Arrival day: Sunday, 13th September
Departure day: Saturday, 19th September

Details: To be announced

STEPHON ALEXANDER

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

ROBERT BRANDENBERGER

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

GHAZAL GESHNIZJANI

Title: How much null-energy-condition breaking can the Universe endure?

Abstract: Quantum fields can notoriously violate the null energy condition (NEC). In a cosmological context, NEC violation can lead to, e.g., dark energy at late times with an equation-of-state parameter smaller than -1 and non-singular bounces at early times. However, it is expected that there should still be a limit in semiclasssical gravity to how much “negative energy” can accumulate over time and in space as a result of quantum effects. In the course of formulating quantum-motivated energy conditions, the smeared null energy condition has emerged as a recent proposal. This condition conjectures the existence of a semilocal bound on negative energy along null geodesics, which is expected to hold in semiclassical gravity. In this work, we show how the smeared null energy condition translates into theoretical constraints on NEC-violating cosmologies. Specifically, we derive the implied bounds on dark energy equation-of-state parameters and an inequality between the duration of a bouncing phase and the growth rate of the Hubble parameter at the bounce. In the case of dark energy, we identify the parameter space over which the smeared null energy condition is consistent with the recent constraints from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.

NIKOLA GODINOVIC

Title: Introduction to Astroparticle Physics

Abstract: Astroparticle physics sits at the crossroads of particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, probing the most violent and energetic processes in the universe—where energy densities reach values that could never be reproduced in any laboratory. This lecture introduces the three cosmic messengers that carry information from these extreme environments: cosmic rays, neutrinos, and very-high-energy gamma rays. It covers what the cosmic-ray spectrum and its puzzling features reveal, how particles are accelerated to energies far beyond those of the LHC, and how giant observatories such as the Pierre Auger Observatory, IceCube, and the new Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory detect these elusive signals. The discussion then turns to how neutrinos and gamma rays help identify the cosmic accelerators behind it all, and how the recent birth of multimessenger astronomy—combining light, neutrinos, and gravitational waves—is opening a genuinely new window on the Universe.

BETTI HARTMANN

Title: The Power of Non-Linearity in Field Theory

Abstract: This talk will examine the role of non-linearity in (classical) field theory, focusing on solitons and black holes as key examples of non-linear phenomena. Unlike linear systems, non-linear field equations produce self-interacting structures that cannot be reduced to simple superpositions.  Solitons arise as localized solutions maintained by a balance between dispersion and non-linear effects, while black holes represent highly non-linear configurations in gravitational theories. Both solitons and black holes are physically significant structures with a varity of applications in different branches of physics. 

TOM MELIA

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

VIATCHESLAV MUKHANOV

Title: Mimetic Dark matter from inflation

Abstract: TBA

SHINJI MUKOHYAMA

Title: Gravity and cosmology beyond general relativity

Abstract: General relativity, together with quantum theory, forms the foundation of modern physics. However, it is widely believed that a theory extending beyond general relativity will be necessary to resolve several open problems. Moreover, gravity has not been directly tested at distances shorter than one micron or at cosmological scales. Modifications of general relativity at such short or long distances remain consistent with existing observations and experiments. Consequently, there is increasing interest in theories of gravity beyond general relativity from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. Furthermore, potential signatures of such extended theories may manifest in strong gravitational regimes on astrophysical scales, such as in the vicinity of black holes. This lecture provides an introduction to gravity and cosmology beyond general relativity.

KORALJKA MUZIC

Title: Exploring the limits of star formation

Abstract: Stars are the basic building blocks of the visible Universe, and they come in a variety of sizes and colors. But the most important property, the one that determines how they look and shapes their destiny, is their mass. And that mass is not randomly distributed - when a group of stars is born, their masses follow a fundamental distribution called the initial mass function. In this lecture, I will offer an observational perspective on the basics of star formation, with a particular focus on the low-mass end of the mass distribution. We will explore low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and mysterious free-floating planetary-mass objects, which may be the lowest-mass products of star formation or giant planets ejected from their natal systems.

YARON OZ

Title: TBA 

Abstract: TBA

KALLIOPI PETRAKI

Title: Unitarity as a compass in the non-relativistic universe 

Abstract: Unitarity is one of the most fundamental principles of quantum theory. Historically, it has been employed to argue for the existence of then-unknown physics, such as the electroweak interactions, or to circumscribe the range of validity of effective theories parametrizing physics beyond the Standard Model. These applications, however, mostly concern the high-energy, relativistic regime. Yet most of the matter in the Universe today is non-relativistic and governed by still-unknown physics. In this lecture, I will discuss how unitarity can be fruitfully employed in the non-relativistic regime to better understand the plausible dynamics of dark matter. I will focus in particular on long-range interactions and non-perturbative phenomena such as bound-state formation, and on their implications for dark matter production in the early Universe and for self-interactions within halos that shape galactic dynamics.

Public lecture: TADAYUKI TAKAHASHI

Title: Seeing the Invisible Universe — and Bringing It Back to Human Life

 - From Cancer Imaging and Radiation Mapping to Ancient Artifact Analysis -

Abstract: TBA

ZVONIMIR VLAH

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

MASAHIDE YAMAGUCHI

Title: Two Cosmic Accelerations: Inflation and Dark Energy—What We Know, What We Don’t, and What’s Next

Abstract: I will discuss the two epochs of accelerated cosmic expansion—primordial inflation and today’s acceleration, often attributed to dark energy. I will highlight what is well established from observations, what remains uncertain, and the key assumptions behind the standard theoretical picture. This talk will conclude with a discussion of research directions that, I believe, could plausibly drive major progress in the field.

JUN'ICHI YOKOYAMA

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA 

GIULIA ZANDERIGHI

Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA