GrandMagnet 2026:  Decoding the Magnetized Dusty Universe

Gravity and magnetic fields are among the primary forces shaping cosmic ecosystems. Interstellar dust plays an important role in star formation, serves as the raw material for planet formation and carries the chemical ingredients that ultimately enable life. Dust extinction and emission trace the mass distribution of interstellar matter, providing a means to quantify gravity, while dust polarization reveals magnetic-field structures and probes the physical properties of dust grains.

Astrophysical polarization research is entering a period of rapid growth, driven by powerful observational facilities. Instruments and surveys such as ALMA, NOEMA, IRAM/NIKA2-POL, JCMT/POL-2, SOFIA/HAWC+, and large-scale starlight polarization projects have transformed our understanding of magnetic fields across diverse environments. Upcoming facilities and missions—including PUFFINS, PRIMA, the Large Submillimeter Telescope (LST/AtLAST), and SKA—will enable unprecedented multi-wavelength studies of dust and magnetic fields across all scales. Advances in Faraday rotation, Zeeman splitting, dust polarization, and velocity/intensity-gradient techniques are making quantitative three-dimensional mapping of magnetic fields possible. Theoretical models of dust polarization have matured into predictive frameworks, while state-of-the-art magnetohydrodynamic simulations coupled with radiative transfer now produce synthetic polarization observations that can be directly compared with data. This convergence of observations, theory, and simulations has established polarization as a uniquely powerful tool for probing 3D magnetic fields and revealing the fundamental physics of cosmic dust.

Building on the legacy of the 2018 Cosmic Dust and Magnetism conference and the SAGI Astrophysics Workshop series, GrandMagnet 2026: Decoding the Magnetized Dusty Universe through Multi-Wavelength Polarization will bring together leading researchers to share recent advances, foster collaborations, and discuss the future facilities and missions that will shape the next decade of research on cosmic dust, polarization, and magnetic fields.