Concepción is hosting “MODEST 15- Modeling and Observing Dense Stellar systems in Chile”

The conference takes place in Universidad de Concepción, during March 2 to 6. More than 90 participants will come from all around the world, organized by the Theory Group of the Astronomy Department at Universidad de Concepción, headed by the astronomer Michael Fellhauer.

This is the 15th meeting of the MODEST community, which includes groups, all over the world, working in stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, stellar hydrodynamics and the observations of dense stellar systems. These systems range from small star clusters, globular clusters, dwarf galaxies to the central areas of large galaxies. The aim is to provide a comprehensive software framework for large-scale simulations of dense stellar systems, within which existing codes for dynamics, stellar evolution, and hydrodynamics can be easily coupled and compared to reality.

In addition, the lectures are always trying to provide a common basis for theorists and observers, to meet and exchange their results. In the last years, the acronym changed inoffcially from “Modelling dense stellar systems” into “Modelling and observing dense stellar systems”, hence the name “Modest”.

For the first time in the MODEST history, this workshop will be held in South America. “The Government of Chile declared astronomy as one of the key sciences of the country. The astronomical community in Chile is constantly growing. A lot of observational groups in Chile are working in the field of star clusters. We think that this makes Chile an ideal place to host the MODEST 15 conference” says Fellhauer.

“MODEST 15” will have from students who present their first results to internationally renowned scientists, experts in their fields. In this occasion, three of the founders of Modest are present, Rainer Spurzem, Sveerre Aarseth and Steve McMillan – held for the first time in New York – who are surprised by the growth of these conferences since the beginning, in 2002.

Some of the 90 participants come from Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Iran, U.S.A. and all Europe (including Ukraine) and of course, Chile. “The MODEST conference will attract many theorist to Chile (for most of them, their first visit to our country). This will be beneficial for theoreticians and observers alike, since the conference can provide an environment for discussions, in which collaborations between observers from Chile and theoreticians from abroad can form.