General information
Objectives and Description:
The objective is to introduce the audience to the field of relativistic fluid dynamics and to its applications in high-energy and gravitational physics.
Methods and outcomes:
The BIP consists of one week of lectures and tutorials, followed by team projects pursued by the students at their home institutions. Follow-up sessions will be organized to guide the students through their projects.
Field of Education:
Physics
Target audience / Participants profile:
Bachelor students; Master students; PhD students.
No of ECTS issued:
6
Language of instruction and requirements:
English
Dates for physical activity:
25th-29th May 2026
Location of physical activity:
West University of Timișoara (main building)
Dates for virtual component:
May – July 2026
Virtual Component Description:
Students will work in teams of 2-4 on the projects chosen at the end of the physical component.
Organizing Board:
Receiving/Host university:
Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara, Romania (Lect. Univ. Dr. Victor E. Ambruș, victor.ambrus@e-uvt.ro)
Sending/Partner universities:
P1. Goethe Univerity, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (PD Dr. Hendrik van Hees, hees@itp.uni-frankfurt.de);
P2. University of Florence, Italy (Prof. Dr. Francesco Becattini, becattini@fi.infn.it) ;
P3. Bielefeld University, Germany (Prof. Dr. Sören Schlichting, schlichting@physik.uni-bielefeld.de);
P4. University of Catania, Italy (Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Greco, vincenzo.greco@dfa.unict.it)
Detailed programme
1. Course syllabus (covered during physical component):
a) Basics of Relativistic hydrodynamics
This activity introduces the key concepts and the main equations of relativistic hydrodynamics, starting from a brief introduction to special relativity, tensors and covariant conservation equations; and leading to the modern formulation of relativistic hydrodynamics of perfect (ideal) and real (dissipative) fluids.
b) Numerical methods for Relativistic fluid dynamics
This activity discusses the technical aspects behind solving the hydrodynamics equations on a computer, such as finite-volume methods, approximate Riemann solvers, propagation characteristics, with illustrations by state of the art hydrodynamics codes.
c) Hydrodynamics as an effective field theory
This activity demonstrates the tight connection between the fundamental framework of quantum field theory and the hydrodynamic description of relativistic fluids and plasmas.
d) Mesoscopic formulation of fluid dynamics
This activity This activity describes fluids at a mesoscopic level (i.e., using momentum space distributions), connecting the kinetic theory to the hydrodynamic equations.
e) Hydrodynamics in heavy ion collisions
This activity summarizes the main achievements of hydrodynamics in identifying the quark-gluon plasma as a new state of matter formed in ultra high-energy nuclear collisions, addressing the current limitations of hydrodynamics and perspectives to overcome them in the case of small systems.
f) Hydrodynamics in astrophysics
This activity introduces the basics of fluid flows in general relativity, as well as the coupling to external electromagnetic fields, in the frame of the theory of relativistic magneto-hydrodynamics, with a focus on astrophysical applications, such as neutron star mergers.
2. Virtual component
The students form teams and each team selects a project from a list of proposals. During the virtual component, the students meet with the tutors assigned for the specific project to receive guidance. During the last session, the students defend their project in front of a panel formed by the tutor and the lecturer for the corresponding component.
Application procedure
Please fill in the registration form.
