URI Physics Colloquium

The URI Physics department hosts an ongoing speaker series each academic year, which features physics experts from URI and other universities, as well as scientific organizations.

During the fall and spring semesters, colloquia are held in East Hall, Room 112. Refreshments are served before each talk at 3:30 pm in the East Hall Library or Room 112.

All are welcome, and there is no fee to attend.

Schedule for Spring 2025 : 

Abstracts:

 Low-Z Targets for MV Beam Production in Radiation Therapy

Image guidance is employed in radiation therapy to ensure accurate patient setup prior to treatment delivery. Modern linear accelerators are equipped with two imaging systems for use in image guidance: 1) a megavoltage system which shares the same beamline as the treatment beam and 2) a kilovoltage system oriented orthogonally to the treatment beam. Due to the spectral differences, the kV system offers improved image quality per unit dose compared to the MV beam, owing to increased photoelectric interactions. While the kV system offers improved image quality, this system presents a geometrical disadvantage, preventing visualization of the target volume from the treatment beam’s eye view. The achievable MV image quality can be improved by implementing a low atomic number target for photon beam production. Due to the cubic dependence of the photoelectric cross section on Z, low-Z targets yield a higher proportion of low-Z photons compared to a conventional high-Z target. In this talk, I present the theory of MV beam production using a low-Z target and my experience implementing a 2.5 MV sintered diamond target beam on a modern linear accelerator.

Quantum Information and Quantum Gravity

I will discuss interconnections between quantum gravity and quantum information science, focusing on aspects where they inform each other. Particular topics will include entanglement entropy, black holes, thermodynamics, and quantum error correction.

Past schedules

Fall 2025 Colloquium Schedule