 3rd of June 2016. The idea of the workshop is to introduce the subject of quantum gravity in Finland. In particular to the interested student.
Homepage: www.hip.fi/qg_helsinki
Deadline for registration: 15th of May 2016
Further information: miklos.langvik[AT]helsinki.fi
The organizing committee
(Esko Keski-Vakkuri, Antti Kupiainen, Miklos Långvik, Kari Rummukainen, Aleksi Vuorinen)

Visitors
————–
F. Rennecke 8.2. – 11.2. (AV)

HIP NEWS January 11th 2016
==============================

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016.
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
——————————————————————————————-
Friday 15 January 2016 at 10.15 in A315
Tapio Rantala (Tampere, Note day!)
Path integral quantum Monte Carlo simulation of atomic matter

Abstract: Feynman path integral approach to quantum mechanics and Monte Carlo simulations allow straightforward study of quantum many-body systems. Propagation of a quantum system in imaginary time (DMC, PIMC) can be used to find eigenstates or simulate thermal equilibrium, for example. I will present novel applications of PIMC to first-principles calculations of small molecules and simulation of a dissociation/recombination chemical reaction. Propagation in real time (RTPI), on the other hand, leads to conventional coherent quantum dynamics. Recently, we also found the incoherent propagation as a novel numerical tool for finding stationary states. I will present our first simulations of model systems in the way towards atoms and molecules. With Monte Carlo simulations the “fermion sign problem” arises as the major obstacle for simulations of large atomic systems. This and other development topics including possible extensions will be discussed.

Visitors
————–
F. Rennecke 8.2. – 11.2. (AV)

HIP NEWS January 4th 2016
==============================

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016.
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

HIP NEWS December 21st 2015
==============================

HIP Staff News
—————
Dr. Tuomas Lappi of U. Jyväskylä, HIP QCD project leader, has been awarded an ERC consolidator grant for five years. Congratulations.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016.
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

HIP NEWS December 14th 2015
==============================

HIP STAFF NEWS
——————
MSc. (Tech.) Juska Pekkanen was awarded the 2015 Fundamental Physics Special
Recognition Award by the CMS spokepersons Joseph Incandela and Tiziano Camporesi
7.12.2015 at the opening plenary session of CMS Physics Week at CERN. The
special recognition is due to Juska’s appreciated efforts in jet calibration
studies and his major contributions to the recently submitted dijet resonance
search result that is the first public new physics search with 13 TeV
proton-proton collisions (http://arxiv.org/abs/1512.01224).

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
——————————————————–
Thursday 17 December 2015 at 14.15 in A315
Martin Krššák (Sao Paulo)
Teleparallel gravity and the role of inertia in theories of gravity

Abstract: The central role in general relativity is played by the principle of equivalence, which suggests that gravity and inertia are locally indistinguishable, and it is hardcoded into general relativity through the use of the Levi-Civita geometry. In this talk, I will present an interesting work-around to this problem known as teleparallel gravity. It can be understood as a dual theory to general relativity, where gravity is attributed to torsion of spacetime, rather than curvature. As it turns out, in this theory it is possible to separate (non-locally) the problematic inertial contributions from gravity, and define the finite, purely gravitational, action. I will show that this subtraction of the inertial effects closely resembles holographic renormalization, and discuss its applications in holography and modified gravity.

Friday 18 December 2015 at 10.15 in A315
Ville Keränen (Oxford, Note day!)
Thermalization in the AdS/CFT duality

Abstract: We study examples of out of equilibrium systems in the context of the AdS/CFT duality. We attempt to draw general conclusions from these studies and in particular will highlight the role of black hole quasinormal frequencies in determining the rate at which these systems approach thermal equilibrium.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016.
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

Fortcoming training for employees: Finnish for international personnel
—————————————————————————
Finnish for Beginners 2 (20 t/1 op)
Sign up in http://www.helsinki.fi/trainingcalendar ( Staff Training Calendar HENKKA)

