Project Grant 2612109

CONFERENCE: EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES 2026 -THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY (AAS) HAS ORGANIZED A CONFERENCE ENTITLED ?EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES 2026? AS PART OF THEIR AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY TOPICAL CONFERENCE SERIES (AASTCS), TO BE HELD ON MARCH 16-20, 2026 IN DENVER, COLORADO. THE CONFERENCE, THE 11TH IN THE AASTCS SERIES, WILL COVER THE BROAD SUBJECT OF EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST AREAS OF ASTRONOMY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE TODAY. THE CONFERENCE IS INTENDED TO BE A FORUM FOR EXCHANGE OF IDEAS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THIS BROAD TOPIC AND WILL COVER ALL KINDS OF PLANETS (ROCKY AND GIANT, CLOSE-IN AND DISTANT), TECHNIQUES (TRANSITS, DIRECT IMAGING, HIGH-RESOLUTION), WAVELENGTHS (X-RAY TO MID-IR), AND PROCESSES (FORMATION, EVOLUTION, WINDS, CHEMISTRY, LIFE). THERE WILL BE INVITED SPEAKERS, CONTRIBUTED TALKS BY CONFERENCE ATTENDEES, AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS; THE ABSTRACTS OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE BULLETIN OF THE AAS, A FULLY OPEN ACCESS PUBLICATION OF THE AAS. THE CONFERENCE WILL BE OPEN TO ALL RESEARCHERS IN THIS FIELD, FROM UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO MORE SENIOR PROFESSORS, AND THUS IT WILL BENEFIT SOCIETY BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE STEM WORKFORCE. THE CONFERENCE WILL BE A SINGLE SESSION CONFERENCE OVER 4.5 DAYS SERVING A LARGE AND GROWING COMMUNITY OF ASTRONOMERS WHOSE RESEARCH EFFORTS FOCUS ON EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES. THE PREMISE OF THE CONFERENCE IS A MEETING THAT CAN BE A FORUM FOR EXCHANGE OF IDEAS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THIS BROAD FIELD, AND IT WILL FOCUS ON NEW, CUTTING-EDGE RESULTS AND SYNTHESIS OF KEY AREAS BY TOP EXPERTS. THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR SUCH A CONFERENCE, AS THE FIELD IS RAPIDLY GROWING IN PART DUE TO JWST, CONTINUED ADVANCES IN GROUND-BASED INSTRUMENTATION AND TECHNIQUES, AND THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING ATMOSPHERES IN EXOPLANET DEMOGRAPHICS STUDIES. THE CONFERENCE WILL INCLUDE 13 INVITED TALKS, UP TO 55 CONTRIBUTED TALKS, AND PROVIDE ALL ATTENDEES THE CHANCE TO PRESENT A POSTER, COVERING TOPICS THAT INCLUDE ALL TYPES OF EXOPLANETS (ROCK, GIANT, CLOSE-IN, DISTANT), EXOPLANET OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUES (TRANSITS, DIRECT IMAGING, HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY) ACROSS THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM (X-RAY TO MID-INFRARED), AND RELATED PROCESSES (FORMATION, EVOLUTION, WINDS, CHEMISTRY, BIOSIGNATURES). THE AAS HAS AN EXCELLENT TRACK RECORD? THROUGH THE AASTCS SERIES?OF ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS, AND ?EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES 2026? IS TIMELY AND FILLS THE NEED FOR AN OPEN CONFERENCE FOR THIS EXCITING AND RAPIDLY PROGRESSING FIELD. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.