The General Assembly of Galaxy Halos (IAU S317)

The proceedings of IAU S317 offer an updated view of the stellar halos of galaxies, from the local universe to more distant systems, discussing differences and similarities among them. They review the results of ongoing large photometric and spectroscopic surveys and compare them to the predictions of new generation simulations at the forefront of our technical capabilities. Structures are analysed on both large and small scales, with attention given to the kinematical and chemical properties of their smallest and oldest components. A number of excellent reviews on state-of-the-art research, covering fields such as first stars, galactic archaeology, stellar halos in cosmological simulations, discrete constituents of stellar halos - from field, isolated stars to globular clusters and planetary nebulae - are accompanied by contributed papers presenting the results of original research by top-level specialists in the area. IAU S317 benefits researchers with interests encompassing stellar and galactic astrophysics and galaxy evolution.

• A state-of-the-art discussion on galaxy halos on all scales, from the Milky Way to the distant universe, as seen from both an observer's and a theoretician's point of view
• Features results from large surveys and large-scale simulations, as well as detailed studies of the Milky Way halo components and of nearby halos, to help constrain the galactic formation scenario
• Provides results from studies of halos currently at the border of technical feasibility, as distant counterparts of the local populations, and explores the differences and similarities in distant and young systems