########################################## Table of Contents ########################################### 1. Conferences 1.1. Varying Constants and Fundamental Cosmology VARCOSMOFUN'16, Szczecin, Poland 1.2. Fourth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Varna, Bulgaria 1.3. Pulsars and their environment, Paris, France 1.4. Shapes of Gravity, Nijmegen, The Netherlands 1.5. "It from Qubit" Summer School, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Canada 1.6. The first observation of a binary black hole merger: Status and future prospects, Hannover, Germany 1.7. 21st International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (2nd circular), New York 1.8. Static metrics and Bartnik's quasi-local mass conjecture 2016 1.9. Carlo Fest (2nd announcement), Marseille, France 2. Jobs 2.1. PhD positions in theoretical physics/mathematics,University of Stavanger, Norway 2.2. Research Fellow in Mathematical Sciences at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 2.3. Post-doctoral research assistant at Paris Observatory with the VLTI/GRAVITY instrument 2.4. Postdoctoral position in modified gravity at CENTRA, Lisbon, Portugal 2.5. PhD position in gravity theory at the University of Tartu, Estonia 2.6. Postdoc position in gravity theory at the University of Tartu, Estonia 2.7. Postdoctoral position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, Poland 2.8. PhD position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, Poland 2.9. Postdoctoral position at Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, Mexico City 3. News 3.1. Deadline extended for Los Alamos Co-Design Summer School on Kilonovae from Neutron Star Mergers 3.2. Living Reviews in Relativity: "Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo" ============================================== 1. Conferences ============================================== 1.1. Varying Constants and Fundamental Cosmology VARCOSMOFUN'16, Szczecin, Poland --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11597 Starting: 2016-09-12 to 2016-09-17 Location: Szczecin, Poland Additional Information: https://indico.cern.ch/e/varcosmo16 Contact: varcosmo16[AT]wmf.univ.szczecin.pl Dear Collegues, We invite you to take part in the conference “Varying Constants and Fundamental Cosmology” which will take place in Szczecin, Poland from 12th to 17th of September 2016. This is the fourth of fundamental cosmology conferences organized by the Cosmology Group, University of Szczecin (after Cosmofun'2005, Grasscosmofun'09, Multicosmofun'12). The task of the conference is to bring together specialists dealing with the problem of varying (dynamical) physical constants, fundamental cosmology (alternative gravities, superstring, brane, etc.) and multiverse who want to exchange the current ideas in these topics. The program of the conference will contain 5 plenary morning sessions and 4 afternoon parallel sessions. The last day of the conference will be devoted to philosophical aspects of variability of the physical constants and the frontiers of physics and cosmology. There will also be a poster session if the number of abstracts is above our talk time capabilities. The oral presentations will be selected by the sessions conveners in collaboration with the Organizing Committee. Invited speakers: Brett Altschul, University of South Carolina, USA (TBC) John D. Barrow, Univ. Cambridge, UK Julian Berengut, University of New South Wales, Australia Brandon Carter, LuTh, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Paris Paul C.W. Davies, Arizona State Univ., USA Michael Duff, Imperial College, London, UK Victor Flambaum, University of New South Wales, Australia Michael Heller, Vatican Astronomical Observatory Sabine Hossenfelder, Stockholm University, Sweden (TBC) Joao Magueijo, Imperial College, London, UK Carlos J.A.P. Martins, Univ. Porto, Portugal John Moffat, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Canada Wim Ubachs, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Thomas Udem, Max-Planck Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany Jean-Philippe Uzan, IAP, Paris, France Gabriele Veneziano, College de France (TBC) John Webb, Univ. New South Wales, Australia Topics - parallel sessions: I. Varying constants - theory; II. Varying constants - laboratory experiments; III. Varying constants - astronomical observations; IV. Quantum gravity and cosmology; V. Many-world interpretation. Quantum entanglement; VI. Superstring landscape. Multiverse; VII. Modifications of gravity; VIII. Dark matter - theory; IX. Dark matter - experiment; X. Dark energy - theory; XI. Dark energy - observations; XII. Inflation and large-scale structure; XIII. Early universe; XIV. Gravitational waves; XV. Cosmic microwave background; XVI. Future challenges and experiments. Looking forward to seeing you in Szczecin. With compliments, Mariusz P. Dabrowski (Organizing Committee