########################################## Table of Contents ########################################### 1. Conferences 1.1. Quantum spacetime and the Renormalization Group, Bad Honnef, Germany 1.2. BritGrav18, Portsmouth, UK 1.3. Workshop on Frontiers in Gravitation, Astrophysics, and Cosmology, Kolymbari Crete, Greece 1.4. Les Houches summer school on gravitational waves, Les Houches, France 1.5. MetroAeroSpace2018 - Special Session on "Relativistic Metrology", Rome, Italy (1st announcement) 1.6. 34th Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting, Pasadena, CA, USA (2nd announcement) 1.7. 21st Capra meeting on Radiation Reaction in General Relativity, Potsdam, Germany 1.8. Black Holes Are Forever, Rio de Janiero, Brazil 1.9. AGR 2018 -- Atlantic General Relativity Conference and Workshop 2018, Antigonish, NS, Canada 1.10. 2nd Institute of Space Sciences Summer School on "Gravitational Wave Astronomy", Barcelona, Spain 1.11. The Third Zeldovich meeting, Minsk, Belarus (2nd announcement) 2. Jobs 2.1. Postdoctoral position in numerical relativity and gravitational wave sources modeling at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA: deadline extended 2.2. Postdoc at Southampton, UK 2.3. International PhD Program on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation, Brazil 2.4. Postdocs on Gravitational Wave at SYSU, Zhuhai, China 2.5. Astrophysics, Gravity and Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics Postdoctoral Positions in Department of Physics, IIT Bombay, India 3. News 3.1. Special Issue "Quantum Field Theory XXI" 3.2. Special Issue "Origin of the Universe" 3.3. Special Issue "F(R) Gravity" 3.4. Special Issue "Interplay of QCD, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics" ============================================== 1. Conferences ============================================== 1.1. Quantum spacetime and the Renormalization Group, Bad Honnef, Germany --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13663 Starting: 2018-06-18 to 2018-06-22 Location: Bad Honnef, Germany Additional Information: http://www.thphys.uni-heidelberg.de/~eichhorn/BadHonnef.html Contact: a.eichhorn[AT]thphys.uni-heidelberg.de Quantum Gravity is a very active area of theoretical research into the largely unknown realm of physics beyond the Standard Model. Recent years have seen a growing awareness throughout the quantum gravity community that Renormalization Group techniques may constitute a crucial element in unraveling the microscopic quantum structure of spacetime. Nowadays, the development of these ideas have reached a stage where, firstly, a cross-fertilization between different quantum gravity programs will be fruitful and, secondly, some programs may even be able to connect the microscopic quantum- gravity regime to physics at energy scales accessible by observations. The last years have also seen the development of novel ideas how imprints of (asymptotically safe) quantum gravity could become detectable in particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics which provide a fruitful basis for further exploration. The main goals of the workshop are - contributing to sharpening the major conceptual and technical open questions of the field and identifying routes to answer these. - triggering new collaborations, in particular between researchers from neighboring communities, enabling a fruitful exchange of ideas and transfer of knowledge. - providing in particular young researchers with a comprehensive overview of the most pressing questions in the field, motivating them to tackle these from new angles. - producing novel ideas how to bridge the gap between a fundamental theory of quantum gravity and observations and triggering new developments towards observational tests of quantum gravity. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.2. BritGrav18, Portsmouth, UK --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/11/britgrav18/ Starting: 2018-04-18 to 2018-04-19 Location: Portsmouth, UK Additional Information: https://sites.google.com/port.ac.uk/britgrav18 Contact: BritGrav18[AT]port.ac.uk The 18th BritGrav meeting will be hosted by Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) at the University of Portsmouth. The meeting will span two days, Wednesday 18 April and Thursday 19 April 2018. The aim is to bring together young researchers working on all aspects of gravitational physics. Following the BritGrav tradition, the meeting will consist of short talks with priority given to PhD students and postdocs. Limited funding is provided by the IOP Gravitational Physics Group, to support travel for students. Deadline for financial support application and abstract submission is 7 March 2018. At the end of the meeting, we will award The Best