Conveners
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 1
- Azwinndini Muronga (Nelson Mandela University)
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 2
- Moritz Braun
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 3
- Garreth Kemp (University of Johannesburg)
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 4
- Magdeline Seabi (Nelson Mandela University)
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 5
- Tal Leshem
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 6
- Bahati Mukeru
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 7
- Tshegofatso Tshipi (Sol Plaatje University)
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Session 8
- Garreth Kemp (University of Johannesburg)
Theoretical and Computational Physics: Annual General Meeting
- Azwinndini Muronga (Nelson Mandela University)
Theoretical and Computational Physics
- There are no conveners in this block
Theoretical and Computational Physics
- There are no conveners in this block
Theoretical and Computational Physics
- There are no conveners in this block
-
Dr Garreth Kemp (University of Johannesburg)07/07/2026, 09:30Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Conserved charges of the $AdS_{5} รS^{5}$ spacetime are encoded into irreducible representations (irreps) of $U(N)$ super Yang-Mills gauge theory through AdS/CFT, and through Schur-Weyl duality, into symmetric polynomials evaluated on irreps of the symmetric group $S_{n}$. A conjecture exists regarding the maximum number of conserved charges an observer needs to measure in order to distinguish...
Go to contribution page -
Kutloano Nkojoana (University of the Witwatersrand)07/07/2026, 09:50Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We investigate the configurational temperature estimator as a diagnostic tool for Monte Carlo and Langevin simulations of the three-dimensional XY model with an imaginary chemical potential. This estimator depends only on the field configurations. It provides a stringent internal consistency check for numerical sampling algorithms. We perform simulations using both real Langevin dynamics and...
Go to contribution page -
Akash Singh (University of the Witwatersrand)07/07/2026, 10:10Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
At finite baryon chemical potential and low temperatures, QCD is expected to exhibit a rich phase structure characterized by the formation of quark bilinear and multi-quark condensates. However, the strongly coupled nature of QCD in this regime, together with the sign problem in lattice simulations at finite density, renders first-principles analyses extremely challenging. While effective...
Go to contribution page -
Prof. Azwinndini Muronga (Nelson Mandela University)07/07/2026, 11:00Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Matter under extreme conditions, ranging from the quarkโgluon plasma created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions to the dense interiors of collapsing stars and neutron stars, exhibits strongly interacting, non-linear dynamics far from equilibrium. Despite vast differences in scale, these systems share a common theoretical description rooted in relativistic fluid dynamics, where conservation...
Go to contribution page -
Magdeline Mohlao07/07/2026, 11:20Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
This work focuses on the development of a theoretical and computational framework designed to evaluate magnetised shock wave dynamics in extreme, high-energy environments. The mathematical foundation utilises magnetohydrodynamics, which couples the conservation laws with Maxwellโs equations of electromagnetism for a conducting fluid. To accurately model the system's evolution, the framework...
Go to contribution page -
Serai Israel MOSALA (Nelson Mandela University)07/07/2026, 11:40Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
This study investigates the steady-state thermal and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) behaviour of electrically conducting nanofluids in a Couette flow configuration between two infinite parallel plates. The upper plate moves at a constant velocity under partial slip conditions, while convective heat exchange is imposed at the upper boundary and a fixed temperature is maintained at the lower plate....
Go to contribution page -
Tendani Oliver Munyai (Nelson Mandela University)07/07/2026, 12:00Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We examined the particle ratios of multiple meson and baryon species at central rapidity and an impact parameter of b = 5 in Pb+Pb high-energy heavy-ion collisions. The collisions were simulated using the most recent version of the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics model (UrQMD-3.4), which, unlike its predecessors, incorporates charmed particles such as D, J/ฯ, Xc, and others....
Go to contribution page -
Geoff Beck (University of the Witwatersrand)07/07/2026, 14:40Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The experimental demonstration of Bell inequality violation was a landmark moment for research in quantum foundations. Transitioning the field from metaphysical speculation into the empirical realm. However, the consequences of these violations by quantum mechanics are not fully understood, despite simplistic presentations to the contrary. In this talk we will discuss the assumptions...
Go to contribution page -
Moritz Braun (UNISA)07/07/2026, 15:00Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We use two dimensional basis functions based on a shifted and scaled wavelet scaling sym8 function
Go to contribution page
\begin{equation}
f_i(x)=\phi\left( x/h+x_{\rm max} /h -i\right)/\sqrt{h}\,.
\end{equation}
Here $h=x_{\rm max}/N$, where $x_{\rm max}$ is the distance from the origin to he boundary of the square shaped domain. In addition we modify these functions to satisfy periodic boundary... -
Obiageli Ezenwachukwu (University of South Africa (UNISA))07/07/2026, 15:20Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We use three dimensional basis functions based on a shifted and scaled Daubechies wavelet scaling function[1]
Go to contribution page
\begin{equation}
f_i(x)=\phi\left( x/h+x_{\rm max} /h -i\right)/\sqrt{h}\,.
\end{equation}
From the equation above, $h=x_{\rm max}/N$, $h$ is also the distance between the scaling functions, and $N$ is the number of intervals from the origin to $x_{\rm max}$. However, the... -
Anele Ncube (University of Johannesburg)07/07/2026, 15:40Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Hyperbolic spaces serve multiple purposes in the frontiers of physics at different regimes: on the large scales, when considering the global topology of the universe, and on small scales, when considering compactified extra dimensions in some Beyond the Standard Model scenarios. These spaces are non-trivial, and determining their eigenmodes (i.e. the solutions to the Helmholtz equation on...
Go to contribution page -
Kingsley Onyebuchi Obodo (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg)08/07/2026, 09:30Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The rapid evolution of computational materials science is redefining how materials are designed, understood, and optimized. This presentation highlights the transition from traditional first-principles modelling to data-driven materials discovery frameworks. Early work, grounded in Density Functional Theory (DFT), focused on elucidating the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of...
Go to contribution page -
Khanyisile Masemola (University of the Witwatersrand)08/07/2026, 09:50Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Electric vehicles and renewable energy storage demand batteries that are cheaper, longer-lasting, and more powerful than current lithium-ion technology. Battery chemistry happens at the atomic level, where quantum physics rules apply. Traditional computers struggle to model these quantum interactions accurately. Quantum computing represents a promising paradigm shift in how we model battery...
Go to contribution page -
Dr Tshegofatso Tshipi (Sol Plaatje University), Dr Ishmael Gopane (Sol Plaatje University)08/07/2026, 10:10Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We have previously shown that unsupervised PhysicsโInformed Neural Networks can give promising results for quantum fewโbody problems, where we computed the sโwave bound states generated by a toy potential and the WoodsโSaxon potential. The method performed well for the toy potential, but it struggled to learn the second excited state of the WoodsโSaxon potential. This difficulty arose because...
Go to contribution page -
Farelanani Makatu (University of the Witwatersrand)08/07/2026, 11:20Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is a deconfined state of matter produced in heavy-ion collisions, whose properties can be probed through the azimuthal anisotropy of particle production in the medium. Beauty hadrons are useful as sensitive probes of the QGP due to their large quark mass, however their behaviour at forward rapidities is not well recorded. Here, we present a study of b-hadron...
Go to contribution page -
Ben Bert (University of Cape Town)08/07/2026, 11:40Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We present high-$p_T$ $R_{AB}$ and $v_2$ from a perturbative quantum chromodynamics-based energy loss model that includes event-by-event hydrodynamic evolution of the medium and small system size corrections to the energy loss. The model is calibrated on, and describes well, large system $R_{AA}$ and $v_2$ experimental data. The extrapolation of our model to $\mathrm{Ne}+\mathrm{Ne}$ and...
Go to contribution page -
Coleridge Faraday (University of Cape Town)08/07/2026, 12:00Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is a novel state of matter that existed in the first microseconds after the Big Bang and is recreated in heavy-ion collisions at ultrarelativistic energies. Recent observations of QGP-like signatures in small collision systems, including proton + heavy-ion, have raised fundamental questions about the onset of collective behavior. One key signature conspicuously...
