Quantum mechanics and gravity are two cornerstones of physics. Nevertheless, our understanding of their interplay remains limited, and their unification is expected to imply profound modifications of our understanding of physics. The ESI Thematic Programme “Quantum Physics and Gravity” aims to bridge the gap between communities and to bring together leading researchers from different fields that work on classical and quantum aspects of gravitational physics, including experts from quantum information, mathematical relativity and quantum gravity. The goal is to discuss the conceptual challenges, latest developments and new perspectives in this field. Besides outstanding theoretical problems, many of which are associated with black holes, numerical relativity and quantum gravity, there are numerous phenomenological and experimental challenges, such as determining the nature of dark matter and dark energy, or obtaining experimental bounds on quantum gravity models.

 

Associated mini-workshops will expose graduate students and young researchers, in particular of the local researcher community, to this fascinating research domain on the following three topics:

Black holes, quantum information and the firewall paradox: May 29 - June 16, 2017, Gravity as a tool to understand strongly coupled quantum field theory: June 6 - June 23, 2017, Experimental tests of classical and quantum gravity: June 12 - June 30, 2017

schedule week 1 (pdf), schedule week 2 (pdf), schedule week 3 (pdf), schedule week 4 (pdf)

• Talk Ernst Rasel (Leibniz U Hannover), 
  Space-born Bose-Einstein condensation for precision interferometry
  June 9, 2017, 1:00 p.m., Announcement (pdf)
• Talk Mark Kasevich (Stanford University),
  Testing gravity and quantum mechanics with atom interferometry
  June 30, 2017, 11:30 a.m., Announcement (pdf)
• Lectures Soo-Joung Rey (Seoul National University),
  Introduction to little string theory (I + II)
  July 10, 2017, 11:00 a.m. Lecture I
  July 13, 2017, 11:00 a.m. Lecture II, Announcement (pdf) 

In the course of the programme will also take place a Mini-Workshop on "Noncommutative Geometry and Gravity" organized by John Barrett (Nottingham U) and Harold Steinacker (QSPACE, U Vienna) from June 8 to June 9, 2017. This Mini-Workshop is supported by COST. Schedule (pdf)