Student Talk Prize, sponsored by Classical and Quantum Gravity. Local organisers: Marco Bruni, Emir Gumrukcuoglu, Kazuya Koyama, Andy Lundgren, Chris Pattison, Holly Purslow, David Wands, Bill Wright +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.3. Workshop on Frontiers in Gravitation, Astrophysics, and Cosmology, Kolymbari Crete, Greece --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/16/workshop-on-frontiers-in-grav... Starting: 2018-07-04 to 2018-07-12 Location: Kolymbari Crete, Greece Additional Information: https://indico.cern.ch/event/663474/page/12522-workshop-on-frontiers-in-grav... Contact: triay[AT]cpt.univ-mrs.fr The purpose of this workshop is to discuss and share new developments, experimental and theoretical, in Gravitation, Astrophysics, and Cosmology. Its duration is planned on two days (9-10 July) but it might be extended beyond if necessary, which will be specified in due time. It is part of the International Conference on New Frontiers in Physics aims to promote scientific exchange and development of novel ideas in science with a particular accent in interdisciplinary. The conference will bring together worldwide experts and promising young scientists who work on experimental and theoretical aspects of particle, nuclear, heavy ion and astro-particle physics and cosmology, with colleagues from other disciplines, for example solid state physics, mathematics, mathematical physics, quantum optics and other. The conference will be hosted in the Conference Center of the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC), an exceptionally beautiful location only a few meters from the Mediterranean sea. Soon, information on lodging be available, as well as the registration will be open soon, although you can contact by email the conveners to inform them on your intention to attend. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.4. Les Houches summer school on gravitational waves, Les Houches, France --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/17/les-houches-summer-school-on-... Starting: 2018-07-02 to 2018-01-27 Location: Les Houches Additional Information: https://www.houches-school-physics.com/program/program-2018/summer-school-gr... Contact: mabizoua[AT]lal.in2p3.fr The school will cover the emerging field of gravitational and multi-messenger astronomy, following the discovery of GW150914 and GW170817. We can soon expect many other detections, which will open up a new window on astrophysical objects such as compact binary systems (black holes, neutron stars), supernovae, pulsars, a stochastic gravitational wave background, or even unexpected objects. The objective of the school is to provide a large number of students with a solid corpus in most aspects of the field. Summer school organized by: Bruce ALLEN, Albert Einstein Institute, Hannover, Germany Marie-Anne BIZOUARD, Laboratoire de l'accelerateur lineaire, Orday, France Nelson CHRISTENSEN, ARTEMIS, Laboratoire de la Cote d'Azur, Nice, France Pierre-Francois COHADON, LKB, ENS, Paris, France +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.5. MetroAeroSpace2018 - Special Session on "Relativistic Metrology", Rome, Italy (1st announcement) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/17/metroaerospace2018-special-se... Starting: 2018-06-20 to 2018-06-22 Location: Roma Additional Information: http://www.metroaerospace.org/special-session-13 Contact: roberto.peron[AT]iaps.inaf.it 5th IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Aerospace (MetroAeroSpace 2018) Roma, Italy, June 20-22, 2018 Special Session on "Relativistic Metrology" Chairs: Roberto Peron, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Roma, Italy Enrico Lorenzini, University of Padova, Padova, Italy The Session will take place at Roma, Italy, in the context of the 5th IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Aerospace (MetroAeroSpace 2018), June 20-22, 2018. It will focus on the consequences of special and general relativistic models on the definition and measurement of various metrological quantities. Topics covered (non-exhaustive list): Measurement of time (and frequency); Measurement of length; Geodesy; Navigation; Astronomy and astrometry; Fundamental physics tests in space. Abstracts are welcome on these, as well as on related ones. Important dates: January 26, 2018 - Abstract Submission Deadline April 15, 2018 - Notification of Acceptance May 20, 2018 - Final Paper Submission Deadline +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.6. 