The physics of evolved star:
A conference dedicated to the memory of Olivier Chesneau


June 8-12, 2015

Venue: Nice (France)

First announcement

As a talented scientist, animated with a constant passion for astronomy, Olivier Chesneau led pioneering works using visible and infrared long-baseline interferometry. Olivier used this technique to study disk formation around varied astrophysical objects, such as evolved massive stars, planetary nebulae, and novae. His foremost results include the study of the close environment of Eta Carinae and other massive stars, the first direct detection of disks in planetary nebulae, finding evidences of dust bipolar ejections by novae shortly after eruption, and the discovery of the largest yellow hypergiant star in the Milky Way. His results were often widely publicized through press releases from ESO and CNRS-INSU. The 2012 Michelson Prize of the International Astronomical Union and of Mount Wilson Institute was awarded to Olivier Chesneau for major contributions in stellar astrophysics made with long-baseline interferometry.

After his untimely departure several months ago, his friends and colleagues in Nice have decided to organize a conference that brings together experts in different fields to study the physics of evolved stars: this was Olivier’s approach to tackle outstanding questions about these stars. The conference will concentrate on four different processes in evolved stars: mass loss, binarity, rotation, and astrochemistry (dust formation). Contributions are invited along these themes, from theory and numerical simulations to all observational approaches. Only two invited talks are planned to leave as much room as possible to individual contributions (oral and posters) and discussions.

The conference will be held on June 8-12, 2015, in Nice, France. Pre-registration is open (see instructions at olivier-chesneau.oca.eu) and please submit an abstract (even tentative) during registration. We expect the registration fee to be around 150 euros, and it could be waived for some students. Based on the proposed contributions received by 2014 December 15, a preliminary program will be established by the SOC and announced in early January 2015 with detailed information for registration.

Weblink: http://poe2015.sciencesconf.org/

Email: eric.lagadec@oca.eu