Division of Theory of Gravity and Fundamental Interactions

Institute of Theoretical Physics Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wrocław

The Division of Theory of Gravity and Fundamental Interactions brings together researchers working on gravity, quantum gravity, cosmology, mathematical physics, string theory, noncommutative geometry, gravitational waves, neutrino physics, theoretical astrophysics, and modern computational methods in theoretical physics.

Our research connects fundamental questions about spacetime, matter, and symmetries with mathematical structures and observational tests of gravity.

Research

The Division covers a broad range of topics in theoretical and mathematical physics.

Main research areas

Classical and modified gravity
General Relativity, Palatini and hybrid $f(R)$ gravity, scalar-tensor theories, metric-affine gravity, Lovelock gravity, BF theory, MacDowell–Mansouri gravity, algebraic extensions of gravitational symmetries, black-hole thermodynamics, and Taub–NUT spacetime.

Quantum gravity and quantum spacetime
Quantum gravity phenomenology, $\kappa$-deformations, quantum groups, Hopf algebras, noncommutative spacetimes, quantum phase spaces, BMS symmetry, Wheeler–DeWitt theory, loop quantum cosmology, and metastring theory.

Cosmology and quantum fields
Quantum field theory in expanding universes, decoherence by gravitational waves, functional integration methods, stochastic and diffusive models of dark matter and dark energy, inflationary models, and semiclassical gravity.

Gravitational waves and relativistic astrophysics
Data analysis and parameter estimation for present and future gravitational-wave detectors, including LIGO, Virgo, LISA, DECIGO, TianQin, Taiji, and BBO. Research includes compact binaries, verification binaries, detector response, stochastic backgrounds, and tests of metric theories of gravity.

Theoretical astrophysics and tests of gravity
Astrophysical matter in modified gravity, stellar and planetary structure, white dwarfs, exoplanets, dark-sector searches, lithium depletion, Big Bang nucleosynthesis beyond GR, seismic tests of gravity, neutrino-based constraints, and gravitational-wave lensing.

String theory, dualities, and extended geometry
String theory, integrable models, conformal field theory, generalized geometry, exceptional geometry, double field theory, extended field theories, and dualities in string and M-theory.

Neutrino physics and dark matter
Nonstandard neutrino and dark-matter interactions, elastic scattering on polarized targets, time-reversal violation, CP violation, neutrino nature, and observables sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model.

Keywords

Classical gravity · Quantum gravity · Relativistic and quantum cosmology · Spacetime symmetry deformations · Quantum groups and supergroups · Gravitational waves · Neutrino physics · Conformal field theory · Geometrical and algebraic methods in field theory · Twistors and supertwistors · Modern computational tools in theoretical physics · Theoretical astrophysics

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People

Staff

Arkadiusz Błaut — dr hab., prof. UWr, Head of Division
Research: gravity, cosmology, gravitational waves, astrophysics
Email: arkadiusz.blaut [at] uwr.edu.pl

Tomasz Pawłowski — dr hab., prof. UWr
Research: quantum cosmology, quantum gravity, black-hole theory
Email: tomasz.pawlowski [at] uwr.edu.pl

Aneta Wojnar — dr hab., prof. UWr
Research: gravity, theoretical astrophysics, extensions of GR, thermodynamics of gravitational systems, Big Bang nucleosynthesis
Email: aneta.wojnar [at] uwr.edu.pl

Remigiusz Durka — dr
Research: gravity, supergravity, algebraic enlargements, Taub–NUT spacetime, symbolic computations in GR and theoretical physics
Website: remigiuszdurka.wordpress.com
Email: remigiusz.durka [at] uwr.edu.pl

Falk Hassler — dr
Research: string theory, dualities, integrable models, conformal field theory, quantum gravity
Website: fhassler.de
Email: falk.hassler [at] uwr.edu.pl

Jakub Jankowski — dr
Research: high-energy physics, climate-related applications
Email: jakub.jankowski [at] uwr.edu.pl

Aleksander Kozak — dr
Research: extended theories of gravity
Email: aleksander.kozak2 [at] uwr.edu.pl
Currently on scientific leave as a postdoctoral researcher in Chile.

