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1. Conferences 1.1 VIII Mexican School (DGFM-SMF) 1.2 Dark Matter Workshop 1.3 Workshop in General Relativity 1.4 5th Iberian Cosmology Meeting 1.5 3rd TRR33 Winter School on Cosmology 1.6 BritGrav 10 1.7 COSPAR 2010 1.8 Torino Cosmology Colloquium 2009 1.9 ADM-50: A Celebration of Current GR Innovation 1.10 First Galileo - Xu Guangqi Meeting 1.11 GR19 1.12 Quantum Gravity summer school 1.13 11th Italian-Korean Symposium

2. Jobs 2.1 Full Professor of Theoretical Physics (W3), Hannover, Germany 2.2 Junior Professor Experimental Physics (W1), Hannover, Germany 2.3 Postdoctoral Position - Interpretation of Planck Data, Paris, France 2.4 Assistant Professor position in the field of Gravitational Phys./Cosmology, Montana, USA 2.5 MCFP Postdoctoral Fellowship, Maryland, USA 2.6 Postdoc Position in Geometry and Physics, Alberta, Canada 2.7 IRAP PhD Program 2009 - Ten positions 2.8 Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Cosmology, Gravitation or String Theory 2.9 Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, Otago, New Zealand

3. News 3.1 GWIC Thesis Prize 3.2 Living Reviews in Relativity: "Null Geodesic Congruences..." 3.3 GRG Society Fellowships 3.4 Award of the Daniel Chalonge Medal 2009 3.5 Thesis Prizes of the International Society on GRG - Second call for nominations

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1.1 VIII Mexican School (DGFM-SMF) ----------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/30/viii-mexican-school-dgfm-smf/

Starting Sun, Dec 06, 2009 to Sat, Dec 12, 2009 Location: Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico Additional Information: http://www.smf.mx/~dgfm-smf/Escuela8/english.html

SPEAKABLE AND UNSPEAKABLE IN GRAVITATIONAL PHYSICS: Testing gravity from submillimeter to cosmic scale.

VIII School of the Gravitation and Mathematical Physics Division (DGFM) of the Mexican Physical Society (SMF), December 6-12, 2009, Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo, MEXICO

Our School has as its main goal to provide an inviting arena for exchanging and discussion on top developments in gravitational physics in a pedagogical manner. In this occasion its focus will be on the confrontation between gravitational theories and the constraints coming from tests ranging from sub-millimeter to the cosmic scale. The program includes several courses and plenary talks as well as a couple of parallel sessions. The venue will be the Hotel Iberostar Quetzal located in the Riviera Maya, an inspiring place offering cultural features and natural beauty.

Further details: http://www.smf.mx/~dgfm- smf/Escuela8/english.html

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: R Maartens, T Rizzo, BS Sathyaprakash, S Turyshev, EG Adelberger, RH Beyer, M Bojowald, A Camacho, C Laemmerzahl, A Perez-Lorenzana, BF Schutz, D Sudarsky.

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: H.A. Morales-Técotl (UAM-I), Luis Ureña (Guanajuato), R. Linares (UAM-I), H.H.García-Compeán (CINVESTAV)

ADVISORY COMMITTEE: M. Alcubierre (ICN-UNAM), N. Bretón (CINVESTAV), J. Cervantes (ININ), A. Macías (UAMI), T. Matos (CINVESTAV), D. Núñez (ICN-UNAM), J. Socorro (Guanajuato).

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1.2 Dark Matter Workshop ------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/28/dark-matter-workshop/

Starting Mon, Apr 26, 2010 to Sat, Jun 19, 2010 Location: Florence, Italy, Additional Information: http://ggi-www.fi.infn.it//index.php?p=events.inc&id=56

Dear Colleague,

We would like to announce the workshop ``Dark Matter: Its Nature, Origin and Prospects for Detection'', to be held during the period April 26, 2010 to June 19, 2010, at the Galileo Galilei Institute (GGI) for Theoretical Physics in Florence, Italy: see www.fi.infn.it/GGI.

The first half of the workshop will be oriented towards astrophysical questions about dark matter: evidence for its existence, its origin and distribution in the universe, and direct and indirect detection. The mid-workshop period will have some focus on non-WIMP dark matter, such as axions. The latter half of the workshop will be more focused on what we can learn about dark matter from the LHC and other collider experiments. On average we expect about 20-25 participants present each week. The typical length of stay for attendees is for a period of 3-5 weeks. Note that GGI requires a minimum stay of 3 weeks.

In the middle of the workshop, on 17-21 May 2010, we will host a conference on all aspects of Dark Matter Physics, which will be open to a wider group of attendees, who can also come for shorter stays of several days to a week.

Florence is an attractive city, offering numerous opportunities to enjoy cultural and architectural wonders, along with one's scientific interests. The GGI offers excellent working and housing conditions. Participants will be paid per diem support of 70 Euros per day which can be used for housing and meals. However, support for travel to and from Florence cannot be included.

The application for participating to the workshop is open at the GGI website until *** THE DEADLINE OF 30 September 2009: ***

http://ggi-www.fi.infn.it//index.php?p=events.inc&id=56

After the deadline, the accepted participant will receive an official invitation from GGI, along with details about accommodation and per diem.

We hope to see you in Florence next spring.

Best regards,

Howie Baer Laura Covi Leszek Roszkowski Piero Ullio

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1.3 Workshop in General Relativity ----------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/28/workshop-in-general-relativity/

Starting Mon, Nov 16, 2009 to Fri, Nov 20, 2009 Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY Additional Information: http://Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook

First Announcement <p style="text-align: center;">The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook is hosting a Workshop in General Relativity during the week Nov 16 - 20, 2009.

List of Speakers: S. Alexakis, R. Bartnik, H. Bray, P. Chrusciel, M. Dafermos, G. Galloway, G. Gibbons, G. Horowitz, G. Huisken, J. Isenberg, S. Klainerman, H. Lindblad, D. Marolf, I. Rodnianski, R. Schoen, Y. Shi, R. Wald, M.T. Wang.

More detailed information on the meeting is available at the Simons Center website: http://www.scgp.stonybrook.edu

Please contact either of the organizers: Michael Anderson (anderson"at"math.sunysb.edu) Marcus Khuri (khuri"at"math.sunysb.edu) if you have questions or need further information. We do not expect the availability of further funding for this meeting.

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1.4 5th Iberian Cosmology Meeting ---------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/28/5th-iberian-cosmology-meeting/

Starting Mon, Mar 29, 2010 to Wed, Mar 31, 2010 Location: Porto, Portugal, Rua das Estrelas Additional Information: http://www.astro.up.pt/ibericos2010

The 5th Iberian Cosmology Meeting (whose creation was inspired by the UK cosmology meetings) will be at CAUP on March 29-31, 2010. Anyone interested in attending is most welcome. For further information see the meeting webpage at

http://www.astro.up.pt/ibericos2010

Please note that the meeting takes place during Easter week, which is a busy time in Porto. If you're planning to attend you are advised to book your flights and hotel well in advance. (Ryanair flies to Porto from several UK airports, including Stansted.)

Looking forward to seeing you in Porto, Carlos Martins (on behalf of the SOC and LOC)

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1.5 3rd TRR33 Winter School on Cosmology ----------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/28/third-trr33-winter-school-on-cosmolo...

Starting Sun, Dec 06, 2009 to Fri, Dec 11, 2009 Location: Passo del Tonale, Italy Additional Information: http://darkuniverse.uni-hd.de/winterschool

<p style="text-align: center;">3rd TRR33 WINTER SCHOOL ON COSMOLOGY "THEORY FOR OBSERVERS - OBSERVATIONS FOR THEORISTS" Passo del Tonale - Italy 6-11 December 2009

The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TRR33 is glad to announce the Third TRR33 Winter School on Cosmology. The school is meant to be for PhD students and Postdocs and aims to join theoretical and observational aspects of modern cosmology.

- Registration is now OPEN, with deadline on 1st November 2009. - Please register online on the School website: http://darkuniverse.uni-hd.de/winterschool - Please note that we will accept a maximum of 60 participants.

Early registration is strongly encouraged. For questions and registration informations please send an email to: TRR33WinterSchool@ita.uni-heidelberg.de

LECTURES - Overview Lecture: Alan Heavens, University of Edinburgh - Theoretical Lectures: SUSY and Dark Matter - Antonio Masiero, University of Padova CMB and Clusters - Raul Abramo, University of Sao Paulo - Observational Lectures: BAO - Enrique Gaztanaga, IEEC Bellaterra ISW - Bjoern Schaefer, Heidelberg

MORE INFORMATION Information can be found on the school webpage: http://darkuniverse.uni-hd.de/winterschool - School Content - Location & accommodation - Registration & school fee - Funding - Travel information - Skiing

With best regards, the Organizing Committee

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1.6 BritGrav 10 ---------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/21/britgrav-10/

Starting Tue, Apr 06, 2010 to Wed, Apr 07, 2010 Location: Dublin, Ireland

We are pleased to announce that BritGrav 10 will be held in Dublin on 6th-7th April 2010.

The BritGrav conference series is dedicated to bringing together the gravitational research community of the UK, Ireland and beyond, and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. It aims to cover all aspects of gravitational physics - both theoretical and experimental - and related areas of mathematics. In particular, the series provides an opportunity for young researchers, both students and postdocs, to present their work to the regional gravitational research community.

Details of registration etc will be announced in due course. We hope to see you there.

Marc Casals (DCU) Brien Nolan (DCU) Adrian Ottewill (UCD)

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1.7 COSPAR 2010 ---------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/21/cospar-2010/

Starting Sun, Jul 18, 2010 to Sun, Jul 25, 2010 Location: Germany, Bremen, Congress Centrum, Bürgerweide Additional Information: http://www.cospar2010.org/index.html

Probing Strong Gravity with Gravitational and Electromagnetic Waves

First announcement for an event (H02) at the 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly - Bremen (Germany), 2010 July 18-25 Duration: 4 half-days

Commissions E (Research in Astrophysics from Space) and H (Fundamental Physics in Space) Sub-commissions: E1 (Galactic and Extragalactic Astrophysics)

Scientific rationale: Neutron stars and black holes probe the strongest gravitational fields found in the present-day Universe. A large number of such objects is continuously monitored with high-energy satellites. In parallel, the recent discovery of a binary radio pulsar allows precise measurements of GR parameters at a larger distance from compact objects. Soon, these objects will be detected with upcoming gravitational-wave observatories, which will open another avenue for the study of strong gravity and the test of GR predictions. The scope of this two-day COSPAR session is to bring together experimentalists, observers, and theorists in these separate by complementary fields and discuss the strategies and aims of testing general relativity in the strong- field regime in the near future.

Scientific Organizing Committee: T.M. Belloni (Main Scientific Organizer, Italy), S.A. Hughes (Deputy Organizer, USA), D. Barret (France), M. Gilfanov (Germany/Russia), V. Kaspi (Canada), M. Kramer (UK), M. Mendez (Netherlands), R. Narayan (USA), G. Nelemans (Netherlands), D. Psaltis (USA), L. Rezzolla (Germany), M. Volonteri (USA), A. Watts (Netherlands), C. Will (USA)

Invited speakers: To be announced soon

The precise dates of the Event will be announced as soon as they are fixed.

Abstract submissions for all COSPAR 2010 events opened on 2009 August 21. **** ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS 2010 FEBRUARY 19 ****

Information on the 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly can be found at http://www.cospar2010.org/index.html%C2%A0and http://www.cospar- assembly.org/

Information on Event H02 is available on the COSPAR page http://www.cospar- assembly.org/admin/congress_overview.php?sessionid=216 and will soon be available at http://www.brera.inaf.it/gravity2010/index.html

Conference email: gravity2010_AT_brera.inaf.it

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1.8 Torino Cosmology Colloquium 2009 ------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/21/torino-cosmology-colloquium-2009/

Starting Wed, Oct 21, 2009 to Sat, Oct 24, 2009 Location: Italy, Turin, Palazzo Lascaris Additional Information: http://ecolechalongetorino.oato.inaf.it/

The Torino Chalonge Colloquium 2009 "Latest News from the Universe"

George Smoot Nobel Prize of Physics and Daniel Chalonge Medal

TURIN, 21-24 OCTOBER 2009, at the magnificent and historical Palazzo Lascaris, headquarters of the Regional Council of Piemonte

On the occasion of the International Year of Astronomy and the 250th anniversary of the Astronomical Observatory of Torino, the Colloquium "LATEST NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSE" will take place in Torino, with the participation of the 2006 Physics Nobel Prize laureate George Smoot. The spirit of the Colloquium will be in keeping with the Chalonge School's emphasis on astro-fundamental physics, and the topics on recent observational and theoretical progress made in the CMB, dark matter, dark energy, along with recent satellite data regarding solar physics and space astrometry. The programme includes a special session open to the general public at the Turin Academy of Sciences, and a visit to the Turin Astronomical Observatory and its 250th Anniversary Exhibition.

