ROE Workshop 2008: Habitability in Our Galaxy

2^nd October 2008: Registration now closed! We have a total of 93 participants.

5^th August 2008: Registration now open!

Please print our A4 flyer for your department notice board.

If you are interested in this workshop but cannot yet commit to registering, then please email workshop2008_at_roe.ac.uk so we can add you to an email list for workshop announcements and so we can get an idea of how many people are interested.

Dates: 8-10 October 2008

Themes: Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, Exoplanets, Solar System, Origin and Propects for Life

contact: workshop2008_at_roe.ac.uk

Use the links box on the left to navigate the workshop pages, or the whole thing is available on a single page for easy printing.

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Locations

Royal Observatory Edinburgh

Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Blackford Hill
Edinburgh
EH9 3HJ

Tel: 0131 668 8306 (Adeline Nicol)
Fax: 0131 668 8464 (Adeline Nicol)

google map | Contacts page | aerial view with route to lecture theatre entrance

Please note that ROE is not on Calton Hill!

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Our Dynamic Earth (for public lecture)

Our Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Rd
Edinburgh
EH8 8AS

Tel: 0131 550 7800

google map

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Apex International Hotel (for workshop dinner)

Apex International Hotel
31-35 Grassmarket
Edinburgh
EH1 2HS

Tel: 0131 666 5028

google map

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Programme

Wednesday 8th October 2008
09:30-11:20	Registration & Coffee
Session 1: Chair Dr Wing-Fai Thi
11:20-11:30	Dr Andy Longmore - Welcome to the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and overview of the workshop
11:30-12:20	Prof Simon Conway Morris - Evolution is predictable, so where are the extra-terrestrials?
12:20-13:00	Dr Giovanna Tinetti - Exploring extrasolar worlds: from gas giants to terrestrial habitable
13:00-14:00	Buffet lunch
Session 2: Chair Prof Peter Clarke
14:00-14:40	Prof John Parnell - Could we find evidence of life in meteorites?
14:40-15:20	Dr Jane Greaves - Debris disks and exo-planet habitability
15:20-15:40	Dr J Douglas Armstrong – Genetic dissection of gravity perception in the fruit fly Drosophila
15:40-16:00	Coffee
Session 3: Chair tbc
16:00-16:40	Dr Marialuisa Aliotta - The origin of elements in the universe
16:40-17:00	Duncan Forgan - SETI: a new monte carlo approach
17:00-17:30	David Kipping - Searching for the moons of extrasolar planets
17:30-18:00	Coach to Dynamic Earth
18:30-19:30	Public lecture: Prof Monica Grady “Are we alone?”
19:30-20:30	Reception and gallery viewing at Our Dynamic Earth
Thursday 9th October 2008
Session 4: Chair Prof Malcolm McMahon
09:00-09:40	Dr Leslie Hebb - How do observations of extra-solar planets fit our understanding of planet formation and evolution?
09:40-10:20	Dr Albert Bolhuis - The Rough Guide to extreme environments: a microbiological perspective
10:20-10:40	Helen Maynard - Extreme environment facilities at the Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions
10:40-11:00	Coffee
Session 5: Chair Dr Andy Longmore
11:00-11:50	Prof Monica Grady - Opportunities for life
11:50-12:30	Dr John Barnes - The potential for precision radial velocities in the near infrared
12:30-13:30	Buffet lunch
Session 6: Chair Dr Gillian Wright
13:30-14:10	Dr Claudio Maccone - Recent progress in SETI
14:10-14:50	Dr Markus Kasper – EPICS, the exoplanet imager for the E-ELT
14:50-15:10	Dr Anders Johansen - Metallicity dependence of planetesimal formation
15:10-15:30	Coffee
Session 7: Chair Prof John Raven
15:30-16:00	Dr Lewis Dartnell - What is life and how do you spot it?
16:00-16:30	Dr Tom Greene - Observing transiting exoplanets with the James Webb Space Telescope
16:30-16:50	Dr Dan Hillier - Communicating with the public and schools about the search for life
17:15	Coach into town
19:00-22:00	drinks reception and conference dinner at Apex International Hotel, Grassmarket
Friday 10th October 2008
Session 8: Chair Dr Wayne Holland
09:30-10:10	Dr Don Pollacco - The next decade of exoplanet detection
10:10-10:30	Miss Francesca Faedi - A search for planets in star's graveyards. What is the fate of hot Jupiters?
10:30-11:10	Dr Helen Fraser - Crash diets - or using weightlessness as a probe of star and planet formation
11:10-11:30	Coffee
Session 9: Chair Dr Bill Dent
11:30-11:45	Prof Alan Boss - Summary of the workshop
11:45-12:00	Prof Graeme Ackland - Summary of the workshop
12:00-13:00	Panel-led discussion
13:00-14:00	Buffet lunch
14:00-15:00	Depart / Astrobiology Scotland meeting (Chair: Dr Jane Greaves)

