################################################################# Table of Contents ################################################################# 1. Conferences 1.1 Yukawa International Seminar 2013 and longterm workshop, Kyoto, Japan 1.2 PCGM 29 at the University of California at Davis (1st circ.) 1.3 The Alájar meeting: “Stellar dynamics and growth of massive black holes“ 1.4 NR/HEP 2 Spring School in Lisbon 1.5 Friedmann Readings, Perm, Russia 1.6 Second Dutch Gravitational Wave meeting in Nijmegen, NL 1.7 Strong gravity beyond GR: from theory to observations, Lisbon, Portugal 1.8 MICRA 2013: Microphysics in Computational Relativistic Astrophysics (1st circular) 2. Jobs 2.1 Postdoctoral position in Astrophysical Relativity at the AEI, Potsdam, Germany 2.2 Research associate in general relativity at Cornell 2.3 The International Relativistic Astrophysics Ph.D. (IRAP PhD) - Joint Doctorate Program sponsored by Erasmus Mundus, CAPES, and ICRANet 2.4 Tenure Track Faculty Position in Computational Modeling and Scientific Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology 2.5 Postdoctoral Position in Gravitational Waves at La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy 2.6 Postdoctoral Researcher in Galaxy Evolution. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA 2.7 Postdoctoral position in theoretical cosmology at UC Davis 3. News 3.1 IJMPD Special Issue: 2012 Gravity Research Foundation (GRF) Essays 3.2 Lectures of the Workshop SU Structure of the Universe 2012 - Observatoire de Paris 3.3 2012 GWIC Thesis Prize: Call for Nominations ================================================================= 1. Conferences ================================================================= 1.1 Yukawa International Seminar 2013 and longterm workshop, Kyoto, Japan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/29/yukawa-international-seminar-2013-an... Starting Sun, May 19, 2013 to Sat, Jun 22, 2013 Location: Kyoto, Japan Additional Information: http://www2.yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ykis2013/conference/conference.php Dear Colleagues, We are happy to announce that the registration of Yukawa International Seminar 2013 (YKIS2013) entitled "Gravitational waves - Revolution in astronomy and astrophysics" is now open at http://www2.yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ykis2013/conference/conference.php The registration of the associated longterm workshop of Gravitational waves and numerical relativity is also open at http://www2.yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ykis2013/workshop/workshop.php YKIS2013 will be held from June 2 to 7 in 2013 and the longterm workshop will be held from May 19 to June 22 for five weeks. The venue is Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University. YKIS is a series of the conferences held at Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics every year. The aim of YKIS2013 is to overview expanding frontiers in gravitational-wave physics and to discuss central issues to be pursued in the coming years. The conference will be composed of 20 lectures by invited speakers as well as contributed talks and poster presentations which are accepted in the registration page. The invited speakers are as follows: Bruce Allen (MPI) Fulvio Ricci (VIRGO) Krzystof Belczynski (Texas/Warsaw) Edo Berger (Harvard) Emanuele Berti (Mississippi) Patrick Brady (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) Bernd Bruegmann (Jena) Alessandra Buonanno (Maryland) John Friedman (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) Keita Kawabe (LIGO) Takaaki Kajita (ICRR) Nobuyuki Kawai (TITech) Kostas Kokkotas (Tubingen) Luis Lehner (Perimeter) Dick Manchester (CSIRO) Christian Ott (Caltech) Tsvi Piran (Hebrew) B. S. Sathyaprakash (Cardiff) Bernard Schutz (Albert-Einstein Institute) Patrick Sutton (Cardiff) The longterm workshop on gravitational waves and numerical relativity will be held as a part of the Yukawa International Program for Quark-Hadron Science (YIPQS) and as a pre and post workshop of YKIS2013. The purpose of this workshop is to provide an opportunity of discussing central issues to be pursued in the coming years around the field of gravitational waves and numerical relativity with a relatively small number of participants focusing primarily on the discussion with a limited number of seminars. More information for YKIS2013 and longterm workshop will be found in the web pages. Best wishes and a happy new year, Masaru Shibata and Takashi Hiramatsu, on behalf of LOC of YKIS2013 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.2 PCGM 29 at the University of California at Davis (1st circ.