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FROM CLOUDS TO PLANETS II: THE ASTROCHEMICAL LINK

Harnack Haus, Berlin (03.10-07.10, 2022)

In 2015, we gathered at the Harnack Haus in Berlin to discuss about star and planet formation and the crucial role played by Astrochemistry in our understanding of the various steps that transform an interstellar cloud in stellar systems like our own. It is now time to meet again and present the exciting results that have been achieved in recent years, thanks to ALMA, IRAM, JVLA, GBT, APEX, SOFIA and other facilities, as well as thanks to coordinated efforts in the laboratory and theory (in particular, quantum chemistry and chemical-dynamical models of evolving clouds and disks). This will be important to cast a fresh look into the future, which we already know is going to be bright, thanks to revolutionary telescopes coming up in the near future (such as JWST and ELT) and next decades (SKA and ngVLA).

During the conference, we will make a journey through space and time, starting from interstellar clouds and then moving to cloud filaments and dense cores on the verge of star formation, to protostars and their embedded disks, to planet-forming disks to exoplanet and finally landing in our Solar System, while delving into laboratory facilities and theoretical calculations and simulations. Each evening, before dinner, there will be a general talk on each topic of the conference (the “aperitive talk”), to allow all communities to understand better the “big picture” and to facilitate finding links across disciplines, which always provide fertile ground in our journey towards understanding our astrochemical origins.

Students and young researchers will be encouraged to attend and interact with all participants, to present their work and broaden their horizons. Some financial help will be available for them upon request.

The total number of participants is limited to less than or equal to 120.

Please pre-register if you are interested in attending.

https://events.mpe.mpg.de/event/12/overview

Postdoctoral Position in the Group of Yuri Aikawa at the University of Tokyo

One postdoctoral position is available in the group of Yuri Aikawa at Department of Astronomy, University of Tokyo in Japan. The group focuses on physical and chemical processes in the star/planet formation. A successful candidate is expected to carry out numerical simulations of physical and chemical processes in interstellar clouds, star-forming cores, and protoplanetary disks in collaboration with the grant group described in the attached file. The candidates must have fundamental knowledge on star/planet formation and/or astrochemistry. The candidates with research experience in chemical reaction network models, Monte-Carlo simulations of grain-surface reactions, radiation hydrodynamics, radiation transfer calculations for synthetic observations are particularly welcome. The candidate should have finished his/her doctoral thesis before taking up the position. Japanese language skill is not required. The position is initially for one year with the annual extension depending on performance, up until March 31, 2025. Inquiries about the position can be made to Yuri Aikawa (aikawa[at]astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp * Replace [at] with @). The position is open from January 2022, but the exact starting date is flexible.

One postdoctoral position is available in the group of Toshiyuki Takayanagi at Department of Chemistry, Saitama University in Japan. The group focuses on physical/chemical processes in the star/planet formation. A successful candidate is expected to carry out numerical calculations of potential energy surfaces and reaction dynamics of both gas-phase and grain-surface reactions relevant to astrochemistry in collaboration with the grant group. The candidates must have fundamental knowledge on quantum chemistry and interests in astrochemistry. The candidates with research experience in potential energy surface development are particularly welcome. The candidate should have finished his/her doctoral thesis before taking up the position. Japanese language skill is not required. The position is initially for one year with the annual extension depending on performance, up until March 31, 2025. Inquiries about the position can be made to Toshiyuki Takayanagi (tako[at]mail.saitama-u.ac.jp * Replace [at] with @). The position is open from January 2022, but the exact starting date is flexible.