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1. Conferences
1.1 Multiverse and Fundamental Cosmology in Szczecin, Poland
1.2 Thirteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting (MG13) in Stockholm (3rd circ.)
1.3 Inaugural meeting of the Research Training Group "Models of Gravity", Bremen
1.4 Workshop "Landscapes for Quantum Gravity" in Pavia, Italy
1.5 Geometry and topology in (quantum) gravity session at QQQ 2012 conference in Tallinn, Estonia
1.6 Central European Relativity Seminar in Cracow
1.7 Black Holes and Information at KITP, Santa Barbara
1.8 Workshop on Gravitational Wave Bursts in Tobermory, Scotland, UK
1.9 Gravitation and cosmology session at QQQ 2012 conference in Tallinn, Estonia
1.10 9th LISA Symposium in Paris
1.11 Workshop on The Physics of De Sitter Spacetime in Hannover
1.12 Recent Developments in Gravity (NEB 15), Crete (Greece)
2. Jobs
2.1 Postdoctoral position in theoretical gravitational-wave physics at Southampton
2.2 Two postdoctoral positions in theoretical cosmology at Portsmouth
2.3 Two Tenure-Track Positions in Theoretical Physics at Sao Paulo
2.4 EDECS-PhD position in Cosmology at LUTH (Paris)
2.5 EDECS-Postdoc in Cosmology at LUTH (Paris)
3. News
3.1 Death of Franco Pacini, Florence
3.2 Living Reviews in Relativity: article updates by Winicour and Adamo et al.
3.3 Gravitational Wave Tests of Alternative Theories of Gravity in the Advanced Detector Era at MSU
3.4 eLISA(NGO) - Revealing a hidden Universe: opening a new chapter of discovery
3.5 Call for nominations: fellows of the GRG Society
3.6 2012 Awards for Essays on Gravitation
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1. Conferences
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1.1 Multiverse and Fundamental Cosmology in Szczecin, Poland
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/31/multiverse-and-fundamental-cosmolog…
Starting Mon, Sep 10, 2012 to Fri, Sep 14, 2012
Location: Szczecin, Poland
Additional Information: http://cosmo.fiz.univ.szczecin.pl
Dear Collegues,
We invite you to take part in our conference “Multiverse and Fundamental Cosmology” which will take place in Szczecin, Poland from 10th till 14th of September 2012. This is the third event in the series of fundamental cosmology conferences organized by our cosmology group in Szczecin (previous were Cosmofun'2005 and Grasscosmofun'09).
This time the task of the conference is to bring together specialists in fundamental cosmology (superstring, brane and M-theory), quantum cosmology and dark energy and the specialists dealing with the multiverse concept (variation of fundamental constants, decoherent histories, superstring landscape etc.). It is planned that the invited lectures and short contributions will be published in a conference proceedings. The organizer is the Cosmology Group of the University of Szczecin and collaborators are the Polish Physical Society, the Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Krakow, and the National Centre for Nuclear Research in Swierk.
Invited speakers are:
Martin Bojowald, Univ. Penn State, USA
Robert R. Caldwell, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA
Paul C.W. Davies, Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona St. Univ., USA
Michael Heller, Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Krakow, Poland
Jerzy Jurkiewicz, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Claus Kiefer, Univ. Cologne, Germany
Anthony Lasenby, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
Renate Loll, Univ. Utrecht, The Netherlands
Carlos J.A.P. Martins Univ. Porto, Portugal
David Polarski, Univ. Montpellier, France
Alexei Starobinsky, Lebedev Institute, Moscow, Russia
Shinji Tsujikawa Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Jean-Philippe Uzan, IAP, Paris, France
Alexander Vilenkin, Tufts University, USA
We encourage you to register early through our server (http://cosmo.fiz.univ.szczecin.pl) by filling in a registration form and submitting it to a conference address: mcosmo12[AT]wmf.univ.szczecin.pl.
Looking forward to seeing you in Szczecin.
With compliments,
Mariusz P. Dabrowski (Organizing Committee chair)
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1.2 Thirteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting (MG13) in Stockholm (3rd circ.)
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/31/mg13-thirteenth-marcel-grossmann-me…
Starting Sun, Jul 01, 2012 to Sat, Jul 07, 2012
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Additional Information: http://www.icra.it/MG/mg13/
The list of 70 parallel sessions is now ready and interested participants can register themselves for the meeting and submit a short abstract for the parallel session of their choice. A preliminary list of confirmed invited plenary speakers is also available.
Early registration at 350€ will be possible starting February 10, 2012, extending through June 15, 2012, after which the registration fee will be 400€. The student fee is 150€. Abstracts for parallel session presentations must be submitted by June 1, 2012, but preferably at the time of registration.
