Following the recent exchange of ideas on the future of the IAU WG on Ap & Related Stars, Elizabeth Griffin raised the following suggestion:
“One possible matter that may help [in securing a future for the WG on Ap & Related Stars] is allying [that] WG to the Time-Domain WG. The latter was born only recently out of total frustration that the IAU refused to create a new Commission for Time Domain (yet it made 3 such for History-related matters …) and nearly all Ap stars have associated variability. Though most people seem to associate “Time Domain” with Transients and their ilk, it is in fact as broad as the universe itself and we are trying to ensure that all types of science which are strongly involved in variability are represented in the TDA WG. The said WG will hold its first meeting as a Splinter Meeting in Honolulu on Friday August 7 at 9 am in Room 328, and I would like to encourage ApN people to attend and stake their claim as part of the TDA community. The TDA WG will be spear-heading a proposal for two things: (1) an IAU Symposium on Time Domain Astronomy in 2017, and (2) a new IAU Commission for Time-Domain Astronomy. The Ap community needs to be part of those too. What I am saying, therefore, is that the ApN group is part of a much wider forum where it should make its presence felt, yet also retain that immediate communication with the many stellar-research groups that it presently represents.”
I would like to join Elizabeth in encouraging those of you who will be in Hawaii on August 7 to attend the meeting of the Time-Domain WG. There is certainly considerable synergy between their interests and ours, and it is worth exploring possible interactions that may benefit both.
I would also like to invite all of you (whether you will attend the IAU GA or not) to let us know your opinion about a possible connection between our community and the time-domain community: do you find it interesting, relevant, valuable? Do you have any suggestions as to the way in which it should be developed? As usual, please email your comments to gmathys AT eso.org.
Gautier Mathys