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The Interplay of Magnetic Fields, Nuclear Physics, and Nucleosynthesis in Neutron-Star Mergers and Supernovae, September 21-25 2026 in Trento

ECT*-EMMI/GSI workshop
Neutron-star mergers and core-collapse supernovae are among the most promising sites for the synthesis of heavy elements in the universe. These astrophysical phenomena bring together a rich interplay of general relativity, neutrino physics, nuclear reactions, and magneto-hydrodynamics. Among these factors, magnetic fields are increasingly recognized as playing a pivotal role in shaping the dynamics and nucleosynthetic outcomes of these events. Recent observational breakthroughs, from the detection of gravitational waves (e.g., GW170817) with EM counterparts and increasingly detailed supernova spectra, demand a deeper theoretical understanding of how magnetic fields interact with nuclear physics and influence heavy-element nucleosynthesis. At the same time, simulations of these events now routinely include magnetic fields and detailed neutrino transport demonstrating the potential of magneto-rotational supernovae and neutron-star mergers to produce rich nucleosynthesis yields including the heaviest elements produced by the r-process and set the stage for GRB jets.

Given all these recent developments we are at a critical moment to advance the field but there is a need for detailed discussions and interactions among nuclear physicists, astrophysicists, and computational modelers to address key open questions and make the most of the available observational datasets and computational resources. This workshop aims to bring these communities together.

Organizers

Philipp Mösta (University of Amsterdam), p.moesta(at)uva.nl
Almudena Arcones (Technische Universität Darmstadt), almudena.arcones(at)physik.tu-darmstadt.de
Evan O’Connor (Stockholm University), evan.oconnor(at)astro.su.se
Sanjana Curtis (University of Oregon), curtsanj(at)oregonstate.edu

Workshop Website

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GRaviCon 2026, Gravitational Waves: The Age of Discovery, April 22-24 in Pisa

This is the first edition of GRaviCon, a gravity conference held in Pisa, organized by early-career scientists from University of Pisa, University of Florence, University of Trento, and Scuola Normale Superiore.

Gravitational waves have revolutionized our understanding of the universe since their first detection ten years ago. Step by step, we are advancing in characterizing gravitational wave sources, refining our knowledge of compact objects, their histories and population models.
At the same time, new experiments aim to push the frontiers of gravitational-wave astronomy, investigating a variety of still unobserved sources. These developments inevitably introduce new scientific and technical challenges.

The conference aims to strengthen the connection between data analysis, instrument science, and observations, fostering collaboration across these areas to tackle the challenges of gravitational-wave research. We will also highlight different experiments and missions – such as LVK, Einstein Telescope, LISA, PTA, and LiteBIRD – and explore how their findings can complement one another.

Organized by early-career scientists, this conference provides a platform to deepen discussions on the current state and future directions of gravitational-wave science.

No FEE is required.

This conference has received financial support from the Scuola Normale Superiore through PNRR project MERITA, the network for talent project * and INFN Pisa.

Conference Website

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Research Software Engineer for Open Galaxy Catalogue Infrastructure in Gravitational-Wave Cosmology at Laboratoire des 2 infinis Toulouse

The research engineer will participate in the design, prototyping, development, and deployment of software and digital infrastructures for large-scale galaxy catalogues and community-driven data platforms, in the context of gravitational-wave cosmology. The position is part of the OSCARS-funded project UpGLADE: community-driven open-data infrastructure for gravitational-wave cosmology, whose goal is to deliver the largest open-access all-sky galaxy catalogue. Application deadline: March 3rd 2026.

Placed under the scientific responsibility of Gergely Dálya, Principal Investigator (PI) of the project (moving to the Eötvös University of Budapest), and Nicola Tamanini, co-PI at the L2IT, the recruited person will work in close collaboration with astrophysicists and cosmologists involved in gravitational-wave and multi-messenger astronomy, while focusing primarily on software engineering, data infrastructure, and platform development rather than on scientific analysis itself. The research engineer will interact regularly with international partners and infrastructure providers involved in the OSCARS, EOSC, and ESCAPE ecosystems.