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Participants

surname	firstname	affiliation
Abdulgalil	Ali	Heriot Watt University
Ackland	Graeme	UoE
Aliotta	Marialuisa	School of Physics - University of Edinburgh
Allen	Rosalind	Edinburgh University (IfP)
Alsubai	Khalid	university of St.andrews
Armstrong	Douglas	University of Edinburgh
Barker	Michael	ROE/IfA
Barnes	John	University of Hertfordshire
Barros	Susana	Queen's University Belfast
Bolhuis	Albert	University of Bath
Boss	Alan	Carnegie Institution
Briggs	Michael	ROE
Bryant	David	University of Leeds
Campbell	Michael	ROE
Clark	Paul	Durham University
Clarke	Peter	National e-Science Centre
Cole	Harriet	University of Edinburgh
Collings	Mark	Heriot-Watt University
Conway Morris	Simon	Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
Cordiner	Martin	Queen's University Belfast
Cossins	Peter	University of Leicester
Craigon	Alison	Strathclyde University
Dartnell	Lewis	UCL
Dawson	Angela	University of Edinburgh
Dent	Bill	UKATC
Dominik	Martin	SUPA, University of St Andrews
Enoch	Becky	St Andrews University
Faedi	Francesca	University of Leicester
Forgan	Duncan	IfA, ROE
Frankland	Victoria	Heriot-Watt University
fraser	helen jane	university of strathclyde
Gibson	Neale	Queen's University Belfast
Glauser	Adrian	UK ATC
Grady	Monica	The Open University
Greaves	Jane	St Andrews
Greene	Tom	NASA's Ames Research Center
Grocutt	Emma	ROE Institute for Astronomy
Hawarden	Tim	ROE
Hebb	Leslie	University of St Andrews
Hillier	Dan	ROE Visitor Centre
Holland	Wayne	UK ATC
Ibar	Eduardo	Institute for Astronomy - University of Edinburgh
Jackson	Brendan	IfA
Johansen	Anders	Leiden Observatory, Leiden University
Joshi	Yogesh	Queen's University Belfast
Kasper	Markus	ESO
Kee	Terence	University of Leeds
Kiessling	Alina	University of Edinburgh
Kipping	David	University College London
Kipping	David	UCL
Longmore	Andy	UKATC
Loveday	John	University of Edinburgh
Lynn	Stuart	Edinburgh Royal Observatory
Maccone	Claudio	Co-chair, SETI Permanent Study Group if the IAA
MacPhee	Cait	University of Edinburgh
Magennis	Marisa	University of Edinburgh
Mamatsashvili	George	Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Massey	Richard	ROE
Maynard	Helen	Univeristy of Edinburgh
McCormac	James	Queens University
McDonald	Iain	Keele University
McMahon	Malcolm	University of Edinburgh
Memari	Yasin	Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Miles	Caroline	The University of Edinburgh
Moulds	Victoria	Queens University Belfast
Nicol	Adeline	LOC
Pagaling	Eulyn	University of Edinburgh
Parkinson	Hannah	IfA, University of Edinburgh
Parnell	John	University of Aberdeen
Pearce	Henry	IfA, UoE
Phillips	Neil	Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Poelman	Dieter	St Andrews
Pollacco	Don	Queens University Belfast
Poon	Wilson	UoE
Rajan	Akhil	Heriot Watt University
Raven	John	University of Dundee and Scottish Crop Research Institute
Rice	Ken	Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Richardson	Jenny	IfA, Edinburgh
Rowell	Nicholas	IfA
Rupprecht	Gero	European Southern Observatory ESO
Sheehan	Chris	University of St Andrews
Sibthorpe	Bruce	UK ATC
Simpson	Elaine	Queen's University Belfast
Thi	Wing-Fai	Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Thompson	Samantha	University College London
Tilling	Ian	IfA PhD Student
Tinetti	Giovanna	University College London
Tittley	Eric	Inst. for Astronomy, U. of Edinburgh
Watson	Christopher	Queens University
Webster	Adrian	UofEdinburgh
Williams	Peredur	IfA
Wolstencroft	Ray	ATC
Wright	Gillian	STFC: UK-ATC