David Osten — dr
Research: integrable models, dualities, extended field theories, string theory, M-theory
Email: david.osten [at] uwr.edu.pl

Wiesław Sobków — dr
Research: time-reversal violation, CP violation, neutrino nature, nonstandard low-energy interactions, neutrinos in astrophysics and cosmology, dark matter
Email: wieslaw.sobkow [at] uwr.edu.pl

Tomasz Trześniewski — dr
Research: quantum gravity, gravity in $2+1$ dimensions, quantum groups, noncommutative geometry, nonlinear phase spaces, non-Lorentzian kinematics
Email: tomasz.trzesniewski [at] uwr.edu.pl

Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman — prof. dr hab.
Research: gravity, quantum gravity
Email: jerzy.kowalski-glikman [at] uwr.edu.pl

Andrzej Borowiec — prof. dr hab.
Research: gravity, cosmology, quantum groups, quantum spaces, modified gravity
Email: andrzej.borowiec [at] uwr.edu.pl

Zbigniew Haba — prof. dr hab., Professor emeritus
Research: mathematical methods of quantum field theory, functional integrals, inflation, dark matter, dark energy
Email: zbigniew.haba [at] uwr.edu.pl

Andrzej Frydryszak — dr hab., prof. UWr, Professor emeritus
Research: classical fields, supersymmetry, nilpotent formalisms, quantum correlations, quantum entanglement
Email: andrzej.frydryszak [at] uwr.edu.pl

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PhD students

Tadeusz Adach — noncommutative spacetime, noncommutative field theory, Deformed Special Relativity
Achilleas Gitsis — string theory, dualities in string theory, generalized geometry
Michał Popiel — noncommutative spacetime, Deformed Special Relativity, quantum groups
Marcin Postolak — scalar-tensor cosmology, modified theories of gravity
Luca Scala — string theory, quantum groups, noncommutative spacetimes, quantum gravity
Alex Swash — string theory, dualities, compactifications

Other PhD researchers associated with the Division’s activity include Grzegorz Dziewisz, Débora Aguiar Gomes, and Patryk Mieszkalski.

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Students

Nachiket Jhala
Master thesis: Entanglement Entropy and Quantum Groups
Supervisor: Andrzej Borowiec
Expected defence: 2025

Niko Klag
Bachelor thesis: Searching for the Dark Sector of the Universe in Stars
Supervisor: Aneta Wojnar
Expected defence: 2026

Marcin Klinkosz
Bachelor thesis: Exoplanets as a Tool for Probing New Physics
Supervisor: Aneta Wojnar
Expected defence: 2026

Sebastian Marczyński
Bachelor thesis: Light Elements Burning in Low-Mass Stars
Supervisor: Aneta Wojnar
Expected defence: 2026

Dhrubajyoti Rakshit
Scientific project: Neutron Stars in Modified Gravity
Supervisors: Aneta Wojnar, Aleksander Kozak
Expected defence: 2025

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Visitors

Visiting professors

Jackson Levi Said — University of Malta
Public lecture: Probing New Physics through Novel Machine Learning Techniques
Visitor of: Aneta Wojnar
Visiting stay: 5–9 May 2025

Davi Rodrigues — Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
Public lecture: Astrophysical Data: Galaxy Dynamics, Dark Matter, and the Hunt for Modified Gravity
Visitor of: Aneta Wojnar
Visiting stay: 25 September – 18 October 2025

Visiting students

Adam Kaczmarek — Jan Długosz University, Częstochowa, Poland
Project: Condensed Matter and Gravity
Supervisor: Aneta Wojnar
Visiting stay: 5–8 November 2024

Anna Horváth — Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
Project: Stars in Kaluza–Klein Theory
Supervisor: Aneta Wojnar
Visiting stay: 1–29 March 2025

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Seminars

The Division organizes regular seminars with speakers from the University of Wrocław and invited guests from Poland and abroad. Internal link: Gravity Division seminars.

