Full Programme

Programme evaluation
Help us to fill in the session evaluation form here.

Latest updated programme
Click here for the full programme
(select different tabs for different days)

Oral session abstracts
Click here

Workshop sessions
Due to the large number of participants, pre-registration of the CAP2018 workshops is required. Please complete the workshop registration here. The workshops are first-come-first-served. 

Click here for workshop allocation list.

Workshop Details – HTML version  PDF version

Poster sessions
Click here for details
Poster size: A1 (59.4 x 84.1 cm)

Program Book (Printed Version – time not updated)
Click here for the printed version of the Program Book. (Please note that this pdf has NOT updated the correct time. Please check the online version above and onsite announcements for latest changes to the conference program.)

The registration desk will already open on Friday, March 23, from 15:00 to 21:00 on the 6th floor of the Fukuoka City Science Museum. We encourage you to register on Friday as we have a high number of conference participants.

Code of conduct
The CAP2018 follows the IAU anti-harassment guideline.

Presenter Instructions

Oral Presenters

  • Speakers are not allowed to use your own computer for presentation.
  • There will be one computer with Windows OS in each room to show the presentation. Supported format – Microsoft powerpoint and Adobe pdf. (pdf is preferred)
  • All presenters are required to transfer your presentation files to the computer in your room before the session start.
  • The file you copied will be uploaded to the CAP2018 website at a later stage. If you disagree or want to correct your presentation, please contact the SOCs.
  • If your presentation has audio or video, please test them on the central computer well beforehand.
  • The projectors are optimized with 16×10 aspect ratios.
  • Time allocation are
    • Keynote speakers – 20 minutes presentation + 10 minutes Q&A
    • Plenary speakers – 15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes Q&A
    • Parallel session speakers – 12 minutes presentation + 3 minutes Q&A
  • Keynote and plenary presentations are recorded.

Workshop Presenters

  • Workshop presenters should prepare their own computer for presentation.
  • The presenter should help to check the workshop participants are in the right workshop according to the workshop allocation.

Dome Session Presenters

  • Speakers present in the dome session should prepare their own computer for presentation.
  • The deadline for send in full dome data is over, no more additional full dome content is accepted
  • If your presentation has audio or video, please test them well beforehand.

Poster Presenters

  • The maximum size for the poster is A1 (59.4 cm width x 84.1 cm height). Portrait orientation.
  • There are two sessions of the poster presentation, please make sure you are posted on the right dates
    • Session 1 – Mar 24 (Saturday) to Mar 26 (Monday)
    • Session 2 – Mar 27 (Tuesday) to Mar 28 (Wednesday)
  • The organizers are not responsible for printing or storing the posters. Authors should arrange by themselves.
  • Authors are responsible for mounting and dismounting their own posters.
    • Session 1 posters can be mounted from Mar 23 (Friday) 15:30 – 18:00 or from Mar 24 (Saturday) and should be unmounted before Mar 26 (Monday) 6pm.
    • Session 2 posters can be mounted from Mar 27 (Tuesday) and should be unmounted before Mar 28 (Wednesday) 6pm.
  • All unmounted posters by the above time will be removed by the organizers, and automatically be discarded.
  • Please check your poster IDs and mount your posters according to your poster ID.
  • Participants should bring five (5) printed copies of the poster in A4 size, to be collected at the information counter next to the registration desk –  these copies will be available on a folder for all participants to consult for the entire duration of the meeting, even if the poster is no longer on display.

Invited speakers

Jennifer Ouellette

Jennifer Ouellette is a nationally recognized science writer and the author of four popular science books: Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self (2014); The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse (2010); The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007); and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006), all published by Penguin.

She is former science editor of Gizmodo, a popular technology/science daily news blog that garners over 35 million page views per month. Her freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times Book Review, Discover, Slate, Salon, Smithsonian, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, Nature, Physics Today, Physics World, and New Scientist, among other venues. From November 2008 to October 2010, Ouellette was the founding director of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a Los Angeles-based initiative of the National Academy of Sciences aimed at fostering creative collaborations between scientists and entertainment industry professionals in Hollywood. She holds a black belt in jujitsu, and lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Caltech physicist Sean (M.) Carroll.

