Conference Service Mandl

abstract: This third Workshop will consider RFI mitigation in radio astronomy in all its facets with the aim of facilitating the implementation of instrumental and data processing techniques. This workshop aims to take a forward look at applications for the next generation of radio instruments, such as the SKA and its pathfinders and LOFAR, as well as considering their application to existing instruments.

abstract: The bending of light due to gravitational effects is one of the famous predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, confirmed in 1919. In gravitational lensing, this phenomenon is used to reconstruct the source of light from the images observed.

The mathematical formulation of this problem has recently lead to surprising new results in complex analysis . This workshop will explore recent developments in this fascinating subject at the intersection between astrophysics, general relativity and mathematics.

abstract: The mathematical work concerned with or inspired by General Relativity has increased substantially over the years and is still expanding, thanks to the wide variety of interesting and challenging problems that General Relativity can offer in several distinct areas of Mathematics, for example PDEs, Geometry and Numerical Analysis. Fundamental open questions in General Relativity, such as the stability of Kerr, the formation and structure of Black Holes and the Cosmic Censorship Conjecture, require for their understanding a deep analysis of the global behavior of solutions to the Einsten equations.

This conference brings together leading experts on General Relativity/non-linear wave equations and will cover topics of current and future research in these fields.

abstract: Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous and violent explosions detectable out to the edge of the observable Universe. As soon as their cosmological origin was established, it became apparent that GRBs can serve as powerful probes of the high-redshift Universe. The association of long GRBs with the deaths of massive stars imply that they trace the sites and history of massive star formation. Their optical and near-infrared afterglows reveal spectral imprints of their environments, including the interstellar medium of their host galaxies as well as the intergalactic medium during cosmic reionization. With the Swift Observatory in orbit, such expectations are now being materialized. With GRB 050904, we found that the Universe was already largely ionized at z=6.3. The discovery of GRB 090423 at z~8.2, the most distant astrophysical object known to date, clearly demonstrates that in the coming years, GRBs will offer us an unprecedented view into the mysterious era of cosmic reionization and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. And yet, our knowledge concerning the GRBs themselves remain appallingly meager, such as their progenitors, their true energetics, the mechanisms of jet formation, particle acceleration and prompt emission, etc.

The aim of this conference is to discuss the latest observational and theoretical developments in this exciting field of GRBs, with a strong emphasis on their use as probes of the high redshift universe. Non-GRB studies of the high redshift Universe, involving e.g. supernovae, galaxies, quasars and background radiation, are also essential elements of this conference.

abstract: VLBI activity in the east asia region is growing. VERA and JVN are regularly operating and producing scientific fruits in astrometry and astrophysics. All three KVN antennas were built and getting ready for science operations. CVN will be powered for the a new 65-m telescope in Shanghai and the next lunar mission. Developments and scientific studies of the VSOP-2 are advancing. And some EAVN test observations have succeeded this year to aim scientific operations in near future.

In the workshop, technical progress and recent VLBI results will be reported. Collaborations and exchange of knowledge will be issued. An important purpose of the workshop is to establish the operation policy of the EAVN. Roadmap to science operations, time allocations, operation management, and ground support for the VSOP-2 will be discussed. All of participants are welcome to contribute the discussion.

abstract: The present-day catalogue of extrasolar planets includes a panoply of astoundingly diverse systems containing more than one planetary companion. The observational data on multiple systems (orbital architectures, mass distributions, stellar host properties) have important implications for the proposed models of formation and early evolution of planetary systems, provide important clues on the relative role of several proposed mechanisms of dynamical interactions between forming planets, gaseous/planetesimals disks, and distant companion stars, and allow to measure the likelihood of formation and survival of terrestrial planets in the Habitable Zone of the parent star. Multiple-planet systems are thus clearly excellent laboratories to search for fossil evidence of formation and dynamical evolution mechanisms.

abstract: Enormous progress has been made in the last two decades both in the detailed study of nearby resolved stellar populations and in the discovery and characterization of high redshift galaxies. The 2010 May Symposium aims at understanding the physical processes and observational characteristics of local stellar populations as a tool for elucidating the evolution of general stellar populations throughout cosmic history.

abstract: The first major scientific symposium presenting Herschel scientific results will take place on 4-7 May 2010. This will be the ESLAB 2010 symposium; ESLAB is annual meeting which in 2010 will be fully dedicated to Herschel and its first science results.

