[09/06/2026].
We are excited to announce the first edition of "Gamma Connection: Building the CTAO community in Latin America" to be held in Santiago de Chile from 9-12 December 2026 (poster in attachment).
Organised by the CTAO with the support of ESO (European Southern Observatory), the CLAF (Latin-American Center for Physics), and SOCHIAS (Chilean Astronomical Society), the conference will focus on gamma-ray and astroparticle physics, with particular emphasis on developments in Latin America and the evolving multi-messenger framework.
With the goal of strengthening and highlighting the Latin American scientific and engineering community's contributions to the CTAO as it approaches initial operations, the scientific programme scientific programme will cover:
- The current status of gamma-ray astronomy and future scientific capabilities;
- Updates on the CTAO, early science and opportunities for community involvement;
- Status of other instruments operating at the highest energies, such as SWGO.
The conference will feature contributed talks and poster sessions. Abstract submission on topics relevant to the CTAO, either for its preparation (including results from current very high-energy instruments) or for its future scientific exploitation, are welcomed until 12 July via the conference website. Contributions in areas of multi-messenger and multi-wavelength astronomy, analysis methods, and technical contributions are particularly encouraged.
Key information:
Dates: 9 – 12 December 2026
Location: ESO premises, Vitacura, Santiago de Chile
Registration: Attendance is free (both in-person and online) but registration is required. Registration is open now until the maximum capacity of 100 participants is reached, or until October 31, 2026
Travel Support: Limited travel and accommodation support, funded by CLAF and ESO, is available for students and early-career researchers affiliated with Latin American institutions. Eligible individuals can apply - before July 12, by emailing a CV and a brief letter of interest to the organisers for evaluation by the SOC.
For more information and future updates, please visit the official conference webpage:
https://gammaconnection.ctao.org/
We look forward to an engaging meeting and to building a stronger CTAO community together!
Communicated by: Roberta Zanin, on behalf of the Organisers