CHANDRA ELECTRONIC ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 52
                          18 December 2008


Two announcements:   

1.  INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMY MEETING: X-RAY ASTRONOMY 2009 (Bologna)
                                
2.  High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy Workshop and School
                                                                          
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Item 1.  INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMY MEETING: X-RAY ASTRONOMY 2009 (Bologna)
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			FIRST CIRCULAR	
		        ===============


       +-------------------------------------------------+
       |                                                 |
       |         INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMY MEETING         |
       |						 |
       |            X-RAY ASTRONOMY 2009                 |
       |    Present Status, multiwavelength approach     | 
       |  	  and future perspectives                |
       |            September 7 - 11, 2009               |
       |         Aula Absidale di Santa Lucia		 |
       |	     Bologna  (Italy)                    |
       |                                                 |
       +-------------------------------------------------+


Introduction
--------------


Third in a decadal series of X-ray astronomy conferences held in Bologna, 
the meeting will highlight the contributions of XMM-Newton, Chandra and Suzaku
observatories over the last ten years and celebrate the International Year of
Astronomy (IYA2009).
We plan to address major observational and theoretical aspects 
of X-ray emission from a wide range of cosmic sources.  
Emphasis will be given to multiwavelength studies of cosmic sources and 
associated synergies with major facilities at all wavelengths, and on 
the perspectives for future high-energy astrophysics missions.
A brief outline of the meeting with proposed topics is attached.

The workshop is being jointly organized by INAF
(Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna and Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e 
Fisica Cosmica di Bologna) and by the Astronomy Department of the 
University of Bologna, under the auspices of Bologna's Local Authorities. 


Venue
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The Meeting will take place in the Aula Absidale di Santa Lucia. 
The conference room, with seats arranged like an amphitheatre, is located 
in the city center and it was the apse of a former church. 
It is normally used for the official ceremonies of the Bologna University.   

We envisage 9 half-day sessions, each comprising 1 review, 2 invited/solicited 
and 6/7 contributed talks, plus poster presentations.  
A "best poster" award ceremony will be organized.

We are planning at maximum 300 participants (which is the hard upper limit 
of the conference hall). 

The pre-registration is already open at conference web site:

http://www.iasfbo.inaf.it/events/xray2009/

The page is being regularly updated with all the relevant information 
(i.e. travelling, accommodations, registration fee, hotel booking, 
excursions, ...)  

Important Deadlines:

Abstract (oral and posters) May 1, 2009

Registration                July 1, 2009 


Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)
-------------------------------------------------


A. Comastri (INAF/ OA-Bologna, Italy  - Chair)
L. Angelini (NASA/GSFC, USA)
X. Barcons (IFC, Spain)
T. Belloni (INAF/ OA-Brera)
N. Brandt (PSU, USA)
T. Courvoisier (ISDC, Switzerland)
A. Decourchelle (CEA, France)
N. Gehrels (NASA/GSFC, USA)
I. Georgantopoulos (Athens Nat. Obs, Greece)
P. Grandi (INAF/ IASF-Bologna)
J. Greiner (MPE, Germany)
K. Makishima (Tokyo U., Japan)
G. Malaguti (INAF/IASF-Bologna, Italy)
G. Micela (INAF/OA-Palermo, Italy)
P. Nandra (Imp. College London, UK)
A. Parmar (ESA/ESTEC, The Netherlands)
S. Schindler (Inst. Astroph. Innsbruck, Austria)
R. Sunyaev (MPA, Garching, Germany)
H. Tananbaum (CfA, Cambridge, USA) 
M. Turner (Leicester Univ., UK)
P. Ubertini (INAF/IASF-Roma, Italy)
C. Vignali (Bologna Univ., Italy)
N. White (NASA/GSFC, USA)


Rationale
---------------

X-ray astronomy is a mature science.  Its birth dates back to 1962 
when the first cosmic source (Sco X-1) and the cosmic X-ray background 
were discovered by Riccardo Giacconi and collaborators. 
Since the first rocket flight, a large number of satellites dedicated 
to the observation of the X-ray sky have allowed us 
to expand the discovery space.
Nowadays, several hundred thoushand X-ray sources are known, from nearby stars 
and compact objects in our Galaxy to the most distant quasars, powered 
by supermassive black holes, and galaxy clusters,
the largest gravitationally-bound objects in the Universe.
It also appears that intergalactic space is filled by hot, tenuous gas
where the majority of baryonic matter is locked. 

In the last decade, a major step forward in our understanding of the physics
and cosmological evolution of X-ray sources has been possible thanks to 
the ESA and NASA cornerstone missions (XMM-Newton and Chandra), the 
Japanese satellite Suzaku, the RossiXTE , INTEGRAL and Swift satellites. 
Many of the scientific programs based on the X-ray data
are complemented by observations taken over most of the 
electromagnetic spectrum.
A multiwavelength approach is now essential to address the most 
pressing scientific questions and to test theoretical models.

We feel that after so many years - in particular the last decade - 
of successful observations and almost continuous data flow, it is  
time to discuss the most important achievements obtained in the X-ray 
domain and put them in a multiwavelength context.
We expect presentations summarizing the most relevant breakthroughs 
from XMM, Chandra and associated multiwavelength programs 
as well as from Suzaku, INTEGRAL, Swift and Fermi.
We also intend to stimulate discussion on the future directions of 
X-ray astronomy in the next decade and, in particular, about the role 
of future X-ray missions with respect to the present and planned 
facilities both ground based and space based. 

The main scientific issues to be addresses are:


* STELLAR OBJECTS AND SUPERNOVA REMNANTS 

	 - Cool and hot stars
	 - Star-forming regions 
	 - Neutron Stars
	 - Supernovae and SN remnants and pulsar wind nebulae
	 - Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters 


* BLACK HOLES AND COMPACT OBJECTS  

        - Matter under extreme conditions 
        - Physics of Accretion and Ejection
	- X-rays as probes of General Relativity
	- Particle acceleration   
        - Evolution of Super-massive Black Holes
	- Black Hole-Galaxy Co-Evolution and Feedback processes


* GALAXIES AND CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES 
	 
	-  Star formation across cosmic time 
	-  Physical processes in clusters and groups 
	-  Metal enrichement of the ICM 
	-  Interaction of cluster components 
	-  WHIM 
	-  Clusters of galaxies as cosmological probes
        
* PRESENT and FUTURE MISSIONS 

	- XMM, Chandra, Suzaku  
	- RossiXTE, INTEGRAL, Swift 
	- Simbol X, NuStar, EXIST, ASTRO-H
	- JANUS, GEMS, WFXT 
	- IXO 
	- Synergies with other wavelengths.


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Item 2.  High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy Workshop and School 
===============================================================


** 3rd High resolution X-ray spectroscopy workshop 19-20 March 2009 **

    ** High resolution X-ray spectroscopy school 17-18 March 2009 **

                 UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory
                Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, UK

        Registration and abstract deadline - 1st February 2009

The 'new beginning' with the integration of XEUS and Con-X into IXO, the
many other X-ray astronomy missions under study aimed at high spectral
resolution, together with the high quality data that XMM-Newton and
Chandra will hopefully continue to procure for a while yet, promise
further expansion and strengthening of the high resolution X-ray
spectroscopy field. We therefore invite you to attend the high resolution
X-ray spectroscopy workshop, to take place on 19-20 March 2009 at the
UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

For the first time this year we will also be running a 'high resolution
X-ray spectroscopy school', prior to the workshop, on 17-18 March 2009.
Aimed at PhD students and postdocs working both in and outside X-ray
astronomy, it will be an opportunity to learn the principles and
practice of high resolution X-ray spectroscopy as applied to a range
of stellar, Galactic and extragalactic sources.

For further details, a list of the invited speakers, and registration, 
see:

                http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/~ajb/workshop3/

There will be a limited number of places, so we advise participants to
register as soon as possible.


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