Programme
Details of each parallel session for NAM 26 are listed below including organiser details. Note a parallel session block is 90 mins and a lunchtime session is 45 mins. You can find more details for the lunchtime sessions here.
The parallel sessions have been put into categories to ease navigation. However, note, these categories are not inclusive but more indicative; i.e., a session can in principle fall into 2 or more of the categories. The following categories have been used:
- Cosmology and large-scale structure
- Engagement (covering a wide range of activities)
- Facility (for facility-based research that doesn't fall into a single science category)
- Galaxies and star formation
- High energy and transient phenomena
- Instrumentation
- Professional (covering a wide range of professional skills, practice, and behaviour topics)
- Solar (including the heliosphere and space weather)
- Stellar and planetary (including exo planets)
- Techniques
The lunchtime sessions are placed in their own category but cover a wide range of topics including engagement, facility, instrumentation, and professional practice/behaviour.
Cosmology and large-scale structure [COSM]
Early massive black holes as probes of cosmic structure formation [CosmicStruc]
Organizers: Luke Williams, Paige Ramsden, Nichola Charlton, Sean McGee
Recent observations of the high-redshift Universe have pointed to a population of massive black holes (MBHs) at early cosmic times that challenge prevailing paradigms for black hole seeding, growth, and their connection to galaxy formation. Observations from JWST have uncovered numerous rapidly accreting black holes at redshifts z>6, including compact, red sources often referred to as “little red dots” (LRDs). These systems appear more abundant and massive than expected from the standard hierarchical formation scenario, raising fundamental questions about the initial conditions for black hole formation and the pace of early structure assembly. By understanding the formation histories of these early MBHs greater insights into galaxy evolution can be found as well as helping to advance the theoretical picture of the early Universe.
The goal of this session is to bring together researchers working on observations of the early Universe with those developing theoretical models of black hole formation and cosmic structure growth. We invite contributions that explore the nature, demographics, and environments of early MBHs, as well as studies examining what these objects reveal about the assembly history of galaxies, dark matter halos, and large-scale structure. By connecting new observational insights with theoretical advances, this session aims to build a coherent picture of how massive black holes and cosmic structure co-evolved during the first billion years of cosmic history.
Weak Lensing in the Era of Stage-IV Surveys [WeakLens]
Organizer: Lisa Voigt
Weak gravitational lensing of background galaxies by the large scale structure of the Universe provides a uniquely powerful probe of the cosmological model. In the era of Stage-IV surveys such as Euclid, Rubin/LSST, and Roman, cosmic shear measurements will enter a new regime of statistical precision driven by unprecedented survey area and source density. Realising this potential will require stringent control of observational and astrophysical systematics, together with accurate theoretical modelling.
Engagement (covering a wide range of activities) [ENG]
Bridging Perspectives: Art and Science in Collaboration [BridgPerspex]
Organizers: Ulrike Kuchner, Soheb Mandhai, Jenni French, Jake Noel-Storr
Art and science intersect to expand knowledge by creating spaces where diverse expertise can collaborate. In astronomy, the scale and complexity of data and methods can limit creative engagement beyond standard analytical approaches. Art can function as a boundary object: a flexible medium that enables collaboration across disciplines without requiring full agreement (Star, 2010). A single artwork, for example, may be approached by scientists for ideation, outreach or communication, and by artists as an outcome of creative research addressing societal needs. This flexibility allows shared meaning while respecting distinct perspectives. We will discuss three aspects of ArtScience practice:
- ArtScience collaborations: Examples of successful projects demonstrate how collaboration can generate new research questions and connect research to societal challenges.
- Data visualisation and interdisciplinary tools: Visualisation, extended reality, and sonification are increasingly popular entry points into creative engagement and science communication, allowing teams to negotiate understanding.
- Inclusivity and STEAM education: Artistic approaches foreground accessibility, inclusivity, and diverse learning styles. How can they be integrated into scientific practice, education and outreach?
The session builds on our successful NAM 2025 sessions, which brought together artists, scientists, educators, and interdisciplinary practitioners for a fully attended, highly engaging day.
Protecting Dark & Quiet Skies: Practical mitigation for large satellite constellations [DarkSkies]
Organizers: Marieta Valdivia Lefort, Lily Beesley, Mike Peel
Dark and Quiet Skies (D&QS) have become a central issue for astronomy as large satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO) expand. Since 2019, systems such as Starlink and OneWeb have shifted interference from occasional contamination to a persistent global foreground, likely to grow as further launches are authorised or planned. Because satellite constellations also deliver valued communications services, protecting D&QS demands negotiation and cooperation as well as regulation.
In optical and near-infrared astronomy, reflected sunlight produces trails and bright glints that contaminate imaging and spectroscopy, especially at twilight when many LEO satellites remain sunlit while surveys observe. Even when trails can be detected and masked, they cause permanent signal loss, reduce observing efficiency, and can leave residual artefacts that affect precision and time-domain science. In radio astronomy, impacts arise from both intended broadband transmissions and unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR), with increasing satellite numbers raising the risk of persistent interference.
This session aims to bring together evidence-based scalable mitigation and discuss their transition into workable standards, policy, and cooperative practice. We welcome abstracts from: (1) science/technical work (incl. simulations), (2) industry mitigation and performance evidence, and (3) governance, policy and legal frameworks for authorisation, compliance and international coordination.
Non-Linear Learning Pathways in Astronomy, Geophysics, and Space Science [Pathways]
Organizers: Lucinda Offer, Kevin Walsh
Astronomy, geophysics, and space science place strong demands on mathematics and physics—subjects that many learners experience as barriers rather than gateways. Students who struggle often internalise these challenges as personal shortcomings, rather than recognising mismatches between teaching methods, assessment structures, and individual learning styles. This session challenges that narrative by sharing lived experiences of non-linear pathways into the physical sciences.
The session brings together RAS Fellows and educators to reflect on educational challenges they encountered, including difficulties with maths or physics, differences in learning styles or neurodiversity, and gaps in early educational support. Speakers will share tools, resources, or strategies they developed to overcome these obstacles and, where possible, make them available to attendees.
The session also introduces the HPQ (Higher Project Qualification), a coursework-assessed qualification supported by the RAS for astronomy projects. HPQ Astronomy offers an accessible, enquiry-led pathway that promotes ownership of learning, deeper engagement, and high completion rates. The session will include perspectives from Pearson Edexcel, HPQ pilot instructors Lucinda Offer and Kevin Walsh, and a short panel discussion.
Protecting the Moon: Governance, regulation and the lunar economy [ProtectMoon]
Organizers: Marieta Valdivia Lefort, Samuel Jardine
As lunar activity accelerates, the Moon is shifting from a distant target of observation to a place where astronomy, operations, and policy increasingly intersect. New missions promise transformative datasets, from surface composition and polar volatiles to low-frequency radio astronomy and dark-sky observing from the lunar far side. Yet commercial landers, communications networks, and surface infrastructure may introduce dust, light, and radio-frequency interference that degrade observing conditions, compromise calibration, and threaten long-term scientific access. This panel will explore how governance and regulation can protect the Moon as an astronomical asset - radio-quiet regions, dark-sky environments, and scientifically significant sites - while enabling responsible commercial activity and clear ‘rules of the game’.
We welcome applications that engage with:
- Astronomy protection priorities: Identifying observing-critical sites and conditions (radio quiet, darkness, stable regolith, low contamination).
- Regulation and coordination: Practical frameworks for spectrum use, landing/operations coordination, exclusion or safety zones, interference management, and information sharing.
- Commercial responsibility: Mitigation strategies and operational best practice that support both scientific access and viable business models.
- Monitoring and compliance: Measurement approaches, thresholds, transparency, and accountability mechanisms that can be implemented in practice.
How do we make progress in science? Metascience and community [SciProgress]
Organizers: Sara L. Uckelman, Dave Alexander, Ulrike Kuchner
How do scientific communities make progress? In astronomy, progress is often associated with new facilities, larger datasets, and more computing power. Yet advances also depend on less visible factors: how communities are organised, working conditions, and environments that enable serendipity, creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration. Ultimately, research is done by people.
Surveys of researchers have shown that unsupportive research environments stifle creativity and hinder progress. This recognition is reflected sector-wide through the rebranding of Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2028/29, which introduces Strategy, People and Research Environment, explicitly placing people at the centre of progress and increasing its weighting to 20%.
Building on our popular interdisciplinary session at NAM 2025, these sessions brings together astronomers, philosophers, artists, and Science and Technology Studies scholars to explore how progress in astronomy is shaped not only by data and technology, but by research environments, community structures, and emerging tools. We will examine how progress is recognised and assessed, how environments enable or constrain innovation, and how AI reshapes epistemic practices and community dynamics.
Session 1 will combine short provocations with a facilitated, participatory discussion mapped live to capture connections across perspectives. Session 2 will be a collective analysis to identify patterns, tensions, and directions for future work.
Engaging with underrepresented audiences in astronomy [UnderRep]
Organizers: Adam Boal, Lucinda Offer, Robert Massey
This session explores some of the different challenges facing people working on outreach, education and public engagement programmes trying to engage underrepresented audiences in astronomy.
Astronomy and geophysics face key challenges in engaging broader groups in the subjects. There are major challenges to improve inclusion and diversify gender, ethnicity and economic backgrounds of those coming into the subjects. These challenges are observed from primary school STEM engagement through to professional careers in the field. The 2023 Survey of the Demographics and Research Interests of the UK Astronomy and Geophysics Communities noted that women made up around 27% of lecturers in both astronomy and physics as a whole, and just 4% of British academic staff were from minority ethnic groups. If we want to address these disparities we need to ensure that we improve how underrepresented groups are engaged at each stage along the way.
In this session we examine case studies of work with different underrepresented groups, what lessons we can take from them and how we face the biggest challenges faced in doing so.
Followed by a panel discussion between presenters on top tips for developing and delivering for these audiences and an open discussion between attendees on their experiences, ambitions and how we can support and help each other to better reach and work with underrepresented audiences in astronomy.
The session seeks to include invited and contributed talks.
Engaging with Industry [EngInd]
To register a talk for this session, exhibitors must select this option through the registration form found in the exhibitor section of the website.
Organizers: Lily Beesley, Gruffudd Jones, Leah-Nani Alconcel
A session to facilitate interaction between the latest developments of industry and the demands of the astronomical community for the on-going and future projects. All companies participating in the exhibition will be offered a slot to present their company and their developments, followed by a discussion between industry and scientists.
Facility (for facility-based research that does not fall into a single science category) [FAC]
Early science from the Rubin LSST [EarlyRubin]
Organizers: Graham Smith, Bob Mann on behalf of the LSST Consortium
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will be a major pillar of the UK astronomy programme for the next two decades. Its unprecedented combination of spatial, spectral and temporal coverage enable it to probe a broad range of astrophysical phenomena, across all areas of astronomy, from near-Earth asteroids to the farthest quasars.
2026 will be a crucial year for the LSST, with the start of the 10-year survey itself, and, around the time of NAM2026, the release of Data Preview 2, which will provide the community with its first LSSTCam data, taken during the Science Validation surveys.
Following the successful pattern from recent NAMs, we propose a set of parallel sessions that will combine:
- ·Status reports from Rubin Observatory, LSST:UK and the international LSST Science Collaborations
- Tutorials covering how to access and manipulate Rubin data
- ·Updates on UK contributions to Rubin operations and LSST science planning
- ·Contributed talks covering first results from, and further plans for, early LSST science
We will prioritise Early Career Researchers in awarding contributed talk slots and note that the LSST:UK Junior Associates Network plans to hold a complementary lunch-time session during NAM2026.
Revealing the Milky Way with Gaia: Recent advances and preparing for the full nominal mission release Gaia DR4 [GaiaMW]
Organizers: Nicholas Walton, Vasily Belokurov, Malcolm Bremer, Cathie Clarke, Alis Deason, Victor Debattista, Denis Erkal, Andreea Font, Oscar Gonzalez, Nigel Hambly, Daisuke Kawata, John Magorrian, Jason Sanders, Vicky Scowcroft
The ESA Gaia mission is creating a 3-D map of over two billion stars in our Milky Way. Gaia Data Release 3 (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/data-release-3) was in 2022, the focussed product release in 2023 and the next major fourth data release, the first to include full epoch astrometry from over 2 billion sources, scheduled in Dec 2026. Our session will update on the Gaia mission status and preview the Gaia DR4 catalogue contents including scientific quality estimates.
Two blocks are requested. The first will include presentations covering Gaia status, Gaia data contents, Gaia data access, and use of VO tools such as TOPCAT. The significant new range of data products and services in Gaia DR4 will be discussed, along with UK developed enhanced data mining tools ready to support Gaia DR4.
The block will then allow presentations highlighting recent breakthrough science from Gaia. This will include topics such as discovery of binary black holes, the relics of the proto-Galaxy, the corrugation and ‘breathing’ of the Galactic disc, the impact of the Galactic bar on both the disc and halo stars, homogeneous characterisation of the exoplanet host stars, age-dependence of the exoplanet properties in the young star clusters, to name a few.
The second block will include space for community science from the recent Gaia data releases. We will invite contributed presentations, particularly those from early stage researchers based on Gaia DR3, covering all Gaia science.
Early Career Researchers in Radio Astronomy and the SKAO [SKAO]
Organizers: Fraser Cowie, Dave Williams-Baldwin, Johannes Allotey, Phillip Black, Yuzuh Sun, James McGarry, the SKAO UK ECR committee
The field of radio astronomy will soon be revolutionised by the arrival of the Square Kilometre Array telescopes. The first images have been made with SKA-Low, several SKA-Mid dishes are in place and undergoing commissioning, and community involvement with science verification will begin as soon as the first half of 2027. The time is now to look at the future of radio astronomy and the varied scientific opportunities fast approaching for the UK community.
The goal of this session is to showcase the work of early career researchers (ECRs) conducted with SKA precursor and pathfinder instruments, such as e-MERLIN, MeerKAT and LOFAR, and to provide a forum for discussion and connection over plans for future science with the SKA Observatory (SKAO). The UK ECR community is vital to the future of UK involvement in SKAO as it is current ECRs who will be the majority users of the telescopes when full operation begins in the early 2030s. Therefore, displaying and celebrating the range of exciting science being conducted by ECRs using precursor instruments to the SKA is vital. The session will be organised and led by members of the SKAO UK ECR committee, and will build on the success of equivalent sessions we ran at NAM2023 and NAM2024.
Galactic Ecosystems and GaiaNIR:UK: status and science opportunity for the Voyage 2050 Large Mission [GaiaVoyage]
Organizers: Nicholas Walton, Vasily Belokurov, Malcolm Bremer, Cathie Clarke, Alis Deason, Victor Debattista, Denis Erkal, Andreea Font, Oscar Gonzalez, Nigel Hambly, Daisuke Kawata, John Magorrian, Jason Sanders, Vicky Scowcroft
The Galactic Ecosystems theme is a candidate science topic for the ESA Voyage 2050 Large 5 launch slot. GaiaNIR is proposed, based on the heritage of the Gaia mission, with the notable difference that the detectors would give coverage reaching into near infra-red wavelengths. This enables observations of stars in our Milky Way (MW) in regions of high extinction, the parts of our Galaxy hidden to Gaia, in particular the Galactic centre and inner disk regions, to be observed. The session will update on the GaiaNIR activities in the UK and give space for community engagement and alignment toward the GaiaNIR science case. We will present the current iteration of the GaiaNIR science case, and how the design envisages the detection of some 75 billion sources, allowing e.g. a comprehensive census of the inner regions of the MW. GaiaNIR, in synergy with HWO, will also enable a complete study of the environments and exoplanet architectures (characterising stars and detecting massive numbers of gas giants beyond the snow line) of star systems with habitable worlds.
An update will be given on consortium building, including the plans for the GaiaNIR:UK workshop later in 2026. We will provide the status of the detector study now underway in the UK, demonstrating the use of novel detectors that can operate in a Gaia like (‘TDI’) mode. Use of these would de-risk the GaiaNIR design, and enable a full suite of instrumentation (e.g. astrometry, (spectro)-photometry and spectroscopy).
Galaxies and star formation [GAL]
Forging stars and galaxies in the first billion years [ForgingStars]
Organizers: William McClymont, Callum Witten, Anastasia Fialkov, Stephen Wilkins, Lola Danhaive
Star formation in the first billion years of cosmic history occurs in environments vastly different from the local Universe, being characterised by pristine or low-metallicity gas, extremely high densities, and intense radiation fields. Understanding the physical mechanisms that regulate star formation in this epoch is critical, yet it remains one of the largest uncertainties in modelling galaxy assembly and the Epoch of Reionization.