All Informations about the meeting and registration to it are displayed at :

http://chalonge.obspm.fr/

http://ecolechalongetorino.oato.inaf.it/

Early Registration is strongly encouraged

With compliments and kind regards

Ecole Chalonge <chalonge.ecole_AT_obspm.fr>

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1.9 ADM-50: A Celebration of Current GR Innovation --------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/14/adm-50-a-celebration-of-current-gr-i...

Starting Sat, Nov 07, 2009 to Sun, Nov 08, 2009 Location: College Station, TX Additional Information: http://adm-50.physics.tamu.edu

Dear Colleague,

As you may be aware, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the ADM formalism. In recognition of this, there will be a conference at Texas A&M University November 7-8 entitled

"ADM-50: A Celebration of Current GR Innovation"

The conference will focus on current research and development in general relativity. The web page for the conference is:

http://adm-50.physics.tamu.edu

There is no registration fee for the conference, but we would like you to register if you plan to attend so that we may know how many people to expect.

With best regards,

Organizing Committee ADM-50 (979)845-7778 FAX(979)845-8674

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1.10 First Galileo - Xu Guangqi Meeting ---------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/10/first-galileo-xu-guangqi-meeting/

Starting Mon, Oct 26, 2009 to Fri, Oct 30, 2009 Location: Shanghai Additional Information: http://www.icranet.org/galileo-xuguangqi

New September 30th Deadline

Early registration fee payment at 250 Euros (350 Euros after deadline)

Dear colleagues,

We have extended the deadline for early registration fee payment until September 30th. We urge everyone who intends to participate in the meeting to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Information about Hotel reservation is now available on the webpage in the section "Hotels in Shanghai".

This first "Galileo - Xu Guangqi meeting" will be held in Shanghai from Oct. 26th to 30th, 2009 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the use by Galileo Galilei of the telescope in order to study the structure of our Universe. We recall how just few years after the Discovery of the Telescope by Galileo a copy of his telescope had been brought to China by Adam Schall Von Bell, member of the Jesuits community funded by Matteo Ricci (Li Madou). The name of Xu Guangqi, associated to the one of Galileo in this meeting, celebrates this collaborator of Matteo Ricci and his most extraordinary activities in bringing to China the works of Euclid and Galileo and his strong commitment to the process of modernization and scientific development of China.

This celebration occurs within the UNITED NATIONS sponsored activities for the 2009 as Year of Astronomy.

The meeting is particularly dedicated to recall the roots of the modern scientific research in China and review the recent progress in one of the most advanced fields of scientific research: the one of relativistic astrophysics. We will review current progress in general relativity made possible by astronomical observations of the Sun, of the Stars and of the Universe. These results have been achieved on the ground of the theories of Albert Einstein and thanks to unprecedented numbers of observational techniques: in X-ray, Gamma-ray, optical wave- lengths from space based observatories, in radio telescopes wavelengths from telescopes on the ground as well as in particle physics from underground observatories. We are looking for an international meeting of approximate 274 participants, 137 from Asia and 137 from the rest of the Planet. The meeting is organized by an international organizing committee, an international scientific advisory committee and a local organizing committee. The "Galileo - Xu Guangqi Meetings" will be called in future years in order to foster the scientific cooperation of China and the international scientists in the field of Relativistic Astrophysics worldwide.

The discussed topics will be: -Large Scale Structures of the Universe and Galaxy Formation -Gravitational Waves and Precision Tests of General Relativity -General Relativity, GRBs, Neutron Star and Supernovae -Cosmological Stability, Comets, GRBs, Dinosaurs and Species Extinction and History of Astronomy

The List of Invited Speakers for each Session, the International Organizing Committee, the International Scientific Advisory Committee the Local Organizing Committee can be found at: http://www.icranet.org/galileo-xuguangqi

This meeting will be followed by the 11th Italian-Korean meeting in Seoul (Korea) on November 2-4, 2009. This meeting aims at boosting exchange of information and collaborations between Italian and Korean astrophysicists on new and hot issues in the field. This year's symposium will have a particular meaning to astrophysicists of both countries, celebration of two giants of each country in the early history of astronomy: Galileo Galilei and Hwang Lee.

Further information can be found at http://cquest.sogang.ac.kr/IKSRA/index.php.

We look forward to a successful meeting!

Remo Ruffini chair of International Organizing Committee Jing Yipeng chair of Local Organizing Committee

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1.11 GR19 ---------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/gr19/

Starting Mon, Jul 05, 2010 to Fri, Jul 09, 2010 Location: Mexico City Additional Information: http://www.gr19.com/

GR19 Scientific Program Announcement

We wish to share our excitement about the scientific program for next summer's 19th international conference on general relativity and gravitation, to be held in Mexico City July 5-9, 2010.   The conference will cover the full spectrum of gravitational physics from gravity wave detectors and data analysis to relativistic astrophysics,  cosmology, numerical GR, mathematical GR, and quantum gravity, as indicated by the broad array of plenary speakers and parallel sessions described below. This information is also available on GR19 website athttp://www.gr19.com/%C2%A0%C2%A0 .  A few additional speakers will be added in late 2009.

The current plenary speakers are listed below, as are the parallel sessions and chairs.  This information is also available on GR19 website at http://www.gr19.com/%C2%A0%C2%A0 .  A few additional speakers will be added in late 2009.

For the moment, I hope that you will plan to join us in Mexico City and that you will mark these dates on your calendar.  The website will begin taking abstract submissions later this fall.

