Hyperspace

Download

hyperspace@lists.itp.uni-frankfurt.de

March 2013

1 participants
1 discussions

[Hyperspace-list] Hyperspace Bulletin for March 2013
by hyperspace＠aei.mpg.de 02 Mar '13

02 Mar '13

########################################## Table of Contents ########################################### 1. Conferences 1.1. 50 Years of the Kerr Metric, AEI, Potsdam 1.2. 7th Gulf Coast Gravity Meeting (last announcement) 1.3. Initial Data and Evolution Problems in General Relativity at MSRI, Berkeley 1.4. 3rd Central European Relativity Seminar at the AEI, Potsdam 1.5. Infinities and Cosmology, Cambridge, UK 1.6. Grav13, Cordoba, Argentina (1st circular) 1.7. Compact Object Summer Fest, Santander, Colombia 1.8. Hot Topics in General Relativity and Gravitation 1.9. Caltech Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics School (CGWAS 2013) 1.10. Third International Conference on Theoretical Physics and its Applications, Moscow 1.11. 27th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics 1.12. Workshop on Collapsing Objects, Shangai, China 1.13. IC-MSQUARE 2013, Prague, Czech Republic 1.14. Neutron Stars: nuclear physics, astronomy and gravitational waves, Guildford, UK 1.15. Fudan Winter School on Astrophysical Black Holes, Shangai, China 1.16. BritGrav 2013 (Second Announcement) 2. Jobs 2.1. Postdoc in gravitational waves at Penn State 2.2. Postdoctoral position in Gravitational Wave Astronomy at West Virginia University 2.3. Postdoctoral research assistant in mathematical relativity at Edinburgh, UK 2.4. Postdoctoral position in Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics at the University of Birmingham, UK 3. News 3.1. 2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation (reminder) 3.2. Living Reviews in Relativity: Spin Foams and Minimal Length in Quantum Gravity 3.3. New look for hyperspace! 3.4. IJMPD: Gravitational Wave Detection and Fundamental Physics in Space ============================================== 1. Conferenes ============================================== 1.1. 50 Years of the Kerr Metric, AEI, Potsdam --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/03/01/50-years-of-the-kerr-metric/ Starting: 2013-07-04 to 2013-07-05 Location: Potsdam, Germany Additional Information: http://www.aei.mpg.de Contact: kerr50[AT]aei.mpg.de The Albert Einstein Institute will host a 1-1/2 day meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Kerr metric. Speakers will include Roy Kerr and Reinhard Genzel. The meeting will take place 4-5 July 2013, immediately before the GR 20 - Amaldi conference in Warsaw, which begins on July 7. This makes it convenient for participants of the Warsaw meeting also to attend the Kerr commemoration. The meeting will survey the importance of the Kerr metric for modern physics and astronomy and the history of the black hole concept. This announcement is preliminary, to allow those interested to save the date and make travel plans. A further announcement will be made shortly when the website is available, at which time registration will be invited and hotel reservations will be possible. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.2. 7th Gulf Coast Gravity Meeting (last announcement) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/02/7th-gulf-coast-gravity-meeting-last… Starting: 2013-04-19 to 2013-04-20 Location: Oxford, MS, USA Additional Information: http://www.phy.olemiss.edu/GCGM7/ Contact: gcgm7[AT]phy.olemiss.edu The Gravitation, Astrophysics, and Theoretical Physics group at the University of Mississippi will host the Gulf Coast Gravity Meeting on April 19-20, 2013. The GCGM is a regional meeting that brings together researchers in all areas of gravitational physics from the south-east region of the US. The past two editions were at Louisiana State University (GCGM5, 2009) and Florida Atlantic University (GCGM6, 2011). There is no registration fee. Students are warmly encouraged to participate. The Blue Apple Award, sponsored by the APS Topical Group in Gravitation, will be awarded to the best student presentation. To register, simply send your name and affiliation (as well as the title and abstract of your talk, if you wish to give a talk) to the following email address: gcgm7 [at] phy [dot] olemiss [dot] edu The same email address can be used for all inquiries related to the conference. We obtained financial support from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Events Sponsorship Program. Please say explicitly in your email if you are a student or postdoc and if you would like to have travel support; we will divide the available amount between all students who request it, and if funds are still available we may be able to provide partial support also for postdocs. Please book your hotel room as soon as possible. Most hotels are already partially or totally booked because of a tennis tournament, but we reserved two blocks of 30 rooms each at Super 8 and University Inn. More information is available at the conference website. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.3. Initial Data and Evolution Problems in General Relativity at MSRI, Berkeley --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/04/initial-data-and-evolution-problems… Starting: 2013-11-18 to 2013-11-22 Location: MSRI, Berkeley, CA, USA Additional Information: http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/workshops/show/-/event/Wm9554 Contact: gcgm7[AT]phy.olemiss.edu This workshop discusses recent developments both in the study of the properties of initial data for Einstein's equations, and in the study of solutions of the Einstein evolution problem. Cosmic censorship, the formation and stability of black holes, the role of mass and quasi-local mass, and the construction of solutions of the Einstein constraint equations are focus problems for the workshop. We highlight recent developments, and examine major areas in which future progress is likely. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.4. 3rd Central European Relativity Seminar at the AEI, Potsdam --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/04/relativity-seminar/ Starting: 2013-11-18 to 2013-02-09 Location: Potsdam-Golm, Germany Additional Information: http://smp.if.uj.edu.pl/~jalmuzna/seminar_golm/ Contact: gcgm7[AT]phy.olemiss.edu The 3rd Central European Seminar on Relativity will be held at the Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam-Golm from 7 Feb, 2013 to 9 Feb, 2013. The series of seminars is focused on mathematical general relativity, and is designed as a forum for younger colleagues to present their work. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.5. Infinities and Cosmology, Cambridge, UK --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/06/infinities-and-cosmology-cambridge-… Starting: 2013-03-18 to 2013-03-21 Location: Cambridge, UK Additional Information: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/events/infinities2013/ Contact: Dr David Sloan (djs228[AT]cam.ac.uk) The Infinities and Cosmology mini-series will be held in Cambridge from March 18-21. Talks will be aimed at a broad audience with interests in philosophy as well as physics. Confirmed speakers include: Anthony Aguirre, University of California Santa Cruz Mihalis Dafermos, University of Cambridge / Princeton University Michael R Douglas, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Stony Brook University George Ellis, University of Cape Town Mark Hogarth, University of Cambridge Simon Saunders, University of Oxford Three days of talks will be followed by a one-day workshop. Registration is open, and practical details can be found at the URL below. Posted on behalf of the organizing committee, John Barrow, Jeremy Butterfield and David Sloan, also on behalf of the rest of the joint Oxford-Cambridge Establishing the Philosophy of Cosmology project. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.6. Grav13, Cordoba, Argentina (1st circular) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/06/grav13-cordoba-argentina-1st-circul… Starting: 2013-04-15 to 2013-04-19 Location: Villa General Belgrano, Córdoba, Argentina Additional Information: http://www.famaf.unc.edu.ar/~ortiz/grav13/ Contact: dain[AT]famaf.unc.edu.ar We are pleased to announce that the conference Grav13 will be held in Villa General Belgrano, Cordoba (ARGENTINA), from April 15th through April 19th, 2013. This is the fifth in a new series ("GravYY") of conferences organized by the General Relativity and Gravitation Group at FaMAF (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba) since the year 2006. The conference is intended to bring together specialists working on gravitation and closely related topics, including classical and quantum gravity, mathematical relativity, gravity in arbitrary dimensions, astrophysics and astroparticle physics. Graduate students and advanced undergraduate students are encouraged to apply, limited funds will be available to pay partial living expenses for students.The working languages of the conference will be Spanish and English. A preliminary list of invited speakers includes: Piotr Bizon, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. Helmut Friedrich, AEI, Germany. (*) Heinz O. Kreiss, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Juan Valiente Kroon, University of London, England. (*) Alejandro Perez, Centre de Physique Theorique, Marseille. Jorge Pullin, Lousiana State University, USA. Walter Simon, University of Vienna, Austria. Manuel Tiglio, University of Maryland. (*) (*) to be confirmed For registration, information on hotel reservation and rates, and updates on the Grav13 meeting please check the web page: http://www2.famaf.unc.edu.ar/grupos/grg/grav13/ Applications should be filed through the webform in the above page before March 3rd, 2013. The deadline for abstract submissions is March 17th, 2013. A registration fee AR$300 will be required, the method of payment will be informed in a second circular. The venue of the conference is the Howard Johnson hotel: http://www.hjlavilla.com.ar/ http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=-31.99345&lon=-64.55739&zoom=17&a… For hotel booking please contact Mr. Lucas Emmanuel Medina at the Hotel's phone number (+54) (3546) 461 499 and mention that you will participate in the Grav13 conference to get the conference's special hotel rates. Alternatively you can write to the Hotel's special e-mail: eventos[AT]hjlavilla.com.ar Further information on the General Relativity and Gravitation group at FaMAF and the previous Grav meetings can be found at http://www2.famaf.unc.edu.ar/grupos/grg/index-en.