Jürgen Ehlers Spring School of Gravity and Gravitational Waves

© T. Dietrich, S. Ossokine, H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik), BAM-Kollaboration

organized by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute).

 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the 2021 spring school was canceled.

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) offers a crash course on General Relativity, Black Holes and Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics. This course can be attended by students studying from the 5th semester Physics or Mathematics.

The spring school will first introduce general relativity; we will then discuss black holes and neutron stars; the final section will be about gravitational waves, and will cover in particular the recent discoveries of merging black holes and neutron stars which were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize of Physics. Our institute was involved in these discoveries, and we also give insights into current research at the institute, both related to gravitational waves and beyond.

Lectures will take place daily during the morning. In the afternoons, we provide exercises and the opportunity for questions and discussions. We also plan two excursions to sights in the vicinity of Potsdam.

The 20th Jürgen Ehlers Spring School takes place at the Max Planck campus in Potsdam. Potsdam is the capital of the state of Brandenburg and hosts multiple UNESCO World-Heritage Sites. It lies in close proximity to Berlin.

Information on how to get to the Max Planck campus in Potsdam can be found here.

Address

Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
Am Mühlenberg 1
14476 Potsdam

Contact

E-Mail  : 

Prerequisites

A working knowledge of introductory university physics (classical mechanics, electromagnetism), and mathematics (advanced calculus, linear algebra) will be assumed. Some prior exposure to differential geometry is desirable but not required.

Abstracts

Week 1: Introduction to General relativity and the theory of black holes

The first week’s lectures will be devoted to the study of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity and the theoretical foundations for black holes and neutron stars.

Week 2: Gravitational Wave astronomy

This week will mainly give an overview of gravitational wave astronomy.  Topics include the theory of gravitational waves and a discussion of the major astrophysical sources of gravitational waves, most notably inspiraling compact object binaries (i.e. black holes or neutron stars).  After an exposition of gravitational wave detectors and an introduction to gravitational wave data-analysis, the recent spectacular observations of gravitational waves by the LIGO/Virgo detectors will be treated.

Schedule

Week 1

 MonTueWedThuFri
9:15 – 10:45General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
Black Holes
Ana Alonso Serrano
11:00 – 12:30General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
General Relativity
Jeremie Joudioux, Ignacio Reyes
Black Holes
Ana Alonso Serrano
Lunch
14:00 – 15:30ExercisesExercisesExcursion
Einstein Haus Caputh (tbc)
ExercisesQuantum puzzles & BH
Ro Jefferson
15:45 – 17:15ExercisesExercisesExcursion
Einstein Haus Caputh (tbc)
Exercises 
eveningReception     

Week 2

9:15 – 10:45Cosmology
Jean-Luc Lehners
Gravitational Waves
Deyan Mihaylov
Gravitational Waves
Deyan Mihaylov
LIGO/Virgo observations
Abhirup Ghosh
LIGO/Virgo observations
Abhirup Ghosh
11:00 – 12:30Cosmology
Jean-Luc Lehners
LISA
Jonathan Gair
Gravitational Waves
Deyan Mihaylov
LIGO/Virgo observations
Abhirup Ghosh
Supergravity in a nutshell
Franz Ciceri
Lunch
14:00 – 15:30Computer Cluster TourExercises

Excursion (TBA)

ExercisesAlternative theories of gravity
Robert Benkel
15:45 – 17:15ExercisesExercises

Excursion (TBA)

Exercises 
evening    

Complementary Reading

Introduction to general relativity and the theory of black holes

  • Schutz, B., A first course in General Relativity
  • Hartle, Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein’s  General Relativity

Gravitational waves

Organizers

  • Enrico Brehm
  • Kenta Kiuchi
  • Harald Pfeiffer