Online Lecture Series
The online lecture series is a monthly seminar or colloquium to supplement the ASP term schools. It is organized continuously even when there is no term school. Experts are invited or volunteer to lecture on any topics in the areas of concentration of ASP students and alumni, namely:
- Astrophysics and Cosmology;
- Nuclear and Particle Physics;
- Accelerator, Medical and Radiation Physics;
- High-Performance Computing;
- Physics Education;
- Physics Communication;
- Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency;
- Materials Physics.
2026 Series
Flavour Physics as a Probe for New Physics searches
Date: February 20, 2026
Time: 13:00 UTC
Bio of the speaker:
Yasmine Amhis was born and raised in Algeria. After studying fundamental physics at the University of Orsay Paris-Sud, Yasmine obtained her PhD in particle physics in 2009. She then spent three years in Switzerland at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne before joining the CNRS as a research scientist at the Irène Joliot-Curie Physics of the Two Infinities Laboratory in 2012.
In 2016, she received the Jacques Herbrand Prize from the French Academy of Sciences. In April 2022, she was elected Physics Coordinator of the CERN LHCb experiment. She is the author of “Tiny creatures”. More information can be found here https://www.yasmineamhis.com
Abstract:
The LHCb experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is one of the most sensitive instruments for seeking sources of physics beyond the Standard Model. Rare decays of heavy flavour are heavily suppressed in the Standard Model, and new particles can give sizeable contributions to these processes. Their precise study therefore allows for sensitive tests of lepton-flavour universality, as well as detailed measurements of angular observables.
Of particular interest are rare b—> sll decays, which are readily accessible at the LHCb experiment. Recent results from LHCb on rare b—> sll decays are discussed.
QCD Equation of State with a Critical Point
Date: January 20, 2026
Time: 13:00 UTC
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Michael Kahangirwe is a postdoctoral scholar at Kent State University, where he works on developing a unified equation of state that connects heavy-ion collision physics with neutron star matter. His research aims to provide a consistent theoretical framework to guide both heavy-ion experiments and neutron star observations and is carried out within the MUSES cyberinfrastructure, which is dedicated to developing universal equations of state. He earned his PhD in Physics in 2025 from the University of Houston, following a Master’s degree from the ICTP-East African Institute for Fundamental Research (EAIFR) in Rwanda, a partner institute of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Makerere University. His research interests include heavy-ion physics, neutron star physics, and critical phenomena.
Abstract:
Understanding the phase structure of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at finite baryon density is essential for describing strongly interacting matter in environments ranging from heavy-ion collisions to neutron-star interiors. QCD predicts a transition from hadronic matter to a deconfined quark-gluon plasma, which is created experimentally at RHIC and the LHC. While lattice QCD calculations show that this transition is a smooth crossover at zero baryon density, the nature of the transition at finite density particularly the existence and location of a critical point remains uncertain due to the sign problem in lattice simulations. In this talk, I present a lattice-informed extrapolation framework that extends standard Taylor-expansion methods to construct reliable equations of state at finite baryon density. Building on this foundation, I incorporate a QCD critical point using the universality class of the three-dimensional Ising model, employing a tunable mapping that maintains thermodynamic consistency and causality. I will present results for key thermodynamic quantities, including the pressure, baryon density, entropy density, energy density, baryon number fluctuations, and the speed of sound, across regions of the QCD phase diagram relevant to ongoing and future heavy-ion experiments.
2025 Series
Date: December 2, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Prof. Sally Seidel (University of New Mexico (US))
Bio of the speaker:
Prof. Sally Seidel received her Ph.D. in experimental particle physics from the University of Michigan for a search for nucleon decay using the IMB water Cherenkov detector. As a research scientist with the University of Toronto on the ARGUS Experiment, she participated in the construction of a drift chamber optimized for heavy quark physics and published a study of charmed baryon decay. Sally joined the University of New Mexico faculty in 1991. As a member of the Fermilab CDF experiment, she co-led the upgrade tracker sensor design team and carried out a study of multi-jet final states. She then co-led the ATLAS/LHC Run-1 pixel sensor working group. On ATLAS her analysis team focuses on signatures of new physics in rare decays of B mesons. Her ATLAS analysis work led to the discovery of the excited heavy meson Bc(2S). The Seidel group is also developing technologies for tracking particles at future particle colliders.
