The trustees are pleased to announce the Awards for Essays for 2013.

1. $4,000 – Information Conservation Is Fundamental: Recovering the Lost Information in Hawking Radiation by Baocheng Zhang[1], Qing-yu Cai[1], Ming-sheng Zhan[1], and Li You[2]; [1]Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, People’s Republic of China, [2]Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; e-mail: zhangbc[AT]wipm.ac.cn, qycai[AT]wipm.ac.cn, mszhan[AT]wipm.ac.cn, lyou[AT]mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

2. $1,250 – What Is the Shape of the Initial State? by Nishant Agarwal[1], R. Holman[2], and Andrew J. Tolley[3]; [1]McWilliams Center for Cosmology, Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, [2]Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, [3]Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106; e-mail: nishanta[AT]andrew.cmu.edu, rh4a[AT]andrew.cmu.edu, andrew.j.tolley[AT]case.edu

3. $1,000 – What Happens at the Horizon? by Samir D. Mathur, Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210; e-mail: mathur.16[AT]osu.edu

4. $750 – On Negative Mass by Jonathan Belletete and M.B. Paranjape; Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3J7; e-mail: jonathan.belletete[AT]umontreal.ca, paranj[AT]lps.umontreal.ca

5. $500 – Dark Energy with Rigid Voids versus Relativistic Voids Alone by Boudewijn F. Roukema; Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Gagarina 11, 87-100 Torun, Poland; e-mail: boud[AT]astro.uni.torun.pl

Selected for Honorable Mention this year were (listed in alphabetical order): Antonio Accioly, Jose Helayel-Neto, Eslley Scatena, Rodrigo Turcati; Stephen L. Adler; Heikki Arponen; Michele Arzano, Stefano Bianco, Olaf Dreyer; Arjun Bagchi, Daniel Grumiller; Tom Banks; Spyros Basilakos, Jose Ademir Sales Lima, Joan Sola’; Arpan Bhattacharyya, Aninda Sinha; Tirthabir Biswas; Xavier Calmet; Salvatore Capozziello, Tiberiu Harko, Francisco S.N. Lobo, Gonzalo J. Olmo; Lay Nam Chang, Zachary Lewis, Djordje Minic, Tatsu Takeuchi; Bin Chen, Jia-ju Zhang; Borun D. Chowdhury; Upasana Das, Banibrata Mukhopadhyay; Parth Girdhar, Archil Kobakhidze; Hal M. Haggard, Carlo Rovelli; Richard T. Hammond; Shahar Hod; Ted Jacobson; Ali Kaya; Tomi Sebastian Koivisto, Danielle Elizabeth Wills; Barun Majumder; Jakub Mielczarek; Douglas G. Moore, V.H. Satheeshkumar; Shinji Mukoyama, Jean-Philippe Uzan; Duff Neill, Ira Z. Rothstein; Y. Jack Ng; Hamsa Padmanabhan, T. Padmanabhan; Kyriakos Papadodimas, Suvrat Raju; K. Ropotenko; Pablo Alejandro Sanchez, Mauricio Bellini; C. Sivaram; Matteo Smerlak; Dejan Stojkovic; Herman Telkamp; Li Xiang, Yi Ling, You Gen Shen.

This announcement and abstracts of award-winning and honorable mention essays will be posted when ready on our web site, http://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org. The five award-winning essays will be posted on our web site and published in a special issue of the International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD).

Higher spin gravity has gained broader appeal in recent years due to its appearance in the AdS/CFT correspondence. I hope that you will find this focus issue of particular interest and encourage you to share and circulate this with your colleagues and peers.

I hope that you will publish your next paper with CQG http://bit.ly/Wut54Y and I look forward to working with you soon.

Best wishes,

Adam Day
Publisher
Classical and Quantum Gravity
cqg@iop.org

P.S. Don’t forget to read our Highlights of 2011-2012 http://bit.ly/vrrUyh selected by the Editorial Board, which are free to read until 31 December 2013.

The Llama Multi-Block Infrastructure for Cactus is now publicly available under the GNU General Public License. Llama provides three-dimensional multi-block capability for Cactus-based simulations that can be combined with Carpet’s adaptive mesh refinement functionality. Llama decomposes the domain into multiple (potentially overlapping) blocks with different local coordinate systems. This allows e.g. spherical domains, spherical excision, adaptive radial/angular resolution, etc., without incurring coordinate singularities.

Llama provides several patch systems suitable for single and binary objects in relativistic astrophysics, and is well integrated with the Einstein Toolkit . Llama was already used for several publications , and we believe the code is ready to be used in other projects. We are seeking volunteers to help us add tutorials and documentation, improve error messages, and generally shake down and brush up the code for a future inclusion in the Einstein Toolkit.

To aid others in getting started using Llama, we will be hosting a virtual workshop where we provide an overview of the code and answer questions. Details will be announced shortly.

Llama constitutes the fruit of a significant effort of several people over several years. We make Llama public to help modernize the computational tools used in our community, and in the hope to boost Llama itself by inviting contributions from everybody. We ask you to acknowledge our effort by following the citation guidelines described on .

The Llama groomers:

R. Haas, I. Hinder, D. Pollney, C. Reisswig, E. Schnetter, B. Wardell

Although the book contains lecture notes written in 1972, it is (and will remain) an excellent introduction to general relativity, which covers its physical foundations, its mathematical formalism, the classical tests of its predictions, its application to cosmology, a number of specific and important issues (such as the initial value formulation of general relativity, signal propagation, time orientation, causality violation, singularity theorems, conformal transformations, and asymptotic structure of spacetime), and the early approaches to quantization of the gravitational field.

Robert Geroch, General Relativity: 1972 Lecture Notes (Minkowski Institute Press, Montreal 2013)

http://www.minkowskiinstitute.org/mip/books/geroch-gr.html

Heart of Darkness is a popular science book (level of reader = college educated) that describes the incredible saga of humankind’s quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past thirty years, scientists have learned that two little-understood components–dark matter and dark energy–comprise most of the known cosmos, explain the growth of all cosmic structure, and hold the key to the universe’s fate. The story of how evidence for the so-called “Lambda-Cold Dark Matter” model of cosmology has been gathered by generations of scientists throughout the world is told here by one of the pioneers of the field, Jeremiah Ostriker, and his coauthor Simon Mitton.

Between 1 April and 3 April, all ISGRG members should receive an email from me describing the ISGRG election to begin 11 April 2013 and to conclude during our General Assembly at GR20.

If you did not receive this important email:

1. We may have an incorrect email address for you. Please send me an email from your preferred address;
2. Your mail program may have rejected it or placed it in your junk mail directory. If you can’t find my email, please send me an email and I will reply with the original email;
3. Your dues may be sufficiently in arrears that you are no longer a member. If you wish to reinstate your membership, please let me know. (I hope you will do this!)

I hope to see you at GR20 (http://gr20-amaldi10.edu.pl/index.php?id=1).

Best wishes to all,

Beverly

Beverly K. Berger
Secretary, ISGRG
beverlyberger[AT]me.com
grgsocietymail[AT]gmail.com

One of the above email addresses will appear on the message from me.

Please find the abstract and further details below.

——————
PUB.NO. lrr-2013-4
Benacquista, Matthew J. and Downing, Jonathan M.B.
“Relativistic Binaries in Globular Clusters”

ACCEPTED: 2012-11-29
PUBLISHED: 2013-03-04

FULL ARTICLE AT:

http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-4

ABSTRACT:
Galactic globular clusters are old, dense star systems typically containing 10^4 – 10^6 stars. As an old population of stars, globular clusters contain many collapsed and degenerate objects. As a dense population of stars, globular clusters are the scene of many interesting close dynamical interactions between stars. These dynamical interactions can alter the evolution of individual stars and can produce tight binary systems containing one or two compact objects. In this review, we discuss theoretical models of globular cluster evolution and binary evolution, techniques for simulating this evolution that leads to relativistic binaries, and current and possible future observational evidence for this population. Our discussion of globular cluster evolution will focus on the processes that boost the production of tight binary systems and the subsequent interaction of these binaries that can alter the properties of both bodies and can lead to exotic objects. Direct N-body integrations and Fokker–Planck simulations of the evolution of globular clusters that incorporate tidal interactions and lead to predictions of relativistic binary populations are also discussed. We discuss the current observational evidence for cataclysmic variables, millisecond pulsars, and low-mass X-ray binaries as well as possible future detection of relativistic binaries with gravitational radiation.

UPCOMING ARTICLES AT:

http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html

Nominations for the 2013 Bronstein Prize are invited. The nominee should have been a post-doc in loop quantum gravity (interpreted widely) for some period between the Loops11 and Loops13 conferences. The nomination packet should consist of: i) A ~1 page nomination letter summarizing the specific achievements to date of the nominee; ii) A complete CV and a publication list of the nominee; iii) 1-2 letters of support from experts emphasizing the broad significance of all research contributions to date of the nominee; and, iv) A proposed citation. Self nominations will not be considered. The entire packet should be bundled into a single PDF file and e-mailed to Ms. Randi Neshteruk (rxh1[AT]psu.edu) by April 30th 2013.

