[MODEST] Final Announcement (registration deadline 15 March) - Saas-Fee 2012: Dynamics of Young Star Clusters & Associations

[Richard Parker]

Dear Colleagues,

Saas-Fee 2012: Dynamics of Young Star Clusters & Associations

http://www.astro.phys.ethz.ch/sf2012/

This is the final announcement for the Saas-Fee Winter Course 2012. The program is a series of lectures concerning the theory and observational constraints on the dynamics of young star clusters and associations.  With the proliferation of large area photometric, radial velocity, and astrometric surveys from ground-based telescopes, the launch of Gaia planned for 2013, and the explosive increase in our capacity to simulate the dynamics of these complex systems, the time is right to visit this topic.  The school will attempt to address such questions as:

1)    How common are star-forming events of varying richness?

2)    What are the dynamical states of these events?

3)    In what sort of star-forming event did the Sun form?

4)    How can we use answers to these questions to constrain predictive theories of star formation?

These questions will be addressed by the following distinguished international faculty:

Prof. Cathie Clarke, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
Prof. Robert Mathieu, Dept. of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin
Dr. Neill Reid, Space Telescope Science Institute

Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Dr Timo Prusti, Gaia Project Scientist, will present a talk on the latest news and status of the Gaia mission. Gaia will revolutionise our understanding of the kinematics of young star clusters and associations, and Dr Prusti's lecture will be a timely introduction to our winter school, which will not only summarise the current state of the field, but also look forward to future research in light of new observational and computational developments.

These schools, which began over 40 years ago, are intended for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and senior researchers interested in learning more about the topic. Registration is now open, and the places on the school are rapidly filling up. We recommend that interested persons register as soon as possible, before the final deadline of March 15, 2012.  The school is limited to 100 participants.  Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland is located in the heart of the Alpes Vaudoises and provides a range of winter sport and other activities.  It will provide an excellent setting for this school. We will also host several social events in the venue, including the conference banquet and a Konzert des Cors des Alpes - alphorn concert and Apéro Fromage d’Etivaz vin blanc.

Individuals requiring financial assistance to attend the meeting are encouraged to contact the LOC directly, where their request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please email: saas-fee-course-2012 at phys.ethz.ch   

More information is available on the website: http://www.astro.phys.ethz.ch/sf2012/  

Best wishes,
Michael Meyer (on behalf of the LOC)
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