Sincerely, Donald Marolf, SOC chair on behalf of the Scientific Organizing Committee

Plenary Speakers:

Patrick Brady Mihalis Dafermos Andrea Ghez Gary Horowitz Veronika Hubeny David McClelland Slava Mukhanov Frans Pretorius Carlo Rovelli Tarun Souradeep Ingrid Stairs Rai Weiss

Expected List of Parallel Sessions:

A1 Exact Solutions and their Interpretation Chair: Harvey Reall

A2 Mathematical Relativity and Other Progress in Classical Gravity Theory Chair: Sergio Dain

A3 Modified Gravity Theories Chair: To Be Announced

B1 Relativistic Astrophysics Chair: Tsvi Piran

B2 Numerical Relativity and Astrophysical Applications Chair: Manuela Campanelli

B3 Analytic Approximations and Perturbation Methods and their Applications Chair: Alessandra Buonanno

B4 Physical Cosmology and Gravitational Lensing Chair: Buvnesh Jain

B5 Theoretical/Mathematical Cosmology Chair: Robert Brandenberger

C1 Current ground-based GW detectors: Experiments Chair: Seiji Kawamura

C2 Ground-based GW detectors: Data analysis and techniques Chair: Marie Anne Bizouard

C3 Advanced ground-based GW detectors (R&D for and science from) Chair: Nergis Mavalvala

C4 Space-based GW detectors: Theory and experiment Chair: Stefano Vitale

C5 Experimental gravitation Chair: Eric Adelberger

D1 Loop Quantum Gravity and Spin Foams Chair: Alejandro Corichi

D2 Strings, branes and M-theory Chair: (to be announced)

D3 Causal sets, Causal dynamical triangulations, Non-commutative geometry, and other approaches to quantum gravity Chair: Fay Dowker

D4 Quantum fields in curved space-time, semiclassical gravity, quantum gravity phenomenology, and analog models Chair: Bill Unruh

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1.12 Quantum Gravity summer school ----------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/quantum-gravity-summer-school/

Starting Wed, Jun 23, 2010 to Sat, Jul 03, 2010 Location: Morelia Additional Information: http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~pasi/

Summer School First Announcement: Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) on Quantum Gravity

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Quantum Gravity summer school (Pan- American Advanced Studies Institute on Quantum Gravity) to be hosted by the Institute for Mathematics of the National Autonomous University Of Mexico (UNAM) in Morelia, Mexico, June 23-July 3, 2010. Lectures at the school will describe current research in several approaches to quantum gravity, including string theory, loop gravity, causal sets, and causal dynamical triangulations. Lectures will be appropriate for advanced Ph.D students and beginning postdocs. The goal of the school is to bring together researchers from these different approaches from throughout the americas.  A website has just been set up at http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~pasi/%C2%A0 and will be updated with more information, a list of speakers, application forms, etc. during the fall.

Please distribute this announcement to interested students and postdocs.

Important Dates: We expect to set a Jan. 31 deadline for applications to the school. Application forms, financial aid forms, etc. will be posted on this website later in fall 2009.

Logistics and Funding: The location and timing of our school have been chosen to synergize with the 19th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR19), to be held July 5-9, 2010 in Mexico City  (see http://www.gr19.com/). We have funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation to support travel and local expenses for participants from throughout the americas. The organizers expect to be able to cover all local expenses of the participants as well as to provide significant travel support. Nevertheless, we urge the student's home institutions to support the students to the maximum possible extent as this will increase the number of students who can participate in our school.

We look forward to an exciting school!

Sincerely,

Donald Marolf Alejandro Corichi Abhay Ashtekar Maximo Banados

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1.13 11th Italian-Korean Symposium ----------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/11th-italian-korean-symposium/

Starting Mon, Nov 02, 2009 to Wed, Nov 04, 2009 Location: Seoul Additional Information: http://cquest.sogang.ac.kr/IKSRA/index.php

11th Italian-Korean meeting: 30th September registration and abstract submission deadline

11th Italian-Korean Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics November 2-4, 2009 - Sogang University, Seoul Korea Webpages: http://www.icranet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=471... and http://cquest.sogang.ac.kr/IKSRA/ email: cquest-workshop_AT_sogang.ac.kr

This Eleventh Italian Korean Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics is one of the series of biannual symposia, started in 1987, and has been boosting exchange of information and collaborations between Italian and Korean astrophysicists on new and hot issues in the field of Relativistic Astrophysics. The meetings, lead alternatively in Italy and Korea, are open to the participation of scientists from all over the world.  This year's symposium will have a particular meaning to astrophysicists of both countries, celebration of two giants of each country in the early history of astronomy.

Indeed 2009 is the 4th centennial anniversary for Galileo's celestial search using his invented telescope and two years ago Koreans also celebrated four hundred years for Hwang Lee, one of the most famous Confucius scholars, who used a celestial globe to understand the universe. It is needless to say that 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy endorsed by UN.

The symposium will cover astrophysics and cosmology, such as gamma ray bursts and compact stars, high energy cosmic rays, dark energy and dark matter, general relativity, black holes, and new physics related to cosmology. The organizers wish this symposium to deepen understanding not only astrophysics and cosmology but also culture.

The symposium will take place in the historical Sogang University, founded and kept active through the centuries by the Jesuit community.

Organizers: Sang Pyo Kim (Kunsan National University) Bum Hoon Lee (Sogang University) Remo Ruffini (Università di Roma La Sapienza, ICRANet) George Smoot* (Ewha Womans University, IEU) *to be confirmed Local Organizing Committee: Changrim Ahn (Ewha Womans University) Inyong Cho (Seoul National University of Technology) Hangbae Kim (Hanyang University) Hyung Chan Kim (Chung Ju National University) Wontae Kim (Sogang University) Yoonbai Kim (Sungkyunkwan University) Hyung Won Lee (Inje University) Il Heung Park (Ewha Womans University)

The registration and abstract submission deadline is September 30th. We urge everyone who intends to participate in the meeting to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Accommodation and Travel Information can be found at http://cquest.sogang.ac.kr/IKSRA/

The 11th Italian-Korean meeting will follow the 1st Galileo-Xu Guangqi meeting in Shanghai on October 26-30, 2009, that will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the use by Galileo Galilei of the telescope in order to study the structure of our Universe. This celebration too, like the Italian-Korean meeting, occurs within the UNITED NATIONS sponsored activities for the 2009 as Year of Astronomy.  Further information can be found at: http://www.icranet.org/galileo-xuguangqi.