Other semianars: Seminaria – Wydział Fizyki i Astronomii

Present and planned seminars, 2026

10 March 2026 — PhD defence of Maciej Kowalczyk
Evolution of the cosmological background and cosmological perturbations in simplified formulations of loop quantum gravity

24 March 2026 — Nicoleta Voicu
Rethinking Spacetime Geometry: A Finsler Perspective
Visitor of: Aneta Wojnar

28 April 2026 — Ľuboš Ravas, Bratislava
Perturbation Theory for Lie Algebra Forms from Homology and Homotopy
Visitor of: Falk Hassler

12 May 2026 — Oscar Varela, Utah State University
The Exceptional Holography of the M5-Brane
Visitor of: Falk Hassler

19 May 2026 — Pablo A. Cano, University of Murcia
Regular Black Holes from Pure Gravity
Visitor of: Falk Hassler

2 June 2026 — Yen Chin Ong
Generalized Entropy and Varying-G Correspondence
Visitor of: Aneta Wojnar

Recent seminars, 2025

Recent speakers included Parita Shah, Christian Pfeifer, Bartłomiej Bąk, Patryk Mieszkalski, Tim Meier, Michele Arzano, Anna Horváth, Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman, Zbigniew Haba, Łukasz Rudnicki, Jackson Levi Said, Gaetano Fiore, Otto Kong, and Sofía Vidal.

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News

Gravity T-Time journal club

The journal club Gravity T-Time takes place on Tuesdays at 16:00 in room 416. The meetings are devoted to recent papers and current research topics related to gravity. They are held in an informal atmosphere, with coffee, tea, and discussions open to staff, students, and visitors.

The journal club is also an opportunity for students to practise leading scientific discussions, giving short presentations, and developing ideas for present and future research. To join the mailing list and receive information about special meetings, guests, cakes, cookies, excursions, or the Gravitational Picnic on Słodowa Island, please contact Aneta Wojnar or Tomasz Trześniewski.

The first meeting is planned for Tuesday, 7 October 2025, with a talk by Prof. Davi Rodrigues from the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil, devoted to the paper Observational evidence for cosmological coupling of black holes and its implications for an astrophysical source of dark energy.

COST Action FuSe — Testing Fundamental Physics with Seismology

Dr. Aneta Wojnar has been chosen as Chairperson of the newly established COST Action FuSe — Testing Fundamental Physics with Seismology. Starting in autumn 2025, the network will bring together 76 researchers from 29 countries across physics, seismology, planetary science, AI, and Big Data. The University of Wrocław will act as grant holder for this €600,000 project.

FuSe aims to bridge physics and Earth sciences by studying seismic phenomena, including earthquake precursors, with modern AI, machine-learning, and data-analysis methods. The project will explore seismic data as a possible source of signatures of new physics and as a tool for deepening our understanding of Earth’s interior.

Contact: aneta.wojnar [at] uwr.edu.pl

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News

11th Conference of the Polish Society on Relativity — PoToR 2025

21–24 July 2025, Wrocław

The 11th annual conference of the Polish Society on Relativity took place in Wrocław and brought together Polish and international researchers working on gravity and related fields. The conference covered General Relativity, quantum gravity, observational cosmology, and related areas.

PoToR has been the central meeting point of the Polish relativistic community since 2014, following the GR20/Amaldi 10 conference in Warsaw in 2013. The 2025 edition continued this tradition by supporting collaboration across gravitational physics and addressing fundamental questions about the Universe.

