Laboratory Astrophysics White Paper (based on the 2010 NASA Laboratory Astrophysics Workshop in Gatlinberg, Tennessee, 25-28 October 2010)

TL;DR

This white paper summarizes the 2010 NASA Laboratory Astrophysics Workshop, highlighting current knowledge, data needs for space missions, and future challenges in the field of laboratory astrophysics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the state of laboratory astrophysics and identifies key data gaps and opportunities for NASA's space missions.

Findings

Assessment of current laboratory astrophysics knowledge

Identification of critical data needs for NASA missions

Discussion of future challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The purpose of the 2010 NASA Laboratory Astrophysics Workshop (LAW) was, as given in the Charter from NASA, "to provide a forum within which the scientific community can review the current state of knowledge in the field of Laboratory Astrophysics, assess the critical data needs of NASA's current and future Space Astrophysics missions, and identify the challenges and opportunities facing the field as we begin a new decade". LAW 2010 was the fourth in a roughly quadrennial series of such workshops sponsored by the Astrophysics Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate. In this White Paper, we report the findings of the workshop.