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/20/pcgm-29/ Starting Fri, Mar 29, 2013 to Sat, Mar 30, 2013 Location: Davis, CA, USA The 29th Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting will be held at the University of California at Davis on March 29-30, 2013. The conference will cover all aspects of classical and quantum gravity, both theory and experiment. In keeping with tradition, the style will be very open and informal, with the aim of fostering communication among gravitational physicists with varied backgrounds. Students and postdocs are especially encouraged to give short, introductory talks about their research. As a regional meeting, the PCGM normally draws most of its participants from western North America, but all are welcome. There will no registration fee, and no financial support for travel. A prize, sponsored by the APS Topical Group on Gravity, will be awarded for the best talk given by a student at the meeting. Davis is located in California's Central Valley, about 15 miles west of Sacramento. The nearest airport is Sacramento International; a variety of shuttle services are available between the airport and Davis. We will reserve a block of nearby hotel rooms for participants. A second announcement, with website containing more information on registration, travel, and lodging, will appear in mid-January. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.3 The Alájar meeting: “Stellar dynamics and growth of massive black holes“ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/17/the-alajar-meeting-%e2%80%9cstellar-... Starting Mon, Sep 16, 2013 to Fri, Sep 27, 2013 Location: Alájar, Spain Additional Information: http://members.aei.mpg.de/amaro-seoane/the-alajar-meeting-2013 We are organising a 2-weeks workshop with Roger Blandford, Julian Krolik, Tal Alexader, Bernard Schutz and Rainer Schoedel from Mon 16 September to Fri 27 September 2013 in Alajar (Andalusia), on "Stellar dynamics and growth of massive black holes" The goal of the workshop is to address in detail crucial questions related to stellar dynamics and growth of massive black holes, as well as to build new collaborative relationships and strengthening existing ones- focused on the interpretation of upcoming gravitational wave observations using electromagnetic astrophysics as a tool of astronomical discovery and a probe of the fundamental physics of gravity. The new information that is (and will be) obtained from current or future electromagnetic observations provides an opportunity to challenge and refine theoretical models of the growth of massive black holes and the environments in galactic nuclei and other dense clusters. Refinements in these models will have direct consequences for the expected science that can be done with gravitational wave observatories. This workshop will tie observations and theoretical models to future gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations. While Alajar is a perfect place to chill out and discuss about science, we unfortunately can offer right now a maximum of 30 places. We hope we will get more places, but this depends on how many people are willing to share a room. Also, since we will provide you with a very basic "office" (i.e. a table, chair, a socket and wifi), for the moment we will stick to 30 and will set a waiting list. If you are interested, please fill in the application form at http://members.aei.mpg.de/amaro-seoane/the-alajar-meeting-2013/the-alajar-me... Best regards, Pau, Roger, Julian, Tal, Bernard and Rainer +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.4 NR/HEP 2 Spring School in Lisbon ------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/13/nrhep-2/ Starting Mon, Mar 11, 2013 to Thu, Mar 14, 2013 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Additional Information: http://blackholes.ist.utl.pt/nrhep2/ The field lying at the interface between gravitational physics, high energy physics and numerical methods is experiencing a Golden Age. With various new numerical tools able to handle a variety of situations, a number of important problems can finally be addressed. The NR/HEP 2 Spring School intends to communicate in an accessible way the new developments in the field of Numerical Relativity and its connection to gravitational and high energy physics. The School will feature a small number of 2-3 hour talks by young leading experts in the field, in a manner appropriate for beginners in the field or anybody else wishing to understand how to perform a given numerical calculation. Extra material, such as routines and exercises will also be made available via the workshop webpage. The school is open to a limited number of participants, please contact Vitor Cardoso (vitor.cardoso[AT]ist.utl.pt) if you wish to attend. The NRHEP2 School will be held at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, from 11-14 March 2013. Organizers: Vitor Cardoso, Andrea Nerozzi, Hirotada Okawa, Helvi Witek. Editors of the write-up to be published in a special issue of IJMPA: Cardoso, Gualtieri, Herdeiro, Sperhake +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.5 Friedmann Readings, Perm, Russia ------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/13/friedmann-readings-perm-russia/ Starting Mon, Jun 24, 2013 to Fri, Jun 28, 2013 Location: Perm, Russia Additional Information: http://cosmograv.ru/ Friedmann Readings -International Scientific Conference Perm State National Research University Perm Russia, 24-28 June 2013 Friedmann Readings, a scientific conference dedicated to the 125th birthday of Alexander Friedmann (who worked at Perm University in 1918-1920), will be held on 24-28 June 2013 at Perm State National Research University (PSNRU). The conference is organized by PSNRU, the Institute of Continuum Mechanics of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Gravitational Society. The purpose of the