The Early Phase and Initial Conditions of Galactic Massive Star Formation (EPIC 2024) was successfully held at the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (KIAA) at Peking University during July 1-2, 2024.
EPIC 2024 was a focused conference designed to promote scientific collaborations among the Chinese and world community of star formation. With the advances of interferometric surveys (including ALMA, SMA, JVLA, ATCA, MeerKAT) of a large number of molecular clouds and clumps throughout the Galactic plane, it was timely to discuss (1) the current findings and constraints on star formation theories, (2) ideas for optimizing new projects, and (3) scientific collaborations. The EPIC 2024 conference invited several research teams from around the world to present their large-scale observational projects, share results, and inspire collaboration. EPIC 2024 is dedicated to Prof. Yuefang Wu for her outstanding contributions to the star formation community in China.
The conference nicely coincided with Professor Yuefang Wu's 86th birthday. During the opening ceremony, Prof. Huawei Zhang, vice director of the Department of Astronomy at Peking University, and Prof. Di Li, chief scientist of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), gave speeches. Prof. Zhang was one of Prof. Wu's first students, and Prof. Li has been a long-term collaborator of Prof. Wu. They shared their cherished memories of working with her over the decades. Representing the conference organizers, Prof. Ke Wang from KIAA provided an update on Professor Wu’s current status. Professor Wu's dedication and her nurturing guidance to her students over the past half-century deeply moved and inspired all attendees.
The conference received strong support from colleagues around the world. Over 130 participants from more than 40 research institutions attended the conference, with 38 attending in person and over 100 attending online. Talks at the conference covered a wide range of topics, including Milky Way-wide large-scale surveys of star-forming regions using state-of-the-art radio telescopes (such as ALMA, JVLA, and SMA), as well as the most advanced theoretical and numerical simulations work related to the hierarchical structure of molecular clouds and the roles of magnetic fields and turbulence in star-forming regions. These presentations depicted the frontier developments in the field of star formation.
Following the conference, some of the participants visited Prof. Wu, who lives in suburban Beijing accompanied with her children. She was very happy to see everyone, which made all of us feel warm and comforted. We sing the birthday song to her and conveyed greetings from her collaborators and friends, including Qizhou Zhang, Wenping Chen, Xiaohu Li, Karl Menten, and Mark Thompson.
The EPIC 2024 conference was not only an academic feast but also a heartfelt tribute to Professor Yuefang Wu's outstanding contributions to our community. We look forward to more similar academic activities in the future, carrying on the expectations of pioneers like Professor Wu, bringing new generations of researchers into the flourishing field of star formation studies, and steadily advancing China's astronomical endeavors.
EPIC 2024 theme poster
Group photo for onsite participants
Screenshot of some online participants
Huawei Zhang, Di Li and Ke Wang addressing at the opening ceremony
Presentations and Q&A discussion
Participants visiting Professor Yuefang Wu and celebrating her birth day
Links:
Conference website: http://kiaa.pku.edu.cn/info/1026/9330.htm
Conference news in Chinese: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ILwWkYQYo71QRxgAHtiNIw