chair) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.2. Fourth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime, Varna, Bulgaria --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/11/2nd-cfp-fourth-international-c... Starting: 2016-05-30 to 2016-06-02 Location: Varna, Bulgaria Additional Information: http://www.minkowskiinstitute.org/conferences/2016/ Contact: 2016conference[AT]minkowskiinstitute.org The Fourth International Conference on the Nature and Ontology of Spacetime will commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of Einstein’s general relativity in Annalen der Physik in 1916. While the Scientific Organizing Committee invites papers from physicists and philosophers on any topics related to the nature and ontology of spacetime, at this conference we especially wish to encourage submissions on not fully explored implications of general relativity for other areas of research in physics, cosmology, mathematics, philosophy of physics and for our understanding of the world. In addition to talks and poster sessions, special tea / 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 should be submitted in the form of extended abstracts of up to two pages by Monday, February 29, 2016. Submissions will be reviewed by the Scientific Organizing Committee and notification of acceptance will be given by Monday, March 14, 2016. The extended abstracts, in English, should be emailed to 2016conference[AT]minkowskiinstitute.org. The conference proceedings will be published. Graduate student speakers may be offered a registration discount and eventually bursaries if financially possible. Graduate students interested in attending but concerned about cost should submit an abstract and will be contacted before the registration deadline if a discount and bursaries are possible. Invited Speakers: Gerard ‘t Hooft (Utrecht University)? Marco Giovanelli (University of Tuebingen) Oliver Pooley (University of Oxford) Francesca Vidotto (Radboud University) Scientific Organizing Committee: Dennis Dieks (Utrecht University) Mauro Dorato (University of Rome Three) Robert Geroch (University of Chicago) Eleanor Knox (King’s College London) Vesselin Petkov (Minkowski Institute)? Steven Savitt (University of British Columbia) James Owen Weatherall (University of California, Irvine) Christian Wüthrich (University of Geneva) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.3. Pulsars and their environment, Paris, France --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/16/pulsars-and-their-environment/ Starting: 2016-05-18 to 2016-05-20 Location: Meudon, France Additional Information: http://mode.obspm.fr Contact: jerome.novak[AT]obspm.fr First circular for the workshop on "Pulsars and their environment", Meudon Observatory, May, 18th – 20th 2016. Registration to the 2016 workshop on "Pulsars and their environment" is now open on the web site: http://mode.obspm.fr Participants are required to register before Friday, April 15th. Important dates and deadlines Opening of the registration : February, 15th Deadline for financial support : April, 1st Notification for the support : April, 8th Deadline for registration : April, 15th Meeting program The workshop shall help the three communities (neutron star observers, SNR and PWN observers and theoreticians) to exchange ideas as well as discussing internal advanced issues. To that end the program will contain parallel specialized sessions as well as plenary sessions with reviews and a round table for discussion among the communities. All sessions will be held at Meudon Observatory, 8 kilometers southwest from Paris, France. The sessions will be arranged in such a way to create "focus sessions" around certain topics, among them: - Radio timing, - Rotating neutron stars, - General relativity and neutron star modeling, - Equation of state and nuclear processes, - Observation at different wavelengths, - Emission processes, - Supernovae, Supernova remnants, Pulsar wind nebulae. This year’s edition is devoted to global models and their contribution to our knowledge about pulsars and their environment. Keynote speakers will highlight recent developments in these subfields : Nils Andersson (Southampton, United Kingdom), Oliver Porth (Leeds, United Kingdom), Nikolaos Stergioulas (Thessaloniki, Greece), Stefan Typel (Darmstadt, Germany)... Financial support Partial support for students and young post-docs is available for early registration (dead-line is fixed on April, 1st) and the notification for the support will be send on April, 8th. If you need financial support, please mention it during registration. Accommodation We have selected a number of hotels in downtown Paris, close to the Montparnasse railway station, from which trains leave to Meudon. This list is far from being exhaustive and there are many other hotels in Paris. Note that there are many tourists in Paris in May and early booking is recommended. Travel information Meudon observatory is located on the heights of the small city of Meudon, south