Meeting-in-a-Meeting: Bridging the Laboratory and Astrophysics
06/02/2008 - 06/04/2008
This three day series of talks will be devoted to the interplay between astrophysics and laboratory astrophysics, the Rosetta Stone that enables astronomers to interpret the cosmos. Astronomy is primarily an observational science detecting photons generated by atomic, molecular/chemical, and solid state physics. Our understanding of the universe also relies on knowledge of the evolution of matter (nuclear and particle physics) and of the dynamical processes shaping it (plasma physics). The quest to understand the cosmos rests firmly on scientific knowledge in these six areas of physics. These astrophysically motivated studies, which are comprised of both laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations, are collectively known as laboratory astrophysics. This Topical Session will consist of six sessions, each devoted to one of the subareas of Laboratory Astrophysics. Each session will include a keynote talk focusing on major astrophysical discoveries and the underlying role of laboratory astrophysics, one experimental presentation, one on theoretical work, and a concluding astrophysics talk presenting a hot topic and illustrating the important role of laboratory astrophysics. There will be an associated poster session on Laboratory Astrophysics and all posters from all areas of Laboratory Astrophysics will be up for the full three day duration of the oral sessions.
There will also be a town hall meeting moderated by the members of the AAS Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA). Input will be solicited from the community as to how the WGLA can help to address their needs.
Organizer: Daniel Wolf Savin and the AAS Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA)