2-day Machine Learning workshop with focus on practical application of diverse methods to problems in modern astronomy.

AIP

CESRA, the Community of European Solar Radio Astronomers, organizes triennial workshops on investigations of the solar atmosphere using radio and other observations. Although special emphasis is given to radio diagnostics, the workshop topics are of interest to a large community of solar physicists. The format of the workshop will combine plenary sessions and working group sessions, with invited review talks, oral contributions, and posters.

The CESRA 2019 workshop will place an emphasis on linking the Sun with the heliosphere, motivated by the launch of Parker Solar Probe in 2018 and the upcoming launch of Solar Orbiter in 2020. It will provide the community with a forum for discussing the first relevant science results and future science opportunities, as well as on opportunity for evaluating how to maximize science return by combining space-borne observations with the wealth of data provided by new and future ground-based radio instruments, such as ALMA, E-OVSA, EVLA, LOFAR, MUSER, MWA, and SKA, and by the large number of well-established radio observatories.

Telegrafenberg, Potsdam

Recent observational results from space missions, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), Kepler and others that were launched in the past 10 years, as well as from the new large solar and stellar telescopes, such as GREGOR and ALMA, and advanced instrumentation, have convincingly demonstrated that the progress in our understanding of how magnetic fields are generated, emerge from the interior, organize in active regions, and cause powerful eruptions can be achieved only by developing a unified approach and studying relationships between solar and stellar magnetism. Developing a synergy of solar and stellar astronomy is essential in solving grand-challenge problems of the primary mechanisms of stellar magnetic activity and its effects on star-planet relations.

An important key issue is that the same or similar phenomena occur on the Sun and other stars under different conditions (different age, metallicity, rotation rate etc) and studying these similarities and differences will help to uncover the underlying physical mechanisms, their evolution in time and impacts. Specifically, the proposed program includes discussions of new emerging topics that are of interest to both solar and stellar astronomers, such as magnetic field diagnostics of the chromosphere and corona using observations of chromospheric lines and initial data from ALMA (which became available earlier this year), detection of stellar magnetospheres, and detailed mapping of the magnetic fields on the surface of stars. Previously, such mapping was possible only for the Sun. Therefore, it is very interesting and important to compare the solar and stellar results, and also discuss how the surface magnetism structure and evolution are related to the generation of magnetic in the solar and stellar interiors.

Hosted by AIP and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Copiapo, Chile

Copiapo, Chile

Deciphering the structure and formation history of our Galaxy will provide important clues to understanding galaxy formation in a broader context. Wide-field multi-object spectroscopic surveys play a particularly important role in the analysis of the Milky Way: Spectroscopy enables us to measure the radial velocity (RV) as a key component of the six-dimensional phase space of stellar positions and velocities, which in turn allows us to study the details of Galactic dynamics. Spectroscopy also facilitates the measurement the abundance of chemical elements in a stellar atmosphere which holds important clues on the initial chemical composition of the interstellar medium and its subsequent metal enrichment.
However, despite the importance of stellar spectroscopy for Galactic Archaeology, the data situation in the early 2000s was far from satisfactory. RVs were listed for some 50,000 stars in the databases of the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS), an astonishingly small number compared to the approximately one million spectra available for galaxy redshifts listed at that time. Furthermore, these spectra comprised a very heterogeneous sample in terms of selection, resolution, epoch and Signal-to-Noise. The situation change somewhat with the advent of the Geneva Copenhagen Survey (GCS), which however covered only a sphere
of about 100 pc radius around the sun (the so-called Hipparcos sphere).

RAVE was the first systematic stellar spectroscopic survey focussed on questions of the structure and evolution of the Galaxy. Originally designed mainly to obtain radial velocities, the spectra are of high enough quality to extend the data products to include atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances. A series of 5 public data releases provided an increasing number of targets and increasingly refined data products including atmospheric parameters, and chemical abundances with the final data release, including some 500,000 spectra, being close to publication. The RAVE data releases were complemented by value-added catalogues, including spectrophotometric distances, automated spectral classification as well as catalogues of active stars and of candidates for very metal-poor stars. Furthermore, RAVE has meanwhile been complemented by surveys of similar or even larger size at lower (SEGUE, LAMOST) and higher spectral resolution (APOGEE, GaiaESO, GALAH). Future surveys like SDSS-V, WEAVE, PFS and 4MOST will further extend our census of the Milky Way, eventually reaching tens of millions of spectra.

Babelsberg, Potsdam

The Hubble law discovered in 1929, i.e. the linear relation between the recession velocity of galaxies and their distance, is the cornerstone of modern cosmology and of the Big Bang model. In this model, the proportionality constant H0 in this relation, the so-called Hubble constant, is also the ratio of the expansion rate and size scale of the cosmos, the inverse ratio thus directly giving the age (and characteristic length) scale of the cosmos. To accurately determine H0 has thus been a major focus in observational cosmology and astrophysics over the past 90 years.

