Third Announcement

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THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT
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BACK AT THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE: LATEST RESULTS FROM THE DEEPEST ASTRONOMICAL SURVEYS

March 15-19, 2015, Sintra, Portugal

Webpage: http://deep15.oal.ul.pt
email: deep15 [at] oal [dot] ul [dot] pt

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Dear colleagues,

this is the third announcement of the conference:

“Back at the Edge of the Universe: latest results from the deepest astronomical surveys”

organised by the Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon. This conference will be held on 15-19 March 2015, in Sintra, a beautiful region just 30 km west of central Lisbon classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (see http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/723).

Please distribute this notice to your colleagues, and kindly post this conference information on any relevant sites.

The outline of the Conference is given below and also at the Conference website: http://deep15.oal.ul.pt
Contact email: deep15 [at] oal [dot] ul [dot] pt

This announcement brings you some important updates concerning the meeting preparation, and in particular, the list of invited speakers.

Conference Rationale:

Nine years after being “At the Edge of the Universe”, it is time to return to lovely Sintra and discuss, once again, the latest achievements of the deepest observations of the Universe. This time, well into the era of the Deep Fields, we believe we understand a little bit better how galaxies form and how they evolve into the multitude of shapes, sizes, environments and activity they display at later epochs. Making full use of the capabilities of the largest and most powerful ground- and space-based observatories, operating throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, large international teams have extensively studied the most distant reaches of the Universe. Many hours of telescope time and computational effort have been employed in what is one the most pressing issues of modern science, and many findings have driven us ever nearer to understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Where are we now? Have we reached a solid theoretical framework for galaxy formation and evolution? What else do we need in order to find the still elusive first galaxies, hosting the first generation of stars and the very first AGN in the Universe? What can theory tell us about where to look and how to look into this seemingly impenetrable problem? Do we know how galaxies assemble and how feedback processes take place and drive their evolution? How do galaxies depend on, or determine, their environment? How is this work driving the development and fine-tuning of the next generation of telescopes and their respective surveys?

The Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon participates in this effort, hosting once again an international conference aimed at discussing galaxy formation and evolution in the light of the deepest astronomical observations. The focus is on the latest observational results, and on how they shape, and are shaped by, the latest theoretical framework.

Main Topics:

– Galaxy formation, the first billion years
– Reionization
– High-redshift star-forming galaxies
– Early AGN activity
– High-z quiescent galaxies
– Environments at high redshifts
– Gas and dust at early epochs
– Feedback processes
– Galaxy mergers and morphological evolution
– Galaxy mass assembly
– Star-formation History
– Extragalactic backgrounds
– The next generation of deep surveys

Scientific Organising Committee:

Jose Afonso (chair, CAAUL), Andrea Cimatti (U. Bologna), Carlos De Breuck (ESO), Mark Dickinson (NOAO), James Dunlop (ROE), Henry Ferguson (STScI), Mauro Giavalisco (U. Massachusetts), Ken Kellermann (NRAO), Jennifer Lotz (STScI), Bahram Mobasher (co-chair, U. California), Ray Norris (CASS), Laura Pentericci (Obs. Roma), Piero Rosati (U. Ferrara), David Sobral (CAAUL/Leiden), Linda Tacconi (MPE)

Local Organising Committee:

Joana de Medeiros, Marlise Fernandes, Sandra Fonseca, Elvira Leonardo, Silvio Lorenzoni, Katrine Marques, Hugo Martins, Hugo Messias, Joana Oliveira, Ciro Pappalardo, João Retrê (chair)

Location:

We return to Hotel Tivoli Sintra, at the very center of one of the most beautiful villages in the world, Sintra. Just 30 km away from central Lisbon, the “Cultural Landscape of Sintra” is part of the World Heritage List, displaying a unique mixture of nature and architectural treasures. Sintra, with its fairytale palaces and luxuriant vegetation resulting from a unique microclimate, has inspired many great writers and poets: Lord Byron called it a “Glorious Eden”, while Robert Southley longed to spend his last days there.

For the sea lovers, the extensive Sintra’s coastline offers many opportunities for surf and windsurf (Guincho, a renowned windsurfing Mecca, is just minutes away). Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe is also nearby, hosting spectacular coastline views all the way to Lisbon.

We hope you can attend the “Back at the Edge of the Universe” conference. If you are coming, either for the first time or returning after the 2006 meeting, we strongly advise you to take a couple of extra days to explore this beautiful place. On the conference webpages you will find more information about Sintra, so that you can enjoy your Sintra experience to the fullest.

Social Presence:

The conference has a strong social presence, offering prospective participants updates about the organisation as it unravels. Notes about Sintra, interesting places and their history, what to do and where to go before and after the conference, what and who you will hear at the conference, and approaching deadlines will be posted periodically at

facebook.com/deepconf
twitter.com/deepconf

besides on the conference webpage.

Important dates:

07 April, 2014: First announcement; pre-registration available
05 June, 2014: Second announcement. Registration opens
13 October, 2014: Third announcement
07 November, 2014: Registration and Abstract submission deadline
01 December, 2014: Final Conference Programme
12 December, 2014: Registration fee payment deadline
15 March, 2015: Conference Starts

Registration:

Registration and abstract submission can now be made through the conference webpages, where you will also find details about the available forms of payment of the conference fees.

If you are unable to register at this moment but want to keep receiving further announcements, please follow us on facebook (deepconf) or twitter (deepconf). You can also send us an email asking to be kept informed.

Participants:

Since the first announcement the conference has received a substantial number of pre-registrations. Since the maximum number of seats at the conference venue is 130, and only the registration guarantees acceptance to the conference, we urge all interested to register as soon as possible.

Scientific Program:

In addition to invited talks, contributed papers (oral or poster) can be presented. The SOC will select a limited number of contributions for oral presentation on the basis of the submitted abstracts.

Invited Speakers:

As of the 13th October, the list of invited speakers is as follows:

Philip Best: “The AGN-Galaxy connection out to the highest redshifts”
Karina Caputi: “Galaxy Stellar Mass Assembly at high z”
Elisabete da Cunha: “Modelling the SEDs of galaxies at high-z: recent progress & future challenges”
Richard Ellis: “Galaxy Formation: observations”
Andrea Ferrara: “Reionisation and First Light”
Taddy Kodama: “Proto-clusters at high-z”
Alexandra Pope: “Gas and Dust evolution (including SF)”
Joop Schaye: “Galaxy formation: prediction from models”
Marta Volonteri: “The assembly of massive black holes in the early universe”

A brief biographical note on our invited speakers is now available at the DEEP15 webpage: http://deep15.oal.ul.pt/invited-speakers/

Proceedings:

The conference will have no proceedings, but the contributions will be published on our webpage.

Contact information:

For inquiries concerning travel, accommodation, and other logistic details, please consult the conference webpage or contact the LOC.

webpage: deep15.oal.ul.pt
facebook: facebook.com/deepconf
twitter: twitter.com/deepconf
email: deep15 [at] oal [dot] ul [dot] pt
Telephone: +351 21 361 67 39
Fax: +351 21 361 67 52

Please feel free to disseminate this information among your colleagues.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Sintra.

On behalf of the SOC and LOC,

Jose Afonso