west of Paris. It is about 20 minutes walk (up!) from any of the suburb railway stations: Meudon or Bellevue (from Montparnasse train station), Meudon val Fleury (RER C line). Meals during the workshop On Wednesday 18th, meeting shall start in the afternoon. Lunches on Thursday, 19th and Friday, 20th are offered. The social dinner shall take place on Thursday evening in Paris, the price would be 25 euros. Organizing committee Anthea Fantina (GANIL, Caen), Marianne Lemoine-Goumard (CENBG, Bordeaux), Fabrice Mottez (LUTH, Meudon), Jerome Novak (LUTH, Meudon), Micaela Oertel (LUTH, Meudon), Matthieu Renaud (LUPM, Montpellier), Gilles Theureau (LPC2E, OSUC-Orléans, LUTh and USN, Observatoire de Paris). How to get there Observatoire de Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen (entrance for pedestrians and bicycles only) or 11 avenue Marcelin Berthelot, 92190 Meudon; see url : http://mode.obspm.fr/spip.php?article3 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.4. Shapes of Gravity, Nijmegen, The Netherlands --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11634 Starting: 2016-03-30 to 2016-04-03 Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands Additional Information: http://seangryb.wix.com/shapesofgravity Contact: sean.gryb[AT]gmail.com The quantum gravity group at Radboud University Nijmegen is delighted to be hosting a conference on foundational issues in Quantum Gravity entitled “Shapes of Gravity” in Nijmegen from March 30th to April 1st, 2016. The purpose of this meeting is to bring together experts from a diverse set of approaches attempting to describe the very origins of space, time and gravity, and their possible cosmological implications. Following this conference, there will be a focused workshop on Shape Dynamics from April 2 - 3. We are aiming for a program that allows for discussion and interaction alongside the invited talks, and to give our visiting friends the best possible treatment. For more information about the conference and workshop, including a list of confirmed speakers, and for details on how to register, please visit the conference website: http://seangryb.wix.com/shapesofgravity. The deadline for registration is March 13, 2016. Please feel free to circulate this to anyone who might be interested. Best regards, Dr. Sean Gryb, Dr. Mercedes Martin-Benito, Prof. Dr. Renate Loll, Scientific organising committee. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.5. "It from Qubit" Summer School, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Canada --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11639 Starting: 2016-07-18 to 2016-07-29 Location: Waterloo, Canada Additional Information: http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/conferences/it-qubit-summer-school Contact: smohl[AT]perimeterinstitute.ca In recent years, compelling evidence has emerged that information theory provides a powerful way to structure our thinking about quantum gravity and quantum field theory. In turn, fundamental physics provides new classes of fascinating questions for quantum information theorists to address. In spite of these exciting developments, high energy physics and quantum information theory remain distinct disciplines and communities, separated by significant barriers to communication and collaboration. This school has been organized by the "It from Qubit" Simons Foundation Collaboration to promote communication and learning between the two research communities. In particular we strongly encourage applications from interested students and junior researchers whose background is limited to either of the two fields but who are interested in reaching across disciplinary boundaries. The school will include both lectures and hands-on tutorials. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.6. The first observation of a binary black hole merger: Status and future prospects, Hannover, Germany --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11655 Starting: 2016-05-23 to 2016-05-26 Location: Hannover, Germany Additional Information: https://gw150914.aei.mpg.de/ Contact: badri.krishnan[AT]aei.mpg.de Gravitational wave detectors have observed, for the first time, the merger of two black holes. This conference will discuss the most recent developments in the searches for these signals, and the implications for astrophysics and fundamental physics. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.7. 