However, the history of determining H0 has been full of systematic problems, inconsistencies and controversies from its very beginnings.

Berlin, Germany

Galaxies come in various shapes and sizes ranging from spirals to ellipticals – which processes are mainly responsible for their appearance? How do transformative processes affect the characteristics of galaxies? Observations indicate that the mass of a galaxy is a discriminating factor in its ability to effectively turn gas into stars. But why are galaxies like our own Milky Way apparently the most efficient in producing stars, while dwarf galaxies and galaxy clusters struggle? Is “feedback” the answer? and if so, what is the underlying physics? Or do we need to go beyond Occams razor and add additional interactions to otherwise cold dark matter?

We intend to host the 15th Potsdam Thinkshop in 2018, with a focus on understanding the role of feedback in galaxy formation.

We  plan to cover all subjects directly related to feedback including stellar and active galactic nuclei feedback, interstellar medium, circumgalactic medium, mechanica feedback, magnetic fields and cosmic rays, radiative feedback, etc. from both an observational and theoretical point of view.

Potsdam, Germany

TeVPA is a five day conference which aims to bring together leading scientists in the field to discuss recent advances in Astroparticle Physics. Cosponsored by AIP.

Berlin, Germany

While observations of distant galaxies allow us to probe the times when these systems were formed, it is only our own Galaxy that provides a fossil record detailed enough to unravel its complete formation history. Galaxies are dynamically and chemically inhomogeneous and it is only by using the higher dimensional phase space resulting from combined kinematic and chemical measurements that a full understanding of their constituent parts can be achieved.

Deciphering the assembly history of our Galaxy requires a detailed mapping of the structure, dynamics, chemical composition, and age distribution of its stellar populations. The ultimate goal is that of “tagging” individual stars to each of the progenitor building blocks, thus opening up a new era of Galactic astronomy. This requires large-scale ground-based photometric and spectroscopic surveys of the stellar components of the Milky Way and its companion satellite systems. These systems directly complement the ongoing Gaia mission and future LSST providing major new insights on the structure and assembly history of a prototypical (i.e., L∗) galaxy.

This field is rapidly developing and 2017 will be an excellent timing to make up the balance and present an overview of past lessons learned before the large spectroscopic surveys like WEAVE and 4MOST are about to start.

Telegrafenberg, Babelsberg

Magnetic fields are present at all stages of stellar evolution, from brown dwarfs and young T Tauri stars through the main sequence phase, to the end products: white dwarfs, neutron stars, and magnetars. Over the past decade, important progress has been made in measuring the magnetic fields of both massive and low mass stars (on and off the main sequence), in understanding the origins of such fields, the role of convection in stellar magnetism, and in various related fields such as rotation, ages, differential rotation, activity, solar-stellar connection, and exoplanet-related research, all of which give insight into stellar magnetism and magnetic field evolution.

Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany

The STELLA meeting will be held at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam on 8th/9th November 2016. We start with a technical day on the 8th, presenting a potpourri of remarkable achievements in robotic astronomy. The science day on the 9th will be dedicated to results obtained with the help of either of the two STELLA telescopes.

AIP, Babelsberg, Potsdam

Spectroscopy is a universal tool used in modern Astrophysics, from solar physics to the high-redshift Universe. Essential for the study of most astrophysical phenomena, uses of spectroscopy are manifold:

• Solar physics: probing solar activity
• Stellar physics: characterizing stellar parameters, the ambient medium, stellar activity and evolution
• Interstellar and intergalactic medium: understanding the composition by emission and absorption processes
• Galaxies and their kinematics: studying the evolution of the Milky Way and the Universe on cosmological scales
• Exoplanets: unveiling their atmospheres
• … and many more

There have been enormous spectroscopic technical developments in recent years, which come along with extreme high-resolution both spatially and spectrally. New integral-field spectrographs like MUSE offer fantastic possibilities by coupling the discovery potential of an imaging device to the measuring capabilities of a spectrograph. Further instrumental developments include spectro-polarimeters, multi-object spectrographs, and fibre-fed spectrographs.

Babelsberg, Potsdam

Observational cosmology has traditionally focused on the outskirts of the visible universe, with an ever increasing appetite to reach deeper into space and backwards in time. Recently, cosmologists have realized that treasures are buried much closer to home. In the last decade cosmologists have turned into archeologists as they search for fossils and clues on the formation of the Milky Way in the present day structure of nearby objects: so-called Near Field Cosmology and (extra-) galactic archeology The Milky Way and Andromeda are possibly the two galaxies that are best observed compared with any other. Moreover, detailed observations of tiny nearby dwarfs have shed light on the properties of a population of galaxies which can be observed only in our local neighborhood. The sizes and emptiness of the large voids seen in the nearby universe may help to discriminate between different cosmological models. The largest cosmological structures - clusters of galaxies and superclusters can be observed on very large distances however the most detailed observations are available in our cosmic neighborhood.