The following documents must be submitted to the CNRS Job Portal:

  • CV
  • Cover letter including a summary of previous work experience (max 2 pages)

Candidates selected for an interview will be asked to provide at least 2 letters of recommendation by email.
Activity

  • Design, implement, and maintain scalable software solutions for the ingestion, validation, versioning, and dissemination of large astronomical catalogues;
  • Develop and maintain database backends and high-performance querying solutions (e.g. spatial and redshift-based queries) for the UpGLADE catalogue;
  • Design and implement programmatic access to the data through APIs and interoperable services, in compliance with FAIR and EOSC principles;
  • Contribute to the upgrade of the GLADEnet platform into a community-driven system, including secure data submission workflows, provenance tracking, and validation pipelines;
  • Report on progress, participate in project meetings and international collaborations, and present technical developments when appropriate;
  • Produce and maintain technical documentation and user-oriented documentation to ensure long-term usability and sustainability of the developed infrastructure.
    Your Profil
    Skills

Required skills

  • Proven experience in software engineering for data-intensive applications, including needs analysis, prototyping, and evaluation of technical solutions;
  • Proven expertise in Python for scientific or data-oriented software development;
  • Proven experience with relational databases and data modelling (e.g. PostgreSQL), including query optimisation and handling of large datasets;
  • Proven knowledge of quality assurance practices: methods, tools, standards, and procedures applied to software and data products;
  • Proven experience with version control systems (e.g. Git) and collaborative development workflows;
  • Ability to write clear technical documentation and technical reports in English;
  • Mastery of technical English: C1 level within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Preferred skills

  • Experience in developing backend services and APIs (e.g. RESTful or GraphQL services);
  • Experience developing applications targeting scalable, load-balancing and/or fault-tolerant deployment infrastructures (e.g. kubernetes cluster);
  • Experience with astronomical or geospatial data, including catalogue-based data or sky-coordinate systems;
  • Familiarity with FAIR data principles, open science practices, or EOSC-related infrastructures;
  • Experience working in an international research environment or large collaborative projects;
  • Knowledge of Virtual Observatory standards or tools (e.g. TAP, VOTable, TOPCAT, Aladin);
  • Ability to provide technical support, guidance, and advice to scientific users.
    Your Work Environment

The Laboratoire des 2 Infinis – Toulouse (L2IT) is a young and dynamic laboratory created in 2020 to conduct fundamental research with new numerical and theoretical approaches for data analysis. The laboratory’s research is concentrated on particle physics, gravitational waves, and the equation of state of nuclear matter, and relies on a complementary development of analysis methodologies and data science led by the “Calculation, Algorithms, and Data” (CAD) team. The “Gravitational Waves” (GW) team of L2IT conducts research on theoretical and experimental aspects of gravitational wave science, with a particular focus on the exploitation of new approaches linking theory to observations through data analysis and numerical simulations. The “GW” team is part of the LISA consortium, the Virgo collaboration, and the Einstein Telescope Consortium.

The core objective of the project is to transform the UpGLADE galaxy catalogue into a stable, publicly available, and FAIR-compliant infrastructure, and to upgrade the existing GLADEnet web tool into a participatory platform allowing astronomers to contribute new observations and improvements to galaxy data. These developments support key scientific goals in gravitational-wave cosmology, including precise measurements of the Hubble constant using standard sirens, and benefit a broad community ranging from large international collaborations to individual researchers and citizen scientists.

The research engineer will collaborate closely with astrophysicists, cosmologists, and infrastructure partners, but will not be expected to carry out independent scientific research or cosmological inference. The emphasis of the position is on software quality, scalability, interoperability, and long-term sustainability of the developed tools and services. The work will involve interaction with computing centres and infrastructure providers hosting the services, as well as coordination with international partners contributing to the catalogue and platform, located in Budapest, Glasgow, Perugia, and Warwick.

Please find here full details.

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ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme Madrid, Noordwijk

To increase the scientific return from its space science missions, ESA welcomes applications from scientists interested in pursuing research based on publicly available data in the ESA Space Science Archives. The Archives host data from all current and past ESA space science missions in astronomy, planetary science, and heliophysics.