MG13 will take place July 1-7, 2012 at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. Preregistration will take place Sunday, July 1, and the meeting will officially open Monday morning with the Marcel Grossmann awards announcement. During the six day conference a wide variety of topics will be discussed in the morning plenary sessions beginning with mathematical topics on Monday, quantum aspects of gravity on Tuesday, precision tests of general relativity on Wednesday, relativistic astrophysics on Thursday, cosmology and astroparticle physics on Friday and the latest scientific news and the history of physics Saturday. There will be five plenary lectures each morning and up to twenty parallel sessions in the four weekday afternoons excluding Wednesday, which is left free for a trip and the evening conference banquet. The plenary lectures will be held in the Aula Magna lecture hall and the parallel sessions at the AlbaNova University Center, both easily reachable by public transp
ortation from the city center.
Since 1975, the Marcel Grossmann Meetings (on Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Gravitation, and Relativistic Field Theories) have been organized in order to provide opportunities for discussing recent advances in gravitation, general relativity and relativistic field theories, emphasizing mathematical foundations, physical predictions and experimental tests. The objective of these meetings is to elicit exchange among scientists that may deepen our understanding of spacetime structures as well as to review the status of ongoing experiments aimed at testing Einstein’s theory of gravitation either from the ground or from space.
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1.3 Inaugural meeting of the Research Training Group "Models of Gravity", Bremen
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/31/inaugural-meeting-of-the-research-t…
Starting Wed, Mar 28, 2012 to Fri, Mar 30, 2012
Location: Bremen, Germany
Additional Information: http://www.models-of-gravity.org
The DFG Research Training Group ''Models of Gravity'' is starting April 1st, 2012. The theoretical research will cover solutions of Einstein equations and its generalizations, the interpretation of these solution through the motion of test objects, and applications of this in astrophysics, cosmology, clocks in space, geodesy, etc.
Confirmed invited speakers include:
Bernd Bruegmann (Jena)
Nathalie Deruelle (Paris)
George Ellis (Cape Town)
Johanna Erdmenger (Munich)
Eva Grebel (Heidelberg)
Claus Kiefer (Cologne)
Malcolm MacCallum (Bristol)
Tanja Mehlstaeubler (Braunschweig)
Charles Misner (Maryland)
Patrick Peters (Paris)
Alena Pravdova (Prague)
Mairi Sakellariadou (London)
The meeting will start with an opening ceremony on March 28, at 09:30 a.m. and ends March 30, at 4 p.m. The detailed program will soon be published on the webpage http://www.models-of-gravity.org
For registration, please send an e-mail to secretariat[AT]models-of-gravity.org
No fees are required.
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1.4 Workshop "Landscapes for Quantum Gravity" in Pavia, Italy
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/30/workshop-landscapes-for-quantum-gra…
Starting Thu, Feb 16, 2012 to Fri, Feb 17, 2012
Location: Pavia, Italy
PHYSICS COLLOQUIA - The Graduate School of Physics - The University of Pavia
LANDSCAPES FOR QUANTUM GRAVITY
Department of Physics, via Bassi 6, Pavia, Italy
In recent years the possible scenarios for a quantum gravity theory have grown more varied than ever. The panorama offers suggestive landscapes ranging from String Theory to an information-theoretic origin of the gravitational field not needing a direct quantization. Loop Quantum Gravity has been an active player in shaping this varied landscape and the idea of this workshop is to offer a panoramic view of the subject with a few Colloquium style talks addressed to graduate students not necessarily familiar with current research in quantum gravity.
February Thursday 16th, 2012
10:00-10:50 Francesca Vidotto "General covariant transition amplitude in quantum cosmology"
11:00-15:00 Lunch Break
15:00-15:50 Carlo Rovelli "Covariant LQG"
16:00-16:30 Coffee Break
16:30-17:20 Simone Speziale "Loop quantum gravity and polyhedra"
February Friday 17, 2012
10:00-10:50 Giorgio Immirzi "Elementary geometry of Lorentzian spinfoam"
11:00-11:50 Etera Livine "Spinor Networks: from classical discrete geometry to quantum gravity"
12:00-15:00 Lunch Break
15:00-15:50 Edward Wilson-Ewing "Loop Quantum Cosmology"
16:00-16:50 Discussion and final remarks (Mauro Carfora)
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1.5 Geometry and topology in (quantum) gravity session at QQQ 2012 conference in Tallinn, Estonia
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/29/qqq-12-3-quantum-algebra-geometry-i…
Starting Tue, Jul 10, 2012 to Sat, Jul 14, 2012
Location: Talinn, Estonia
Additional Information: http://www.agmp.eu/qqq/sess_pro.php?con=tln12&sess=GTG
The conference "QQQ 12 - 3Quantum: Algebra Geometry Information", July 10-14 2012 in Talinn, Estonia, will host a parallel session "Geometry and topology in (quantum) gravity".
The conference is a satellite conference of the 6th European Congress of Mathematics, the 13th Marcel Grossmann Meeting and the International Congress on mathematical Physics ICMP 12. It covers a wide variety of topics from (quantum) gravity, non-commutative geometry, quantum groups, deformation theory and quantisation and topological field theories.
If you are interested in attending the conference and presenting a talk in the session "Geometry and topology in (quantum) gravity", please register as soon as possible on the conference website with the correct information on the session and title and abstract of your proposed talk:
http://www.agmp.eu/qqq/app.php
Currently, there is no funding to cover travel or accommodation costs for speakers. However, there is a possibility of waiving the conference fee for junior scientists (PhD students).
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1.6 Central European Relativity Seminar in Cracow
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/28/central-european-relativity-seminar/
Starting Thu, Feb 02, 2012 to Sat, Feb 04, 2012
Location: Poland, Cracow
Additional Information: http://th.if.uj.edu.pl/~jalmuzna/seminar/seminar/Main.html
The topic of the meeting is general relativity. The main purpose is to bring the relativity community in Central Europe together and to provide a forum for young researchers (students and postdocs).
2-4 February 2012
Institute of Physics Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, Cracow.
Lecture room 057
Organizers:
Robert Beig (Vienna)
Piotr Bizoń (Cracow)
Piotr Chruściel (Vienna)
Helmut Friedrich (Golm)
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1.7 Black Holes and Information at KITP, Santa Barbara
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/27/black-holes-and-information/
Starting Mon, May 21, 2012 to Fri, May 25, 2012
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Additional Information: http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/dbdetails?acro=bitbranes-c12
Location and Date: KITP, University of California, Santa Barbara May 21, 2012 - May 25, 2012
Conference begins 8:00am May 21, 2012 with registration. Planned ending time is roughly 5pm on Friday May 25.
Coordinators: Vijay Balasubramanian, Alex Maloney, Don Marolf, Joan Simon
Scientific Advisors: Joseph Polchinski, Theodore Jacobson
See http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/dbdetails?acro=bitbranes-c12
The physics of black holes and the resolution of the information paradox remain among the deepest mysteries in theoretical physics. In addition to their intrinsic interest, many arguments suggest that these issues are intimately related to the emergence of locality, causality, and even spacetime itself from some more fundamental description.
``Black Holes and information'' will focus on such relations, and in particular on the notion of 'holography' which has played a crucial role in many recent developments. The conference will also explore extensions of these ideas to new settings, and the corresponding implications. Central questions include the implications of holography for cosmology, the holographic understanding of time and closed universes, and the microscopic interpretation of observer-dependent horizons (e.g., in inflating spacetimes).
The conference will bring together a diverse group of researchers to discuss these important issues, with the goal of exchanging ideas and seeding scientific collaborations. Participants will include experts in string theory and classical General Relativity, researchers working in quantum information theory and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, and theorists interested in strongly coupled field theories and the AdS/CFT correspondence.
LIST OF INVITED SPEAKERS TO DATE
* Ashtekar, Abhay (Penn State)
* de Boer, Jan (UvA, Amsterdam)
* Denef, Frederik (Harvard)
* Hayden, Patrick (McGill Univ.)
* Larsen, Finn (Univ. Michigan)
* Maldacena, Juan (Princeton)
* Mathur, Samir (Ohio State Univ.)
* Minwalla, Shiraz (Tata Inst., India)
* Sen, Ashoke (Mehta Research Inst., India)
* Susskind, Leonard (Stanford)
* Takayanagi, Tadashi (IPMU, Japan)
* Yin, Xi (Harvard)
Additional speakers will be added closer to the conference date.
Details and Deadlines:
Registration deadline is: Apr 21, 2012
Registration includes: Daily refreshment breaks, lunches and two Special Events Dinners.
Registration Fee: $300; Fee Due: Apr 21, 2012
Late Registration Fee: $350
Registration is through the website at http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/activities/dbdetails?acro=bitbranes-c12
However, the site to pay the registration fee will not be available until February 21, 2012.
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1.8 Workshop on Gravitational Wave Bursts in Tobermory, Scotland, UK
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/24/workshop-on-gravitational-wave-burs…
Starting Mon, May 28, 2012 to Wed, May 30, 2012
Location: Tobermory, Scotland, UK
Additional Information: http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/igr/GWbursts2012
We are pleased to announce the second workshop on Gravitational Wave Bursts (GWbursts). The workshop will take place in Scotland during May 28-30, 2012. Following the spirit of the first GWbursts meeting (http://gwbursts.org/) in Chichen-Itza, Mexico in 2009, for this workshop we have selected the small fishing port of Tobermory, in the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland (http://www.tobermory.co.uk/). GWbursts workshops aim at bringing together in a remote and inspiring location lead scientists in astrophysics, data analysis and numerical relativity to discuss, analyze and explore innovative views on the Transient Gravitational Wave Universe.
