[asac] [almanews] Workshop First Announcement: From Z-Machines to ALMA

[Alma Workshop]

======================================================================

                          FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

                       FROM Z-MACHINES TO ALMA:
               (SUB)MILLIMETER SPECTROSCOPY OF GALAXIES

               ****************************************
                         January 13-14, 2006
                  North American ALMA Science Center
                 National Radio Astronomy Observatory
                      Charlottesville, Virginia
               ****************************************

                  Preregistration is now possible at
               http://www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/zmachines/
                      (through October 21, 2005)      

MOTIVATION
----------
In the last decade, deep imaging from infrared through radio 
wavelengths has revealed important populations of distant, dusty
galaxies with high rates of star formation and/or accretion.  
Multiple efforts are now underway to build dedicated, wide-bandwidth 
instruments ("Z-Machines") that can directly determine molecular 
emission-line redshifts for sources too obscured to be easily 
studied at short wavelengths.  With the powerful Atacama Large 
Millimeter Array (ALMA) under construction as well, clearly it is 
timely to convene a workshop whose goals are

 + familiarizing the community with the new generation of 
   wide-bandwidth (sub)millimeter spectrometers, 
 + highlighting the key scientific questions about dusty 
   high-redshift galaxies that they will be able to address in the 
   near term, and 
 + considering how their observing programs can optimize exploitation 
   of ALMA's unique capabilities on longer timescales.

TOPICS
------
 + the dense ISM at high redshift
 + obscured galaxy populations
 + photometric and spectroscopic redshift techniques
 + wide-bandwidth (sub)millimeter spectrometers
 + bolometric source selection and interferometric followup

FORMAT
------
The program will feature invited talks, contributed talks, and 
opportunities for poster viewing.  A proceedings volume will be 
published, most likely by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
------------------
David Alexander, Itziar Aretxaga, Andrew Blain, Scott Chapman, 
Francoise Combes, Pierre Cox, Neal Erickson, Jason Glenn, 
Andrew Harris, Michael Kaufman, Nick Scoville, Gordon Stacey,
Linda Tacconi, Grant Wilson, Al Wootten, Lin Yan, Min Yun

VENUE
-----
The workshop will be hosted by the North American ALMA Science 
Center at the headquarters of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory 
in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Charlottesville has commercial air 
service to several larger airports and is less than three hours by 
car from Washington Dulles International Airport.  The workshop has 
been conveniently scheduled to follow the January 8-12 meeting of the 
American Astronomical Society in Washington, DC.

ACCOMMODATION
-------------
The workshop has reserved a block of 60 rooms at the Courtyard by 
Marriott, a short walk from the University of Virginia campus, which 
operates a free shuttle to and from the Charlotteville airport.  
Morning and evening transportation will be provided between this 
hotel and the conference venue.  Further information will be made 
available at the time of the Second Announcement.

PARTICIPATION
-------------
Due to the size of the auditorium, the workshop will be limited to 
of order 60 registered participants.  The SOC will select oral and 
poster presentations from abstracts submitted by October 21, 2005.
The workshop registration fee will be $150 and cover the costs of 
the proceedings volume, abstract book, opening reception, lunches,
refreshments during breaks, and local transportation.  The fee can 
be waived for students whose attendance at the workshop would 
otherwise be jeopardized.

IMPORTANT DATES
---------------
August 2005         First announcement
                    Preregistration and abstract submission begin
October 2005        Second announcement
October 21, 2005    Deadline for pregistration and abstract submission
November 1, 2005    Scientific program announced by SOC
                    Registration begins
December 15, 2005   Deadline for registration
January 12, 2006    Opening reception
January 13-14, 2006 Workshop

SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
-------------------------------
A. Baker (NRAO/Maryland), A. Blain (Caltech),
N. Erickson (Massachusetts), X. Fan (Arizona), 
J. Glenn (Colorado), E. Hardy (NRAO),
A. Harris (Maryland), G. Stacey (Cornell),
P. Vanden Bout (NRAO), M. Yun (Massachusetts)

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
--------------------------
J. Hibbard (NRAO), L. Clark (NRAO), 
K. Johnson (Virginia), J. Mangum (NRAO), 
A. Markwick-Kemper (Virginia), J. Neighbours (NRAO), 
R. O'Connell (Virginia), A. Wootten (NRAO)

======================================================================

Please circulate this information among your colleagues.  The Second
Announcement will only be sent to those people who preregister or 
otherwise express interest by early October 2005.  Preregistration 
and submission of abstracts are now possible on the conference website, 
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/zmachines/.

On behalf of the SOC and LOC, 

Andrew Baker & John Hibbard

email: zmachines at nrao.edu


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