Conferences, Workshops etc.
Past Events
PAF Workshop 2019, Bad Honnef, Germany, September 16-18, 2019
The scope of the workshop is to exchange ideas and solutions among the developers of radio-astronomical instrumentation in the frequency range below 100GHz, specially under the aspect of phased array feed systems.
After single pixel systems and discrete array receivers have been developed to sensitivities close to the physical limits, phased array feed systems are now the next logical step to further increase the science output of the observing facilities. These receiving systems with up to several hundred receiving channels introduce new technological challenges in all areas.
Spectroscopy with SOFIA: new results & future opportunities, Schloss Ringberg, Germany, January 20-23, 2019
Building on the success of the 2015/17 Ringberg meetings on spectroscopy with SOFIA at which about 70 participants discussed SOFIA results ranging from nearby star formation to the interstellar medium in nearby galaxies, SOFIA2019 aims at presenting new science results and looking into future science opportunities for the next years enabled by new instrumentation.
The workshop will include a session "SOFIA/APEX technological and scientific synergies" to honor the contributions of Rolf Güsten to both projects on the occasion of his retirement.
13th BONN workshop on the formation and evolution of neutron stars, Bonn, Germany, December 10, 2018
The BONN neutron star workshops aim to bringing together observers and theoreticians to exchange and discuss new ideas related to neutron star research, in a one-day workshop
The 13th BONN workshop will future a “news” session devoted to highlights from ongoing neutron star research. There will be two additional topical sessions on:
Multi-wavelength/multi-messenger observations of neutron stars: future instrumentation and observing facilities
Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), Schloss Ringberg, Germany, March 11-14, 2018
Now more than 12 years in operation, the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12 m submillimeter telescope has significantly contributed to a wide variety of submillimeter astronomy science areas, ranging from the discoveries of new molecules to large and deep imaging of the submillimeter sky.
Since 2012 the Ringberg APEX workshops bring together APEX users working on a wide range of exciting results covering the Solar System to distance galaxies in the early universe. APEX2018 aims at presenting new science results and to looking into new science opportunities for the next years.
Young European Radio Astronomers Conference (YERAC), Bonn, Germany, 5-9 September 2016
The Young European Radio Astronomers Conference (YERAC) has been held annually in different radioastronomical centers in Europe since 1968 and has enabled many graduate students and young post-docs doing radio astronomical research to meet and present their current work. For a history of YERAC, see http://www.yerac.org .
YERAC will take place in Bonn for the fifth time. The Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, MPIfR, has agreed to provide the funding for board and lodging to all participants. Travel costs are expected to be paid by the participants' host institutes.
Participation is by recommendation only. Supervisors/directors of institutes are asked to nominate candidates and provide a supporting letter to yerac@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de . Each participant is expected to deliver a 15 minute talk about their work. The abstracts will be published electronically.
Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX2016), Schloss Ringberg, Germany, March 6-9, 2016
Continuing on the success of the 2012/14 Ringberg meetings on APEX science where about 70 participants discussed exciting APEX results ranging from our Solar system to distant galaxies in the Early Universe, APEX2016 aims at presenting new science results and to looking into new science opportunities for the next years.
The conference venue Ringberg Castle provides a unique setting for in depth discussions on current and future science with APEX. In particular, sessions on new scientific results, on synergies with other observatories and on APEX beyond 2017 are envisioned.
Dissecting the Universe - Workshop on Results from High-Resolution VLBI, Bonn, 30 November to 02 December 2015
Recent developments have pushed the limits of resolution in astrophysics to new frontiers. Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) at millimetre wavelengths or using antennas in space yields resolutions down to tens of microarcseconds (that is, fractions of nanoradians). These observations probe compact objects such as the innermost regions of active galactic nuclei. Space VLBI is living a new era at present with the results from the RadioAstron mission, enhancing radio interferometry in terms of resolution at least one order of magnitude with respect to ground-based VLBI. Millimetre VLBI also brings radio interferometry to a new range of resolution and with much enhanced sensitivity due to improvements in data bit rate. With more antennas capable of VLBI at 3-mm wavelength, and successful observations being carried out at 1-mm, a new window is open to universe at unprecedented resolution. This workshop will review recent results on high resolution radio astronomy, including opportunities provided by new antennas becoming available. It will also discuss on the applications of high-resolution imaging techniques and the synergies in the study of compact objects by space and mm-VLBI together.
