Abstract

FM7 will be a forum to discuss the recent and future advances in the field of the spatial distribution of metallicity in galaxies, including the Milky Way. Radial metallicity gradients have been successfully used through the recent past to set important constraints on the chemical evolution of galaxies. However, some fundamental key questions, as, for instance, how gradients evolve with time, are still under debate. Current results from large Galactic and extragalactic surveys have brought a wealth of new information on several aspects of gradients of star-forming galaxies, such as, e.g., their shape as function of galaxy properties, their possible bimodality, and their evolution with time. This meeting will focus on metallicity gradients to emphasize the major achievements and requirements both in the observational field and in the new chemo-dynamical evolutionary models. The proposed scientific program includes a variety of probes and observational techniques, both in the Milky Way and in external galaxies, although it will be very focused on the implications of radial metallicity gradients for galaxy formation and evolution.