Welcome to Gas, Dust, and Star-Formation in Galaxies from the Local to Far Universe

25 - 29 May, 2015 Platanias - Chania, Crete, Greece

Spitzer, Herschel, and Planck allowed us to make an important step forward in our understanding of the nature of galaxies. On one hand, the extensive surveys of nearby galaxies performed by Herschel studied with unprecedented details the distribution and the properties of dust, and provided key insights on the processes of dust heating and star formation in these objects. On the other hand, the deep infrared and sub-millimeter surveys revealed a large population of massive, gas-rich, intensely star-forming galaxies, which have no local analogues. The amount of information available for these high-redshift objects is limited and it is thus difficult to identify what is exactly their nature. The extrapolation of the physical processes and scaling laws found at low redshift could provide new keys to solve this problem. In contrast, high-redshift galaxies provide interesting tests in extreme conditions for the refined physical models developed at low redshift. Finally, the unique capabilities of ALMA will open a new era of large studies of resolved high-redshift populations, and the lessons coming from studies of nearby galaxies will be essential. This meeting in the sunny spring of Crete will be the opportunity to exchange about the new findings, but also the doubt and the problems of the communities studying close and distant objects. The program will be split into long pedagogical review talks, short review talks introducing each sub-sessions, contributed talks, and discussions.

Spitzer, Herschel, and Planck allowed us to make an important step forward in our understanding of the nature of galaxies. On one hand, the extensive surveys of nearby galaxies performed by Herschel studied with unprecedented details the distribution and the properties of dust, and provided key insights on the processes of dust heating and star formation in these objects. On the other hand, the deep infrared and sub-millimeter surveys revealed a large population of massive, gas-rich, intensely star-forming galaxies, which have no local analogues.

The amount of information available for these high-redshift objects is limited and it is thus difficult to identify what is exactly their nature. The extrapolation of the physical processes and scaling laws found at low redshift could provide new keys to solve this problem. In contrast, high-redshift galaxies provide interesting tests in extreme conditions for the refined physical models developed at low redshift. Finally, the unique capabilities of ALMA will open a new era of large studies of resolved high-redshift populations, and the lessons coming from studies of nearby galaxies will be essential.

This meeting in the sunny spring of Crete will be the opportunity to exchange about the new findings, but also the doubt and the problems of the communities studying close and distant objects. The program will be split into long pedagogical review talks, short review talks introducing each sub-sessions, contributed talks, and discussions.