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Payment Information

Money will only be collected once registration has been confirmed by the organisers. Participants will be notified as quickly as possible. We can accept payment by debit/credit card or bank transfer.

Prices (in GBP):

Conference fee:	£50.00
Extra guest for conference dinner:	£35.00	(per extra guest)
Extra guest for public lecture only:	£3.00	(per extra guest)
Extra guest for public lecture + reception:	£15.00	(per extra guest)

Payment by Credit/Debit Card (MasterCard or VISA only):

Please fax your card details to the LOC using the following fax form. The form is available in both PDF and in OpenDocument formats. When completed please fax your form for the attention of Adeline Nicol.

The following info on the fax is needed:

• Participant's name
• E-mail address
• Phone number
• Card type [Mastercard/Visa only]
• Name on card (full details)
• Issue date
• Expiry date
• Card number
• Security code (last 3 digits on back of card)
• Total payable (GBP)
• Signature

When registration has been confirmed, card details are expected to take up to a week to be processed.

Payment by Bank Transfer:

The ROE Workshop 2008 bank details are:

Address:	UK Astronomy Technology Centre Bank of Scotland 426 Morningside Road Edinburgh EH10 5QF
Account number:	00136018
Sort code:	80-02-77
SWIFT BIC:	BOFSGB 21348
IBAN:	GB72 BOFS 8002 7700 1360 18

It is essential to indicate on the bank transfer the following information as well:

Reference:	ROE Workshop 2008
Name (in full):	<your name>

Payment (in GBP) should only be done once registration has been confirmed by the organizers. Participants will be notified as quickly as possible.

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Accommodation

A limited number of rooms have been held at the following guest houses and hotels for the ROE Workshop 2008. Booking can start immediately however, the rates below are only available until Monday 8 SEPTEMBER. To obtain the quoted rates below, please contact the guest houses/hotels by phone, with the reference number shown.

Transport will be arranged to/from the accommodations listed below to the Workshop.

Guest Houses

Lauderville Guest House

52 Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 2NH [google map, directions to ROE]
B&B - £40-£60 for single occupancy - (mix of accommodation single/double rooms).
Phone: +44 (0) 131 667 7788
Email: res_at_laudervilleguesthouse.co.uk
Quote ROE 2008.

21 West Mayfield (not on web)

21 West Mayfield, Edinburgh, EH9 1TQ [google map, directions to ROE]
4* B&B - £49.50 double room for single occupancy (discounted from £54).
WIFI free of charge.
Phone: +44 (0)131 668 2148 (ask for Lorette)
Quote ROE 2008.