Academic year 2016-2017: THE OSK. HUTTUNEN FOUNDATION
——————————————————–
The Osk. Huttunen Foundation offers grants to young Finns for the completion of doctoral studies and for postdoctoral research work at universities outside Finland.
Dead-line for applications 15.1.2016.
Further information: http://www.oskhuttusensaatio.net/english.html

Visitors
—————
M. Krssak 16.12. – 18.12. (AV)

HIP NEWS December 7th 2015
==============================

COSMO-Seminar
—————————-
Wednesday 9 December 2015 at 14:15 in A315
Christian Spethmann (NICPB, Tallinn)
Dark Plasma and Dark Atoms

Abstract: Atom-like structures in the dark matter sector are generally believed to be only possible if the dark sector is asymmetric, in analogy with baryon number in the visible sector. In this talk we discuss how, given the right particle content and couplings, it might be possible to generate dark atoms thermally, i.e. without an asymmetry. Besides being an interesting proof of concept, such models might be relevant to explain non-gravitational interactions of dark matter and can lead to new phenomena like dark plasma interactions.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
—————————————————————————————-
Thursday 10 December 2015 at 14.15 in E206 (note place!)
David Milstead (Stockholm)
A new high precision search for neutron-antineutron oscillations at the ESS

Abstract: In this talk I shall discuss how a search for neutron-antineutron oscillations can be carried out at the European Spallation Source. It will be shown how such oscillations can provide a unique probe of some of the central questions in particle physics and cosmology: the energy scale and mechanism for baryon number violation, the origin of the baryon-antibaryon asymmetry of the universe, and the mechanism for neutrino mass generation. An overview of the proposed experiment and its capability to a sensitivity to the oscillation probability, which is three orders of magnitude greater than previously obtained, will be given. The international collaboration which has been formed to carry out the proposed work will also be described.

Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grant
——————————————————————–
More information about Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grants (in Finnish): www.fulbright.fi/fi/stipendit-tohtorintutkinnon-jalkeiseen-tutkimukseen-ja-luennointiin/fulbright-technology-industries.
Application deadline is December 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016.
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

Visitors
—————
M. Krssak 16.12. – 18.12. (AV)

HIP NEWS November 30th 2015
==============================

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
————————————————————————————————
Tuesday 1 December 2015 at 10.15 in A315
Heribert Weigert (Cape Town)
QCD at small high energies: Wilson line correlators in the Color Glass Condensate and beyond

Abstract: Modern collider experiments use ever higher energies for many reasons, be it to study the QCD phase transition, to study the newest confirmed addition to the Standard Model or to search for physics beyond the standard model. In all of his QCD plays a central role, be it the immediate area of study (as with the quark gluon plasma) or as the main limiting factor on precision (as with standard model particle physics). Over the last decade it has been established that at small x the machinery and phenomenology of the Color Glass Condensate provide powerful tools to study the energy dependence of cross sections for a wide range of observables. Its evolution equation, the JIMWLK equation has a structural analogue in jet evolution equations (the BMS equation and its finite Nc generalizations) with a conformal map establishing the connection. The key ingredient that drives cross sections in all these cases are Wilson line correlators which also appear in GPDs and in energy loss calculations aiming at studying the QCD as a medium. This is clearly too big a canvas to fill with paint completely with one talk, instead, I will content myself with the first steps needed to expose these connections, starting from JIMWLK and the CGC, and show some ideas of how to study and analyze the underlying structures.