The prize consisting of a certificate and a monetary reward will be presented during the Loops 2013 conference, which will be held at the Perimeter Institute, Canada, during July 22-26.

GAUGE THEORIES OF GRAVITATION: A Reader with Commentaries

Foreword by T.W.B. Kibble, FRS
Imperial College Press, London, April 2013

Part A The Rise of Gauge Theory of Gravity up to 1961
1. From Special to General Relativity Theory
2. Analyzing General Relativity Theory
3. A Fresh Start by Yang–Mills and Utiyama

Part B Poincar´e Gauge Theory
4. Einstein–Cartan(–Sciama–Kibble) Theory as Viable Gravit. Theory
5. General Structure of Poincare Gauge Theory (Including Quadratic Lagrangians)
6. Translational Gauge Theory
7. Fallacies About Torsion 259

Part C Extending the Gauge Group of Gravity
8. Poincare Group Plus Scale Transformations: Weyl–Cartan Gauge Theory of Gravity
9. From the Poincare to the Affine Group: Metric-Affine Gravity
10. Conformal Gauge Theory of Gravity
11. (Anti-)de Sitter Gauge Theory of Gravity
12. From the Square Root of Translations to the Super Poincare Group

Part D Specific Subjects of Metric-Affine Gravity and Poincare Gauge Theory
13. Hamiltonian Structure
14. Equations of Motion for Matter
15. Cosmological Models
16. Exact Solutions
17. Poincare Gauge Theory in Three Dimensions
18. Dislocations and Torsion
19. The Yang Episode: A Historical Case Study

Experts in gravity who want to purchase a copy of the book, can get presently a 25% discount on it. Please go to the link

http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/p781#t=toc

and quote WSSPPK25 upon checking out your shopping cart. Then you will enjoy a 25% discount.

International Journal of Modern Physics D has published a new special issue on Gravitational Wave Detection and Fundamental Physics in Space [IJMPD Vol. 22, No. 1 (2013)].

Web address: http://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijmpd/22/01
Visit and register with World Scientific website today to read the full text of these articles.

With best wishes,
Chee-Hok Lim

Publishing Editor
International Journal of Modern Physics D
email: ijmpd[AT]wspc.com

I am glad to announce hyperspace’s new look! Behind what seems only an aesthetical restyle there is a major overhaul of hyperspace, which is now fully compatible with WordPress and less relying on purpose-made scripts. This will mean a higher level of security and the ability to continuosly improve the site as new versions of WordPress are released.

Notable new changes are:
- easier to use forms for posting job, conferences, etc. with a simple-to-use captcha filter.
- the ability to browse all posts back in time (and not just in the future).
- an easier management of the personal profiles.

We have tested the site carefully but glitches are still possible. Should you encounter one, please be patient and report it immediately. As always we strive to give you the best  service and as ever we will benefit from your input on how to improve hyperspace.

Luciano Rezzolla and the hyperspace@aei team (Frank Schulz and Marcus Thienert)

“The Spin-Foam Approach to Quantum Gravity” by Alejandro Perez and “Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity” by Sabine Hossenfelder.

Please find the abstract and further details below.

——————
PUB.NO. lrr-2013-3
Perez, Alejandro
“The Spin-Foam Approach to Quantum Gravity”

ACCEPTED: 2012-06-11
PUBLISHED: 2012-02-14

FULL ARTICLE AT:

http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-3

ABSTRACT:
This article reviews the present status of the spin-foam approach to the quantization of gravity. Special attention is payed to the pedagogical presentation of the recently-introduced new models for four-dimensional quantum gravity. The models are motivated by a suitable implementation of the path integral quantization of the Plebanski formulation of gravity on a simplicial regularization. The article also includes a self contained treatment of 2+1 gravity. The simple nature of the latter provides the basis and a perspective for the analysis of both conceptual and technical issues that remain open in four dimensions.