The launch of JWST revolutionised this field, and observations now suggest that early galaxy formation may be governed by physical conditions distinct from the local Universe, dominated by stochastic and clustered star formation. Unravelling this small-scale physics enables us to understand how local processes drive global phenomena such as metal enrichment and reionization. This session aims to bring together communities to discuss star formation in the first billion years. We invite contributions utilising data from JWST, ALMA, Euclid, other major facilities, and cosmological simulations, alongside high-redshift limits on the 21-cm signal from the SKA precursors and pathfinders.
The goal of this session is to foster a broad discussion, focusing on:
- The stochastic and clustered nature of high-redshift star formation
- The first stars and variations in the initial mass function
- The relationship between high-redshift star formation and chemical enrichment
- The role of high-redshift star-formation as the driver of reionization
Galaxy chemistries across cosmic time: a key window into the evolution of galaxies from observations and modelling [GalChem]
Organizers: Nicholas Boardman, Kai Wang, Xihan Ji, Martin P. Rey, Robert Yates, Sophia Flury, Laura Sánchez-Menguiano, Karla Z. Arellano-Córdova, Dirk Scholte, Sophie Koudmani, Marcin Głowacki, Chiaki Kobayashi, Alex J. Richings, Yuki Isobe, Harley Katz
Stellar and gaseous chemical abundances are direct observable products of galaxy evolution. Galaxy populations show scaling relations between chemical abundances and properties such as stellar or gas mass, star-formation rate and size. Such relations let us test our understanding of galaxies by comparing to physical models. Chemical abundance observations have shown a diverse picture at low redshifts, with JWST revealing intriguing departures from low-redshift relations, and instruments such as MOONS and PFS will soon yield unprecedented insight into galaxy chemistries at cosmic noon. Simultaneously, increasingly detailed chemical modelling and larger volumes in simulations (e.g. COLIBRE, KIARA) and semi-analytic models (e.g. L-GALAXIES, GALFORM) are needed to probe the underlying physical drivers.
Many open issues remain. For instance: how well can we constrain chemical abundances at different redshifts, and how do we discern the best methods for this? Which scaling relations are truly fundamental, and what are the underlying physical drivers? How well do current models explain galaxy chemistries across cosmic time, on global and local scales, and how can we best compare models to observations?
This session will bring observers and modellers together, to probe galaxy chemical abundances from nearby galaxies to the distant Universe. Through talks and a panel discussion, we will establish what these communities need from each other to further advance this active field.
Galaxy evolution across environments: connecting observations and simulations [GalEvol]
Organizers: Stephane Werner, Mathilde Jauzac, David Lagattuta
Galaxy evolution is shaped by the environment galaxies reside in. Models predict that galaxies follow distinct evolutionary pathways depending on whether they are isolated or embedded in groups, clusters, filaments, or voids. Observationally, however, environmental trends are sensitive to how “environment” is defined and to practical limitations such as data depth, resolution, sensitivity, and selection effects.
This session aims to connect theoretical predictions to observational measurements with the goal of assessing how the environment influences galaxy formation and evolution. By bringing together observers and numerical simulation experts, we will focus on several questions: (i) To what extent do simulations and observations converge on the environmental drivers of galaxy evolution? (ii) How should filaments and voids be defined to remain physically meaningful and observationally robust? (iii) What have recent studies revealed about galaxy evolution at high redshifts? (iv) Do interactions between dark matter and baryons drive evolutionary effects? And is this behaviour similar at all redshifts? (v) How are the current and upcoming facilities (such as JWST, Euclid, Rubin/LSST and DESI) supporting the advancement of our understanding of environmental effects across cosmic time?
Understanding HII Regions and Star Clusters as building blocks of galaxy evolution [HIIReg]
Organizers: Souradeep Bhattacharya, Jess Doppel, Karla Z. Arellano Cordova, Jan Forbrich, Marc Sarzi, Joaquin Sureda, Ethan Taylor
Our understanding of galaxy evolution across cosmic time has been
revolutionised by the advent of a new generation of multi-object spectrographs. Thus, a unified approach is required to bridge the gap between global, galaxy-level properties and resolved physics with two near-ubiquitous building blocks: HII regions and massive star clusters.
“Integrated” emission-line spectra of any star-forming galaxy
(SFG), observed out to z > 8, reveals their youngest stellar populations,
with derived elemental abundances reflecting their constituent HII regions. Yet HII regions (whether individual or in complexes) in observed SFGs out to ~30 Mpc reveal complicated metallicity distributions at galactic scales. When resolved in the Milky Way, HII regions show considerable complexity in temperature, density, and abundance distributions. How can the resolved physics of nearby HII regions translate to integrated SFG spectra across
redshift?
Similarly, star clusters are important tracers of old stellar populations and dark matter haloes but computationally modelling them in a cosmological setting is a challenging multiscale problem. Large-scale
cosmological simulations provide statistics but rely on the subgrid modelling of star cluster formation and evolution. Zoom-in or idealised techniques reach the resolution necessary to detail the small-scale physics of star cluster formation within their host at the expense of the larger-scale context. Without a standard, multi-scale methodology, our interpretation of star clusters in the context of galaxy formation is limited.
Our goal is to develop a unified multi-scale framework connecting
resolved observations and simulations of H II regions and star clusters to the integrated properties of galaxies across cosmic time, considering both observations & simulations.
High-energy and transient phenomena [HE]
Accretion and Outflows Across the Spectrum [AccrOutflo]
Organizers: Amy Knight, Noel Castro Segura, Clara Lilje, Charlotte Bridgett, Alistair Pagan, Anwesha Sahu
Accretion and outflows are ubiquitous throughout the universe and play a crucial part in the evolution of astrophysical systems across all size scales. These processes often occur in binary systems, where one component is a compact object, such as a white dwarf, neutron star, or stellar-mass black hole. The intense gravitational pull of a compact object draws material from its binary companion, resulting in dynamic and bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. Despite the diversity among accreting systems, the accretion and outflow processes themselves are scale-invariant. Therefore, the consequences of accretion and outflows in binaries are widespread and vital when investigating energetic transients, compact binary evolution and gravitational regimes. However, accretion-induced phenomena can appear differently across the mass scales. As such, assembling the accretion and outflows communities at NAM is essential to explore the connections and analogies between different classes of accreting systems, which is particularly valuable in the lead up to forthcoming missions like NewAthena. To this end, we will bring together astronomers studying a broad range of topics within the context of accretion and outflows in binary systems in the following four session blocks.
- Jets, Disc Winds and Outflows
- Spectral and Timing Properties (e.g. QPOs, Bursts, LPTs, AMXPs)
- Sub- vs Super- Eddington Accretion Processes
- Compact Binary Evolution and Population Synthesis
AGN UK Community Meeting [AGNUK]
Organizers: Beatriz Mingo, Martin Bourne, Sophie Koudmani, Carolin Villforth
Research on active galactic nuclei (AGN) covers a wide range of perspectives and approaches. From observations to modelling and simulations, from small to large time and spatial scales, from radiative (radio-quiet) to kinetic (jetted/radio-loud) output, all are needed to understand these objects, their multi-scale nature, and their role on galaxy and cluster evolution over cosmic time.
Unfortunately, the research community is often also divided along these categories. Lack of communication across sub-fields can hinder our progress. We are leading a new community (AGN UK, or AUK) which aims to include everyone in the UK working on these sources, with the following goals:
- ·Raising awareness of current AGN work in the UK
- ·Bridging sub-field gaps
- ·Promoting the work of ECRs
- ·Strengthening collaboration and cross-pollination within the community
- Improving science outcomes and impact
We are building new platforms to help our community thrive, including regular meetings (winter and summer), a dedicated Slack server, a website, and an online seminar series.
This session follows our highly successful winter meeting (15/12), with nearly 120 participants from all over the UK. We will focus on collaboration and building science together, and feature:
- AGN science results and resources of broad interest to the community
- ·Projects seeking collaborators
- A community discussion
Join us to broaden your horizons, know what other AGN-ers are working on, and make some useful contacts!
