The coolest massive stars: winds, companions, and the aftermath

Red supergiants (RSGs), the coolest massive stars, remain poorly understood. They are the progenitors to the most common type of core-collapse supernova in the Universe. Despite their importance, much of the physics that determines their evolution and eventual fate, including impact of multiplicity, remain uncertain. 

This splinter session aims to bring together observers and theoreticians working on RSGs, their environments, and their progeny, spanning scales in both space and time. To stimulate active discussion, we strongly encourage participants to attend this splinter session in person.

The splinter session will be divided in 2 blocks

• Block 1: Red supergiant atmospheres and wind launching mechanisms

• Block 2: Red supergiants as SN progenitors: the effects of mass-loss and multiplicity

We plan with invited talks (2 per block), contributed talks (2 per block), and a moderated discussion to bridge (1) the multiple physical and temporal scales, (2) models versus observations, and (3) the different sub-communities, such as RSG – SN – SNR (20 minutes per block). 

✨  We solicit pre-conference input to the discussion blocks  ✨, to probe which topics the participating audience finds most pressing. This format is intended to actively engage the audience and identify some of the most pressing questions and highlight observational and theoretical paths forward. The 30-minute break will allow for poster viewing and further discussions.

Have a look at the following pages for further information

• Rationale

• Speakers

• Schedule

• Organisers