The ESA Archival Research Visitor Programme is open to scientists at all career levels who are affiliated with institutes in ESA Member States and Cooperating States (note that all visits must comply with the ESA Security Directives, which may necessitate additional checks). Early-career scientists are particularly encouraged to apply, including PhD students (see below). We encourage applications from women and minorities. The peer-review evaluation process is anonymised to ensure equal opportunities for all applicants.

Residence lasts typically between one and three months, also distributed over multiple visits, depending on the complexity of the research project. The research projects can be carried out at ESAC (Madrid, Spain) and at ESTEC (Noordwijk, Netherlands). To offset the expenses incurred by visitors, ESA covers travel costs from and to the home institution and provides support for lodging expenses and meals.

During their stay, visiting scientists have the opportunity to interact with archive and mission specialists for questions on the retrieval, calibration, and analysis of archival data. In principle, all areas of space research covered by ESA science missions can be supported (the data must be publicly available in the archives). To ensure that technical expertise in the specific area of interest is available at ESAC or ESTEC, applicants should consult the table of expertise and contact the relevant scientists in their field of interest (this is very important). In case of doubts, write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

The next deadline for applications is Wednesday 30 April 2026, 23:59 UTC

Call for applications

Applications can be submitted at any time by sending email to arvp@cosmos.esa.int. The email should contain a single PDF document of at most three pages detailing:

  • description of the goals of the research project
  • public archival data on which help is sought
  • which type of expertise you expect to gain
  • proposed time and duration of the visit
  • expected publications
  • contact information

Please keep it short (max 2 pages for the text of the proposal, max 1 page for figures, references, and contact information) and follow the simple template provided here. Note that this is just a template, you can use the font type and size that you prefer (not smaller than 10), but please do not exceed two pages for the text and one page for figures, references, and contact information. You must indicate in which year you obtained (or will obtain) your PhD.

To prevent unconscious biases, your name, email address, and other contact information (on the third page) will not be visible to reviewers. To help in the process, you must write your application in an “anonymous” way, i.e. do not identify yourself in the text. For instance, do not mention the name of your institute or collaborators in the scientific description of the project (page 1 and 2) and when you are referring to one of your papers, do not write “I have shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”, but rather write “It has been shown that … (Author Name, 2023, Journal, 954, 125)”. If you identify yourself, the application will not be considered.

We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions about the data that could support your research project. You will find the names of our experts in the various science areas in the table of expertise below. Or write to the programme coordinators for assistance at arvp@cosmos.esa.int.

Students

We welcome proposals by graduate students. The proposals can be submitted by the students themselves or in collaboration with their supervisors. If you are a student and would like to visit ESA to learn more about doing science with archival data, make sure that you coordinate and agree your research project with your supervisor. Mention this in the application, but omit the name of the supervisor, otherwise the application is not anonymous.

Deadlines

Applications can be submitted at any time and are reviewed twice a year, with deadlines usually on 30 April and 31 October. The results of the review will be communicated to applicants within about two months of the deadlines. Applicants are encouraged to contact the ESA scientists or the programme coordinators well ahead of the deadlines in order to discuss their research plans.

Applications received by 30 April 2026 (23:59 UTC) will be considered for visits in autumn and winter 2026/2027.

Please find here full details.

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Postdoctoral Position at University of Toulouse, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique à Toulouse

The Laboratory of Theoretical Physics in Toulouse has an opening for a two-year postdoctoral position in the field of one-dimensional quantum many-body systems.

The starting date is flexible (latest January 2027). To apply, please send your curriculum vitae, a brief research statement, and arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent to Aleksandra Petković (petkovic(at)irsamc.ups-tlse.fr). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please find here details.

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The LISA Consortium mourns the passing of Professor Mike Cruise, who has died at the age of 78.

Professor Cruise played a leading role in the development of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission and was instrumental in strengthening the United Kingdom’s contribution to this landmark international endeavour. A distinguished scientist devoted to fundamental research, he made significant contributions to gravitational wave science and to the advancement of space instrumentation.
A portrait of Mike Cruise, a British astronomer and astrophysicist who served in various roles at the Royal Astronomical Society, including a 2 year stint as its president.
Foto: Lucinde Douglas Menzies
Licence: CC-BY-4.0

An accomplished educator and advocate of knowledge transfer, Professor Cruise authored the respected textbook The Principles of Space Instrument Design and mentored generations of students and researchers. Even after formally retiring from the University of Birmingham in 2012, he remained actively engaged with ESA, the RAS, the UK Space Agency, and the wider gravitational wave community.