Highfield Guest House

83 Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3AE [google map, directions to ROE]
B&B - Single £40 (separate private bathroom) / double for single occupancy £54
Phone: +44 (0)131 667 8717 (ask for Maggie/Kate/Gordon)
Email: info_at_highfieldgh.co.uk
Quote ROE 2008

Number One Tipperlinn Road

1 Tipperlinn Road, Morningside, Edinburgh, EH10 5ET [google map, directions to ROE]
B&B - £45 double rooms for single occupancy or £70 for double occupancy
Phone: +44 (0) 131 447 6689 (ask for Bolette or Jonathan Nason)
Email: jonathan_at_nason.chit-chat.co.uk
Quote ROE 2008

Please have a look at this webpage for more accommodation opportunities, where "Lower end prices" correspond to "up to £40", "Mid-range" to "up to £80", and "Upper" "more than £80". Bed & Breakfast (B&B) accommodation is unlikely to be found at less than £25 per person.

Hotels

Apex International Hotel

31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2HS
Superior Twin Room over looking Edinburgh Castle £135 B&B single occupancy
Phone: +44 (0) 131 666 5028 (ask for Amy Garside)
Quote ROY1410_003

Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel

69 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4HH
Standard double room - £77 B&B for single occupancy £110 for double occupancy.
Phone: +44 (0) 131 229 1393
Quote ROE 2008

Salisbury Hotel

43-45 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AA
B&B per room - £75 double / £85 family
Phone: +44 (0) 131 667 1264
Quote ROE 2008

Kildonan Lodge Hotel

27 Craigmillar Park, Newington, Edinburgh EH16 5PE
£65 double room for single occupancy B&B.
Phone: +44 (0) 131 667 2793
Quote ROE 2008

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Public Lecture: "Are we alone?"

The public lecture will be given by Monica Grady at Our Dynamic Earth after the first day of the workshop. Time: 18:30 BST, 8 October 2008 Location: Our Dynamic Earth Tickets: £3.00. Available from hubtickets, or with workshop registration. The question of whether we are alone in the Solar System, Galaxy or Universe is one which has fascinated humanity since the earliest of times. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. The search for life beyond the Earth starts with a look at how and where life arose on Earth, and the type of conditions in which life survives. Where might similar environments exist on other bodies, either now or in the past? From the deepest depths of the ocean floor to the outermost edges of the Galaxy, Monica Grady explores the potential for life to have arisen in a variety of environmental habitats. Starting with the birth of the Sun from a cloud of dust and gas, through the formation of the Earth, its atmosphere and oceans, she highlights key stages that lead to the emergence of life on Earth. Mars, Europa, the water-rich satellite of Jupiter, and Saturn's enigmatic moon Titan are all described as possible niches in which life might have arisen. Beyond the Solar System, the search for extra-solar planets is considered as a future direction for fruitful exploration. Monica will also be giving a plenary lecture titled "Opportunities for Life" at the workshop.

Since April 2005, Monica Grady has been Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University in Milton Keynes. Prior to that, she was Head of the Meteorites and Cosmic Mineralogy Division in the Department of Mineralogy at the Natural History Museum, and Honorary Professor of Meteoritics at University College London. In 2003, she gave the Royal Institution Christmas lectures on the theme Voyage in Space and Time.

Our Dynamic Earth is located about 3 miles from the ROE near Holyrood. Our Dynamic Earth Holyrood Rd Edinburgh EH8 8AS Tel: 0131 550 7800 Here is a google map showing Dynamic Earth relative to the ROE.

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Organisers

Local Organising Committee Wing-Fai Thi (chair) Adeline Nicol Ken Rice Andy Longmore Gillian Wright Tania Johnston Cait MacPhee Peter Tuffy (graphic design) Neil Phillips (website)

Scientific Organising Committee Jane Greaves Helen Fraser John Parnell Wing-Fai Thi Ken Rice Andy Longmore Gillian Wright Tania Johnston Cait MacPhee

Email address: workshop2008_at_roe.ac.uk

The Royal Observatory Edinburgh comprises the UK Astronomy Technology Centre of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Institute for Astronomy of the University of Edinburgh, the Higgs Centre for Innovation and the ROE Visitor Centre.