Winter school

Laboratory Astrophysics : tracking the evolution of cosmic matter
towards molecular complexity| Les Houches, France |  13-18 March 2022

Pre-registration is now open.

https://lab-astrophysic.sciencesconf.org

The school will take place at “Les Houches School of Physics”, located
in the Chamonix valley of the French Alps in March 13-18 2022.  This
winter school is a PCMI-supported initiative and is addressed to a very
broad audience, extending well beyond its own frontiers. It includes the
fields of astrochemistry and planetary sciences.

This school focuses on advanced experimental and theoretical approaches
used to produce, analyze and investigate the properties and the
evolution of extraterrestrial analogs in the laboratory, and dedicated
to improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of complex
molecular matter observed in space, from dense molecular clouds up to
the formation of new stars, planetary bodies and comets. The program
will present a wide range of complementary and advanced methods allowing
the production, analysis and investigation of properties and evolution
of extraterrestrial analogs, that were developed in recent years in
close connection to the most relevant astronomical observations.
Emphasis will be put on the degree of chemical and/or structural
complexity which can be achieved in the gas and solid phases and at
their interface under space conditions. The methods used to characterize
the physics of silicates and carbonaceous dust, and to investigate the
formation/destruction processes of ices will be detailed. Techniques
used to analyze matter from cometary and asteroid origins will also be
presented. During the school, interactive sessions with invited teachers
will be organized and all participants are encouraged to present their
own work during poster sessions.