Subject: "GRBs as probes" conference: 1st announcement
From: probes11@brera.inaf.it
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:08:29 +0200 (CEST)
To: probes11@brera.inaf.it

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1st Announcement of the conference:
"GRBs as probes: from the progenitor's environment to the high redshift
Universe"
May 16-20, 2011 - Como, Italy
Conference website: http://www.brera.inaf.it/Probes11/Welcome.html
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Scientific Rationale
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Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are, for short intervals, the brightest sources
in the Universe, illuminating and probing their lines of site in
exquisite detail. Thus they offer the opportunity to unveil the host
galaxy ambient medium and to explore the distant Universe with a level
impossible to achieve with any other class of objects. Therefore, GRBs
are probes of many different environments: they are probes of the very
high redshift Universe, with connections to Population III sources and
re-ionization, and they are probes of dense stellar regions in which
they form (at least those connected to massive progenitors), allowing
us to track the chemical evolution and dust evolution of the Universe.
In addition, merger events are unique gravity wave, particle and
neutrino probes. The goal of the conference is to review the current
status of our knowledge on GRBs as probes and to discuss open issues
and requirements for future experiments and instruments.


Scientific Topics:
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1) GRB environment: observations
2) GRB environment: theory
3) High redshift Universe: observations
4) High redshift Universe: theory
5) Chemical Evolution across the time history
6) GRB host galaxies
7) GRBs & dust
8) New missions & new instruments
9) GRBs as fundamental physics probes


Preliminary Invited Speaker list:
---------------------------------
Edo Berger
Volker Bromm
Benedetta Ciardi
Andrew MacFadyen
Dieter Hartmann (TBC)
Daniele Malesani
Norbert Langer
Jason X. Prochaska
Stephan Rosswog
Ruben Salvaterra
Patricia Schady
Raffaella Schneider
Alicia Soderberg
Nial Tanvir
Paul Vreeswijk
Darach Watson
Eli Waxman (TBC)


Science Organizing Commettee:
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J. Bloom (Berkeley)
D. Burrows (PSU)
S. Campana (INAF-OAB, Chair)
S. Covino (INAF-OAB)
A. Ferrara (Uni. Pisa)
J. Fynbo (DARK)
J. Grindlay (CfA)
C. Kouveliotou (NASA/MSFC)
D. Lazzati (NCSU)
J. Prochaska (Lick)
S. Savaglio (MPE)