Observational and theoretical developments in Gamma-ray Bursts with new and up-coming facilities [GRB]
Organizers: Isabelle Worssam, Samantha Oates, Gavin Lamb, Dimple, David O'Neill, Makenzie Wortley, Barnaby Spooner
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the brightest events in the Universe, driven by the collapse of massive stars (long GRBs) or the merger of compact objects (short GRBs). Observed to at least z~9.4, long GRBs allow the study of early star formation and metal enrichment of their hosts out to the reionization era, acting as cosmological probes of the distant Universe. In the nearby Universe, short GRBs associated with kilonovae enable studies of heavy element nucleosynthesis up to z~2. Long GRBs associated with kilonovae have disrupted the long accepted assumption that observed bimodality of the data corresponds to the two classes of progenitors. This new long-merger class presents a promising discovery space, especially where mergers can be detectable GW sources such as GRB170817A: the first multi-messenger event (GW, GRB, kilonova), helping constrain compact-object merger rates and mass ratio diversities. Recently launched broad X-ray bandpass detectors such as SVOM and EP now offer wider and lower-energy coverage opening a new, largely unexplored parameter space ideal for high-z and X-ray-rich bursts and may reveal a new population that unifies long and short merger GRBs. This session will highlight new observational discoveries using groundbreaking facilities (e.g. JWST, SVOM, EP); advances in theoretical modelling; the multi-messenger potential of GRBs, whose relativistic jets are ideal astro-particle laboratories; associated transients; and their local environment impact.
Gravitational-Wave Astronomy: A Decade of Discovery [GWDecade]
Organizers: Bence Becsy, Alberto Vecchio, Hannah Middleton, Christian Chapman-Bird, Christopher Whittall, Debnandini Mukherjee, Alastair Palmer, Christopher Berry, Gregory Ashton, Giles Hammond, Charlie Hoy, Johannes Eichholz, Mariana Fazio
The 10 years since the first direct observation of gravitational waves have transformed astronomy, with the UK community contributing decisively across detector science, data analysis and astrophysical interpretation. In the next decade, we expect to observe gravitational waves extending from nanohertz to kilohertz frequencies, unlocking crucial insights in diverse areas of astrophysics, fundamental physics and cosmology. This session will explore the full breadth of gravitational-wave science, spanning advances in instrumentation, theory and interpretation.
Progress in quantum-enhanced interferometry, seismic isolation, suspensions, coatings, and laser systems is boosting the capabilities of current facilities and prepares us for the next generation of detectors. As our detectors get more sensitive, we require improved waveform modelling to ensure accurate extraction of source properties. NAM2026 is an opportune time to discuss the latest discoveries with a new catalogue from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration expected before the meeting as well as preliminary analysis of the latest International Pulsar Timing Array dataset. We will also discuss future breakthroughs anticipated from future facilities both on the ground and in space, including the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. Together these facilities open new windows on stellar-mass and massive black holes, enable multi-messenger studies, and provide measurements of the expansion of the Universe.
Amplifying Astrophysics and Cosmology with Strongly Lensed Transients [LensedTrans]
Organizers: Peter Massey, Suhail Dhawan, Graham Smith, Hannah Turner, Erin Hayes, David O’Neill, Barnaby Spooner, Andrés Ponte Pérez, Dimple, Dan Ryczanowski, Alice Townsend
Gravitationally lensed transients represent one of the most exciting frontiers in modern astrophysics and cosmology. As we approach first light for Rubin LSST and the full operations of Euclid and Roman, we stand on the precipice of a discovery deluge. These explosive events are precision tools capable of measuring the Hubble Constant, the value of which is hotly contested, and probing the extreme physics of supernovae, kilonovae, TDEs (tidal disruption events) and GRBs (gamma-ray bursts) in novel regimes opened up by gravitational lensing.
To fully realise the potential of this data, we must overcome hurdles in rapid classification, confirmation and complex modelling. The intersection of time-domain astronomy and gravitational lensing requires a synergy of techniques, from cutting-edge AI and machine learning detection algorithms, to coordinated multi-wavelength and multi-messenger follow-up.
This session will bring together the transient and lensing communities to showcase recent results and prepare for the coming survey era. We encourage contributions focusing on, but not limited to, cosmography, astrophysics and methodology, and we hope to foster collaboration and discussion of future projects.
First results from the next generation of transient surveys [NGTransSurv]
Organizers: Peter Clark, Chris Frohmaier, Phil Wiseman, Samantha Oates, Miika Pursiainen, Brodie Popovic, Charlotte Angus, Georgios Dimitriadis, Edward Charlton, Erin Hayes, Nikolaos Shiamtanis, Lauren Eastman, Matthew Quilt
The first half of 2026 will see numerous surveys obtain their first light data and enter routine scientific observations. Including both the epoch defining photometric Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the spectroscopic Time-Domain Extragalactic Survey (TiDES) using the 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST).
These along with smaller, high cadence facilities (e.g., LS4, BlackGEM, GOTO), will provide an unprecedented number of transient detections and classifications enabling both the largest samples of known transient classes to be collected and for the discovery and observation of rare and unique events.
This session aims to highlight the first results and discoveries from this new generation of survey across extragalactic transient astronomy ranging from supernovae, nuclear transients, kilonovae and newly observed phenomena as we enter a golden age in time domain observations.
The Origin and Growth of Supermassive Black Holes [SMB]
Organizers: Jiachen Jiang, Martin Bourne, Claire Greenwell, Adam Ingram, Lucy Ivey, Dominic Walton, Andrew Young
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are fundamental to our Universe yet remain major open questions in astrophysics, from their early “seed” stages in the high-redshift Universe to their growth through accretion and mergers.
This session will focus on the physics of accretion and strong gravity in SMBHs, as well as their origins and evolution. We welcome theoretical and observational contributions addressing the roles of accretion and mergers in driving SMBH growth. The scope includes multi-wavelength electromagnetic studies of accretion and the emerging frontier of gravitational-wave observations that probe SMBH binary mergers.
The session will include, but is not limited to, the following themes:
1. Accretion disc physics in supermassive black holes (Disc structure, variability, radiative processes, spectral–timing diagnostics)
2. Strong-gravity physics and relativistic effects (Relativistic spectroscopy, reverberation mapping, black hole spin and mass measurements, tests of General Relativity)
3. Multi-messenger insights into SMBH physics (Electromagnetic observations of accretion and mergers; gravitational wave signatures and predictions for SMBH mergers)
4. Supermassive black hole origins and seeds (High-redshift quasars, direct-collapse candidates, early black hole formation pathways)
5. Supermassive black hole growth and cosmic evolution (Accretion versus mergers, population demographics)
Tidal disruption events: from stellar disruption to accretion [TDE]
Organizers: Simona Pacuraru, Grace Barrington, Markos Polkas, Clément Bonnerot
Tidal disruption events provide a unique probe of low-mass and otherwise quiescent massive black holes, which are key to constrain how these gargantuan bodies formed in the early Universe. The observed light curves and spectra from these phenomena exhibit a rich phenomenology, which largely remains to be theoretically understood. From next year Rubin/LSST will detect thousands of these events, increasing the current detection sample by two orders of magnitude.
Given this unprecedented observational richness, there is an urgent need for a robust characterization of the different physical stages of tidal disruption events, including stellar disruption, stream intersection, debris circularization, and accretion, and how they connect to the observed emission. For this purpose, a wide range of approaches have been employed that recently improved the theoretical understanding of several key physical processes underlying these phenomena. However, major open problems still remain, particularly regarding the physical origin of the early-time optical/UV emission.
This session invites contributions from both theorists and observers, whose work links physical processes of tidal disruption events to their observable signatures. We believe that this initiative can represent an important step towards a theoretical consensus in this rapidly-evolving field, allowing for an optimal interpretation of the upcoming wealth of data.
Transients as Probes of Host Galaxy Environments [TransProbes]
Organizers: Nichola Charlton, Sean McGee, Paige Ramsden, Luke Williams
Extragalactic transients encompass fast, energetic phenomena observed across the electromagnetic spectrum and through gravitational waves, including tidal disruption events, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts. The study of these events and their connection to galaxy environments has entered an unparalleled era with the advent of new, high-quality observational facilities. In particular, LSST is predicted to discover more than 100,000 transient events each night. Interpreting this vast amount of data will increasingly depend on an understanding of how different transients prefer environments with certain characteristics. Such connections are central not only to the identification and classification of transients but also to uncovering their underlying physics and galaxy evolution. By tracing extreme or short-lived processes, transients act as signposts of otherwise hidden phases of galaxy evolution, offering insight into both the mechanisms driving the events and environments in which they occur.
By bringing together perspectives from across the transient community to share recent observational and theoretical advances, this session aims to clarify how transients can be used as powerful diagnostics of galaxy environments. We invite contributions on a broad range of transient phenomena, with a focus on how transient properties, demographics, and rates depend on host galaxy characteristics such as stellar age, star formation history, metallicity, and local environment.
From horizon to galaxy and beyond: the role of jets, winds and outflows in AGN [WindsAGN]
Organizers: Vicky Fawcett, Martin Bourne Nicholas Choustikov, Sophia Flury, Lucy Ivey, Charlotte Jackson, Jiachen Jiang, James Matthews, Beatriz Mingo, Robert Pascalau
AGN can influence their host galaxies across multiple scales and via multiple feedback mechanisms, including winds, jets, and direct radiation pressure. These mechanisms can all drive powerful outflows capable of removing gas and suppressing star formation in the host, making them important to understand. However, the multi-phase, multi-scale nature of outflows – and the complex underlying connection to the accretion disc – makes them difficult to study. Without a coherent picture of how these outflows impact their environments, we miss a crucial driver of galaxy evolution.
Facilities such as ALMA, JWST, and LOFAR have revolutionised observations of AGN-driven outflows, complemented by spectroscopic (SDSS, DESI) and radio surveys (LoTSS, VLASS) to probe the impact on galaxies. Interpreting observations increasingly relies on numerical simulations, which are rapidly evolving to include new physics modules and increased dynamic range, to better model radiation, jets, and winds. Upcoming surveys will advance our understanding through high-resolution radio studies (e.g. SKA) and higher redshift spectroscopic samples (e.g. MOONS), enabling direct tests of the latest physical models.
This session will bring together observers and theorists to assess the status of the field, identify key questions, and determine how upcoming facilities and next-generation simulations can jointly constrain the physics of AGN feedback and the connection between jets, winds, and the accretion disc.
Instrumentation [INST]
The Future of Exoplanet Detection [FutureExo]
Organizers: Aurélie Magniez, Deborah Malone, Radhika Dharmadhikari
Scientific interest in the search for exoplanets has reached a new level with the development of innovative technologies that promise to reveal undiscovered planetary systems. The current instruments, which use techniques such as radial velocity, direct imaging or transit, have enhanced our comprehension of exoplanets. However, their capabilities are constrained to observing only a limited number of planetary systems. To overcome these constraints, researchers are developing innovative technologies and methods in spectroscopy, adaptive optics, interferometry and other areas with the aim of improving performance. Consequently, innovative projects such as the PLATO space mission and the Planetary Camera Spectrograph (PCS) on the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) are being developed to observe a wider range of exoplanets in greater detail. These instruments will facilitate the identification of smaller, Earth-like planets and provide deeper insights into their atmospheres and potential habitability. This session will present the latest advances in exoplanet instrumentation, emphasise significant forthcoming missions, and examine how these developments will enhance our capacity to detect and characterise exoplanets, unlocking new avenues for understanding planetary systems.
Ground-based Telescopes: Instrumentation and Future Science Missions [GroundMissions]
Organizers: Deborah Malone, Aurélie Magniez, Radhika Dharmadhikari
Ground-based telescopes remain at the forefront of astronomical discovery, spanning a diverse range of facilities from 1-meter class observatories to the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). These platforms enable transformative science across multiple domains, including exoplanet characterisation, galaxy evolution, and time-domain astronomy. Advanced in instrumentation, such as adaptive optics, high-resolution spectrographs, and wide-field imaging systems, continue to push the boundaries of observational capability.
This session will provide a forum for researchers and engineers to present developments in telescope design, instrumentation, and operational strategies, as well as to highlight upcoming science missions enabled by these facilities. The talks will cover the technological innovations driving performance improvements, collaborative efforts across international consortia, and the scientific opportunities that ground-based observatories will provide in the coming years.
Habitable Worlds Observatory [HabWorlds]
Organizers: Richard Massey, Jo Barstow, Martin Barstow, Beth Biller, Jess Doppel, James Nightingale, Amaury Triaud, Vincent Van Eylen, Georgios Vassilakis, Hannah Wakeford
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), set to launch in the late 2030s, will be a true UV-optical-IR successor to Hubble. It will search for extrasolar planets and chemical biosignatures of potential life beyond Earth, as well as transforming broad areas of astrophysics.
NASA are currently designing the architecture of this next flagship mission, but seek international partners in scientific leadership and hardware contributions. UK researchers have written several of the science proposals that are driving the mission design, and UKSA has funded feasibility studies of instrument designs that will eventually constitute a major instrument contribution from the UK. Now is therefore the critical time to explore how to maximize the UK’s involvement, and to ensure the widest possible participation of researchers from the UK community.
This session will serve as a forum for UK researchers to present science projects for HWO that would exploit its capabilities, discuss engagement strategies, and identify key areas where the UK can make a significant contribution. Topics will include exoplanets, stars, cosmology, extragalactic physics, and how HWO can complement other space missions and UK contributions to ground-based observatories. We also encourage contributions around underpinning theoretical and data processing/analysis requirements.
Future Missions and Facilities [NewMissions]
Organizers: Giulio Del Zanna, David Clements, Chris Pearson
Astronomy and space physics cannot be conducted without appropriate facilities or a critical mass of trained researchers to use them. This session will examine the current state and future of the missions, facilities and training essential to the continued health of astrophysics and space physics, including lab facilities as well as space missions and ground-based observatories. Ground based facilities are dominated by plans at ESO for E-ELT and beyond, and SKA in the radio, while space projects for the 2030s and beyond are taking shape thanks to the UKSA Space Frontiers 2035 review, ESA M8, F3 and mini-F calls, the selected L class missions, and bilateral programmes with NASA, JAXA and others. Other opportunities, and possibly threats, may arise through ’New Space’ ventures. We will also discuss the lab facilities necessary for interpreting the results from these projects, and the training and staffing necessary for the UK to obtain the full scientific benefit of its investment in facilities in space and elsewhere.
Instrumentation and Techniques in Space Situational Awareness [SpaceAware]
Organizers: Lily Beesley, Phineas Whitlock, James Blake, Leah-Nani Alconcel, Gruffudd Jones, James Osborn
Space situational awareness (SSA), the ability to detect, track, and characterise resident space objects (RSOs), is critical to protecting Earth's orbital environment and ensuring continued access to space. With orbital populations exceeding 49,000 trackable objects, preventing further debris generation through early detection of spacecraft failures and continuous monitoring of both cooperative and non-cooperative objects has become essential.
With the projected increase in RSOs, existing sensor networks and processing pipelines are at threat of being overwhelmed. Current solutions are either underdeveloped, fragmented across academic research groups, or held by industry and government entities which are inaccessible to the broader community. Key challenges include detecting small/dim objects, daytime optical observations, regular population modelling, and maintaining orbital accuracy from limited datasets. Addressing these challenges will require advances in both instrumentation and data processing, including techniques and methodologies refined from astronomy.
This session aims to bring together academics across the UK to discuss recent advances and challenges in SSA. We welcome abstracts on (1) instrumentation and techniques for RSO detection and tracking, (2) RSO characterisation methods including size estimation, attitude determination and anomaly detection, and (3) orbit determination techniques and orbit accuracy improvement.
UK astronomy at the La Palma observatory: a new generation of facilities and instruments [UKLaPalma]
Organizers: Chris Copperwheat, Mark Magee, Conor Omand, Daniel Smith, Nick Wright
The Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos has grown to become the most important Northern hemisphere site for European ground based astronomy. Large UK-owned facilities such as the WHT are now accompanied by many smaller projects like GOTO, and the UK community also exploits many of the other facilities at the observatory via transnational access programmes and visiting instrumentation.
The capabilities of the UK facilities continue to evolve, providing exciting new opportunities for observers. WEAVE on the WHT is now taking science data, and will conduct surveys covering stellar evolution, Milky Way science, galaxy evolution and cosmology. HARPS-3 will soon be commissioned on the INT to conduct a 10-year search for Earth sized planets around Sun-like stars. Both of these instruments have a significant fraction of time (30-40%) available for PI programmes that are queue schedulable alongside the surveys. The Liverpool Telescope has recently added new instrumentation including an upgraded infrared imaging capability, and new projects like the Digital Telescope prototype are in the early stages of planning and construction.
This session will bring together the teams behind the new generation of instruments and facilities on La Palma with the observers who will exploit them in the decade to come. We will aim to identify synergies, capability gaps which could inspire future development, and opportunities for UK observers to better exploit transnational access programmes.
Professional [PROF]
Supporting the future of astronomical research: the critical need for long-term funding of essential coordination and infrastructure roles [FutFunding]
Organizers: Francesca De Angeli, Thomas Hajnik, Dominic Ford, Mark Booth, Shoko Jin, Ulrike Kuchner, Gavin Dalton, Nicholas Walton, Janet Drew
In this special session we want to highlight the growing role of large, complex, and highly collaborative international astronomy projects, survey and consortia, and the resulting need for sustained coordination, integration, management, and technical expertise that cannot be provided by ESO/ESA or national laboratories (e.g. UKATC) alone. In this context, the session will address the persistent shortage of funding for non-research roles and the poor recognition in the academic environment for these essential figures. In the current situation, it is becoming more and more difficult to attract and retain skilled personnel, causing significant problems for large-scale projects often leading to delays and increased cost. The main goal of this session is to initiate a discussion and develop an action plan to establish long-term funding pathways for these positions in the European astronomical community, within which the UK plays a significant role.
This session invites contributions from individuals who have successfully secured funding and/or have facilitated career progression and recognition for non-research positions. We encourage participants to share their experience and resources and by doing so, spark meaningful conversations and help build a more supportive community.
RAS Early-Career Network - Jobs in Astronomy and Geophysics [RASECN]
This careers panel is organised by the Early Career Network (ECN) of the RAS. We do not seek abstract submissions for this session but you are welcome to get in touch with the ECN with recommendations for panellists.
Organizers: Vishnu Varma, Ruth Kelly, Matthew Temple, Jack Reid, Nahid Chowdhury
The RAS Early-Career Network Steering Group will organise a skills session featuring talks aimed at early-career researchers who are considering careers in astronomy and geophysics. The presentations will cover topics such as how to apply for postdocs, how to apply for fellowships (in the UK and abroad), and how to apply for faculty positions.
There will be time for questions to all speakers, and presenters will also be invited to join the early-career networking lunch to follow (we have proposed a separate lunch session).
This careers panel is organised by the Early Career Network (ECN) of the RAS. We do not seek abstract submissions for this session but you are welcome to get in touch with the ECN with recommendations for panellists.
Solar [SOL]
Modern methods for the analysis of dynamical plasma processes in the solar atmosphere [DyPlasProc]
Organizers: Suzana de Souza e Almeida Silva, Lauren McClure, Viktor Fedun, Eamon Scullion, Kostas Tziotziou, Ivan Milic
The solar atmosphere displays complex plasma dynamics, manifesting itself in diverse phenomena such as jets, spicules, vortices, magnetic field reconnection, MHD wave excitation and propagation. The realistic models for the solar atmosphere dynamics are vital to understand the intricate interplay of magnetic fields and plasma flows, generating MHD waves, initiating plasma jets, inducing vortex motions and causing plasma instabilities. With the latest ground-, balloon- and space-based observatories (DKIST, SST, SUNRISE, PSP, Solar Orbiter), and advanced High-Performance Computing simulations, we are entering a new era of availability of unprecedented high-resolution data in various solar atmosphere layers and beyond. The remarkable quality of these datasets requires advanced analysis tools that can reliably extract important physical information. Our proposed session aims to explore current and near-future powerful data analysis tools, e.g. ML/AI, high-resolution numerical modelling, as well as methods from other scientific disciplines (e.g. engineering, image processing), that are still not widely used in solar physics. In this session, we will also explore the results obtained with the use of these methods and how newly proposed methodologies can be applied to study MHD wave propagation, small-scale photospheric magnetic fields and flows, coherent plasma structures, their dynamics and the energy transport between the lower and upper solar atmosphere layers.
Energetic Particle Acceleration in the Sun and the Heliosphere [EPASunHelio]
Organizers: Ross Pallister, Samuel Carter, Alexander William James
Activity at the Sun drives dynamics throughout the heliosphere, and energetic particles form a significant component of energy transfer from the Sun. This has implications for space weather and for ground based electronics. Ground based radio observations, along with recent missions such as Solar Orbiter (SolO) and Parker Solar Probe (PSP), have together offered new insight into the processes involved in particle acceleration, and continue to be valuable sources of data on particle propagation in the corona and heliosphere. Additionally the proposed Solar Particle Acceleration, Radiation and Kinetics (SPARK) mission aims to combine imaging and spectroscopy across EUV, X-ray and gamma ranges to constrain the properties of energetic particles and their source. Fostering collaboration between researchers from observational and theoretical backgrounds across many energy ranges is crucial for bringing together relevant expertise for future missions.
This session will aim to discuss both in-situ and remote sensing observations of these particles, including radio, EUV and x-ray instruments located throughout the heliosphere. The session will discuss how physical modelling plays a key part in the investigation of energetic particles, and can be refined and constrained by the observational results. The session invites speakers from observational and theoretical communities studying energetic particles in the corona and heliosphere to share their work and expertise.
Magnetic Connectivity and Coronal Waves: From Chromosphere to Solar Wind [MagCon]
Organizers: Simon Daley-Yates, Thomas Howson, Hemanthi Miriyala, Anmol Kumar
The solar corona is threaded with magnetohydrodynamic fluctuations propagating from the chromosphere to the heliosphere. Coronal wave phenomena, including EUV waves, Alfvénic fluctuations, shock fronts, and radio signatures, play roles in energy transport, particle acceleration, and solar-wind formation. Recent studies combining remote imaging and spectroscopy from SDO/AIA, IRIS, and Solar Orbiter (EUI, SPICE) with in-situ plasma and magnetic-field measurements from Parker Solar Probe (FIELDS, SWEAP) and Solar Orbiter (MAG, SWA), together with numerical modelling, have improved our ability to trace waves from the low corona into interplanetary space. Joint radio imaging from ground-based arrays such as LOFAR and spacecraft particle measurements show how shock-driven structures associated with coronal mass ejections accelerate energetic particles along open magnetic field lines, while detections of torsional Alfvénic motions using DKIST/Cryo-NIRSP support expectations for wave-mediated energy transport. Key challenges remain, including establishing robust magnetic connectivity between remote observations and in-situ sampling, quantifying wave evolution across the chromosphere–corona transition, and incorporating observational constraints into wave models. This session will bring together researchers working on remote sensing, in-situ measurements, and MHD modelling and connectivity frameworks to clarify the role of waves in heating the corona and establishing the solar-wind.
Magnetic reconnection, topology and non-ideal instabilities [MagRecon]
Organizers: Alexander Russell, James McLaughlin, Julia Stawarz, Johnathan Eastwood, Heli Hietala, David MacTaggart
Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important processes in solar, space and astrophysical plasmas. In a highly conducting plasma with large length scales, magnetic field connections between plasma elements are conserved, allowing the accumulation of magnetic energy over time. However, conservation of connectivity can break down in small volumes – this has global consequences, for example enabling rapid conversion of magnetic energy in solar flares, auroral substorms and astrophysical jets and disks.
This session aims to bring together researchers working on magnetic reconnection, magnetic topology and resistive and collisionless instabilities, from the solar, space and astrophysics communities. Cross-cutting scientific discussions will cover theory, simulations, remote observations and in-situ observations.
Some of the major topics we are interested in addressing this year are:
- Cross-scale coupling at fluid scales and between fluid and kinetic scales.
- Energetics of reconnection sites and the wider system.
- 3D topology and time-dependent reconnection.
- The role of reconnection in turbulence and instabilities.
- Applications to solar, space and astrophysical phenomena.
