GALACTIC CENTER WORKSHOP 2002:
Conference Program

The conference program will be organized during the next six months. In terms of format, we currently expect that the conference will consist of two sessions of typically 4-5 talks each per day (except Wednesday); primarily invited, but with some contributed. Each talk will be 20-30 minutes. We expect the sessions to be multi-frequency (radio to gamma-ray) and are planning that they cover both observation and theory where appropriate. Each session will have a moderator who, following the talks, will lead a relatively long (30-60 minute) discussion afterwards. This format closely approximates that of the GC98 meeting. Many who attended that meeting felt that the discussions were the best parts of the meeting. One or more poster sessions will ruin concurrently with the meeting and specific times will be devoted to poster viewing.

We anticipate that the conference will cover the following topics. It is possible that some of these will be extended or abbreviated, and that others ones may be added. This will depend on proposed contributions by attendees and on new results during the next six months. The program will be finalized in September.


1. The central 300 pc of our Galaxy: a summary of the larger scale dynamics and components out to 300pc, setting the scene for the rest of the meeting.

2. Morphology and gas dynamics in the central 300 pc: new results on the minispiral and further out, including X-ray emission from the hot plasma.

3. Stars within 300 pc: formation, metallicity, populations, clusters, ionization, etc.

4. The near environment of Sgr A*: stellar types and orbits

5. The emission, variability properties, and nature of Sgr A*: Observations of the beast itself - and is it just a boring massive black hole or something more exotic?

6. Supernova remnants in the Galactic center: Sgr A East and others, and their influences.

7. Individual objects in the Galactic center: individual stars, H II regions, clouds, peculiar objects, as observed by Chandra and at longer wavelengths.

8. Magnetic fields at all scales in the Galactic center

9. Relevance of the Galactic center to the study of extragalactic nuclei: comparisons with low luminosity AGNs, starburst galaxies, etc.,

10. The future: unanswered questions; forthcoming technologies and observations.

March 25, 2002