abstract: PHENO 10 will cover the latest topics in particle phenomenology and theory -- in particular LHC physics -- plus related issues in astrophysics and cosmology.

abstract: The conference will focus on advances in studies of the dynamics of the Milky Way galaxy. Speakers are by invitation only, but the poster sessions will be open to all participants.

abstract: A new era is dawning in Astronomy with the advent of extremely sensitive new facilities to probe the universe across the electromagnetic spectrum. We plan to bring together the radio and optical communities for a workshop in Crete in May 2010. The workshop will be aimed at developing linked science cases for the giant, next generation telescopes including the E-ELT and SKA and other key ground- and space-based facilities.

abstract: Spontaneous Workshop (SW) brings together specialists on recent insights in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology. The aim is to stimulate debates on common topics in views of providing us with innovating ideas.

The workshop’s organization is based on an optimal number of concise presentations and enough space for discussions on emergent problems in order to favour interactions among participants.

abstract: An international conference to explore MHD processes during the transformation of molecular cloud cores to young stars.

abstract: The conference „Magnetic fields on scales from kilometres to kiloparsecs: properties and origin” is intended for professional scientists, PhD students and Post-Docs interested in magnetic fields and their properties. We expect about 100 participants from all over the world. The conference will consist of invited talks, contributed talks, and a poster session. The conference proceedings will be made available in the electronic form.

abstract: Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), the most powerful explosions since the formation of the Universe, are unique cosmic events. Lasting from a few milliseconds to several minutes, they shine hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova, the ultimate end of a massive star, and about a million trillion times as bright as the Sun. There is roughly a GRB detection once a day from wholly random sky directions. It is now widely accepted that GRBs are produced when a massive star undergoes core collapse or when two compact objects merge (e.g. neutron star - neutron star, black hole - neutron star). Due to the extreme luminosity of the multi-wavelength emission, they are now considered as one of the best ways to probe the dawn of the Universe.

An international school aimed at improving our knowledge of the GRB phenomena will take place in Cargèse in May 2010. Other topics to be covered are the unveiling of the nature of the early Universe and the preparation of the next generation of dedicated instruments. The school will be open to the entire scientific community. The school will be based primarily on in-depth lectures, with the remaining time available for shorter contributions from participants.

abstract: With the ever-growing possibilities to simulate cosmic structure formation on scales covering a substantial number of orders of magnitude (both in mass and in size), we feel the time is ripe to not only consider and talk about the credibility of the simulation technique but also about the methods of how to actually map the modeled density fields and its physical properties back onto observational quantities.

Traditionally this involves the utilization of “halo finders”, i.e. codes that mine the simulation data looking for gravitationally bound objects. These programs are nowadays equally sophisticated and come with their own intrinsic advantages and drawbacks. And while they have been primarily developed “on a side” tailored to suit the needs of individual simulation codes we now like to bring the experts in the fields under the same roof to discuss their methodologies.

During this workshop there will be presentations of the most commonly used halo finding techniques (spherical overdensity, friends-of-friends, phase-space finders, tessellation techniques, etc.), exchange of views on their applicability and - very importantly - hands-on sessions where various halo finders will be applied to the same data sets.

abstract: Gravitational wave astronomy will reveal hidden dynamics in the universe.  This emerging field arises from solutions to Einstein's equations of general relativity and has the potential to uncover new physics.  The Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (CGWA) at the Univeristy of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) has successfully conducted a two-week summer school for the past five years in order to expose students to gravitational wave astronomy.    Some of the world's leading experts in this field will instruct a select group of approximately 25 advanced undergraduate and graduate students during the summer school.

abstract: The International Seminar "Quarks-2010" is organized by the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "Quarks-2010" is the sixteenth in the series of seminars taking place every two years since 1980 in various historical and cultural places of Russia. The coming Seminar will take place near Kolomna, about 100km southeast of Moscow. Despite of the Seminar's traditional name, the program of "Quarks-2008" is fairly broad and includes plenary sessions, meetings at sections and informal discussions on various problems of quantum field theory and particle physics. We expect that about 150 physicists will participate in the Seminar.

