2018 Giulio Rampa Thesis Prize for Outstanding Research in General Relativity

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We are pleased to announce that the 2018 Giulio Rampa Thesis Prize for outstanding research in General Relativity will be presented to Dr. Davide Gerosa and to Dr. Jan Ostrowski.

The committee consisting of Profs. Lars Andersson, Mauro Carfora, Gerhard Huisken, Luciano Rezzolla, prepared the following laudationes:

“Dr. Gerosa’s Ph.D. Thesis on “Source modelling at the dawn of gravitational-wave astronomy” shows an impressive ability to master a rather broad range of topics in relativistic astrophysics and gravitational wave physics. The research initiated by Dr. Gerosa in these areas has triggered follow-up work, providing new important insights and new physical scenarios. The large impact that the work of Dr. Gerosa has already had can only continue to grow.”

“Dr.Ostrowski’s Ph.D. Thesis on “Mass function of galaxy clusters in inhomogeneous relativistic Cosmology” established him as a leading researcher in the field of inhomogeneous relativistic cosmology, i.e. the approach in cosmology where the epoch of nonlinear structure formation needs to be studied employing general relativity together with the “background” rather than separately. Dr. Ostrowski has revealed an impressive stamina in addressing this crucial theme, and his results will have a significant importance for the interpretation of data in the forthcoming era of precision cosmology.”

In recognition of the high quality of the nominations received, the Committee has also decided to award an honourable mention to the outstanding Ph.D. research carried out by Benito A. Juarez Aubry in the Thesis “Asymptotics in the time-dependent Hawking and Unruh effects, and to Sumanta Chakraborty for the Thesis “Classical and Quantum Aspects of Gravity in Relation to the Emergent Paradigm”.

The prize is sponsored by The University of Pavia and by the Italian Society for Relativity and Gravitational Physics (SIGRAV) to honor the memory of Giulio Rampa and is given, every two years, to a graduate student for outstanding research in general relativity. The prize has been established in 2011, and is endowed under the terms of a donation from Nadia and Giorgio Rampa.

Each GRT prize carries a certificate and a net check for EUR 2,000. The prizes will be presented to Davide Gerosa and Jan Ostrowski at the 23rd edition of the “Italian Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (SIGRAV) Conference” to be held at the Hotel Flamingo in Santa Margherita di Pula, (Cagliari), Italy, 9-15 September 2018 (http://sigrav2018.ca.infn.it). This is the biennial Conference of the Italian Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (SIGRAV) devoted to all aspects of gravitational physics. The Rampa Prize winners will have the opportunity to present their work during a special session of the conference. The winners will also be announced during the annual Honours Ceremony during the Inauguration of the Graduate Studies Academic Year in Pavia, in December 2018.