RUSGRAV-18 conference held by the Kazan Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The 18th Russian Gravity Conference RUSGRAV-18 started at the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The scientific event, which is held with the participation of Kazan Federal University, is dedicated to the memory of an outstanding scientist, one of the largest theoretical physicists, known throughout the world for his work in classical and quantum gravity theory, cosmology and relativistic astrophysics, one of the creators of the modern model of the early Universe, Honorary Doctor of Kazan University Alexey Starobinsky.
The conference participants were greeted at the opening ceremony by the First Vice-Rector Dmitry Tayursky, Director of the Institute of Physics Marat Gafurov, Deputy Director for Research at the Kazan Center of RAS, Chair of the Department of Physicochemical Biology and Medicine of the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology Vladislav Chernov, and Chair of the Department of Relativity Theory and Gravity at the Institute of Physics Sergey Sushkov.
The traditions of the Russian Gravity Conference date back to the 1960s, when interest in the theory of gravity, cosmology, and astrophysics began to grow, Sushkov told journalists before the start of the conference.
Dr Tayursky reported that last week Kazan University celebrated its 220th anniversary and noted that today the university is a large corporation, where about 56 thousand people study and more than 10 thousand employees work. Speaking about the topic of the conference, the vice-rector recalled that in 2023, the KFU astronomical observatories were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
“A colossal amount of work has been done. Last month, when the BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres came to visit our observatories and talk to young scientists,” Tayursky said and thanked the Russian Gravitational Society for the decision to hold the event in Kazan.
Addressing the participants, the First Vice-Rector expressed gratitude to them for their loyalty to science, training of future professionals, and wished them success and good luck.
“The future of humanity without research in gravity, astrophysics, and cosmology is simply impossible. Believe me, in a year, two, and three years, words about the need to expand astrophysical and cosmological research will be heard very loudly,” Dmitry Tayursky emphasized.
Dr Chernov congratulated everyone on behalf of the management and research staff of the Kazan Scientific Center of RAS. He said that the federal research center currently has 6 institutes.
“Our interdisciplinary atmosphere is ready to accept your gravitational problem if you are willing to share,” said Chernov. “I am very glad that there are many young participants here, and it is nice that there are also eminent scientists.”
The first and only department of the theory of relativity and gravity was opened at the Physical Faculty of Kazan University in 1960. Its head was the outstanding scientist Alexey Petrov.
“Today we will be told about discoveries that we would not have thought of 5 years ago – that new stars, constellations and very interesting celestial objects will be discovered, which were only discussed in theory,” Director Marat Gafurov noted.
The scientific event brought together scientists from the BRICS countries – Brazil and South Africa, as well as Italy, and representatives of almost all astronomical observatories of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Young scientists will also give reports. About 300 people registered to participate in the event, added the director of the Institute of Physics.
The event continued with a speech by Dr Sushkov. He told about how the life of the outstanding scientist, theoretical physicist Alexey Starobinsky was linked with Kazan University. One of the creators of the modern model of the early Universe was the chairman of the international program committee of the Petrov Readings, a longstanding KFU winter school on gravity, astrophysics and cosmology.
“I would like to note the style of Alexey Alexandrovich’s work. Look, in the photo he is sitting near a laptop – most likely, writing peer reviews – he was always working. But when the report was over, he would get away from the computer and ask the speaker a question. Alexey Alexandrovich was always in the know and involved in the work,” the Chair of the Department of Relativity Theory and Gravity shared.
Professor of the Department of Theoretical Physics of the Physical Faculty of Moscow State University, Professor of the Institute of Gravity and Cosmology of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Yury Vladimirov told about the past, present and future of the Russian Gravitational Society.
RUSGRAV-19 is scheduled until Friday, 29 November. The scientists will discuss pulsar networks, black holes, stochastic dynamics, and eternal inflation, string theory, shadows of dynamic wormholes, and, of course, the Big Bang theory.