GRASP Opening Workshop

The Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP) celebrated its opening with a workshop in Utrecht. Scientists in the field of gravitational waves and heavy-ion physics did meet in Paushuize. 

With the start of the Gravitational Waves research field in the Institute for Subatomic Physics (SAP), the institute has been renamed to Institute for Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP). The opening of this new institute has been celebrated with a three days workshop. On the 23rd of May, Raimond Snellings (Scientific Director of GRASP) kicked off the opening, looking back at the long history of the institute SAP and later GRASP. 

GRASP in the 80s and present

This was followed by a presentation by Stefan Vandoren, head of the Department of Physics, the Nikhef director Stan Bentvelsen and Isabel Arends, Dean of the Faculty of Science. The opening concluded with a nice reception in Paushuize where the participants could meet to discuss science and life. 

The presentations in the GRASP opening workshop gave a beautiful overview of the fundamental connections between subatomic physics and gravitational waves research and the future groundbreaking potential. It is also really nice to see how from the early days of subatomic physics in Utrecht the field has evolved, both in science impact and in the diversity of its people.

Scientific programme

During the next two days, on May 24th and 25th, the programme continued with a scientific discussion on connecting the dots between subatomic physics and gravitational waves. Indeed, one of the missions of GRASP is developing the connections between the fields of gravitation waves experiment, heavy-ion physics experiment and theoretical physics in order to answer some of the main open questions in science. This opening workshop of GRASP, hosting many of the fundamental players in the international landscape, aimed to provide an opportunity to strengthen the connections between the fields and, in addition to provide an overview of the current status, stimulating ideas for future directions.

We are looking back at a nice opening and successful workshop where participants in two fields came together, exchanging ideas and drawing a path toward the future.