A Meeting on Stellar Polarimetry: From Birth to Death

East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN

Investigators

Abstract

This award will provide partial support for a conference in the area of stellar polarimetry, or the measurement of polarized light from stars or their surroundings. Polarization is the alignment of the orientation of the oscillations of electromagnetic waves (visible light, infrared, radio waves), and is a powerful indicator of physical conditions such as light scattering from grains or population inversions from non-thermal processes. Historically, studies of polarization have not been very popular, mainly because they are somewhat difficult to perform and calibrate, and generally are done best on bright sources. This conference will address current and future directions in polarimetry studies, especially in the context of observations on large telescopes. The discussions will focus on three areas, namely on stellar magnetism, the geometry of light scattering, and the exploration of opacity sources in stellar atmospheres.