Dissecting Galaxies with 2D Wide-field Spectroscopy

Our understanding of galaxy evolution has come to a new turning point. Rapid advances in integral-field spectroscopy allow investigations of spatially resolved internal properties of galaxies, both at low and high redshifts. Particularly important is the deployment of wide-field integral-field units (IFUs) on medium-sized telescopes. Large, nearby galaxies can now be dissected with unprecedented detail and sensitivity to low surface brightness emission. A number of surveys are now under way around the world, and even more ambitious ones are being planned. In light of these dramatic developments, we are planning to organize a meeting in the beautiful city of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Center in the northwest part of Yunnan province in China. Lijiang is not only a well-preserved ancient city famous for its picturesque architecture, graceful canals, and a unique, indigenous minority culture, but it is also close to Gaomeigu Observatory (40 km away from the ancient city), which hosts a 2.4-meter general-user optical telescope for which a wide-field IFU has been proposed. The goal of the meeting is to bring together experts in the IFU community to share their experiences, exchange ideas, plan future projects, and to help educate and foster collaboration with Chinese astronomers. The conference will focus on recent IFU observations and theoretical interpretation of nearby and high-redshift galaxies, covering a broad range of topics including kinematics, metallicity distribution, ionization structure, and star formation and AGN diagnostics.