The Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos is a multidisciplinary institute of Penn State researchers dedicated to the study of the most fundamental structure and constituents of the Universe.
News and Events
- Research on quantum cosmology carried out at IGC was highlighted in a documentary le big bang, mes ancètres et moi which premiered at the Palais de la Découverte in Paris on December 3, 2009. It has since been shown several times on the French and German TV. For a short glimpse of the interview with Abhay Ashtekar which featured in the documentary see minutes 3:50 to 6:30 of the clip at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbficp_2x4-le-big-bangmes-ancetres-et-moi_tech. Clip
Victor Taveras is the winner of the first Bergmann-Wheeler prize of the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation. The prize is given for the best Ph.D. thesis in all sub-areas of quantum gravity since the last tri-annual conference of the Society. The selection committee consisting of Stephen Carlip (Chair), Gary Horowitz, Theodore Jacobson and Carlo Rovelli prepared the following citation:
"For contributions to loop quantum cosmology and the development of a novel extension of loop quantum gravity."
This prize carries a certificate and a check for $1,500 and will be awarded in the opening ceremony of the 19th International conference of the Society to be held in Mexico City in July 2009.
Nicolas Yunes is the winner of the first Juergen Ehlers prize of the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation. The prize is given for the best Ph.D. thesis in all sub-areas of mathematical and numerical relativity since the last tri-annual conference of the Society. The selection committee consisting of David Garfinkle (Chair), Bernd Bruegmann, Bala Iyer and Alan Rendall prepared the following citation:
"For pioneering work on a variety of topics involving binary black holes, gravitational radiation, and Chern-Simons gravity"
This prize carries a certificate and a check for $1,500 and will be awarded in the opening ceremony of the 19th International conference of the Society to be held in Mexico City in July 2009.
Gamma-Ray Bursts in Thomson Reuter Science Watch
Thomson Reuter Science Watch has put on their website an analysis of the past ten years work on Gamma-ray Bursts, the most energetic explosions in our universe, and in an interview with Peter Meszaros who is ranked #1 in the number of papers and total number of citations in GRB research. Peter's quote says: "Major questions of interest to all humanity, such as how the Universe looks at the earliest times and the largest distances we can probe, can be addressed with resources whcih require a minuscule fraction of the U.S. budget. International collaborations are invaluable in achieving such goals. Universities, both public and private, coupled to the resources of national labs and agencies, are ideal hothouses for providing the talent and manpower which can lead to momentuous scientific results." The complete article is available at http://sciencewatch.com/ana/st/gamma/09junGamMesz/.
