Workshop "Colliding galaxy clusters and non-thermal phenomena"

The workshop "Colliding galaxy clusters and non-thermal phenomena" will be organized in Nice (France). It will address a wide range of phenomena related to non-thermal particles and magnetic fields in and around galaxy clusters. These sites provide a unique laboratory for studying the physics of dilute plasmas. Recent years have seen rapid progress in this field, as radio, X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes are providing unprecedented new details and constraints on the properties of the intracluster relativistic plasma and its interplay with the thermal medium.

The nature and origin of non-thermal particles and magnetic fields in cosmological large-scale structures are still not fully understood. The most spectacular non-thermal phenomena appear to be related to
collisions between galaxy clusters that free enormous amounts of energy. Addressing this connection is one of the main goals of the workshop. Other topics will include non-thermal components in more relaxed clusters and large-scale filaments. We will also discuss recent progress in theoretical and numerical work that attempts to model the origin and evolution of relativistic particles and magnetic fields.

The workshop will bring together observers and theorists in order to develop the latest ideas and models for the cluster non-thermal components, and to devise strategies for future observations with the next generation of telescopes, such as the Low-frequency Array (LOFAR), which will be conducting its first observations. The workshop will help to foster collaborations and introduce young scientists to the community.

Please find more information on the website: http://www2.oca.eu/spip.php?article323