Hitoshi Murayama

Hitoshi Murayama is a theoretical physicist who works on the connection between the physics of the small (elementary particles) and of the large (the Universe). In addition, he worked on a neutrino experiment and is currently leading a team of astronomers.

Hitoshi Murayama received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Tokyo in 1991. He had worked as a Research Associate at Tohoku University from April 1991, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from September 1993. He joined the Physics Department at UC Berkeley in July 1995, became an Associate Professor in July 1998, and Professor in July 2000. Professor Murayama is also the Director of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) at the University of Tokyo. He received Yukawa Commemoration Prize in Theoretical Physics in 2002. He is a Fellow of American Physical Society and a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He is well-known for his clear lectures for students and general audience.

Professor Norio Kaifu

Honorary Professor of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and Advisor to the IAU, Norio Kaifu graduated from the University of Tokyo, Ph.D. in astronomy in 1972. He led the construction of the Nobeyama 45-m Mm-wave Telescope in 1978-1982. We was a pioneer of mm-wave observations of interstellar molecules and star-forming phenomena in the early mm-wave astronomy era. He directed the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope construction on Mauna-kea in 1991-2000 and was appointed Director General of NAOJ (2000-2006). He also started ALMA-Japan as part of a worldwide project. Through these works he pushed Japanese ground-based astronomy to the current level. Having published 150 papers and several textbooks, his current scientific interest is exo-planets and life in the universe.

He served to Japanese basic science as a senior member of the Science Council of Japan. His long-year’s effort was directed also towards Asian astronomy cooperation: he established the EAMA (East Asian Astronomers Meeting) in 1990 and the EACOA (East Asian Core Observatories Association) in 2005, which recently resulted in the start of EAO (East Asian Observatory). For the IAU he served as Vice President,  member of the IYA2009 Working Group, President Elect, and President in 2012-2015. He is a writer and lecturer of science for the general public and also known as a book reviewer of the wide field of science.

Wanda Diaz Merced

Wanda L Diaz Merced is an astrophysicist from Puerto Rico, where she was born, raised and did her studies in physics. When she lost her sight in her early 20s, her dreams of studying stars in the visually oriented scientific world suffered a major setback — until she discovered “sonification,” a way to turn huge data sets into audible sound using pitch, duration and other properties. She has a PhD from the University of Glasgow in the use of sound to analyze astrophysics data. Since the year 2000, Dr Wanda has been working on finding perceptual modalities to analyze data and teach learners (students) how to analyze that same data. She focuses on learners with disabilities. Dr Wanda is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), in Cape Town where she works developing instructional material to teach disabled learners at school level how to analyze astronomical data.

Dominique Brossard

Dr. Brossard, Ph.D., is professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Brossard’s research agenda focuses on the intersection between science, media and policy. She is an internationally known expert in public opinion dynamics related to controversial scientific issues and she has published more than 100 research articles in outlets such as Science and Public Understanding of Science, and has been an expert panelist for the National Academy of Sciences. Brossard earned her M.S. in plant biotechnology from the Ecole Nationale d’Agronomie de Toulouse and Ph.D. in communication from Cornell University.

In her talk, “ Communicating Science in New Media Environments” she will discuss how scientific discourse gets constructed in online environments and stress the aspects that need to be taken into account for successful science communication, based on empirical research findings.

Social events

CAP 2018 in Japan will be an opportunity  for the participants to experience the beautiful surroundings of the conference and enjoy the many offerings Fukuoka City and the Island of Kyushu have to offer. The organisers have chosen the 24th to the 28th of March 2018 as the dates for the conference to be able to provide the full Japanese cherry blossom experience to CAP 2018 participants. The organisers believe that immersing the participants into the Japanese culture will result in a closeness that will reflect in future collaborations and strengthened bonds between them and Japan.

Welcome Ceremony Event
On Saturday, 24 March the main Welcoming Ceremony event will be held with a Noh performance followed by a star party.

