Magnetic Eclipse 2026: Low-Mass Stars, Ultracool Dwarfs & Exoplanetary Magnetism

Europe/Madrid
Descripción

On 12 August 2026, Spain will witness the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in almost 30 years. Beyond its beauty, a total eclipse is a striking reminder of a central theme in astrophysics: magnetic fields shape what we see, from faint plasma structures to bursts of energetic particles and coherent radio emission.

Like the Sun, many nearby low-mass stars and ultracool dwarfs are magnetically active across the electromagnetic spectrum. Over the last decade, new wideband, high-time-resolution radio facilities have transformed the field: auroral bursts, rotational modulation, and broadband polarimetry are now being used as quantitative probes of magnetic geometry, particle acceleration, stellar winds, and star–planet interactions—and they are opening a realistic path toward detecting and characterising exoplanetary magnetospheres.

To mark this rare celestial event, this conference will take place in Valencia, Spain from 10–12 August 2026, bringing together an international community working on low-mass stars, ultracool dwarfs, and radio exoplanet science. To foster deep discussion and sustained interaction, attendance will be capped at 50 participants. A dedicated eclipse field session will allow participants to share the totality experience together as part of the conference week.

Key themes include:

  • Stellar winds and star–planet interaction.

  • Ultracool dwarf and brown dwarf magnetism.

  • Radio exoplanet searches and what magnetospheric detections would imply for environments and habitability

  • Multi-wavelength magnetic activity diagnostics, connecting radio to optical/UV/X-ray signatures and variability

  • Next-generation facilities and roadmaps for magnetic astrophysics (e.g., LOFAR 2.0, SKA-Low, ngVLA)

Important Dates

  • Deadline for preregistration and abstract submission: April 1, 2026

  • Notification of acceptance, open for registration: April 15, 2026

  • Deadline for registration: June 1, 2026

  • Conference dates: August 10–12, 2026 

  • Eclipse Field Session: August 12, 2026

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)

  • Juan B Climent — University of Valencia, Spain
  • Rob Kavanagh  — ASTRON / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • José Carlos Guirado — University of Valencia, Spain
  • Moira Jardine — University of St Andrews, Scotland (UK)
  • Melodie Kao — Lowell Observatory, USA
  • Miguel Ángel Pérez-Torres — IAA-CSIC, Spain

Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

  • Yéssica Calatayud — University of Valencia, Spain
  • Juan B Climent — University of Valencia, Spain
  • José Carlos Guirado — University of Valencia, Spain
  • Rob Kavanagh — ASTRON / University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Diego Martín Carrero — University of Valencia, Spain
  • Iván Martí Vidal — University of Valencia, Spain
La agenda de esta reunión está vacía