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.7. Compact Object Summer Fest, Santander, Colombia --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/11/compact-object-summer-fest-santande… Starting: 2013-08-21 to 2013-08-23 Location: Bucaramanga, Colombia Additional Information: http://www.redclara.net/indico/evento/CompactObjSummerFest Contact: jersonreina[AT]gmail.com The objective of this workshop is to present and discuss the cutting edge problems of the physics of compact objects, ranging from fundamental problems related to the formalism of General Relativity and Nuclear Physics Equation of State Theory to the present observational data available that should be contrasted to the theoretical predictions. It is also worth mentioning the inclusion of 4h hands-on lectures on computing tools to generate simulations of different scenarios. This short school is aimed essentially to early graduate students from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, however applications of students from others countries of Latin American (or South America) are welcome. Particular effort will be made in Peru and Bolivia, in order to promote the integration of the Regional Andean Node for Astronomy. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.8. Hot Topics in General Relativity and Gravitation --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/12/hot-topics-in-general-relativity-an… Starting: 2013-07-28 to 2013-08-03 Location: Quy Nhon, Vietnam Additional Information: http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~cosmo/GRG_2013/HTGRG.html Contact: Luc Blanchet (blanchet[AT]iap.fr) and Roland Triay (triay[AT]cpt.univ-mrs.fr) Our aims are to discuss and review many recent developments in 1. Astrophysics of compact objects 2. Gravitational waves (experimental and theoretical) 3. Experimental gravity and tests of general relativity 4. Alternative gravity theories motivated by cosmology At the same time of this conference and in the same place, there will be also another conference covering all experimental and observational aspects of Cosmology. The two conferences will be organized in such a way that there will be a large overlap between them, with common plenary sessions, and a lot of shared discussions. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.9. Caltech Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics School (CGWAS 2013) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/12/caltech-gravitational-wave-astrophy… Starting: 2013-07-22 to 2013-07-26 Location: Pasadena, CA, USA Additional Information: http://www.cgwas.org Contact: cgwas[AT]cgwas.org July 22 - 26, 2013 California Institute of Technology CGWAS is a summer school for senior undergraduates and graduate students interested in the astrophysics of gravitational-wave sources and their neutrino and electromagnetic counterparts. Application Deadline: March 31, 2013 Apply at http://www.cgwas.org . Limited support for accomodation is available. Topics covered include: - The physics of gravitational wave sources - Gravitational wave source populations - Gravitational wave detection and data analysis - Time-domain astronomy and electromagnetic counterparts - Neutrino counterparts and observation - Numerical relativity and The Einstein Toolkit Confirmed lecturers: D. Kasen (UCB/LBNL), M. Modjaz (NYU), S. Nissanke (Caltech), R. O'Shaughnessy (UWM), C. Ott (Caltech), A. Piro (Caltech), E. Schnetter (Perimeter), K. Scholberg (Duke), A. Weinstein (Caltech) Organizing Committee: L. Cadonati, C. Ott (chair), P. Moesta, S. Nissanke, A. Weinstein Poster download: http://www.cgwas.org/media/CGWAS_poster.pdf CGWAS is supported by NSF CAREER award PHY-1151197. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.10. Third International Conference on Theoretical Physics and its Applications, Moscow --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/17/third-international-conference-on-t… Starting: 2013-06-24 to 2013-06-28 Location: Moscow, Russia Additional Information: http://www.timkamalov.narod.ru/Conference2013.html Contact: TimKamalov[AT]gmail.com June 24-28, 2013 Moscow State Open University Scientific Program of the Conference: - Foundations of Quantum Mechanics - Quantum Entanglement - Quantum Theory including Quantum Information (Quantum Computers, Quantum Cryptography, Teleportation of Quantum States) - Classical and Quantum Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics - General Physics - Condensed Matter - High Energy Physics - Nuclear Physics - Mathematical Physics +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.11. 