Circulars

First announcement

Introduction

We plan to address major observational and theoretical aspects of X-ray emission from a wide range of cosmic sources. Emphasis will be given to multiwavelength studies of cosmic sources and associated synergies with major facilities at all wavelengths, and on the perspectives for future high-energy astrophysics missions. A brief outline of the meeting with proposed topics is attached.

The workshop is being jointly organized by INAF (Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna and Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna) and by the Astronomy Department of the University of Bologna, under the auspices of Bologna's Local Authorities.

Venue

We envisage 9 half-day sessions, each comprising 1 review, 2 invited/solicited and 6/7 contributed talks, plus poster presentations. A "best poster" award ceremony will be organized.

We are planning at maximum 300 participants (which is the hard upper limit of the conference hall).

The pre-registration is already open at conference web site:
http://www.iasfbo.inaf.it/events/xray2009/
The page is being regularly updated with all the relevant information (i.e. travelling, accommodations, registration fee, hotel booking, excursions, ...)

Important Deadlines

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)

Rationale

Nowadays, several hundred thoushand X-ray sources are known, from nearby stars and compact objects in our Galaxy to the most distant quasars, powered by supermassive black holes, and galaxy clusters, the largest gravitationally-bound objects in the Universe. It also appears that intergalactic space is filled by hot, tenuous gas where the majority of baryonic matter is locked.

In the last decade, a major step forward in our understanding of the physics and cosmological evolution of X-ray sources has been possible thanks to the ESA and NASA cornerstone missions (XMM-Newton and Chandra), the Japanese satellite Suzaku, the RossiXTE , INTEGRAL and Swift satellites. Many of the scientific programs based on the X-ray data are complemented by observations taken over most of the electromagnetic spectrum. A multiwavelength approach is now essential to address the most pressing scientific questions and to test theoretical models.

We feel that after so many years - in particular the last decade - of successful observations and almost continuous data flow, it is time to discuss the most important achievements obtained in the X-ray domain and put them in a multiwavelength context. We expect presentations summarizing the most relevant breakthrough from XMM, Chandra and associated multiwavelength programs as well as from Suzaku, INTEGRAL, Swift and Fermi. We also intend to stimulate discussion on the future directions of X-ray astronomy in the next decade and, in particular, about the role of future X-ray missions with respect to the present and planned facilities both ground based and space based.

The main scientific issues to be addressed are:

• STELLAR OBJECTS AND SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
  • Cool and hot stars
  • Star-forming regions
  • Neutron Starst
  • Supernovae and SN remnants and pulsar wind nebulae
  • Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters
• BLACK HOLES AND COMPACT OBJECTS
  • Matter under extreme conditions
  • Physics of Accretion and Ejection
  • X-rays as probes of General Relativity
  • Particle acceleration
  • Evolution of Super-massive Black Holes
  • Black Hole-Galaxy Co-Evolution and Feedback processes
  • Gamma-ray bursts
• GALAXIES AND CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES
  • Star formation across cosmic time
  • Physical processes in clusters and groups
  • Metal enrichement of the ICM
  • Interaction of cluster components
  • WHIM
  • Clusters of galaxies as cosmological probes
• PRESENT and FUTURE MISSIONS
  • XMM, Chandra, Suzaku
  • RossiXTE, INTEGRAL, Swift
  • Simbol X, NuStar, EXIST, ASTRO-H
  • JANUS, GEMS, WFXT
  • IXO
  • Synergies with other wavelengths.