Structure and polarization in the interstellar medium: A Conference in Honor of Prof. John Dickey

Conference Description

In honor of the retirement of Professor John Dickey, a distinguished contributor to our understanding of the Milky Way's interstellar medium (ISM) and Galactic magnetism, we aim to gather the world's experts in the structure of the Galactic ISM, polarization, and Galactic magnetic fields for a one-week collaborative conference. This unique scientific event will offer a platform to highlight Professor Dickey's achievements, share recent/upcoming research, and foster collaborative efforts to advance our knowledge of the spatial, chemical, and magnetic properties of the Galactic ISM. The conference will include focused sessions and ample time for collaborative work. Participants are encouraged to come with ideas, tools, and data for constructive discussions. To minimize environmental impact, the meetings will be held in two locations, North America (at Stanford University) and Australia (at the Australia Telescope National Facility, Sydney), with an option for remote participation. Both locations will be equipped with teleconferencing support for cross-site interaction.

Key topics include:

- The temperature and structure of the cold neutral medium

- Galactic magnetic fields and their influence on the ISM

- The chemistry of diffuse neutral gas

The conference will run from Feb 10 - 13, 2025 at Stanford, and Feb 11 - 14, 2025 at Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF), CSIRO.

This conference is co-hosted and supported by the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford.

Register here by November 15!

Schedule

February 10th – 13th, 2025 (U.S. Pacific Time). Detailed schedule to follow.

Each talk will be 15 minutes, plus 5 minutes for questions, with ample additional time in each session dedicated to discussion of all the session talks. All participants -- particularly students and anyone not giving a talk -- are encouraged to contribute a 2-minute fireslide to introduce yourself and/or some research topic of your interest.

Contact

Please email the organizing committee at <johnfest.loc@gmail.com> with any questions.

Conference organizers: Susan Clark, Snežana Stanimirović, J. R. Dawson, Trey V. Wenger, Nickolas M. Pingel, Daniel R. Rybarczyk, N. M. McClure-Griffiths

Stanford LOC: Susan Clark, Dylan Jow, Kaitlyn Karpovich, Mehrnoosh Tahani

ATNF LOC: J. R. Dawson, N. M. McClure-Griffiths, Hiep Ngyuen, Alec Thomson

Travel Logistics

Getting to and from Stanford

Both San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC) airports are convenient to Stanford. The easiest way to get from the airport to campus is via rideshare (Lyft/Uber) or by renting a car, but there are also public transit options. Stanford Transportation lists directions and options. If you drive to campus, the most convenient visitor parking is in the Via Ortega garage. Instructions on purchasing visitor parking passes can be found on this page.

Getting to and from ATNF

Marsfield is a suburb ~25 kilometers northwest of Sydney's center. The ATNF is located at the corner of Vimiera and Pembroke Roads in Marsfield. The main entrance is on Pembroke Road.

There are several transportation options to reach the ATNF from Sydney's Kingsford-Smith Airport:

- Train and bus:

+ Take a train to the city (Central station), then a train to Epping Station or Macquarie University Station, then a bus to the Marsfield site.

+ At Central Station, change trains to Epping Station on the T1 line, or catch a train to Macquarie University on the Metro North West line.

+ From Epping station, catch bus routes 288, 289, or 290 along Epping Road. Get off at Vimiera Road, cross Epping Road and walk along Vimiera Road on the other side. The ATNF site is on the corner with Pembroke Road.

+ From Macquarie University station, take a bus (Route 292). Get off at Vimiera Road, cross Epping Road and walk along Vimiera Road on the other side. The ATNF site is on the corner with Pembroke Road.

- Taxi or rideshare: Take a taxi or rideshare service directly from Sydney Airport to the ATNF Marsfield. This is the most convenient but also the most expensive option. See here for more information.

Lodging

At Stanford

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Stanford Guest House at the discounted rate of $183/night. This rate is available until December 11, 2024, while supply lasts. There are many local hotels, but the Guest House is the most affordable option.

Conference participants can book online at guesthouse.stanford.edu, or by contacting the front desk at 650-926-2800, using the group code POLAR.

Alternatively, follow this link directly to book with the code already applied.

At ATNF