The workshop will focus on:
• Astrophysics behind GWburst sources (e.g. stellar core collapse, gamma-ray bursts, cosmic strings, compact object mergers, isolated neutron stars) and their connection with electromagnetic and neutrino observations.
• Challenges to numerically model transient sources and the required accuracy of simulations.
• Data analysis methodologies to detect and characterize GWbursts.
• Gravitational wave antennas and their capabilities.
• Detection of unknown GWburst sources.
The workshop will be limited to 60 participants and will emphasize discussion over presentations. To be considered, please follow this link -- http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/igr/GWbursts2012 -- and submit an application. The deadline to apply is February 17, 2012. Decisions will be announced shortly after. More details can be found at http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/igr/GWbursts2012
Sincerely,
the Scientific Organizing Committee
• Laura Cadonati (U. Mass-Amherst)
• Ik Siong Heng (Glasgow)
• Christian Ott (Caltech)
• Pablo Laguna (Georgia Tech) - Chair
• Rosalba Perna (Colorado)
• Szabi Marka (Columbia)
• Deirdre Shoemaker (Georgia Tech)
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1.9 Gravitation and cosmology session at QQQ 2012 conference in Tallinn, Estonia
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/24/gravitation-and-cosmology-session-a…
Starting Tue, Jul 10, 2012 to Sat, Jul 14, 2012
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Additional Information: http://www.agmp.eu/qqq/sess_pro.php?con=tln12&sess=GC
This is the first announcement of the topical session "Gravitation and cosmology" to be held on 10-14 July 2012 in Tallinn, Estonia in the framework of the conference "3Q: Algebra, Geometry, Information".
The topics of the session include but are not limited to:
- mathematical aspects of classical general relativity theory and its modifications,
- quantum properties of the gravitational interaction,
- cosmological models in modified theories of gravity and their observational consequences.
The session is dedicated to the centenary of Professor Harald Keres (1912-2010) who initiated studies in general relativity in Estonia. The Tallinn conference is a satellite meeting to MG13, the Marcel Grossmann Meeting on General Relativity, held on 1-7 July 2012 in Stockholm, conveniently just across the Baltic sea.
For more information and registration please visit the website http://www.agmp.eu/qqq/
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1.10 9th LISA Symposium in Paris
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/19/9th-lisa-symposium/
Starting Mon, May 21, 2012 to Fri, May 25, 2012
Location: Paris, France
Additional Information: http://lisasymposium2012.in2p3.fr/
The 9th LISA Symposium (2012) will take place at BnF - Paris (National Library of France close to APC Laboratory) on 21 - 25 May 2012.
Main topics: LISA, eLISA-NGO, future of space based gravitational wave astronomy, gravitational waves, astrophysics, cosmology
The earlier registration deadline is the 20 April 2012.
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1.11 Workshop on The Physics of De Sitter Spacetime in Hannover
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/18/workshop-on-the-physics-of-de-sitte…
Starting Tue, Sep 11, 2012 to Fri, Sep 14, 2012
Location: Hannover, Germany
Additional Information: http://hep.physics.uoc.gr/deSitter
De Sitter spacetime is the maximally symmetric solution of the field equations of General Relativity when a positive cosmological constant is present. It has been studied extensively for many decades from many viewpoints: as a classical geometry, as a possessor of a large symmetry group, as a background geometry which may or may not be stable under quantum corrections, as a paradigm for inflationary evolution, etc.
While these studies have led to important insights concerning the structure and physical implications of de Sitter, they have also led to some controversies most of which still persist.
The workshop on the "Physics of de Sitter Spacetime" will take place in the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Hannover, Germany from September 11, 2012 until September 14, 2012. The purpose of the workshop is to provide a venue for young outstanding researchers in the field to present their work and participate in extensive discussions.
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1.12 Recent Developments in Gravity (NEB 15), Crete (Greece)
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/10/recent-developments-in-gravity-neb-…
Starting Wed, Jun 20, 2012 to Sat, Jun 23, 2012
Location: Chania, Crete, Greece
Additional Information: http://conferences.hsrgc.gr
This is the 15th biennial Hellenic conference conference "Recent Developments in Gravity (NEB 15)". The conference will take place at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete in Chania, Crete (Greece), from Wednesday, June 20th, to Saturday, June 23rd, 2012. The purpose of the conference will be to discuss the present status and latest developments in relativity, gravitation and cosmology. The program will consist of invited, keynote and contributed talks.
Invited Speakers: A. Blanchard, L. Blanchet, M. Dafermos, C. Kiefer, E. Kiritsis, S. Mukhanov, D. Shoemaker.
Keynote Speakers: N. Andersson, E. Berti, S. Fairhurst, B. Kleihaus, P. Laguna, N. Mavromatos, S. Odintsov, J. Sola, J. Zanelli.
Organizing Committee: T. Papakostas [CHAIR], D. Pliakis [Co-CHAIR], T. Apostolatos, K. Kokkotas, M. Plionis, M. Sakellariadou, E. Vagenas.
