Final Announcement of
Workshop on:
Gravitational waves, radio pulsars and astrometry:
Testing gravity in the next decade
University of Birmingham (UK)
30-31 March 2006
Worldwide, there is a growing community interested in experimental
tests of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and the study of
gravitational astrophysics. In addition to widespread optimism that we
are close to the first direct detection of gravitational waves using
Earth-bound detectors, radio astronomy is providing the most precise
tests yet of GR. It is therefore timely to review the future of
observational gravitational physics in light of new instruments and
facilities that will start to become available in the next decade. In
particular, The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), the
Square-Kilometre-Array (SKA) and GAIA promise to open up a new
phase of observational gravitational physics using both
photonic and non-photonic windows on the Universe.
In a workshop to be held at the University of Birmingham (UK) on
March 30-31, 2006, we would like to bring together the involved
communities by discussing the prospects and science of these and other
future instruments, highlighting synergies and opportunities for
combining the information derived from different but often complementary
methods.
The aim of the workshop is to develop experimental strategies, to
foster enhanced communication, and to exchange techniques and ideas.
Topics:
Organizers: Sergei
Klioner (Lohrmann Observatory, Dresden, Email: klioner AT rcs.urz.tu-dresden.de)
Michael Kramer (Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Email: mkramer AT jb.man.ac.uk)
Alberto Vecchio (LOC, Birmingham, Email: av AT star.sr.bham.ac.uk)
Graham Woan (Glasgow, Email: graham AT astro.gla.ac.uk )
Programme:
The workshop is organised in sessions, consisting of a small number
of invited talks that are meant to inspire discussion on the key issues,
followed by contributed talks
Thursday, 30 March Session I. 10:00 Welcome (AV) 10:05 Introduction and Aims & Objectives of the Workshop (SK, MK, AV, GW) 10:15 SKA: project and status (Phil Diamond) 10:45 Ground-based detectors: projects and status (Raffaele Flaminio) 11:15 GAIA: project and status (Floor van Leeuwen) 11:45 LISA: project and status (Oliver Jennrich) 12:15 Lunch Break Session II (Chair: Alberto Vecchio) 14:00 Strong field tests of gravity with the SKA: Part 1 & Part 2 (Michael Kramer, Jim Cordes) 14:40 Gravitational Wave Detection using Pulsar Timing: Current status and future prospects with the SKA (Frederick Jenet) 15:20 Keplerian type parameterization & its relevance for LISA & SKA (Achamveedu Gopakumar) 15:40 Coffee Break/Discussion Session III (Chair: Michael Kramer) 16:10 Testing GR with LISA (Leor Barack) 16:50 LISA data analysis challenges (Sam Finn) 17:30 Dynamical models for SKA and LISA (Rainer Spurzem) 18:00 End of day 1 Friday, 31 March Session IV (Chair: Graham Woan) 09:00 Testing Relativity with Space Astrometry Missions (Sergei Klioner) 09:30 Cosmic influences upon the basic reference systems for GAIA (Michael Soffel) 09:50 Asteroid mass determination and contribution to GR tests (Daniel Hestroffer) 10:10 GR tests and micro-arcsecond light bending parameters by global and differential Gaia measurements (Maria Teresa Crosta) 10:30 Coffee break/discussion Session V (Chair: Sergei Klioner) 11:00 Testing GR with ground-based detectors (B.S. Sathyaprakash) 11:40 Testing the black hole no-hair theorem using LIGO extreme mass ratio inspiral events (Jonathan Gair) 12:20 Lunch Break 14:00 The chronogeometrical structure of general relativity and dynamical clock synchronization (Luca Lusanna) 14:15 Gravitational astronomy with continuous signals from neutron stars (Cristiano Palomba) 14:30 Rehabilitation of Barycentric Dynamical Time (Patrick Wallace) 14:45 Open Discussion: Synergies, Collaborations, Joint Projects 15:45 Coffee break 16:15 Closing discussions: Action Items, Future Meetings 17:30 End of meeting |
Registration: Registration is
free. Please contact Carl Sanford
by March 12, 2006 if you intent
to participate at the workshop. For any other questions,
please contact the organizers.
Accommodation: Please,
download this pdf-file
or EXCEL-file
to obtain a list of accommodations. Follow the given contact
details to make your arrangements.
Meeting Location:
Maps: A map of
the Edgbaston campus can be found at:
http://www.bham.ac.uk/page.asp?section=000100010001000200100001
Notes on travel:
By Air:
Birmingham International Airport is just 9 miles east of the city
centre and 11 miles from the university campus, making it the easiest
arrival point for the meeting from abroad.
British Airways, AirFrance, Alitalia, Lufthansa, KLM, SN Brussels and
MyTravel Lite are among the carriers arriving here from Europe.
A taxi from Birmingham International to the city centre (where most of
the recommended hotels are situated) will cost GBP 8-10. Alternatively,
a train from the adjacent train station to Birmingham New Street (10
mins) will cost around GBP 3.
If you are arriving to any other airport such as London Gatwick,
Stansted, Luton or Heathrow, your best option is to travel into the
centre of London on one of the very frequent 'turn up and go' rail and
coach links available, and to then take a train from London Euston to
Birmingham New Street (90 minutes: cost around GBP 50 return).
From the City Centre:
The main University campus is situated in Edgbaston, about 2 miles
south west of the city centre. Be aware that Birmingham University is
distinct from Aston University and UCE (University of Central England).
In a taxi this journey will cost around GBP 6. Trains also leave
Birmingham New Street and Five Ways stations at regular intervals
6am-11pm, arriving at University station a few minutes later.
Approximate cost GBP 2 one way.
Bus Number 21 ('Bartley Green') runs from the City Centre and Broad
Street to the University station on the edge of campus, at regular
intervals through the day. Cost GBP 1.20 single fare.