How do we achieve diversity and inclusion (D&I)? How can a collective wish for a diverse and equal future, in physics as well as other professional areas, be fulfilled? In helping organisations answer these questions, I have over the years come to find one powerful component for igniting change: stories. In matters of gender inequity, more specifically the stories of women.
Stories have...
From the personal perspective of someone towards the end of their PhD, I would like to share some observations on why women might choose to leave academia and physics (e.g. after the PhD), and actions which could help prevent it. I will discuss the idea of having different starting points, and the effect the environment can have on motivation and performance. Finally, I will point out the kind...
Interstellar space harbours a surprising chemical complexity in spite of the extremely low temperatures and pressures that characterize it. More than 225 different molecules have been detected including both simple molecules such as H2 and water, as well as larger molecules such as C60 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Even biologically relevant molecules such as glycolaldehyde – a...
In string theory the gauge/gravity duality (also known as AdS/CFT correspondence) has proven an invaluable tool in the exploration of both strongly coupled quantum field theories and quantum gravity, thanks to its strong-weak nature. On the other hand, in recent years remarkable progress have been made in computing exact answers for observables in strongly coupled quantum field theories thanks...
Belle~II is a flavor physics experiment at the asymmetric $e^+ e^-$ collider SuperKEKB in Japan. It aims to record an order of magnitude more data than is predecessor Belle experiment. Belle~II started operation in 2019 and to date has accumulated $\sim$430 $fb^{-1}$ of data. The Uppsala University recently joined the experiment, becoming the first Scandinavian country in a collaboration that...
Extreme Ultraviolet light sources based on high-order harmonic generation in gases are now used in many areas of science. The radiation consists of a train of extremely short light bursts, in the attosecond range, allowing for outstanding temporal resolution. HHG has opened the field of attosecond science, where ultrafast electron dynamics in matter is captured. In this presentation, I will...
The world around us consists of protons and neutrons – tightly bound quark systems that just like other hadrons are confined by the strong interaction. The processes occur at distances corresponding to a femtometer, i.e. 10-15 m, and generates almost 99% of the visible mass of the Universe. To describe these interactions quantitatively, belong to the most challenging problems in contemporary...
The ever-growing energy needs demand technological development related to photo catalysis. Conventional photo-catalytic materials suffer from low quantum efficiency, charge-recombination, and chemical back-reactions. Janus van der Waals hetero structures, are 2D materials where a metal atomic layer M is sandwiched between layers X and Y of two different chalcogen, halogen, or pnictogen atoms...
An academic summer camp in mathematics for girls and gender queer high school students in Iceland.
We present a diagnostic tool that detects ovarian cancer in ten minutes through analysis of blood plasma gas emissions. Due to diffuse symptoms and no available screening tests, ovarian cancer is normally diagnosed in stage III-IV, with a five-year survival rate of only 4% upon diagnosis in stage IV. Stage I detection results in a much better prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of 90%. Our...
Massive stars end their lives in violent explosions known as supernovae. Some of these objects explode into material surrounding the star resulting in interaction visible in both spectra and light curves. This interaction is the characteristic of the supernova class called IIn. These objects are intrinsically rare but are estimated to be dominating the search for gravitationally lensed...
Paper cuts are a minor nuisance, but they can lead to life-threatening microbial infections. The physical processes that determine whether paper cuts into the skin, however, remain poorly understood. To explore skin-paper interactions, we designed an experiment in which a piece of paper contacts an artificial finger made from ballistic gelatin. Our experiments suggest that the paper thickness...
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used in almost all everyday lighting applications today. They enable light sources to have long lifetimes, low power consumption and high light output, while retaining a relatively compact footprint. However, LEDs emit light of equal intensity in all directions, and thus for many applications require bulky external optics to engineer their intensity...
Molecular diffusion in bulk liquids proceeds according to Fick's law, which stipulates that the current is proportional to the conductive area. This constrains the efficiency of filtration systems in which both selectivity and permeability are valued. Numerous studies have demonstrated that interactions between the diffusing species and solid boundaries, e.g., filter pore walls, can enhance or...
The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider is an upgrade of the B-factory Belle at the KEK laboratory. The main operation started in March 2019 with the aim of collecting an order of magnitude more data then its predecessor Belle. An integrated luminosity of about $\sim$430 $fb^{-1}$ has been collected so far. Belle II has a unique sensitivity to a broad class of models...
All members of KIF (Kvinder i Fysik) are invited to attend the general assembly.
Agenda:
Welcome, choice of moderator, choice of minutes taker
Chairwoman’s report
Accounting and budget
Election of board members
Proposals from members
Any other business
Space research, technology and exploration are now part of our everyday and it is necessary to address the diversity of representation in the decisions on space issues and access to space. In this talk I would like to present the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs initiative, Space for Women, with the goal of pushing toward an inclusive, diverse, and equal space sector.