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2. Jobs
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2.1 Postdoctoral position in theoretical gravitational-wave physics at Southampton
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/26/postdoctoral-position-in-theoretica…
Institution: Southampton, UK
Deadline: Wed, Feb 29, 2012
The Southampton General Relativity Group is offering a postdoctoral position in theoretical gravitational-wave physics, starting in the spring or Autumn of 2012. The post is for 2 years, with extension to 3 years possible subject to satisfactory performance. The successful candidate will be expected to undertake research within an STFC-funded project aimed at modelling the dynamics in strongly gravitating binaries, with applications to gravitational-wave astronomy.
The University of Southampton (UK) is home to a large research group in classical General Relativity. The Group comprises 6 staff members (Nils Andersson, Leor Barack, Carsten Gundlach, Ian Hawke, Ian Jones and James Vickers), 4 postdocs (Sarp Akcay, Sam Dolan, Wynn Ho and Adam Pound) and 10 research students. Research interests in the group include gravitational waves from black holes and neutron stars, black hole perturbation theory, gravitational self-force, numerical relativity, and the dynamics of large-scale superfluids.
In order to be considered for this post, the applicant must have a PhD or equivalent in Physics, Mathematics or a related discipline, and have a track record in at least one of the following research areas: physics of classical black holes, gravitational-wave theory, numerical relativity, gravitational radiation reaction.
A complete application should include (i) a Curriculum Vitae, including a list of publications; (ii) a brief (<1 page) statement of research interests; and (iii) the names and addresses of three referees.
Please apply online through http://www.jobs.soton.ac.uk (use the top-right search bar quoting vacancy number 087112PJ, and proceed as instructed). Please also send a copy of your application to Leor Barack, leor[AT]soton.ac.uk
For informal inquiries contact Leor Barack.
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2.2 Two postdoctoral positions in theoretical cosmology at Portsmouth
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/17/two-postdoctoral-positions-in-theor…
Institution: Portsmouth, UK
Additional Information: http://www.port.ac.uk/vacancies/research/
The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) intends to appoint two postdoctoral researchers in theoretical cosmology
The researcher will work on projects funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, in particular models for modified gravity and dark energy. The post is for two years, starting on 1st OCTOBER 2012. (Job reference: 10003838). The other post is for one year, starting as early as possible but no later than 1st OCTOBER 2012. Applications in all areas of cosmology are welcomed. (Job reference: 10003839)
A PhD degree and relevant research experience are required. The ICG consists of 12 academic staff, 14 postdoctoral researchers and 18 PhD students, and is a member of a number of survey projects including Euclid, BigBOSS and the UK Low Frequency Array (LOFAR:UK). The University of Portsmouth is a member of the South-East Physics Network (SEPnet), hosts the 1000-core SEPnet-ASTRO supercomputer (SCIAMA) and is part of the UK National Cosmology Supercomputer Consortium (COSMOS). More information is available at http://www.icg.port.ac.uk/
For informal enquiries please contact Kazuya Koyama (Kazuya.Koyama[AT]port.ac.uk), or by calling +44 (0)23 9284 5151
Applications (an application form, CV, research statement and names of up to 3 referees) should be sent by email to jobs[AT]port.ac.uk and copied to icg-admin[AT]port.ac.uk. Applicants should also arrange for up to 3 reference letters to be sent by email to icg-admin[AT]port.ac.uk, to arrive by the closing date, 27th January 2012. Late applications may be considered until the post has been filled.
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2.3 Two Tenure-Track Positions in Theoretical Physics at Sao Paulo
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/11/two-permanent-positions-in-theoreti…
Institution: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Deadline: Mon, Feb 27, 2012
Additional Information: http://fma.if.usp.br/jobs/
We are inviting highly motivated and gifted candidates to apply for two new tenure-track positions at the Department of Mathematical Physics (DFMA), Sao Paulo University. The DFMA is the leading Theoretical Physics group in Brazil, and the University of Sao Paulo has been consistently ranked the top research institution in Latin America. The DFMA has a strong commitment to support research at the highest level, and these permanent positions are part of an ongoing process aimed at strengthening our group with new hirings over the next 3-5 years.
One position (IF-96/11) is for fundamental research in Quantum Field Theory, or in the field of Mathematical Physics (i.e., mathematically rigorous methods and results in Quantum Field Theory, Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Classical Mechanics, General Relativity, Many-Body Theory, Dynamical Systems and Chaos, Random Matrices, Disordered Systems or Integrable Systems.)
The other position (IF-97/11) is open to researchers in all theoretical areas of Particle Physics, Cosmology, Gravitation and Quantum Many-Body Theory.
