WST (https://www.wstelescope.com/) is an ambitious facility that will be dedicated to spectroscopic surveys. The current baseline foresees a 12-m main mirror, with simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (3 sq. degree) and high multiplex (20,000 and 2,000) multi-object spectrograph facility with both medium and high resolution modes (MOS), along with a giant panoramic (3x3 sq. arcmin) integral field spectrograph (IFS). These characteristics place WST far ahead of existing and planned MOS and IFS facilities: it will fill a crucial gap in the astronomical landscape, enabling transformative science in the areas of cosmology; galaxy assembly, evolution, and enrichment, including our own Milky Way; the origin of stars and planets; time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics.
The WST consortium has recently been funded through the Horizon Europe framework, to carry out a comprehensive three-year concept study. ESO will soon start a call for ideas for the next large project after ELT completion (see https://next.eso.org/), and WST will certainly be proposed as a candidate in this selection process. Italy, with INAF and the University of Bologna, is part of the WST consortium with many key roles, both scientific and technological.
The meeting has different aims:
• to inform the broader Italian community about WST and its unique capabilities, showing its potential for breakthrough science and illustrating current science drivers
• to stimulate Italian researchers to join the team and propose new science cases
• to discuss the important synergies with the upcoming ground and space-based facilities
• to discuss the challenges of new technologies, big data, and possible upgrades with respect to the baseline
Specific topics include:
• Cosmology
• Galaxy formation, evolution, enrichment
• The MW, Local Group Galaxies and galactic archaeology
• The formation of stars and planets
• The variable Universe
• Multi Messenger Astrophysics
• Synergies with ground and space-based facilities
• Big data challenges
• New technologies
