Everything FLOWS
from cosmic infall to galactic fountains
An informal workshop on gas flows in and out of galaxies, bringing together theory, observations, and modelling of accretion and galactic winds. Groningen, The Netherlands — Zernike Campus.
Overview
We are organising a workshop on gas flows in and out of galaxies entitled Everything FLOWS: from cosmic infall to galactic fountains, to be held in Groningen, the Netherlands, at the Zernike Campus, from 26 to 30 October 2026.
We are aiming for an informal meeting, with 30–40 participants and plenty of time for discussion in small and larger groups. The workshop will focus on theoretical aspects, observational data, and ongoing modelling efforts related to gas accretion, galactic winds and fountains, and their role in galaxy evolution. We are happy to discuss both established results and work in progress.
Scientific rationale
Galaxies are not closed systems: their formation and evolution are regulated by the continuous exchange of gas with their surroundings. Fresh gas accretion from the cosmic web and circumgalactic medium provides the fuel for star formation, while stellar feedback and active galactic nuclei can drive powerful outflows that redistribute gas, metals, and energy into galactic halos and beyond. Some of this material may escape permanently, while some may later return as part of galactic fountains. Together, these inflows, outflows, and recycling processes constitute the baryon cycle, a central but still incompletely understood component of galaxy evolution.
Despite major progress in observations and simulations, many key questions remain open. It is still unclear how gas accretion proceeds in different environments and at different cosmic epochs, how galactic winds are launched and structured, how gas is recycled through fountains, and how these processes regulate the gas reservoirs and star formation histories of galaxies. Addressing these questions requires close interaction between observations, theoretical interpretation, and numerical modelling.
The workshop Everything FLOWS: from cosmic infall to galactic fountains will bring together a focused group of researchers working on gas accretion, galactic winds, fountains, and related aspects of galaxy evolution. Its informal format, with 30-40 participants and ample time for discussion, is intended to encourage exchange on both established results and work in progress, discuss common challenges and complementary approaches, and promote new connections and collaborations.
The workshop is divided into three main sessions:
Theory of gas flows
Small and large scale simulations of gas flows in galactic environments
Observations of gas flows
How to observe and characterise star-formation and AGN-driven outflows, galactic fountains, and inflowing gas.
Evolution models
How accretion and outflows together regulate the growth, structure, and chemical enrichment of galaxies over cosmic time.
Program
The workshop runs from Monday, October 26th morning to Friday, October 30th early afternoon. The detailed scientific programme is not yet finalised — a draft outline is available on the programme page.
View program →Venue & Travel
Zernike Campus
Nijenborgh 3, 9747 AD Groningen
The Netherlands
Attendance
This workshop is by invitation, and we are very happy to have you join us and contribute. There is no registration fee, and we will provide lunches, coffee breaks, and a workshop dinner.
See organisers & participants →