The positions are comparable to tenure track appointments in the US system, with an entry level as assistant professor. Candidates are expected to develop a vigorous research program for which strong local and federal support will be available through competitive grants. The candidates should also demonstrate promise for excellence in teaching and mentoring at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The deadline for applications is February 27th 2012. The selection process will require the presence of the candidate in Sao Paulo for a few days and the selection procedure can be made in English. For further information and instruction on how to apply, plase contact fismat[AT]fma.if.usp.br or visit the website http://fma.if.usp.br/jobs/
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2.4 EDECS-PhD position in Cosmology at LUTH (Paris)
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/05/edecs-phd-position-in-cosmology-at-…
Institution: Paris, France
Deadline: Thu, Mar 01, 2012
Applications are invited for a three-year PhD scholarship at the “Laboratoire Univers et Theorie” of the Astronomical Observatory of Paris funded by the ERC-Starting Grant “EDECS: Exploring Dark Energy through Cosmic Structures”, coordinated by P.S. Corasaniti. Candidates strongly motivated to pursue a rigorous research program in cosmology and with expertise in numerical scientific computing are preferred, but all outstanding candidates will be considered. The research will focus on cosmic structure formation in non-standard cosmological scenarios using numerical cosmological simulations. The successful candidate will develop and analyze large volume high-resolution simulations, and test model predictions against astrophysical data.
The appointment begins Fall 2012. Candidates should have a Master in Physics/Astronomy by the starting date. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2012. Candidates should send a CV, a list of publications (if any), a statement of research interests and arrange for two letters of recommendations to be sent to Pier Stefano Corasaniti via e-mail to EDECS.PHD2012[AT]obspm.fr. For further information contact EDECS.ERC[AT]obspm.fr.
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2.5 EDECS-Postdoc in Cosmology at LUTH (Paris)
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/05/edecs-postdoc-in-cosmology-at-luth-…
Institution: Paris, France
The cosmology group at the “Laboratoire Univers et Theorie (LUTH) of the Astronomical Observatory of Paris invites applications for one postdoctoral position in the framework of the ERC-Starting Grant “EDECS: Exploring Dark Energy through Cosmic Structures”, coordinated by P.S. Corasaniti. Candidates with a background in numerical cosmological simulations, theoretical modeling of non-linear structure formation and/or expertise in comparison between observations and simulations are strongly encouraged to apply. The cosmology group has an active research program on several topics in cosmology. A common effort is devoted to the realization of large volume very high-resolution numerical simulations of dark energy dominated scenarios. The group has access to several super-computing facilities (IDRIS, CCRT and TGCC) and benefits from national and international collaborations. Group members are also involved in a number of observational programs such as the XMM-XXL cluster sur
vey and the preparation to the EUCLID mission.
The appointment is for two years beginning Fall 2012. Candidates should have a PhD in Physics/Astronomy by the starting date. The deadline for applications is 1 February 2012. Candidates should send a CV including list of publications, a statement of research interests, and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to Pier Stefano Corasaniti via e-mail to EDECS.POSTDOC2012[AT]obspm.fr. For further information contact EDECS.ERC[AT]obspm.fr.
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3. News
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3.1 Death of Franco Pacini, Florence
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/28/death-of-franco-pacini/
Dear Colleagues,
I regret having to inform you that Franco Pacini died in Florence.
Just before the discovery of the first pulsar (Hewish et al. 1968), Franco Pacini published a paper in Nature (vol. 216, 1967, p.567) on a possible emission mechanism which could power the Crab nebula. He proposed a rapidly rotating neutron star with a strong magnetic field emitting dipole radiation. After the discovery of the first pulsar, Pacini (1968) and Gold (1968), independently, suggested that pulsars are rotating neutron stars.
Best regards
Ignazio Bombaci
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3.2 Living Reviews in Relativity: article updates by Winicour and Adamo et al.
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/26/living-reviews-in-relativity-articl…
Additional Information: http://relativity.livingreviews.org/
Living Reviews in Relativity has published major updates of the reviews on "Characteristic Evolution and Matching" by Jeffrey Winicour and on "Null Geodesic Congruences, Asymptotically-Flat Spacetimes and Their Physical Interpretation" by Timothy A. Adamo, Ezra T. Newman, and Carlos Kozameh in January 2012.
Please find the abstract and further details below.
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PUB.NO. lrr-2012-2
Winicour, Jeffrey
"Characteristic Evolution and Matching"
ACCEPTED: 2012-01-04
PUBLISHED: 2012-01-25
FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2012-2
ABSTRACT:
I review the development of numerical evolution codes for general relativity based upon the characteristic initial value problem. Progress in characteristic evolution is traced from the early stage of 1D feasibility studies to 2D axisymmetric codes that accurately simulate the oscillations and gravitational collapse of relativistic stars and to current 3D codes that provide pieces of a binary black hole spacetime. Cauchy codes have now been successful at simulating all aspects of the binary black hole problem inside an artificially constructed outer boundary. A prime application of characteristic evolution is to extend such simulations to null infinity where the waveform from the binary inspiral and merger can be unambiguously computed. This has now been accomplished by Cauchy-characteristic extraction, where data for the characteristic evolution is supplied by Cauchy data on an extraction worldtube inside the artificial outer boundary. The ultimate application of characteris
tic evolution is to eliminate the role of this outer boundary by constructing a global solution via Cauchy-characteristic matching. Progress in this direction is discussed.