Advances in machine learning and data analysis methods for solar, solar wind, and space weather applications with an emphasis on physical insight from large and complex datasets [MLSolar]
Organizers: Harshita Gandhi, Huw Morgan
The rapid growth in data volume and complexity from solar observatories and heliospheric missions, together with the availability of multi-viewpoint and multi-wavelength observations, makes the development of advanced analysis and machine-learning techniques both timely and essential. New data analysis methods can greatly enhance the scientific return from historical and current datasets, while machine learning approaches are becoming increasingly common across the field, particularly in research leading to future operational space weather applications. Such methods often provide a bridge across diverse disciplines beyond physics and astronomy. This session provides a forum where new methods, or advances to existing methods including machine learning, can be presented, with an emphasis on methodology rather than solely on final results. Contributions may include, but are not limited to, inverse and reconstruction techniques such as inversion, tomography, and deconvolution; image-based approaches including feature detection and tracking, image processing, and spectropolarimetric analysis; time-series and event-based methods for automated detection, tracking, and prediction; and machine-learning frameworks designed for large, multi-instrument datasets. Presentations connecting methods to physical interpretation, uncertainty quantification, or operational space-weather applications are encouraged, including works in progress with preliminary results.
Next Generation Observations and Theory of Solar Eruptive Events [NGEruptive]
Organizers: Luke Majury, Foad Hanassi-Savari, Harry Greatorex, Graham Kerr, Christopher Osborne
Solar Eruptive Events, which comprise coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, and jets, are the most energetic transient phenomena in our solar system, with the largest events releasing over 10^32 erg of energy over the course of minutes. These events present both an opportunity to probe fundamental astrophysical processes at a scale not possible in other contexts, and a threat to our infrastructure and technology through their space weather impacts.
While our understanding of Solar Eruptive Events has benefited from recent and upcoming state-of-the-art observatories and models, numerous key questions remain unanswered. This session aims to foster combined research efforts into flare, CME and jet physics. We welcome abstracts that focus on:
- Observational analysis of flares and CMEs, including predictions and preparation for future instruments and missions (e.g. MUSE, Solar-C, EST)
- Modeling of all aspects solar flares and eruptions, but particularly how we can leverage the different modelling approaches (e.g. dimensionality, radiation transfer, fluid, PIC) to help develop the next generation of flare/CME models.
- Cross-disciplinary research that touches on how knowledge gained from solar eruptions helps understand other fields (e.g. stellar flares and eruptions, exoplanet habitability, space weather impacts, particle acceleration and other astrophysical plasma processes).
Organizers: Sean Elvidge, Oliver Allanson, Lucie Green, Mathew Owens, Mario Bisi, Andy Smith
This session highlights research that sits at the intersection of fundamental space science and real-world need. Space-weather phenomena trace a chain of coupled processes: from the solar dynamo through the photosphere, corona, and solar wind, into the magnetosphere–ionosphere–thermosphere system, and finally to effects measured at ground level.
We invite contributions that strengthen the scientific foundations required for improved space-weather prediction and mitigation, including work advancing Research-to-Operations (R2O) and Operations-to-Research (O2R) pathways. Submissions may be at: very/relatively early Application Readiness Levels (ARL) e.g. observations and data analysis, numerical experiments, early-stage models or basic theory; or anywhere towards later stages of development and higher ARL (e.g. large scale scientific models/forecasts) - provided the core motivation is to enhance understanding, modelling, or forecasting capability of Space Weather.
This session offers a forum for researchers developing the scientific insight that will ultimately underpin robust operational space-weather services.
Symphony of Waves and Plasma (SWAP): Insights into Solar Atmospheric Coupling in the High-Resolution Era [SWAP]
Organizers: Balveer Singh, Sargam Mulay, Georgios Chouliaras, Hidetaka Kuniyoshi, Hemanthi Miriyala, Samuel Skirvin, Peter Wyper, Richard Morton
One of the most enduring challenges in solar physics is understanding the transport of energy and mass through the Sun’s coupled atmospheric layers. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves provide powerful diagnostics of plasma and magnetic topology and, together with dynamic processes such as jets, flows, and magnetic reconnection, are thought to drive energy transfer, localized coronal heating, and solar wind acceleration. Recent high-resolution observations from SDO, Hinode, DKIST, IRIS, ALMA, ROSA, and Solar Orbiter reveal unprecedented details of magnetic oscillations, highlighting the complex interaction between waves and plasma motions.
Despite decades of research, key questions persist: How do waves interact with flows and magnetic structures? What mechanisms dominate wave excitation and energy dissipation? How do these processes scale from small events to global dynamics? Addressing these requires multi-wavelength observations integrated with advanced simulations that capture nonlinear, multi-scale behavior.
This session will provide a forum for researchers to share recent breakthroughs in observations, theory, and modelling and discuss future directions for MUSE and SOLAR-C. Ultimately, understanding these interconnected processes will advance our understanding of how waves and associated plasma processes drive the Sun’s outer atmosphere and influence the space environment, a goal central to modern solar and heliospheric physics.
UK Solar Physics Open Session [UKSolar]
Organizers: Malcolm Druett, Marianna Korsos, Karen Meyer, Alex Russell, Peter Wyper, Sargam Mulay, Samuel Skirvin, Lauren McClure
The activity of our nearest star, the Sun, drives variability throughout the heliosphere in numerous ways, influencing the Earth and other planets. As the only star whose physical processes can be resolved at or near their intrinsic spatial and temporal scales, the Sun serves as a unique and essential laboratory for plasma astrophysics.
This session welcomes contributions that advance our understanding of physical processes occurring from the solar interior to the outer atmosphere, using space- or ground-based observations, simulations, or theoretical approaches. We invite participation from all members of the community, across all career stages, including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
MIST Open Session [OpenMIST]
Organizers: TBD
“The Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Solar-Terrestrial community covers a wide range of scientific areas from fundamental space plasma physics to applied space weather analysis via environmental processes in the Sun-Earth system. The coupled solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere system encompasses a wide range of fundamental space plasma including interactions with the neutral species. For example in recent years there has been a growing recognition of the need to better understand the differences between local and large scale processes and the key role played by asymmetries in the magnetic field structures.
Over the years observations from ground and space-based platforms have provided different and complementary perspectives of processes ranging from ionospheric electrodynamics and currents systems to the variability of response in the magnetosphere due to solar wind driving and internal wave-particle interactions. This has been bolstered through the development of powerful models of processes and regions of the coupled system, such as ionosphere-thermosphere interactions and the dynamics of the radiation belts.
This session welcomes contributions from all MIST disciplines discussing the latest results and advances in our understanding of the physics of the Solar-Terrestrial system and related areas (e.g. magnetospheres of the outer planets or ionosphere of Mars)."
Stellar and planetary (including exoplanets) [STELL]
Binary stars: Current developments and preparing for future missions [BinStars]
Organizers: Ayush Moharana, Jenni French, Yasmin Davis, Jan Henneco, Koushik Sen, Axel Hahlin, Rhys Seeburger
The physics of binary stars has undergone revolutionary improvements in the last few decades. With 65% of stars born into multiple systems, understanding fundamental properties of these stars is crucial to several areas of astrophysics. Binary stars act as 'astronomical laboratories' allowing us to directly measure stellar parameters such as mass and radius to sub-percent precision, which is non-trivial for field stars.
There are a wide variety of stellar objects that can only be explained through binary evolution. Even with the recent advances in binary star models and observations, there are substantial gaps in our understanding of binary star physics. These gaps manifest throughout all mass ranges but are prominent on the high-mass and very low-mass ends, where complex binary interactions are not fully understood.
Recent large-scale space missions, including Kepler, TESS, and Gaia, have greatly increased the available data on binary stars. The forthcoming influx of data from LSST, Roman, 4MOST, and PLATO presents a timely opportunity to update our understanding of binary star systems.
We welcome contributions from both theoretical and observational binary star science, covering the wide range of topics that binary stars allow us to study including (but not limited to): stellar formation and evolution, dynamics, galactic stellar populations, compact object mergers, common envelope, binary exoplanets, and chemical evolution.
Atmospheres and interiors of exoplanets and brown dwarfs [ExoAtmInt]
Organizers: Vatsal Panwar, Mathilde Timmermans, Anjali Piette
Atmospheres and interiors of sub-stellar objects, ranging from small rocky exoplanets to gas giants and brown dwarfs, encode the outcomes of physical processes that govern their formation, evolution, and population demographics. Characterising the atmospheres and interiors of exoplanets and brown dwarfs is key for understanding their detailed physical nature. This session will invite contributions presenting recent observations of sub-stellar atmospheres through high-sensitivity spectroscopic and direct imaging instruments on ground- and space-based facilities including (but not limited to) JWST, VLT, and Gemini Observatory. These presentations will discuss a wide range of precise observational constraints obtained on the chemical composition, thermal structure, dynamics, cloud properties, and variability of exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres. The session will also include presentations on theoretical models for planet formation, interior thermal evolution, atmospheric loss and dynamics, and habitability, which are crucial for predicting and interpreting the observational constraints. The overarching vision of this session is to bring together common themes across the wide variety of work ongoing in the UK on characterization of sub-stellar atmospheres and interiors. The session will highlight the current state of the field and provide an opportunity to discuss the preparation for characterization of exoplanets and brown dwarfs through ELT and Ariel in the next 5 years.
