PiTP 2023 Nathan Seiberg 3

Prospects in Theoretical Physics 2025

Gravitational Waves from Theory to Observation, July 14-25, 2025

Program Description

PiTP is an intensive two-week summer program designed for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The program will be held from July 14-25, 2025 at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ. The school will explore the field of gravitational wave physics and astrophysics, bridging the gap between theory and observation. Gravitational waves offer a unique window into the Universe, allowing us to probe extreme astrophysical environments and primordial cosmological epochs. Gravitational waves also allow for powerful tests of general relativity in the strong field regime.

Over the last decade, the direct detection of gravitational waves has opened up new avenues of research, driving rapid advancements in theoretical modeling, observational techniques, and data analysis. The school will provide a comprehensive overview of the field's current state, covering key theoretical tools, the latest developments in modeling gravitational wave sources, and state-of-the-art methods in data analysis. These tools are essential for extracting physical insights from current observations and will be a critical foundation for interpreting data from more sensitive upcoming detectors.

PiTP Program Details

The APPLICATION deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2025 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time). If you have not received your PhD, one letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor is required and should be uploaded with the application or with this reference form. Please check later for the opening of the application.

For housing, travel, and other administrative PiTP information please see the FAQ page

Topics will include:

Waveform models, Numerical Relativity, Gravitational Wave Searches, Parameter Estimation, Pulsar Timing Arrays, Astrophysics of Gravitational Wave Sources and interpretation of current observational data.

 Preliminary Program Lecturers

Organizing Committee

Maya Fishbach (Toronto); Tejaswi Venumadhav Nerella (UCSB); Frans Pretorius (Princeton); Barak Zackay (Weizmann); Matias Zaldarriaga (IAS)

If you have questions regarding the PiTP program, please send an email to: pitp@ias.edu.