Disk Galaxies and Galaxy Disks

Abstract

The conference Galaxy Disks and Disk Galaxies, sponsored by the Vatican Observatory, was held in June 12-16, 2000 at the Pontifical Gregorian University, in Rome (Italy). The meeting hosted about 230 participants coming from 30 countries. The very full program consisted of 29 review papers, 34 invited talks, and more than 180 posters. The meeting covered topics regarding the structure, formation and evolution of galaxies with disks. Particular attention was dedicated to the stellar and gaseous disk of the Milky Way, the global characteristics of galaxy disks, their structure, morphology and dynamics, the gaseous components, star formation, and chemical evolution, the interactions, accretion, mergers and starbursts, the dark and luminous matter, the establishment of the scaling laws, and the formation and evolution of disk galaxies from a theoretical and observational point of view.