"40 years of X-ray bursts: Extreme explosions in dense environments" is a workshop to be held at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) on June 17-19, 2015.

The aim of this workshop is to bring together world-leading experts (both theoreticians and observers) on Type I X-ray bursts in accreting neutron stars. The goal is to assess the status of the topic and define new challenges for our understanding of X-ray burst physics. The workshop will deal with our understanding of X-ray bursts as a standalone phenomena as well their connection with the surrounding environment, for example in relation to internal heating and cooling of the neutron star or accretion physics.

In order to encourage discussions and maximize collaborations, the attendance to the workshop is limited to about 40 people.

There is no workshop registration fee.

The main scientific topics to be covered are:

• X-ray bursts and dense matter EOS - Can we use X-ray bursts to do neutron star mass-radius measurements
• Stable/unstable burning on neutron stars - How does accretion play a role, and what are the left-overs?
• Variability and X-ray bursts - What do oscillations, QPO, mHz QPO during bursts tell us?
• Their relation to the external/internal environment - How do X-ray bursts influence the accretion disk and/or corona, as well as the inner neutron star (e.g., crust heating/cooling, seismology)?
• Theory of X-ray bursts - How well do we understand X-ray bursts (flame spreading, nuclear physics, hydrodynamics, model atmospheres, etc.)?
• Future of X-ray burst science - What should we learn from new observations (ASTROSAT, LOFT, NICER, etc.) and new model calculations (KEPLER, MAESTRO, ODT, etc.)?

Click here to download poster

Important dates

Registration and grant application deadline:  April 1, 2015 

Accepted grant communication: By April 24, 2015

Accepted contribution communication: By early May 2015

Final programme: Mid May 2015

Workshop starts: June 17, 2015