Wednesday 12th October (7.00 pm - Beijing University)

Speaker: DAVID BLAIR

Talk: EXPLORING THE LIMITS OF SPACE AND TIME IN GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

Abstract: Gravitational waves offer us the opportunity for testing Einstein's General Theory of Relativity at the extreme limits of spacetime curvature. They allow us to directly observe the shimmering surfaces of black holes and the birth of the universe itself. This talk will begin by reviewing the development of our understanding of space and time, followed by a survey of the prospects for greatly improving our understanding of spacetime using observations from gravitational wave detectors.

Friday 14th October (7.30 pm - Tsinghua University - Main Building)

Speaker: FRANCIS EVERITT

Talk: FRAME-DRAGGING, CRYOGENICS, AND SPACE: THE GRAVITY PROBE B EXPERIMENT

Abstract: Space research makes intense demands, but opens ways to physics experiments impossible on Earth. The NASA/Stanford Gravity Probe B experiment, launched in 2004, displays both along with the fascinating intersection of physics and engineering in a real-life flight experiment. This critical collaboration has produced 86 Stanford doctorates and 14 from other universities, over an extraordinary range of topics. According to Einstein, a gyroscope in a 640 km polar orbit around the Earth is subject to two non-Newtonian precessions, a 6.6 arc-s/yr geodetic effect in the plane of the orbit and a 0.039 arc-s/yr frame-dragging effect due to the rotation of the Earth. Gravity Probe B measured both. To determine these tiny effects required a gyroscope 107 times better than the best Earth-based inertial navigation gyroscopes and a reference telescope 103 times better than any prior star tracker. The talk will describe the unique combination of cryogenics and space technologies that made this possible, and also some on-orbit surprises and how they were overcome. Space makes new physics possible in 8 distinct ways. GP-B has been the largest of a series of NASA missions in Fundamental Physics. The flight experience will inform the development of several important future missions including LISA and STEP.

DOWNLOAD TALK HERE

Saturday 15th October (7.30 pm - Peking University: see map from NAOC to PKU)

Speaker: REMO RUFFINI

Talk: ON THE STEPS OF GALILEO-XUGUANGQI TO NUCLEI AND STARS

Abstract: In the best tradition of East and West scientific collaboration historically started by Galileo and XuGuangqi. Progresses in Relativistic Astrophysics on Neutron Stars and Black Holes are highlighted with most significant contributions from East and West.

DOWNLOAD TALK HERE