21st International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (2nd circular), New York --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/27/21st-international-conference-... Starting: 2016-07-10 to 2016-07-15 Location: New York City, USA Additional Information: http://www.gr21.org Contact: gr21.loc[AT]gmail.com Registration and abstract submission for the GR21 meeting at Columbia University in the City of New York is open. IMPORTANT DATES Early abstract submission: deadline March 14, 2016. Late abstract submission: deadline May 9, 2016. Early registration deadline: May 16, 2016. Dorm room reservation at Columbia Housing is extended until April 1, 2016. DEADLINE FOR CONFERENCE SUPPORT REQUEST The deadline to apply for registration fee waiver and travel support (very limited) is be early abstract submission deadline, March 14, 2016. Please visit the registration part of the conference website for further information on available support. On behalf of the organizing committee I am looking forward welcoming you in New York City in July, Zsuzsa Marka Chair Local Organizing Committee +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.8. Static metrics and Bartnik's quasi-local mass conjecture 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11672 Starting: 2016-05-17 to 2016-05-20 Location: Tübingen, Germany Additional Information: https://www.math.uni-tuebingen.de/static-metric-conference-2016 Contact: gr21.loc[AT]gmail.com Conference, Tübingen, May 17-20 2016 Static metrics have been intensively studied since the early days of General Relativity. Insights and results have been and continue to be obtained from physical, analytic and geometric perspectives. Milestones include the static black hole uniqueness theorems and a detailed understanding of the asymptotic behavior of static metrics. Besides being of interest in their own right, static metrics also feature as obstructions in certain gluing constructions and as critical points in certain geometric variational problems, most notably in the approach to quasi-local capacity taken by Robert Bartnik. Bartnik's definition leads to the static metric extension conjecture, which will also be one of the main topics discussed at this conference. Organized by Carla Cederbaum +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.9. Carlo Fest (2nd announcement), Marseille, France --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11678 Starting: 2016-05-23 to 2016-05-27 Location: Marseille, France Additional Information: http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~carlofest/ Contact: carlofest16[AT]gmail.com Second announcement: Dear colleague, this is a second announcement for Carlo Fest, a conference in honour of Carlo Rovelli’s 60th birthday, to take place in Marseille on Mai 23-27, 2016. The program will cover the many topics that have accompanied Carlo’s career, including loop quantum gravity, quantum cosmology and Planck stars, foundations of quantum mechanics and general relativity, philosophy of science. A preliminary list of invited speakers, an outline of the program and the registration form are available on the conference’s website: http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~carlofest/ Participation is limited to 150 people, and registration will be closed once this number is reached. Important: As the end of May is high season in Marseille, please do not wait too long to find your preferred accommodation and travel. A list of suggestions is present on the website. The local organising committee +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 2. Jobs ============================================== 2.1. PhD positions in theoretical physics/mathematics,University of Stavanger, Norway ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11575 Deadline: 2016-03-06 Location: Stavanger, Norway Additional Information: http://www.uis.no/job-opportunities/vacant-positions/ Contact: sigbjorn.hervik[AT]uis.no The University of Stavanger invites applications for doctorate scholarships at the Faculty of Technology and Natural Science in the Department of Mathematics and Natural Science with deadline March 6, 2016. There are two positions available: 1. PhD position in mathematics within the area of differential geometry/pseudo-Riemannian geometry, and is part of the project "Pseudo-Riemannian Geometry and polynomial curvature invariants: Classification, Characterisation and Applications". Candidates with knowledge within one or several of the following areas are preferred: pseudo-Riemannian geometry, Lie group theory, mathematical relativity, invariant theory or holonomy. 2. PhD position in physics/mathematics within the area of Theoretical Particle Physics/Theoretical Cosmology/Algebraic Geometry. The topic of the fellowship research project will be within a broad subject area, spanning (not prioritized): 1 Theoretical particle physics, in particular CERN-related theory, heavy-ion collisions 2 Astro-particle physics and physics of the early Universe 3 Theoretical Cosmology and non-Standard Cosmological models 4 Mathematical physics in the context of relativity and string theory 5 Algebraic Geometry +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.2. Research Fellow in Mathematical Sciences at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/11/research-fellow-in-mathematica... Deadline: 2016-03-31 Location: Melbourne, Australia Additional Information: http://www.jobs-monash.jxt.net.au/academic-jobs/research-fellow-mathematical... Contact: sci-maths-jobs[AT]monash.edu Research Fellow (Mathematical Sciences) Monash University Candidates are sought for two Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Clayton campus, Monash University, to participate in a research project on "Advanced Simulation Methods for the Coupled Solar Interior and Atmosphere". The two postdocs will collaborate with the project team to develop advanced numerical methods and carry out large-scale simulations that allow us to address challenging questions in the area of wave propagation in the solar interior and atmosphere. Research Fellow (Position A) The first postdoctoral fellow (Position A) will focus on developing novel numerical methods and software for parallel simulation of compressible fluids on adaptive grids. The fellow will be supervised by Professor Hans De Sterck, in collaboration with Professor Clinton Groth from University of Toronto. To be considered for Position A you will have a PhD in applied/computational mathematics, mechanical/aerospace engineering, or computational science, with specialisation in one or more of numerical methods for PDEs (hyperbolic conservation laws), scalable solvers, or computational fluid dynamics. Experience with parallel programming in C++ is desirable. Specific research topics of interest include parallel linear and nonlinear solvers for high-order accurate implicit time integration, and parallel adaptive grid refinement with error estimation. Research Fellow (Position B) The second postdoctoral fellow (Position B) will focus on the computational study of wave propagation in the solar interior and atmosphere using high-performance simulation codes. The fellow will be supervised by Professor Paul Cally (Monash) and Dr Sergiy Shelyag (Northumbria University). To be considered for Position B you will have a PhD in applied mathematics, computational (astro)physics, solar physics, or a related discipline. Familiarity with magnetohydrodynamics, solar or stellar astrophysics and/or some experience in helioseismology would be an advantage. Specific topics of research will include numerical simulation of MHD waves in the solar interior and atmosphere, including data analysis, visualisation and solar physics interpretation. The intended start date for these positions is between June and September 2016 (negotiable). Your online application must address the selection criteria, identify the position you are applying for (Position A or B) and include contact details for 3 referees. Applications must be made via the Monash website and your application must address the selection criteria. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.3. Post-doctoral research assistant at Paris Observatory with the VLTI/GRAVITY instrument ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11605 Deadline: 2016-02-29 Location: Paris Observatory / Meudon Additional Information: https://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/develop/instruments/gravity.html Contact: guy.perrin[AT]obspm.fr Paris Observatory/LESIA, is part of the consortium who is building the GRAVITY instrument for the ESO VLT Interferometer. GRAVITY will provide direct observations of the Galactic Center at unprecedented angular resolution and astrometric accuracy. LESIA and LUTh have created the GR ray tracing code GYOTO to model flare events and to study relativistic effects on stars orbiting SgrA*. GRAVITY has successfully seen first light in October 2015. ?The successful candidate will work in the GRAVITY team at LESIA. He/she will participate to the study of relativistic effects to be measured on stars orbiting the black hole and will be in charge of designing methods and tools to detect and measure the relativistic precession of orbits, to determine the spin and possibly the quadrupolar moment of the black hole and test both general relativity and black hole theory. Orbits and relativistic effects will be modeled with GYOTO as appropriate. He/she will also have the possibility to define projects in accord with the LESIA team. We are looking for applicants with experience in general relativity and in the use of relativistic ray tracing codes. We will select an applicant who is able to quickly take part to this research, implement ideas with GYOTO, build on the achievements of the group and propose original directions. The position is for two years, the second year is subject to satisfactory performance. Application material : curriculum vitae, publication list, short statement of research interest (maximum 2 pages), at least one letter of recommendation. Included Benefits: Health insurance, research financial support +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.4. Postdoctoral position in modified gravity at CENTRA, Lisbon, Portugal ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/15/postdoctoral-position-in-modif... Deadline: 2016-04-15 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Additional Information: http://centra.