——————
PUB.NO. lrr-2013-2
Hossenfelder, Sabine
“Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity”

ACCEPTED: 2012-10-11
PUBLISHED: 2013-01-29

FULL ARTICLE AT:

http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-2

ABSTRACT:
We review the question whether the fundamental laws of nature limit our ability to probe arbitrarily short distances. First, we examine what insights can be gained from thought experiments for probes of shortest distances, and summarize what can be learned from different approaches to a theory of quantum gravity. Then we discuss some models that have been developed to implement a minimal length scale into quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. These models have entered the literature under the names of generalized uncertainty principle or modified dispersion relation, and have allowed to study the effects of a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, thermodynamics, black hole physics and cosmology. Finally, we touch upon the question if there are ways to circumvent the manifestation of a minimal length scale in short-distance physics.

UPCOMING ARTICLES AT:

http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html

2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation

In 2013, for our sixty-fourth competition, the trustees of the Gravity Research Foundation are offering five awards for short essays for the purpose of stimulating thought and encouraging work on gravitation. The stipulations follow.

(1) We will make these Awards on May 15, 2013 for the best well-written essays, 1500 words or less (excluding abstracts, diagrams, references and minimal equations), on the subject of gravitation, its theory, applications, or effects.

(2) The First Award will be $4000.00
The Second Award will be 1250.00
The Third Award will be 1000.00
The Fourth Award will be 750.00
The Fifth Award will be 500.00

(3) Essays must be in English and e-mailed in a single PDF file before April 1, 2013. Early submission is desirable. One essay only will be accepted from each author. Notify us within 24 hours if you do not receive an e-mail confirmation of your submission.

(4) Title pages should include essay title; authors’ names, complete mailing and e-mail addresses; submission date; an abstract of 125 words or less; and the statement: “Essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2013 Awards for Essays on Gravitation.” Pages should be numbered.

(5) The decision of the judges will be final and no reviews or comments will be provided.

(6) Please check the winners’ announcement to be posted on our website: http://www.gravityresearchfoundation.org around May 15, 2013. We will also attempt to send all participants a general e-mail notification.

(7) The five award-winning essays will be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD). Authors of essays designated Honorable Mention will be invited to submit their essays to the IJMPD where these may undergo additional refereeing at editorial discretion for possible publication. Authors of all other essays are free and encouraged to publish their essays after May 15th.

Submission e-mail address: George M. Rideout, Jr., President (grideoutjr[AT]aol.com)

Recent First Award Winners:
2012 – Claus Kiefer and Manuel Kraemer, University of Cologne, Koeln, Germany
2011 – Ivan Agullo, Penn State and Leonard Parker, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2010 – Mark Van Raamsdonk, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
2009 – Alexander Burinskii, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
2008 – T. Padmanabhan, IUCAA, Pune, India
2007 – S. Carlip, University of California at Davis
2006 – Vijay Balasubramanian, University of Pennsylvania; Donald Marolf, University of California at Santa Barbara and Moshe Rozali, University of British Columbia
2005 – John Ellis, CERN; N. E. Mavromatos, King’s College London and D. V. Nanopoulos, Texas A and M University
2004 – Maulik Parikh, Columbia University, New York
2003 – Martin Bojowald, The Pennsylvania State University
2002 – Steven B. Giddings, University of California at Santa Barbara and Stanford University, Stanford, California
2001 – Csaba Csaki and Joshua Erlich, Los Alamos National Lab and Christophe Grojean, University of California at Berkeley
2000 – Arthur Lue and Erick J. Weinberg, Columbia University, New York
1999 – John Ellis, CERN; N. E. Mavromatos, University of Oxford and D. V. Nanopoulos, Texas A and M University
1998 – Viqar Husain, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Please find the abstract and further details below.

——————
PUB.NO. lrr-2013-1
Abramowicz, Marek A. and Fragile, P. Chris
“Foundations of Black Hole Accretion Disk Theory”

ACCEPTED: 2012-11-15
PUBLISHED: 2013-01-14

FULL ARTICLE AT:

http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2013-1

ABSTRACT:
This review covers the main aspects of black hole accretion disk theory. We begin with the view that one of the main goals of the theory is to better understand the nature of black holes themselves. In this light we discuss how accretion disks might reveal some of the unique signatures of strong gravity: the event horizon, the innermost stable circular orbit, and the ergosphere. We then review, from a first-principles perspective, the physical processes at play in accretion disks. This leads us to the four primary accretion disk models that we review: Polish doughnuts (thick disks), Shakura–Sunyaev (thin) disks, slim disks, and advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). After presenting the models we discuss issues of stability, oscillations, and jets. Following our review of the analytic work, we take a parallel approach in reviewing numerical studies of black hole accretion disks. We finish with a few select applications that highlight particular astrophysical applications: measurements of black hole mass and spin, black hole vs. neutron star accretion disks, black hole accretion disk spectral states, and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs).

