The Kaczmarczik Lecture Series, hosted by the Department of Physics, is a significant event on Drexel's campus. Numerous Nobel Laureates and renowned scientists have been invited in recent years to address the audience on topics ranging from mapping the universe to revolutions in fundamental physics.

22nd Kaczmarczik Lecture: "Ice Fishing for Neutrinos" with Francis Halzen, PhD

Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 1 PM

The IceCube project at the geographic South Pole melted eighty-six holes over 1.5 miles deep in the Antarctic icecap to construct an enormous astronomical observatory. The experiment recently discovered a flux of neutrinos reaching us from the cosmos, with energies more than a thousand times those of neutrinos produced at accelerator laboratories. These cosmic neutrinos are astronomical messengers coming from some of the most violent processes in the universe and from the biggest explosions since the Big Bang. Recently it was discovered that some high-energy neutrinos—and cosmic rays—originate from sources powered by rotating supermassive black holes.

Francis Halzen, PhD, Hilldale and Gregory Breit Professor at UW–Madison, is the principal investigator of IceCube, the world’s largest neutrino detector and a scientist studying problems that span the particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology communities.

About the Kaczmarczik Lecture Series

Paul Kaczmarczik began his career as a Professor of Physics at Drexel University in 1953. A key player in building the Physics and Atmospheric Science Department, he made important contributions to teaching at Drexel University during his many years of service. Well-liked by both his colleagues and his students, Professor Kaczmarczik became Professor Emeritus in 1989. The Kaczmarczik Lecture Series was established in 1995 in honor of Professor Kaczmarczik. It brings outstanding scientists to Drexel to present lectures on topics at the cutting edge of physics research.