MathMods :: Joint MSc

A terrible earthquake struck central Italy at 3.36 this morning, August 24th 2016. We would like to express all our sympathy to all the people who are suffering in Amatrice, Accumoli and other nearby villages. At the same time, we wanted to reassure all our students that, although it might seem relatively close to L'Aquila from a non-Italian viewpoint, the hit area is actually at around 1 hour's drive from here. And, besides that, the geological fault affected by the earthquake is different from the one running underneath L'Aquila. Therefore, as far as this specific earthquake is concerned, it is not strictly related to the city of L'Aquila, although several shakes were clearly felt even here. 

Once again, let us express our condolence to the all the people who lost their beloved in this terrible disaster.

This year our "Welcome Day" (October 16, 2015) featured a visit to the stunning Stiffe Caves in the morning as well as a superb lunch in a typical country restaurant, Fattoria Antica Forconia. Later in the afteroon we visited the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), the largest underground laboratory in the world for experiments in particle physics, particle astrophysics and nuclear astrophysics located between the towns of L'Aquila and Teramo - about 120 km away from Rome. There was an introductory lecture + guided tour led by Prof. Roberto Aloisio from GSSI, whom we wish to thank for having hosted us.

The presentation was held in the headquarters of the LNGS, located in an external building near "Assergi" motorwary exit. We then moved to the actual underground facilities, located on a side of the ten kilometres long motorway tunnel crossing the Gran Sasso Mountain. According to LNGS website, the laboratories lie beneath 1,400 metres of rock and "consist of three large experimental halls, each about 100 m long, 20 m wide and 18 m high and service tunnels, for a total volume of about 180,000 cubic metres".

We hope everybody enjoyed it as much as we did!

You are all invited (first and second years) to join the Welcome-Day meeting organized by Aquilasmus, a student association part of ESN - Erasmus Student Network.

• Day: Wednesday, October 14
• Time: 4.00 pm
• Venue: Aula Magna, Department of Human Studies (14 Viale Nizza, city centre, see below for directions).

There will be a presentation of what the association does for international students (e.g. organizing parties, trips, international dinners, cine-forums...). 

You'll also be given a welcome pack, containing pens, notebooks, maps and the like.

In the end there'll be a buffet dinner too, as well as a dinner party later at 11 pm (Andalucia restaurant)

As we really want all of you to take part in the event, we've cancelled all the classes scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. 

Directions

City centre, around 100 metres from the big fountain called "Fontana Luminosa" and the Castle.

There's an ARPA bus leaving our department at 2.15 and 3.25, then you'll just have to get off at "Questura" (police station) - it's the last but one stop before "Terminal". But you can also get any AMA bus driving to Terminal or, better still, Fontana Luminosa.

Click here for a map.

A couple of photos from the BBQ (arrosticini) party we had yesterday in the courtyard of our students' hall in Pizzoli, L'Aquila.

Thanks to everybody (both MathMods and Polish students from Katowice) for joining us!