Go to contribution page -
Dario Van den Berg (University of the Witwatersrand)08/07/2026, 12:20Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We present a detailed study of momentum broadening for high-energy partons traversing the Quark--Gluon Plasma (QGP), extending the Gyulassy Levai Vitev (GLV) formalism to include both all-path-length (APL) and sub-eikonal corrections. Standard GLV calculations rely on the assumptions of large separation distances and large formation times, which are well justified in large nuclear systems but...
Go to contribution page -
Ayanda Zungu08/07/2026, 14:50Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Open Quantum Brownian Motion (OQBM) describes the dynamics of a quantum Brownian particle with an additional internal degree of freedom. Building on the microscopic derivation of OQBM with a two-level internal degree of freedom presented by Sinayskiy and Petruccione (2015 Phys. Scr. T165, 014017), we revisit the associated OQBM master equation and derive the equations for the $n$-th moments...
Go to contribution page -
Mr Tal Leshem08/07/2026, 15:10Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
We review the Asymptotic Iteration Method (AIM) as a computational framework for determining the quasinormal mode (QNM) spectra of black hole spacetimes, with particular emphasis on its regimes of applicability and failure. We identify scenarios in which AIM does not yield accurate or reliable eigenvalues and analyze the underlying causes of these breakdowns. To address these limitations, we...
Go to contribution page -
Marandela Mulalo Valencia08/07/2026, 15:30Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
Energy is the core of any developing or developed country. For countries with their economy relying heavily on industries, more energy is consumed, and as a result, they contribute more to global warming and climate change. South Africa, rich in renewable energy potential, is experiencing a major shift as it works to incorporate clean energy sources into its overall power supply to meet the...
Go to contribution page -
Mishka Naicker (University of KwaZulu-Natal)08/07/2026, 15:50Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
This work investigates a hybrid quantumโclassical enhancement of the MetropolisโHastings algorithm within a variational Monte Carlo framework. Using a single-thread Monte Carlo approach, we estimate the ground-state energy of a small Hamiltonian system by computing the dominant eigenvalue of a symmetric $3\times3$ matrix as a proof of concept.
A quantum-enhanced acceptance mechanism,...
Go to contribution page -
Bahati Mukeru09/07/2026, 09:30Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The optical model (OM) formalism inherently omits the structural properties of weakly bound nuclei, owing to its restriction to an effective two-body description. By assuming the halo and non-halo configurations of $^8$B and $^{11}$Be projectiles on two quite different mass targets, $^{64}$Zn and $^{208}$Pb, we introduce an approach that explicitly incorporates the ground-state structure of a...
Go to contribution page -
Jack Brand (University of Cape Town)09/07/2026, 10:10Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
The quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is a deconfined state of strongly interacting matter that provides a unique laboratory for studying the strong nuclear force. It is produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, such as ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}+{}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and, more recently, ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{16}\mathrm{O}$ at the LHC. High-momentum (โhardโ) probes traversing the QGP lose energy through...
Go to contribution page -
Rens Roosenstein (University of Cape Town, University of Amsterdam)09/07/2026, 11:00Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
In this talk I present a first-principles construction of the thermal partition function for scalar quantum field theories in finite volume, with an emphasis on mathematical control and physical consistency. Motivated by small systems in high-energy collisions, such as the quark-gluon plasma produced at the LHC and RHIC, we investigate how finite system size modifies thermodynamic observables...
Go to contribution page -
Tiaan van der Merwe (University of Cape Town)09/07/2026, 11:20Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsOral Presentation
In high-energy heavy-ion collisions at facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), extreme temperatures and energy densities are achieved, leading to the formation of a deconfined state of matter known as the quarkโgluon plasma (QGP). Hard-scattered partons produced in the early stages of the collision traverse this hot and dense medium,...
Go to contribution page -
Martha Mashao09/07/2026, 11:40Track G - Theoretical and Computational PhysicsPoster Presentation
A few microseconds after the Big Bang, the universe existed in an extremely hot and dense phase where ordinary hadrons could not form and matter took the form of quark-gluon plasma (QGP). High-energy partons produced in initial hard scatterings traverse the expanding QGP and lose energy through multiple interactions with the medium constituents, a phenomenon known as jet quenching. To isolate...
Go to contribution page