Science with the future WideField Spectroscopic Telescope
May 23-26, 2023
Vienna

Rationale
Over the next decade, we expect a deluge of high-quality data delivered by the upcoming large ground-based (e.g., LSST/VRO, SKA, CTA) and space-based (e.g., JWST, Euclid, Roman Space Telescope, Athena) telescopes. In parallel the Gaia astrometric mission will have its final release. The imaging capabilities of some of these new facilities will detect and classify a huge number of objects. However, to learn what they are, spectroscopic follow-up on the main representatives as well as rare cases at adequate spectral resolution and cadence is required. Given the expected number of sources only a dedicated spectroscopic facility will be able to fully realise the scientific potential of these wide-field imaging surveys.  The demand for a large telescope dedicated to spectroscopic surveys is an interest shared worldwide and figures explicitly in many national strategic science plans (e.g., European Astronet Roadmap 2023, US 2020 decadal survey, 2016-2025 decadal plan for Australian astronomy, Canadian astronomy long range plan 2020-2030). A consortium of European and Australian research institutes is studying an innovative 10-m class wide-field spectroscopic survey telescope (WST) with simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view and high multiplex multi-object spectrograph facility with both medium and high resolution modes (MOS), and a giant panoramic integral field spectrograph (IFS). The originality of the concept, compared to other proposed facilities is to have the simultaneous operation of a giant IFS and a high multiplex MOS.

The main aim of the meeting is to engage the astronomical community in shaping this future facility. The science covered by a dedicated spectroscopic facility is extremely wide, but we foresee  that the scientific contributions  at the meeting will cover at least the following main science topics for which a major impact is expected from a facility like WST:
  • The nature of the dark Universe and its accelerated expansion.
  • Galaxy assembly and the formation of the Cosmic Web.
  • The formation history of the Milky Way and dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.
  • Spectroscopic characterisation of transients and time-variable phenomena.

One long lasting legacy of the meeting would be a White Paper which describes in detail the innovative science drivers for WST and the derived Top Level Requirements.


Program and Talks

Posters


Abstracts booklet

How to get to the welcome reception



Important dates
Abstract deadline: 15 April 2023
Results of Abstract Submission: 1 May 2023
Registration deadline: 7 May 2023 
Conference: 23(2pm) -26(6pm) May 2023
Conference fee: 100 euro 


For further information please contact: wstelescope@gmail.com

Location

The meeting will be hold in the center of the city of Vienna, precisely in the Uni Vienna Campus Aula.

© Universität Wien / Franz Pfluegl

Being in the center of Vienna, we will have many facilties around us. Just in front of the meeting room there are: supermarkets (Billa), 3 restaurants (Solo Pizza, Bierheuriger, Stiegl-Ambulanz), and a kids playing ground. In the nearby campus: lots of coffee shops (Cafes), restaurants, bike rental

In 10 min walk you can reach the Uni main building (start of downtown) and in a nice 30 min you can reach the iconic Stephansdom (cathedral downtown center).





Local restaurants

Here it is an incomplete list of possible restaurants:

SOC

Bodo Ziegler (co-Chair)
Vincenzo Mainieri (co-Chair)
Richard Anderson
Roland Bacon
Jarle Brinchmann
Andrea Cimatti
Gayandhi De Silva
Richard Ellis
Jean-Paul Kneib
Ryan Leaman
Cyrielle Opitom
Sofia Randich
Paula Sanchez Saez
Rodolfo Smiljanic
Sabine Thater
Eline Tolstoy
Emily Wisnioski










LOC

Bodo Ziegler (co-Chair)

Anila Kreibich
Bianca-Iulia Ciocan

Ryan Leaman
Kieran Leschinski
Stefan Meingast
Sudeshna Boro Saikia
Sabine Thater
Werner Zeilinger (co-Chair)

Hotel booking

Here you can find a map with some hotels not far from the conference venue: map

Flight booking

Star Alliance Rabatt Code:

Special Lufthansa Group airlines fares!

The Lufthansa Group airlines bring people together - every day, all around the world. The global route network of Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings offers optimal connection and combination options, so you will benefit from quick and direct flights to the event.

You can reach the booking platform via this LINK 

(https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/meetings-and-events-delegates)

and with the event code ATAUWLO.

The reduced fares are automatically displayed.

NB: Please enable pop-ups permanently in your browser while booking, otherwise the window in the booking platform will not open.



code of conduct

We are committed to make the meeting productive and enjoyable for everyone. We will not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Following the Code of Conduct of the University of Vienna (available here), please follow these guidelines:

1. Behave professionally. Harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes are not appropriate. Harassment includes sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo, deliberate intimidation, stalking, and photography or recording of an individual without consent. It also includes offensive comments related to individual characteristics, for example: age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, nationality or religion.

2. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual or sexist language and imagery is not appropriate.

3. Be respectful and do not insult or put down other attendees or facilitators of the event. Critique ideas not people.

4. Should a participant witness events of bullying, harassment or aggression, we recommend that they approach the affected person to show support and check how they are. The witness may also wish to suggest that the person report the inappropriate behaviour. However, it is up to the affected person alone whether or not they wish to report it.

5. If participants wish to share photos of a speaker on social media, we strongly recommend that they first get the speaker’s permission. Participants may also share the contents of talks/slides via social media unless speakers have asked that specific details/slides not be shared.






© WST telescope