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/network/costar/news/?id=3676 Contact: sante.carloni[AT]ist.utl.pt The Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofisica (CENTRA) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in the area of relativistic gravitation associated to the FCT project “Theoretical and Phenomenological aspects of Extensions of General Relativity” IF/00250/2013. The appointment is for one year, subject to renewal for an additional year upon satisfactory performance. The starting date for the fellowship should be September 1st 2016. Emphasis of this position will be on modified gravity and its cosmological, astrophysical or astronomical phenomenology. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in Physics and should be willing to undertake original, multidisciplinary projects in one (or more) of the above fields. The Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofísica (CENTRA) is a research centre which is part of the Physics Department of the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, a leading research Institution in Portugal. Members of CENTRA pursue research includes modified gravity, cosmology, phenomenology of black hole physics, high energy physics and astrophysical dark matter together with instrument building, data analysis and processing. More information on the Center can be found at http://centra.ist.utl.pt/ . The group has strong ties to a number of institutions around the world like the European Space Agency, University of Cape Town, Genoa, Aveiro, Barcelona, Cambridge (DAMTP), Olemiss, Para' and Rome (“La Sapienza”) The applicant is expected to contribute to the efforts of the group and to participate actively to the preparation of applications for additional funding. Applicants should upload a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, a statement of research interests and a short (maximum 1 page) research plan to the web form http://centra.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/network/grit/jobs/pd_if2013/ The application requires also three letters of recommendation that will be requested directly through the web interface. Applications should be received by April 15, 2016. Incomplete applications shall not be considered. Screening of applicants will begin on April 16, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled. For more information please contact Sante Carloni (sante.carloni[AT]ist.utl.pt). This position is supported by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia of Portugal. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.5. PhD position in gravity theory at the University of Tartu, Estonia ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/20/phd-position-in-gravity-theory... Deadline: 2016-03-20 Location: Tartu, Estonia Additional Information: http://www.fi.ut.ee/en/postdoc-and-phd-in-gravity-theory Contact: manuel.hohmann[AT]ut.ee The Laboratory of Theoretical Physics at the Institute of Physics of the University of Tartu, Estonia is inviting applications for a PhD student position in the field of extensions to general relativity and modified gravity starting in fall 2016. The positions will be held in conjunction with the Estonian centre of excellence in research "The Dark Side of the Universe" (TK133) and the grant "Geometrical foundations of gravity and their comparison with observations" (PUT790). The topics of interest include: -- mathematical foundations of gravity, -- modifications to the geometry of spacetime, -- gravity theories based on Finsler, Cartan, Weizenboeck or Riemann-Cartan geometry, -- gravity theories including multiple metrics, -- gravity theories including torsion, -- (multi-)scalar-tensor and related gravity theories, -- solar system phenomenology of modified gravity, -- cosmological aspects of modified gravity. Successful applicants are expected to have previous work experience related to these areas. The supervisor of the PhD thesis will be Dr. Manuel Hohmann. A supporting scholarship of €600 per month is provided. Applications for the PhD thesis position must include: -- curriculum vitae, -- one letter of recommendation, -- diploma of master's degree or equivalent, -- summary of research experience and a statement of interests up to two pages. Deadline for the PhD student application is Sunday, March 20th, 21:59 GMT. All applications for the aforementioned position must be submitted electronically to manuel.hohmann[AT]ut.ee. Documents in the PDF format are recommended. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.6. Postdoc position in gravity theory at the University of Tartu, Estonia ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/20/postdoc-position-in-gravity-th... Deadline: 2016-04-10 Location: Tartu, Estonia Additional Information: http://www.fi.ut.ee/en/postdoc-and-phd-in-gravity-theory Contact: manuel.hohmann[AT]ut.ee The Laboratory of Theoretical Physics at the Institute of Physics of the University of Tartu, Estonia is inviting applications for a two-year postdoc position in the field of extensions to general relativity and modified gravity starting in fall 2016. The position will be held in conjunction with the Estonian centre of excellence in research "The Dark Side of the Universe" (TK133) and the grant "Geometrical foundations of gravity and their comparison with observations" (PUT790). The topics of interest include: -- mathematical foundations of gravity, -- modifications to the geometry of spacetime, -- gravity theories based on Finsler, Cartan, Weizenboeck or Riemann-Cartan geometry, -- gravity theories including multiple metrics, -- gravity theories including torsion, -- (multi-)scalar-tensor and related gravity theories, -- solar system phenomenology of modified gravity, -- cosmological aspects of modified gravity. Successful applicants are expected to have previous work experience related to these areas. The postdoctoral grant amounts to 31710 EUR per year (minus 15% overhead), plus a possible one-time relocation support up to 6500 EUR. Applications for the postdoctoral position must include: -- curriculum vitae, -- two letters of recommendation, -- diploma of PhD degree or equivalent, -- research proposal of up to five pages, -- list of publications. Deadline for the postdoc application is Sunday, April 10th, 21:59 GMT. All applications for the aforementioned position must be submitted electronically to manuel.hohmann[AT]ut.ee. Documents in the PDF format are recommended. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.7. Postdoctoral position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, Poland ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11649 Deadline: 2016-04-04 Location: Warsaw, Poland Additional Information: https://www.camk.edu.pl/en/archiwum/2016/02/19/postdoctoral-positions-neutro... Contact: bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (NCAC) in Warsaw, Poland, with preferred start in the Fall of 2016. The successful applicant will collaborate with Dr Brynmor Haskell on the physics of superfluid neutron stars, with a specific focus on pulsar glitches and gravitational wave source modelling. The position is available for up to three years and will be funded from a Polish National Science Centre research project. Funding for travel and research equipment will also be provided. NCAC is the leading astronomical institute in Poland and current research at the institute encompasses a broad range of both observational and theoretical subjects in modern astrophysics. NCAC scientists participate in many international projects, e.g. H.E.S.S., CTA, Fermi, Herschel, Virgo, LIGO, SALT, Gaia-ESO, ATHENA. Candidates are required to have completed a PhD in astronomy, physics or a related discipline before the start date and no earlier than in 2010. Applicants should have a strong background in computational physics or astrophysics. Experience with either vortex filament methods or neutron star physics and simulations will be an advantage but are not essential. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Brynmor Haskell (bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl) to discuss the project further. Applications (in pdf format) can be sent to bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl and should include a copy of their PhD diploma, a curriculum vitae with a list of publications and a brief statement of research interests and plans (2 pages). Applicants should also arrange for at least two letters of recommendation to be sent to the same address. For full consideration applications should be received by April 4th, 2016. The review of applications will begin soon after this date and continue until the position is filled. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.8. PhD position in neutron star physics at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, Poland ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11650 Deadline: 2016-03-20 Location: Warsaw, Poland Additional Information: http://www.camk.edu.pl/en/phd/ Contact: bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl Applications are invited for a 4 year PhD scholarship at The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (NCAC) in Warsaw, Poland. NCAC is the leading astronomical institute in Poland and current research at the institute encompasses a broad range of both observational and theoretical subjects in modern astrophysics. NCAC scientists participate in many international projects, e.g. H.E.S.S., CTA, Fermi, Herschel, Virgo, LIGO, SALT, Gaia-ESO, ATHENA. The successful applicant will work with Dr Brynmor Haskell and Dr Michal Bejger on the physics of superfluid neutron stars and gravitational wave source modelling. Interested applicants may contact Dr Brynmor Haskell (bhaskell[AT]camk.edu.pl) and should apply by registering for PhD studies at NCAC. Further details on available projects and detailed instructions for