NARIT School on Exoplanet and Astrobiology (NARIT-SEA)
22nd - 26th April 2019
Introduction
“The study of exoplanets and search for life outside solar system” is one of NARIT’s key sciences. Over the last two decades, the search for and study of exoplanets, planets outside the Solar System, has been one of the most dynamic research fields of modern astronomy. This is not only to understand that living things may exist on them, but also to further understand the origin of planetary systems. Astrobiology is the study of the origin and evolution of life on earth, including the possibility of extraterrestrial life in order to answer the questions about the origins and evolution of life.
The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) operates a network of 0.7 m class optical telescopes distributed sites across the globe (Thai Robotic Telescopes Network) and the 2.4 m Thai National Telescope with the ULTRASPEC (a high-speed EMCCD) and ExoSPEC (a currently developing high-resolution spectrograph). Together they form a powerful network to look for transient astrophysical phenomena, including the detection of exoplanets and also the study of their properties. Therefore, this telescope network is ideally placed to take a leadership role in exoplanet research area in the next decade.
Astrobiology field is a new exciting interdisciplinary research field. Astrobiology will be one of the most popular field in Astronomy and Astrophysics research in the near future, as there are a number of future Solar System exploration programs that focus on extraterrestrial life. Therefore, this summer school will capture the imagination of young people and inspire them to research in these fields.
Goals
The primary goal of this school is to develop expertise in Exoplanet and Astrobiology fields. We plan to bring together scientists from both research fields: Exoplanet and Astrobiology, to discuss the common approaches to the problem and to establish new collaborations in the South-East Asia. Moreover, our aim in doing so is to provide a knowledge and inspire them to research in these fields. the school will provide a high-profile catalyst to encourage the next generation of young students into careers in science and so act as a driver for the knowledge economy. Therefore, there will be no registration fee.
Target Audiences
Our target audiences for the school are both domestic and international undergraduate, 1st year Master/PhD students who are either already working or interested in the related fields of Astrophysics, Physics, Biology or Geology. Due to the practical nature of the workshop and limited funding, the number of participants will be limited to 25-30 people. The successful applicants will be notified of the organizer decisions approximately one week after the registration deadline.
On 24th April 2019, two public lectures on Exoplanet and Astrobiology will be held at Chiang Mai University. The target audiences include the participants, approximately 50 Thai students, lecturers and interested people.
