Darwin and Astronomy:
The Infrared Space Interferometer (IRSI)
November 17 - 19, 1999, Stockholm, Sweden

Organisers:  Swedish National Space Board (SNSB), European Space Agency (ESA), and Stockholm Observatory

E-mail contact:  darwin@astro.su.se

This is the first announcement for the conference Darwin and Astronomy - The Infrared Space Interferometer to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from November 17 to 19, 1999. The conference is organised by the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) and the European Space Agency (ESA), with support by Stockholm Observatory.

All relevant documentation regarding the conference, including electronic forms for registration and hotel reservations, can be found on the web at

http://www.astro.su.se/~darwin/

Purpose of this conference:

• to identify the most profound questions in the fields of modern astrophysics that can be addressed with a space-based interferometer working from 5 to 25 m with baselines of up to 500 m and much more sensitive than ground-based instruments
• to provide insights into the optimisation of the design of the instrument in the light of those questions

It is envisaged that 30% of the time of the ESA candidate space mission for the Darwin infrared space interferometer will be devoted to general astrophysics. While much of the design will driven by its primary aim of extrasolar planetary systems studies, the astrophysical aims will also be important factors in the design.

This conference will start from a description of the present Darwin concept and its performance in different astrophysical observations. The inputs from participants in this conference will then constitute an important driving mechanism for the development of design characteristics of the instrument.

If you want to understand the prospects for space infrared interferometer astronomy or if you want to affect the design of Darwin so it can address your needs, you should attend this conference.

Topics and invited speakers include:

• Galaxies and their Evolution - Andrew Wilson (confirmed)
• Active Galactic Nuclei/GC - Reinhard Genzel (confirmed)
• Observational Cosmology - Malcolm Longair (tbc)
• Supernovae (and Cosmology) - Jason Spyromilio (tbc)
• AGB and Related Phases of Stellar Evolution - Hans Olofsson (confirmed)
• Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution - Stephen Strom (confirmed)
• Planet Formation and Disk Evolution - Pawel Artymowicz (confirmed)
• Physics of Planets - Tristan Guillot (confirmed)
• Planetology and Zodiacal Light - Jane Luu (confirmed)
• Astrobiology - Baruch Blumberg (tbc)
• Planets and Life - Tobias Owen (tbc)
• Origin of Life - André Brack (confirmed)
• Nulling Interferometry - Neville Woolf and Bertrand Mennesson (confirmed)
• Darwin - The Infrared Space Interferometer - Malcolm Fridlund (confirmed)
• TPF - The Terrestial Planet Finder - Chas Beichman (confirmed)
• GAIA - The Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics - Lennart Lindegren (confirmed)
• NGST - The Next Generation Space Telescope - Peter Jakobsen (confirmed)
• VLTI - The Very Large Telescope Interferometer - Francesco Paresce (confirmed)
• ALMA - The Atacama Large Millimeter Array - Roy Booth (tbc)

Scientific Organising Committee: R. Genzel (chair), R. Liseau (co-chair), G. Arrhenius, C. Beichman, A. Brack, F. Capaccioni, C. Eiroa, M. Fridlund, T. Herbst, A. Léger, L. Nordh, A. Penny, D. Queloz, H. Roettgering, S. Volonte

Local Organising Committee: R. Liseau (chair), A. Brandeker, G. Gahm, E. Gullbring, K. Justtanont, M. Lannerö, B. Larsson, P. Lundqvist, L. Nordh, G. Olofsson, L. Sjöstrand, N. van der Bliek, U. Wänn