abstract: The last decade has witnessed rapid progress in the astrophysical study of black holes. Observations have shown that many nearby galaxies host supermassive black holes at their centers, and have established an intimate link between the masses of the black holes and the properties of their host galaxies. Measurements in the high-energy X-ray regime have allowed us to study the conditions of matter in the immediate vicinity of black holes, and to probe down to scales very close to the actual event horizon of black holes. Breakthroughs in numerical relativity have made it possible, for the first time, to compute the merging of two supermassive black holes. Within the next ten years, ground-based gravitational wave detectors like LIGO and VIRGO will begin making regular observations of merging stellar-mass black holes out to redshifts of ~0.3, giving us our first-ever direct view of the black holes themselves. Future space-based observatories like IXO will measure X-rays from the first accreting massive black holes in the Universe, while LISA will detect gravitational waves from coalescing supermassive black hole binaries throughout the Universe. Gravitational wave and electromagnetic astronomy have previously been rather disjoint fields of research. A key goal of this seminar is to bring together researchers in these two fields, and to provide a forum for lively discussions, with an emphasis on the electromagnetic and gravitational wave signatures of strong gravity.

abstract: The 14th conference in the series "Recent Developments in Gravity" is organized by the Theoretical Physics group of the Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Greece. NEB-14 will take place in Ioannina, Greece, from 8-11 June, 2010 at the Grand Serai Hotel.

abstract: The focus is on Relativity Theory in Mathematics and in Physics. There will be survey lectures and specialized talks.

abstract: In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history. Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together to present their research in a comfortable environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees.

abstract: This Third Astrophysics Workshop is held in the wake of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, as the continuation of both the Auresian workshop held in 2008 at Batna and the Algiers Workshop last year. It aims to be a meeting ground for exchange and for keeping updated on the latest advances in the various branches of astrophysics.

abstract: The purpose of the school is to provide opportunity to gain practical observationnal experience at the telescope, in observatories with state of the art instrumentation. To this effect, the school proposes tutorial observations in small groups of 4 or 5 students, under the guidance of an experienced observer, centered around a small research project and going through all steps of a standard observing program. Some introductory and complementary lectures will be given by experts in the field.

abstract: The meeting will cover areas in nuclear physics, particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. The program is coherent with nuclei being the central object that connects all items of the program: Exotic nuclei, Nuclear Astrophysics, Neutrino physics, Astroparticle physics. First week will have a school format, second week that of a conference. It is the 23rd edition of a Carpathian school, and the 3rd with the same title, following CSSP05 and CSSP07.

This is an external activity of ICTP, Trieste.

abstract: The purpose of IAU symposium 271 is to enable interaction, discussion, study, and thereby to enhance our understanding, of some of the important nonlinear dynamical processes present in the Universe, with special attention to those that are ubiquitously present in a great variety of astronomical objects, from stars like our Sun to galaxies. Such objects exhibit complex dynamical phenomena spanning a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, with fluid and magnetic instabilities, highly nonlinear states and turbulence playing a central role. Today, understanding the behaviour and evolution of such systems requires high-accuracy, multi-scale astronomical observations coupled with detailed theoretical study via models. In particular, high-performance numerical simulations have become an essential and revealing tool for assessing the often richly subtle and surprising highly nonlinear regime of such models. This symposium therefore will offer a unique opportunity for world experts with widely varying perspectives to share their knowledge and opinions on the latest advances in the study of the common underlying processes from the field of nonlinear astrophysical dynamics.

abstract: A considerable amount of work has been devoted in recent years to the progenitors of the various types of stellar explosions, be it novae, supernovae or gamma-rays bursts. Theoreticians are actively exploring the different ingredients (mass, mass loss, metallicity, rotation, binarity, magnetic field) affecting the appearance of a massive star just before the time of its explosion (SNII, SNIb, SNIc, long gamma-ray burst), as well as the different pathways leading to explosions in binary systems (novae, SNIa, short gamma-ray burst). On the observationnal side, several progenitors of SNII have already been identified in deep HST images of their host galaxies and tantalizing hints on the role of metallicity in shaping the properties of SN types have been obtained recently. Reliable statistics for various SN frequencies as a function of type of the host galaxy have been established at low redshift and this type of work is currently extended to higher redshifts.

The general situation is expected to evolve rapidly, with the development of current and forthcoming surveys (SDSS, SN Factory, LAMOST, PAnnStars, Gaia and later the LSST), which will provide large, homogeneous, samples of SN. In such conditions, a Workshop on the aforementioned topic appears quite timely.

abstract: The scientific aim of this school is to show how the new generation of data will allow to look for signatures characterizing the models of the early universe. The school will cover the physics of the cosmic microwave background, with particular emphasis on new aspects which are the most relevant to the confrontation of theories with observations. In particular :

abstract: China has recently completed the construction of an important new instrument which will revolutionise the field of large spectroscopic surveys. The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) is an innovative quasi-meridian reflecting Schmidt Telescope capable of simultaneously securing spectra of 4,000 objects in a field of view of 5 degrees in diameter. The telescope, which is located at Xinglong Station operated by the National Astronomical Observatories (CAS), is currently undergoing commissioning with surveys due to commence in 2011.

