Welcome to the Van Allen Observatory website. The University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy maintains these pages as a guide to the Van Allen Observatory (VAO) located on the roof of Van Allen Hall in downtown Iowa City.

Please note that due to summer 2024 Van Allen Hall roof renovations, the Van Allen Observatory will be closed for summer 2024.

View of Phillips, Van Allen, Biology Buildings via Drone Sept 2021

Events

Plasma Physics Seminar - Rui Huang; University of Iowa, Department of Physics & Astronomy promotional image

Plasma Physics Seminar - Rui Huang; University of Iowa, Department of Physics & Astronomy

Monday, April 28, 2025 1:30pm to 2:20pm
Van Allen Hall
We found another way to calculate field-particle correlation.Rui HuangThe field-particle correlation (FPC) technique, proposed by Klein & Howes ApJL (2016), enables the characterization of interactions between electromagnetic fields and plasma particles using single-point measurements of electric field and particle distribution functions. FPCs associated with distinct physical mechanisms exhibit characteristic patterns in velocity space. To properly characterize one mechanism, field and particle...
Physics & Astronomy Colloquium - Silvia Zorzetti; Fermilab promotional image

Physics & Astronomy Colloquium - Silvia Zorzetti; Fermilab

Monday, April 28, 2025 3:30pm to 5:00pm
Van Allen Hall
SRF Cavities for Quantum Computing and CommunicationSilvia ZorzettiThe next groundbreaking frontier in Quantum Information Science (QIS) involves establishing low-noise interconnections between quantum processing units (QPUs) and quantum sensors. A pivotal enabler of distributed quantum networks is high-efficiency microwave-optical transduction, a technology with broad applications.Our research at the DOE Fermi National Laboratory and the SQMS Quantum Research Center focuses on advancing...
Operator Theory Seminar - Ed White; University of Iowa, Department of Mathematics promotional image

Operator Theory Seminar - Ed White; University of Iowa, Department of Mathematics

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 1:30pm to 2:20pm
Van Allen Hall
Recursive Relations for 2-Variable Weighted ShiftsEd WhiteIn this talk, we outline a method to determine all recursive relations for a 2-Variable weighted shift, up to total degree k, entirely from the Berger measure. We then show that this method can be used to explicitly construct the Gröbner basis for the ideal of recursive relations.To join this event virtually via ZOOM, go to https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95316149275.