27th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/19/27th-texas-symposium-on-relativisti… Starting: 2013-12-08 to 2013-12-13 Location: Dallas, TX, USA Additional Information: http://nsm.utdallas.edu/texas2013/ Contact: texas2013[AT]utdallas.edu 50th Anniversary of the Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics: "Celebrating Fifty Years of Relativistic Astrophysics" The 27th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics will be held in downtown Dallas December 8 - 13, 2013. It is organized by the Department of Physics at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and is chaired by Wolfgang Rindler and Mustapha Ishak. The Symposium will include both invited and contributed talks and posters. This will be a special and historically meaningful Jubilee meeting, marking the 50th anniversary, almost to the day, of the very first of these Texas Symposia, held in Dallas in December 1963. We are excited to welcome hundreds of international astrophysicists back to Dallas fifty years later, both to celebrate the past 50 years of Texas Symposia and relativistic astrophysics and to kick off the next 50 years of remarkable discoveries. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.12. Workshop on Collapsing Objects, Shangai, China --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/27/workshop-on-collapsing-objects/ Starting: 2013-10-21 to 2013-10-24 Location: Shanghai, China Additional Information: http://collapse2013.fudan.edu.cn/ Contact: bambi[AT]fudan.edu.cn Fudan University, Shangai, China 21-24 October 2013 During the gravitational collapse of a massive star, matter can reach extreme conditions, which are impossible to create in any laboratory on the Earth. In those cases in which nothing can stop the collapse, General Relativity predicts the formation of a spacetime singularity, where predictability is lost and standard physics breaks down. The study of collapsing objects is a fascinating area of research and can shed light on the behavior of matter at very high densities and of gravity in the strong field regime. Main topics: - Supernovae - Gamma Ray Bursts - Binary System Coalescences - Detection of Electromagnetic Radiation, Neutrinos, and Gravitational Waves from Collapsing Objects - Gravitational Collapse in General Relativity and in Alternative Theories of Gravity - Cosmic Censorship Conjecture Invited Speakers: Manuela Campanelli* (RIT, US) Vitor Cardoso (CENTRA/IST, Portugal) Pankaj Joshi (Tata Institute, India) Robert Mann* (Waterloo U & PI, Canada) Peter Meszaros* (Penn State, US) Kenichiro Nakazato (TUS, Japan) Tsvi Piran* (Hebrew U, Israel) Georg Raffelt* (MPP, Germany) Luciano Rezzolla* (AEI, Germany) * To be confirmed Organizers: Cosimo Bambi (Fudan, China), Chair Lingyao Kong (Fudan, China) Zilong Li (Fudan, China) Daniele Malafarina (Fudan, China) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.13. IC-MSQUARE 2013, Prague, Czech Republic --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/21/ic-msquare-2013/ Starting: 2013-09-01 to 2013-09-05 Location: Prague, Czech Republic Additional Information: http://www.icmsquare.net Contact: secretariat[AT]icmsquare.net Dear colleague, It is our pleasure to circulate the announcement of the 2nd International Conference on Mathematical Modeling in Physical Sciences, IC-MSQUARE 2013 (http://www.icmsquare.net ). The conference is to be held at Prague, Czech Republic during September 1-5, 2013. Professor Athanasios S. Fokas will be the keynote speaker of the IC-MSQUARE 2013. The conference aims to promote the knowledge and the development of high-quality research in mathematical fields that have to do with the applications of other scientific fields and the modern technological trends that appear in them, these fields being those of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Economics, Sociology, Environmental sciences etc. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.14. Neutron Stars: nuclear physics, astronomy and gravitational waves, Guildford, UK --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/22/neutron-stars-nuclear-physics-astro… Starting: 2013-07-29 to 2013-07-30 Location: University of Surrey, UK Additional Information: http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/neutstar/cfp.php Contact: a.rios[AT]surrey.ac.uk We are pleased to announce the workshop "Neutron Stars: nuclear physics, astronomy and gravitational waves", that will take place at the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Surrey on 29-30 July 2013. Taking advantage of a multi-disciplinary environment, we plan to identify key issues in compact star