[Math-cs-seminar] Seminar this week: Uwe Hansen

[Jeff Kinne]

This message is being sent to announce an ISU Math and CS Dept Seminar 
this week. It will be at noon on Wednesday. Details are below.

--Jeff


Date/Time/Location:
Wednesday April 4, 2012 at 12 noon in RO A-187

Title:
Projection Operators in Physics

Presenter:
Uwe Hansen, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Adjunct Instructor of 
Mathematics, ISU

Abstract:
In an anisotropic medium, Maxwell’s Equations become tensor 
relationships. For certain geometries this results in a problem 
remarkably similar to an Eigenvalue problem, except that the third 
eigenvalue is missing. With the use of a projection operator, which 
projects the equations into a two-dimensional subspace, this is reduced 
to a standard two dimensional Eigenvalue problem. The operators involved 
relate to measurable physical quantities and are thus Hermetian, with 
real Eigenvalues and orthogonal Eigenvectors in the two dimensional 
sub-space. This is illustrated for the case of observing cyclotron 
resonance in a semiconductor with an ellipsoidal Fermi Surface.

With a PhD in Solid State Physics Uwe Hansen Joined the ISU faculty in 
1968 after two years as an NRC/NAS Postdoctoral Research Associate at 
the US Naval research laboratory in Washington DC. His primary research 
interests have focused on Mode Studies in Musical Instruments. He is a 
Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and the Indiana Academy of 
Science. He has served as chair of the ISU Physics Department, and is 
currently serving as editor of the IAS Proceedings and as executive 
Director of CSUI, a consortium of Midwest Universities. He was the 2011 
recipient of the ASA distinguished Service Citation.