Rubin2036 Workshop Proceedings
Science cases and technical upgrades explored at the August 2026 workshop
This page collects materials from the Rubin 2036 workshop: the post-workshop group white papers, slides from a selection of the talks, and the workshop agenda. The full set of contributed documents is archived in the Rubin 2036 Zenodo community.
Group White Papers
Each working group developed a white paper after the workshop. The papers are archived in the Rubin 2036 Zenodo community; the Group B paper (alternative cadences and footprints) will be added when it is posted.
Cosmology and Astrophysics with Vera C. Rubin Observatory Using New Filters
Authors: Lindsey Bleem, Alex Broughton, Jeffrey L. Carlin, Eric Charles, Anirudh Chiti, Suber Corley, et al.
Multi-Messenger Cosmology and Astrophysics after the LSST
Authors: Sean MacBride, Shenming Fu, Yijung Kang, Shreya Anand, Nandini Hazra, Meng-Xiang Lin, et al.
Enabling Technology and Upgrades for Rubin 2036
Authors: Steven Allen, Adam S. Bolton, Charles F. Claver, Holger Drass, Alex Drlica-Wagner, Kevin Fanning, et al.
Talks
Gravitational Wave Multimessenger Astronomy in the 2030s
Authors: Antonella Palmese
Prospects for gravitational-wave multimessenger astronomy in the 2030s and the role Rubin can play in electromagnetic follow-up.
Spec-S5: The Concept from Snowmass
Authors: Jeffrey A. Newman
The Spec-S5 Stage-5 spectroscopic experiment concept as developed through the Cosmic Frontier Snowmass process.
Spec-S5: A Next-Generation Spectroscopic Observatory
Authors: Claire Poppett
The Spec-S5 concept for a next-generation wide-field spectroscopic facility to complement Rubin.
Rubin 2036 Lightning Talks
Authors: Workshop participants
Collected lightning talks contributed by workshop participants across the five working-group themes.
NOIRLab and Rubin
Authors: Robert (Bob) Blum
NOIRLab perspective on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its future operations beyond the LSST.
Rubin 2036: Technical Summary of Previous Workshops and Whitepapers
Authors: Aaron Roodman
Review of prior post-LSST planning efforts and the technical constraints relevant to Rubin operations after the LSST survey.
Rubin 2036: Workshop Introduction and Goals
Authors: Andrés A. Plazas Malagón
Opening talk introducing the Rubin 2036 workshop, its motivation, structure, and the charge to the five working groups.
Rubin 2036 Session at the Rubin Community Workshop 2026
Authors: Session organizers
Introductory and session-chair slides for the Rubin 2036 session held at the Rubin Community Workshop (RCW) 2026.
Gravitational Wave Astrophysics using Rubin Observatory after the LSST
Authors: Sean Patrick MacBride (University of Zurich)
Gravitational-wave astrophysics case for Rubin after the LSST, presented at the Rubin 2036 session of the Rubin Community Workshop (RCW) 2026.
Agenda
Opportunities for Discovery — The Future of the Rubin Observatory After the LSST. KIPAC / SLAC, 3–5 August 2026 (Mon–Wed).
Day 1 — Monday, 3 August 2026 Framing, groups, first pitches and writing
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00–09:15 | Welcome, charge, and format | Andrés A. Plazas Malagón |
| 09:15–09:45 | Previous work and technical constraints | Aaron Roodman |
| 09:45–10:15 | NOIRLab's perspective on plans and processes for the future; potential operational and programmatic constraints for Rubin | Bob Blum |
| 10:15–11:00 | A crystal-ball view of astrophysics and cosmology in 2036: what major developments might we see, and what will the most important scientific questions be? | Risa Wechsler |
| 11:00–11:30 | Coffee | |
| 11:30–12:15 | Decadal and funding-agency landscape | Josh Frieman |
| 12:15–13:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30–14:30 | Lightning talks (14 participants, ~4 min each) | |
| 14:30–14:45 | Charge for Session 1: groups to rooms; define in-person leads and online co-leads; open the document | |
| 14:45–15:45 | Session 1: answer prompts 1 and 2 (goal; why Rubin) | Group leads and participants |
| 15:45–16:00 | Break | |
| 16:00–16:50 | Session 1 continued: answer prompts 3 and 5; first rough notes for every idea | |
| 17:00–17:35 | Share-back and discussion | |
| 17:45 | Welcome reception (pizza and beverages) |
Day 2 — Tuesday, 4 August 2026 Synergies and deep writing
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00–09:10 | Recap and plan for the day | Andrés A. Plazas Malagón, Aaron Roodman |
| 09:10–10:30 | Synergies talks | A. Palmese (online), H. Miyatake, J. Newman, C. Poppett |
| 10:30–11:00 | Coffee | |
| 11:00–12:30 | Session 2: prompts 4, 6, 7, 8 (what Rubin needs; metric; connections; next steps and leaders/contributors) | Groups |
| 12:30–13:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30–15:30 | Session 3: turn the notes into prose (section v0.1) | Groups |
| 15:30–15:45 | Coffee break | |
| 15:45–16:45 | Session 3 continued: every section reads end-to-end at rough-prose quality | Groups |
| 16:45–17:15 | Share-back and SOC sync: one paragraph per group; SOC checks gaps |
Day 3 — Wednesday, 5 August 2026 Finish, assemble the roadmap, close
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00–09:40 | Recap of the workshop document(s) discussion: where each section stands; what must close today | Andrés A. Plazas Malagón, Bob Blum, group representatives |
| 09:40–09:45 | Group picture | |
| 09:45–10:30 | Session 4: finish the prose | |
| 10:30–10:45 | Coffee | |
| 10:45–12:00 | Session 4 continued | |
| 12:00–13:00 | Lunch | |
| 13:00–14:15 | More writing | |
| 14:15–14:45 | Break | |
| 14:45–15:00 | Closing remarks: post-workshop timeline; who drafts which white paper by when; the next workshop in the series; thanks | Andrés A. Plazas Malagón, Aaron Roodman |
| 15:00 | Formal workshop adjourns | |
| 15:00–17:00 | (Optional) post-close writing session: SOC, section leads, and anyone who wants to keep writing | SOC |
Contributing
To add your document:
- Upload your document to Zenodo and save the DOI.
- In a branch or fork of this repository, edit
_data/Rubin2036papers.ymlto add a card for your document, including the Zenodo DOI. - Make a Pull Request to this repository.
The admins will review your document for consistency with the template and coherence and merge in your changes.