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PUB.NO. lrr-2012-1
Newman, Ezra Ted and Kozameh, Carlos and Adamo, Timothy M.
"Null Geodesic Congruences, Asymptotically-Flat Spacetimes and Their Physical Interpretation"
ACCEPTED: 2012-01-16
PUBLISHED: 2012-01-24
FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2012-1
ABSTRACT:
A priori, there is nothing very special about shear-free or asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. Surprisingly, however, they turn out to possess a large number of fascinating geometric properties and to be closely related, in the context of general relativity, to a variety of physically significant effects. It is the purpose of this paper to try to fully develop these issues.
This work starts with a detailed exposition of the theory of shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences, i.e., congruences with shear that vanishes at future conformal null infinity. A major portion of the exposition lies in the analysis of the space of regular shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. This analysis leads to the space of complex analytic curves in an auxiliary four-complex dimensional space, H-space. They in turn play a dominant role in the applications.
The applications center around the problem of extracting interior physical properties of an asymptotically-flat spacetime directly from the asymptotic gravitational (and Maxwell) field itself, in analogy with the determination of total charge by an integral over the Maxwell field at infinity or the identification of the interior mass (and its loss) by (Bondi's) integrals of the Weyl tensor, also at infinity.
More specifically, we will see that the asymptotically shear-free congruences lead us to an asymptotic definition of the center-of-mass and its equations of motion. This includes a kinematic meaning, in terms of the center-of-mass motion, for the Bondi three-momentum. In addition, we obtain insights into intrinsic spin and, in general, angular momentum, including an angular-momentum--conservation law with well-defined flux terms. When a Maxwell field is present, the asymptotically shear-free congruences allow us to determine/define at infinity a center-of-charge world line and intrinsic magnetic dipole moment.
UPCOMING ARTICLES AT:
http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html
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3.3 Gravitational Wave Tests of Alternative Theories of Gravity in the Advanced Detector Era at MSU
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/23/gravitational-wave-tests-of-alterna…
Gravitational wave tests of the theory of gravity have the potential to shed light on some of the most profound challenges facing physics today: from explanations of cosmic acceleration and dark matter to the reconciliation of gravity and quantum theory. Advanced LIGO and Virgo are expected to come on-line around 2015, and we expect to make routine gravitational wave detections with these instruments. To begin preparations for this era, the gravity group at Montana State University will be hosting a workshop on April 5th, 6th and 7th, 2013, so please mark your calendars! This workshop will be a continuation of that organized by UWM's Center for Gravitation and Cosmology.
The goal of this workshop is to plan and prepare for the era of advanced detectors. The workshop will consists of a few plenary overview talks, intended to set the stage for discussion about theoretical framework, data analysis techniques and implementation, to get the most out of the detections we expect this decade. The workshop will be structured relatively informally with focus sessions on gravitational wave bursts, compact binary systems, stochastic background, and continuous waves. A dedicated website will be set up later for this workshop with a registration page, but there will be no registration costs.
Simultaneously with the workshop, MSU's Gravity Group, in collaboration with MSU's Music Dept, MSU's Art and Film Dept and Princeton's Astrophysics Dept, will be putting together a one-week, outreach event entitled "Celebrating Einstein" on April 1st--6th, 2013. This event will consist of several public talks, an arts exhibit and two multimedia performances, featuring gravitational wave sounds and simulations by the numerical relativity community. All events are free and we encourage all to attend.
For more information: Nico Yunes (nyunes[AT]physics.montana.edu)
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3.4 eLISA(NGO) - Revealing a hidden Universe: opening a new chapter of discovery
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/19/elisango-revealing-a-hidden-univers…
Additional Information: http://www.elisa-ngo.org/
GWNotes paper, Yellow Book, website online
The main references to eLISA(NGO) are available. It is the new ESA space-based gravitational wave detector, candidate for L1 mission in Cosmic Vision framework.
Mission name: "eLISA(NGO) - Revealing a hidden Universe: opening a new chapter of discovery"
- paper (science case): http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.3621
- website: http://www.elisa-ngo.org/
- Yellow Book (ESA document): https://lisa-light.aei.mpg.de/lisa-light/pub/ScienceWorkingTeam/YellowBook/…
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3.5 Call for nominations: fellows of the GRG Society
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/17/call-for-nominations-fellows-of-the…
The International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation has instituted Fellowships to recognize its outstanding members. In a steady state we expect the total number of Fellows to constitute approximately 10% of the membership. To reach this goal and to ensure that younger members of our Society are also elected in the initial rounds, the following procedure will be used:
i) Fellows will be elected once every three years, prior to the GRG conferences. For the first two rounds (GR19 and GR20), at least half of the number of Fellows elected in any one round should be of 45 years or less of age on the day the conference begins.
ii) The fellowship committee for GR20 will be asked to elect 10 fellows. Thereafter, the committees will elect approximately 1.5% of the members per 3-year cycle. The precise number for each round will be established at the prior GR meeting by the Executive Committee of the Society.