conference is to discuss the latest achievements in the theory of gravity, cosmology, modern hydrodynamics, mechanics, and physical and mathematical problems of meteorology. The scientific program of the conference will consist of plenary and sectional talks as well as informal discussions. It is planned to publish the materials of the conference before its beginning. The working languages of the conference are Russian and English. The first Friedmann readings took place at Perm State University in 1988, the second ones in 1998. Organizing Committee of the conference Co-chaimen: Prof. V.N. Melnikov, President of Russian Gravitational Society (VNIIMS, Moscow; PFUR, Moscow) and Prof. V.V. Malanin, President of PSNRU (Perm). Deputy Chairman: Prof. V.F. Panov (PSNRU, Perm). Members: Academicians of RAS A.A. Starobinsky and V.P. Matveenko; Profs. Sadanand Pandey (India), M. Abishev (Kazakhstan), K.A. Bronnikov (Moscow), Yu.S. Vladimirov (Moscow), D.V. Gal'tsov (Moscow), A.A. Grib (St. Petersburg), A.I. Zhuk (Odessa, Ukraine), Yu.G. Ignatyev (Kazan), N.A. Kalinin (Perm), V.G. Krechet (Yaroslavl), E.V. Kuvshinova (Perm), V.N. Lukash (Moscow), A.V. Minkevich (Minsk, Belarus'), V.M. Mostepanenko (St. Petersburg), V.I. Noskov (Perm), V.N. Pavelkin (Perm), i.e. Poloskov (Perm), Yu.P. Rybakov (Moscow), O.V. Sandakova (Perm), S.V. Sushkov (Kazan), P.G. Frik (Perm), B.N. Frolov (Moscow), S.V. Chervon (Ulyanovsk), A.P. Shkaraputa (Perm). Three sections are planned at the Friedmann Readings: 1. Problems of cosmology and astrophysics. 2. Modern problems of classical and quantum gravity. 3. Dynamics of complex systems (In this section, it is planned to discuss the recent achievements in modern hydrodynamics, mechanics, physical and mathematical problems of meteorology.) Registration and deadlines To take part in the conference, it is necessary to fill the registration form (see below) and to send it to the e-mail cosmograv[AT]yandex.ru . Deadline for registration: 1 March, 2013. Registration fee: 500 rubles for participants from Russia and the former Soviet Union, and $20 for foreign participants. The registration fee is to be paid on arrival at the conference. Abstracts for publication Abstracts (within one page) should be prepared in LaTeX2e, \documentclass{article}; the page setup: А4; left margin 3 cm, right margin 1.5 cm, 2 cm at the top and at the bottom, font 12pt, figures in the eps (postscript) format. Deadline for sending the abstracts: 1 April, 2013. Any questions about the conference can be asked to Prof. Vyacheslav Panov at the e-mails cosmograv[AT]yandex.ru, panov[AT]psu.ru Registration form for participation in Friedmann Readings – International Scientific Conference. Perm, PSNRU, 24-28 June, 2013 Full name: Affiliation: Position: Title, scientific degree: Post address: Phone: E-mail: Talk title(s): Section: Research supervisor (for students, postgraduates and non-PhD young scientists): Arrival and departure dates (tentative): Excursions offered to the conference participants: To the famous Kungur ice cave To the architectural and ethnographic musium “Khokhlovka” To places of sightseeing in the Urals city of Perm The conference site: http://cosmograv.ru/ Our group in Vkontakte: http://vk.com/club17728687 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.6 Second Dutch Gravitational Wave meeting in Nijmegen, NL ----------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/11/second-dutch-gravitational-wave-meet... Starting Thu, Jan 31, 2013 to Thu, Jan 31, 2013 Location: Nijmegen, the Netherlands Additional Information: http://indico.astro.ru.nl//conferenceDisplay.py?confId=7 Gravitational wave research in the Netherlands is rapidly taking shape and is becoming increasingly diverse. We organise the second Dutch National GW meeting, in order to bring together astronomers and physicists interested in gravitational wave science and inform each other of developments and new projects. The meeting will be held on Thursday January 31, 2013 at the Radboud University Nijmegen. The day will start with a keynote lecture by Prof. Alberto Vecchio (Birmingham) on the physics and astrophysics of gravitational wave sources. Following, there will be overview talks on Pulsar Timing Arrays, Advanced Virgo/LIGO, and the new eLISA mission, as well as contributed talks. The meeting is open to all interested researchers, also from outside the Netherlands. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.7 Strong gravity beyond GR: from theory to observations, Lisbon, Portugal --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/07/strong-gravity-beyond-gr-from-theory... Starting Tue, Mar 05, 2013 to Fri, Mar 08, 2013 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Additional Information: http://blackholes.ist.utl.pt/stronggravity/ In recent years, the field of alternative theories of gravity has been very active. The plethora of proposed modified theories, the challenge in conceiving new experiments, and the corresponding difficulty of probing unexplored regimes where new physics might be revealed, call for a joint effort within the community. We believe this is the ideal timing for organizing a workshop on these topics in Europe. The aim is to bring together leading experts in the area in a highly interactive workshop, with thorough presentations and plenty of time for discussion. Participation is limited to invited speakers only. The workshop “Strong Gravity beyond GR: from theory to observations” will be held at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, from 5-8 March 2013. Organizers: Vitor Cardoso, Leonardo Gualtieri, Paolo Pani, Thomas Sotiriou. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.8 MICRA 2013: Microphysics in Computational Relativistic Astrophysics (1st circular) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/01/micra-2013/ Starting Mon, Sep 23, 2013 to Fri, Sep 27, 2013 Location: Trento, Italy Additional Information: http://www.micra2013.org MICRA 2013: Microphysics in Computational Relativistic Astrophysics September 23-27, 2013 The MICRA 2013 workshop aims to bring together researchers in nuclear and neutrino physics, nuclear astrophysics, and in numerical modeling of relativistic astrophysical phenomena such as the mergers of neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae. MICRA 2013 will be focused on improvements in neutrino-matter interactions and heavy-element synthesis in mergers and core-collapse supernovae. Additional topics of MICRA 2013 will include recent developments in the nuclear equation of state, the role of light nuclei in neutrino interactions, and developments in neutrino transport methodology. Scientific Organizers: A. Arcones (TU Darmstadt/GSI) F. Galeazzi (U Valencia) H.-T. Janka (MPA Garching) C. D. Ott (Caltech) ================================================================= 2. Jobs ================================================================= 2.1 Postdoctoral position in Astrophysical Relativity at the AEI, Potsdam, Germany ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/28/postdoctoral-position-in-astrophysic... Institution: Potsdam, Germany Deadline: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 Additional Information: http://numrel.aei.mpg.de The Astrophysical Relativity division at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Potsdam, Germany, anticipates the filling of one postdoctoral position within the "numerical-relativity" group. The numerical-relativity group is primarily but not exclusively concerned with the numerical solution of the Einstein equations and with the modelling of compact objects, such as neutron stars and black holes. The successful candidate is expected to have experience in the modelling of neutron stars and black holes, relativistic hydrodynamics and MHD. To learn more about the group, please visit: http://numrel.aei.mpg.de The position is for one year and renewable up to three depending on satisfactory progress. The appointments are expected to begin around July 1st, 2013, but a later date is also possible. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31st, 2013. Applications can be made online via the web interface at https://lotus1.aei.mpg.de/job-form.nsf/registrationNR.xsp Applicants should upload a CV, a publication list, a research summary, and indicate the names of at least 3 referees. The Albert Einstein Institute is an equal-opportunity employer and hires on the basis of merit. Applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, and women are encouraged. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.2 Research associate in general relativity at Cornell ------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/20/research-associate-in-general-relati... Institution: Ithaca, NY, USA Additional Information: https://cornellu.taleo.net/careersection/10161/jobdetail.ftl?job=324009&... We expect to have an opening for a Research Associate starting as early as April 2013 and no later than August 2013. The position requires a Ph.D. and experience in general relativity, computational physics and astrophysics. The position is for one year, with subsequent renewals depending on performance and the availability of funds. The position is to work on astrophysical signatures of cosmic superstrings. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.3 The International Relativistic Astrophysics Ph.D. (IRAP PhD) - Joint Doctorate Program sponsored by Erasmus Mundus, CAPES, and ICRANet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/19/the-international-relativistic-astro... Institution: Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice Deadline: Sat, Feb 16, 2013 Additional Information: http://www.icranet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=586 Following the successful scientific space missions by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile, as well as the high energy particle activities at CERN in Genève, we have initiated a Ph.D. programme dedicated to create a pool of scientists in the field of relativistic astrophysics. After taking full advantage of the observational and experimental facilities mentioned above, the students of our programme are expected to lead the theoretical developments of one of the most active fields of research: relativistic astrophysics. This program provides expertise in the most advanced topics of mathematical and theoretical physics, and in relativistic field theories, in the context of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. It provides the ability to analyse and model the observational