The "Helmholtz Institute for Supercomputational Physics" organizes the International Summer school on the topic "Supercomputational Cosmology" at the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP) from 17 July to 11 August 2006.

Thirty-five talented young scientists from the area of astrophysics who have been invited from all parts of the world to Potsdam partake in the Summer School. The participants were chosen on the basis of their applications and credentials according to their previous knowledge in astrophysics and computer science in order to guarantee a high standard of the Summer School. The Summer School is a four-week intensive workshop on the topic of cosmology in which students are taught by a council of worldwide leading experts. The scientific director of the Summer School is Prof Anatoly Klypin from the New Mexico State University. He is supported by the university lecturers Prof Andrey Kravtsov from the University of Chicago, Prof Nick Gnedin from Fermilab and Dr Volker Springel from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching as well as scientists of the AIP. For the time of the Summer School the AIP provides a personal computer for every participant as well as a supercomputer with 64 processors on which the participants can develop and test their computer programs.

Central topic of the school is the development of structures in the expanding universe. The participants learn how to develop numerical processes and how to write programs for modern supercomputers in order to simulate and analyse the development of galaxy clusters, galaxies and their satellites in the universe. Therefore they have to develop codes themselves and to learn how to comprehend and to use existing modern, complex programs for supercomputers. With these codes they do not only follow the development of the observed baryonic matter in the universe but also the clustering of the so far only indirectly proved dark matter as well as the effect of the repellent force, the dark energy. In the morning lectures will be held, in the afternoon students will work at the computer. A central part consists of exercises and handling the different supercomputers.

The Helmholtz Institute for Supercomputational Physics is a common project of University and extra-university research institutes in Potsdam, among them the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, the Interdisciplinary Center for the Dynamics of complex systems at the University of Potsdam, the Max Planck Institutes for Gravitational Physics and for Colloid and Interfacial Research as well as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research. It is financed by the Ministry for Science, Research and Culture Brandenburg.

Time of the Summer Shool:
Monday, 17 July 2006 until Friday, 11 August 2006
Opening:
Monday, 17 July 2006, 9.00 a.m.

Location of the Summer School:
Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam (AIP),
An der Sternwarte 16,
14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg.