 FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
1. General information This is the second and final announcement for the conference on "MODERN THEORIES FOR STRUCTURE FORMATION", to be held at the Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (CAUP), Porto, Portugal, on 13-18 September 1999. We have set out as main goal to review and discuss the recent theoretical and observational advances in cosmology, in particular in the area of structure formation. In particular, the following topics will be covered: Overview of the 'standard' cosmology, with an emphasis on the observational parameters and their implications towards successful cosmological model building. Discussion of the two theoretical paradigms of structure formation which are at present in agreement with observation, namely inflationary and topological defect (in particular cosmic string) models. With an emphasis in contrasting the detailed observational predictions from the two paradigms, aiming to provide ways to discriminate between them in future observational tests. Discussion of galaxy and cluster formation and evolution, concentrating on the recent observational developments and its implications. Discussion of the theory of cosmic microwave background anisotropies, the present observational status (in particular, the implications for the cosmological parameters and gaussianity) and the prospects for the next generation of experiments, such as MAP and PLANCK. 2. Scientific Organizing Committee
3. Programme
4. Important Deadlines
Registration - 15 May 1999
5. Abstracts and Proceedings If you would like to present a contribution at the conference you must submit an abstract. The abstract should be limited to 15 lines in the final LaTeX processed output (or approximately 200 words). This abstract will be printed in an abstract booklet which will be distributed at the beginning of the conference. Contributed presentations will be in the form of posters or oral presentations (whenever possible). The abstracts should be submitted using the LaTeX macro provided. Proceedings will be published electronically including the oral presentations and the posters. 6. Conference Site This conference will take place in the city of Porto in the Centre for Astrophysics/Planetarium. CAUP is a young research institute in Astronomy and Astrophysics set up only six years ago, with 14 researchers (lecturers and post-doctorates), with major areas of interest being stellar astrophysics and cosmology. It hosts the European MSc in Astrophysics and, a Msc in Teaching of Astronomy. CAUP also has a popularization of science component with a portable planetarium, already visited by more than 100 000 children, and an "Astroteca" - an astronomy resource for the public. It is also responsible for the activities of the Planetarium of Porto. Besides absorbing the actual CAUP activities, the new infrastructure also plays a major role in gathering together research and popularization in Astronomy. The conference location is close to a shopping area with several places for lunch and dinner. Buses to the town centre run fairly often from the conference site and take approximately 20 minutes. 7. About Porto Porto is Portugal's second largest city. It is located in the northern margin of the river Douro, near the Atlantic. The city has a population of around 350 thousand inhabitants, but if we consider the metropolitan area the population is around 1.2 million. It is also a major centre for commerce and industry in Portugal. Porto is the birthplace of Infant D. Henrique, the Navigator, and had an important role in the Portuguese maritime expansion. In terms of art, there are a number of baroque churches with a distinct golden woodcraft. The old centre of the town has been recently classified as "World Heritage", by UNESCO, due to its historic and architectonical importance. The name of the city, usually known as Oporto to the British, derives from "portus", word that the romans added to the local name "cale" (meaning refuge or shelter): "porto de cale" (the root of name "Portugal"). From the beginnings of the XII century, the city is designated simply as "portus", Porto. The city is largely well known in the world mainly due to its famous Port wine ("vinho do Porto"). The wine is cultivated and produced in the mountains along the river Douro to the East of Porto, and is then matured in special oak barrels in cellars by the river, in Porto. Participants will have the opportunity to taste some Port Wine. 8. Travelling to Porto
Please make all the necessary VISA arrangements to come to Portugal. If you arrive from one of the European Union countries you don't need a VISA. There are also many other countries from where a VISA is not required. Please enquire at the local Portuguese embassy. 9. Weather and Money Spending Weather in Porto in mid September is usually dry and sunny, with temperatures rarely lower than 20 degrees Celsius. Most shops take all major credit cards (VISA, MASTERCARD, ACCESS, AMERICAN EXPRESS). This might not be true in small restaurants which are used for snacks and lunches. Also, there is a good network of cash machines where you can withdraw money. These accept all major cards. 10. Accommodation There's an Accommodation Form which includes a list of hotels (with different prices and categories) that are located close to the conference site and downtown. Walking from the hotels close to the conference site takes about 10-15 minutes. From downtown, the buses (number 35, 37 or 78) take about 20-30 minutes. Try to book your room as soon as possible - we cannot guarantee that last minute registrations can be accommodated. The conference hotel is the hotel Ipanema Porto, but we also give information about other possible options. Prices per room per night are (breakfast included):
Residenciais: (bed-and-breakfast type of accommodation with private facilities)
A map of Porto with indication of all hotel and Residenciais is available. 11. Social Events The conference dinner is described below. For organizational reasons, the total number of participants must be known in advance. So, if you are interested in participating, please fill in the corresponding Social Events form attached at the end of this document. Conference Dinner - The conference dinner will be held in a boat which will travel along the river Douro. The participants can enjoy the view of historic Porto. The dinner is free for the participants of the conference. 12. Forms You can use on-line forms or download an ASCII version.
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