Theory in Trona (TinT), the first international school on theoretical physics will take place in Gerola Alta at the Rifugio Trona-Soliva. The school is intended for PhD students and young postdocs working on string theory, supersymmetry and supergravity.
The mountain hut (website and Facebook) is situated in Valgerola, in the Parco delle Orobie Valtellinesi, at an altitude of 1907 m (6256 ft) above sea level, in a spectacular location completely surrounded by mountains. Pizzo Trona (2510 m, 8235 ft), which gives the name to the refuge, is one of the highest and most beautiful around and the summit can be reached both climbing and through a via ferrata. Perhaps the best-known peak in the area is Pizzo dei Tre Signori (2554 m, 8379 ft), dividing the three provinces of Bergamo, Lecco and Sondrio and whose summit can be conquered in less than three hours (one way from the hut).
The Valtellina is famous not only for its impressive mountains, but also for its delicious food and wines. This valley is the hometown of pizzoccheri and a large amount of local cheeses, one of them, called bitto, is produced precisely in Valgerola with milk from cows and goats bred in its alpine pastures. Moreover, many types of grapes are grown on the sides of the Valtellina which give birth to renowned wines like inferno, sassella, grumello, sfursat and more.
Lectures will be given inside the hut, in a typical room built with wood and stones, with the aid of a blackboard. Within this stimulating environment there will be many chances to discuss and there will be time for sport and recreational activities as well. Indeed, in order to allow the participants to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature, Tuesday afternoon will be off. (In case of bad weather there will be a swap in the activities between Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.)
Marco, the manager of the hut, is a physicist too and there is no better way to introduce him rather than giving him the floor. "I'm Marco Rabbiosi, the guardian of the hut Trona Soliva from 2018. Since I was 17 I've been bewitched by the geometric Einstein's idea about gravity, however, my natural habitat has always been the mountains, so I started my studies in physics and at the same time I occasionally worked as an assistant in different huts. After ten years, at the end of my PhD, I decided to manage a hut by myself. This decision had a drastic impact on my studies, yet I continue to see the strings in the sky!"
Due to the limited availability of beds and to the capacity of the lecture room, a maximum number of 23 attendees applies, including organizers and speakers.
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