Understanding the messages contained in these spectra will make unprecedented demands on our understanding of atomic and molecular processes and our ability to simulate conditions in these non-equilibrium plasmas. This workshop is designed to bring together developers of plasma emission codes, experts in atomic physics and radiation transport, and observers who hope to understand the message in the spectrum. A broad range of physical processes determine the observed spectrum, and a complete simulation of the plasma is an intricate computational problem. The physical state of the gas is often determined by processes at the frontiers of theoretical and experimental atomic and molecular physics. The main goals are to identify current uncertainties, future needs, and promote research in quantitative spectroscopy.
Many plasmas are optically thick.
We will establish a new set of benchmarks in the spirit of the 1994 Lexington Meeting. The workshop will be held at the University of Kentucky, 15-18 November 2000. It is supported by NASA and the University of Kentucky. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific has agreed to publish a book as part of their Conference Series. The book will consist of a series of invited reviews that will cover the many research areas that determine conditions in an astrophysical plasma.