COST: Free

Noh play
The participants will be able to enjoy a traditional Noh play. Noh is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. The theater hosting the play is a cultural facility located in Ohori Park, one of the largest parks in Fukuoka with a Japanese garden and a museum.

Stargazing party
Star parties and sky watching are very common in Japan. The Ohori Park, where Noh theater is located, will host a Japanese traditional sky watching event for all participants while enjoying the sakura trees in full bloom at night.

Banquet
The conference banquet will be held at the Hotel New Otani Hakata
Special dietary needs pointed out by the participants in advance will be fully assisted, not only during the banquet, but throughout the conference.

COST: 5 000 JP Yen*
Subway Station for the Banquet: Watanabe Dori Station

Conference Excursion
(NOTICE: The two conference excursions will be held on Thursday, March 29 during the the morning, starting 9:00am at Hakata St.)

The two main options for conference tours provided by the organizers were chosen to best suit all participants and to maximize their cultural experience during CAP 2018 in Japan. The two conference excursions will be held on Thursday, March 29 in the morning, starting 9:00am at Hakata St.

Option A: Walking around Fukuoka city tour
Walking around the Hakata Teramachi where you can feel the weight of millenary history and enjoy old traditional houses in Hakata, Fukuoka.
About 3 hours required / Tour conductor (English guide) / Minimum 20 pax 

COST: 2 000 JP Yen/person*
* Values may vary, subject to the daily currency rate applied at the time of purchase.

Option B: Dazaifu Tenmangu & Kyushu National Museum Bus Tour
Visit Dazaifu Tenmangu that is famous for the god of literature and Kyushu National Museum which theme is the interaction with Asian region.
About 6.5 hours required / Tour conductor (English guide) / Lunch included (restaurant) / Minimum 20 pax 

COST: 9 000JP Yen/person*

*Values may vary, subject to the daily currency rate applied at the time of purchase.
* The bus will make a stop at Fukuoka Airport ( at 3:30pm) before final stop at Hakata Station.

Programme evaluation
Help us to fill in the session evaluation form here.

Latest updated programme
Click here for the full programme
(select different tabs for different days)

Oral session abstracts
Click here

Workshop sessions
Due to the large number of participants, pre-registration of the CAP2018 workshops is required. Please complete the workshop registration here. The workshops are first-come-first-served. 

Click here for workshop allocation list.

Workshop Details – HTML version  PDF version

Poster sessions
Click here for details
Poster size: A1 (59.4 x 84.1 cm)

Program Book (Printed Version – time not updated)
Click here for the printed version of the Program Book. (Please note that this pdf has NOT updated the correct time. Please check the online version above and onsite announcements for latest changes to the conference program.)

The registration desk will already open on Friday, March 23, from 15:00 to 21:00 on the 6th floor of the Fukuoka City Science Museum. We encourage you to register on Friday as we have a high number of conference participants.

Code of conduct
The CAP2018 follows the IAU anti-harassment guideline.

Presenter Instructions

Oral Presenters

  • Speakers are not allowed to use your own computer for presentation.
  • There will be one computer with Windows OS in each room to show the presentation. Supported format – Microsoft powerpoint and Adobe pdf (pdf is preferred).
  • All presenters are required to transfer your presentation files to the computer in your room before the session start.
  • The file you copied will be uploaded to the CAP2018 website at a later stage. If you disagree or want to correct your presentation, please contact the SOCs.
  • If your presentation has audio or video, please test them on the central computer well beforehand.
  • The projectors are optimized with 16×10 aspect ratios.
  • Time allocation are
    • Keynote speakers – 20 minutes presentation + 10 minutes Q&A
    • Plenary speakers – 15 minutes presentation + 5 minutes Q&A
    • Parallel session speakers – 12 minutes presentation + 3 minutes Q&A
  • Keynote and plenary presentations are recorded.

Workshop Presenters

  • Workshop presenters should prepare their own computer for presentation.
  • The presenter should help to check the workshop participants are in the right workshop according to the workshop allocation.

Dome Session Presenters

  • Speakers present in the dome session should prepare their own computer for presentation.
  • The deadline for send in full dome data is over, no more additional full dome content is accepted
  • If your presentation has audio or video, please test them well beforehand.

Poster Presenters

  • The maximum size for the poster is A1 (59.4 cm width x 84.1 cm height). Portrait orientation.
  • There are two sessions of the poster presentation, please make sure you are posted on the right dates
    • Session 1 – Mar 24 (Saturday) to Mar 26 (Monday)
    • Session 2 – Mar 27 (Tuesday) to Mar 28 (Wednesday)
  • The organizers are not responsible for printing or storing the posters. Authors should arrange by themselves.
  • Authors are responsible for mounting and dismounting their own posters.
    • Session 1 posters can be mounted from Mar 23 (Friday) 15:30 – 18:00 or from Mar 24 (Saturday) and should be unmounted before Mar 26 (Monday) 6pm.
    • Session 2 posters can be mounted from Mar 27 (Tuesday) and should be unmounted before Mar 28 (Wednesday) 6pm.
  • All unmounted posters by the above time will be removed by the organizers, and automatically be discarded.
  • Please check your poster IDs and mount your posters according to your poster ID.
  • Participants should bring five (5) printed copies of the poster in A4 size, to be collected at the information counter next to the registration desk –  these copies will be available on a folder for all participants to consult for the entire duration of the meeting, even if the poster is no longer on display.

Invited speakers

Jennifer Ouellette

Jennifer Ouellette is a nationally recognized science writer and the author of four popular science books: Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self (2014); The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse (2010); The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007); and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006), all published by Penguin.

She is former science editor of Gizmodo, a popular technology/science daily news blog that garners over 35 million page views per month. Her freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times Book Review, Discover, Slate, Salon, Smithsonian, Mental Floss, Pacific Standard, Nature, Physics Today, Physics World, and New Scientist, among other venues. From November 2008 to October 2010, Ouellette was the founding director of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a Los Angeles-based initiative of the National Academy of Sciences aimed at fostering creative collaborations between scientists and entertainment industry professionals in Hollywood. She holds a black belt in jujitsu, and lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Caltech physicist Sean (M.) Carroll.

Hitoshi Murayama

Hitoshi Murayama is a theoretical physicist who works on the connection between the physics of the small (elementary particles) and of the large (the Universe). In addition, he worked on a neutrino experiment and is currently leading a team of astronomers.

Hitoshi Murayama received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Tokyo in 1991. He had worked as a Research Associate at Tohoku University from April 1991, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from September 1993. He joined the Physics Department at UC Berkeley in July 1995, became an Associate Professor in July 1998, and Professor in July 2000. Professor Murayama is also the Director of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) at the University of Tokyo. He received Yukawa Commemoration Prize in Theoretical Physics in 2002. He is a Fellow of American Physical Society and a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He is well-known for his clear lectures for students and general audience.

Professor Norio Kaifu

Honorary Professor of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and Advisor to the IAU, Norio Kaifu graduated from the University of Tokyo, Ph.D. in astronomy in 1972. He led the construction of the Nobeyama 45-m Mm-wave Telescope in 1978-1982. We was a pioneer of mm-wave observations of interstellar molecules and star-forming phenomena in the early mm-wave astronomy era. He directed the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope construction on Mauna-kea in 1991-2000 and was appointed Director General of NAOJ (2000-2006). He also started ALMA-Japan as part of a worldwide project. Through these works he pushed Japanese ground-based astronomy to the current level. Having published 150 papers and several textbooks, his current scientific interest is exo-planets and life in the universe.

He served to Japanese basic science as a senior member of the Science Council of Japan. His long-year’s effort was directed also towards Asian astronomy cooperation: he established the EAMA (East Asian Astronomers Meeting) in 1990 and the EACOA (East Asian Core Observatories Association) in 2005, which recently resulted in the start of EAO (East Asian Observatory). For the IAU he served as Vice President,  member of the IYA2009 Working Group, President Elect, and President in 2012-2015. He is a writer and lecturer of science for the general public and also known as a book reviewer of the wide field of science.

