We are delighted to announce a workshop highlighting the science of debris disks in Cambridge, after the successes of Victoria 2018, Budapest 2019, EAS 2021, Jena 2022 and Tucson 2024.
Save the date: 13 - 17th July 2026
Debris disks are the disks of dust, gas, asteroids and comets found around nearby stars. Their dust and gas components are readily detectable, providing a unique perspective on the make-up and evolution of exoplanetary systems. This debris must have formed within a star’s protoplanetary disk, and is seen both around main sequence and post main sequence stars. Study of this debris provides valuable insights into the physical processes affecting the debris, including dynamical interactions with (usually unseen) planets and radiative processes. However, importantly this debris also provides unique constraints on closely related areas.
The Debris Disk Connections workshop will bring together researchers working on topics related to debris disks so that connections between these different areas can be made through this common theme. Naturally one element of the workshop will focus on the latest results from debris disk observations and theory. In this regard the workshop will be particularly timely because of the results coming out of ALMA programs characterising outer Kuiper belts, from JWST observations that characterise mid-planetary-system and post-main-sequence debris as well as directly imaged exoplanet populations, and interferometric techniques probing warm dust in habitable zones – the dreaded obstacle for future exo-Earth imaging. However, making connections to insights in related areas is just as important to achieve a comprehensive understanding. To that end, the workshop will feature the following sessions:
- The birth of debris disks in protoplanetary disks
- Observations of exo-Kuiper belts
- Exozodis: debris in the habitable zone
- New insights into the theory of debris disks
- Exoplanet demographics as told by debris
- Debris disks on the post-main sequence
- The perspective of Solar system debris
- Impact of debris delivery on exoplanets
Financial support for early-career researchers and underrepresented groups will be provided. Students are especially encouraged to share their results with the community.
Details will follow in the coming months. Sign up for the mailing list here!
We are grateful for the support of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge, which is sponsoring this event.
For any enquiries, please contact ioa-debrisdisk@ast.cam.ac.uk
SOC:
- Alessandro Morbidelli (Côte d’Azur Observatory)
- Amy Bonsor (University of Cambridge)
- Cathie Clarke (University of Cambridge)
- Elisabeth Matthews (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy)
- Jonty Marshall (Academia Sinica, Taipei)
- Kate Su (Space Science Institute)
- Mark Wyatt (University of Cambridge)
- Oli Shorttle (University of Cambridge)
- Roman Rafikov (University of Cambridge)
- Simon Cassasus (Universidad de Chile)
- Virginie Faramaz-Gorka (Steward Observatory)
LOC:
- Carolyn Young
- Ceren Kaser
- Mark Wyatt
- Max Sommer