UPCOMING ARTICLES AT:

http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html

As an affiliated commission (AC2) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (GRG Society) has been granted permission for an annual IUPAP Young Scientist Prize, to be offered first in 2013. The IUPAP Young Scientist Prizes (see http://www.iupap.org/youngscientist/page_50920.html) recognize outstanding achievements of scientists at early stages of their career. Each prize consists of a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient, a Medal and 1000 euros.

The conditions for the prize are:

The IUPAP General Relativity and Gravitation Young Scientist Prize can be for work in any area of relativity and gravitation, theoretical or experimental. On 15 February 2013, nominees must have a maximum of eight years of research experience (excluding career interruptions) following the Ph.D. (or equivalent) degree. They are expected to have displayed significant achievement and exceptional promise for future achievements in relativity and gravitation.

Nominations may be made by any member of the GRG Society (other than the nominee) and should be accompanied by a CV, a proposed citation of 30-50 words summarizing the reason for the nomination, a list of publications and a description (about one page long) of the specific achievements of the nominee, who need not be a GRG member. The entire package should be bundled into a single PDF file and emailed to the President of the GRG Society (which is also Affiliated Commission 2 of IUPAP) at m.a.h.maccallum[AT]qmul.ac.uk by 15 February 2013. The award will be made at the GR20 conference.

It is important that the selection committee has specific information that allows it to determine what the nominee has contributed and how this will impact the subject. Therefore it will be extremely helpful to the selection committee to receive at least two additional letters supporting the nomination that detail the expected significance of the contributions of the nominee. It is also appropriate to submit additional materials such as published articles.

Questions may be addressed to Beverly K. Berger, Secretary, International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (beverlyberger[AT]me.com).

Science with great intellectual endeavour and a Human Face

Welcome to the Chalonge School: A Laboratory of Ideas.
Research, Training and Scientific Culture.

A beacon pioneering and developping research, projects and training. The programme offers unvaluable international current research view at the forefront of astrophysics and cosmology, international contacts at the highest level and a careful interdisciplinarity, with both Theory and Observations. The programme is open to researchers, post-docs and advanced students of the different disciplines in the field, both theorists, experimentalists, observers. Advanced students, post-docs, young researchers are encouradged to participate. The programme includes scientific culture events and exhibitions.

The Programme 2013 is available at

http://chalonge.obspm.fr/Programme2013.html

http://chalonge.obspm.fr

The Chalonge School Team

Organizers:
Norma G. SANCHEZ, Héctor J. DE VEGA, Maria C. FALVELLA, Alba ZANINI, Marina RAMON MEDRANO, Annalisa PERISSA and other colleagues …..

Technical Support:
Djilali ZIDANI, François SEVRE, Nicole LETOURNEUR, Jean-Pierre MICHEL, Sylvain CNUDDE, Emmanuel VERGNAUD, Jèrome BERTHIER, and other colleagues….

The Chalonge School Medal:

The Chalonge Medal is coined exclusively for the Chalonge School by the Hôtel de la Monnaie de Paris (the French Mint). Only nine Chalonge medals have been awarded in the 21 year school history.

Awarded Daniel Chalonge Medals:

Subramanyan CHANDRASEKHAR, Nobel prize of physics.
Bruno PONTECORVO.
George SMOOT, Nobel prize of physics.
Carlos FRENK.
Anthony LASENBY.
Bernard SADOULET.
Peter BIERMANN.
John MATHER, Nobel prize of physics.
Brian SCHMIDT, Nobel prize of Physics.

School Courses, Lectures and Lecturers, Album of Pictures : http://chalonge.obspm.fr

With compliments and kind regards

International Journal of Modern Physics D (IJMPD) takes great pleasure to announce that the 2012 Gravity Research Foundation (GRF) Essays are now published in the Special Issue: IJMPD Vol. 21, No. 11 (2012) http://www.worldscientific.com/toc/ijmpd/21/11

The contents, including the award-winning essays, selected honorable mention essays and invited papers, are free to read until May 2013.

If you find the articles to be of particular interest, we hope that you will circulate them with your colleagues and peers. We also welcome any comments and suggestions from you.

