The final meeting of COST Action SM0805 ‘The Chemical Cosmos’ will be held in Windsor April 2-5, 2013. This meeting is an opportunity to both review how the field of Astrochemistry has developed in the last 4-5 years and to look forward and explore how ALMA and other new telescopes and space missions will further our knowledge of the rich chemistry that can occur in space and in planetary atmospheres. This COST Action has brought together researchers from disparate fields linking astronomy and planetary sciences; observational astronomers with laboratory based researchers. It has, with the LASSIE ITN (which will hold its training and careers event at the meeting), emphasised and developed studies on the role of surface chemistry in both the interstellar medium and in planetary sciences, as well as bringing together ‘data providers’ (including members of the VAMDC database project) with the modelling community. The Action has supported a range of workshops/schools covering topics from observational astronomy using ALMA to astrobiology and has supported more than 101 short term scientific missions which have allowed more than 200 researchers to develop collaborative research programmes and publish more than 100 papers.

This meeting will be the fourth ‘annual’ meeting that aims to bring the community together to exchange ideas and develop collaborative research that will advance our knowledge of astrochemical processes. Previous meetings in Grenoble (2010); Malta (2011) and Catania (2012) have been lively, well attended meetings and we encourage you to attend, present you work (in both oral and poster sessions). We will also discuss how we will ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of astrochemical research, for whilst this action ends in April 2013 the field and the community will(are) develop(ing) the next series of network and research proposals!

Based in the historic city of Windsor in the Castle hotel, which is as its name suggests, opposite the castle itself (The changing of the Guard will take place immediately outside during our morning coffee breaks) the meeting also allows participants to experience British ‘pomp and circumstance’ at its best – held immediately after Easter perhaps it is also an opportunity to take a short holiday and bring your partner/family for a little spring break!

We look forward to welcoming you to Windsor!

 

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Last Modified 25 February 2013