He will be remembered not only for his scientific leadership but also for his kindness, thoughtfulness, and gentle sense of humour.

The LISA Consortium extends its sincere condolences to Professor Cruise’s family, friends, and colleagues. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

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EREP 2026, Spanish & Portuguese Relativity Meeting, May 25-29 in Murcia

The Spanish-Portuguese Relativity Meetings (EREPs) are a long-standing scientific tradition that began in 1977. Since then, they have served as a key forum for the Portuguese and Spanish communities working in General Relativity and Gravitation, promoting collaboration and the exchange of ideas across a broad range of topics. Organized annually by different research groups from both countries, EREPs have become the most prominent conference on gravitation and relativity in the Iberian Peninsula.

The EREP 2026 edition will take place in Murcia, Spain, from May 25th to 29th, 2026. We warmly invite you to join us for a week of stimulating scientific discussions in a vibrant and sunny Mediterranean setting. As in previous editions, EREP 2026 will bring together researchers from across the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, offering a dynamic program in a friendly and collaborative atmosphere.

The conference will be held on-site at the Paraninfo de la Universidad de Murcia, which is located at the city center and 40 km far from the Mediterranean Sea.

Please have a look at the Transportation section on how to travel to Murcia.

Registrations are open until May 2 (fee: EUR 250).

Call for abstracts is open until April 19.

Meeting Website

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GWADW2026 – Gravitational-Wave Advanced Detector Workshop, May 17-23, 2026, La Biodola

With more than 250 detected events, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network has successfully concluded on November 18, 2025, the third part of the O4 observing run (O4c). An intense activity to analyze the collected data is ongoing, and in the meantime plans for upgrades toward O5 are prepared, to further increase the number of detected coalescences and with the aim of possibly detect new classes of gravitational wave emitters.

At the same time, the preparatory work for third generation ground-based interferometers Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer is in full swing, with many R&D activities going on, new laboratories coming online and new concepts being elaborated, while the quality of the candidate sites are assessed. Lots of activities are also surrounding the preparation for the LISA mission, expected to probe a completely different band of the gravitational wave spectrum.

The gravitational wave community worldwide is growing, stimulated by the challenges of new detectors on Earth and in space. The Gravitational Wave Advanced Detector Workshop (GWADW) series is one of the main opportunities worldwide to present the work on detectors leaving, as is tradition, ample space for informal discussions.

The scientific programme will consist of plenary sessions only, with two poster sessions on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. The daily work schedule will be concentrated in the morning and in the evening leaving room for informal discussions around lunch time.

GWADW 2026 will begin on Sunday, May 17th and finish on early morning of Saturday May 23rd.

Workshop Website

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GW Workshop, June 29 – July 3, 2026 at Principia Institute, São Paulo, Brazil

The second generation of Gravitational wave (GW) detectors has been operating until recently at unprecedented sensitivity, providing observations of binary system coalescences, whose sources are neutron stars and black holes with masses ranging from one to one hundred solar masses.

The new (3rd) generation of gravitational detectors consists of two projects: Cosmic Explorer (CE) and Einstein Telescope (ET), supported respectively by US and European collaborations with Latin America (LATAM) scientists involved in both projects.

With the intent of covering the wide range of fundamental physics, astronomy and cosmology topics that can be addressed by the upcoming gravitational wave detectors, the goal of the workshop is to spur the contribution of LATAM researchers to the field, with dedicated sessions to all aspects of GW science including Cosmology, Fundamental gravity, Astrophysical populations, Multimessenger astronomy, Neutron stars, Dark matter, Data analysis and Instrument science.

This workshop will be preceded by the School on Astroparticle and Multi-messenger Astrophysics from June 15-26.

Organizers:

  • Raul Abramo (USP, Brazil)
  • Miguel Quartin (CBPF, Brazil)
  • Davi Rodrigues (UFES, Brazil)
  • Riccardo Sturani (IFT-UNESP, Brazil)

Workshop Website