Third Meeting
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic: Gravitational Wave Physics
Date: May 19, Amsterdam
Location: Z 0.11, Science Park 123
Time: 14:00
Speakers
Prof. B.S. Sathyaprakash (Cardiff)
Title: Fundamentals of generation and detection of gravitational waves
Abstract:In this seminar I will discuss how gravitational waves are generated, what their properties are and the principle behind the operation of GW interferometers and pulsar timing arrays. Long baseline interferometers, LIGO, Virgo and GEO, have now reached or surpassed design sensitivity levels promised when the initial proposals were made. They are now on the path towards upgrades that will enable them to make first detections by 2015. I will conclude my talk by discussing the results from these detectors that have already begun to make an impact in astrophysics.
Dr. C. van den Broeck (Nikhef)
Title: Physics and astrophysics with gravitational waves
Abstract: Once we have regular detections of gravitational waves (GW), one can ask what kind of new science can be extracted. On the astrophysics side, the equation of state of a neutron star can be studied, of which little is known at present. In cosmology, GW signals from inspiraling binary neutron stars and/or black holes are self-calibrating 'standard candles' which will provide a stringent consistency check of the Lambda-CDM model. By monitoring, through its GW signature, the orbit of a small black hole that is moving around a much larger one, possible violations of the no hair theorem could be found, and of the cosmic censorship conjecture. Most importantly, for the first time we will have access to the genuinely strong-field dynamics of gravity, enabling unprecedented tests of general relativity in a regime that has hitherto been out of reach.
G. Koekoeh (Nikhef)
Title: Relativistic epicycles and gravitational waves
Abstract: One of the main sources of observable gravitational waves is expected to be the binary system: two stellar objects spiralling around each other and eventually merging. In realistic scenarios, the stars can get very close to each other and relativistic effects must be taken into full account. We present a way to calculate the gravitational waves for a system in which one of the objects is much more massive that the other, based on a fundamentally new way to calculate the orbit of the smaller star, without compromising the fully relativistic effects. This new method allows us to get accurate results even when the two stars are extremely close. In this talk, I will present the method, the resulting gravitational waves, and a comparison with purely numerical results.
Program:
___________________
14:00 Coffee
14:30 B.S. Sathyaprakash
15:15 C. van den Broeck
16:00 G. Koekoek
16:30 Drinks
___________________
Second Meeting
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic: Dark Matter
Date: March 3, Amsterdam
Location: Z 0.11, Science Park 123
Time: 14:00
Speakers
Prof. Gianfranco Bertone (AIP, Paris)
Title: Identifying Dark Matter Particles
Abstract: I will review the Status of Dark Matter searches and will discuss the difficulties in reconstructing the properties of Dark Matter particles from a single experiment, or a single detection strategy. I will argue that a combined analysis of direct, indirect and accelerator searches is probably necessary, in order to identify the nature of Dark Matter.
Prof. Henk Hoekstra (Leiden)
Title: Looking at the dark side: the dark matter distribution in the universe as revealed by weak gravitational lensing
Abstract: NA
Dr. Els de Wolf (Nikhef)
Title: KM3NeT new generation neutrino telescope
Abstract: NA
Program:
___________________
14:00 Coffee
14:30 G. Bertone
15:15 H. Hoekstra
16:00 E. de Wolf
16:30 drinks
___________________
First Meeting
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Topic: CMB physics
Date: February 3rd, Amsterdam
Location: Z 0.11, Science Park 123 (CWI, route)
Time: 14:00
Speakers:
Prof. Benjamin Wandelt
(University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign/IAP-Paris)
Title: Imag(in)ing the Cosmic Beginning
Abstract: To be announced
Daan Meerburg (UvA, ITFA-API)
Title: The Shape of Non-Gaussianities
Abstract: Higher order statistics of the CMB can be used to probe the Lagrangian of the early universe. Here I will briefly introduce the concept of Non-Gaussianities which can
be measured using the bispectrum (3-point correlation function) of the CMB temperature fluctuations. Different early universe scenarios predict various types of such non-Gaussianities. I will discuss the most common non-Gaussian shapes as well as features that are predicted from certain boundary conditions. Although various shapes have been identified and constrained, additional features, such as oscillations have not been constrained. I will shortly explain a possible way to distinguish such features in the CMB data.
Prof. Ralph Wijers (UvA, API)
Title: AARTFAAC--The Extreme Cosmic Lab
Abstract: TBA
Program:
___________________
14:00 Coffee
14:30 Opening
14:35 Benjamin Wandelt
15:20 Daan Meerburg
15:50 Discussion
16:00 Ralph Wijers
16:15 drinks
___________________