########################################## Table of Contents ########################################### 1. Conferences 1.1. 2nd CfP: Fifth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Albena, Bulgaria 1.2. The Mathematics of Gravity and Light, Rhode Island, USA 1.3. Quantum fields, scattering and spacetime horizons: mathematical challenges, Les Houches, France 1.4. Relativistic Quantum Information North 2018, Vienna, Austria 1.5. 7th Belgian-Dutch Gravitational Waves Meeting, Groningen, The Netherlands 1.6. Information Universe Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands 1.7. Reduced order modeling for gravitational waves, Potsdam, Germany 1.8. Neutron Stars in Lisbon, Portugal 1.9. Hundred Years of Gauge Theory, Bad Honnef, Germany 1.10. Collabor8.2, Lancaster, UK 1.11. 8th Iberian Gravitational Waves Meeting, Palma, Spain 2. Jobs 2.1. PhD position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (NCAC), Warsaw, Poland 2.2. Postdoctoral Researcher in High Energy Nuclear Physics at the University of Kansas, USA 2.3. Postdoc position in Gravitational Wave source populations at Radboud University, The Netherlands 2.4. Searching for continuous gravitational waves: PhD and postdoc positions available, Hannover, Germany 2.5. Faculty search in Gravitational-Wave Astronomy, Birmingham, UK 2.6. Master Program in Mathematical Physics, Dijon, France 2.7. PhD position in Theoretical Cosmology, Madrid, Spain 2.8. PhD student position in inhomogeneous cosmology at Copernicus University, Torun, Poland 2.9. Postdoctoral position in inhomogeneous cosmology at Copernicus University, Torun, Poland 2.10. Postdoctoral position in Quantum Gravity and Quantum Cosmology, Beijing, China 3. News 3.1. The Sixteenth Release of the Einstein Toolkit 3.2. COST GWverse: Exchange of researchers working on gravitational-wave and black hole physics 3.3. MG15 on-line registration is open ============================================== 1. Conferences ============================================== 1.1. 2nd CfP: Fifth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Albena, Bulgaria --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/02/2nd-cfp-fifth-international-c... Starting: 2018-05-14 to 2018-05-17 Location: Albena (near Varna), Bulgaria Additional Information: http://www.minkowskiinstitute.org/conferences/2018/ Contact: 2018conference[AT]minkowskiinstitute.org To mark the 110th anniversary of Hermann Minkowski's groundbreaking lecture "Space and Time" the main theme of the Fifth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime will be the nature of spacetime - whether spacetime should be regarded as an abstract mathematical notion modelling an evolving present or spacetime represents a block universe or a growing block universe? Physicists are especially encouraged to attend because even relativists hold widely different views, e.g., that (i) spacetime is nothing more than a mathematical continuum (which is essentially Poincaré's view that prevented him from discovering the spacetime structure of the world and from developing the mathematical formalism of spacetime physics) (ii) the question of the reality of spacetime belongs to philosophy (which is hardly physics at its best because the question of the dimensionality of the world can be answered only by physics). Despite that the focus of the fifth spacetime conference will be on the main theme, the Scientific Organizing Committee invites papers from physicists and philosophers on any topics related to the nature and ontology of spacetime. In addition to talks and poster sessions, special coffee hours will be included in the program to stimulate more informal discussions among the participants. For this reason we encourage interested colleagues to attend the conference even if they do not plan to give a talk or present a poster. Contributed papers in the form of extended abstracts of between one and two pages should be emailed by Wednesday, February 28, 2018 to 2018conference[AT]minkowskiinstitute.org. Submissions will be reviewed and notification of acceptance will be given by Wednesday, March 21, 2018. The location of the conference has been specifically chosen to combine a research meeting and a vacation (at affordable price). Scientific Organizing Committee: Dennis Dieks (Utrecht University) Mauro Dorato (University of Rome Three) George F. R. Ellis (University of Cape Town) Robert Geroch (University of Chicago) Eleanor Knox (King's College London) Vesselin Petkov (Minkowski Institute, Montreal) Steven Savitt (University of British Columbia) Anguel Stefanov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) James Owen Weatherall (University of California, Irvine) Christian Wuethrich (University of Geneva) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.2. The Mathematics of Gravity and Light, Rhode Island, USA --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/03/the-mathematics-of-gravity-an... Starting: 2018-06-03 to 2018-06-09 Location: Whispering Pines, Rhode Island, USA Additional Information: http://www.ams.org/programs/research-communities/2018MRC-Gravity Contact: werner[AT]yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp American Mathematical Society: Mathematics Research Communities 2018 `The Mathematics of Gravity and Light' Dates: June 3-9, 2018 Place: Whispering Pines, Rhode Island, USA The propagation of light probes the fundamental structure of spacetime whose gravitational dynamics is described by general relativity or possible modifications. This summer conference explores mathematical properties of gravitational lensing and how modified theories of gravity can be constructed and tested with lensing. MRC programs are intended for peridoctoral researchers (typically between 2 years before to 5 years after obtaining the PhD), and this interdisciplinary conference is aimed at mathematicians, physicists and astronomers. Accessible introductions to the relevant aspects of Riemannian, Lorentzian and Finslerian geometry will be given, and the focus will be on team-based collaborative research. It is hoped that this week will also spark future collaborations among participants. Topics addressed in this conference: - deterministic and stochastic weak-field gravitational lensing; - singularities in gravitational lensing; - numerical aspects of gravitational lensing with astrophysical applications; - optical geometry of Lorentzian spacetimes; - modified gravity theories and constructive gravity; - non-Lorentzian optical geometries; - testing braneworld models. Organizers: Charles Keeton, Rutgers University Arlie Petters, Duke University Marcus Werner, Kyoto University Applications: The program is fully funded by NSF, and the deadline for applications is February 15th. Please use the link provided. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.3. Quantum fields, scattering and spacetime horizons: mathematical challenges, Les Houches, France --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13750 Starting: 2018-05-22 to 2018-05-25 Location: Les Houches, France Additional Information: https://qft-horizons.sciencesconf.org/ Contact: Michal.Wrochna[AT]univ-grenoble-alpes.fr The mathematical developments in Quantum Field Theory on curved spacetimes provide an exceptional testing ground for concepts at the interface of General Relativity and quantum physics. The aim of this meeting is to bring together expert mathematicians and theoretical physicists with the goal of addressing challenging problems in the description of phenomena where asymptotic or global aspects play a crucial role, and of exploring the various connections with recent advances in scattering theory, conformal methods and microlocal analysis. Participation of PhD students and young researchers is strongly encouraged. REGISTRATION Registration is open. The registration deadline is the 31st of March 2018 (or until all places are filled). The registration fee of 340 EUR (paid upon arrival) covers the accommodation as well as all the meals. INVITED SPEAKERS The list of invited speakers includes: Christian Baer (Universität Potsdam) Nguyen Viet Dang (Universite' Claude Bernard Lyon 1) Thierry Daude' (Universite' de Cergy-Pontoise) Jan Derezinski (University of Warsaw) Alexis Drouot (Columbia University) Jeremy Faupin (Universite' de Lorraine, Metz) Steven Fulling (Texas A&M) Oran Gannot (Northwestern University) Christian Gerard (Universite' Paris-Sud) Stefan Hollands (Universitaet Leipzig) Peter Hintz (UC Berkeley / MIT) Bernard Kay (University of York) Lionel Mason (University of Oxford) Valter Moretti (Università di Trento) Jean-Philippe Nicolas (Universite' de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest) Ko Sanders (Dublin City University) Alexander Strohmaier (University of Leeds) András Vasy (Stanford University) Rainer Verch (Universitaet Leipzig) ORGANIZERS Dietrich Haefner (Universite' Grenoble Alpes) Michal Wrochna (Universite' Grenoble Alpes) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.4. Relativistic Quantum Information North 2018, Vienna, Austria --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13751 Starting: 2018-09-24 to 2018-09-27 Location: Vienna, Austria Additional Information: https://rqi.iqoqi.univie.ac.at/ Contact: alessio.belenchia[AT]oeaw.ac.at Relativistic Quantum Information (RQI) is a recently-born research field addressing questions at the interplay of quantum information and relativistic physics. On the one hand, RQI aims to extend the applicability of quantum information to regimes in which relativistic effects become relevant. On the other hand, it uses information-related ideas to investigate the fundamental structure of spacetime. RQI is a multidisciplinary research field with far-reaching objectives, going from future large-scale quantum technologies to the understanding of gravity and spacetime at the quantum level. The Relativistic Quantum Information – North 2018 Conference at the University of Vienna is held under the auspices of the International Society for Relativistic Quantum Information and is the ninth in the series of such meetings taking place in the Northern Hemisphere. This workshop series aims to bring together researchers working across quantum information science, quantum field theory in curved spacetime, and quantum gravity. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.5. 7th Belgian-Dutch Gravitational Waves Meeting, Groningen, The Netherlands --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13773 Starting: 2018-05-29 to 2018-05-29 Location: Groningen, The Netherlands Additional Information: http://indico.nikhef.nl/e/www.belgian-dutch-gw.nl Contact: vdbroeck[AT]nikhef.nl The 7th Belgian-Dutch Gravitational Waves Meeting will be hosted by the Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity at the University of Groningen. This event aims to bring together astronomers and physicists interested in gravitational wave science and inform each other of developments and new projects. The meeting will start at 10:30am with a keynote lecture. In addition, there will be overview talks on general topics/experiments as well as contributed talks on specific projects, particularly by students and postdocs. The day will be closed with drinks and snacks. This meeting is open to all interested researchers, also from outside the Netherlands and Belgium. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.6. Information Universe Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/21/information-universe-conferen... Starting: 2018-07-03 to 2018-07-06 Location: Groningen, the Netherlands Additional Information: http://www.informationuniverse.rug.nl/ Contact: informationuniverse[AT]rug.nl The key topic of the IU conference series is: “What is the role of information in the Universe and its description?”. In an epoch where scientists need to handle Big Data and simulations, find highly organized systems in nature and grapple with the role of information in physics and other sciences, this appears to be one of the more fundamental questions that needs to be answered in order to understand the world around us. The Information Universe conference intends to unite various approaches, addressing the fundamental role of information both in nature (in vivo) and in data analysis, theory and computer modelling (in vitro). The conference will approach the key role of information from the point of view of several disciplines: e.g. cosmology, physics, mathematics, life sciences, computer science (including quantum computing) and neuroscience. The deeper role of information is formulated in different ways by these various disciplines, leading to a multitude of fundamental questions such as: - Is there a deeper physical description of space-time and gravity based on information? - The Big Data Universe and our Universe: are our numerical simulations and Big Data repositories (in vitro) different from real natural system (in vivo)? - Will quantum systems dominate the future of computing? - What is the role of information in highly organized complex life systems and genetics? - What will be the role of machine learning in the future of science? - How will big datasets from new experiments, such as Euclid, help us in understanding fundamental cosmological problems: dark matter, dark energy, inflation and structure formation? - Is the universe one big information processing machine, a hologram, one of many? The conference will be held in the new 260 seats planetarium theatre in Groningen, which provides an inspiring immersive 3D full dome display, e.g. numerical simulations of the formation of our Universe, and anything else our presenters wish to bring in. The digital planetarium setting will be used to visualize the theme with modern media. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.7. Reduced order modeling for gravitational waves, Potsdam, Germany --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13781 Starting: 2018-06-18 to 2018-06-22 Location: Potsdam, Germany Additional Information: https://workshops.aei.mpg.de/gw-rom-roq/ Contact: gw-rom-roq[AT]aei.mpg.de Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce a workshop on Reduced order modeling for gravitational waves which will take place at AEI Potsdam, June 18-22, 2018. https://workshops.aei.mpg.de/gw-rom-roq/ Registration for the workshop is now open. We have arranged for hotel block reservations for 30 participants in Potsdam or Berlin; a small number of rooms is available at the Golm campus guesthouse. Attendees are encouraged to register early. Reduced order modeling (ROM) is a collection of techniques for accelerating the evaluation of parametrized models of the gravitational waveform, e.g. the GWs emitted by compact binary coalescences. The workshop focuses on introducing non-experts to established ROM techniques and building new models (with a view towards LIGO/Virgo’s upcoming observing runs). There is also dedicated time for experts to get together and discuss how to advance current techniques for frontier problems. The first half of the workshop will feature introductory talks and Jupyter notebook tutorials demonstrating data-driven gravitational waveform modeling techniques and some intermediate material. This will include reduced basis, specialized interpolation, reduced order quadratures, and parameter selection techniques that have proven useful for building GW ROMs. We will discuss new, promising methodologies such as machine learning and Gaussian process regression. In the second half of the workshop, we will split up into smaller groups to work on problems of interest brought forward by participants. We also anticipate having one or more sessions for submitted talks. We look forward to seeing you in Potsdam, — Michael Puerrer and Scott Field +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.8. Neutron Stars in Lisbon, Portugal --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13785 Starting: 2018-04-12 to 2018-04-13 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Additional Information: https://centra.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/network/grit/nsl18/ Contact: andrea.maselli[AT]tecnico.ulisboa.pt Neutron stars represent unique laboratories to test physics under extreme conditions, hardly reproducible with terrestrial experiment. As isolated and binary sources, they provide the essential link between gravity in the strong field regime, the state of matter at supra-nuclear densities and high energy astrophysical phenomena. The first discovery of gravitational waves emitted by two merging neutron stars has also marked the dawn of the multi-messenger astronomy. The future after GW170817 is rich of promising opportunities that will shed new light on old problems and will raise, at the same time, further questions to be addressed. The aim of this workshop is to bring together scientists working on different aspects of relativistic astrophysics related to neutron stars, to discuss the status and the future directions of the field. The scientific program of the conference will include the following topics: - Numerical and analytical modelling of binary neutron star mergers - Phases of dense nuclear matter - Extraction of the stellar equation of state from gravitational and electromagnetic observations - Connection between binary mergers and gamma ray bursts - Multi-messenger astrophysics The workshop is organized in order to have few talks each day, and maximize the time for round tables and free discussions. List of invited speakers Andreas Bauswein (HITS, Germany) Christopher Berry (University of Birmingham, UK) Francesco Pannarale (Cardiff University, Wales) George Pappas (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) Kostas Glampedakis (University of Murcia, Spain) Paolo Pani (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) Paulo Freire (MPI for Radio Astronomy, Germany) Riccardo Ciolfi (INAF-OAPd, Italy) Samaya Nissanke (Radboud University, Netherlands) Sebastiano Bernuzzi (Parma University, Italy) Stephen Rosswog (Stockholm University, Sweden) Tanja Hinderer (Radboud University, Netherlands) The workshop is funded by the European COST action CA16214 PHAROS : “The multi-messenger physics and astrophysics of neutron stars”. For people interested to participate, please send a mail to andrea.maselli[AT]tecnico.ulisboa.pt Looking forward to seeing you in Lisbon, Andrea Maselli, Vitor Cardoso, Jose Lemos +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.9. Hundred Years of Gauge Theory, Bad Honnef, Germany --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/26/hundred-years-of-gauge-theory... Starting: 2018-07-30 to 2018-08-03 Location: Bad Honnef, Germany Additional Information: http://www.thp.uni-koeln.de/gravitation/100GT/index.html Contact: kiefer[AT]thp.uni-koeln.de In the Centenary of the publication of Hermann Weyl's masterpiece Raum-Zeit-Materie, this workshop aims at stimulating the reflection upon the origin and development of gauge theory and its scientific and philosophical importance. Taking into account one of the central concepts of Weyl's work, symmetry, this workshop sheds light on several aspects of Weyl's work and gauge theory and connects theoretical physics with other fields. Plenary lectures will be given by theoretical and experimental physicists, mathematicians, historians, and philosophers of science. This approach will allow detailed and broader discussions on questions such as Which role does Weyl's Raum-Zeit-Materie play in the research fields of gauge theory and gravity? Which role did Weyl's ideas play and still play in the philosophy of science? Can gravitation and quantum theory be consistently unified? How well is gauge theory experimentally tested? Which is the role that gauge theory play for the relation of mathematics to physics? Apart from the invited speakers, we will be able to accommodate additional participants, especially young scientists, and we will also give them the opportunity to present a poster at a dedicated poster session. The total number of participants is limited to 75. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.10. Collabor8.2, Lancaster, UK --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13811 Starting: 2018-05-14 to 2018-05-15 Location: Lancaster, UK Additional Information: http://www.collabor8research.com/ Contact: j.edholm[AT]lancaster.ac.uk Collabor8.2 is a two-day meeting designed to promote acknowledgement and collaboration among early career researchers in the UK across the disciplinary divide of mathematics and physics. The focus is broad, encompassing theoretical problems from astronomy, cosmology, particle theory, string theory, condensed matter and quantum foundations. Participants are invited to give short talks on specific research problems they face, seeking new perspectives and fresh approaches. Speakers will lead small team discussions aimed at overcoming the research hurdles presented. Presentations should focus on current research, rather than completed projects. The conference will feature a keynote seminar by Professor Ruth Gregory who has written papers with more than 100 mathematicians and physicists in a distinguished 30 year career. There will be recruitment presentations from several industrial sponsors offering research positions in physics, data science and machine learning (to be confirmed). We are delighted to offer free lunch, morning coffee and afternoon tea to all participants. We also have funding to reimburse some travel and accommodation costs for speakers. There is no conference fee. There will be a conference dinner on the first evening in a local restaurant (circa 10 GBP). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.11. 8th Iberian Gravitational Waves Meeting, Palma, Spain --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13816 Starting: 2018-05-07 to 2018-05-09 Location: University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain Additional Information: http://grg.uib.es/IberianGW18/ Contact: igwm18[AT]googlegruops.com The Iberian Gravitational Waves Meeting is an international conference organized yearly by different members of the Red Tematica de Ondas Gravitacionales (REDONGRA). This year it will he hosted by the Relativity and Gravitation group of the University of the Balearic Islands, Spain. The idea is to bring together researchers with interest in the development of Gravitational Wave Astronomy, including researchers from related areas of Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Fundamental Physics. The goal is to cover the main developments within the Iberian context in instrumentation, data analysis and theory. The format of this edition will be similar to the previous ones: a 3-day informal-style meeting starting on May 7th and ending on May 9th, 2018, with no registration fee and significant time for discussions. The meeting will take place at the University of the Balearic Islands at the Son Lledo building. http://grg.uib.es/IberianGW18/ Important dates Deadline for registration 15th April 2018 Deadline for abstract submission 10th April 2018 Invited Plenray Speakers include: Tomek Bulik Alberto Castro Tirado Pablo Cerda Tim Dietrich Gabriel Martinez-Pinedo Patricia Schmidt Kostas Glampedakis (*) Enrique Zas (*) Miquel Nofrarias (*) (*) TBC Local Organizing committee (you can contact us at igwm18[AT]googlegruops.com) Sascha Husa Alicia M. Sintes Rafel Jaume Marina Adrover Scientific Organizing Committee: Mar Bastero-Gil, Universidad de Granada. Jose Juan Blanco-Pillado, IKERBASQUE & UPV/EHU. Domenec Espriu, Universitat de Barcelona. Jose A. Font, Universitat de Valencia. Juan Garcia-Bellido, Instituto de Física Teorica - UAM/CSIC. Kostas Glampedakis, Universidad de Murcia. Sascha Husa, Universitat de les Illes Balears. Alicia Sintes, Universitat de les Illes Balears. Carlos Sopuerta, IEEC-CSIC, Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya. Sponsors: This meeting is made possible thanks to the support of the University of the Balearic Islands, the Relativity and Gravitation group at UIB and IAC3, the GWverse COST Action, the Instituto de Fisica Teorica (Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa, UAM/CSIC), the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC), the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), the Goverment of the Balearic Islands (Govern Balear) and the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 2. Jobs ============================================== 2.1. PhD position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (NCAC), Warsaw, Poland ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13725 Deadline: 2018-03-25 Location: Warsaw, Poland Additional Information: https://www.camk.edu.pl/en/phd/ Contact: bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl PhD scholarships are available at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center in Warsaw, Poland. In particular there are projects available in the neutron star group, on neutron star superfluidity and pulsar glitches and on gravitational wave emission in neutron stars, both under the supervision of Dr Brynmor Haskell. The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center is one of the leading astronomical institutes in Poland, and the neutron star group is involved in cutting edge research on the equation of state of dense matter, neutron star superfluidity, gravitational wave detection and pulsar glitches.The neutron star group is currently composed of 4 staff members (Pawel Haensel, Leszek Zdunik, Michal Bejger and Brynmor Haskell), 4 postdocs and 3 students. Warsaw is a vibrant European capital, rich in history and culture, and well connected to other European and international destinations by rail, road and air. A detailed description of the projects, together with instructions to apply, can be found on the website: https://www.camk.edu.pl/en/phd/ Applications must be received by the Nicolaus Copernicus Institute before March 25th 2018. Applicants are, however, encouraged to contact Brynmor Haskell (bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl) well in advance, to discuss potential projects. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.2. Postdoctoral Researcher in High Energy Nuclear Physics at the University of Kansas, USA ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13737 Deadline: 2018-04-01 Location: Lawrence, KS, USA Additional Information: https://employment.ku.edu/staff/10972BR Contact: crogan[AT]ku.edu Applications are invited for a post-doctoral or associate researcher position in experimental high-energy physics with the University of Kansas beginning as early as May 1, 2018. Post-doctoral researcher candidates are required to have a Ph.D. in physics by date of appointment and research experience in experimental high-energy physics or a related experimental field. Candidates with three or more years of post-doctoral experience may be eligible for initial appointment as associate researcher. The person would work with the University of Kansas group on physics data analysis and detector operation and development for the CMS experiment. Candidates with relevant interests and experience are sought. The University of Kansas CMS group is pursuing a broad and exciting research program, with elements including detector operation and development in the CMS tracker and ECAL groups, along with work towards the improvement of the CMS detector and the development of a precision timing detector for the LHC Phase-II upgrade. The group participates in a number of data analysis efforts, with particular focus on searches for evidence of new physics, beyond the Standard Model. In addition to searches for incarnations of Supersymmetry and models with new, heavy quarks, an ambitious search program utilizing modern machine learning techniques is being developed. The post-doctoral researcher would be expected to participate in many of these activities, taking a leadership role in advancing and dictating the group’s research program, interacting with and mentoring students, and engaging in creative and independent thought. The person may be stationed at CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland or at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. For more information and to apply go to https://employment.ku.edu/staff/10972BR .Review of the applications will begin on April 1, 2018. For first consideration, please apply before April 1, 2018. Applicants should arrange for three letters of reference to be sent to crogan@ku.edu. Additional inquiries can be made by email to crogan[AT]ku.edu. The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, retaliation, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and is the University’s Title IX Coordinator: the Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA[AT]ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.3. Postdoc position in Gravitational Wave source populations at Radboud University, The Netherlands ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/08/postdoc-position-in-gravitati... Deadline: 2018-03-01 Location: Nijmegen, the Netherlands Additional Information: http://www.ru.nl/astrophysics/about-us/vacancies/ Contact: nelemans[AT]astro.ru.nl Applications are invited for a 2 year postdoctoral positions at Radboud University in the Netherlands to work in the Gravitational Wave group (Gijs Nelemans, Samaya Nissanke, Paul Groot) on the Gravitational-Wave Universe toolbox. The toolbox will create a virtual GW universe (on Galactic, local and global scale) and simulates the observations with different GW detectors and EM instruments of that Universe. The Department of Astrophysics, is part of the Institute of Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics. The vibrant department consists of 13 faculty, ~15 postdocs, ~25 PhD students. Research activities focus on high-energy astrophysics, cosmic-rays, gravitational waves, stellar and binary evolution, clusters and the Milky Way. The positions are part of the collective labour agreement (CAO) of the Dutch universities, with gross/month salaries of 3000-4300 Euro depending on experience. The position is available per direct. Previous experience with gravitational waves or GW source populations is preferred. The applicants should have a PhD in astronomy or physics. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Gijs Nelemans (nelemans[AT]astro.ru.nl). To apply, email a cover letter, CV, names of three references and brief research statement to secr[AT]astro.ru.nl. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.4. Searching for continuous gravitational waves: PhD and postdoc positions available, Hannover, Germany ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13747 Deadline: 2018-03-31 Location: Hannover, Germany Additional Information: http://www.aei.mpg.de/24934/04_Continuous_Waves Contact: jobs-gw-han[AT]aei.mpg.de The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute, AEI) is a leading research institute in the world specializing in gravitational physics. Around 200 international scientists work at the research labs and offices located in Potsdam-Golm and Hannover, Germany. The working language is English. The Albert Einstein Institute in Hannover plays a central role in the analysis and interpretation of the ground-breaking observations of gravitational waves. More information can be found at https://www.aei.mpg.de/18636/05_Observational_Relativity_and_Cosmology and https://www.aei.mpg.de/24934/04_Continuous_Waves. The institute prides itself of a very lively environment and world-class computing facilities. We are inviting applications for outstanding Post-Docs and graduate students (Ph.D. students) interested in joining our efforts to detect continuous gravitational waves. These are waves that have not yet been detected, expected from fast rotating compact objects. The detection problem is possibly one of the most challenging across the various types of GW signals, with the data analysis procedures effectively increasing the detector sensitivity by a significant amount. The group at AEI is the largest group world-wide devoted to this endeavour, designing and carrying out the deepest searches and deploying them on in-house computing resources and on the Einstein[AT]Home volunteer commuting project. The ideal candidate should have an excellent track record, programming experience, have worked with data, be creative, interested in astronomy and astrophysics, enthusiastic and should like to work in a team. Prior experience with gravitational wave data is not required. The initial appointment will be for two years with the possibility, upon satisfactory performance, of an extension. Applications should comprise a CV, publication list and a brief research statement. They should be submitted by email to jobs-gw-han[AT]aei.mpg.de indicating “CW post doc application” or “CW PhD student application” in the subject line. Candidates should also arrange that three letters of reference be sent to jobs-gw-han[AT]aei.mpg.de. Applications will be considered as they are received. The start date is flexible but preferably before the end of September 2018. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.5. Faculty search in Gravitational-Wave Astronomy, Birmingham, UK ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/16/faculty-search-in-gravitation... Deadline: 2018-03-15 Location: Birmingham, UK Additional Information: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/jobs/index.aspx Contact: av[AT]star.sr.bham.ac.uk The School of Physics and Astronomy and Institute of Gravitational Wave Astronomy at the University of Birmingham invite applications for multiple permanent faculty openings in gravitational-wave astronomy at the Lecturer / Senior Lecturer level. Applications from top researchers in all areas related to gravitational-wave astronomy, including instrumentation, quantum measurement, data analysis, astrostatistics, astronomical observations, astrophysics theory and general relativity are encouraged. Full details can be found at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/jobs/index.aspx . Use post number 58513 to search current vacancies. Candidates should apply online at the link above 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: j.s.cox [at] bham.ac.uk For further information and informal enquiries please contact: Prof Alberto Vecchio (av [at] star.sr.bham.ac.uk). The application deadline is 15 March 2018. Further information about the Institute of Gravitational Wave Astronomy and the School of Physics and Astronomy can be found at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/gravitational-waves and https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/physics. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.6. Master Program in Mathematical Physics, Dijon, France ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/18/master-program-in-mathematica... Deadline: Location: Dijon, France Additional Information: http://monge.u-bourgogne.fr/gdito/MP/index.php?page=home Contact: Giuseppe.Dito[AT]u-bourgogne.fr The Department of Mathematics of the Universite' de Bourgogne (Dijon, France) offers a master's degree in Mathematical Physics. The objectives of the two-year program in mathematical physics are, within a mathematics curriculum, to provide the students with knowledge of the advanced mathematical methods of modern theoretical physics. The program develops mathematical methods used in a wide range of topics in theoretical physics, such as quantum field theory, statistical mechanics, general relativity, gauge theories, string theory, etc. The coursework will cover different fields of mathematics (algebra, geometry, analysis) and will highlight their applications to the problems of contemporary theoretical physics. The student will be integrated from the very beginning into the mathematical physics group of the IMB (Institut de Mathematiques de Bourgogne), and are expected to write a master's thesis during the second year. All the lectures will be given in English. A limited number of fellowships is available. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.7. PhD position in Theoretical Cosmology, Madrid, Spain ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13779 Deadline: 2018-06-05 Location: IFT UAM-CSIC (Madrid, Spain) Additional Information: https://www.ift.uam-csic.es/en/news/institute-theoretical-physics-ift-uam-cs... Contact: guillermo.ballesteros[AT]uam.es The Institute of Theoretical Physics IFT UAM-CSIC in Madrid (Spain) is offering a PhD position in theoretical cosmology The position will have a duration of 3 years and is funded by an “Atraccion de Talento Investigador” grant awarded by the regional government of Madrid to Dr. Guillermo Ballesteros. An eventual extension of the position to a fourth year will be subject to the availability of funding. The position should begin in autumn 2018, although the starting date is flexible. Candidates interested in topics such as inflation, dark energy, dark matter and wanting to work at the interface between cosmology and particle physics are encouraged to apply. They must hold an M. Sc. (or an equivalent degree) by their intended starting date. Applications (in PDF format) can be sent by e-mail to guillermo.ballesteros[AT]uam.es with the subject “PhD-IFT-MAD Application”. They must contain: a curriculum vitae, a transcript of academic records and a brief statement of motivation, research interests and previous research experience. Two reference letters should be sent separately to the same e-mail address, with the subject “PhD-IFT-MAD Reference + name of the applicant”. Review of applications will start around the 5th of April, but applications that arrive after this date will also be considered. Candidates who have recently applied for a SO(IFT) PhD position do not need to send their materials again, but should write an e-mail indicating their interest in this new position. Knowledge of Spanish language is not needed, but a good command of English is required. Enquires about the position can be sent to guillermo.ballesteros[AT]uam.es +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.8. PhD student position in inhomogeneous cosmology at Copernicus University, Torun, Poland ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/25/phd-student-position-in-inhom... Deadline: 2018-03-09 Location: Torun, Poland Additional Information: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/278460 Contact: castle[AT]fizyka.umk.pl The Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics of the Nicolaus Copernicus University invites applications for a stipend for a three-year PhD student position in theoretical/observational inhomogeneous cosmology. A substantial fraction of the successful candidate's research work will be expected to focus on the possible links between inhomogeneous cosmology and dark matter. The candidate's main thesis research topic will be negotiated with his/her thesis supervisor. The PhD stipend will be a part of the Theme 3: Theoretical investigation of general-relativistic effective contributions to dark matter fields of the A next-generation worldwide quantum sensor network with optical atomic clocks project, carried out within the TEAM programme of the Foundation for Polish Science. More info and how to apply: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/278460 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.9. Postdoctoral position in inhomogeneous cosmology at Copernicus University, Torun, Poland ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/25/postdoctoral-position-in-inho... Deadline: 2018-04-06 Location: Torun, Poland Additional Information: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/278463 Contact: castle[AT]fizyka.umk.pl The Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics of the Nicolaus Copernicus University invites applications for a three-year postdoctoral position (adiunkt naukowy) in theoretical/observational inhomogeneous cosmology. A substantial fraction of the successful candidate's research work will be expected to focus on the possible links between inhomogeneous cosmology and dark matter, but s/he will also be expected to develop his/her own original research program. The postdoctoral position will be a part of the Theme 3: Theoretical investigation of general-relativistic effective contributions to dark matter fields of the A next-generation worldwide quantum sensor network with optical atomic clocks project, carried out within the TEAM programme of the Foundation for Polish Science. More info and how to apply: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/278463 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.10. Postdoctoral position in Quantum Gravity and Quantum Cosmology, Beijing, China ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13807 Deadline: 2018-03-31 Location: Beijing, China Additional Information: http://physics.bnu.edu.cn/application/research/gravity/index.html Contact: mayg[AT]bnu.edu.cn The Center for Relativity and Gravitation at Beijing Normal University has one post-doctoral position opening from September 2018 in the areas of quantum gravity and quantum cosmology. Successful candidate will work with Yongge Ma. The appointment will be for two years. The gravity group consists of Sijie Gao, Wenbiao Liu, Yongge Ma, Hongbao Zhang, and Bin Zhou. In addition, the retired professors Canbin Liang, Zheng Zhao and Jianyang Zhu join the academic activities frequently, and Abhay Ashtekar, Jerzy Lewandowski, Carlo Rovelli and Thomas Thiemann hold visiting professorships at the Institute. The areas of research in the group concern loop quantum gravity, black hole physics, general relativity, de Sitter spacetime, higher dimensional gravity and cosmology, AdS/CFT etc.. For further information on the group, see the webpage: http://physics.bnu.edu.cn/application/research/gravity/index.html Interested candidates should send a CV, a publication list and a statement of research proposal and arrange to have two recommendation letters (one from the PhD advisor of the applicant) sent directly to Yongge Ma by: mayg[AT]bnu.edu.cn, yonggema[AT]yahoo.com The deadline for receipt of all application material is March 31, 2018. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 3. News ============================================== 3.1. The Sixteenth Release of the Einstein Toolkit ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/14/the-sixteenth-release-of-the-... Additional Information: https://einsteintoolkit.org/about/releases/ET_2018_02_announcement.html We are pleased to announce the sixteenth release (code name "Tesla") of the Einstein Toolkit, an open, community developed software infrastructure for relativistic astrophysics. The highlights of this release are: * A new thorn, Hydro_RNSID which models a rotating neutron star. * Tutorials have been updated and the install process for new users has been simplified. In addition, bug fixes accumulated since the previous release in June 2017 have been included. The Einstein Toolkit is a collection of software components and tools for simulating and analyzing general relativistic astrophysical systems that builds on numerous software efforts in the numerical relativity community including CactusEinstein, the Carpet AMR infrastructure and the relativistic magneto-hydrodynamics code GRHydro. For parts of the toolkit, the Cactus Framework is used as the underlying computational infrastructure providing large-scale parallelization, general computational components, and a model for collaborative, portable code development. The toolkit includes modules to build complete codes for simulating black hole spacetimes as well as systems governed by relativistic magneto-hydrodynamics. The Einstein Toolkit uses a distributed software model and its different modules are developed, distributed, and supported either by the core team of Einstein Toolkit Maintainers, or by individual groups. Where modules are provided by external groups, the Einstein Toolkit Maintainers provide quality control for modules for inclusion in the toolkit and help coordinate support. The Einstein Toolkit Maintainers currently involve postdocs and faculty from six different institutions, and host weekly meetings that are open for anyone to join in. Guiding principles for the design and implementation of the toolkit include: open, community-driven software development; well thought out and stable interfaces; separation of physics software from computational science infrastructure; provision of complete working production code; training and education for a new generation of researchers. For more information about using or contributing to the Einstein Toolkit, or to join the Einstein Toolkit Consortium, please visit our web pages at http://einsteintoolkit.org. The Einstein Toolkit is primarily supported by NSF 1550551/1550461/1550436/1550514 (Einstein Toolkit Community Integration and Data