physics and develop strategies to make the most of the new generation of astronomical observatories, gravitational wave detectors and nuclear experiments. The workshop will have approximately 60 participants. There will be a series of long review talks by 6 experts on different fields: - Prof. Mark Alford, Washington University in St Louis, USA - Prof. Nils Andersson, University of Southampton, UK - Prof. Pawel Danielewicz, Michigan State University and National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, USA - Dr. Benjamin Stappers, University of Manchester, UK - Prof. Nikolaos Stergioulas, University of Thessalonika, Greece - Dr. Patrick Sutton, University of Cardiff, UK We invite contributions on topics related to neutron star and compact object physics in their widest sense. Abstracts for talks and posters can now be submitted through the website of the Institute of Advanced Studies: http://www.ias.surrey.ac.uk/workshops/neutstar/cfp.php Young researchers are especially encouraged to apply. Due to the limited number of places available, participants will be asked to register online further into the year, once the submitted abstracts have been processed. On-campus accommodation has been arranged for most participants and reservations will be arranged during registration. There will be a main dinner event on the evening of the 29th. Guildford is 30 minutes southwest of London by train. It has direct connections to Gatwick and Heathrow airports. Stansted and Luton airports can be reached via London. Further information can be found at the workshop's website, which will be updated regularly. We apologize in advance if your receive this announcement from more than one source. Looking forward to seeing you all in Guildford this summer, Arnau Rios Ian Jones Paul Stevenson +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.15. Fudan Winter School on Astrophysical Black Holes, Shangai, China --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/27/fudan-winter-school-on-astrophysica… Starting: 2014-02-10 to 2014-02-15 Location: Shanghai, China Additional Information: http://bambi2014.fudan.edu.cn/ Contact: bambi[AT]fudan.edu.cn Black holes are very fascinating and peculiar objects. According to General Relativity, uncharged black holes are completely specified by only two parameters, the mass M and the spin angular momentum J. In the last 40 years, we have discovered at least two classes of astrophysical black hole candidates: stellar-mass objects in X-ray binary systems and super-massive black hole candidates at the center of every normal galaxy. The mass of these objects can be inferred by robust dynamical measurements, by studying the orbital motion of gas or individual stars around them. The determination of the spin J is much more difficult and it is a hot topic of contemporary astrophysics. Then, there are still many open questions: What is the origin of the jets produced in the region around these objects? How could super-massive black holes become so heavy? Are these objects the Kerr black holes predicted by General Relativity? All our open questions may be addressed by studying the properti es of the electromagnetic radiation emitted in the accretion process and, hopefully in a not distant future, by observing the gravitational waves emitted by these systems. This school consists of series of lectures on specific topics given by experts in the field. It is mainly intended for PhD students and young postdocs working on high energy astrophysics, both for theorists and for observers. Lecturers: Tomaso Belloni (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera) Black Hole Binaries Kostas Kokkotas (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) Gravitational Waves from Black Holes Jean-Pierre Lasota (Institut dAstrophysique de Paris) Black Hole Accretion Disks James Steiner* (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) Measuring the Mass and the Spins of Black Holes Feng Yuan (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory) Formation mechanisms of outflows and jets * To be confirmed Organizers: Cosimo Bambi (Fudan, Shanghai), Chair Lingyao Kong (Fudan, Shanghai) Zilong Li (Fudan, Shanghai) Daniele Malafarina (Fudan, Shanghai) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.16. BritGrav 2013 (Second Announcement) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/?p=7881 Starting: 2013-04-03 to 2013-04-04 Location: Sheffield, United Kingdom Additional Information: http://sites.