Magnetic Fields and Cosmic Rays across Diverse Scales: What’s Next?

We are pleased to announce the conference Magnetic Fields and Cosmic Rays across Diverse Scales: What’s Next? that will be held at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, from September 8-12, 2025.

The conference will bring together observers, theorists, and simulators to foster discussions on the fundamental physical processes at play, the latest results, and the challenges in explaining recent observations across diverse environments (intergalactic, intracluster, and intragroup mediums, and galactic center filaments), connecting micro and macro scale plasma processes. Our goals are to build and consolidate a network of collaborators from complementary fields and facilitate the exchange of ideas and expertise to advance our collective understanding of complex phenomena in these diverse environments. We will focus on addressing key unresolved questions, in particular: 

• How are magnetic fields amplified, and how do they evolve and affect the dynamics and properties of the ionized media? 

• What physical mechanisms drive the transport and acceleration of cosmic rays in diverse plasma environments, and how do they shape the overall energy budget?

• Can current theoretical models explain the relativistic plasma structures that are being observed?

• What are testable predictions for probing the fundamental properties of non-thermal and thermal plasma phenomena linking micro to macro-scale processes? 

• How does the population of cosmic rays evolve and accelerate in magnetized radio filaments in different environments?

Large dedicated time will be devoted to the following topics:

•  Cosmic Ray Transport and Acceleration 

•  Cosmic Magnetic Fields in Diverse Environments 

•  Micro and Macro Plasma Processes

To foster collaboration and idea exchange across diverse yet interconnected fields with somewhat different methods and terminology, ample time will be allocated for in-depth discussion sessions focussed on the conference's main topics. These will be preceded by review/invited talks.  Contributed talks and poster presentations will be organized. 

Local Organizing Committee                                                   Scientific Organizing Committee

Andra Stroe (CfA/STScI)                                                                                             Alexander A. Schekochihin (University of Oxford)        

Christine Jones (CfA)                                                                                                  Andra Stroe (Space Telescope Science Institute/CfA)

Ewan O'Sullivan (CfA)                                                                                                  Andrea Botteon (INAF- Istituto di Radioastronomia)

Gerrit Schellenberger (CfA)                                                                                        Christoph Pfrommer (University of Potsdam) 

Jaya Maithil (CfA)                                                                                                        Eugene Churazov (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)  

Jan Vrtilek (CfA)                                                                                                           Ewan O'Sullivan  (CfA)       

Kamlesh Rajpurohit (CfA, chair)                                                                                Kamlesh Rajpurohit (CfA-chair) 

Laurence David (CfA)                                                                                                  Marcus Brüggen (University of Hamburg)

Paola Domínguez Fernández (CfA)                                                                           Marisa Brienza (INAF- Istituto di Radioastronomia)

Tirna Deb (CfA)                                                                                                             Matthias Hoeft (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg)

William Forman (CfA)                                                                                                  Paola Domínguez Fernández (CfA)   

                                                                                                                                                               William Forman (CfA, co-chair)