Presentation
The 2011 edition of the Spanish Relativity Meeting (ERE2011) will be
held in Madrid from the 29th August to 2nd September 2011. It will be
hosted by the Departamento
de Física Teórica I at Complutense
University of Madrid, Spain. ERE2011 is scientifically supported by
the Spanish
Society of Gravitation and Relativity (SEGRE).
The Spanish Relativity Meeting/Encuentros Relativistas Españoles (ERE)
is an international conference devoted to Relativity and Gravitation
which is organized every year by one of the Spanish groups working in
this area. The EREs started in 1977 with the main objective of
promoting scientific discussion and exchange of knowledge in the field,
encouraging a relaxed atmosphere. Over the years, the conference has
gained international recognition and has attracted an increasing number
of worldwide participants. EREs are nowadays established as relevant
international events in the field, maintaining substantially their
original relaxed character. A list of previous meetings and a short
history of the EREs can be found here.
Each year the conference is endowed with a particular flavour and
orientation. ERE2011 will have as subtitle:
"Towards new paradigms"
Under this subtitle, ERE2011 will attempt to emphasize the new
contributions that are being developed in many of the areas directly
related to gravitational physics. These new inputs are common in a big
variety of communities: On the one hand, the unprecedented accumulated
body of observational data is confirming a solid frame of cosmological
and relativistic models with challenging questions; on the other hand,
the breakdown of theoretical ideas is defining new and original
approaches to the fundamental nature of the gravitational interaction.
In this sense, we have divided the meeting in different subjects
depending on the day, with the goal of both stimulating the interaction
between the different areas and improving the interdisciplinar analysis
that gravitational physics demands. In particular, the complementary
ideas to be discussed will be:
Mathematics and Gravity
This session will be devoted to the analysis of fundamental issues in
gravitational physics, where a geometrical approach needs to be
complemented with analytical analysis and/or numerical developments.
Astrophysics and Experimental Gravity
Under this title, special attention will be drawn on astrophysical
experiments and observations directly related to the Theory of General
Relativity, such as the ones associated with gravitational waves and
compact objects.
Quantum Gravity and String Theory
The third session aims at discussing on the intrinsic quantum nature of
the gravitational interaction. New geometrical approaches such as Loop
Quantum Gravity will be compared with string theories.
Cosmology
The leitmotiv of this session lies in the study of the last
cosmological advances, not only from the point of view of the
observational study of the large scale Universe, but also from the
theoretical models that attempt to explain such observations.
Thermodynamics and Gravity
This last session of the conference will deal with different
thermodynamical aspects of the gravitational interaction, such as
horizon properties and the thermodynamical interpretation of the
gravitational nature.