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/britgrav2013/ Contact: britgrav[AT]sheffield.ac.uk The 13th BritGrav (British Gravity) Meeting will be held on 3-4 April 2013 in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sheffield. The meeting covers all areas of classical and quantum gravity including astrophysics, cosmology and experiments, and is intended to further collaborations and allow young researchers to showcase their work. The programme will begin with coffee at 10:30am on Wednesday 3rd April and will end at about 5pm on Thursday 4th April. The programme will include a reception generously sponsored by Classical and Quantum Gravity. There is no registration fee, and participants are responsible for their own accommodation, meals and travel. We hope that all PhD students and postdocs who wish to will be able to give a talk, and we will schedule talks by others if time allows. Faculty are reassured that by submitting an abstract they will not be depriving a student of the opportunity to talk. If you plan to participate, please register before Friday 15th March at the website: http://sites.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/britgrav2013/ If you want to give a talk, please give a title and abstract when you register or by e-mail to britgrav[AT]sheffield.ac.uk. The deadline for abstracts is Friday 15th March. A limited amount of funding will be available from the Gravitational Physics Group of the Institute of Physics to assist with travel and accommodation costs for research students, particularly those based in the UK. Please contact britgrav[AT]sheffield.ac.uk if you would like to apply for such funding. More information will be posted on the above website. Please send any queries to britgrav[AT]sheffield.ac.uk. Sam Dolan and Elizabeth Winstanley (University of Sheffield) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 2. Jobs ============================================== 2.1. Postdoc in gravitational waves at Penn State ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/20/postdoc-in-gravitational-waves-at-p… Deadline: 2013-03-01 Location: White Oak, PA, USA Additional Information http://gravity.psu.edu Contact: bjo10[AT]psu.edu A postdoctoral position in gravitational waves is available at Penn State starting fall 2013, initially for one year, with renewal up to a third year possible depending on performance and funding. The postdoc will focus on searching LIGO data for continuous gravitational waves with Ben Owen, but is encouraged also to pursue independent projects and collaborations in data analysis and/or theory. The Penn State gravitational waves group consists of faculty Ben Owen and Sam Finn, three graduate students, and several undergraduates, with research interests in ground-based, space-based, and pulsar timing gravitational wave searches and related issues in relativistic astrophysics. The group is part of the Center for Particle and Gravitational Astrophysics, which consists of sixteen faculty and many postdocs and students from the departments of Physics and of Astronomy and Astrophysics whose research includes observations with high-energy photons (the Swift and Fermi satellites), the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory, and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, as well as theoretical work on related topics. The Center is part of the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, together with the Center for Fundamental Theory and the Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology. For further information see http://gravity.psu.edu or contact owen[AT]gravity.psu.edu. Applicants should send a CV, a publication list and a statement of research interests as a single PDF to cgwp-applications[AT]gravity.psu.edu. They should also provide contact information for three or more references. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is March 1, 2013. Penn State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.2. Postdoctoral position in Gravitational Wave Astronomy at West Virginia University ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/18/postdoctoral-position-in-gravitatio… Deadline: 2013-03-15 Location: Morgantown, WV, USA Additional Information http://physics.wvu.edu/ Contact: stmcwill[AT]princeton.edu We are seeking a postdoctoral research associate to conduct research in theoretical gravitational wave astronomy, broadly defined. The candidate would work primarily with Prof. Sean McWilliams on a number of possible research topics, including gravitational wave source modeling, numerical relativity, and data analysis, with particular applications to the science goals of pulsar timing arrays, particularly NANOGrav, as well as the current and near-future generation of ground-based interferometric detectors, particularly Advanced LIGO. A Ph. D. in Physics or a related field is required, with research expertise in one or more of the areas listed above. The preferred start date for the position is September 1, 2013, with an initial appointment of one year and possible renewal for up to two additional years contingent on performance and available funding. If interested, please email your CV and a brief statement of research experience and interests and arrange for three letters of reference to be emailed to stmcwill[AT]princeton.edu. Review of applications will begin March 15 and will continue until the position is filled. WVU is a