The conference is devoted to the fundamental scientific discovery - the experimental detection of gravitational waves from astrophysical sources - merging massive black holes, marking the birth of a new field of science - gravitational-wave astronomy. The conference will cover a wide range of issues related to (1) the theoretical research in general relativity and its modern modifications; (2) the latest results of gravitational-wave experiments aLIGO / VIRGO; (3) will address the challenges of increasing the sensitivity of existing gravitational wave interferometers; (4) we will examine various models of gravitational wave sources and discuss the astrophysical constraints derived from the first results aLIGO; (5) the primary problem of the origin of cosmological gravitational waves and their detection methods, as well as a wide range of related issues of astrophysics and cosmology of the early universe will be discussed. The conference will be held on the basis of SAI, where an outstanding scientist - LP Grishchuk, has been working for years. Grishchuk made fundamental contributions to the establishment of modern gravitational-wave astronomy. The conference will bring together astrophysicists from SAI, members of the group of V.B. Braginsky from the Physics Department of Moscow State University (directly involved in the LIGO Collaboration), stude
nts and colleagues of L.P. Grishchuk, working in the field of general relativity and experimental gravitational wave astronomy. The world's leading experts in the field gravitatsonno-wave astronomy and relativistic astrophysics (K. Thorne (Caltech), B. Schutz (Cardiff University), S. Kopeikin (Université Missouri), Babak S. (Albert Einstein Institution Potsdam) and others are invited to participate. The conference, coveringso many theoretical and experimental aspects of gravitational-wave astronomy is held in Russia for the first time. It is expected accomodate about 70 participants, with more than 10 leading international scientists. Conference topics are closely related to many fundamental projects supported by RFBR by section 02-860 (Cosmology and microphysics), 02-710 (Field theory and theory of gravity) and 02-840 (Astronomy and astrophysics). The conference will contribute to the development of gravitational-wave astronomy in Russia, especially in connection with the new direction in astrophysics and particle physics - Multimessenger astronomy, which studies the complex cosmic sources in different ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum with the assistance of gravitational-wave data, neutrino astronomy and cosmic ray physics.
The conference is supported by the non-profit Traektoria Foundation (www.traektoriafdn.ru)
Leonid P. Grishchuk
The famous Soviet and Russian scientist, expert in gravitation physics and cosmology. B. August 16, 1941 in c. Zhitomir (Ukraine), d. September 13, 2012 in Cardiff (UK). Grad. from Phys. Dep. of Moscow St. Univ. (1964). PhD thes.: “On problem of singularities in solutions to the Einstein equations” (1967). Sci. Hab. thes.: “Gravitational waves: their physical properties and astrophysical evidences” (1977). He had a constant position at the Sternberg Astronomical Inst. of Moscow St. Univ. from 1967; in 1987-1990 -- - the head of the Relativistic Astrophysics Group. Also he had positions: in 1990-1991 -- - Colorado Univ. (Boulder, USA); in 1992 – 1993 -- - Washington Univ. (St.-Louis, USA), from 1994 Prof. in Cardiff Univ. (Cardiff ,UK).
The scientific field: theory of gravity, exact solutions to the Einstein equations, quantum gravity, generation and detection of cosmological and astrophysical gravitational waves. He is the author of more than 200 scientific works.
In PhD thes., the theorem on singularities in solutions to the Einstein equations with the dust matter on time-like hypersurfaces has been proved. In 1979, he has founded generation of gravitational waves as an inevitable process at earlier stages of the Universe expansion. He has shown that the gravitation wave equations are not conformally invariant, therefore the primary gravitons must be born in a huge number. He has founded the conception where the generation of cosmological perturbations in the earlier Universe is explained with the use of “squeezed” quantum states. He, together with his students, developed the field-theoretical formulation of general relativity on arbitrary curved backgrounds; elaborated modified theories with massive gravitons.He, together with V.A. Belinsky, I.M. Khalatnikov and Ya.B. Zeldovich, has proved that “inflation trajectories” in dynamical systems of gravitational and scalar fields are attracted in a framework of
phase space.
Under supervision of L.P. Grishchuk more than ten PhD and Sci. Hab. thes. have been successfully defended. His former students are now leading scientists. His membership was in Editorial Board of journals: Soviet Physics Uspechi and Classical and Quantum Gravity; in many Scientific societies.