Contact: sudiptas[AT]iitgn.ac.inLocation: Gandhinagar, India
Black holes are one of the exotic predictions of general relativity: they are solutions of Einstein’s equations containing a boundary called the event horizon that separates spacetime into two causally disconnected regions. The first black hole solution in General Relativity was discovered by Karl Schwarzschild in Germany in 1916.
Prof. C V. Vishveshwara, widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the Golden Age of General Relativity, was one of the first to analyse the structure of black holes employing spacetime symmetries. In 1970, he proved the stability of the non-rotating Schwarzschild black hole – a crucial and significant factor that ensures its continued existence after formation. Further, he discovered the quasi-normal modes of black holes, the unique characteristics of the event horizon, the boundary of the black holes. These modes of black hole vibrations are one of the primary targets of observation using the gravitational wave detectors. In February 2016, the detection of gravitational waves from a black hole merger by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration confirmed the existence of these modes.
To celebrate achievements of this great relativist, a five-day workshop titled “Black Holes: From Classical to Quantum Gravity’’ will be organised at IIT Gandhinagar from 15-19 December 2017. The workshop aims to bring leading experts working in various aspects of relativity theory to deliver lectures for PhD student and postdocs. In particular, the academic program of this workshop will focus on contemporary topics in black hole physics, both theoretical and observational.
We are thankful to Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune for providing main financial assistance for the workshop.