Exponential stellar disks are ubiquitous. The stars in both spiral and dwarf galaxies are generally found to be organized in exponential disks, even to very low surface densities and in both stellar dominated and gas dominated galactic environments. But why is this? The associated gas disks do not fall off with radius in the same manner. Furthermore, star formation is highly lumpy. How does lumpy star formation produce distributions of stars that fall off smoothly. And how are these profiles maintained over many Gyr?

In addition, abrupt breaks in the stellar surface brightness or density profiles are also common: the stars follow an exponential in the inner part of the galaxy and an exponential with a different slope in the outer galaxy. In spiral galaxies there seems to be a change in the stellar populations at the break, but in dwarf galaxies the break remains in the stellar mass density profile. So what happens at the break in these galaxies?

Here we bring together theorists and observers to discuss the formation of exponential disks and their evolution.

This workshop aims to address the following fundamental questions:

• Why are exponential disks formed?



• Are dwarf disks the same as spiral disks?



• What maintains exponential disks once formed? What role, if any, does star formation play in maintaining the exponential disk? Or are other processes continuously adjusting the profile independent of star formation? Is this the same in spirals and dwarfs?



• Why do spiral disks evolve inside-out and dwarf disks form outside-in?



• For galaxies with breaks in their stellar surface brightness or mass profiles, what happens at the break?




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Confirmed Invited Speakers:


	
Roberto Abraham (Univ Toronto)
Evangelie Athanassoula (LAM)
Judit Bakos (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias)
Joss Bland-Hawthorn (Sydney Institute for Astronomy, University of Sydney)
Frederic Bournaud (CEA-Saclay)
Chris Brook (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid)
Giovanni Carraro (European Southern Observatory)
Simon Driver (University of Western Australia)
Peter Erwin (MPE Garching)
Filippo Fraternali (University of Bologna)
Sofia Feltzing (Lund Observatory)
Marijn Franx (Leiden University)
Filippo Fraternali (University of Bologna)
Ken Freeman (Australian National University)
Carme Gallart (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias)
Ortwin Gerhard (MPE)
Dusan Keres (University of California-San Diego)
Baerbel Koribalski (CSIRO, Australian Telescope National Facility)
Elizabeth McGrath (Colby College)
Heikki Salo (Univ Oulu)
Sabastian Sanchez (UNAM)
Jerry Sellwood (Rutgers University)
Adrianne Slyz (University of Oxford)
Linda Tacconi (MPE)
David Thilker (John Hopkins Univ)
Patricia Tissera (Universidad Andres Bello)
Piet van der Kruit (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute)
Stijn Wuyts (MPE)
Rosemary Wyse (Johns Hopkins Univ)
Peter Yoachim (University of Washington)





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Scientific Organizing Committee:


	
 	Bruce Elmegreen, Co-chair (IBM T. J. Watson Research Center)
        Eija Laurikainen, Co-chair (Univ of Oulu)
        Joss Bland-Hawthorn (Univ of Sydney)
        Peter Erwin (MPE Garching)
        Kambiz Fathi (Stockholm Univ)
        Annette Ferguson (Univ of Edinburgh)
        Ken Freeman (Australian National Univ)
        Philip Hopkins (CalTech)
        Deidre Hunter (Lowell Observatory)
        Roelof de Jong (Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam)
        Rok Roskar (Univ of Zurich)
        Heikki Salo (Univ of Oulu)
        Patricia Tissera (Universidad Andres Bello)

Local Organizing Committee:


	Deidre Hunter

	Lowell Observatory 
	1400 W. Mars Hill Rd.
	Flagstaff AZ 86001
	Telephone: +1-928-233-3225

For more information, contact Deidre Hunter dah at lowell.edu.

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Important Dates

March 1-May 15:	Pre-registration is open
May 15:	SOC chooses talks and posters from pre-registrations
May 15:	Registration opens
September 5:	Last day for hotel reservation as part of the guaranteed block
September 19:	Registration deadline
October 5:	Reception in Lowell Observatory, Giclas Lecture Hall, 6:00-7:30 PM
October 6 - 9:	Workshop sessions, Lowell Observatory, Giclas Lecture Hall
October 9, after lunch:	Workshop end




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Workshop Registration

The venue at Lowell Observatory is limited to 85 participants; this allows us to have a small, friendly meeting. Approximately 40 talks and 28 posters can be accommodated and these are being chosen by the SOC based on the titles and abstracts submitted at pre-registration. If you did not pre-register, please contact Deidre Hunter before registering.

All attendees are expected to pre-pay the registration fee. The registration fee is $445 (USD), and includes 4 catered lunches and 3 dinners. You also have the option of adding accompanying adults or children to the reception, lunches, or dinners, including a discount for children, and you have the opportunity to describe dietary restrictions.

Register

Cancellation refund: By September 4, a refund of $395. September 5-22, a refund of $309. September 23-Oct 4, a refund of $155.





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Abstract Submission

If you did not submit a title and abstract with your pre-registration, please do so here:

Submit Abstract

Poster board space is 4 ft X 4 ft. The posters will be on double-sided poster boards 8-ft long x 4-ft high. We have room for 28 posters. They will be organized in a circle around the Rotunda, and on the third day the posters boards will be flipped around. That way, every poster gets a chance to be facing in towards the coffee/break table.



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Proceedings

There will be no hardcopy proceedings. However, we will publish on-line any submissions in a suitable format: Powerpoint, Postscript, or PDF files.



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Image of NGC 891 taken with the LMI camera on the DCT, from Massey & Neugent