Project leader: Andrea Richichi, andrea4work@gmail.com
Project location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Project Description:
We plan to organize a workshop aimed at astronomers of all levels, who wish to improve their skills in specialised subjects of observation and data reduction. The primary target will be young researchers from South-East Asian countries, who will learn during the workshop how to use instrumentation of a level not readily available elsewhere in the region, and find opportunities to initiate know-how and collaboration links.
This workshop will be the first of a series of such workshops, that NARIT aspires to organize as part of its strategy to become a leading astronomical institution in South-East Asia, and to provide resources and support for the development of astronomy in the region (eg, NARIT hosts the Regional Node of the OAD for South-East Asia).
The first NIATW will be themed “Time Variability in Modern Astrophysics” and will make use of the newly inaugurated 2.4m Thai National Telescope to address a number of phenomena subject to time variability. The combination of: telescope size (sufficiently powerful but not yet subject to an excessive pressure factor), geographical location (South-East Asia does not have any comparable facility, and this longitude range is in general poorly covered), instrumentation (including fast and very fast photometry to rates not available elsewhere in the region) makes the TNT an ideal site for such a workshop.
The first NARIT International Astronomical Training Workshop will be devoted to the study of time-variable phenomena, and especially those with short time scales. From stellar oscillations and pulsations, to transits and occultations, to flares and flickering, and including AGNs, the participants will study, observe and measure some of the most exciting phenomena of modern astrophysics
About the project leader:
Dr. Richichi worked at several major institutions around the world. His longest period was at ESO, where for over a decade he led the instrumentation efforts for the VLTI. Since 2011 he works at NARIT, as an advisor to the Director in matters of scientific strategy. Dr. Richichi has participated in, or helped to organize, many schools and workshops similar in character to the one proposed here. Notably, he has been a key element to organize the IAU International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA) to be held in Chiang Mai in November 2014. He has also been a co-organizer of several international scientific workshops.