Community Astrophysics with WFIRST:
Guest Observer and Archival Science

February 29 - March 2, 2016 at the Pasadena Hilton

***All Talks from the meeting are now Posted on the Agenda page***

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is a NASA mission currently under study for the next decade whose primary objectives are to study the nature of dark energy, via gravitational lensing, supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations, and search for and characterize exoplanets, via microlensing and coronagraphy.

Two important aspects of the WFIRST mission are a Guest Observer (GO) and a Guest Investigator (GI) program. The WFIRST GO program, which is expected to account for ~25% of the total observing time, will support community-based observing. The GO science of WFIRST will have high impact over a broad range of modern astrophysics. The WFIRST GI program will support unique archival science with the baseline dark energy, supernovae, and exoplanet microlensing and coronagraph survey data. The wide field, large aperture, and exquisite sensitivity and spatial resolution of WFIRST will ensure that a multitude of GO and GI programs requiring deep observations over wide areas will be within reach for the first time.

This international meeting, "Community Astrophysics with WFIRST: Guest Observer and Archival Science", to be held in Pasadena from 29 Feb. through 2 March 2016, will focus on the GO and GI components of the WFIRST mission, bringing together experts in the community to discuss groundbreaking science that can be done with the GO and archival opportunities of WFIRST.

Scientific Organizing Committee:  Neil Gehrels (GSFC), Lee Armus (IPAC), Harry Ferguson (STScI), Scott Gaudi (OSU), Jason Kalirai (STScI), Davy Kirkpatrick (IPAC), Hilke Schlichting (MIT), Yun Wang (IPAC)

Confirmed Invited Speakers: Lisa Kewley (ANU), Tommaso Treu (UCLA), Andy Gould (OSU), Jason Kalirai (STScI), Sangeeta Malhotra (ASU), James Colbert (IPAC), Laurent Pueyo (STScI), Brad Cenko (GSFC), Bob Benjamin (UW), David Law (STScI), Beth Willman (LSST/Steward Observatory)

WFIRST Preparatory Science team meeting: Thursday March 3 will be set aside for a closed meeting of the WFIRST Preparatory Science (WPS) and WFIRST project teams.  There is no registration fee for the Thursday meeting, but WPS teams are encouraged to register for, and attend, the Community Astrophysics conference also.


Important deadlines:

Abstracts = Jan 25 (extended by 1 week!).  Note, this is for the Community Astrophysics, not the WPS meeting.

Early Registration = Jan 31

Hilton reduced group rate = Feb. 8

Regular Registration = Feb 23


Contact Information
:  If you have any questions about the meeting, you can contact the organizers directly by sending an email to: wfirst2016@ipac.caltech.edu