With best wishes,
Chee-Hok Lim

Publishing Editor
International Journal of Modern Physics D
email: ijmpd[AT]wspc.com

“Galaxy Formation & Large Scale Structures: Theory versus Observations”, Paris Observatory, 29 and 30 November 2012

We are pleased to inform you that the presentations of the Workshop are available on line in .pdf format in the www site of the meeting

http://luth.obspm.fr/~luthier/corasaniti/SU_MEETING_2012/Workshop_SU_2012.html

Contents:

Adriano Agnello, Stéphane Colombi,Hélène Courtois,Héctor de Vega, Hervé Dole, Nicola Menci,Sinziana Paduroiu, Marguerite Pierre, Yann Rasera, Paolo Salucci, Norma G. Sanchez,Patrick Valageas.

We thank all again, both speakers and participants for having contributed so much to this Workshop and we look forward to welcome you again in the next Workshop of this series

With compliments and kind regards

Pier-Stefano Corasaniti, Hector J. de Vega, Norma G. Sanchez , Djilali Zidani

Nominations for the 2012 Prize are now open. Members of the gravitational wave community are invited to nominate students who have performed notable research on any aspect of gravitational wave science. Theses will be judged on 1) originality and creativity of the research, 2) importance to the field of gravitational waves and gravitational wave detection, broadly interpreted, and 3) clarity of presentation. The recipient will receive a certificate of recognition and a prize of $1,000.

Since 2010, GWIC has an arrangement with Springer. Subject to qualifying criteria, the prize-winning thesis will be nominated for Springer Theses, a new book series in which exceptional Ph.D. theses in the physical sciences are published in their entirety. The winner will receive an additional €500 from Springer upon publication.

Eligibility: The award is made on a calendar year basis. Theses should have been accepted by their institutions between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012. It is expected that many of the nominations will come from the member projects of GWIC, but this is not a requirement. Nominated theses may be in any language. A committee selected from the gravitational wave community will evaluate the nominations and select the winner. The selection committee will make all determinations about eligibility.

Nominations: Nominations should be submitted to the selection committee chair (Michele Vallisneri, Michele.Vallisneri[AT]jpl.nasa.gov, with a copy to gwic-exsec[AT]gravity.psu.edu>) by 15 January 2013. The nomination package consists of (i) the thesis, (ii) a letter of nomination, preferably from the thesis advisor, and (iii) an optional supporting letter from another scientist familiar with the work. The nomination and supporting letters should describe the importance of the research and how it supports GWIC’s goals to promote construction and exploitation of gravitational-wave detectors, foster development of new or enhanced gravitational-wave detectors, and support the development of gravitational-waves as an astronomical tool. The thesis and letters may be submitted in electronic form (strongly preferred); please contact gwic-exsec[AT]gravity.psu.edu  for instructions concerning paper submission.

I am very pleased to bring you this focus section on ‘Non-Astrophysical Numerical Relativity’ guest edited
by David Garfinkle and Luis Lehner.

This focus section covers some of the non-astrophysical applications of numerical relativity, with an emphasis on recent uses of numerical relativity in high energy physics and quantum gravity.

I hope that you will find this focus section of particular interest, and encourage you to share and circulate this with your colleagues and peers.

I invite you to publish your next paper with CQG

Best wishes,

Ben Sheard
Publishing Editor
Classical and Quantum Gravity
iopscience.org/cqg
cqg@iop.org

It is my pleasure to announce the publication of Classical and Quantum Gravity’s Highlights of 2011-2012: http://j.mp/vrrUyh .

These articles were selected by the Editorial Board of Classical and Quantum Gravity (CQG) and represent some of the most interesting recent work in gravitational physics.

Articles featured in past CQG Highlights have been highly cited and are frequently downloaded. All selected articles will be free to download until the end of 2013.

The list includes fast-track communications, research papers, review articles and special issue contributions published between June 2012 and June 2013.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the latest CQG Highlights Brochure which will be available at gravitational physics meetings throughout 2013. The brochure contains summaries of all the highlighted articles as well as details of the journal’s ongoing activities including prize sponsorships and forthcoming special issues.

I invite you to publish with CQG (http://bit.ly/Wut54Y) and hope to see your work promoted as a CQG Highlight in the future.

With best wishes

Adam Day
Publisher
Classical and Quantum Gravity

Please find the abstract and further details below.

