CUBES F2F Science Meeting

17 Jan 2024, 09:00 → 19 Jan 2024, 17:17 Europe/Rome

Auditorium Nazionale INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte

 

The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) has been designed to provide high-efficiency observations in the near UV (300-405 nm) at spectral resolving powers of R ≥ 20,000 and R ∼ 7,000. CUBES will provide the VLT with a unique capability and will open-up new discovery space for a broad range of astrophysical topics. The near UV contains a tremendous diversity of iron-peak and heavy element lines in stellar spectra, as well as the unique possibility to measure the resonant doublet of beryllium at 313nm and the NH molecule at 336nm. The near-UV is also important for extragalactic science. It allows studies of the interstellar and circumgalactic medium (CGM) of distant galaxies, the measurement of the escape fraction of ionizing photons from intermediate redshift galaxies, and the follow-up of explosive transients. Closer to home, significantly improved sensitivity at the shortest (ground-based) wavelengths will also provide exciting new opportunities in solar system science.

The main goals of the meeting are to gather the science team, provide an update of the project, and progress towards the definition of a GTO programme. We will review the existing science cases and assess how much time will be needed for each one, how targets from different programmes can be grouped, and define the basis of an updated version of the CUBES science case document that will be submitted for FDR in 2024. Compelling new science cases that were not part of the initial submission will also be considered. 

 

The meeting will be divided in three parts: a short general project update, 15min presentations from each science case (with emphasis mostly on the constraints, sample properties, and time needed for the programme), and break-out sessions for discussion. In person participation is strongly encouraged but a hybrid option will be offered.

Wednesday, 17 January

Session 1: Technical contributions (Chair: Ryan Cooke)

1 Introduction

Speaker: Stefano Covino

2 System update (On-line presentation)

Speaker: Matteo Genoni

3 Visible and NIR at ESO: an update

Speaker: Luca Pasquini

10:50 Coffee break

4 CUBES data reduction software

Speaker: Guido Cupani / Giorgio Calderone

12:30 Lunch break

Session 2: Solar system contributions (Chair: Gabriele Cescutti)

5 S1: Cometary Science with CUBES

Speaker: Fiorangela La Forgia

6 S2: Exospheres and icy surfaces of outer Solar System bodies observed with CUBES

Speaker: Alessandra Migliorini (Speaker: Fiorangela La Forgia)

7 Discussion: Solar System cases

Session 3: Extragalactic contributions (Chair: Gabriele Cescutti)

8 E1: Primordial Deuterium abundance

Speaker: Ryan Cooke

15:20 Coffee break

9 E3: Cold gas at high redshift

Speaker: Pasquier Noterdaeme

10 E4: Escape fraction of AGN

Speaker: Andrea Grazian

11 E5 (additional): Dark Matter Candidates in the low redshift Lyman forest

Speaker: Andrea Trost

Thursday, 18 January

Session 4: Galactic contributions (Chair: Cyrielle Opitom)

12 G5 Lithium production in novae

Speaker: Luca Izzo

13 Unveiling Exoplanetary Atmospheres using Transmission Spectroscopy with CUBES

Speaker: Trifon Trifonov

14 G1: Accretion, winds & outflows in YSOs

Speaker: Juan Manuel Alcala

15 G2: Exo-planet composition

Speaker: Gentile Fusillo

10:50 Coffee break

16 G4: Beryllium and CUBES

Speaker: Rodolfo Smiljanic

17 Extragalactic discussion

12:30 Lunch break

Galactic contributions (continue) (Chair: Luca Izzo)

18 Discussion (simultaneous/parallel observations with other facilities, dissemination)

19 G6: Metal-poor stars & light elements

Speaker: Sofia Randich / Gabrielle Cescutti

20 G7: Neutron-capture elements

Speaker: Heitor Ernandes

15:20 Coffee break

21 G8: Precise metallicities of metal-poor pulsators

Speaker: Marcella Marconi

22 G9: Horizontal Branch stars in Galactic GCs

Speaker: Roberta Carini

23 4MOST

Speaker: Gregor Traven

19:30 Social Dinner at Hotel Villa Capodimonte

Friday, 19 January

Session 5: Transients (Chair: Stefano Covino)

Convener: Silvia Piranomonte

Discussion: Galactic cases

10:50 Coffee break

24 Status of the project (On-line presentation)

Speaker: Roberto Cirami

25 Q&A + AOB

12:30 Light lunch