Meetings/Workshops on Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology in Italy

The topic of this workshop is the discussion of the “Latest Advances in X-ray Spectroscopy and Polarimetry” related to the upcoming launch of X-ray observatories, such as XRISM, IXPE and Athena, and future proposed missions, such as Lynx and eXTP. These new X-ray missions will enable us to achieve fundamental scientific progresses and discoveries in a wide variety of physical and astrophysical topics, from Galactic black holes and neutron stars to quasars and galaxy clusters, from plasma physics to tests of general relativity, from stellar to galaxy evolution, just to name a few.

Planck‘s recent measurements of the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) have established a cosmological framework that will remain the standard for many years to come. From space, the LiteBIRD mission will pick up on this legacy in the next decade, with the aim to improve dramatically on polarization observations at large angular scales. In a later time frame, ESA’s recently issued future scientific programme – Voyage 2050 – has highlighted the need for a large space mission to focus on high-precision spectroscopy of the CMB. And both ground-based and balloon-borne observatories are also expected in the coming years to improve significantly on Planck’s observations of the polarized anisotropies of the CMB, especially on smaller angular scales. In order to meet their ambitious objectives, all of these upcoming experiments will have to address and overcome very significant technical and data analysis challenges, some of which have already been revealed by Planck. It is therefore appropriate at this time to examine these challenges from the perspective of the experience accumulated by Planck in the design and operation of its instruments and in the preparation, conduct, and analysis of its all-sky surveys. In this context, the workshop is designed to bring together key members of the Planck and future experiment teams to foster discussion on some of the most challenging topics.

Scientific Organising Committee;     Email: soc_p2fcmb@fe.infn.it

detectors, optical modelling, instrument characterisation, systematic effects, foreground component separation, inter-dependent data analysis

In the view of the forthcoming Big Data era for the astronomy community, the conference focuses on challenges coming from the application of ML/DL methods to open problems in astrophysics: novel AI techniques will be presented and joint discussions on their use with observational data will be fostered.

Supervised/Unsupervised/Semi-supervised Learning, Deep learning, Active Learning, Image segmentation, object detection and classification, Anomaly discovery, Data preparation, generation and augmentation, Time series analysis, transients , Classification and regression, Data mining, Software tools and services for machine learning , Computing infrastructures and devices for Artificial Intelligence

Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning,    Pattern Recognition and Image Processing, Machine Vision

INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste

The conference takes place in Trieste on the occasion of the centenary of Margherita Hack's birth and is held in a hybrid format, with a preference for in-person participation and a limited number of online presentations. The meeting is intended to deliver a historical retrospective on Margherita’s work and legacy, focusing on astrophysical spectroscopy, both in the stellar and extragalactic fields. We also have sessions dedicated to the present ground based and space facilities and to future cutting-edge instrumentation. Given Margherita's commitment to the field of outreach and dissemination of astronomy, and her strong link with the town, we have planned a parallel program of events dedicated to the public.

Event Secretariat;     Email: hack100[at]inaf.it

Atomic and Molecular Physics,    Photochemistry and Spectroscopy

Galileo Galilei Institute

Maldacena’s 1997 discovery of gauge/gravity duality promised to provide a complete understanding of quantum effects in gravity, by relating gravitating quantum systems to conventional quantum field theories on fixed backgrounds. Although much has been learned, this initial promise has not been completely fulfilled, due to lingering questions associated with the basic dictionary describing the way observables are mapped between one description and the other. While the dictionary is under good control for observables near the boundary, and also at the level of perturbation theory about a classical bulk spacetime for observables further in, non-perturbative questions critical for a full resolution of the black hole information problem remain to be fully answered. 
 In the last few years, however, a number of developments arising from the application of quantum information theory to AdS/CFT seem to be indicating that it may now be possible to address some of these questions. This GGI workshop brings together experts and young researchers, in order to capitalize on these developments.

High Energy Physics, Particles and Fields,    Mathematical Physics

University of Perugia, Dept of Physics and Geology and INFN sezione di Perugia

The Torino Workshops series started in Torino in 1995. Since then, 12 workshops have been held by various institutions around the world. Traditionally, the Torino Workshop focuses on the physics of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and many related topics: stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, observations (photometry, spectrometry, and asteroseismology), stellar winds, dust and presolar grain formation, galactic chemical evolution, theoretical and experimental nuclear astrophysics. The workshop will bring together experts, and friends, involved in these research fields to identify current key scientific questions and the possible ways to address them by interdisciplinary approaches. This meeting edition will celebrate Prof. Maurizio M. Busso on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Maurizio is among the founders of the Torino Workshop and during his career he has given important contributions to the study of AGB stars and related fields covered in the workshop.

