Supernovae in the Local Universe: Celebrating 10,000 Days of Supernova 1987A

Supernovae are a core element of modern astrophysics, providing fundamental insights into stellar evolution, the interstellar medium, astroparticle physics, nucleosynthesis and cosmology. While astronomers now routinely detect enormous number of supernovae every year at increasingly large distances, wide-field surveys and all-sky monitoring are now providing an important new element to such studies: there are a growing number of new supernovae being discovered very close to home.

Our modern understanding of supernovae in the local Universe began with Supernova 1987A, for which mid-2014 marks 10,000 days since its discovery. Since that singular event, many other supernovae have been found within tens of megaparsecs of Earth.  These events have allowed detailed studies of individual sources and their environments, providing new physical insight on progenitor stars, explosion mechanisms and their aftermath.

At this conference we will explore all the rich information that nearby supernovae now provide, and will discuss ways in which the new generation of wide-field surveys can further add to this harvest. Topics to be discussed will include:

  • Observations and modelling of individual nearby supernovae
  • Observations and constraints on supernova progenitors
  • Progenitor mass loss, pre-supernova activity and supernova "imposters"
  • Theories of core collapse, thermonuclear supernovae and explosion mechanisms
  • Supernova 1987A at 10,000 days
  • Historical supernovae, young supernova remnants and light echoes
  • Wide-field surveys, automated classifications and new types of transients
  • Future instruments: SKA, LSST, eROSITA

INITIAL LIST OF INVITED SPEAKERS (all confirmed)

  • Thierry Foglizzo, France
  • Haley Gomez, UK
  • Mansi Kasliwal, USA
  • Dick McCray, USA
  • Raffaella Margutti, USA
  • Tara Murphy, Australia
  • Peter Nugent, USA
  • Armin Rest, USA
  • Friedrich (Fritz) Röpke, Germany
  • Stephen Smartt, UK
  • Nathan Smith, USA
  • Sung-Chul Yoon, Korea

This meeting is the second annual series of CAASTRO conferences in wide-field astronomy, and will be held in Coffs Harbour, 500km north of Sydney on the east coast of Australia.  Coffs Harbour is a beautiful coastal town of 25,000 people surrounded by national parks and unspoilt beaches. Coffs Harbour airport (CFS) is serviced by all major Australian airlines, with multiple direct flights per day from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 

KEY DATES

  • First Announcement: 1 August 2013
  • Registration/Abstracts open: 1 December 2013
  • Abstract Deadline: 15 May 2014
  • Early Registration Deadline: 15 May 2014
  • Final Program: 15 June 2014

SCIENTIFIC ORGANISING COMMITTEE

  • Stéphane Blondin, France
  • Roger Chevalier, USA
  • Claes Fransson, Sweden
  • Bryan Gaensler, Australia (Chair)
  • Avishay Gal-Yam, Israel
  • Norbert Langer, Germany
  • Kate Maguire, UK
  • Maryam Modjaz, USA
  • Ken'ichi Nomoto, Japan
  • Alicia Soderberg, USA
  • Brian Schmidt, Australia
  • Stuart Sim, UK

LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE

  • Michael Childress (ANU/CAASTRO)
  • Bryan Gaensler (U. Sydney/CAASTRO)
  • Kate Gunn (U.Sydney/CAASTRO)
  • Brad Tucker (ANU/UC Berkeley)
  • Kylie Williams (U. Sydney/CAASTRO)
  • Fang Yuan (ANU/CAASTRO)

 

When

11 – 15 August 2014

Where

Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia

More information

Supernovae in the Local Universe