1st CIRCULAR

International Scientific Workshop on: 

NARROW-LINE SEYFERT 1 GALAXIES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE

Milano (Italy), 4-6 April 2011

In 1978, Davidson and Kinman wrote about Markarian 359: "This unusual object merits further observations...". In 1985, Osterbrock and Pogge defined a new class of active galactic nuclei (AGN), named Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1). Twenty-five years later, NLS1s still continue to intrigue and bewilder. NLS1s manifest extreme behaviour at all wavelengths.  They exhibit the most extreme X-ray variability seen in radio-quiet AGN, the most intense optical FeII emission, and high rates of star formation.  In general, their characteristics are consistent of AGNs with relatively low mass black holes accreting close to the Eddington rate.  The 2009 Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope discovery of high-energy (E>100 MeV) gamma rays in a handful of NLS1s has established the  existence of relativistic jets in these systems --  a fact previously hinted at by the flat radio spectrum and high brightness temperature seen in some objects.   Since NLS1 are generally hosted by spirals, this poses some intriguing questions on the galaxy evolution and on how relativistic jets are generated.

It is therefore time for the broad community to come together and discuss what we have discovered in the last quarter century and lay the foundation for future work. We propose to meet in Milano on April 4-6 2011 for a workshop dedicated to NLS1 and focused on these topics:

* Central engine: BH mass, accretion disk, BLR/NLR, jet
* Host galaxy: morphology, star formation, merging history
* NLS1 in the Universe: comparison with other types of AGN, surveys/statistics, formation/merging, cosmological evolution

Invited speakers are:

Todd Boroson - Andy Fabian (to be confirmed) - Bradley Peterson

plus Richard Pogge, who will give a special Social Dinner Lecture

Information about registration, accommodations and more are available at:

http://nls1.brera.inaf.it

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION: 31 JANUARY 2011

Hope to see you in Milano!


Scientific Organizing Committee
M. Colpi (University Milano Bicocca, Italy)
L. Foschini (INAF OA Brera, Italy, Chair)
L. Gallo (St. Mary's University, Canada)
D. Grupe (Penn State University, USA)
S. Komossa (MPE, Germany)
K. Leighly (University of Oklahoma, USA)
S. Mathur (Ohio State University, USA)

Local Organizing Committee
C. Bernasconi
G. Bonnoli
G. Ghirlanda
G. Ghisellini
F. Taddei
F. Tavecchio

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