Contributions to the workshop will be published online in this webpage; no regular proceedings are planned.
CHANG-ES Workshop, Bonn, July 13-17, 2015
This is the annual meeting of the international consortium of the CHANG-ES project, in which 35 nearby edge-on galaxies have been observed with the EVLA in C- and L-band in three different arrays in radio continuum and polarization. The aim of the project is to study galactic halos, the interface between the disk's interstellar medium (ISM) and the intergalactic medium (IGM). From the observations we will address questions like how do halos depend on the star formation rate or other in-disk activities or what role do magnetic fields and cosmic rays play in the dynamics of extraplanar matter.
The workshop is mainly meant for consortium members. Non-members are welcome on Thursday and Friday (July 16-17).
Magnetisation of Interstellar and Intergalactic Media: The Prospects of Low-Frequency Radio Observations, Schloss Ringberg, Germany, July 1-4, 2015
This is the sixth meeting of the DFG Research Unit FOR1254 on magnetic fields in the Universe, which is to review the achievements made during the second funding period, supported by invited review talks given by experts in the field. LOFAR is now routinely operational, while 'older working horses', partly upgraded, are being used to cover the higher frequency ranges (GMRT, JVLA). Significant progress has also been achieved in the Research Unit in terms of MHD modeling of galaxies and galaxy clusters, which alleviate and strengthen the interpretation of the observations and the resulting data products, and in the development of modern tools of data analysis.
This workshop is meant for members of the DFG Research Unit FOR1254. Participation of non-members is possible on request.
Ringberg Workshop on Spectroscopy with the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) , Schloss Ringberg, Germany, March 15-18, 2015
Since 2010 the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy SOFIA) has started contributing to a wide variety of far-infrared (FIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) astronomy science areas, ranging from the discovery of new light molecules to detecting dusty protostars in star forming regions (including infall motion and collapse), thereby significantly complementing and extending the heritage of the recently ended Herschel and Spitzer science missions. SOFIA has completed its major development phase and is now in full operation.
This workshop will be in honor of Eric Becklin, chief scientist and long-term strong supporter of SOFIA, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
The castle can accommodate about 60-70 participants.
Registration and abstract submission are now open with a deadline January 22nd, 2015.
Extreme Astrophysics in an Ever-Changing Universe - Time Domain Astronomy in the 21st Century | Celebrating John Seiradakis' 40-year career, Ierapetra, Greece, June 16-20, 2014
Today we know that most phenomena observed in “time-domain” astronomy are related to extreme astrophysical events or processes. Whether it is the explosion of stars in supernovae or the observations of flare stars, pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, blazars or active galactic nuclei, time-domain astronomy stretches across the whole electromagnetic spectrum and beyond. With increasing technical capabilities, the 21st century will see corresponding new instruments being developed or coming online, revolutionising our view of the ever-changing Universe.
Our ambition is to bring together different research communities and provide a platform for an exchange of ideas, experience and methods that may prove invaluable in promoting the unification of time-domain astronomy. Further, to approach these methods qualitatively similarly as probes of very different scale physics in which different effects become dominant at different systems.
The conference also celebrates the career of Prof. John H. Seiradakis, who over the last 40 years has contributed to the field in many aspects.
The participation is limited to strictly 80 participants. Early registration is therefore highly recommended.
99 years of Black Hole - from Astronomy to Quantum Gravity, Potsdam, May 20-22, 2014
The meeting "99 years of Black Holes - from Astronomy to Quantum Gravity" aims for bringing together experts from the research areas on Black Holes and Gravitational Waves, extending towards the future of General Relativitiy and Quantum Physics. This meeting will close the four-year long european funded COST Action "Black Holes in a Violent Universe". The conference is jointly organized by the COST Action MP0905, the MPI für Radioastronomie and the Albert-Einstein-Institut.
The formation of the Solar System, Bonn, 13-15 May 2014
With more than 900 confirmed exoplanets, it is becoming clear that there are many planetary systems with rather different properties to that of the Solar System. This poses the question how our own Solar System formed. The answer to this question is not straight forward, because it is based on hints from the current state on what happened in the past. It turns out that this is an interdisciplinary endeavour, requiring knowledge of supernovae explosions, meteorites, cosmochemistry, structure and evolution of circumstellar discs, star cluster dynamics, and the early dynamical evolution of planetary systems. The goal of this workshop is to provide a platform for information exchange between these different disciplines, putting together the puzzle pieces of the Solar System formation history.
The workshop focusses on:
- Cosmochemical constraints on the physical/chemical conditions in the Solar Nebula
- Time scales of the dust and planetesimal growth for the Solar System
- Models of the Kuiper belt formation
- The role of the stellar environemt, with emphasis on star cluster dynamics
- Early planetary system development
- Future evolution of the Solar System
Contributions from related fields are welcome.
Registration is open from 1st December 2013. The workshop will be limited to 40 participants, early registration is recommended.
558th WE-Heraeus-Seminar on "The Strong Gravity Regime of Black Holes and Neutron Stars", Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, 31 March to 4 April, 2014
The main theme of this seminar is the observation and theoretical description of systems where gravity is strong and non-linear, in particular systems containing black holes and neutron stars which are ideal gravitational laboratories. To cover the complete complexity of this field of research, experts and graduate students from the observational and theoretical community are invited to bring together their expertise.
As a rough guideline, we have the following categories:
- Strong-field gravity in GR and its alternatives
- Black holes as strong field probes
- Neutron stars as strong field probes
- Gravitational wave observations and merger events
The program consists of invited as well as contributed talks and posters. We particularly encourage female scientist to contribute to the seminar. For young scientists we award the best poster with a price.
The number of participants is limited to about 70. All local costs (i.e., meals and accommodation) of the participants will be covered. The registration deadline is December 15th, 2013.
Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), Schloss Ringberg, 19-22 January 2014
After the success of the 2012 Ringberg meeting on APEX science where about 70 participants discussed exciting APEX science ranging from our Solar system to distant galaxies in the Early Universe, time is ripe to review what has been accomplished since then and to look into science opportunities for the next years.
The castle can accommodate about 60-70 participants. Registration is now open and with the registration participants will also be asked to submit a title and a brief abstract that fits into the meeting objectives.
COST ACTION MP0905 - BLACK HOLES IN A VIOLENT UNIVERSE, Granada, 19-22 November 2013
Joint COST Conference on "The Galactic Center Black Hole Laboratory".
The Conference is also closely linked to the COST Action MP1104 - "Polarization as a tool to study the Solar System and beyond", the FP7 action "Probing Strong Gravity by Black Holes Across the Range of Masses", and the collaborative research center SFB956 "Conditions and Impact of Star Formation - Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Laboratory Research".
COST ACTION MP0905 - BLACK HOLES IN A VIOLENT UNIVERSE, Ioannina, Greece, 16-19 September 2013
The Summer School “Black Holes at all scales” aimed at postgraduate students and young postdoctoral fellows. The program includes reviews on various aspects of Black Hole-related science, such as: demographics and formation theories of galactic black hole binaries in our and nearby galaxies, our "own" supermassive black hole on the Galactic center, formation and cosmic evolution of supermassive black holes, phenomenology of active galactic nuclei and a review of their "unification" theories, theory of jet formation and energy extraction in black hole systems, as well as the scaling of accretion and jet physics from mini-quasars to quasars.
The Modern Radio Universe 2013, Bonn, 22-26 April 2013
80 years ago, in spring 1933, Karl Jansky published his discovery of cosmic radio emission. This paved the way not only for a new discipline, radio astronomy, but also for an exploration of the universe that now encompasses almost the entire electromagnetic window. Today, radio astronomy is about to enter into yet another new era with a number of new or upgraded radio facilities coming online and major new initiatives, like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), are starting up. This conference will try to highlight the original and exciting science currently being produced by radio astronomical telescopes, such as the GBT, Effelsberg, LOFAR, ALMA, the JVLA, eMERLIN, EVN, VLBA, as well as pathfinder experiments of the SKA, and others. Science areas that will be discussed are among others: Cosmology, galaxy evolution, AGN and compact objects, star formation, interstellar medium, The Milky Way and Galactic science, radio transients, fundamental and astroparticle physics, extreme physics and associated theory. This fresh view on the radio universe will improve our current knowledge of the universe and highlight new trends in radio astronomy. The science delivered by the radio astronomical community addresses key questions in modern astrophysics that may lead us to even more ambitious science goals to be targeted by future radio facilities like the SKA.