Abstract:
Controlled particle collisions are one of the ways we learn about the fundamental physical laws of the universe. Unique colliders proposed as well as those under development worldwide are intended to investigate many of the most compelling questions in particle physics and cosmology; these include, for example, the stability of the vacuum, direct production of Dark Matter in the laboratory, and the existence of previously unobserved particles and processes (such as sterile neutrinos or CP violation in the Higgs sector) that could address such puzzles as the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry and the tensions in neutrino oscillation data. This talk begins with a survey of particle colliders that have been applied to address high energy physics questions up to the present day; it then looks toward those on the horizon.
Optical Materials for Mid-Wave to Long-Wave Infrared Laser Systems
Date: October 14, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Dr. Dismas Choge, Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Dismas Choge is a Research Associate in physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Accelerator Test Facility, where he focuses primarily on laser–material damage studies, and also serves as a lecturer in physics at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. He earned his PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and holds a master’s degree in Physics from Moi University in Kenya. His research expertise spans nonlinear optics, laser physics, ultrafast and high-intensity laser sources, light–matter interactions, and photonics, with applications including new-wavelength generation and laser-driven accelerator technologies. Dismas has been recognized through initiatives such as the Optica Foundation 20th Anniversary Challenge and contributes to the field via professional service—as a peer reviewer for journals like Optics Express and Optical Engineering. He is an active member of Optica (formerly OSA), SPIE, APS, and the Physics Society of Kenya, reflecting deep engagement with the international optics and physics communities.
Abstract:
The rapid growth of high-power mid- and long-wave infrared lasers (MWIR: 3–5 μm; LWIR: 8–12 μm) will be a frontier for unexplored research into new phenomena in the field of material science. Similar efforts are made by the laser and accelerator community mainly because of the favorable quadratic scaling of the ponderomotive energy with wavelength. This work examines the materials landscape from the point of view of the main characteristics, common applications, and where the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) remains the limiting factor. We compare the main optical properties of the transmissive workhorses (NaCl, KCl, BaF₂, ZnSe, and multispectral ZnS) and the major nonlinear crystals for frequency conversion into MWIR / LWIR (ZnGeP2, CdSiP2, AgGaS2 / AgGaSe2, OP-GaP / OP-GaAs, PPLN). We integrate key results from systematic studies on nonlinear optical properties, laser-induced damage thresholds, and post-compression of LWIR pulses, highlighting their implications for future applications in biomedicine, spectroscopy, and advanced laser technology in the fields of MWIR and LWIR.
Epitaxy of Quantum Heterostructures and Physics Devices
Date: August 12, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Prof. Prosper Ngabonziza, Assistant Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University (LSU), USA
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Prosper Ngabonziza is an Assistant Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University. He received his BSc in Physics from the University of Rwanda and completed a postgraduate diploma in mathematical sciences with cum laude at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in 2010. He earned a Master’s degree in experimental physics with cum laude from the University of Johannesburg in 2012, where his dissertation was recognized with the 2013 S2A3 Bronze Medal by the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science. He completed his PhD in engineering physics in 2016 at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, focusing on topological insulators. From 2016 to 2022, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Germany, investigating quantum matter heterostructures based on complex oxides.
Dr. Ngabonziza’s research focuses on the epitaxial growth and characterization of quantum materials and oxide heterostructures for electronic and energy applications. He is Deputy Chair of the Executive Committee of the African Light Source Foundation, a major initiative to establish a synchrotron light source in Africa. He is also a Fellow of the Rwanda Academy of Science and the Global Young Academy (GYA). He served as a GYS Co-Chair in 2022–2023.
Abstract:
My research focuses on the design and growth of oxide heterostructures for future energy and electronic applications.
I will discuss our work on transparent conducting oxides for next-generation transparent electronic devices and ionic conducting oxides for their potential use in clean energy technologies. These materials are grown with atomic-level precision and characterized using advanced techniques to uncover their functional properties.
One of my main research interests is in 4d correlated electron systems, particularly the strontium ruthenate family of Ruddlesden-Popper phases. These complex oxides exhibit a rich interplay of charge, spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom, giving rise to emergent quantum phenomena such as unconventional magnetism and metamagnetism. By studying both bulk crystals and epitaxial thin films, we aim to uncover the underlying physics and control these behaviors for potential device applications.
We also work on the epitaxial growth of metallic delafossite PdCoO₂, a material known for its ultrahigh in-plane conductivity and extreme anisotropic transport. Using pulsed laser deposition, we fabricate high-quality thin films to study their magnetotransport properties and explore their integration with other complex oxides. Our goal is to leverage these unique materials to advance the development of next-generation oxide-based electronic and spintronic devices.
Lastly, I will share my interest in the African Light Source (AfLS) project, as someone who has used synchrotron light sources for many years. I will discuss how I believe AfLS can play a key role in advancing African science and fostering the return of African scientists from the diaspora.
Searching for the Universe’s Dark Matter
Date: July 29, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Dr. Alvine Kamaha, Assistant professor of Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Alvine Kamaha is an assistant professor of Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she holds the inaugural Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences. She is the 2024 recipient of the Edward A. Bouchet Award from the American Physical Society (APS). Prof. Kamaha’s research focuses on experimental astroparticle physics, particularly the search for dark matter. She is a leading member of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment—one of the U.S. flagship dark matter searches—and is involved in the development of the next-generation XLZD experiment. At UCLA, she is establishing a test facility to pursue R&D in low-background techniques and xenon detector calibration.
Abstract:
An astonishing conclusion of modern cosmology is that approximately 85% of the matter in our universe exists in an invisible and yet-to-be-discovered form known as dark matter. Identifying its true nature remains one of the most urgent and compelling questions in contemporary physics. Across the globe, numerous experiments are racing to detect dark matter, employing a wide range of detection technologies and approaches. Among them is LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ), the U.S. flagship dark matter direct detection experiment, located nearly a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. LZ employs a dual-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber (LXe-TPC) to search primarily for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), one of the most well-motivated dark matter candidates.
In this talk, I will begin by reviewing the astrophysical evidence for dark matter and the leading theoretical candidates. I will then describe several direct detection strategies, with a focus on the LXe-TPC technique used by LZ. Finally, I will present recent world-leading results from LZ and conclude with an outlook on the future of dark matter research.
First Physics Results from sPHENIX
Date: June 17, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Dr. Ejiro Umaka, Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
Bio of the speaker:
Ejiro Umaka is a Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory working on the sPHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Her research focuses on investigations of the microscopic properties of a very hot and dense matter created in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC called quark gluon plasma. She also leads the reconstruction and calibration efforts of sPHENIX forward detectors. Before arriving at BNL, she collaborated on sPHENIX and the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider as a postdoc at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Houston in 2020.
Abstract:
The sPHENIX experiment at RHIC is designed to measure hard probes of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) with significantly higher precision than has ever been accomplished before at RHIC. Measurements of hard probes such as heavy flavor and jets provide information about the microscopic properties of the QGP as they are produced very early in the collision and thus, traverse the produced QGP matter.
After construction in May 2023 and a first wave of commissioning during the same year, sPHENIX recorded p+p and Au+Au collision data in 2024 to fully commission the remainder of its subsystems. The first physics results from the 2024 data taking period as well as projections for future measurements with the upcoming high statistics 2025 Au+Au dataset will be discussed.
Comets and asteroids: from contributing to the destruction of life on Earth?
Date: May 27, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Dr. Youssef Moulane, Research Scientist in astronomy and astrophysics at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P)
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Youssef Moulane is a Research Scientist in astronomy and astrophysics at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P). He previously worked as a Postdoc at Auburn University in the United States. His research focuses on the study of the physical and chemical properties of small bodies of the solar system, including comets and asteroids. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Space Science from Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco and the University of Liège in Belgium in 2021. He has previously worked as a visiting researcher at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile between 2019-2021. In addition to his academic work, he is also interested in outreach and educational activities in the field of astronomy for the public and general audience.
