Monday, April 16
MSCS Colloquium: Network of Thrones
Who is the main character in the “Game of Thrones?”
Who is the protagonist? Are these different questions?
Wait – why is a mathematician asking this?
Andrew Beveridge, Associate Professor, Macalester College
3:30 pm, RNS 310 – EVERYONE WELCOME
Biology Seminar: The Brain on Steroids: How steroid hormones interact with the brain in a lizard species
Dr. Rachel Cohen, Minnesota State University, Mankato
4:00 PM, RNS 410
Tuesday, April 17
No Events
Wednesday, April 18
No Events
Thursday, April 19
Chemistry Seminar: Methane Storage in the Cu3(btc)2 Metal–Organic Framework
Bess Vlaisavljevich Ph.D., Assistant Professor Chemistry, University of South Dakota
Abstract: A thorough study has been carried out to determine the driving force that leads to a high volumetric uptake of methane in the metal−organic framework Cr3(btc)2 (btc3- = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate; HKUST-1). In this joint experimental and computational study, methane adsorption data was measured at
several temperatures for Cr3(btc)2, and its isostructural analogue Cr3(btc)2, showing that there is little difference in
volumetric adsorption capacity when the metal center is changed. Additionally, in situ neutron powder diffraction data obtained for both materials were used to locate four CD4 adsorption sites that fill sequentially. The computational study reveals that strong methane binding at the open metal sites is largely due to methane−methane interactions with adjacent molecules adsorbed at the primary sites instead of an electronic interaction with the metal center. Simulated methane adsorption isotherms for Cr3(btc)2 are shown to exhibit excellent agreement with experimental isotherms, allowing for additional simulations that show that modifications to the metal center, ligand, or even tuning the overall binding enthalpy are not expected to improve the working capacity for methane storage over that measured for Cr3(btc)2 itself.
3:15 pm, RNS 310
Friday, April 20
MSCS Research Seminar: Temporal control of graphene plasmons
Josh Wilson ’13, final year of PhD, University of Minnesota
Abstract: Graphene can support electromagnetic surface waves called plasmons. Plasmons are usually manipulated by creating spatial patterns in graphene, for example by arranging it in strips of varying widths. In this talk we will investigate the possibility of instead controlling plasmons by modulating the conductivity of graphene in time. We will derive a simple equation to describe the time-dynamics of graphene plasmons and use it to investigate temporal versions of the Fresnel equations.
3:40 pm, RNS 204