The primary criterion for election is excellence in research, especially the impact of candidate’s work on the development of our field. The candidate will be generally expected to have made additional contributions to the field, for example through service, and/or outreach, and/or books and monographs, etc. In exceptional cases such criteria could constitute the primary basis of nomination provided these activities have had influence on a significant portion of our community, not just the home institution of the candidate.
Nominations are due by December 31st, 2012. Any member of the Society can make nominations but self-nominations will not be considered. The nomination packet will consist of:
i) A letter summarizing the basis for nomination;
ii) An up-to-date CV and publication list of the nominee;
iii) 1 to 3 supporting letters from members of the Society, and,
iv) A proposed citation. Once made, the nomination will remain active for two additional rounds. Further details can be found at http://www.isgrg.org/fellowrules.php
Electronic nominations in the form of emailed PDF files are strongly preferred. The nomination PDF files should be sent to the Chair of the Fellowship committee, Clifford Will (cmw[AT]wuphys.wustl.edu).
If an electronic nomination is not possible, a single paper copy of the nomination should be mailed or faxed to Clifford Will at
Department of Physics, Campus Box 1105
Washington University
1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis MO 63130 USA
Fax: 1-314-935-9200
The elected Fellows will be inducted during the Business Meeting of the Society at GR 20 in Warsaw, 8 – 13 July, 2013.
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3.6 2012 Awards for Essays on Gravitation
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Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI:
http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/01/11/2012-awards-for-essays-on-gravitati…
Additional Information: http://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org
In 2012 for our sixty-third competition, the Trustees of the Gravity Research Foundation are offering five awards for short essays for the purpose of stimulating thought and encouraging work on gravitation. The stipulations follow.
(1) The Trustees of the Gravity Research Foundation will make these Awards on May 15, 2012 for the best well-written essays, 1500 words or less (excluding abstracts, diagrams, references and minimal equations), on the subject of gravitation, its theory, applications, or effects.
(2) The First Award will be $4000.00
The Second Award will be 1250.00
The Third Award will be 1000.00
The Fourth Award will be 750.00
The Fifth Award will be 500.00
(3) Essays must be in English and e-mailed in a single PDF file before April 1, 2012. Early submission is desirable. One essay only will be accepted from each author. Notify us within 24 hours if you do not receive an e-mail confirmation of your submission.
(4) Title pages should include essay title; authors’ names, complete mailing and e-mail addresses; submission date; an abstract of 125 words or less; and the statement: “Essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2012 Awards for Essays on Gravitation.” Pages should be numbered.
(5) The decision of the judges will be final and no reviews will be provided.
(6) Please check the list of winners to be posted on our website: http://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org around May 15, 2012. We will attempt to send all participants a general e-mail notification.
(7) The five award-winning essays will be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD). Authors of essays designated Honorable Mention will be invited to submit their essays to the IJMPD where these may undergo additional refereeing at editorial discretion for possible publication. Authors of all other essays are free and encouraged to publish their essays after May 15th.
Submission e-mail address: George M. Rideout, Jr., President (grideoutjr[AT]aol.com)
Gravity Research Foundation
PO BOX 81389
Welleesley Hills MA 02481-0004
USA
Recent First Award Winners:
2011 – Ivan Agullo, Penn State and Leonard Parker, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2010 – Mark Van Raamsdonk, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
2009 – Alexander Burinskii, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
2008 – T. Padmanabhan, IUCAA, Pune, India
2007 – S. Carlip, University of California at Davis
2006 – Vijay Balasubramanian, University of Pennsylvania; Donald Marolf, University of California at Santa Barbara and Moshe Rozali, University of British Columbia
2005 - John Ellis, CERN; N. E. Mavromatos, King’s College London and D. V. Nanopoulos, Texas A and M University
2004 - Maulik Parikh, Columbia University, New York
2003 - Martin Bojowald, The Pennsylvania State University
2002 - Steven B. Giddings, University of California at Santa Barbara and Stanford University, Stanford, California
2001 - Csaba Csaki and Joshua Erlich, Los Alamos National Lab and Christophe Grojean, University of California at Berkeley
2000 - Arthur Lue and Erick J. Weinberg, Columbia University, New York
1999 - John Ellis, CERN; N. E. Mavromatos, University of Oxford and D. V. Nanopoulos, Texas A and M University
1998 - Viqar Husain, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
1997 - Robert Myers, McGill University, Quebec
