
The End of Star Formation
- Event Type
- Conference/Workshop
- Sponsor
- NSF, AUI, NRAO, NAASC, Royal Astronomical Society
- Location
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications
- Date
- Mar 2, 2026 - Mar 6, 2026 All Day
- Contact
- Decker French
- deckerkf@illinois.edu
- Views
- 11
- Originating Calendar
- Center for AstroPhysical Surveys
- Scientific Rationale
Galaxy merging is a central prediction of the ΛCDM paradigm, and has the potential to drive rapid changes in galaxy properties. Most importantly, mergers have the potential to both rapidly enhance and then rapidly halt – or "quench" – star formation in the remnant. In this conference, we will bring together members of the astrophysical community studying the merger-driven rapid quenching of star formation in galaxies, from the nearby universe to high-redshift. We aim to address the following key questions:
What are the main mechanisms for rapid quenching and what are its signatures?
How is rapid quenching related to morphological change and the buildup of central black holes?
What are the big open questions regarding the physics of rapid quenching?
What is the influence of AGN throughout the quenching phase?
What have we learned in the last several years (with e.g., JWST, ALMA, new cosmological simulations, etc.) and how will upcoming facilities progress our understanding of rapid galaxy quenching?
The idea of this meeting is to bring together observers, with experience at all wavelengths, and theorists working on rapid quenching at any simulation scale. With a focus on discussion and model–observation comparison, we aim to identify the biggest open questions on how and why galaxies quench, and collaboratively discuss which areas are most critical for advancement.
Abstracts & RegistrationUpdate: Abstract submission deadline extended to November 22, 2025. Additional funding for travel support now available.
Abstract submission (due November 22): https://forms.gle/rJeKzVTMpn7HYUmP6
We anticipate providing decisions on accepted abstracts around December 15th.
Registration will open in December, with an anticipated deadline of late January.
