Welcome to “Gaia Challenge”. With the Gaia launch next year, our goal is to test and improve our mass modelling methods from Jeans modelling and distribution function modelling to Schwarzschild modelling, M2M and others. To this end, we are organising the first “Gaia Challenge” workshop next Summer August 19th - 23th at the University of Surrey, UK.

The workshop will revolve around a series of test problems (mock data) posted online in advance. Attendees will be invited to apply their favourite methods to these mock data to recover the underlying gravitational potential and/or phase space distribution function. Building dynamically realistic mocks means bringing together N-body simulators, dynamicists and the stellar population synthesis and dust extinction community. A key goal of this workshop - in addition to improving mass modelling techniques - is to facilitate the exchange of expertise between these communities and to foster longer term collaborations.

To post or try a test problem, please follow the links on the left. If you are planning to participate in setting up a test problem, or would like to use the test data, please read our draft publication policy. This will be finalised at the workshop and is therefore subject to change. Comments/improvements are most welcome.

Happy modelling!

SOC Justin Read, Mark Gieles & Daisuke Kawata