data received from the above laboratories. This activity is necessarily international as no single university can have a scientific expertise in such a broad range of fields. At ICRANet-Rio the ICRANet Brazilian Science Data Centre (BSDC) has been started in 2012 and will be fully developed in 2013, bringing a novel multiwavelength data facility from the X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes all the way to the other bands and astroparticle domain. All this will be in line with the paradigms of the Virtual Observatory. The expertise of the BSDC will be available to all the students and the scientists of the program. We announce different calls: one with a deadline on 16 February 2013, sponsored by Erasmus Mundus, an additional one with a deadline on 30 June 2013 sponsored by CAPES, reserved to Brazilian students, and a last one with a deadline on 30 September 2013. The Erasmus Mundus program has a very competitive salary as well as comprehensive benefits. The Institutions participating in the IRAP PhD are: the international organization ICRANet as coordinating institution and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis as the host Institution; the Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam; the Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF) and ICRA Brasil; the Free University of Berlin; Indian Centre for Space Physics, Kolkata; Observatoire de la Cote D’Azur, Nice; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, China; University of Ferrara, Italy; University of Rome, la Sapienza, Italy; University of Savoie, Annecy, France; University of Stockolm, Sweden, Tartu Observatory , Estonia. The Final Ph.D. degree will be jointly delivered by the Academic Institutions participating in the program. We encourage applications from the best candidates worldwide, independent of nationality, gender or background. The Courses: Each student will have to follow 180 hours of courses during the three years of the Ph.D. program. There is also a possibility to follow courses from other Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrophysics Ph.D. programs in each participating institution, after approval by the Faculty. Courses can be chosen from the following list: COSMOLOGY WITH GAMMA RAY BURSTS-Lorenzo AMATI; VERY HIGH ENERGY PHENOMENA IN ASTROPHYSICS-Felix AHARONIAN; COSMOLOGICAL SINGULARITY-Vladimir BELINSKI; RELATIVISTIC EFFECTS IN ASTROPHYSICS-Carlo Luciano BIANCO; OBSERVERS AND OBSERVABLES IN BLACK HOLE SPACETIMES-Donato BINI; FEYNMAN DIAGRAMS IN RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM FIELD THEORIES-Johannes BLUEMLEIN; ACCRETIONS ON BLACK HOLES-Sandip Kumar CHAKRABARTI; PARTICLE PHYSICS APPLIED TO ASTROPHYSICS-Pascal CHARDONNET; GENERAL RELATIVITY-Thibault DAMOUR; SUPERNOVAE AND GRBS-Massimo DELLA VALLE; LARGE SCALE STRUCTURE-Jaan EINASTO; X/GAMMA-RAY INSTRUMENTATION-Filippo FRONTERA; MULTIWAVELENGTH DATA ANALYSIS IN ASTROPHYSICS-Paolo GIOMMI; ON THE KERR SOLUTION-Roy KERR; RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM FIELD THEORY-Hagen KLEINERT; BOUNCING COSMOLOGY-Mario NOVELLO; BKL COSMOLOGY AND HIDDEN SYMMETRIES IN GRAVITY-Hermann NICOLAI; TIMING ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OF ASTROPHYSICAL DATA-Mauro ORLANDINI; GRB THEORIES-Tsvi PIRAN; SINGULARITIES AND GENERAL RELATIVITY-Kj ell ROSQUIST; BLACKHOLES AND FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS-Remo RUFFINI; PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION IN GRBs-Felix RYDE; SOLAR ASTROMETRY-Costantino SIGISMONDI; THE HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY UNIVERSE-Marco TAVANI; BLACK HOLE AND NEUTRONS STARS: OBSERVATIONS VS. THEORY-Lev TITARCHUK; RELATIVISTIC KINETIC THEORY-Gregory VERESHCHAGIN; STRONG COUPLING QED AND ELECTRON-POSITRON PLASMA-She-Sheng XUE; THEORIES ON GAMMA-RAY BURSTS-Bing ZHANG; X-RAY ASTROPHYSICS Shuangnan ZHANG. THE FACULTY: Giovanni Amelino-Camelia (SAPIENZA Università di Roma)- Vladimir Belinski (SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet)- Carlo Luciano Bianco (SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet) - Donato Bini (CNR – Istit. per Applicaz. del Calcolo “M. Picone”) - Sandip Kumar Chakrabarti (Indian Centre For Space Physics, India) - Pascal Chardonnet (Erasmus Mundus Coordinator)Université de Savoie - Christian Cherubini (Università “Campus Biomedico” di Roma) - Thibault Damour (IHES, Bures-sur-Yvette) - Jaan Einasto (Tartu Observatory) - Simonetta Filippi (Univ.“Campus Biomedico” di Roma and ICRANet) - Sergio Frasca (SAPIENZA Università di Roma) - Filippo Frontera (Università di Ferrara) - Jean-Marc Gambaudo (Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis) - Yipeng Jing (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory) - Hagen Kleinert (Freie Universitat Berlin) - Olivier Legrand (Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis) - Francois Mignard (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur) - Hermann Nicolai (Max Planck Inst. for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam) - Mario Novello (Brazilian Centre For Physics Research, Brazil) - Elène Politano (Ecole Doctorale Nice) - Kjell Rosquist (Stockholm University) - orge Rueda (CAPES – ICRANet coordinator)(SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet) - Remo