Lecture: “The T-Ray: From Science Fiction to the Study of Life” —UM Thursdays

Thursday, April 26, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Institute of Botany – University of Montpellier
Tram Line 1 – Albert 1er Stop

Lecture led by Kenneth Maussang, Ph.D. in Physical Sciences, researcher at theInstitute of Electronics and Systems (IES), associate professor at the University of Montpellier.
Seeing through opaque objects is a fantasy that has long been the stuff of science fiction, like Superman and his X-ray vision. While X-rays are used for this purpose—for example, at airport security checkpoints—the rising star is now the T-ray (or terahertz radiation).
It had been waiting for more than a century, lurking between visible light and radio waves, patiently waiting for technological advances to bring it into the spotlight. The advent of nanotechnology has enabled the development of T-ray sources in numerous research groups, including those at the University of Montpellier—renowned worldwide for their expertise and know-how—leading to the commercialization of their research through the creation of the startup T-waves. Fabrics and plastics are transparent to T-rays, unlike metals, water, and skin, which block them. Thus, the intrusive T-ray camera makes it possible to “see” the human body through clothing. Now that T-rays have reached maturity, they are poised to shed light on other scientific fields: medical imaging, pollutant detection, security screening, and more.
During this conference, Kenneth Maussang will discuss terahertz radiation and its recent applications in the scientific and socioeconomic spheres. He will also present new research areas being developed at the University of Montpellier, which offer new perspectives in fundamental physics, agronomy, and biology, with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms of life…

"UM ThursdaysUM : A New Series of Lectures

The University of Montpellier, with its eight faculties, two schools, and six institutes, is home to a wealth of instructors andProfessors a wide variety of fields of study. The university sought to highlight them and make their work accessible to as many people as possible by offering a unique lecture series, with one event per month from October 2017 to May 2018.