34th Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting, Pasadena, CA, USA (2nd announcement) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13692 Starting: 2018-03-16 to 2018-03-17 Location: Pasadena, CA, USA Additional Information: http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~pcgm34/ Contact: pcgm34[AT]tapir.caltech.edu The 34th Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting will be held at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA, on March 16 and 17, 2018. In keeping with its tradition, this will be an open, relaxed, and informal conference. We are inviting researchers and students interested in all areas of gravitational physics: classical and quantum gravity, general relativistic astrophysics and cosmology, quantum cosmology, gravitational waves, and experimental gravity. Because this is a regional meeting, many attendees will be from the western United States, but all are welcome. It is a pleasure to dedicate this conference to Jim Isenberg, who started these meetings and has kept them going for 34 years. Talks Following the usual tradition all participants, and especially postdocs and graduate students, are encouraged to contribute short, introductory talks on their current research, with the aim of fostering communication and understanding among gravitational physicists with different backgrounds. A prize (sponsored by the APS Division of Gravitational Physics) will be awarded for the best talk given by a student at the meeting. Deadlines Prospective speakers should register by February 18 to receive full consideration. Late applicants will be considered at the discretion of the organizers. A block of rooms has been reserved at a nearby hotel. Reserve your room by February 15 to receive a reduced rate. For details, see: www.tapir.caltech.edu/~pcgm34 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.7. 21st Capra meeting on Radiation Reaction in General Relativity, Potsdam, Germany --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/29/21st-capra-meeting-on-radiati... Starting: 2018-06-25 to 2018-06-29 Location: Potsdam-Golm, Germany Additional Information: https://capra21.aei.mpg.de Contact: capra21[AT]aei.mpg.de The 21st Capra meeting on Radiation Reaction in General Relativity will be held at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (aka Albert Einstein Institute) in Potsdam-Golm. The meeting will run from Monday June 25, 2018 until Friday June 29, 2018. The Capra meetings focus on the modelling of black hole binary dynamics in the small mass-ratio limit. In good Capra tradition the meeting will be of an informal nature with a mixture of invited reviews, contributed talks, and open discussions. There will be no registration fee or proceedings. Contributed talks on all aspect of modelling small mass-ratio systems are welcome. For more information and registration please visit: https://capra21.aei.mpg.de +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.8. Black Holes Are Forever, Rio de Janiero, Brazil --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13703 Starting: 2018-02-05 to 2018-02-06 Location: Rio de Janiero, Brazil Additional Information: http://www.on.br/index.php/pt-br/astronomia-e-astrofisica/astronomia-e-astrofisica.html?layout=edit&id=383 Contact: claudio[AT]on.br Black holes are now at the center stage of astrophysics and fundamental physics. They are made of pure gravitation and offer a gamut of instances where physical processes in the vicinity of the horizon, involving either fluids or quantum fields, can be tested and observed. Their existence has now been put beyond conjecture with the detection of gravitational waves generated by the collision of these objects. Jose P. S. Lemos is a distinguished researcher that works in black holes physics and astrophysics. He undergraduated and took the MSc in Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, did his PhD in the University of Cambridge, got his first position at Observatorio Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, and is now professor at Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon. The goal of the conference is to promote, strengthen and disseminate the research on black holes, focusing in, but not restricted to, Jose's contributions. We will also commemorate two historical dates. First, 100 years of Einstein's second paper on gravitational waves where he deduced the correct quadrupole formula, his first 1916 paper had an incorrect monopole formula. Second, 50 years of black holes, as in 1968, Wheeler put the name black holes for the first time in a paper thus entitling the astro and gravitational physicists to use it freely. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.9. AGR 2018 -- Atlantic General Relativity Conference and Workshop 2018, Antigonish, NS, Canada --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13708 Starting: 2018-06-06 to 2018-06-07 Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada Additional Information: https://sites.stfx.ca/mscs/gravity/agr18.html Contact: rvandenh[AT]stfx.ca AGR 2018 -- Atlantic General Relativity Conference and Workshop 2018 – First Announcement The 2018 Atlantic General Relativity Conference will be held from Tuesday, June 6 to Thursday, June 7 at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. (Approximately a 2 hour drive north of Halifax.) As in previous years, the theme of Atlantic GR will be all aspects of classical and quantum gravity. The format will consist of one invited talk along with contributed talks by participants. The invited speaker this year is Dr. Latham Boyle (Perimeter Institute). The Atlantic GR Conference will be preceded by a one-day workshop on Monday, June 5, 2018 aimed at the non-expert. The bulk of the workshop will consist of invited lectures from Dr. Chris Clarkson (Queen Mary University of London) [to be confirmed]. The format will include ample time for discussion and collaboration. (see website for details). There will be no registration fee for either the workshop or the conference. We expect funding to partially subsidize accommodation in university residence for a limited number graduate students. If you wish to request this support, please consult the conference website. The local organizing committee is Robert van den Hoogen, Viraj Sangai and Alan Coley. The scientific organizing committee also includes Viqar Husain, Sanjeev Seahra, Edward Wilson-Ewing, Ivan Booth and Hari Kunduri. Both the conference and the workshop are sponsored by the Atlantic Association for Research in the Mathematical Sciences (AARMS), the Perimeter Institute, and St. Francis Xavier University. More information and online registration: sites.stfx.ca/mscs/gravity/agr18.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.10. 2nd Institute of Space Sciences Summer School on "Gravitational Wave Astronomy", Barcelona, Spain --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13715 Starting: 2018-07-02 to 2018-07-06 Location: Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain Additional Information: http://www.ice.csic.es/summer2018 Contact: sopuerta[AT]ice.csic.es 2ND INSTITUTE OF SPACE SCIENCES SUMMER SCHOOL GRAVITATIONAL WAVE ASTRONOMY FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Place: Institut de Ciencies de l'Espai - Barcelona, Spain, July 2-6, 2018 The Institute of Space Sciences (Institut de Ciències de l’Espai - ICE) is organizing its Summer School on "Gravitational Wave Astronomy" that will be held at the Institute, located at the Campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Bellaterra, only 20kms from Barcelona, from July 2nd to 6th 2018. The School program covers most aspects of Gravitational Wave Astronomy, from the detection technology to the astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics that we can do with gravitational wave detections and their electromagnetic counterparts. The Institute of Space Sciences will welcome around 30 Master and Doctoral students to attend the Summer School: they will broaden their knowledge on this exciting field as well as get in touch with the other research groups working at the Institute. Information and application forms can be found at http://www.ice.csic.es/summer2018 REGISTRATION will be open on February 5th, 2018 and will close on April 2nd, 2018. Acceptance of participants will be announced on April 23rd, 2018. There is a registration fee for the School of 50 EUROS. A number of partial and full studentships will be available. Additional information can be requested to summer2018[AT]ice.csic.es LECTURERS AND TOPICS + Theoretical Foundations - Carlos F. Sopuerta (ICE) + GW Detection - Miquel Nofrarias (ICE) + GW Source Modelling - Ulrich Sperhake (Cambridge)* + GW Data Analysis - Alicia Sintes (Mallorca, UIB) + GW Astrophysics - Pau Amaro-Seoane (ICE) + Electromagnetic Counterparts - Matt Benacquista (NSF)* + Relativistic Stellar Dynamics - Xian Chen (Beijing, CAS) + Neutron Stars and Black Hole - Nanda Rea (ICE) + The Galactic Centre and GWs - Rainer Schödel (IAA, Granada) + Cosmology and GWs - Jaume Garriga (ICCUB)*
