The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...

 Institute) is a Max Planck Institute whose research is aimed at investigating Einstein’s theory of relativity

General relativity

General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...

 and beyond: Mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

, quantum gravity

Quantum gravity

Quantum gravity is the field of theoretical physics which attempts to develop scientific models that unify quantum mechanics with general relativity...

, astrophysical relativity, and gravitational wave astronomy

Gravitational wave astronomy

Gravitational Wave Astronomy is an emerging branch of observational astronomy which aims to use gravitational waves to collect observational data about objects such as neutron stars and black holes, about events such as supernovae and about the early universe shortly after the big bang...

. The Institute was founded in 1995 and is located in Potsdam

Potsdam

Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....

 (theoretical branch) and in Hannover (experimental branch).

The institute is involved in a number of collaborations and projects: The experimental branch is a main partner in the gravitational wave detector

Gravitational wave detector

A gravitational wave detector is any experiment designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational...

 GEO 600

GEO 600

GEO 600 is a gravitational wave detector located near Sarstedt, Germany. This instrument, and its sister interferometric detectors, when operational, are some of the most sensitive gravitational wave detectors ever designed...

; institute scientists are involved in analyzing data for the detectors of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration

LIGO Scientific Collaboration

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration is a collaboration by numerous physics institutes and research groups dedicated to the search for gravitational waves using the detectors LIGO and GEO 600...

 and in planning and preparing the space-based detector LISA

LISA (astronomy)

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna is a planned space mission to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves from astronomical sources. LISA was originally conceived as a joint effort between the United States space agency NASA and the European Space Agency...

. The institute is also a major player in the Einstein@Home

Einstein@Home

Einstein@Home is a volunteer distributed computing project hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics . The project is directed by Bruce Allen...

 project.

Since 1998, the institute has published the open access review journal Living Reviews in Relativity

Living Reviews in Relativity

Living Reviews in Relativity is an open-access scientific review journal covering topics on relativity in the areas of physics and astrophysics. It is published by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics...

.

Graduate Program

The institute participates in two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS). Such research schools are graduate programs run by Max Planck Institutes in partnership with local universities, offering a Ph.D. degree.

Since 2004, there is the IMPRS for Geometric Analysis, Gravitation and String Theory in partnership with Berlin's Free University

Free University of Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...

 and Humboldt University as well as the University of Potsdam

University of Potsdam

The University of Potsdam is a German university, situated across four campuses in Potsdam, Brandenburg, including the New Palace of Sanssouci and the Park Babelsberg.- Profile :...

.

The IMPRS on Gravitational Wave Astronomy is run in cooperation with the University of Hannover and the Laser Centre Hannover.

External links

• Homepage of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
• Einstein Online - outreach website hosted at the institute about Einstein's theories of relativity
  Theory of relativity
  The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
  
  
• LISC website - website of the LISA
  LISA (astronomy)
  The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna is a planned space mission to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves from astronomical sources. LISA was originally conceived as a joint effort between the United States space agency NASA and the European Space Agency...
  
  International Science Collaboration hosted at the institute