major center for gravitational wave astronomy, with a pulsar timing program led by Profs. Duncan Lorimer and Maura McLaughlin, and is a few hours drive from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Green Bank Telescope, where most of NANOGravs observations are conducted. The WVU Physics Department (http://physics.wvu.edu/) conducts approximately $5 million annually in externally sponsored research, with major research activities in the areas of astronomy/astrophysics, condensed matter physics, and plasma physics. WVU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.3. Postdoctoral research assistant in mathematical relativity at Edinburgh, UK ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/05/postdoctoral-research-assistant-in-… Deadline: 2013-02-12 Location: Edinburgh, Britain Additional Information https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… Contact: Pieter Blue p.blue[AT]ed.ac.uk Applications are invited for a two-year post-doctoral research associate (PDRA) position. The position is primarily funded through an EPSRC grant, the subject of which is the black hole stability problem. The succesful applicant will be encouraged to contribute to work on this problem but also to develop their own research programme. Further details can be found at https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobs… +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.4. Postdoctoral position in Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics at the University of Birmingham, UK ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/15/postdoctoral-position-in-gravitatio… Deadline: 2013-02-27 Location: Birmingham, UK Additional Information http://tinyurl.com/gwjobbham27feb2013 Contact: postdoc-gwastro[AT]star.sr.bham.ac.uk The Gravitational-Wave Group at the University of Birmingham invites applications for a post-doctoral position in the area of gravitational-wave astrophysics and data analysis, with emphasis on compact-object binary systems. The position is available from 1st October 2013 for an initial period of two years and can be extended by a further year contingent to satisfactory performance and availability of funding. The starting salary is normally in the range 27,854 GBP to 36,298 GBP a year. Applicants with a background in gravitational-wave physics, astronomy/astrophysics, theoretical and/or numerical relativity and data analysis are welcome to apply. The Birmingham Gravitational-wave Group consists of faculty members Will Farr (from 1st October 2013), Andreas Freise, Ilya Mandel and Alberto Vecchio, four postdoctoral research associates and nine post-graduate students. The group has a broad range of research interests including compact object astrophysics, gravitational-wave observations and data analysis, instrumentation and advanced interferometry. The group is member of the GEO Collaboration, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, and the European Pulsar Timing Array Collaboration. The group has excellent laboratory and computer facilities. For full consideration, candidates must apply online at: http://tinyurl.com/gwjobbham27feb2013 and arrange for three letters of reference to be sent by the closing date to: Mrs Joanne Cox School of Physics and Astronomy University of Birmingham Edgbaston B15 2TT United Kingdom E-mail: postdoc-gwastro[AT]star.sr.bham.ac.uk Interested applicants are encouraged to notify their intention to apply by sending an email to the above address. The deadline for application is Tuesday 27th February 2013. For further information and informal enquiries please contact: Dr. Ilya Mandel (imandel[AT]star.sr.bham.ac.uk) or Prof Alberto Vecchio (av[AT]star.sr.bham.ac.uk). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 3. News ============================================== 3.1. 2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation (reminder) ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/05/2013-awards-for-essays-on-gravitati… Additional Informationhttp://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org GRAVITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION PO BOX 81389 WELLESLEY HILLS MA 02481-0004 USA 2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation In 2013, for our sixty-fourth 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) We will make these Awards on May 15, 2013 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, 2013. 