* To be confirmed ORGANIZING COMMITTEE L. Gesa (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) P. Amaro-Seoane (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) M. Hernanz (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) M. Nofrarias (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) A. Serenelli (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) C.F. Sopuerta (Chair, ICE-CSIC & IEEC) D. Torres (ICE Director, ICE-CSIC & IEEC) N. Cortés (ICE-CSIC & IEEC) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.11. The Third Zeldovich meeting, Minsk, Belarus (2nd announcement) --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/31/the-third-zeldovich-meeting-m... Starting: 2018-04-23 to 2018-04-27 Location: Minsk, Belarus Additional Information: http://www.icranet.org/zeldovich3 Contact: zeld3[AT]icranet.org This is a second announcement of the 3rd Zeldovich Meeting in Minsk, Belarus. The online registration for the 3rd Zeldovich meeting to be held in the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in Minsk, Belarus on April 23-27, 2018 has been started. Participants should register at http://ntsrvg9-2.icra.it/meetings/registration_zeld3.htm with the deadline of 31st of March 2018 and submit titles and abstracts of their talks. The registration fee is 200 euro for professors and 50 euro for students. It has to be paid in cash during the conference. It includes welcome cocktail, conference dinner, coffee/tee and refreshments during breaks, conference set (bag with the poster, program and badge) and a copy of conference proceedings. The list of confirmed invited speakers with their talks includes: Gennady Bisnovatyi-Kogan - Strong shock in a uniformly expanding universe Valery Chechetkin - Asymmetric nucleosynthesis Artur Chernin - Dark energy in Zeldovich Local Pancake Evgeny Derishev - Radiation-mediated shocks Andrey Doroshkevich - TBD Gyula Fodor - Localized objects formed by self trapped gravitational waves (geons) Vladimir Fortov - TBD Sang Pyo Kim - Strong QED phenomena in astrophysics Noam Libeskind - TBD Vladimir Lipunov - The Discovery of gravitational waves: prediction and observation Manuel Malheiro - TBD Agnieszka Pollo - How luminous galaxies trace the dark Universe Alexei Pozanenko - Observations of GRB 1170817A associated with LIGO/Virgo GW170817 in gamma-rays, optic and radio, and the model of prompt gamma-ray emission Istvan Racz - TBD Jorge Rueda - Latest news on the induced gravitational collapse scenario of long gamma-ray bursts Remo Ruffini - Gamma-ray Bursts Narek Sahakyan - TBD Nikolai Shakura - Ya. B. Zeldovich and background of the accretion processes theory in the Universe Alexei Starobinsky - TBD Lev Titarchuk - Comptonization Problem and Its solution in Application to the Spectra of the Neutron Star and Black Hole Source Oleg Zaslavski - Ultra-high energy particle collisions near black holes and singularities and super-Penrose process +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 2. Jobs ============================================== 2.1. Postdoctoral position in numerical relativity and gravitational wave sources modeling at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA: deadline extended ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/04/postdoctoral-position-in-nume... Deadline: 2018-01-20 Location: Boca Raton, Florida Additional Information: http://physics2.fau.edu/~wolf Contact: wolf[AT]fau.edu The Department of Physics (http://physics.fau.edu) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the area of numerical relativity and gravitational wave sources modeling in Wolfgang Tichy’s group. The position is associated with a DFG and NSF funded collaboration between the numerical relativity groups at FAU and the University of Jena in Germany. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to visit Jena to strengthen the collaboration. The appointment will be for 2 years, but may be renewable depending on future funding. FAU researchers have access to several computing cluster facilities at national computing centers through XSEDE, as well as a dedicated cluster at FAU (https://hpc.fau.edu). Applications should consist of a cover letter, a brief statement of research interests, a curriculum vitae including publication list, and at least three letters of recommendation. The letter writers are asked to send the letters directly. All materials should be sent electronically as soon as possible to: wolf[AT]fau.edu Review of completed applications will continue through January 20, 2018, and will continue until a suitable candidate is found. The planned starting date is in the fall of 2018, but can be earlier if requested. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.2. Postdoc at Southampton, UK ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/05/postdoc-at-southampton-uk/ Deadline: 2018-02-15 Location: Southampton Additional Information: https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=956918PJ Contact: leor[AT]soton.ac.uk Postdoctoral Research Fellow Salary: GBP 29799 - 36613 per annum Closes 15 February 2018 The Southampton Gravity Group is offering a postdoctoral position in theoretical gravitational-wave physics, starting in the spring or Autumn of 2018. 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 EMRI sources of gravitational waves for LISA. The University of Southampton (UK) is home to a large research group in gravitational physics. The Group currently comprises 14 staff members (Nils Andersson, Leor Barack, Oscar Dias, Carsten Gundlach, Ian Hawke, Wynn Ho, Ian Jones, Carlos Mafra, Andy O’Bannon, Adam Pound, Andreas Schmitt, Kostas Skenderis, Marika Taylor and James Vickers) and a significant number of postdocs and research students. Research interests in the group cover black-hole and neutron-star physics, gravitational waves and numerical relativity, and string-inspired gravity and holography. The Group is part of the STAG research centre, and has close ties with the astronomy and high-energy groups in the Physics department. In order to be considered for this post, the applicant must hold 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, general-relativistic dynamics, 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. Applications should be made online via https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/ under vacancy number 956918PJ. Please send a copy of your application (and any enquiries) to Leor Barack, leor[at]soton.ac.uk +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.3. International PhD Program on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation, Brazil ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13654 Deadline: 2018-02-05 Location: Brazil Additional Information: http://ppgcosmo.cosmo-ufes.org/home.html Contact: ppgcosmo[AT]cosmo-ufes.org PPGCosmo is an international PhD program on Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation that aims to give PhD students the opportunity to develop a successful international scientific career. The research topics range from theoretical to observational aspects of Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravitation, including participation in collaborations such as LIGO, Euclid, J-PAS and DES. PPGCosmo is a Brazilian program consisting of five institutions from Brazil and four institutions from outside Brazil. Four 4-year PhD positions are now available starting in mid-March 2018. The student will be supervised by a Professor at a Brazilian institution and co-supervised by a Professor at an institution outside Brazil. For the compulsory postgraduate courses the student will be mainly based in Vitoria (Espirito Santo, Brazil). The student will have opportunities to visit the other Brazilian participating institutions and will have to spend one year at the co-supervisor's non-Brazilian institution. Please go to http://ppgcosmo.cosmo-ufes.org/home.html for further information. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.4. Postdocs on Gravitational Wave at SYSU, Zhuhai, China ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13656 Deadline: 2018-02-28 Location: Zhuhai, China Additional Information: http://tianqin.sysu.edu.cn/ Contact: huyiming[AT]mail.sysu.edu.cn The TianQin Research Center for Gravitational Physics, Sun Yat-sen University invites applications for two postdoctoral research positions in gravitational-wave physics and gravitational-wave astronomy. The appointment will be for two years. The successful candidate is expected to start no later than Sep 1, 2018. The TianQin Research Center is dedicated to creating the space-based gravitational wave detector TianQin (arXiv: 1512.02076). The growing theoretical group in the center consists of faculty members Jianwei Mei, Yiming Hu and Xuefeng Zhang, 1 postdoc and 10+ graduate students. The group is particularly interested in gravitational wave physics, gravitational wave astronomy, data analysis, TianQin simulation, and tests of general relativity with other space-based/related experiments (such as lunar laser ranging). The basic annual salary is 200,000 RMB. There is additional benefit up to 30,000 RMB per year, but this may vary with the University policy. To apply, please send the following to , with the subject title "Application for postdoc from [Applicant's Name]": 1) A CV, including a full publication list and a concise introduction to the candidate's most representative work (no more than one page); 2) A statement of research interest, including a remark on how it fits with the general goal of the group; 3) Three letters of recommendation (one must from the PhD supervisor of the Candidate). The deadline for this applications is Feb 28, 2017. About SYSU Sun Yat-sen University was established in 1924 by the founding father of modern China, Sun Yat-sen, and has been consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in mainland China. The TianQin Research Center for Gravitational Physics is located in the scenery Zhuhai campus of SYSU, which is only half an hour driving distance to Macau and Hong Kong. With the support from the central and local governments, various laboratory facilities for TianQin are being built in a good speed. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.5. Astrophysics, Gravity and Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics Postdoctoral Positions in Department of Physics, IIT Bombay, India ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/01/24/astrophysics-gravity-and-theo... Deadline: 2018-02-28 Location: Mumbai, India Additional Information: http://www.phy.iitb.ac.in/en/research Contact: thep_acg_postdoc_app[AT]phy.iitb.ac.in Astronomy, Cosmology and Gravity, and High Energy Theory research groups, Department of Physics, IIT Bombay, intend to appoint a few postdoctoral positions in all areas of Astrophysics, Dark Matter, Early Universe Cosmology, Elementary particle physics, Gravitational waves and Electromagnetic followup, Neutrino Physics, Physics beyond the Standard model, QCD, Quantum gravity and String theory. Currently, the groups have nine faculty members, six Post-doctoral fellows, and Seventeen PhD students. Please visit the group pages to know more about the research activities: * http://www.phy.iitb.ac.in/en/research/high-energy-theory * http://www.phy.iitb.ac.in/en/research/astronomy-cosmology-gravity Candidates awarded PhD recently, or research scholars who have submitted their thesis and waiting for the examination are strongly encouraged to apply. More details about the position can be found at: http://www.iitb.ac.in/en/careers/institute-post-doctoral-fellows The positions are available for up to two years. Informal enquiries can be made to any faculty member in these groups. Tenure: 2 years Fellowship: INR 780000 - 852000 per annum (House Rent Allowance 24% extra) Deadline: 28 February 2018 To apply, please send CV (with the date), research statement and have at least two letters of reference sent by email to thep_acg_postdoc_app[AT]phy.iitb.ac.in with the subject "Application for Institute Post-doctoral Positions - Candidate name". +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 3. News ============================================== 3.1. Special Issue "Quantum Field Theory XXI" ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13679 Additional Information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/quantum_field_theory Dear Colleagues, It is a pleasure to announce the Special Issue “Quantum Field Theory XXI”. Since its first applications in the XX century, and the crowning with the formulation of the Standard Model of electroweak and strong interactions, quantum field theory has evolved, both in meaning and intention. Its perturbative and nonperturbative incarnations have been playing an undisputed role in modern theoretical physics, not only in the refinement of the Standard Model and of its supersymmetric extensions, but also in the quest for a quantum theory of gravitation, carried on in the programs of string theory, supergravity, and many other quantum gravities (nonlocal quantum gravity, asymptotic safety, group field theory, and so on), and in our understanding of astrophysical and cosmological processes, ranging from the Big Bang to stellar evolution, and from the cosmological constant to gravitational waves. This Special Issue aims to recapitulate part of these achievements and offer a perspective on near- and far-future applications of quantum field theory in the present century. Review and perspective papers are especially welcome. Gianluca Calcagni Guest Editor ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.2. Special Issue "Origin of the Universe" ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13680 Additional Information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/origin_universe Dear Colleagues, The birth of the universe out of the M-theory landscape remains an important question in modern cosmology. Questions such as “Why are the only three large spatial dimensions?”, “What drives inflation?”, and “Is there observable evidence of the birth of the universe out of the M-theory landscape?” are subjects of active debate. We invite colleagues to submit papers on the following topics: Trans-Plankian inflation Models of inflation Constraints on Inflation effective potentials Brane-world inflation Constraints on Inflation initial conditions Primordial gravitational waves Cosmic dark flow and large-scale structure Origin of the cold spot in the CMB Anomalies in the CMB from inflation and the M-theory landscape Supersymmetric Inflation Primordial nucleosynthesis constraints on the birth of the universe Constraints on time-varying fundamental constants Constraints on anisotropic cosmological models Why are there three large dimensions Prof. Dr. Grant J. Mathews Prof. Dr. Laura Mersini Houghton Guest Editors ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.3. Special Issue "F(R) Gravity" ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13681 Additional