Institutional organizer: Division of Theory of Gravity and Fundamental Interactions, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wrocław

Organizing committee: Tomasz Trześniewski — head, Remigiusz Durka, Aneta Wojnar, Aleksander Kozak, Arkadiusz Błaut, Tomasz Pawłowski

stringtheory.pl 2025

23–24 May 2025, Wrocław

The 2025 edition of stringtheory.pl, the annual meeting on string theory and related topics, was held in Wrocław. The meeting brought together researchers interested in string theory, high-energy physics, quantum gravity, and mathematical physics.

The first day took place at the DSF pavilion behind the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, and the second day continued in room 422 of the main Faculty building.

Organizers: Falk Hassler, David Osten, Piotr Surowka

59th Winter School of Theoretical Physics / COST Action CA18108 Training School

12–21 February 2023

The 59th Winter School of Theoretical Physics was organized by the Institute together with COST Action CA18108 Quantum Gravity Phenomenology in the Multi-Messenger Approach. The school focused on Gravity — Classical, Quantum and Phenomenology.

Lecture series covered asymptotic symmetries, gravitational waves from black holes, observational cosmology, modified gravity, quantum-gravity phenomenology, and gamma-ray telescope data in the context of Lorentz-invariance violation.

Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Oo0bEL5LTJDgV2qI1iil1Lc_X-mThSN

Symposium on Quantum Symmetries, Noncommutative Geometry and Quantum Gravity

4–25 June 2021

This online symposium was dedicated to the 85th birthday of Prof. Jerzy Lukierski, one of the founding members of the Polish Society on Relativity. The meeting gathered researchers connected with his work on quantum field theory, supersymmetry, twistors, deformations, quantum gravity, and noncommutative geometry.

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Publications and preprints

Current publications and preprints of the Division are available through InspireHEP and individual researcher profiles.

The publication archive covers the years 2016–2025 and includes work on quantum gravity, deformed symmetries, noncommutative geometry, modified gravity, cosmology, gravitational waves, black holes, string theory, mathematical physics, neutrino physics, and dark matter.

Recent publications, 2025

A. Borowiec, J. Kowalski-Glikman, T. Trześniewski
On Carrollian and Galilean contractions of BMS algebra in 3 and 4 dimensions
Class. Quantum Grav. 42, 035009, 2025

A. Borowiec, M. Postolak
Is it possible to separate baryonic from dark matter within the $\Lambda$CDM formalism?
Phys. Lett. B 860, 139176, 2025

A. Błaut, W. Sobków
Recoil electron polarization-dependent T-odd correlations in neutrino elastic scattering on polarized electron target
Eur. Phys. J. C 85, 366, 2025

Z. Haba
Chern–Simons states of photons and gravitons
Eur. Phys. J. Plus 140, 271, 2025

Older publications should remain available in the archive by year: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

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Bachelor and Master topics

Topic	Type	Supervisor	Status
Estimating the effects of the 2010 Chile earthquake on industrial facilities	BSc	Aneta Wojnar	Available
Light elements burning in low-mass stars	BSc	Aneta Wojnar	Assigned
Exoplanets as a Tool for Probing New Physics	BSc	Aneta Wojnar	Assigned
Searching for the Dark Sector of the Universe in Stars	BSc	Aneta Wojnar	Assigned
Mathematical and physical properties of resonant superalgebras in supergravity	MSc	Remigiusz Durka	Available
Chebyshev Polynomials in Kerr–Newman Black Holes	MSc	Remigiusz Durka	Available
Positive Energy Theorem for Finite Regions in Supergravity	MSc	Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman	Assigned
Concept of Mass in Extensions of General Relativity	MSc	Aneta Wojnar	Assigned
Entanglement Entropy and Quantum Groups	MSc	Andrzej Borowiec	Assigned

Students interested in thesis topics or research projects are invited to contact the listed supervisors directly.

