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.
NASA Award for Record Balloon Flight
Penn State Prof. Stephane Coutu and graduate students Nick Conklin and Isaac Mognet were named in a NASA Group Achievement Award to the CREAM Science and Mission Support Team, in recognition of dedicated service and exemplary technical performance in support of the Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) scientific balloon mission. The CREAM instrument was flown by high-altitude balloon in 2004/05, achieving a flight duration record of 42 days in three circumnavigations of the Antarctic continent. A modified version of the payload was flown again in 2005/06 for a further 28 days. A third version is planned to fly in late 2007. The CREAM mission measures high-energy cosmic nuclei at the limit of direct detectability, in an effort to elucidate the origin of these naturally occurring particles with energies in excess of those in the most powerful human-built particle accelerators today.