Exoplanet detection, characterisation, occurrence rates, architecture & population studies [ExoChar]
Organizers: Maddy Scott, Daisy Turner, Ed Bryant, Amaury Triaud
Since the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the first exoplanet around a Sun-like star in 1995 the field has expanded rapidly. There now exist over 6000 confirmed exoplanets and more than 7000 planet candidates.
Each new detection adds to a sample of well-characterised planets, facilitating studies of exoplanet occurrence rates and population demographics and providing key tests of the processes driving planet formation and migration. These insights enable us to evaluate Earth’s place within the Milky Way.
Multiple missions with significant UK leading roles (PLATO, THE, Gaia DR4) will revolutionise the field of exoplanet discovery and demographic study over the next year. This session will provide a timely overview of the status of the field and an opportunity to discuss and prepare for these future missions.
Oscillations in the Sun and Stars [OscSunStars]
Organizers: Jan Henneco, Martin Nielsen, Anne-Marie Broomhall, Amalie Louise Stokholm, Keegan Thomson-Paressant, Zhao Guo
Most stars across the HR diagram are variable because of self-excited pulsations. Characterising these pulsations allows us to probe and constrain the internal structure and physical processes in stars to a level unachievable by other observational techniques. The exceptional quality of the pulsation (seismic) data for our Sun allows helioseismology to infer its internal sound speed and differential rotation profiles, and its magnetic activity. However, the quality of helioseismic data still presents challenges to both data analysis tools and theoretical models for the Sun. Thanks to new asteroseismic data of thousands of low-mass and massive pulsating stars, we can now constrain internal composition, rotation, and magnetic fields of stars other than the Sun. Moreover, asteroseismology allows us to characterise exoplanet hosts and understand the evolution of Galactic structure. Besides how to optimally utilise current and future ground- and space-based data, asteroseismology also has the ability to reconcile current challenges of interacting stars in binary systems. With this session, we aim to bring together experts in observational and theoretical helio- and asteroseismology for stars across the HR diagram, and we especially encourage submissions for talks and posters from early career
researchers. By doing so, we aim to kindle dialogue between different communities, highlight the current advancements and challenges, and identify future opportunities for progress.
Stellar building blocks: The physics of stars and their populations [StellBlocks]
Organizers: Conor Byrne, Elizabeth Stanway
New observational and computational resources have explored the interior physics and chemistry of stars in unprecedented detail, presenting new challenges for modelling and data interpretation. Stellar physics, and population synthesis models based on it, are essential building blocks in our interpretation and understanding of stellar populations across a range of physical scales.
This session will explore the physics of individual stars, binary and multiple systems, and larger stellar populations, including population synthesis. We aim to engage the stellar evolution, resolved stellar population and wider community in a multi-directional dialogue focused on the underlying physical mechanisms that shape the building blocks of stellar clusters and galaxies.
We encourage submissions from researchers at all career stages, taking both theoretical and observational approaches to ensure our understanding of stellar physics keeps pace with the current revolution in observational data acquisition. Topics to explore may include: massive stars and their winds, stellar nucleosynthesis, interacting and post-interaction binaries, stellar population statistics and their impact on galaxies, and observations which will constrain stellar physics either now or in the future. We aim to facilitate discussion and foster collaboration across narrow field boundaries.
X-ray Processes in the Solar System [XRaySolSys]
Organizers: Samuel Wharton, Natasha Carr, Steve Sembay
X-rays have been observed at most planets in the solar system, as well as at smaller bodies such as comets. They can be produced by a range of processes including, but not limited to, charge exchange interactions, accelerating electrons or fluorescence from rocky surfaces. Therefore, the detection of X-rays is a useful diagnostic for investigating a range of plasma physics and plasma-solid interactions. Now is an exciting time to be investigating these processes, with the MIXS-C and MIXS-T telescopes on Bepi Colombo due to arrive at Mercury at the end of 2026, SMILE due to launch in Spring 2026, and future mission proposals being designed for Jupiter. We welcome abstracts covering observations or modelling studies of X-rays from any of the planets or other bodies and talks on the development of future X-ray telescopes.
Techniques [TECH]
print(‘Hello Future’): Developing Next Generation Astronomical Codes [HelloFuture]
Organizers: Organizers: Sarah Johnston, Sownak Bose, Alastair Basden, Carlton Baugh
Modern computing capabilities are allowing us to learn more about our universe. Ongoing developments to simulations allow us to model larger problems in greater detail than ever before, and our instrumentation advancements are leading to telescopes which produce massive amounts of data. With this move to highly parallel, data or memory intensive systems, the world of astronomy codes must adapt to follow the trend and with more codes looking to reach the exascale regime, utilising powerful compute systems is becoming more important.
We also want to ensure the long-term usability of our codes and this includes making sure it is forward compatible with future systems e.g. by fully utilising available hardware and leveraging the highest efficiency and performance. There are also increasing environmental impacts to consider when it comes to making sure the future is sustainable.
With many different approaches being taken across the community from the use of GPUs and Machine Learning, to novel infrastructure approaches, this session aims to bring code and software developers together from across astronomy. This includes updates and discussions on the future of computing within astronomy from a technical perspective. This could be current code development or porting initiatives, data management or processing pipelines, or sustainability efforts within the computational community. Submissions from active developers, ECRs, and projects in development are particularly encouraged.
Statistical Challenges for Next-Generation Astronomical Surveys [StatsChall]
Organizers: Ivan Sladoljev, Luke McNamara
The era of precision astronomy is upon us. With facilities such as JWST transforming our view of the Universe, Euclid delivering its first data releases, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory coming online, and observatories like ALMA and LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA producing ever richer datasets, the astronomical community faces critical statistical challenges: how to extract robust scientific constraints from data volumes and complexity that overwhelm traditional analysis methods.
This session will bring together researchers developing and applying scalable inference techniques—including machine learning approaches—to address these challenges. We will cover methodological advances such as surrogate models that accelerate parameter estimation, simulation-based and hierarchical inference, and differentiable and probabilistic programming frameworks.
Crucially, we will emphasise practical applications across the breadth of astronomy—including, e.g., cosmology and large-scale structure, exoplanet characterisation, stellar astrophysics, time-domain astronomy, and multi-messenger science. We will critically examine the strengths and limitations of these methods, discussing validation strategies and uncertainty quantification.
This session aims to foster exchange between researchers developing novel inference methods and those applying these tools across diverse astronomical research areas, encouraging cross-disciplinary pollination of ideas and techniques.
Space Weather Forecasting in the Big Data, Large Models Era [WeatherForecast]
Organizers: Nachiketa Chakraborty, Mathew Owens, Shaun Bloomfield, Malcolm Dunlop
Solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are explosions releasing vast amounts of energy and plasma, respectively in the Solar atmosphere. The most violent ones can not only disrupt the Solar atmosphere, but also Earth’s atmosphere, causing damage to satellites, disrupting communication and posing a threat to astronauts. Hence forecasting explosive solar events is of vital importance. This entails processing large volumes of data including images, videos and time-series to provide timely and precise forecasts.
Operational space weather forecasting demands geomagnetic models, with the efficient forecasting capabilities that artificial intelligence models can provide. A central challenge in this setting is that solar outbursts represent a complex, dynamically changing spatio-temporal feature-set (for eg. Evolving active regions) that might used to build models for space weather forecasting. Furthermore, there is a gap between a model tracing the sequence of physical processes leading to an outburst and one optimized to provide timely yet precise space weather forecasts. In this session, we will explore a range of problems from solar wind forecasting with data assimilation to large scale (foundation) models in forecasting flares and CMEs.
This necessitates experts ranging from solar physicists, space weather forecasting experts, and computer / data scientists to pool in their expertise and co-design such studies.