As a consequence of this important development, KIAA-PKU will be hosting a Summer School and Workshop on the chemistry, dynamics and structure of the Milky Way. The School will consist of a two-week long series of lectures, given by some of the most distinguished academics in the field. Following the School we will hold a one-week Workshop, where many of the leading researchers will come together to present their latest results. We will allow a significant amount of time for discussions, in order to encourage interaction between the Workshop participants and also the younger researcher who are attending the School. This Summer School and Workshop will train young scientists in this diverse field and promote collaboration for future partnerships.

abstract: This is the twelfth in the series of Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposia organized by SCOSTEP (Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics). They are held on an approximately quadrennial basis. The main goal of SCOSTEP is to organize scientific programs in the solar-terrestrial environment. The current program is Climate and Weather in the Sun-Earth System (CAWSES), which has the overall goals of fostering a scientific approach to understanding the short term (Space Weather) and long term (Space Climate) variability of the integrated solar-terrestrial environment, and for its societal applications and CAWSES-II: Toward Solar Maximum runs from 2009 to 2013.

abstract: During the last few years, various possibilities to experimentally test quantum gravity within the near future have been proposed, based on effective models that incorporate features like deformations of special relativity, extra dimensions, a fundamentally minimal length, space-time foam, or traces from quantum effects in the early universe in cosmological data. With this workshop, we bring together people from different areas in order to assess these possibilities and encourage discussions. This meeting focuses on experimental tests of quantum gravity, and the conclusions that can be drawn from these tests.

abstract: This will be the 22nd meeting in this series of annual international mulitidisciplinary meetings which started in 1989. Particle Physics and Cosmology will emphasize the increasing interplay between high energy accelerator based physics and cosmology. The meeting will consist of plenary sessions as well as of parallel sessions.

abstract: The conference on the "Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars and Black Holes" is meant as satellite meeting directly preceding (July 16 and 17, 2010) the 38th COSPAR scientific assembly which takes place in Bremen from July 18 to 25, 2010. The meeting will take place at Jacobs University Bremen. The intention is to bring together world-leading experts on topics related to neutron stars and black holes for a focussed meeting aimed at the exchange of ideas and recent results.

abstract: New Insights into the Physics of Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae

abstract: Variability has been and still is a key issue in AGN science and extragalactic astrophysics. Simultaneous multiwavelength observations of changes in the radiation emission from AGN are of paramount importance in understanding the nature and the evolution of these sources, to break the spectral degeneracy, and to find correlations between different emission components. The recent discovery of very short time variability - on minutes timescales - at TeV energies by HESS and MAGIC is a hot topic.

Present and forthcoming high-energy satellites (Fermi, AGILE, Swift, INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku and the planned missions like NuStar, EXIST, Astro-H, IXO and many others) will play a crucial role in studying the variability at different energies (optical to X- and gamma-rays) and timescales.

In the low energy band (radio) a large improvement will come from the VLBI from space, which is expected to improve our knowledge of the physical conditions in the central SMBH and in the accretion disk regions. Both the Japanese satellite VSOP2 and the Russion satellite RADIOASTRON are expected to provide, in collaboration with ground-based radio telescopes, images at micro-arcsecond scales.

A comparison between multiwavelength observations from gamma-rays to radio bands will offer the unique opportunity to discuss

abstract: The IAU Symposium 272 will concentrate on physical processes related to active OB stars. These massive stars display strong variability on various time scales due to such phenomena as mass outflows, rapid rotation, pulsations, magnetism, binarity, radiative instabilities, and the influence of their circumstellar environment. This concerns in particular Be, Bp, beta Cep, Slowly Pulsating B Stars (SPB), B[e] and O stars, as well as massive binaries such as the Be X-ray binaries and those that harbor O-type subdwarf companions.

abstract: The Conference is within the astrofundamental physics spirit of the Chalonge School, focalized on recent observational and theoretical progress on the CMB, dark matter, dark energy, dark ages, and the theory of the early universe with predictive power in the context of the Standard Model of the Universe..