We look forward to a successful meeting!

================================================================= 2. Jobs =================================================================

2.1 Full Professor of Theoretical Physics (W3), Hannover, Germany -----------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/30/full-professor-of-theoretical-physic...

Institution: Hannover, Germany Deadline: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 Additional Information: http://www.questhannover.de/index.php?id=38&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Bt...

University of Hannover, QUEST Cluster of Excellence, AEI Hannover, Germany

The ideal candidate will do research work on (1) the physics of macroscopic quantum objects as encountered in the design of the next generations of laser interferometric gravitational wave observatories; (2) Astrophysical and observational implications of the improved sensitivities that will result; (3) Astrophysical and cosmological sources of gravitational radiation and their observational properties.

The position will be based at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, with a simultaneous appointment as an Adjunct Full Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute). The position is endowed with generous personnel and equipment resources. Application deadline now extended!

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2.2 Junior Professor Experimental Physics (W1), Hannover, Germany -----------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/30/junior-professor-experimental-physic...

Institution: Hannover, Germany Deadline: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 Additional Information: http://www.questhannover.de/index.php?id=93&no_cache=1

University of Hannover, QUEST Cluster of Excellence, AEI Hannover, Germany

The future appointment holder shall work on fundamental noise sources encountered in future generations of laser- interferometric gravitational wave detectors. This includes the development and application of non-classical laser interferometry, new sources of squeezed light, novel optical applications, control systems, gravity gradient noise, and other fundamental noise sources.

The position will be based at the Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, with a simultaneous appointment as an Adjunct Juniorprofessor at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute). The position is endowed with generous personnel and equipment resources. Application deadline now extended!

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2.3 Postdoctoral Position - Interpretation of Planck Data, Paris, France -----------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/30/postdoctoral-position-interpretation...

Institution: Paris, France, rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet Deadline: Tue, Nov 10, 2009

Dear colleague,

Please find below an announcement for a postdoctoral position for someone interested in participating in the Planck analysis.

Best regards, Martin Bucher

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Postdoctoral Position - Interpretation of Planck Data

We invite applications for a two-year CNES postdoctoral position in Theoretical Cosmology and CMB Analysis. The successful candidate will participate in the final stages of the analysis of the data gathered from the Planck space mission within the Planck High Frequency Instrument (HFI) Core team. The postdoc recruited will work with Martin Bucher and the Planck group at APC on the projects establishing the link between the power spectrum likelihood and constraints on candidate theoretical cosmological models. The postdoc will contribute to the three planned papers of the Planck Consortium on this subject.

The postdoc will be based at the Laboratoire AstroParticule Cosmologie (APC ) at the Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7. The Planck team at APC is very actively involved in all stages of the Planck analysis. This post also offers numerous opportunities to collaborate with researchers at other Planck partner institutions in the Paris area.

The position will begin in autumn 2010 for a term of two years, but some flexibility with respect to the start date may be possible.

Applicants should send a cover letter, CV and research statement to the attention of Mme Hélène Le Bihan, Laboratoire APC, Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7, Bâtiment Condorcet, Case 7020, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 or preferably by e-mail to helene AT apc .univ-paris7.fr and arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent on their behalf.

Inquiries regarding the position may be addressed to Martin Bucher at bucher AT th.u-psud.fr. The closing date is 10 November 2009, but applications will be considered until the position is filled.

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2.4 Assistant Professor position in the field of Gravitational Phys./Cosmology, Montana, USA --------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/30/assistant-professor-position-in-the-...

Institution: Bozeman, MT, Montana State University Deadline: Fri, Jan 15, 2010 Additional Information: http://www.montana.edu/msuinfo/jobs/faculty/

The Department of Physics at Montana State University invites  applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the field of Gravitational Physics / Cosmology, to start in the fall of 2010. A more senior appointment may be possible for an  exceptionally well-qualified applicant. Candidates from any area of gravitational physics and  cosmology are encouraged to apply, including, but not limited to: all sub-fields of gravitational  wave astronomy, general relativity, and cosmology. For complete job announcement and  application procedures go to http://www.montana.edu/msuinfo/jobs/faculty/

The successful candidate will have a strong research record,  demonstrate the potential for excellence in teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and  a commitment to mentoring Ph.D. and undergraduate research projects.

The MSU Bozeman campus (http://www.montana.edu) is nestled in the Rocky Mountains, 90 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, with easy  access to many outdoor recreation activities including world-class downhill and cross- country skiing, fly fishing, and numerous hiking and mountain biking trails. Bozeman is  well served by four major airlines.

The existing program in astrophysics and relativity focuses on  gravitational wave astronomy and compact objects. MSU is a member institution of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, and the faculty have close ties to the LISA  project.

Required: A Ph.D. in Physics or a closely related field and evidence  of potential to: (1) conduct independent research in gravitational physics / cosmology (2) successfully teach undergraduate and graduate physics courses, (3) supervise Ph.D. students, and (4) obtain extramural funding.

To be considered, the candidate must send via e-mail to sbarutha AT physics.montana.edu , preferably as a single pdf document, (1) A cover letter, (2) a curriculum vitae, including a list of publications, (3) a statement of teaching interests and experience, (4) a research plan.

Three letters of recommendation should be sent separately to the same  e-mail address.

Screening of applications will begin December 1, 2009. To receive full consideration applications should be received by January 15, 2010. Inquires may be e-mailed to sbarutha AT physics.montana.edu, or directed to Sarah Barutha at (406)  994-6186.

ADA/EO/AA/Veteran Preference. Women and minorities are encouraged to  apply.

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2.5 MCFP Postdoctoral Fellowship, Maryland, USA -----------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/23/mcfp-postdoctoral-fellowship/

Institution: College Park, MD Deadline: Tue, Dec 01, 2009 Additional Information: http://mcfp.physics.umd.edu/

The Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics (MCFP) is soliciting applications for a MCFP Postdoctoral Fellowship. The MCFP supports theoretical work in particle physics, nuclear physics, cosmology, gravity and related fields at the University of Maryland. The Center is quite vibrant and includes 14 faculty members.