In order to make full use of the potential of all the excellent observational data of nearby objects it is important to study the formation of the local universe from a theoretical point of view as well. Over the last two decades numerous attempts have been made to use observational data to reconstruct the initial conditions from which the structure of the local universe formed, and to study its evolution.

Abstracts (pdf, 7.4 MB).

Obergurgl, Tyrol, Austria

At the strategy workshop “Perspectives of Astrophysics in Germany 2015-2030” the state of astrophysical research in Germany will be presented and strategies for the next decade will be discussed. The focus is on the participation of research groups and institutions at large, mostly international projects. Thematic blocks include:

– Key issues of astrophysical research 2015-2030

– Ground-based observatories in the context of the Astronet Roadmap

– ESA space program Cosmic Vision and the national space program

– Bi- and multilateral participation in other projects

Results of the workshop will be incorporated in the strategy discussions with funding agencies, such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG, the Federal Ministry for Research and Education BMBF and the Ministry for Economics affairs and Energy, who is in charge of the national space programme.  The workshop is organized by the Council of German Observatories (Rat Deutscher Sternwarten, RDS), and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP).

Telegrafenberg, Potsdam

Eruptive Protuberanzen und Filamente, Surges, Flares sowie Koronale Massenauswürfe (CMEs) sind Beispiele für eine dynamische Sonne. Beobachtungen in verschiedenen Wellenlängen und unterschiedlichen Instrumenten erlauben die Untersuchung hochenergetischer Prozesse auf der Sonne von der Chromosphäre und der Übergangsregion bis über die Korona hinaus. Sonnenphysiker haben heute durch neue bodengebundene Teleskope sowie zahlreiche Weltraummissionen umfassende Möglichkeiten zum Studium von Magnetfeldern, Plasmaflüssen, beschleunigten Teilchen und thermischen Eigenschaften eruptiver Ereignisse auf der Sonne. Die »Potsdam Thinkshops« bringen Spezialisten von Instrumentenbau, Beobachter und Theoretiker zusammen, um Ideen auszutauschen, Diskussionen zu neuen Projekten anzustoßen und neue Nutzungen der Instrumente anzuregen. Ziel ist eine umfassende Behandlung solarer eruptiver Ereignisse von globalen Eigenschaften bis zu ihrer sehr dynamischen Feinstruktur.

Potsdam, Telegrafenberg

The mechanisms of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way are encoded in the kinematics, chemistry and ages of its stars. Deciphering the assembly history of our Galaxy requires large-scale ground-based spectroscopic surveys able to map large portions of the Galaxy (Galactic Archaeology). An enourmous effort is ongoing with large spectrosopic surveys such as RAVE, SEGUE, LAMOST, Gaia-ESO, APOGEE and GALAH, from which stellar parameters, radial velocities and the abundances of several chemical elements can be measured. However, the difficulties associated with estimating ages and distances of individual field stars has long been major obstacle for Galactic Archeology. In addition the large uncertainties in key stellar parameters, such as the stellar gravity, has also been a major problem. [...]

Time is now ripe to bring again the representatives from the extensive ground-based surveys, as well as asteroseismology, Galaxy formation and stellar evolution experts to set our roadmap for future endeavors in this field. The participation of PhD students and young postdocs is greatly encouraged as they will be the main users of the future ground based and space facilities in the horizon of 2020. The involvement of young generations in frontier science topics is one of the main goals of the “Wilhelm und Else Heraeus-Stiftung”, and we greatly acknowledge their support.

Bad Honnef, Germany

Sponsored and held on behalf of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG

Babelsberg, Potsdam

The local neighborhood surrounding the Milky Way and M31 is teeming with small satellite galaxies whose properties are of immense interest. The aim of the proposed meeting is to form a consensus across theorists and observers of the status of dwarf galaxies, with an aim to understand the successes and failures of current models while simultaneously gauging what we can expect from future missions.

Potsdam, Germany

AIP, Babelsberg, Potsdam, Germany

The scope of this meeting is to bring together the astronomical community that builds and uses high-resolution spectrographs. High spectral resolution is essential to quantify and to constrain the many micro- and macro-scale processes in cosmic plasma. In particular we will emphasize the coupling between predictive numerical simulations and quantitative spectroscopic observations. We organize this meeting in the framework of the series of “Potsdam ThinkShops” as meeting number 10. The venue will be held at the Telegrafenberg science campus of the AIP in Potsdam in May 2013 and will be open for an international professional auditorium as well as students.

Topics covered

• New instruments on the block
• Methods and highlights
• Results on normal stars, low-mass stars, binaries, and exoplanets
• Results on massive stars, ISM, IGM, and quasars

Telegrafenberg, Potsdam

Some meeting goals

• plan for first year science
• end-to-end simulations, including OII/LAE separation
• additional science organization
• set up parallel specifications

AIP