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 2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation. Pages should be numbered. (5) The decision of the judges will be final and no reviews or comments will be provided. (6) Please check the winners announcement to be posted on our website: http://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org around May 15, 2013. We will also 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) Recent First Award Winners: 2012 Claus Kiefer and Manuel Kraemer, University of Cologne, Koeln, Germany 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, Kings 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 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.2. Living Reviews in Relativity: Spin Foams and Minimal Length in Quantum Gravity ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/15/living-reviews-in-relativity-spin-f… Additional Informationhttp://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/ Living Reviews in Relativity has published two new review articles on Quantum Gravity: "The Spin-Foam Approach to Quantum Gravity" by Alejandro Perez and "Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity" by Sabine Hossenfelder. Please find the abstract and further details below. ------------------ PUB.NO. lrr-2013-3 Perez, Alejandro "The Spin-Foam Approach to Quantum Gravity" ACCEPTED: 2012-06-11 PUBLISHED: 2012-02-14 FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-3 ABSTRACT: This article reviews the present status of the spin-foam approach to the quantization of gravity. Special attention is payed to the pedagogical presentation of the recently-introduced new models for four-dimensional quantum gravity. The models are motivated by a suitable implementation of the path integral quantization of the Plebanski formulation of gravity on a simplicial regularization. The article also includes a self contained treatment of 2+1 gravity. The simple nature of the latter provides the basis and a perspective for the analysis of both conceptual and technical issues that remain open in four dimensions. ------------------ PUB.NO. lrr-2013-2 Hossenfelder, Sabine "Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity" ACCEPTED: 2012-10-11 PUBLISHED: 2013-01-29 FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-2 ABSTRACT: We review the question whether the fundamental laws of nature limit our ability to probe arbitrarily short distances. First, we examine what insights can be gained from thought experiments for probes of shortest distances, and summarize what can be learned from different approaches to a theory of quantum gravity. Then we discuss some models that have been developed to implement a minimal length scale into quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. These models have entered the literature under the names of generalized uncertainty principle or modified dispersion relation, and have allowed to study the effects of a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, thermodynamics, black hole physics and cosmology. Finally, we touch upon the question if there are ways to circumvent the manifestation of a minimal length scale in short-distance physics. UPCOMING ARTICLES AT: http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.3. New look for hyperspace! ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/18/new-look-for-hyperspace-2/ Additional Information Dear all, I am glad to announce hyperspace's new look! Behind what seems only an aesthetical restyle there is a major overhaul of hyperspace, which is now fully compatible with WordPress and less relying on purpose-made scripts. This will mean a higher level of security and the ability to continuosly improve the site as new versions of WordPress are released. Notable new changes are: - easier to use forms for posting job, conferences, etc. with a simple-to-use captcha filter. - the ability to browse all posts back in time (and not just in the future). - an easier management of the personal profiles. We have tested the site carefully but glitches are still possible. Should you encounter one, please be patient and report it immediately. As always we strive to give you the best service and as ever we will benefit from your input on how to improve hyperspace. Luciano Rezzolla and the hyperspace@aei team (Frank Schulz and Marcus Thienert) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.4. IJMPD: Gravitational Wave Detection and Fundamental Physics in Space ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2013/02/19/ijmpd-gravitational-wave-detection-… Additional Informationhttp://www.worldscientific.com/worldscinet/ijmpd Dear Colleagues, International Journal of Modern Physics D has published a new special issue on Gravitational Wave Detection and Fundamental Physics in Space [IJMPD Vol. 22, No. 1 (2013)]. Web address: http://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijmpd/22/01 Visit and register with World Scientific website today to read the full text of these articles. With best wishes, Chee-Hok Lim Publishing Editor International Journal of Modern Physics D email: ijmpd[AT]wspc.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===================================================== Living Reviews in Relativity MPI for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) Am Muehlenberg 1 14476 Golm | Germany Tel: +49 (0)331 567 7115 Email: livrev(a)aei.mpg.de http://www.livingreviews.org =====================================================

1 0