| Description: | A small workshop on star-planet interaction recently took place in Marseille (6-8.1.2009). This workshop united both planetary and stellar physicists, so that all aspects of star-planet interactions could be discussed from two very different points of view. The topics that were discussed included tidal interaction (synchronous rotation, circularisation, and orbital evolution), spectroscopic signatures (spectropolarimetry, chromospheric emission), and planetary magnetospheres (radio emission, winds, CMEs).
We also spend a considerable fraction of our time studying the interaction of snow with the local planetary environment. As Marseille had not had any snow in over 20 years, nobody was prepared for 20 cm of this white stuff. The metro closed temporarily, busses stopped running, and the airport was closed for one day, as were local schools. Apart from interesting science we also learned something else: Bring water-proof shoes!
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