Ruffini (Director)(SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet) - Felix Ryde (Stockholm University) - Farrokh Vakili (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur) - Gregory Vereshchagin (SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet) - She Sheng Xue (SAPIENZA Università di Roma and ICRANet) - Shuangnan Zhang (Institute of High Energy Physics – Chinese Academy of Science) Applications and Fellowships: In the call of February 16th, 2013, nine fellowships will be available within the Erasmus Mundus Program, with full economical support. See http://www.icranet.org/irap-phd or http://www.irap-phd.eu. In the additional call of June 30th, 2013, ten additional fellowships will be available for Brazilian students within the CAPES-ICRANet agreement. In the call of September 30, 2013 four additional fellowships will be available: two with full financial support. See http://www.icranet.org/irap-phd. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.4 Tenure Track Faculty Position in Computational Modeling and Scientific Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/18/tenure-track-faculty-position-in-com... Institution: Rochester, NY, USA Rochester Institute of Technology invites applications for one or more tenure track positions at the Assistant Professor level, starting August 2013. Responsibilities include research, teaching, and service to the School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS), the College of Science, and RIT. Successful applicants are expected to contribute to the scholarship of the SMS through externally funded research and peer-reviewed publications, teaching, mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, and helping in the creation of a new PhD program in Modeling and Computation. We are looking for candidates who can add to the School’s current strengths in computational modeling and scientific computing. The School has 63 faculty members, 180 undergraduate students in three undergraduate programs: Applied Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, and Applied Statistics, and 25 students in its Master’s degree program in Applied and Computational Mathematics. SMS faculty members are also involved in the MS and PhD programs in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology and several are involved with two research centers within the College of Science: the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation (http://ccrg.rit.edu/) and the Center for Applied and Computational Mathematics (http://www.rit.edu/cos/math/acm/). REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: * A Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the mathematical sciences or in a related field * A record of peer-reviewed publications * A commitment to establishing a strong externally funded research program * One or more years of university teaching experience in English-speaking environments or post-doctoral research experience * Ability to strengthen research areas of the SMS, especially computational modeling and scientific computing * A commitment to undergraduate and graduate education * A commitment to undergraduate and graduate research and mentoring programs * Ability to contribute to the university’s continuing commitment to cultural diversity, pluralism, and individual differences HOW TO APPLY: Apply online at http://careers.rit.edu/faculty. Enter requisition number 257BR for the position in computational modeling and scientific computing. Please submit a cover letter; a vita including a list of publications; a description of research plan, including efforts and/or plans to obtain external research funding and how it will contribute to SMS research; a statement of teaching philosophy and any experience; a “contribution to diversity” statement; and the names and contact information for three references. Please have at least three letters of recommendation, one of which includes an assessment of teaching potential, sent directly via email to smsjobs[AT]rit.edu or hardcopy to Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Mathematical Sciences Faculty Search Committee, 85 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623-5603. You can contact the search committee with questions on the position at . Review of applications will begin January 1, 2013 and will continue until an acceptable candidate is found. RIT promotes and values diversity, pluralism and inclusion in the work place. RIT provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, marital status, gender, religion, sexual orientations, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in its hiring, admissions, educational programs and activities. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.5 Postdoctoral Position in Gravitational Waves at La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/14/postdoctoral-position-in-gravitation... Institution: Rome, Italy Deadline: Thu, Jan 31, 2013 The General Relativity and Gravitational Waves group at "Sapienza" University of Rome will shortly be advertising for a postdoctoral position, funded by the "Sapienza" University. The position will start in autumn 2013. The initial appointment will be for one year and is expected to be renewed for another year subject to performance and availability of funds. Applications are invited from theorists with research interests in the area of general relativity, with specific emphasis on the study of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. The net salary is about 1500 euros (1900 USD) per month. Details of the application procedure, and the official advertising, will appear on our webpage, http://www.roma1.infn.it/teongrav/ The General Relativity and Gravitational Waves group (http://www.roma1.infn.it/teongrav/) currently includes three faculty members (Prof. Valeria Ferrari, Dr. Omar Benhar and Dr. Leonardo Gualtieri) and two postdoctoral fellows (Dr Morgane Fortin and Dr Andrea Maselli). Send curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and two letters of reference via email to leonardo.gualtieri[AT]roma1.infn.it, before January 31th. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.6 Postdoctoral Researcher in Galaxy Evolution. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/13/postdoctoral-researcher-in-galaxy-ev... Institution: Lawrence, KS, USA Deadline: Fri, Feb 01, 2013 Additional Information: http://recruiting.ku.edu Applications are invited for a post-doctoral position at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. The successful applicant will work with Prof. Gregory Rudnick on one or more of the following topics: i) galaxy evolution in the infall regions of galaxy clusters at intermediate redshift or ii) molecular line observations of high redshift cluster galaxies. These projects make use of existing or approved observations with the VLT, Spitzer, HST, EVLA, CFHT, and Magellan. Previous experience with ground-based spectroscopy, HST Grism spectroscopy, or molecular line observations of galaxies is preferred. 50% of the successful candidate’s time is expected to be devoted to the development of their own research program. The appointment is initially for 2 years. Further extension is contingent on additional funding and performance. The salary is competitive and includes funds for travel and computers. The successful applicant will be encour aged to take part in collaborations with Prof. Rudnick’s national and international collaborators. The hope is that the candidate can start in August 2013. The University of Kansas has a vibrant research atmosphere with 9 faculty working in the field of astrophysics ranging from galactic chemical evolution, cosmology, high energy astrophysics, space physics, and extragalactic astronomy. Lawrence, KS is an excellent place to live. It is and affordable and progressive city with a lively arts and music scene, excellent schools, high quality restaurants, affordable living, and a diverse cultural mix. It has often been called the “Austin of Kansas.” It is also only an hour from the many good things that Kansas City has to offer. For a complete job description and to apply go to http://recruiting.ku.edu and search by keyword “00209338”. Applicants should submit a cover letter with the names and contact information of three references, their CV, publication list, a statement of past research, and a statement of research interests. In addition, three reference letters should be sent to Kristin Rennells,  tatekris[AT]ku.edu. For questions, please contact grudnick[AT]ku.edu. Those applicants attending the Jan. 2013 AAS meeting should contact grudnick[AT]ku.edu to schedule an interview. Full consideration will be given to applicants whose materials are received by Feb. 1, 2013. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.7 Postdoctoral position in theoretical cosmology at UC Davis -------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/02/postdoctoral-position-in-theoretical... Institution: Davis, CA, USA Deadline: Sat, Jan 05, 2013 Additional Information: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2389 We anticipate one or more postdoctoral research positions in theoretical cosmology beginning in the Fall 2013, with Albrecht and Kaloper. Our research interests include theoretical cosmology, astroparticle physics, and model building with variuos applications such as early universe theory, inflation, dark energy, dark matter, and other applications of field theory to early and late universe. We have close connections with other members of the cosmology and high energy groups, in particular Cheng, Knox, Luty, and Terning. See http://www.physics.ucdavis.edu/Cosmology/Cosmology_Group.html http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/hefti/ for more information about our research. The appointment will be for two years, with a possible renewal for the third year, contingent upon performance and availability of funds. Applicants should send a CV, statement of research interests and publication list, and arrange for at least three letters of recommendation to be submitted, online, using the academicjobsonline service, with the web page https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2389 or by mail, to Mr. Bill Tuck (for Theoretical Cosmology Search) Department of Physics University of California One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616 USA To ensure full consideration, completed applications must be received by January 5, 2012. The University of California, Davis, is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity among its faculty and staff. ================================================================= 3. News ================================================================= 3.1 IJMPD Special Issue: 2012 Gravity Research Foundation (GRF) Essays ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/19/ijmpd-special-issue-2012-gravity-res... Additional Information: http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscinet/ijmpd Dear Colleagues, International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD) takes great pleasure to announce that the 2012 Gravity Research Foundation (GRF) Essays are now published in the Special Issue: IJMPD Vol. 21, No. 11 (2012) http://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijmpd/21/11 The contents, including the award-winning essays, selected honorable mention essays and invited papers, are free to read until May 2013. If you find the articles to be of particular interest, we hope that you will circulate them with your colleagues and peers. We also welcome any comments and suggestions from you. With best wishes, Chee-Hok Lim Publishing Editor International Journal of Modern Physics D email: ijmpd[AT]wspc.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.2 Lectures of the Workshop SU Structure of the Universe 2012 - Observatoire de Paris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/18/on-line-lectures-of-the-workshop-su-... Additional Information: http://luth.obspm.fr/~luthier/corasaniti/SU_MEETING_2012/Workshop_SU_2012.ht... WORKSHOP SU-Structure of the Universe 2012 - Observatoire de Paris "Galaxy Formation & Large Scale Structures: Theory versus Observations", Paris Observatory, 29 and 30 November 2012 We are pleased to inform you that the presentations of the Workshop are available on line in .pdf format in the www site of the meeting http://luth.obspm.fr/~luthier/corasaniti/SU_MEETING_2012/Workshop_SU_2012.ht... Contents: Adriano Agnello, Stéphane Colombi,Hélène Courtois,Héctor de Vega, Hervé Dole, Nicola Menci,Sinziana Paduroiu, Marguerite Pierre, Yann Rasera, Paolo Salucci, Norma G. Sanchez,Patrick Valageas. We thank all again, both speakers and participants for having contributed so much to this Workshop and we look forward to welcome you again in the next Workshop of this series With compliments and kind regards Pier-Stefano Corasaniti, Hector J. de Vega, Norma G. Sanchez , Djilali Zidani +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.3 2012 GWIC Thesis Prize: Call for Nominations ------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2012/12/12/2012-gwic-thesis-prize-call-for-nomi... Additional Information: https://gwic.ligo.org/thesisprize/ The Gravitational Wave International Committee (GWIC) was formed to promote international collaboration and cooperation in the construction, operation and use of gravitational wave detection facilities world-wide. To this end, GWIC has established an annual prize for the outstanding Ph.D. thesis based on research in gravitational waves. Nominations for the 2012 Prize are now open. Members of the gravitational wave community are invited to nominate students who have performed notable research on any aspect of gravitational wave science. Theses will be judged on 1) originality and creativity of the research, 2) importance to the field of gravitational waves and gravitational wave detection, broadly interpreted, and 3) clarity of presentation. The recipient will receive a certificate of recognition and a prize of $1,000. Since 2010, GWIC has an arrangement with Springer. Subject to qualifying criteria, the prize-winning thesis will be nominated for Springer Theses, a new book series in which exceptional Ph.D. theses in the physical sciences are published in their entirety. The winner will receive an additional €500 from Springer upon publication. Eligibility: The award is made on a calendar year basis. Theses should have been accepted by their institutions between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012. It is expected that many of the nominations will come from the member projects of GWIC, but this is not a requirement. Nominated theses may be in any language. A committee selected from the gravitational wave community will evaluate the nominations and select the winner. The selection committee will make all determinations about eligibility. Nominations: Nominations should be submitted to the selection committee chair (Michele Vallisneri, Michele.Vallisneri[AT]jpl.nasa.gov, with a copy to gwic-exsec[AT]gravity.psu.edu>) by 15 January 2013. The nomination package consists of (i) the thesis, (ii) a letter of nomination, preferably from the thesis advisor, and (iii) an optional supporting letter from another scientist familiar with the work. The nomination and supporting letters should describe the importance of the research and how it supports GWIC’s goals to promote construction and exploitation of gravitational-wave detectors, foster development of new or enhanced gravitational-wave detectors, and support the development of gravitational-waves as an astronomical tool. The thesis and letters may be submitted in electronic form (strongly preferred); please contact gwic-exsec[AT]gravity.psu.edu  for instructions concerning paper submission.