Scientific Rationale

Disk galaxies exhibit a variety of structures on various scales. On large scales, global spiral patters wind out from the central parts to almost the outer edge of an optical disk. Often, the inner ends of spiral arms are connected to a bar that extends to both sides of the nucleus. On small scales, interarm spurs, feathers, arm branchings and segments are in close geometrical association with spiral arms, while inner rings, dust-lane shocks, nuclear rings, and nuclear spirals are associated with bars. While a significant progress has been made over past sixty years in our understanding of these structures, there still remain many unsolved issues regarding the patterns in disks and other related processes, which are important to understand disk dynamics. The main topics to be addressed are 

- structures of disks, bulges, and bars 
- formation and maintenance of patterns 
- secular evolution of galaxies driven by bars/spiral arms
- substructure formation of bars/spiral arms
- dynamical modeling 
- pattern speeds and pitch angle determinations
- gaseous component
- the Milky Way Galaxy

First announcement of the IAC/GREAT-ITN school on "The Galaxy, Stellar Compositions and Dynamics"

IAC, La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain), September 2-6, 2013

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), under the auspices of the GREAT-ITN (Gaia Research for European Astronomy Training), organizes an international school on "The Galaxy, Stellar Compositions and Dynamics" aimed at providing an understanding of the Milky Way as a holistic system -- one of the key challenges in astrophysics for the coming decade. The school is mainly addressed to PhD students in Astronomy and Physics and is focused, but not limited, to provide adequate training to the ESRs (Early Stage Researchers) of the GREAT-ITN partners. The event will take place at Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife, Spain) on September 2 to 6, 2013. The school is managed by the GREAT-ITN node at the IAC and is open to students and researchers of an ample variety of backgrounds, interested in galactic systems in general and in the Galaxy, in particular.

The school will be organised in morning and afternoon sessions. During the mornings, the different topics will be developed by the instructors in a series of lectures, each of these focused in a specific area. The afternoons will be shared between lecturers and short presentations of selected contributions.

INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTATION:
Tools and Techniques for Pioneering Astronomers

University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
11-16 August 2013

This summer school is designed with both lecture and laboratory activities that are intended for senior undergraduates and graduate students with a background in Astronomy, Physics, or Engineering.

Register at: dunlap.utoronto.ca/instrumentation-school
Registration & Travel Grant Deadline: 12 April 2013
Registration Fee (without waiver): $500.00

SUMMER SCHOOL INCLUDES:

* The basic principles of astronomical instrumentation
* How telescopes work
* How long- and short-wavelength detectors work
* How high-precision spectrographs work
* Hands-on laboratory activities working directly with optics and mechanical equipment
* Hands-on experience with Fourier Transform Spectrometers