Email: sara.palmerini@pg.infn.it

AGB stars, nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution, stellar modelling, stellar spectroscopy and photometry, galactic chemical evolution, presolar grains and meteorites, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear reaction rates and cross sections

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is the first focusing hard X-ray (>10 keV) satellite in orbit, and is providing unprecedented data on energetic phenomena ranging from the solar system to distant quasars. Since 2015, the observatory has primarily been run as a guest observer facility, with programs competitively selected by time allocation committees. A significant fraction of NuSTAR observatory time is coordinated with other high-energy observatories. This conference will be an opportunity to explore the range of science that NuSTAR is conducting, with sessions focused on topics including Galactic binaries, extreme transients, ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), the census of obscured AGN in the local universe, black hole physics, and future high-energy facilities. Talks and posters on additional topics are also expected and encouraged.

Massimo Gaspari (INAF-OAS; Chair) | Francesco Tombesi (U. Rome) | Massimo Cappi (INAF-OAS)

In the last decade, increasingly strong efforts have been devoted to understand the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) during the cosmic evolution of galaxies, groups and clusters of galaxies. Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Hitomi have unveiled spectacular interactions of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) with the host atmosphere in the form of resolved X-ray cavities, shocks, metal uplifts, and turbulence. At the same time, the hot halos of galaxies, groups, and clusters recurrently condense in localized regions forming multiphase filaments and clouds that rain onto the central SMBH and that are detected via optical/IR/radio telescopes (e.g., HST, Magellan, VLT, IRAM, SOFIA). In the nuclear region, spectroscopical studies of AGN have discovered an amazing diversity of feeding and feedback phenomena, including ultrafast outflows, warm absorbers, massive ionized, neutral and molecular outflows. With the advent of next-generation telescopes (e.g., ALMA, MUSE, JWST, XARM, Athena, LOFAR/SKA), we are starting to learn that multiphase outflows are an ubiquitous phenomenon in cosmic structures of different masses and ages. Linking the macro to micro scales — and vice versa — of feeding and feedback processes is thus vital to advance our knowledge on the (co)evolution of black holes, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies.

The aim of the workshop is to bring together active researchers in the above tightly related — but often disjointed — fields in order to discuss the latest results, confront state-of-the-art simulations/models and observations, as well as promote new collaborations and set the path to future observational and numerical campaigns.

Email: sesto2018agnfeeds@gmail.com

Active Galactic Nuclei, Outflows/Jets, Black Hole Accretion, Galaxy Clusters/Groups, ICM/IGM/CGM Physics, Multiphase Gas Condensation, Multiwavelength Observations, Hydrodynamic Simulations

Rome Astronomical Observatory - INAF

The workshop will bring together theoretical, phenomenological, and observational aspects of the acceleration processes in astrophysical objects. Our purpose is to build and consolidate a network of collaborators from complementary fields in Astrophysics and Astroparticle Physics, encouraging cross-topic exchange of ideas and expertise.

Email: pasto2022_workshop@inaf.it

Particle Acceleration, Cosmic-rays, Diffusive Shock Acceleration, Magnetic reconnection, Plasma physics, AGNs, GRBs, SNRs, Pulsars, Starbust galaxies

University of Genova, Department of Physics

The school, organised by the Department of Physics of the University of Genova, Italy, within the ‘Dipartimenti di Eccellenza MIUR’ project, is primarily aimed at Ph.D students interested in optical astronomy. The lectures will cover: science with optical telescopes in the multi-messenger era, with examples from ongoing and future experiments and links to multi-disciplinary topics, hardware and software for optical telescopes, a practical hands-on session with a 80-cm robotic telescope, featuring joint observations with other telescopes throughout Italy. A flash-talk session, where all participants will have the chance to show their work, will also take place.

Organizing Committee;     Email: astroschool@unige.it

optical astronomy, telescopes

This conference will bring together experts in the study of the CGM and galaxy environment both from an observational and a theoretical point of view. Through close interactions across these fields, we aim to understand how the major physical processes occurring inside galaxies, in the CGM, and within the large-scale environment intertwine to regulate the formation of cosmic structures across time.

University of Genova and INFN-Sezione di Genova

The conference is jointly organised by INFN-Sezione di Genova and the Department of Physics of the University of Genova. It aims at gathering an overview of the status and future prospects of astrophysics and cosmology with a multi-messenger approach. The conference will feature only plenary sessions that will deal with astrophysics with electromagnetic waves, astrophysics with gravitational waves, astroparticle physics and neutrino astrophysics, nuclear astrophysics, cosmology. The sessions and the talks will be organised according to astrophysical sources and phenomena: compact objects, neutron star mergers, supernovae, active galactic nuclei, CMB, ..... highlighting the current status of the knowledge and the benefit of a multi-messenger approach.

multi-messenger astrophysics