Conference: Identifying and Bridging Gaps in Laboratory Astrophysics

This award supports a 2-day workshop, “Identifying and Bridging Gaps in Laboratory Astrophysics,” to be held in conjunction with the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The workshop will be a timely forum for laboratory astrophysics researchers and stakeholders to discuss current needs to address frontier astrophysical problems, promote collaboration, and articulate community priorities to inform the mid-Decadal Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Laboratory astrophysics uniquely combines fundamental scientific exploration with practical applications, offering an excellent opportunity to build a skilled workforce that can contribute to both academic research and industry. The workshop will emphasize workforce development by providing early-career researchers with opportunities to interact with established researchers and contribute to discussions about the future direction of the field.

This will help generate ideas to strengthen the pipeline of skilled professionals that is essential to maintaining the global leadership of the United States in science and technology.

The workshop seeks to better coordinate laboratory astrophysics efforts with the priorities of modern astronomy as articulated in the 2020 Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020). By bringing together data “producers” and “consumers,” the workshop will enhance interdisciplinary research efforts while addressing challenges and opportunities identified by the Laboratory Astrophysics Task Force convened by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee in response to Astro2020.

Discussions will center around critical topics such as planetary atmospheres, stellar evolution, high energy astrophysics, and diffuse media, ensuring that laboratory astrophysics remains responsive to the evolving needs of observational astronomy. This community-driven effort will yield key insights and actionable ideas for effectively supporting laboratory astrophysics to maximize the scientific output and impact of federally funded observatories and missions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.