SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE

Clues to a galaxy's past are encoded in its current appearance, and by hunting down these clues, we can infer much about the life histories of these objects. Detailed studies of small numbers of individual systems are complemented by large demographic surveys, and both approaches can be connected to galaxies' high-redshift progenitors. Current cutting-edge instrumentation is being used to obtain a wealth of multi-dimensional information on morphology, kinematics, stellar populations, and gas properties, both within individual galaxies and across the population; the next generation of facilities offers even more exciting possibilities.

This conference seeks to bring together experts in the fields of galaxy dynamics, chemical evolution and galaxy environment to discuss recent results, foster collaborative discussion, and understand just how much of a galaxy's past can be inferred from its present-day state. The meeting also honours the careers of Profs. Michael Merrifield and Alfonso Aragón-Salamanca, who have played important roles in advancing astronomy in this area.

MAIN TOPICS

- The morpho-kinematic properties of galaxies, including multi-component analysis and discrete halo tracers (globular clusters and PNe).

- Stellar populations, the interstellar medium (ISM) and their chemical evolution.

- The effect of the galaxy environment.

- Linking galaxy evolution from high-z to low-z.

- The Milky Way and galactic archeology.

- Current/future surveys and facilities (e.g. JWST, LSST, J-PAS, PFS, WEAVE, 4MOST...).