Keck Science Meeting 2019

UCLA Physics & Astronomy

September 19-20, 2019


About the Keck Science Meeting

For the 2020 meeting, please click this link.


UCLA Physics & Astronomy and the W.M. Keck Observatory are pleased to announce the 2019 Keck Science Meeting, which will take place at UCLA on Thursday and Friday, September 19-20, 2019.


Location: UCLA Physics & Astronomy Department
Address: 475 Portola Plaza, Room 1-425, Los Angeles, CA 90095


The meeting will bring together Keck users from UCLA, Caltech, the University of California, NASA, the University of Hawaii, Yale University, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Swinburne University and Australian Keck users, and Subaru.


The primary focus of the meeting will be to share exciting science results made possible by Keck Observatory.


UCLA to host the KAPA Science team meeting on
September 18, 2019

UCLA will also host the kickoff meeting for the KAPA Science Project the day before the Keck Science meeting. Please click on the website link below for more information: https://conferences.pa.ucla.edu/kapa-science-meeting-2019/.


To register for the KAPA Science Project Meeting, please click here. You'll need to register separately for both the KAPA Science Project Meeting and the Keck Science Meeting.


The KAPA Science Team Meeting will bring together scientists and engineers from California and Hawaii to work on the design, development, and deliverables of the Keck All-sky Precision Adaptive-optics (KAPA) project.


KAPA will deploy a laser-guided tomographic adaptive optics system that opens nearly the entire sky to high-quality, diffraction-limited infrared imaging. KAPA will expand the scientific reach of the Keck I telescope, one of the worlds largest optical/infrared telescopes.


At this meeting, the KAPA science team will review KAPA progress and begin planning the 4 key KAPA Science Surveys: (1) constraining dark matter/dark energy theories using strongly lensed galaxies and quasars, (2) testing theories of gravity using our Galaxy's supermassive black hole and its environment, (3) studying galaxy formation and evolution in detail with large samples of lensed galaxies, and (4) directly imaging young exoplanets in nearby star forming regions. We will also discuss performance predictions and science simulations needed to prepare for and take rapid advantage of KAPA’s first delivered hardware improvements."



Scientific Organizing Committee

• Matt Malkan, UCLA, Chair
• Evan Kirby, Caltech, Co-Chair
• Jeff Cooke, Swinburne
• Erik Petigura, UCLA
• Wen-fai Fong, Northwestern
• Jessica Lu, UC Berkeley
• Daniel Huber, University of Hawaii
• Marla Geha, Yale
• Dawn Erb, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• J. Christopher Howk, University of Notre Dame
• Geronimo Villanueva, NASA
• Greg Doppmann, Keck Observatory


Local Organizing Committee

• Matt Malkan
• Michael Fitzgerald
• Andrea Ghez
• Ian McLean
• Anna Liden
• Laura Quattropani
• Wendy Ravenhill


Meeting information

UCLA is located on the west side of Los Angeles. Check out special room rates for attendees here. You can also check out other lodging options, from budget to upscale.

UCLA's home page maintains a useful set of directions and maps for reaching campus by car or public transit. A detailed map of the Physics & Astronomy Department is available at this link.

Parking is available on the UCLA campus; Parking Structure #2 is closest to the Physics & Astronomy Building. A daily parking permit costs $13 and is available at kiosks in the parking structure. The UCLA parking website has more information. If you already belong to another UC campus and have parking privileges there, please read these instructions to use your own UC parking permit.

Lunch and morning/afternoon coffee breaks will be provided for meeting attendees. For dinner, UCLA has on-campus facilities. For Westwood Village explore these dining options.

We aim for a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, or personal beliefs. We recommend that participants read the AAS Code of Ethics. Everyone will be expected to abide by this code. In particular, harassment, abusive behavior, or intimidation of conference participants are not allowed.