Radio Interference with Large Bandwidth Observations, Bonn, 8-12 April 2013
This meeting is the first in a series of technical workshops combining several aspects of engineering and operational issues at European radio observatories. This provides the unique opportunity to cross border the different communities to see what "the others" are doing and enhance communication between engineers, scientists and operators. It is therefore strongly recommended that all attendees not only visit their dedicated sessions but also attend sessions of other target audience.
RadioAstron Key Science Programme: Organisation and Planning Workshop, Bonn, 3-4 December 2012
The workshop was aimed at discussing the letters of intent submitted by various groups of investigators who intended to conduct extensive observational programs in the key science areas of RadioAstron. The discussions provided a basis for shaping up the Key Science Program (KSP) of RadioAstron, forming and structuring the KSP teams, and planning further steps for preparation and submission of the KSP proposals to the programme committees of RadioAstron and the supporting ground VLBI networks and radio telescopes.
Q2C5 - Space-based Research in Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Cologne, 9-12 October 2012
The purpose of Q2C5, the fifth of the Quantum-to-Cosmos workshop series, was to highlight the field of fundamental physics, astronomy, and cosmology with experiments and observations on ground and in space in order to gain improved insight into the fundamental laws of nature. Space provides complementary experimental and observational conditions not available on ground. The fifth Workshop continued the tradition of the first four meetings, but at the same time was used to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 100-meter Effelsberg radio telescope.
Science with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), Schloss Ringberg, 12-15 February 2012
With the recent extension of APEX by the partners beyond 2012 and the changes in the submm/FIR observatory landscape with the advent of Herschel, SOFIA and ALMA, it is timely to discuss recent new science results with APEX and its scientific and instrumental opportunities in the future.
The conference venue Ringberg Castle will provide a unique setting for in depth discussions on current and future science with APEX. In particular, sessions on new scientific results, on synergies with other observatories and on APEX beyond 2012 are envisioned.
20th EVGA Meeting & 2th Analysis Workshop, Bonn, 29-31 March 2011
The scope of the 20th Meeting of EVGA covers all aspects of geodetic and astrometric VLBI including hardware, correlation, analysis and results both scientifically and technologically while the 12th IVS Analysis Workshop is devoted purely to discussions of the operational aspects of data analysis in the framework of IVS.
Receivers & Array Workshop, Bonn, 19-20 September 2010
The meeting was aimed at bringing together scientists and receiver engineers who are working in the field of receiver developments of more than a handful feeds. We will review the scientific case for large spectroscopic MMIC arrays on large telescopes. The hardware requirements for effective use of such arrays, including telescope optics, array receivers, and digital back-ends will also be reviewed.
ASTRONOMY IN THE NEXT DECADE: SYNERGIES WITH THE SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY, Bonn, 14-18 April 2008
The aim of the EU Marie Curie programme (MCCT) was to promote, discuss and disseminate the SKA and SKADS ideas to young researchers. The programme should provide the next generation of European astronomers with basic and advanced scientific and technology knowledge, thereby securing the high-level role of European radio astronomy for the future. The programme consisted of training courses, schools, astronomical workshops and technical workshops. This was the first astronomical MCCT SKADS workshop which was focused on the astronomical and scientific aspects of SKA, addressing in detail Key Science Areas of SKA.
European Radio Interferometry School, Bonn, 10-15 September 2007
The purpose of the school was to present the basic principles of radio interferometry techniques and data analysis, covering general aspects common to all observations but also specialised topics including high and low-frequency, polarimetry, spectroscopy and high resolution (VLBI) observations. Use of interferometer arrays such as MERLIN, WSRT, VLA and the European VLBI Network (EVN) were covered, as well as introductions to arrays such as ALMA, LOFAR and the SKA which are under development. The school was addressed both to potential new users of radio interferometry, and to astronomers and students already in the field who wish to broaden their knowledge and skills.
Multiband Approach to AGN, Bonn, 30 September to 2 October 2004
The meeting aimed at bringing together scientists involved in AGN studies in different spectral bands, and discussing the nuclear activity in galaxies from different perspectives and in connection with similar processes occurring in galactic objects (X-ray binaries and "microquasars"). Critical aspects of AGN and XRB research were highlighted in a small number of invited reviews, and further explored in the contributed talks and discussion forums. The workshop was focused on three broadly-defined areas in which various fields of AGN research intersect with each other and with studies of the XRB.
