IPFN hosts the 1st EXPAND COST Action Conference
The kickoff conference of the EXPAND COST Action – Extreme Plasma Network for Advanced Discovery – organised by IPFN, took place from 1 to 3 June at the historic Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, gathering leading international experts dedicated to the study of plasmas under extreme conditions.
Led by Frederico Fiúza, a researcher in the Astrophysical Plasmas Group (GAP) at IPFN and a professor in the Department of Physics at Instituto Superior Técnico, EXPAND is a European network devoted to advancing the understanding of relativistic plasmas found in extreme astrophysical environments, such as the magnetospheres of black holes and neutron stars.
These plasmas play a fundamental role in processes including energy transport, particle acceleration and high-energy radiation emission, yet they continue to pose major challenges across theoretical, computational, observational and experimental physics.
Over the course of three days, the conference provided a forum for discussing the field’s most pressing scientific questions and the collaborative opportunities that the COST Action aims to foster over the next four years. The programme was structured around the network’s six Working Groups: Radiative QED Plasmas, Strong-Field QED Plasmas, Relativistic Plasmas, Plasmas in Strong Gravity, Computing Core, and Training, Dissemination & Communication.
The programme featured several contributions from IPFN researchers. Frederico Fiúza opened the conference with an overview of the COST Action, together with Joonas Nättilä. Marija Vranic, professor and researcher at GoLP/IPFN, co-chaired the session on Radiative QED Plasmas, while Thomas Grismayer presented a lecture on laboratory pair-plasma production.
Luís O. Silva, Scientific Coordinator of GoLP/IPFN and professor at Técnico, discussed particle-in-cell methods and their applications to both astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The conference also included a contribution from Joana Lobo Antunes, Assistant Professor at Técnico and Head of Communication, Image and Marketing at Técnico, who gave a presentation on science communication and outreach, focusing on strategies to maximise the reach and societal relevance of scientific research across diverse audiences.
For Frederico Fiúza, the conference marked an important milestone in consolidating this new European network, describing it as an “excellent opportunity to bring together a diverse community—with different scientific backgrounds and methodologies, yet united by a shared fascination with some of the most extreme and intriguing phenomena in the Universe and a common desire to understand them”. He added that “the enthusiasm was palpable” and expressed optimism about what the network will be able to achieve collectively over the next four years.
Alongside the scientific presentations, the event included discussion sessions, networking opportunities and poster presentations, creating a meeting point for communities that traditionally approach these challenges through different methodologies, ranging from theory and numerical simulations to astronomical observations and laboratory experiments using high-intensity lasers and particle accelerators.
One of EXPAND’s central objectives is to build an interdisciplinary community dedicated to the physics of extreme plasmas by fostering collaboration across scientific disciplines and strengthening the training of early-career researchers. The Action also aims to develop new tools, promote short-term scientific missions, disseminate research outcomes within the international scientific community and enhance public engagement through science communication activities.
The conference gathered researchers from a wide range of European and international institutions and was locally organised with the support of Instituto Superior Técnico and IPFN. The EXPAND COST Action is funded by the European Union through the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).
More information about the EXPAND COST Action: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA24149/