COSMO-Seminar
—————————-
Thursday 3 December 2015 at 14:15 in A315 (Note the date!)
Kwan Chuen Chan (ICE Barcelona)
Halo clustering in Lagrangian space

Abstract: Although we observe halos (or galaxies) in Eulerian space, modeling of halo clustering often starts with halos in the Lagrangian space. We construct Lagrangian halos by tracing the particles in Eulerian halos back to Lagrangian space in N-body simulations to study their properties. The window function for Lagrangian halos always appears in the theoretical modelling of the Lagrangian halos. Although the window is often assumed to be a top-hat, we find that it is more smooth than a top-hat, but less diffuse than a Gaussian. Using this effective window function together with the scale-dependent excursion set bias parameters we are able to fit the Lagrangian cross bias parameter in Fourier space well up to k R_{Lag} ~ 10, where R_{Lag} is the Lagrangian size of the halo. Furthermore we check the so-called Lagrangian bias consistency relations. These powerful relations not only enable us to check the self-consistency of the biasing prescription, it can also allow us to extract the halo formation physics.

Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grant
—————————————————-
More information about Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grants (in Finnish): www.fulbright.fi/fi/stipendit-tohtorintutkinnon-jalkeiseen-tutkimukseen-ja-luennointiin/fulbright-technology-industries.
Application deadline is December 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) at the Academy of Finland : Apply for strategic research funding
————————————————————————————————————-
The SRC’s call will be implemented in two stages. The first stage, for letters of intent, will be open in the Academy of Finland’s online services between 5 November and 9 December 2015.
In addition, the SRC will open a supplementary call within the 2015 programme A Climate-Neutral and Resource-Scarce Finland. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/apply-for-strategic-research-funding

Visitors
—————
K.C. Chan 29.11. – 6.12. (FM)
H. Weigert 23.11 – 5.12. (KR)
J. Zeilinger 20.11 – 5.12. (KR)

HIP NEWS November 23rd 2015
==============================

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
——————————————————–
Tuesday 24 November 2015 at 10.15 in A315
Jacopo Ghiglieri (Bern)
Gravitational wave background from Standard Model physics

Abstract: Any plasma in thermal equilibrium emits gravitational waves, caused by physical processes such as macroscopic hydrodynamic fluctuations and microscopic particle collisions. We will show that, for the largest wavelengths, the emission rate is due to the former process and is proportional to the shear viscosity of the plasma. In the Standard Model at T > 160 GeV, the shear viscosity is dominated by the most weakly interacting particles, right-handed leptons, and is relatively large. We estimate the order of magnitude of the corresponding spectrum of gravitational waves. At smaller wavelengths the leading contribution is given by particle collisions, which we also estimate at leading logarithmic order. Even though at small frequencies (corresponding to the sub-Hz range relevant for planned observatories such as eLISA) this SM background is tiny compared with that from non-equilibrium sources, we conclude that the total energy carried by the high-frequency part of the spectrum is non-negligible if the production continues for a long time. Finally, we suggest that this may constrain (weakly) the highest temperature of the radiation epoch. Observing the high-frequency part directly sets a very ambitious goal for future generations of GHz-range detectors.

COSMO-Seminar
—————————-
Wednesday 25 November 2015 at 14:15 in D101
Hannu Kurki-Suonio and Syksy Räsänen (Helsinki)
Yleinen suhteellisuusteoria sata vuotta (In Finnish!)

COSMO-Seminar
—————————-
Thursday 26 November 2015 at 14:15 in D114 (Note the date and place!)
Bruce Bassett (Cape Town University)
Rise of the Machines – will artificial intelligence ever do research?

Abstract: The LSST and the SKA will require us to process up to an exabyte of data per day. This presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities for a new generation of statistical inference and machine learning algorithms. In this talk we will discuss some of the issues, approaches and fundamental questions including the question of whether machines will ever do original research.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
———————————————————————————————-
Thursday 26 November 2015 at 14.15 in E207 (note place!)
Albert de Roeck (CERN)
The Large Hadron Collider: The Present and the Future.

Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grant
——————————————————————
More information about Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grants (in Finnish): www.fulbright.fi/fi/stipendit-tohtorintutkinnon-jalkeiseen-tutkimukseen-ja-luennointiin/fulbright-technology-industries.
Application deadline is December 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) at the Academy of Finland : Apply for strategic research funding
————————————————————————————————————-
The SRC’s call will be implemented in two stages. The first stage, for letters of intent, will be open in the Academy of Finland’s online services between 5 November and 9 December 2015.
In addition, the SRC will open a supplementary call within the 2015 programme A Climate-Neutral and Resource-Scarce Finland. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/apply-for-strategic-research-funding

Visitors
—————
B. Bassett 26.11. – 27.11. (ML)
M. Ball 24.11. – 27.11. (EB)
K.C. Chan 29.11. – 6.12. (FM)
P. Gasik 24.11. – 27.11. (EB)
J. Ghiglieri 23.11. – 27.11. (AV)
G. Itsios 16.11. – 23.11. (NJ)
V. Ratza 24.11. – 27.11. (EB)
H. Weigert 23.11 – 5.12. (KR)
J. Zeilinger 20.11 – 5.12. (KR)

HIP NEWS November 16th 2015
==============================

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
——————————————————–
Tuesday 17 November 2015 at 10.15 in A315
Georgios Itsios (Santiago de Compostela)
Exploring cold holographic matter

Abstract: In this talk we discuss aspects of cold matter using holographic techniques. Our holographic description is realized through a top-down approach, in which we consider D-brane intersections of different dimensionalities. We will analyze several properties of these systems such as the speed of first sound, the diffusion constant and the speed of zero sound. We also discuss the specific case of the D3-D5 intersection with a non-zero flux across the internal part of its worldvolume.

COSMO-Seminar
—————-
Wednesday 18 November at 14:15 in A315
Christian Gross (Helsinki)
Gauge fields as dark matter

Abstract: I discuss the scenario of a dark U(1) or SU(N) gauge group coupled to the Standard Model via the Higgs portal. It turns out that minimal CP-conserving hidden Higgs sectors entail stable massive gauge fields which fall into the WIMP category of dark matter candidates. For SU(N), N>2, DM consists of three components, two of which are degenerate in mass. In all of the cases, there are substantial regions of parameter space where the direct and indirect detection as well as relic abundance constraints are satisfied.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS / HIP JOINT COLLOQUIA / SEMINARS
——————————————————–
Thursday 19 November 2015 at 10.15 in A315
Joonas Nättilä (Tuorla, Turku)
Equation of state for the dense matter inside neutron stars using thermonuclear explosions

Abstract: In my talk I will describe how observations of thermonuclear explosions on top of neutron stars ends up constraining the size of these ultra-compact objects. I will also show how we can model these explosions and how the atmosphere of the star modifies the emerging spectrum. As it turns out, good understanding of the physics behind these powerful bursts is also crucial for accurate mass and radius measurements. From the size measurements we can then obtain a parametrized equation of state of the cold dense matter by using Bayesian methods. This allows us to set limits on some nuclear parameters and to constrain an empirical pressure-density relation for the dense neutron matter.

Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grant
——————————————————————
More information about Fulbright-Technology Industries of Finland Grants (in Finnish): www.fulbright.fi/fi/stipendit-tohtorintutkinnon-jalkeiseen-tutkimukseen-ja-luennointiin/fulbright-technology-industries. Application deadline is December 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m.

Update your information in Tuhat
————————————————–
Permanently employed teaching and research staff are requested to update their information in the Tuhat database by 11 January 2016. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/update-your-information-in-tuhat

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) at the Academy of Finland : Apply for strategic research funding
———————————————————————————————————
The SRC’s call will be implemented in two stages. The first stage, for letters of intent, will be open in the Academy of Finland’s online services between 5 November and 9 December 2015.
In addition, the SRC will open a supplementary call within the 2015 programme A Climate-Neutral and Resource-Scarce Finland. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/notifications/apply-for-strategic-research-funding

Visitors
—————
K.C. Chan 29.11. – 6.12. (FM)
J. Ghiglieri 23.11. – 27.11. (AV)
G. Itsios 16.11. – 23.11. (NJ)