applications can be found at www.camk.edu.pl/en/phd/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.9. Postdoctoral position at Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, UNAM, Mexico City ------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/?p=11659 Deadline: 2016-04-15 Location: Mexico, Mexico City Additional Information: http://www.nucleares.unam.mx Contact: urrutia[AT]nucleares.unam.mx Under the CONACyT Project Effective field theories in particles and gravitation II, we invite to apply for a postdoctoral position at the String and Field Theory Group of the High Energy Physics Department of the Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City. Members of the Group are: A. Garcia-Zenteno, A. Guijosa, J. D. Vergara and L. F. Urrutia. The Department is also involved in phenomenological research as well as in experimental collaborations. The position tentatively starts in July, 2016 and is for one year, renewable for another according to performance. The selected applicant must have obtained his(her) Ph. D. degree within the period of five years previous to the starting date of the position. The main topics to be addressed in the Project are: (1) Topological modifications in gauge theories and gravitation, with emphasis in the description of the electromagnetic response of topological insulators. (2) Effective field theories describing possible CPT and Lorentz violations. Those interested in applying please send the following information: (1) CV. (2) A brief description of your research interests. (3) Two recommendation letters from colleagues familiar with your previous work, to be directly sent to the email address: urrutia[AT]nucleares.unam.mx. Please send your application to urrutia[AT]nucleares.unam.mx, before April 15, 2016. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================== 3. News ============================================== 3.1. Deadline extended for Los Alamos Co-Design Summer School on Kilonovae from Neutron Star Mergers ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/09/deadline-extended-for-los-alam... Additional Information: http://losalamos.github.io/cdss/index.html We have decided to extend the application deadline line for Los Alamos ISTI/ASC Co-Design Summer School to February 26th. Graduate students in relativistic astrophysics, applied mathematics, and parallel algorithms are encouraged to apply. Details of the application process are listed here: http://losalamos.github.io/cdss/apply.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.2. Living Reviews in Relativity: "Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo" ------------------------------------------------------------ Announcement on Hyperspace@GU: http://hyperspace.uni-frankfurt.de/2016/02/09/living-reviews-in-relativity-p... Additional Information: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2016-1 Living Reviews in Relativity has published a new article on “Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo” by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration on 8 February 2016. Please find the abstract and further details below. ------------------------- PUB.NO. lrr-2016-1 B. P. Abbott et al. (The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration) “Prospects for Observing and Localizing Gravitational-Wave Transients with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo” ACCEPTED: 2016-01-22 PUBLISHED: 2016-02-08 FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2016-1 ABSTRACT: We present a possible observing scenario for the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo gravitational-wave detectors over the next decade, with the intention of providing information to the astronomy community to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We determine the expected sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals, and study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source. We report our findings for gravitational-wave transients, with particular focus on gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary neutron-star systems, which are considered the most promising for multi-messenger astronomy. The ability to localize the sources of the detected signals depends on the geographical distribution of the detectors and their relative sensitivity, and 90% credible regions can be as large as thousands of square degrees when only two sensitive detectors are operational. Determining the sky position of a significant fraction of detected signals to areas of 5 deg^2 to 20 deg^2 will require at least three detectors of sensitivity within a factor of ~2 of each other and with a broad frequency bandwidth. Should the third LIGO detector be relocated to India as expected, a significant fraction of gravitational-wave signals will be localized to a few square degrees by gravitational-wave observations alone. UPCOMING ARTICLES AT: http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++