Abstract:
Comets and asteroids have played a dual role in Earth’s history, both as potential harbingers of life and agents of destruction. This talk explores how these small celestial bodies have shaped the evolution of life on our planet. We will examine their contributions to early Earth, delivering water and organic molecules essential for life’s emergence. At the same time, we will discuss their catastrophic impacts, from mass extinctions, such as the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, to potential future threats posed by Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). By understanding the science behind these bodies, their past influence, and modern efforts in planetary defense, we can appreciate their profound role in shaping Earth’s biological and geological history.
Muon g-2 anomaly in QED, EW theory and beyond
Date: April 15, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Dr. Mustafa Ashry, Lecturer assistant in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University
Bio of the speaker:
Dr. Mustafa Ashry is a lecturer assistant in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University. As a theoretician, he is interested in Higgs phenomenology beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, the phenomenology of supersymmetry in particle colliders, and models that explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Additionally, he works on models that accommodate cosmological inflation to explain the large-scale structure and causal structure of the universe.
Abstract:
The measured anomalous magnetic moment of muons is clear evidence of a physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles. We present the QED, the standard model and beyond standard model contributions which includes a left right model with inverse seesaw neutrino mechanism and a model with leptoquarks.
Researcher Training and Funding Opportunities for African Students
Date: February 25, 2025
Time: 13:00 UTC
Prof. Carsten P Welsch, Professor of Physics and Head of Accelerator Science at the University of Liverpool, England
Bio of the speaker:
Professor Carsten P Welsch studied physics and economics at the Universities of Frankfurt and UC Berkeley, completing his PhD in accelerator physics at Frankfurt. Following postdoctoral roles at the Max Planck Institute and CERN, he founded the QUASAR Group in 2007. Since 2008, he has been a member of the University of Liverpool and the Cockcroft Institute, becoming a Full Professor in 2011 and serving as Head of the Physics Department from 2016 to 2023. His research focuses on antimatter physics and accelerator optimization, with pioneering contributions to beam diagnostics. He has led six EU networks, training over 100 fellows, and directs two STFC CDTs in Data Science. With over 50 international events organized and extensive outreach efforts, he actively promotes discovery science and influences global research strategies.
Abstract:
Supporting the next generation of researchers is crucial for driving scientific innovation and economic development. In this seminar, Prof. Carsten Welsch will explore training and funding opportunities available to African students and early-career researchers seeking to advance their careers in science and engineering. Drawing on his extensive experience in leading international training programs, including EU-funded doctoral networks and knowledge-exchange initiatives, he will highlight practical pathways for accessing scholarships, research placements, and collaborative projects.
Prof. Welsch has successfully trained researchers at all career stages, equipping them with technical skills and career development opportunities in academia and industry. This seminar will provide valuable insights into structured training programs, application strategies for competitive funding schemes, and ways to connect with leading research institutions.
Whether you are a student looking for postgraduate opportunities or an early-career researcher aiming to expand your network, this seminar will offer practical guidance on taking the next step in your research journey. Join us for an interactive session to explore how you can enhance your career prospects through international training and funding initiatives.
The following series have been captured in Indico and in the calendar below:
- Series 1 (May7-Nov19 2020): ASP lecturers, see the topical version by LINXS
- Series 2 (Nov24-Jan02 2021): Photons and Neutrons, see LINXS version
- Series 3 (since Feb 16 2021): ASP Alumni
- More organizational lectures:
- International Association for Physics Student (IAPS) (09/02/2021)
- ASP Mentorship Program (12/11/2020)
The timetable of the online lectures (in GMT (UTC)):
NB: Most videos are available on the given Indico and gathered in the Video_PlayList.
Attendees of any ASP in-person or virtual events are expected to meet standards of professional conduct as described in the ASP Code of Conduct. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from future participation.