Exploration). The Einstein Toolkit contains about 200 regression test cases. On a large portion of the tested machines, almost all of these tests pass, using both MPI and OpenMP parallelization. The changes between this and the previous release include: === Larger changes since last release === * The support for generic machines is more robust, and the ET should compile, run, and pass the test suites out of the box on new Linux machines. * A Jupyter-based Tutorial (https://einsteintoolkit.org/documentation/new-user-tutorial) is now available. * The AVX512 instruction set used on the Intel "Knight's Landing" platform is now supported. * PITTNullCode now has test outputs * EOS_Omni polytrope supports hybrid equations of date with up to 10 pieces === New thorns or tools === * The Hydro_RNSID thorn which provides initial data for a rotating neutron star. === Upcoming changes for the next releases === * New thorns: * GiRaFFE, which models plasma flows in a dynamic spacetime * Changes to WVUThorns_Diagnostics * Seed_Magnetic_Fields-modified: Extended Seed_Magnetic_Fields thorn for binary neutron stars. Supercedes Seed_Magnetic_Fields thorn. * Meudon_Bin_NS-modified: Modifications to Meudon BNS initial data thorn to disable the overwriting of initial lapse/shift, which acts to significantly reduce coordinate eccentricity. Supercedes Meudon_Bin_NS thorn. * VolumeIntegrals_GRMHD-new: Performs volume integrals on arbitrary "Swiss-cheese"-like topologies, and even interoperates with Carpet to track NS centers of mass. * VolumeIntegrals_vacuum-new: Ensures that VI_vacuum can be used without enabling a GRMHD code. * particle_tracerET-new: Solves the ODE D_t xi = vi for typically thousands of tracer particles, using an RK4 integration atop the current timestepping. * smallbPoynET-new: Computes b^i, b^2, and three spatial components of Poynting flux. It also computes (-1-u0), which is useful for tracking unbound matter === How to upgrade from Hack (ET_2017_06) === To upgrade from the previous release, use GetComponents with the new thornlist to check out the new version. See the Download page (http://einsteintoolkit.org/download/) on the Einstein Toolkit website for download instructions. === Machine notes === Supported (tested) machines include: - Default Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Mint, OpenSUSE and MacOS (Homebrew and MacPorts) installations - Bluewaters - Comet - Cori - Draco - Edison - Golub - Hydra - Marconi - Minerva - Queenbee 2 - Stampede 2 - SuperMIC - Wheeler * TACC machines: defs.local.ini needs to have sourcebasedir = $WORK and basedir = $SCRATCH/simulations configured for this machine. You need to determine $WORK and $SCRATCH by logging in to the machine. * A new configuration for KNL nodes is being worked on, but not yet included in the release (but compilation works and tests mostly pass). All repositories participating in this release carry a branch ET_2018_02 marking this release. These release branches will be updated if severe errors are found. The "Tesla" Release Team on behalf of the Einstein Toolkit Consortium (2018-02-15) Steven R. Brandt Peter Diener Roland Haas Ian Hinder Feb, 2018 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.2. COST GWverse: Exchange of researchers working on gravitational-wave and black hole physics ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=13758 Additional Information: https://gwverse.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/ In the context of the European COST Action CA16104 on Gravitational waves, black holes and fundamental physics (GWverse), grants for short term scientific missions (STSMs) are available. We are inviting you to submit proposals for STMSs starting after May 1, 2018 and ending before Nov 30, 2018 (applications outside this timeframe will be discarded). This call starts on Feb 15 and closes Mar 30, 2018. All proposals will be reviewed and the results will be announced by Apr 15, 2018. The selection committee will take into account the geographical distribution of host and home institution, matching of funds by the host, the scientific proposal and the experience of the applicant (preference is given to Early Career Investigators). Successful applicants will be expected to join as members of one (or more) of the Action's Working Groups. STSM recipients should acknowledge the COST Action in any publication or talks, through the use of the COST logo and the statement "The authors would like to acknowledge networking support by the COST Action GWverse CA16104”. STSMs are a great opportunity for all scientists within the COST Action to exchange visits, nurture collaborations, or develop new ones. Further details are available at the GWverse webpage: https://gwverse.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/stsms/ If you have any question, please contact the STSM Coordinator Andreja Gomboc: andreja.gomboc[at]ung.si ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.3. MG15 on-line registration is open ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: https://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2018/02/28/mg15-on-line-registration-is-... Additional Information: http://www.icra.it/MG/mg15/ It gives us great pleasure to announce the opening of on-line registration http://www.icra.it/mg/mg15/registration.htm for the 15th Marcel Grossmann Meeting that will take place in Rome at “Sapienza” University July 1 to 7, 2018. The early registration fee is 400 EUR through May 25, after which the fee will be 450 EUR. The student fee is 150 EUR through May 25, after which the fee will be 200 EUR (with certification of “Student Status”). On line fee payments will be accepted until June 25th, 2018. After this deadline, registration fees can only be paid on site by credit card. The poster can be downloaded from: http://www.icra.it/mg/mg15/MG15_poster.pdf Abstracts for parallel session presentations must be submitted by April 30, 2018, but preferably at the time of registration. The current preliminary list of parallel sessions and related chairpersons can be found at: http://www.icra.it/mg/mg15/parallel_sessions.htm and http://www.icra.it/mg/mg15/par_sessions_chairs_details.htm All inquiries may be directed to the meeting mailbox: mg15[AT]icra.it Remo Ruffini (chair of International Organizing Committee) Robert Jantzen (chair of International Coordinating Committee) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++