updated: 18 february 2008

WebMaster: Zahid S. Mahimwalla

February 2008

Prof. Jean Barette
From Quarks to Galaxies: How our Universe was Formed
Monday, 25 February 2008
Public Lecture: 6:00 P.M.
McGill University
Otto Maass Chemistry Building
Room 10
_____________________________
Council Meeting: 4:30 P.M.
Ruttan Room
_____________________________
Member Reception: 5:30 P.M.
(Wine and Cheese)
Ruthan Room

January 2008

Prof. David Green
Science vs. Policy in the Protection of Canadian Endangered Species
Monday, 28 January 2008
Public Lecture: 6:00 P.M.
McGill University
Otto Maass Chemistry Building
Room 10
_____________________________
Council Meeting: 4:30 P.M.
Ruttan Room
_____________________________
Member Reception: 5:30 P.M.
(Wine and Cheese)
Ruthan Room

December 2007

Sigma Xi
Party de Noël
et Lecture spéciale

Prof. M.A. Whitehead
A Roller Coaster Survey of the
History of Sigma Xi and
The McGill Chapter

Monday, 17 December 2007
Université McGill
Otto Maass Chemistry, Room 10
6:00 P.M.

Followed by the Party!!!
Ruttan Room 7:15 P.M.

November 2007

This month's lecture:

Prof. Alejandro Rey
Modeling Liquid Crystal materials and
processes in Biological Systems

Monday, 19 November 2007
Public Lecture: 6:00 P.M.
McGill University
Macdonald-Harrington Building
Room G-10
_____________________________
Council Meeting: 4:30 P.M.
Ruttan Room
_____________________________
Member Reception: 5:30 P.M.
(Wine and Cheese)
Ruthan Room

October 2007

This month's lecture:

Prof. Andrew Kirk
Metamaterials and Negative Refraction:
Is Harry Potter's Invisibility Coat Possible?

Monday, 29 October 2007
Public Lecture: 6:00 P.M.
McGill University
Otto Maass Chemistry, Room 10
_____________________________
Council Meeting: 4:30 P.M.
Ruttan Room
_____________________________
Member Reception: 5:30 P.M.
(Wine and Cheese)
Ruthan Room

September 2007

You are cordially invited to our Third Entin lecture:

Prof. Liam Durcan
On Narrative: Fiction and the Brain

Monday, 24 September 2007
Public Lecture: 6:00 P.M.
McGill University
Macdonald Harrington Building
Room G-10
_____________________________
Council Meeting: 4:30 P.M.
Ruttan Room
_____________________________
Member Reception: 5:30 P.M.
Ruthan Room

 

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February 2008

25 February 2008

Prof. Jean Barrette

From Quarks to Galaxies: How our Universe was Formed


Up to roughly a millionth of a second after the Big Bang it is now believe that the Universe was made of a dense plasma of quarks and gluons at a temperature higher than one trillion degrees. The quarks and gluons together with the leptons (the electron) are the smallest constituents of matter. As the universe expanded and cooled, this plasma coalesced into protons and neutrons (hadronization), then nuclei (nucleosynthesis) and then atoms. Finally, the atoms came together into molecules, which allowed life to arise. Under the influence of gravity these atoms assembled into stars and eventually galaxies. During the last decades tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of the formation of the Universe thanks many discoveries in the field of astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics and nuclear physics. During this seminar I will discuss some of these recent developments.