In summary, the aim of the meeting is to put together real cosmological data and hard theory predictive approach connected to them in the framework of the Standard Model of th Universe.

abstract: The Congreso Colombiano de Astronomía, is an academic event that brings together the Colombian professionals who work inside and outside the country. The conference creates a space for disseminating the results of research carried out by Colombian scientist in national and foreign institutions.

abstract: The ASOS meeting has been held once every three years since its inception in Lund in 1983 and has provided a forum for atomic spectroscopists and astronomers from around the world to meet and discuss atomic data from the perspectives of their production and application.

The 10th ASOS meeting will be organized by University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory. It will comprise three days of invited talks, contributed talks, and poster presentations. The conference will begin with a welcome reception on Tuesday evening. An outing to locations in the greater San Francisco Bay Area is also being planned.

The ASOS conference represents an ideal occasion for students wanting to learn about atomic physics and its applications in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Student participation is highly encouraged. Attempts will be made to defray some of the cost of student participation.

abstract: In the decade since the first detection of an exoplanetary transit, more than 60 transiting exoplanets have been discovered and characterized, using both ground-based and space-based observations. A few systems including a transiting planet have also been discovered, providing precise data that can be used for dynamical modelling and for investigating the processes of planet formation and migration. Observations of transits provide not only fundamental parameters of the planet, but also the relative inclination between the orbit and the stellar rotation axis, which offers additional constraints on formation and migration scenarios. The Colloquium "Detection and dynamics of transiting exoplanets" is intended to review all the observed characteristics of transiting systems, and all theoretical works related to the measured properties.

abstract: The symposium topics will focus on recent observational, theoretical and experimental efforts in understanding the basic plasma processes in the Universe, with broad synergies with many areas of astrophysics, including the origin and dynamics of magnetic fields in astrophysical systems (the dynamo problem), the origin of x-ray emitting coronas and the role of magnetic reconnection, acceleration of charged particles and cosmic rays, winds and jets from protostars, highly evolved stars and active galactic nuclei, plasma radiation processes, turbulence of the magnetized plasma in astrophysical objects, in the interstellar and intergalactic media and the solar wind, quantum plasmas under extreme conditions in planetary interiors and in exotic stars, and other key problems in modern plasma astrophysics.

The conference will include introductory lectures, invited talks, contributed talks and posters on the major scientific topics listed below, as well as public talks. The conference is sponsored in part by IAU, the Catania Astrophysical Observatory, the Laboratorio Nazionale del Sud and Catania University.

abstract: Planetary atmospheres are complex and evolving entities, as mankind is rapidly coming to realise whilst attempting to understand, forecast and mitigate human-induced climate change. In the Solar System, our neighbours Venus and Mars provide striking examples of two endpoints of planetary evolution, runaway greenhouse and loss of atmosphere to space.

The variety of extra-solar planets brings a wider angle to the issue: from scorching 'hot jupiters'' to ocean worlds, exoatmospheres explore many configurations unknown in the Solar System, such as iron clouds, silicate rains, extreme plate tectonics, and steam volcanoes. Exoplanetary atmospheres have recently become accessible to observations. The aim of this conference in Exeter is to bring together Earth, Solar System and Exoplanet specialists to discuss recent results and the way ahead, and put our own climate in the wider context of the trials and tribulations of planetary atmospheres.

abstract: The time is now ripe to start a detailed comparison of all sources containing jets such as Microquasars, Active Galactic Nuclei, and Gamma-Ray Bursts. Both deep theoretical and observational insights can result from an inter-disciplinary discussion of the fundamental physics underlying the different objects and phenomena. The Symposium is aimed at putting the various communities devoted to the study of relativistic jets in closer contact. The past two workshops, both titled "Microquasars and Beyond", have shown that this approach can be very fruitful and that such an exchange would contribute significantly to the advance of the field. Now it is time to go a step further and to organize an international Symposium to deal in depth with jet physics and phenomenology at all scales.

abstract: Biannual conference series dedicated to foundational and advanced modern topics in quantum mechanics, particle physics, quantum gravity, cosmology

abstract: SPACE-TIME-MATTER -CURRENT ISSUES IN QUANTUM MECHANICS AND BEYOND

abstract: The 2010 International Meteor Conference will take place in Armagh, Northern Ireland, from 2010 September 16th (Thursday evening) to 19th (Sunday lunchtime). It will be organized by the Armagh Observatory, a modern astronomical research institute having a rich heritage and a longstanding association with meteor science.

