Wednesday 14^th, 16.00
Università "La Sapienza" Roma - Aula Majorana (Department of Physics, Ancient Building)

Speaker: Prof. Giuseppe Pucacco from Dipartimento Fisica - Università Roma "Tor Vergata"

Title: Forme normali Hamiltoniane e Dinamica Galattica 

Abstract: L'approccio basato sulla costruzione di Forme Normali consente di descrivere con buona approssimazione la dinamica regolare di un sistema non integrabile. Discutiamo l'applicazione a problemi di dinamica in potenziali di galassie ellittiche, mostrando come costruire integrali del moto formali e come studiare le proprietà delle orbite periodiche principali.

Tuesday 13, 12.00 and 15.00       Thursday 15, 12.00 and 15.00

ICRANet Pescara, Seminars Room

Speaker: Prof. A.A. Starobinsky from Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Moscow - Russia

Title: Dark energy in the Universe

Abstract:

1. Definition and observational appearance of dark energy (DE). Its
   main possible forms: a cosmological constant, physical and
   geometrical DE. "Fine tuning" and "coincidence" problems - how many
   and if any? Anthropic explanation - does it work and does it needed?
2. Reconstruction of DE properties from observations: a) from background
   evolution of a FRW cosmological model; b) from the rate of growth of small
   perturbations in the non-relativistic matter component (cold dark matter +
   baryons).
3. Microscopic models of a cosmological constant (the Casimir effect or
   vacuum polarization due to additional spatial dimensions, string theory
   models) and variable DE: a) of physical DE - quintessence, Chaplygin gas;
   b) of geometrical DE - scalar-tensor models, f(R) models, the
   Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model.

Wednesday 21^st, 16.00
Università "La Sapienza" Roma - Aula Conversi (Department of Physics, Ancient Building)

Speaker: Prof. A.A. Starobinsky from Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Moscow - Russia

Title: Scalar-tensor and f (R) models of dark energy.

Abstract: Recent progress in construction of viable dark energy models in scalar-tensor and f(R) gravity satisfying laboratory, Solar system and cosmological tests and containing no ghosts and instabilities is discussed. Such models can admit phantom behaviour of dark energy, including smooth crossing of the phantom boundary. Further problems and most critical tests of these models are outlined.

Thursday 29^th, 16.00
Università "La Sapienza" Roma - Aula Majorana (Department of Physics, Ancient Building)

Speaker: Prof. S. George Djorgovski from Caltech, MS -  USA

Title: The Palomar-Quest survey, and Exploration of the Time Domain in Astronomy 

Abstract: Exploration of the time domain is rapidly becoming one of the most active and promising areas of research in astrophysics. It touches on fields ranging from studies of the Solar system to cosmology, from stellar evolution to extreme relativistic phenomena. Panoramic, synoptic sky surveys are now opening this new frontier. One of them is the Palomar-Quest sky survey, a science and technology testbed and prototype for the more ambitious forthcoming efforts, such as the LSST. We will report on some of the recent results, and prospects for the future.