The American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA) is charged with improving the interaction between the data users (astronomers, astrophysicists, astrochemists, planetary scientists, etc.) and the data providers (laboratory astrophysicists and astrochemists, i.e., all experimentalists and theorists carrying out research motivated by problems in astrophysics, astrochemistry, and planetary science). The WGLA promotes the coordination of research and knowledge between astronomy and other branches of science (physics, chemistry, geology, biology) and is guided by advancing astronomy through the promotion of laboratory astrophysics and astrochemistry. The WGLA also holds and sponsors topical sessions at AAS meetings and at AAS division meetings (DPS, SPD, HEAD, etc…) and promotes interaction with national and international science organizations.
The WGLA represents scientists in six areas of research: atomic, molecular, solid matter, plasma, nuclear, and particle physics. Chemistry is included as part of molecular physics. Since astronomy is primarily an observational science detecting photons, atomic, molecular, and solid state processes that produce the observed photons are a main focus. Because our understanding of the Universe also relies on knowledge of the evolution of matter (nuclear and particle physics) and of the dynamical processes shaping it (plasma physics), the focus also incorporates work in these areas as well. Planetary science, involving in-situ measurements of solar system bodies, requires knowledge from atomic, molecular, and solid state physics, in particular.
A full description of the WGLA can be found at
http://members.aas.org/comms/wgla.cfm.
To better accomplish our mandate, the WGLA has recently created an email list which you can join and to which you can send laboratory astrophysics related announcements. From time to time the WGLA will also send out email announcements. Hence we encourage all those interested to go to
http://lists.aas.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wgla
and to join the listserv.
WGLA members
Michael A’Hearn (University of Maryland) — UV/Vis spectroscopy,
planetary science
Nancy Brickhouse (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) —
databases for modeling
John Cowan (University of Oklahoma) — nuclear astrophysics
Paul Drake (University of Michigan) — plasma physics/high density
plasmas
Steven Federman (University of Toledo) — UV/visible atomic and
molecular physics (Past Chair 2007-2008)
Gary Ferland (University of Kentucky) — modeling
Adam Frank (University of Rochester) — astronomical plasmas
Murthy Gudipati (JPL) — Planetary ices
Wick Haxton (University of California at Berkeley) — nuclear physics
Eric Herbst (Ohio State University) — astrochemistry
Michael Mumma (NASA/GSFC) — IR spectroscopy, planetary science
Farid Salama (NASA/Ames) — UV/visible, IR spectroscopy including
solids as well as planets (Chair)
Daniel Wolf Savin (Columbia University) — atomic and molecular
collisions
Lucy Ziurys (University of Arizona) — mm/sub-mm spectroscopy
