Ringberg Workshop on
The Virgo cluster

Date:
Venue:
Sponsor:
Contact:		      April 14 to 17, 2001
    Ringberg Castle, Bavaria, Germany
    Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie
     Bernd Vollmer, bvollmer@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

 

Scientific Rationale:

This workshop is dedicated exclusively to the Virgo cluster. 
The last workshop on the Virgo cluster has been organized in 1984 at ESO. Since that time a lot of multiwavelength surveys from the radio to X-rays have been conducted on Virgo cluster galaxies. They all gave important statistical informations on galaxy evolution. Furthermore, the increase of sensitivity and resolution of interferometric telescopes at multiple wavelengths allowed to study the gas distribution and kinematics of individual galaxies, which are affected by the cluster environment, in great detail. At the same time, faster and more powerful computing facilities allowed to make more and more sophisticated models of galaxy-cluster interactions.

Several groups in the world are actively working on the evolution of galaxies in the Virgo cluster at different wavelengths and doing simulations. We think that it is time to join our efforts.

The evolution of galaxies in clusters has become a key topic since the eighties when it was shown that galaxies in local clusters have less neutral hydrogen than galaxies in the field and that the fraction of blue galaxies in distant clusters (z~0.2) is higher than in nearby clusters (Butcher-Oemler-effect). With the incredible increase of sensitivity and spatial resolution of optical telescopes (especially the Hubble Space Telescope), it is now possible to study galaxy clusters in detail up to a redshift of z~1. In order to understand these observations, it is of primordial importance to identify and understand the galaxy-cluster interactions which are responsible for the galaxy evolution in the local universe.

With the discovery of the existence of a huge amount of hot gas in galaxy clusters, it has been recognized that the interaction between this intracluster medium and the galaxies' interstellar matter is an important mechanism for galaxy evolution in clusters. Several theoretical models and numerical simulations have been developed in order to understand when, where, and how this interaction takes place.

The aim of this workshop is 
 

  • to find a connection between the statistical informations of surveys and high resolution observations of individual galaxies at multiple wavelengths; 
  • to compare observations directly with numerical simulations of galaxy-cluster interactions;
  • to discuss new surveys of Virgo galaxies.
Planned topics include:
 
  • The Virgo cluster as a whole and M87
  • Galaxy surveys at multiple wavelengths of Virgo cluster galaxies
  • Virgo galaxy dynamics
  • Individual Virgo galaxies
  • Magnetic fields
  • Ram pressure simulations
  • Cluster-group interactions
  • Comparison with other clusters
Workshop format:

The workshop will last three days from Monday, April 15, to Wednesday, April 17. We will have about 25 talks. Talk times range from 20 to 30 min excluding discussion. Each talk is followed by 10 min of time for discussions. There will also be two major discussion sessions on Monday and Tuesday evening dedicated to burning questions and new common projects. Since we have only three days, there will be no time for an excursion.

SOC:

C. Balkowski (Observatoire de Paris), R. Wielebinski (MPIfR), H. Voelk (MPIA), H. Boehringer (MPE), J. Kenney (Yale), G. Gavazzi (Milano), M. Urbanik (Krakow)

LOC:

B. Vollmer (MPIfR), W. Reich (MPIfR), G. Breuer (Secretary, MPIfR)

Invited speakers include:

C. Adami, P. Amram, H. Boehringer, A. Boselli, G. Gavazzi, J. Kenney, K. Otmianowska-Mazur, B. Poggianti , S. Schindler, Y. Sofue, J. Solanes, R. Tuffs, M., B. Tully, M. Urbanik, B. Vollmer 

Proceedings:

We do not intend to publish proceedings.

Location and logistics:

Here you can find all necessary maps and timetables if you arrive by plane:

Map of the Munich airport  (pdf)

Train timetables: airport - Munich center  (pdf)

Map: Munich Center (pdf)

Train timetables:  Munich - Tegernsee (pdf)

The workshop will be held at Ringberg Castle in Bavaria, Germany. Ringberg Castle, the conference site of the Max Planck Society, is about 50 km south of Munich near the small town of Rottach-Egern and Lake Tegernsee (a famous tourist are). When arriving by plane, the closest airport is Munich airport. Ringberg can be reached by train and cab, or by car. For instructions please see this link. If you plan to travel to Ringberg by train, you can check out the time table of the train connections here. We have to begin Monday, April 15. at 9.00 am and to end Wednesday, April 17. at 1.00 pm. We therefore recommend strongly to schedule your travel such that you arrive on Sunday, April 14 and depart on Wednesday evening, April 17.

Due to space limitations at Ringberg Castle, the number of attendees is limited to 50 persons. 

For more information including prices for lodging and meals at the conference site please refer to this URL.
 

Registration:

The registration deadline is December 1, 2001. There will be no registration fees. We regret that we cannot offer financial support to the attendees. 
 
 

Links:

updated Workshop program 

updated Abstracts 

Maps and instructions

The layout of this webpage was kindly provided by Eva Grebel (MPIA)