Information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/F_R Dear Colleagues, F(R) gravity plays a prominent role in the description of gravitational phenomena at large and astrophysical scales. Among the various modified gravity proposals, the F(R) gravity framework is the conceptually simplest generalization of Einstein's gravity, and has attracted the interest of many cosmologists. In this special issue, the focus will be on applications of F(R) gravity at large and astrophysical scales. We aim to highlight a plethora of theoretical proposals that find explanation in the context of F(R) gravity, both in cosmology and in astrophysics. In view of the current observational data and also due to the upcoming observations, this issue aims to gather all the up to date facts with regard to F(R) gravity applications. All the above problems maybe also be considered in frames of other modified gravities, like modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity, string-inspired theory, teleparallel gravity, Born-Infeld type gravity or non-minimal modified gravity. Dr. Vasilis K. Oikonomou Prof. Dr. Sergei D. Odintsov Guest Editors ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.4. Special Issue "Interplay of QCD, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics" ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13682 Additional Information: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/special_issues/qcd_cosmology_astroparti... Dear Colleagues, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) encodes a large richness of physical phenomena, and is intensively studied theoretically and experimentally. However, in spite of its success, some of its aspects are not yet fully understood; there remain open questions that demand answers. Most of these questions have important implications in cosmology and astroparticle physics. The QCD Lagrangian contains ingredients that can clarify key questions concerning cosmology. The term, which breaks conformal symmetry, even in the massless case, is related to the axion field and its search concerns the nature of dark matter and also could contribute to the cosmological constant. Other possibilities of dark matter have been speculated, such as the existence of exotic hadrons made of color-octet complexes. The mentioned term, which is not CP invariant, plays an important role in the equation of the state of the deconfinement transition from hadronic matter to quark gluon matter, such as what happened in the first moments of the Universe after the Big Bang. This term is proportional to the trace anomaly, which measures the departure from a free quark-gluon gas of the obtained strongly-coupled quark gluon matter, and is also related to vacuum structure. The experiments of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have created strongly-coupled quark gluon matter in nucleus–nucleus collisions. Most of the observed collective effects have also been seen in pp collisions. In this case, it is not clear how hydrodynamic models can be applied. There is not a unified picture of the transverse momentum distribution of pp data, as well as its azimuthal distribution. The interplay between soft and hard collisions can show interesting relationships between parton entanglement and thermalization. On the other hand, the forward LHC detectors provide important information on elastic and diffractive scattering, which play important roles in determining the hadronic cascade produced in ultrarelativistic cosmic rays. Usual hadronic models, previously-matched to LHC data, are not able to describe some of the cosmic ray data at higher energies, such as the excess of muons and the energy dependence of the distribution of the length of maximum depth. Phenomena like gluon saturation, color reconnection, string interactions, percolation, and string junction working at LHC energies could have implications in the hadronic cascade. The QCD conformal breaking term, the axion field and the relation to dark matter and the cosmological constant, the strong CP problem, the dependence on the temperature of the trace anomaly, the equation of state close to the deconfinement phase transition, the collective effects produced in colliding small systems and its thermalization, the transverse momentum distributions, including azimuthal distributions and the interplay between soft and hard interactions, the elastic and diffractive scatterings and in general forward physics at LHC and ultrahigh cosmic ray energies, models of hadronic cascade are the subject of special interest at an interplay of QCD with two related fields: Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. Prof. Dr. Carlos Pajares Guest Editor ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++