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Grants

OPUS 23, 2023–2026, NCN 2022/45/B/ST2/01067
From Quantum Noncommutative Geometry to Quantum Gravity
Polish title: Od kwantowej nieprzemiennej geometrii do modeli kwantowej grawitacji
PI: Jerzy Lukierski
Team: Andrzej Borowiec, Anna Pachoł, Tomasz Trześniewski, Marcin Woronowicz

NCN 2017/27/B/ST2/01902, 2018–2022
Nieprzemienne kwantowe czasoprzestrzenie i modele kwantowej grawitacji
Team: Jerzy Lukierski, Andrzej Borowiec, Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman

MAESTRO, NCN 2011/02/A/ST2/00294, 2012–2017
Semiclassical Quantum Gravity and Quantum Gravity Phenomenology
PI: Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman

OPUS, NCN 2013/09/B/ST2/03455, 2014–2017
Early Universe from Fundamental Interactions Theory
Team: Andrzej Borowiec, Zbigniew Haba, Marek Szydłowski

OPUS, NCN 2014/13/B/ST2/04043, 2014–2017
Nonstandard Approach to Fundamental Interactions: Noncommutative and Twistor Geometries
Team: Jerzy Lukierski, Andrzej Borowiec, Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman

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History

The present Division of Theory of Gravity and Fundamental Interactions is the result of decades of development at the Institute of Theoretical Physics. For many years, the Institute had a larger structure gathering researchers working on fundamental physics. In the 1990s it was divided into three divisions: Theory of Particles, Mathematical Methods, and Fundamental Interactions and Gravity.

Prof. Jerzy Lukierski became head of the Division of Fundamental Interactions and Gravity. His research, which began with mathematical structures of fundamental interactions and supersymmetry, later developed toward quantum deformations of symmetry, nontrivial geometries, and theoretical models of quantum gravity. These topics strongly shaped the scientific profile of the Division.

Another central figure was Prof. Andrzej Borowiec, whose work grew from differential-geometric methods in mathematical physics and later developed toward gravity, gauge theories, quantum groups, and noncommutative geometry. In the 1970s and 1980s, several PhD students connected with this environment later continued scientific careers outside the University of Wrocław.

From the early 1990s, kappa-deformations became one of the Division’s central research themes, developed by Prof. Lukierski and his collaborators. After Prof. Lukierski stepped down in 2006, Prof. Jerzy Kowalski-Glikman became head of the Division, strengthening its focus on classical gravity, quantum gravity, and quantum-gravity phenomenology.

After later reorganizations of the Institute, the Division was joined by researchers including Andrzej Frydryszak, Ziemowit Popowicz, Wiesław Sobków, and Zbigniew Haba. Further development included postdoctoral researchers such as Francesco Cianfrani and Giacomo Rosati, as well as new permanent members including Remigiusz Durka, Tomasz Pawłowski, Jakub Jankowski, Tomasz Trześniewski, Falk Hassler, Aleksander Kozak, and Aneta Wojnar.

Today the Division combines its historical strengths in gravity, quantum groups, noncommutative geometry, and mathematical physics with newer directions in gravitational waves, quantum cosmology, string theory, modified gravity, theoretical astrophysics, and computational methods.

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Former members and alumni

Former PhD students of the Division since 2022 include Maciej Kowalczyk, Michał Bobula, Aleksander Kozak, Josua Unger, and Lennart Brocki.

Former members include

Jerzy Lukierski (2026 †)

Giacomo Rosati (2025)

Ziemowit Popowicz (retirement 2021)

Marcin Daszkiewicz (2019 †)

Zbigniew Jaskólski (2018 †)

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Contact

Division of Theory of Gravity and Fundamental Interactions
Institute of Theoretical Physics
Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
University of Wrocław

Full Institute staff list: http://www.ift.uni.wroc.pl/staff

For matters concerning the Division, please contact the Head of Division:

dr hab. Arkadiusz Błaut, prof. UWr
arkadiusz.blaut [at] uwr.edu.pl