MCFP Postdoctoral Fellowships may be awarded to exceptional theorists in any of the research areas supported by the Center. MCFP Fellows receive an annual salary of $60K with an additional $5K per annum in research support; appointments are for three years. The Center intends to appoint one or more MCFP Fellows with terms beginning in the Fall 2010. For best consideration, applications should be complete by December 1, 2009. Apart from the MCFP Fellowships, applicants will also be considered for standard postdoctoral positions in the Center's various research groups.

Applications should be sent electronically and include a CV a publications list and a research statement; the applicant should arrange for three letter of reference letters to be sent. All of these should be addressed to by e-mail to MCFP_Fellowship AT umd.edu

The University of Maryland is an EEEO/affirmative action employer.

More detail about the Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics can be found at http://mcfp.physics.umd.edu/

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2.6 Postdoc Position in Geometry and Physics, Alberta, Canada -------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/22/postdoc-position-in-geometry-and-phy...

Deadline: Sun, Nov 15, 2009 Additional Information: http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~geophys/postdoc.html

The Geometry and Physics Research Group in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences of the University of Alberta (http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~geophys) invites applications for postdoctoral positions to begin September 2010. The group consists of faculty members Vincent Bouchard, Charles Doran, Terry Gannon, Suneeta Vardarajan, and Eric Woolgar. Research interests include string theory, algebraic geometry, mirror symmetry, mathematical relativity, Riemannian geometry, conformal field theory, topological strings, string phenomenology, string dualities and geometric PDEs. As well, there is a very large group in our Physics Departement working in gravitational physics, relativity, astrophysics, and cosmology.

Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, publication list, research statement, teaching statement and have three letters of recommendation sent to geophys@math.ualberta.ca (in PDF format). Application material should be received prior to November 15.

Outstanding candidates who have obtained their PhD after 1 Jan 2007 may be nominated for a Pacific Institute (PIMS) postdoctoral fellowship. Information about the programme is available at: http://www.pims.math.ca/scientific/postdoctoral. Prospective PIMS applicants should be sure to include a cover letter naming the applicant's preferred University of Alberta supervisor and stating the date the candidate has received or expects to receive a PhD. On the publication list, published and accepted papers should be listed separately from preprints, work in progress should not be included but can be described elsewhere, and preprints should not be designated 'to appear' unless already accepted for publication.

We also encourage applications for PIMS postdoctoral fellowships in other areas of mathematics. Prospective applicants should address an initial enquiry and any subsequent application directly to the faculty member with whom they wish to work. See the list at http://www.math.ualberta.ca/people_faculty.html

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2.7 IRAP PhD Program 2009 - Ten positions -----------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/08/irap-phd-program-2009-ten-positions/

Additional Information: http://www.icra.it/IRAPPhD/2009/Welcome.htm

The applications (http://www.icra.it/IRAPPhD/2009/Application_frame.htm) for the 2009 call of the International Relativistic Astrophysics Ph.D. (http://www.icra.it/IRAPPhD/2009/Welcome.htm) are now open until the 30th of September 2009. Ten 3-years positions will be available, six with fellowship support at the University of Rome La Sapienza.

The proposed program of the IRAP Ph.D. enjoys the collaboration of some of the most famous European Universities with one of the youngest and most dynamical French universities, pole of research and teaching in the Euro-Mediterranean region (PRES): the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis. It benefits from the presence of the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, involved in relativistic and non-photonic astrophysics, and the presence of the ICRANet Center at Villa Ratti in Nice. The coordination of the IRAP Ph.D. will take place at ICRANet in Villa Ratti. The astronomical aspects of the large scale of the Universe will be illustrated by the teaching by the Tartu Observatory. The activities at ICRANet Centers, at the ETH of Zurich, at the University of Rome, at Stockholm University offer teaching programs in all the fields of relativistic astrophysics, including cosmology, the physics of gravitational collapse, gamma-ray bursts, and black hole physics. The participation of the Freie Universität of Berlin and of the Einstein Institute in Potsdam (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics) offers the possibility of teaching in relativistic field theories at the highest level. The University of Savoy offers the link to the particle physics at CERN. The University of Ferrara will be present with lectures and researches in the topics they have pioneered such as instrumentations developments and data analysis for X and Gamma ray astrophysics and observational cosmology.

Through ICRANet the extra-European connections with Brazil, China and India will be guaranteed: in China, with the Shanghai Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Science, studying the formation and evolution of large-scale structure and galaxies; in India, with the Indian Centre for Space Physics (ICSP), renowned for its research on compact objects as well as on solar physics and astrochemistry; in Brazil, with ICRA-Br at CBPF, where a successful program of research and teaching in relativistic astrophysics has been established in recent years.

The courses will be the following: Ultra high energy gamma ray sources (F. Aharonian); The approach to the singularity (V. Belinski); Relativistic effects in GRBs (C.L. Bianco); Accretions on black holes and neutrons stars (S. Chakrabarti); Particle physics applied to astrophysics (P. Chardonnet); Exobiology (S. Chakrabarti); General relativity (T. Damour); Large scale structure of the universe (J. Einasto); Signal treatment (A. Ferrari); X-Rays and gamma rays astronomy (F. Frontera); X-Rays clusters (R. Giacconi); Planetology (T. Guillot); Formation of galaxies (Y. Jing); On the Kerr solution (R. Kerr); Relativistic field theory (H. Kleinert); Planetology (A. Morbidelli); Development on BKL work (H. Nicolai); Non singular cosmology (M. Novello); Extragalatic astrophysics (J. Pacheco); Gravitational waves (T. Regimbau); Singularities and general relativity (K. Rosquist); Black holes and fundamental physics (R. Ruffini); Thermalization and collective effects (G. Vereshchagin); Gravitational waves (J.Y. Vinet); Ultra relativistic electron positron plasma (S.S. Xue).

Applications: http://www.icra.it/IRAPPhD/2009/Application_frame.htm

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2.8 Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Cosmology, Gravitation or String Theory ---------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/post-doctoral-research-fellowship-in...

Institution: University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Cosmology, Gravitation or String Theory 3 year position(s)

Deadline: 1 September (but will remain open until filled)

Post-doctoral research fellowships are available in the Cosmology and Gravity Group at the University of Cape Town. The fields of research is open, but preference will be given to candidates whose research interests are aligned members of the group.

Positions are available for a period of up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance. The stipend will afford a good standard of living, and a return economy class airfare will be paid. Funding should allow for one international trip per year, and a modest amount of equipment.

The fellowship is awarded as part of the South African National Research Foundation Blue Skies Initiative, and must begin by the end of 2009 to receive the full 3 years of funding.

If you require further details please email any member of the group.

To apply, please email your CV and publication list and contact details of three referees to

Mrs Di Loureiro, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7701 South Africa Di.Lapidoloureiro_AT_uct.ac.za

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2.9 Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, Otago, New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/lecturer-in-applied-mathematics/

Deadline: Fri, Nov 06, 2009 Additional Information: http://www.maths.otago.ac.nz

Applications are invited for a full-time, confirmation path position as Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Otago, specialising in Applied Mathematics. The successful applicant will be expected to teach at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to develop an active research programme and supervise postgraduate research students. Candidates should have a PhD in Mathematics or a related area, a commitment to ongoing research in Applied Mathematics, and experience in teaching. We particularly welcome applicants whose research interests complement those of the Applied Mathematics staff at Otago or which will help develop new links with other departments on campus. Research interests of staff at Otago include mathematical and numerical relativity, algebra, anomalous diffusion, applied continuum mechanics, approximation of PDEs, complex analysis, computational modelling, fractional calculus, graph theory, mathematics education, numerical methods, operator semigroups, polar marine physics, modelling plus environmental, ecological statistics and time series.

Applications quoting reference number A09/95 close on Friday 6 November 2009.

The Department is committed to diversity in staffing and we encourage applications from women and other groups who are under represented in the Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Parental leave without pay of up to 52 weeks and paid parental leave of 12 weeks' salary may be granted to employees with at least one year's service. The University operates childcare centres covering the period from birth to eight years.

Specific enquiries may be directed to Professor Richard Barker, Head of Department, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Tel 64 3 479 7756, Fax 64 3 479 8427, Email rbarker@maths.otago.ac.nz. Further details about the Department, its staff, courses, and research interests can be obtained from http://www.maths.otago.ac.nz

================================================================= 3. News =================================================================

3.1 GWIC Thesis Prize ---------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/23/gwic-thesis-prize/

Additional Information: http://gwic.ligo.org/thesisprize/

First Announcement of 2009 Prize

The Gravitational Wave International Committee (GWIC) was formed to promote international collaboration and cooperation in the construction, operation and use of gravitational wave detection facilities world-wide. To this end, GWIC has established an annual prize for the outstanding Ph.D. thesis based on research in gravitational waves (http://gwic.ligo.org/thesisprize/).

Members of the broader gravitational wave community are invited to nominate students who have performed notable research on any aspect of gravitational waves science. Theses will be judged on 1) originality and creativity of the research, 2) importance to the field of gravitational waves and gravitational wave detection, broadly interpreted, and 3) clarity of presentation in the thesis.

Eligibility: The award is made on a calendar year basis. Theses should have been accepted by their institutions between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 to qualify for consideration. It is expected that many of the nominations will come from the member projects of GWIC, but this is not a requirement.

A committee representing the GWIC member projects will evaluate the nominations and select the winner. Nominated theses may be in any language - the selection committee will use consultants to help evaluate theses if they do not possess the required linguistic breadth. The selection committee will make the final determinations about eligibility.

The GWIC Thesis Prize will be presented at the 19th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR19) (http://www.gr19.com/) in Mexico City, from 5-9 July 2010. The recipient will receive a certificate of recognition and a prize of $1,000.

Nominations: A Call for Nominations will be issued approximately November 1, 2009 with instructions about how to submit a nomination.

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3.2 Living Reviews in Relativity: "Null Geodesic Congruences..." ----------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/11/living-reviews-in-relativity-null-ge...

Additional Information: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2009-6

Living Reviews in Relativity http://relativity.livingreviews.org/ ISSN: 1433-8351

11 September 2009

Today, Living Reviews in Relativity has published a new review article on "Null Geodesic Congruences, Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes and Their Physical Interpretation" by Timothy M. Adamo and Carlos Kozameh and Ezra T. Newman.

Please find the abstract and further details below.

------------------ PUB.NO. lrr-2009-6 Adamo, Timothy M. and Kozameh, Carlos and Newman, Ezra T. "Null Geodesic Congruences, Asymptotically-Flat Spacetimes and Their Physical Interpretation"

ACCEPTED: 2009-08-05 PUBLISHED: 2009-09-11

ABSTRACT: A priori, there is nothing very special about shear-free or asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. Surprisingly, however, they turn out to possess a large number of fascinating geometric properties and to be closely related, in the context of general relativity, to a variety of physically significant effects. It is the purpose of this paper to try to fully develop these issues.

This work starts with a detailed exposition of the theory of shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences, i.e., congruences with shear that vanishes at future conformal null infinity. A major portion of the exposition lies in the analysis of the space of regular shear-free and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences. This analysis leads to the space of complex analytic curves in complex Minkowski space. They in turn play a dominant role in the applications.

The applications center around the problem of extracting interior physical properties of an asymptotically-flat spacetime directly from the asymptotic gravitational (and Maxwell) field itself, in analogy with the determination of total charge by an integral over the Maxwell field at infinity or the identification of the interior mass (and its loss) by (Bondi's) integrals of the Weyl tensor, also at infinity.

More specifically, we will see that the asymptotically shear-free congruences lead us to an asymptotic definition of the center-of- mass and its equations of motion. This includes a kinematic meaning, in terms of the center-of-mass motion, for the Bondi three-momentum. In addition, we obtain insights into intrinsic spin and, in general, angular momentum, including an angular- momentum–conservation law with well-defined flux terms. When a Maxwell field is present, the asymptotically shear-free congruences allow us to determine/define at infinity a center-of- charge world line and intrinsic magnetic dipole moment.

The work ends with appendices relating the shear-free congruences asymptotic twistor space and an induced CR structure on future null infinity.

FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2009-6

UPCOMING ARTICLES AT: http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html

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3.3 GRG Society Fellowships ---------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/grg-society-fellowships/

Additional Information: http://grg.maths.qmul.ac.uk/grgsoc/prizes.php

Announcement

The International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation has instituted Fellowships to recognize its outstanding members. In a steady state we expect the total number of Fellows to constitute approximately 10% of the membership. To reach this goal and to ensure that younger members of our Society are also elected in the initial rounds, the following procedure will be used:

i) Fellows will be elected once every three years, prior to the GRG conferences. For the first two rounds (GR19 and GR20), at least half of the number of Fellows elected in any one round should be of 45 years or less of age on the day the conference begins.

ii) The fellowship committees for GR19 and GR20 will be asked to elect 10 fellows each. Thereafter, the committee will elect approximately 1.5% of the members per 3-year cycle. The precise number for each round will be established at the prior GR meeting by the Executive Committee of the Society.

