Prospects for the AAO/UKST Galactic Plane H-alpha survey

International Workshop

Post meeting information

Held at CSIRO Radiophysics Laboratory, Epping, Sydney, Australia,
April 16-18th 1997

A 3 day international workshop was held in Sydney, Australia from April 16-18th 1997 to highlight the science that can be expected from the new U.K. Schmidt Telescope (UKST) H-alpha survey of the Galactic plane, Magellanic clouds and selected regions. The filter has now been successfully commissioned on the telescope and the survey has now commenced. Impressive deep, high resolution H-alpha imaging has been obtained. Sample images have been put on these pages.
These pages will be updated regularly

Brief H-alpha survey details

Under the auspices of a major Anglo-Australian collaboration, a UKST H-alpha survey of the Southern Galactic plane, Magellanic clouds and selected regions has been agreed. The survey will use a new 14x14inch (356x356mm) monolithic H-alpha interference filter of ultra high specification and the excellent Tech Pan film based emulsion which has exceptional imaging capabilities due to is extremely fine grain (as well as a useful sensitivity peak at H-alpha). A survey of unprecedented area coverage, depth and resolution should result, superior to any previous optical survey of ionized gas in the galaxy. It is certain to lead to exciting new discoveries and avenues of research. The survey will initially include about 233 UKST fields on new 4-degree field centres.

The general aims of the workshop:

The aim of the workshop was to highlight the prospects for this new survey and to bring together astronomers (both observational and theoretical) who have an interest in such a survey, whose research may benefit from the survey as well as those with a general interest in galactic gas and its manifestations. We are particularly interested in the benefits of tie-ins with other surveys in the radio and sub-mm regimes.

The Scientific Organising Committee

Q.A.Parker (AAO, co-chair) qap@aaocbnu1.aao.gov.au
S.Phillipps (Bristol, co-chair) S.Phillipps@Bristol.ac.uk
J.Bland-Hawthorn (AAO) jbh@aaoepp.aao.gov.au
D.F.Malin (AAO), dfm@aaoepp.aao.gov.au
D.Morgan (ROE) D.Morgan@roe.ac.uk
L.Stavely-Smith (ATNF) lstavele@atnf.csiro.au
W.Zealey (wollongong), Bill_Zealey@uow.edu.au

The Local Organising Committee

M.Hartley (AAO/UKST) (chair) mh@aaocbn3.aao.gov.au
F.G.Watson (AAO/UKST) fgw@aaocbnu1.aao.gov.au
H.Woods (AAO,Epping) hmw@aaoepp.aao.gov.au
Q.A.Parker (AAO/UKST) qap@aaocbnu1.aao.gov.au
V.Thomson (AAO,Epping) rec@aaoepp.aao.gov.au
A.Green (MOST, Univ.Sydney) agree@suphys.physics.usyd.edu.au K.larson (RPI/AAO) kal@aaocbnu1.aao.gov.au

Invited speakers included:

J.Beckman, You-Hau Chu, L.Cram, M.Dopita, B.Elmegreen, A.Ferrara, R.Rand, R.Reynolds, D.Russeil, R.Stark, G.Tenorio-Tagle, D.Valls-Gabuad R.Walterbos, R.Wyse

Outline of the Scientific Programme

The full programme can be found on the following pages:

Page.1
Page.2
Page.3
Page.4 (posters)

Briefly the sessions followed the topics:

H-alpha observations of the Galaxy & the AAO/UKST survey
Techniques & Instrumentation
Multi-waveband Comparisons
Galactic Nebulae & Diffuse gas
Studies of nearby Galaxies & the Magellanic Clouds

The science likely to come from the new survey was discussed and new ideas generated. Some preliminary results from the survey were presented and we explored H-alpha imaging and surveys performed or planned on other telescopes. The final survey strategy, priorities, general community opportunities, survey data archival and dissemination will also discussed in both open session on Friday before lunch and again in closed session amongst the consortium members after lunch.

A workshop photo of all participants is available HERE

Workshop Sessions, Proceedings & Submitted Papers

The structure of the scientific sessions for the workshop consisted of a few invited reviews and papers and appropriate amounts of time for discussion. Poster papers will also be available for scrutiny outside the lecture theatre during coffee/tea breaks and during lunch.

Papers presented at the workshop will soon be published in a special edition of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA) which is a refereed journal.

Acknowledgments

The organisers would like to gratefully acknowledge generous assistance from:

The Anglo-Australian Observatory
The Australia Telescope National Facility
BARR Associates Inc.
The British Council
Eastman Kodak
Mount Stromlo & Siding Spring Observatory
National Australia Bank
The University of Sydney
The University of Wollongong

Return to H-alpha survey home page

Quentin A Parker (qap@aaocbnu1.aao.gov.au). Last revision: 26th March 1998