Gravity and astrophysics at UMiss

Marco has been appointed Assistant Spokesperson of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, effective January 16th. Marco’s new responsibilities will include monitor the proper progress of regular Collaboration activities and help to oversee the progress of some of the new projects that are approved by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Council or the Executive Committee.

The eLISA-NGO mission concept has a new website.
Check out also the related posting on the arXiv.

Background information is available in this Scientific American article.

Jocelyn’s recent Physical Review Letters paper, Resonant Shattering of Neutron Star Crusts, has picked up more attention after its feature as a Physics Synopsis, Neutron Stars Shattered by Perfect Pitch. It’s been written about on Ars Technica (Neutron stars might shed their skins before colliding) and New Scientist (Astrophile: Glimpse elusive matter in shattering star).

We will have several visitors in the second half of January and first half of February, including Sarah Caudill (Jan 22-25), Vitor Cardoso (Jan 15-Feb 12), Leonardo Gualtieri (Jan 29-Feb 10), Michael Horbatsch (Jan 26-Feb 11) and Uli Sperhake (Jan 31-Feb 13). Welcome everybody!

Postdoc Jocelyn Read has a new Physical Review Letters publication, Resonant Shattering of Neutron Star Crusts, along with collaborators from Caltech and Penn State. There is a synopsis in Physics, Neutron Stars Shattered by Perfect Pitch, giving a general summary of the results, and the Letter is an Editor’s Suggestion.