NEW: Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/livrev_lrr

PUB.NO. lrr-2012-11
Compère, Geoffrey
“The Kerr/CFT Correspondence and its Extensions”

ACCEPTED: 2012-06-13
PUBLISHED: 2012-10-22

FULL ARTICLE AT:

http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2012-11

ABSTRACT:
We present a first-principles derivation of the main results of the Kerr/CFT correspondence and its extensions using only tools from gravity and quantum field theory, filling a few gaps in the literature when necessary. Firstly, we review properties of extremal black holes that imply, according to semi-classical quantization rules, that their near-horizon quantum states form a centrally-extended representation of the one-dimensional conformal group. This motivates the conjecture that the extremal Kerr and Reissner–Nordstr”om black holes are dual to the chiral limit of a two-dimensional conformal field theory. We also motivate the existence of a $SL(2,mathbb Z)$ family of two-dimensional conformal field theories which describe in their chiral limit the extremal Kerr–Newman black hole. We present generalizations in anti-de Sitter spacetime and discuss other matter coupling and higher derivative corrections. Secondly, we show how a near-chiral limit of these CFTs reproduces the dynamics of near-superradiant probes around near-extremal black holes in the semi-classical limit. Thirdly, we review how the hidden conformal symmetries of asymptotically flat black holes away from extremality combined with their properties at extremality allow for a microscopic accounting of the entropy of non-extremal asymptotically flat rotating or charged black holes. We conclude with a list of open problems.

UPCOMING ARTICLES AT:

http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/upcoming.html

I am very pleased to bring you this special focus issue on ‘Relativistic Quantum Information’ guest edited by R B Mann and T C Ralph.

This focus issue provides a sample of the state of the art in research in RQI. Some of the articles in this issue review the subject while others provide interesting new results that will stimulate further research. The recent award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems is indicative of the current high level of interest in quantum information; understanding and exploiting the role of relativity is the next frontier.

RQI is beginning to enter the stage at which actual experiments can be contemplated. Some of the articles appearing in this issue discuss some of these exciting new developments. I hope that you will find this focus issue of particular interest and encourage you to share & circulate this with your colleagues and peers.

I hope that you will publish your next paper with CQG and I look forward to working with you soon.

Best wishes,

Adam Day
Publisher
Classical and Quantum Gravity
iopscience.org/cqg
cqg@iop.org

P.S. You may be interested in reading about one of the focus issue’s articles in New Scientist, Discovery and Wired.

Following the examples of other large science projects we decided to create the LIGO Magazine, a regular publication to exchange information, news and stories from and with the LSC community. The inaugural issue is now available, with more than 30 pages of entertaining stories and fascinating photos from the installation of the Advanced LIGO detectors.

We believe that the magazine is also a good way to find out more about LIGO and the gravitational wave community, and to satisfy your general interest in science and technology. Therefore the magazine is available as a free download (pdf file) at: http://www.ligo.org/magazine/

We hope you find it inspiring and entertaining. Let us know what you think and do tell your friends and colleagues by forwarding this link to them.

Gabriela Gonzalez, gonzalez[AT]lsu.edu
(LSC spokesperson)

The deadlines for submission of nomination for the Jürgen Ehlers Thesis Prize for an outstanding Ph.D. thesis in mathematical and numerical relativity and the Bergman-Wheeler Thesis Prize for a outstanding Ph.D. thesis in the broad area of quantum gravity have been extended to 15 November 2012.

Additional information on the prizes and directions for submission of nominations may be found at

http://www.isgrg.org/ehlersprize.php

and

http://www.isgrg.org/bergwheelprize.php.

For both prizes, the nominator must be a member of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (ISGRG) and can make at most one nomination. The nominee need not be a member of the Society but the official defense must have taken place between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2012.

Please direct any questions regarding ISGRG membership to me.

Sincerely,

Beverly K. Berger
Secretary, ISGRG
beverlyberger[AT]me.com

The Daniel Chalonge Medal 2012 has been awarded to Professor Brian SCHMIDT

The International Astrophysics School Daniel Chalonge has awarded the Daniel Chalonge Medal 2012 to Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Nobel Laureate of physics 2011 for his outstanding contribution to the discovery of the present accelerated expansion of the Universe, deeply discussed in the framework of the Chalonge School.

Brian Schmidt was lecturer in several courses of the School, and from the very beginning in the discovery of the acceleration of the Universe, which motivated the realization of very important projects in cosmology and the training and formation of young physicists and astrophysicists over the world.

The medal was presented to Brian Schmidt during the Open Session of the 16th Paris Cosmology Colloquium 2012 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 four laureates of the Chalonge Medal: John Mather and George Smoot, Nobel laureates of physics, Anthony Lasenby and Peter Biermann.

The Chalonge Medal, coined exclusively for the Chalonge School by the prestigious Hotel de la Monnaie de Paris (the French Mint), is a surprise award and only nine Chalonge medals have been awarded in the 21 year school history.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. 2011: John Mather, Nobel prize of physics. 2012: Brian Schmidt, Nobel prize of Physics.

With the Chalonge Medal, the International School of Astrophysics Daniel Chalonge confirms its great appreciation to Dr. Brian Schmidt and his huge contribution to the construction of the Standard Model of the Universe, at the center of the Chalonge School programmes. This recognizes the outstanding scientific value and impact of the discovery of the dark energy component, compatible with the cosmological constant, which constitutes about three quarters of the content of the Universe.

See the announcement, full history, photo gallery and links at:

http://chalonge.obspm.fr

http://chalonge.obspm.fr/Medal_Chalonge2012.pdf

http://chalonge.obspm.fr/Archives_Daniel_Chalonge.html

http://www.planetastronomy.com/special/2012-special/27jul/chalonge-cosmo.htm

With compliments and kind regards

Norma G. Sanchez, Hector J.de Vega

Ecole Chalonge chalonge.ecole[at]obspm.fr

http://chalonge.obspm.fr

“The purpose of this review is to give an outlook on the initial crop of GW observations, on their impact in fundamental physics, in relativistic astrophysics and in cosmology, and give also an updated view of the methods and technologies, which are making possible the historical achievement of opening the era of GW astronomy.” (From the abstract)

“The review paper “Gravitational waves from discovery to astronomy” by M. Cerdonio and G. Losurdo is a remarkable piece of scientific work (…)
Starting from first principles, the physics and technology involved in the contemporary search for gravitational wave is well described. In particular, some key physics issues, usually overlooked in other reviews, are here nicely analyzed. The perspectives of the field are clearly illustrated.” (From the referee’s report)

It is with our deepest sorrow that we must announce that Prof. José Alberto Lobo Gutierrez passed away yesterday evening. He leaves behind a wife (Rosa Maria), a son (Albert), and a daughter (Montserrat).

Prof. Lobo has been a pioneer of the field of Gravitational Wave Astronomy in Spain, devoting his life to resonant ground-based detectors and to space-based ones. His contributions range from theoretical studies to the development of instrumentation, including data analysis methods. Even in the final stages of his cancer, he has been mainly concerned and actively planning towards maintaining and promoting the Spanish team activities and involvement into LISA PathFinder and its successor mission LISA. The Institut de Ciencies de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC) will honour such vision and dedication.

Those who had the opportunity to work with Alberto know that he has always been a very close colleague and many times a friend. His dedication to research and to those who work with him has always been complete, transmitting his passion and joy to everybody.

In case you would like to express your condolences to the family, please, send them to gwart[AT]ice.csic.es, where they will be collected and forwarded to the family.

Sincerely,

The LPF/LISA Spanish team
(Lluis Gesa, Ferran Gibert, Victor Hernandez, Nikos Karnesis, Ivan Lloro, Ignacio Mateos, Miquel Nofrarias, Carlos F. Sopuerta, Ulrich Sperhake)

Nominations are due by December 31st, 2012. Any member of the Society can make nominations but self-nominations will not be considered. The nomination packet will consist 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://www.isgrg.org/fellowrules.php

Electronic nominations in the form of emailed PDF files are strongly preferred. The nomination PDF files should be sent to the Chair of the Fellowship committee, Clifford Will (cmw_AT_physics.ufl.edu).

If an electronic nomination is not possible, a single paper copy of the nomination should be mailed or faxed to Clifford Will at
Department of Physics
University of Florida
P.O. Box 118440
Gainesville FL 32611-8440
Fax: 1-352-392-0524

The elected Fellows will be inducted during the Business Meeting of the Society at GR 20 in Warsaw, 8 – 13 July, 2013.

With deep sadness we inform you that our colleague Leonid Grishchuk passed away in his sleep, on 13 September 2012, 2:25 am, after a brief battle with brain cancer. He leaves behind three daughters: Ekaterina Grishchuk, Alexandra Grishchuk, and Olga Grishchuk. One of us (Sathya) is collecting messages of condolence, which we will forward to them. Please send messages to B.Sathyaprakash[AT]astro.cf.ac.uk.

You can read a brief scientific biography of Leonid at: http://www.astro.cf.ac.uk/pub/Leonid.Grishchuk/index.html

Kip Thorne
Malcolm MacCallum
B.S. Sathyaprakash