Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the first observational confirmation on a n accretion burst in a massive protostar – an event that reshaped our understanding of star formation. Accretion bursts, while well-studied at the low-mass part of the stellar population, are crucial in the formation of massive stars, but had previously remained elusive. To celebrate this milestone, we are organizing this hands-on workshop designed to equip early-career researchers and students, particularly from Africa, with practical skills in data reduction and analysis. Participants will gain first-hand experience in processing both spectroscopic and continuum data using state-of-the-art observational facilities from South Africa and around the world. The workshop will primarily focus on the data from the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), with additional training on data reduction techniques for interferometric arrays such as MeerKAT, the VLA, and VLBI. Some emphasis will also be placed on supporting Ghanaian students, developing their skills to conduct research as the Kutunse radio telescope will hopefully be operational in the near future and will hopefully join the international efforts both as a single-dish and as part of the VLBI network. This workshop aims to build capacity in the field of massive star formation research, providing attendees with the skills and tools necessary to analyze complex datasets from a range of facilities, and growing National, African, and Interantional collaborations in the radio astronomy community. 

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Register here

Local Organising Committee (LOC):

Dr. Fanie van den Heever

Ms. Aimee Dumont

Ms. Dimakatso Maheso

Ms. Ashleigh Koortzen

Scientific Organising Committee (SOC)

Dr. Fanie van den Heever (NWU, Potchefstroom campus)

Dr. Ross Burns (RIKEN, Japan)

Dr. Olga Bayandina (SKAO, South Africa)

Dr. Pfesi van Zyl (SARAO, South Africa)

Distinguished Guest Speaker, Willem Baan (Urunchi VLBI station, China)