The primary criterion for election is excellence in research, especially the impact of candidate's work on the development of our field. The candidate will be generally expected to have made additional contributions to the field, for example through service, and/or outreach, and/or books and monographs, etc. In exceptional cases such criteria could constitute the primary basis of nomination provided these activities have had influence on a significant portion of our community, not just the home institution of the candidate.

Nominations are due by December 31st, 2009. Any member of the Society can make nominations but self nominations will not be considered. The nomination packet will consist of PDF files or 5 hard copies of: i) A letter summarizing the basis for nomination; ii) An up to date CV and publication list of the nominee; iii) 1 to 3 supporting letters from members of the Society, and, iv) A proposed citation. Once made, the nomination will remain active for two additional rounds. Further details can be found at http://grg.maths.qmul.ac.uk/grgsoc/prizes.php

Electronic nominations are preferred. The nomination packet (PDF files) should be sent to: Ms Randi Neshteruk <rxh1_AT_psu.edu>

Mailing address for hard copies: Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos 104 Davey Lab, Penn State University Park, PA 16802-6300 Fax +1 (814) 863 9601

The elected Fellows will be inducted in a ceremony during the Business Meeting of the Society in Mexico City.

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3.4 Award of the Daniel Chalonge Medal 2009 -------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/award-of-the-daniel-chalonge-medal-2...

Additional Information: http://chalonge.obspm.fr

The Daniel Chalonge Medal 2009 has been awarded to

Professor Peter BIERMANN

The International School of Astrophysics "Daniel Chalonge" has awarded the Daniel Chalonge Medal 2009 to Professor Peter Biermann from the MPI for Radioastronomie of Bonn (D) and University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa (USA).

The medal was awarded to Peter Biermann for his pioneering, impressive and multiple contributions to astrophysics (as for example high energy particle acceleration, cosmic rays, galactic nuclei and black holes), and for his support and outstanding contributions to the Chalonge School. In particular, Peter Biermann is involved in astrophysical dark matter research in the standard model of the universe, one of the most discussed topics in the Chalonge School.

The medal was presented to Peter Biermann on July 25, 2009 during the sessions of the 13th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2009 at the Observatoire de Paris HQ (historic Perrault building) in the Cassini Hall, on the meridian of Paris, which was attended by about hundred participants from the world over, among them three Chalonge Medals.

Peter Biermann is at the heart of the programs and life of the School, promoting fruitful discussions and work with the participants and supporting the origin and development of new ideas and projects.

The Chalonge Medal, coined exclusively for the Chalonge School by the prestigious Hotel de la Monnaie de Paris (the French Mint), is a totally surprise award and only seven Chalonge medals have been awarded in the 18 year school history.

Science with great intellectual endeavour and a human face. True and healthy science. Outstanding gentleperson scientists. Scientists recipients of the Daniel Chalonge Medal are Ambassadors of the School.

The list of the awarded Chalonge Medals is the following:

1991:Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, Nobel prize of physics. 1992: Bruno Pontecorvo. 2006: George Smoot, Nobel prize of physics. 2007: Carlos Frenk. 2008: Anthony Lasenby. 2008: Bernard Sadoulet. 2009: Peter Biermann.

See the announcement, full history, photo gallery and links at: http://chalonge.obspm.fr "Click on The Daniel Chalonge Medal 2009" http://chalonge.obspm.fr/Medal_Chalonge2009.pdf

With Compliments and kind regards

Ecole Chalonge chalonge.ecole@obspm.fr

http://chalonge.obspm.fr

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3.5 Thesis Prizes of the International Society on GRG - Second call for nominations --------------------------------------------------------------

Announcement on Hyperspace@AEI: http://hyperspace.aei.mpg.de/2009/09/07/thesis-prizes-of-the-international-s...

Additional Information: http://grg.maths.qmul.ac.uk/grgsoc/prizes.php

The International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation has instituted two Ph.D. thesis prizes, one in classical general relativity and one in quantum gravity. One prize in each category will be given at the tri-annual GRG conferences. Monetary value of each award will be $1,500. These prizes will complement the Gravitational Wave thesis prize awarded by GWIC whose funds are also administered by the Society.

The first of the two new awards, the Jürgen Ehlers thesis prize, is sponsored by Springer and will cover the areas of mathematical and numerical general relativity in a broad sense. The second, the Bergmann-Wheeler prize, is sponsored by Classical and Quantum Gravity and will encompass all approaches to quantum gravity.

The Society seeks nominations for both prizes. The deadline for receipt of the nomination packet is extended to September 30th, 2009. The nominator must be a member of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation and can make at most one nomination in each category. The nominee need not be a member of the Society but the official thesis defense must have taken place between September 1, 2006 and August 31st, 2009. The nomination package will consist of:

i) A nomination letter summarizing the main results and their importance and elaborating student's role in case of joint work. ii) A PDF file or four hard copies of the thesis (one for each committee member). Copies of published papers that constitute the thesis can be submitted in lieu of the thesis. iii) A CV and the publication list of the nominee. iv) An official University document showing the date of the successful Ph.D. defense. v) One or two letters in support from experts if the nominator is a supervisor of the Ph.D. thesis.

The primary criteria for selection will be the high quality of scientific results, creativity and originality, and the significance of results for the broad area of the prize. The winner for each prize will be chosen by a committee of leading international experts in the field approximately six months before the GR19 conference in Mexico City. This will provide the winners ample time to plan travel to the conference. (In exceptional cases, the Executive committee of the GRG Society may allow the prize to be given in absentia.)

Electronic nominations are preferred. The nomination packet should be sent to:

Ms Randi Neshteruk <rxh1_AT_psu.edu>

Mailing address for hard copies: Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos 104 Davey Lab, Penn State University Park, PA 16802-6300

Further information can be found at http://grg.maths.qmul.ac.uk/grgsoc/prizes.php