abstract: At this conference the latest scientific results and technical developments from VLBI and e-VLBI results will be reported. The timing of this meeting coincides with the development of, and first results from a number of new and upgraded radio facilities around the globe, such as e-MERLIN, LOFAR, EVLA, ALMA, and the SKA pathfinders ASKAP and MeerKAT. This meeting will incorporate some of the first results from these new instruments, in addition to the unique scientific and technical contribution of VLBI in this new era of radio astronomy.

abstract: The scope of this 4.5 day conference is to bring together a number of experts (less than 70) on infrared extragalactic astrophysics to discuss the outstanding questions in the field as well as how recent experiments using future facilities may address them. Emphasis will be given on how one can apply the knowledge derived from studies of the local universe to understand the properties of galaxies at higher redshifts.

abstract: Recent programs of site selection for large telescopes, needs to support adaptive optics and interferometry, and studies of Antarctic sites created a large momentum in this field. The progress is fast, new results are coming almost weekly. Recent conferences on this subject (2007, 2008) demonstrated great interest of the community, hence the need for a new meeting. The proposed schedule (fall 2010) relates to the completion of the major programs (TMT, E-ELT, GMT), with lessons from these efforts to be learned by others. The appearance of the MASS method in 2000 played a significant role in the current developments, and now, 10 years later, it is the good time to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses and to outline future directions. The group of V.Kornilov is pivotal in MASS development. The conference will be located close to the robotic Caucasus site-testing station developed by SAI and will highlight the work of this group. The proximity of the Russian 6-m telescope and touristic attractions of the Caucasus region will favor an entertaining and informative cultural program for this conference. Unlike previous recent conferences, this meeting will cover all aspects of site monitoring for optical/IR astronomy. The meeting will define the most promising techniques for measuring water vapor content, dust, light pollution, etc.

abstract: The rationale for this conference is to bring together experts in the physics of accreting objects (and their environments) at all mass scales, from stellar to AGN, to discuss critically the main, still open, issues related to the high-energy manifestation of these phenomena.

abstract: Hard and electromagnetic probes play a key role in the study of the strongly interacting matter created in high energy heavy-ion collisions. Recent new measurements and theoretical developments have resulted in significant progress and incisive understanding of the properties of hot QCD matter. Hard probes will play a central role in upcoming RHIC runs as well as in the LHC heavy-ion program that is now getting under way.

The biannual "Hard Probes" series is among the leading conferences in the field of high-energy heavy-ion physics, providing a forum for in-depth discussion of hard and electromagnetic probes and related topics in a moderate-sized meeting.

abstract: Stars are one of the fundamental building blocks of the Universe: the source of most of the chemical elements, a crucial ingredient in the formation and evolution of galaxies, the progenitors of supernovae, gamma ray bursts, and black holes, the hosts of planetary systems, and the sustainer of life. In some ways, stars are relatively simple objects; the evolution and fate of a star is almost uniquely determined by its mass. However, the formation of a star is anything but simple, involving a complex interplay between gravity, hydrodynamics, magnetic fields, radiation transport, and chemistry. Great progress has been made in delineating the roles of these physical processes through theory and observations, but a fundamental mystery remains, one of the most important questions in astronomy. What determines the masses of stars and how does the distribution of stellar masses arise, the so-called Initial Mass Function (IMF)?

We expect that progress in answering this question will accelerate with the advent of several new instruments operating at (sub-)mm wavelengths and the increasing ability for numerical models to include the relevant physics. The Herschel Space Observatory has just begun science observations, SCUBA-2 on the JCMT has just become operational, and the first early science observations with ALMA should be made in the year following this meeting. On the theoretical side, hydrodynamical simulations of star formation have been able to begin including magnetic fields, radiation transport, and chemistry.

In recognition of the fact that this field is highly active with many young researchers, there will be an emphasis on talks given by young researchers and the programme will include ample time for discussion led by panels of experience researchers.

abstract: The INSAP conferences explore the relationship between humanity's fascination with the sky and human culture and we welcome submissions for oral presentations, posters and displays of artwork.

abstract: The aim of the workshop is to discuss theoretical and experimental issues connected to hadronic interactions of common interest for high-energy particle and cosmic-ray physics. Recent cosmic-ray results from the HiRes and Auger experiments and the expected first LHC data in p-p collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV will be discussed. The workshop plans to bring together experts, both theorists and experimentalists, in QCD and cosmic-ray physics in view of expanding the mutually beneficial interface between two communities currently exploring the physics of strong interactions at the highest energies accessible.