The Milky Way and Andromeda: the odd couple!
LOCATION: Sport & Kurhotel at Bad Moos - Via Val Fiscalina 27, 39030, Sexten
DETAILS
Credits: ESO/NASA/Marcella Di Criscienzo
In the eighteenth century, John Goodrich discovered the first Galactic Cepheid, and more than a century later, Edwin Hubble discovered the very first extragalactic Cepheid in Andromeda. This discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe, revealing that Andromeda was an external galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Since then, ground-based and space-observing facilities have greatly enhanced our knowledge of these galaxies, allowing us to measure their mass content and study their complex assembling histories.
Spectroscopic evidence indicates a steeper metallicity gradient in M31’s halo compared to the Milky Way. The same outcome applies to the thin disk, and the differences are likely due to their different merging histories. Indeed, recent numerical simulations of Milky Way/M31-like galaxy collisions suggest a major merger for M31, in contrast to the Milky Way’s history.
Variable stars RR Lyrae and Cepheids play a crucial role in understanding the early formation and evolution of galaxies. They act as beacons, tracing back in time and in space the physical mechanisms shaping not only the early formation but also the current evolution of the Galactic spheroid. Space (Gaia, HST) and ground-based observations (PanSTARRS, SDSS, ZTF, OGLE) have significantly improved the astrophysical use of these stellar tracers. The current and near future optical (SDSSV, GALAH, WEAVE, 4MOST, MAVIS@VLT) and NIR (MOONS@VLT, APOGEE, ERIS@VLT, WINERED@Magellan) spectroscopic surveys, together with state-of-the-art chemical evolution models, promise further advancements in our understanding of the Odd Couple!
This meeting aims to bring together astrophysicists with expertise in various astrophysical areas (stellar populations, stellar pulsation and evolution, stellar atmospheres, spectroscopy, kinematics, chemo-dynamical models, numerical simulations) to collaborate on understanding the observed differences between these galaxies and to plan future experiments.
Thanks to the funds provided by the PRIN-MUR EFEBHO (PI M. Marconi) and the PRIN-INAF Large grant MOVIE (PI M. Marconi), we will have the opportunity to support the participation of a significant number of PhD students and young researchers, who are the lifeblood of this international collaboration.
Some confirmed speakers:
Anupam Bhardwaj (IUCAA)
Thomas Bensby (Lund University)
Thomas Brown (STScI)
Santi Cassisi (INAF)
Santi Roca FaBrega (Lund University)
Gustavo Medina (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto)
Ivan Minchev (Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam )
Maurizio Salaris(Liverpool John Moores University)
Ata Sarajedini (Florida Atlantic University)
Alessandro Savino (Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley,)
Elena Valenti (ESO)
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FEE
400 Eur (social dinner included)
WORKSHOP CODE FOR PAYMENT
ODD25
ORGANIZERS
Scientific Organizing Committee:
Giuseppe Bono
Gabriele Cescutti
Marcella Di Criscienzo
Valentina D’Orazi
Giuliana Fiorentino
Marcella Marconi
Francesca Matteucci
Noryuki Matsunaga
Emanuele Spitoni
Local Organizing Committee:
Gabriella Deconi
Marco Palla
Ilaria Musella
Vittorio Braga
Giulia De Somma
Karina Baeza Villager
Vasu Pipwala
Antonino Nunnari
Arianna Visini