CASCA 2013

The Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) will be having its annual meeting for 2013 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, hosted by UBC Physics & Astronomy. The conference runs Tuesday May 28 through Thursday May 30.

There is no specific theme for this CASCA meeting but it will feature new and exciting results from many areas of astronomical research!! Everyone is welcome.

There will be general sessions on solar system, compact objects, stars, ISM, galaxies, instrumentation and education.

CASCA 2013 is on Twitter: @cascaUBC #cascaUBC.

An HTML version of the full schedule which can be added to your Google Calendar is available HERE

An iCal downloadable version is available HERE

General conference information (including the schedule, maps, restaurant information, and more) is available for download HERE. Your conference package will contain a hard copy of a shortened version of this document.

Special Events

Malcolm LongairThe Helen Sawyer Hogg public lecture will be given by Professor Malcolm Longair. The title of the talk is "Cosmology - its tortuous history, glorious present and bright future".

Blue whale skeleton at Beaty Biodiversity Museum
The Welcome Reception will be held at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum which features a skeleton of a Great Blue Whale in the Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium. Attendees will be able to mill about the skeleton and view the other exhibits of the museum. Image by Derek Tan, Beaty Biodiversity Museum.

The Fish House The CASCA Conference Banquet will take place Wednesday night set amongst the spectacular gardens and forests of Stanley Park in Vancouver at the historic Fish House restaurant. Three courses consisting of fresh decadent seafood, pastas, sirloin, and delectable desserts. Enjoy the fresh air on the covered patio and the music of the featured artist. 

Directions to the Fish House

 

Special Sessions

In addition to sessions on a broad range of topics, CASCA 2013 will feature the following special sessions and invited speakers:

Topic Description Invited Speakers
ALMA Results from Cycle 0 observations Neal Evans (UT Austin)
Exoplanets Progress in discovery of planets beyond our Solar System Jason Rowe (SETI Institute)
Herschel Overview of the Herschel mission Christine Wilson (McMaster)
Planck Discussion of first cosmology results Dick Bond (CITA), Peter Martin (CITA), Douglas Scott (UBC), Duncan Hanson (McGill)
Stellar Chronology News in white dwarf aging Jason Kalirai (STScI)
Theory Where will Einstein fail? Niayesh Afshordi (Perimeter)
21-cm Cosmology Measuring the Universe by HI intensity mapping, including discussion of CHIME Gary Hinshaw (UBC)
Education Astronomy Education and Outreach in South Africa: Lessons for Canada Thebe Medupe (NWU, SAAO)

Prize Lectures

Award Recipient Title
Peter G. Martin Award Victoria Kaspi (McGill) "Grand Unification" of Neutron Stars
Petrie Prize Françoise Combes (Obs-Paris) Molecular gas in galaxies across the Hubble time
Plaskett Medal Yasuhiro Hasegawa (ASIAA) TBA
Qilak Award James E. Hesser (NRC) TBA

Local Organizing Committee

Douglas Scott (chair), Mark Halpern, Jeremy Heyl, Gary Hinshaw, Theresa Liao, Gaelen Marsden, Jaymie Matthews, Harvey Richer, Ingrid Stairs, Tessa Vernstrom, Gerry Grieve.

Please email casca2013@phas.ubc.ca if you have questions about the meeting beyond what is covered here.