Wanda Diaz Merced

Wanda L Diaz Merced is an astrophysicist from Puerto Rico, where she was born, raised and did her studies in physics. When she lost her sight in her early 20s, her dreams of studying stars in the visually oriented scientific world suffered a major setback — until she discovered “sonification,” a way to turn huge data sets into audible sound using pitch, duration and other properties. She has a PhD from the University of Glasgow in the use of sound to analyze astrophysics data. Since the year 2000, Dr Wanda has been working on finding perceptual modalities to analyze data and teach learners (students) how to analyze that same data. She focuses on learners with disabilities. Dr Wanda is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), in Cape Town where she works developing instructional material to teach disabled learners at school level how to analyze astronomical data.

Dominique Brossard

Dr. Brossard, Ph.D., is professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Brossard’s research agenda focuses on the intersection between science, media and policy. She is an internationally known expert in public opinion dynamics related to controversial scientific issues and she has published more than 100 research articles in outlets such as Science and Public Understanding of Science, and has been an expert panelist for the National Academy of Sciences. Brossard earned her M.S. in plant biotechnology from the Ecole Nationale d’Agronomie de Toulouse and Ph.D. in communication from Cornell University.

In her talk, “ Communicating Science in New Media Environments” she will discuss how scientific discourse gets constructed in online environments and stress the aspects that need to be taken into account for successful science communication, based on empirical research findings.

Social events

CAP 2018 in Japan will be an opportunity  for the participants to experience the beautiful surroundings of the conference and enjoy the many offerings Fukuoka City and the Island of Kyushu have to offer. The organisers have chosen the 24th to the 28th of March 2018 as the dates for the conference to be able to provide the full Japanese cherry blossom experience to CAP 2018 participants. The organisers believe that immersing the participants into the Japanese culture will result in a closeness that will reflect in future collaborations and strengthened bonds between them and Japan.

Welcome Ceremony Event
On Saturday, 24 March the main Welcoming Ceremony event will be held with a Noh performance followed by a star party.

COST: Free

Noh play
The participants will be able to enjoy a traditional Noh play. Noh is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. The theater hosting the play is a cultural facility located in Ohori Park, one of the largest parks in Fukuoka with a Japanese garden and a museum.

Stargazing party
Star parties and sky watching are very common in Japan. The Ohori Park, where Noh theater is located, will host a Japanese traditional sky watching event for all participants while enjoying the sakura trees in full bloom at night.

Banquet
The conference banquet will be held at the Hotel New Otani Hakata
Special dietary needs pointed out by the participants in advance will be fully assisted, not only during the banquet, but throughout the conference.

COST: 5 000 JP Yen*
Subway Station for the Banquet: Watanabe Dori Station

Conference Excursion
(NOTICE: The two conference excursions will be held on Thursday, March 29 during the the morning, starting 9:00am at Hakata St.)

The two main options for conference tours provided by the organizers were chosen to best suit all participants and to maximize their cultural experience during CAP 2018 in Japan. The two conference excursions will be held on Thursday, March 29 in the morning, starting 9:00am at Hakata St.

Option A: Walking around Fukuoka city tour

Walking around the Hakata Teramachi where you can feel the weight of millenary history and enjoy old traditional houses in Hakata, Fukuoka.
About 3 hours required / Tour conductor (English guide) / Minimum 20 pax /

COST: 2 000 JP Yen/person*
* Values may vary, subject to the daily currency rate applied at the time of purchase.

Option B: Dazaifu Tenmangu & Kyushu National Museum Bus Tour

Visit Dazaifu Tenmangu that is famous for the god of literature and Kyushu National Museum which theme is the interaction with Asian region.
About 6.5 hours required / Tour conductor (English guide) / Lunch included (restaurant) / Minimum 20 pax  

COST: 9 000JP Yen/person*

*Values may vary, subject to the daily currency rate applied at the time of purchase.
* The bus will make a stop at Fukuoka Airport ( at 3:30pm) before final stop at Hakata Station.