The symposium addresses the main topics related to the structure and evolution of our Galaxy :
- The oldest stars in the Milky Way: very metal-poor stars, globular clusters, RR Lyraes, white dwarfs
- Halo assembly and building blocks: cosmological simulations, halo formation and merger history, dark matter, streams, Dark Energy Survey
- The Bulge-disk and Bulge-halo interface: disentangling the mixed populations in the central regions of the Galaxy, the bar, the bulge, the central black hole.
- New views on the inner Galaxy with OGLE, VVV and APOGEE
- The Galactic disk and its chemodynamical properties: secular evolution, gas accretion, merger rates, chemistry, ages, and kinematics
- Tracers of the galactic disk abundance gradients (planetary nebulae, HII regions, Cepheids, open clusters, field stars) and their temporal evolution.
- Galactic archaeology with asteroseismology and spectroscopic surveys: new results from CoRoT, Kepler and K2 in combination with APOGEE, GALAH, LAMOST, Gaia-ESO; preparing for Gaia/LSST/Plato-2. How well can we calibrate age indicators and constrain star formation histories in the different Milky Way components?
- Establishing advanced models of the Milky Way
- Outlook: upcoming Gaia data releases and preparing target strategies for upcoming spectroscopic surveys such as WEAVE and 4MOST