June 23-28, 2003, Tatranska Lomnica, Slovak Republic

Second Announcement - Registration - Call for Papers

GENERAL INFORMATION

A summarizing Symposium of the ISCS Project will be held in Tatranska Lomnica (Slovak Republic) on June 23-28, 2003. This Symposium will be hosted by the Slovak National Committee of SCOSTEP (SNC) and the Astronomical Institute (AI) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Accidentally, SNC commemorates its 10th anniversary, while AI alone was decreed before half a century (1953-2003), and its observatories at Skalnate Pleso (1943-2003) and Lomnicky Stit (1963-2003) commemorate their rounded 60th and 40th jubilees. Fortunately and understandably, the ISCS Symposium belongs to the highlights among the commemorative events.

The main sponsors of the Symposium - Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP), International Astronomical Union (IAU), European Space Agency (ESA), Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), Volksbank (Ludova banka) Slovakia, National Science Foundation (NSF) and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) - are acknowledged for their subsidy.

VENUE

The ISCS 2003 Symposium will take place in the Congress Centre (CC) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences situated a short way from the mountain village Tatranska Lomnica (TL) in the eastern part of High Tatras, a first-class touristic centre in Slovakia. The Tatras National Park (TANAP), though relatively small, represents the highest part (2655 m a.s.l.) of the Carpatian arch-like mountains raising from Danube river near Bratislava and falling down close to the same river in Romania. Succession of five maps here should help you to identify the venue precisely.

The Hotel Academia (HA), Lecture Hall (LH - 170 seats), lesser Meeting Rooms (MR) and a number of other hotels are within walking distance of the CC. The Astronomical Institute is nearby, while its Lomnicky Stit Coronal Observatory is accessible by the cableway. The picturesque hikes are possible throughout the TANAP using tens of kilometres of the indicated routes by signs. Sight-seeing tours to the neighbouring Kezmarok and Levoca medieval cities and to the Spis Castle and Red Cloister ( rafting on the Dunajec river) are advised. The High Tatras region is easily accessible by car, train and plane.

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME

The ISCS 2003 Symposium will summarize the most recent results gained on the measurements of irradiancy and particle radiation outputs by a wide range of solar activity phenomena. The results to be presented should be based on the measurements gained by space-borne and ground-based instruments. A special attention will be paid to understanding of regularities in variations of the discrete and global solar energy fluxes. Modelling efforts and explanations of the observed changes in these fluxes are expected considering a decisive role of magnetic field in the processes. The Symposium will also deal with responses of solar variability in the heliosphere and Earth's environment. Definitive framework and logistics of the CAWSES (Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System) program (2004-2008) approved by ICSU for the SCOSTEP community should be discussed and reviewed.

Topics of the Scientific Sessions, Conveners and a number of oral talks are listed below.

• OPENING:

  08:30 - 08:45	Welcome
  08:45 - 09:00	Opening talk - S.T. Wu (co-chairman of the ISCS project)

• SESSION I (Tuesday, morning):
  • Magnetic Field Variations through Cycle 23
  • Convener(s): Judit PAP / Claus FROHLICH

    Session Chair:	C. Frohlich
    09:00 - 09:30	A. Kosovichev:
    	Global Properties (What Helioseismology Teaches Us about the Sun?) (invited)
    09:30 - 10:00	P. McIntosh:
    	Patterns and Dynamics of Solar Magnetic Fields and HeI Coronal Holes in Cycle 23 (invited)
    10:00 - 10:15	E.V. Ivanov, V.N. Obridko, B.D. Shelting:
    	The role of the meridional circulation in generation of the 22-year solar cycle
    10:15 - 10:45	Coffee break
    Session Chair:	M. DeLand
    10:45 - 11:15	V. Bumba:
    	Cyclic Changes of the Solar Global and Local Magnetic Fields Patterns (invited)
    11:15 - 11:45	C. Frohlich:
    	Solar Irradiance Variability (invited)
    11:45 - 12:00	Lefebvre, S., Rozelot, J.-P.:
    	Influence of the Sun Radius Variability on Irradiance Modelling
    12:00 - 12:30	L. Floyd, G. Rottman, M. DeLand, J. Pap:
    	11 Years of Solar UV Irradiance Measurements of UARS (invited)
    12:30 - 14:00	Lunch break

  
  
• SESSION II (Tuesday, afternoon):
  • Spectral Irradiance Variability Originating in the Photosphere, Chromosphere and Corona
  • Convener(s): Judit PAP / Claus FROHLICH

    Session Chair:	L. Floyd
    14:00 - 14:15	J. Pap, L. Floyd, R. Helizon:
    	Long-Term Variations of Total Solar and UV Irradiances
    14:15 - 14:30	M.T. DeLand and R.P. Cebula:
    	NOAA-9 SBUV/2 Solar UV Data for Cycle 22
    14:30 - 14:45	M. Haberreiter, E. Rozanov, W. Schmutz:
    	Variability of solar UV radiation
    14:45 - 15:15	F. Eparvier and T. Woods:
    	Solar EUV Spectral Irradiance: Measurements and Variability (invited)
    15:15 - 15:45	Coffee break
    Session Chair:	J. Pap
    15:45 - 16:15	S. Walton:
    	Modeling the TSI Using Ground-Based Observations: Recent Progress and New Questions (invited)
    16:15 - 16:45	P. Fox:
    	Current Status, Outstanding Issues and Future Directions for Physics-based Solar Irradiance Variability Models (invited)
    16:45 - 17:00	S.K. Solanki, A. Seleznyov, N.A. Krivova:
    	What causes irradiance variations on minutes to days time scales?
    17:00 - 17:15	A. Ortiz, V. Domingo, B. Sanahuja:
    	Contribution of the Small Photospheric Magnetic Elements to the Long-term Solar Irradiance Variability
    17:15 - 17:30	F. Berrilli, D. Del Moro, S. Giordano, G. Consolini, A. Kosovichev:
    	Characterization of supergranular features via topological measures
    17:30 - 18:00	V.I. Makarov, A.G. Tlatov, D.K. Callebaut:
    	Temperature of Solar Corona During the Last 50 Years (invited)

  
  
• SESSION III (Wednesday, morning):
  • Solar Global Changes: Atmospheric/Climate Effects of Solar Variability
  • Convener(s): Judit PAP / Claus FROHLICH

    Session Chair:	P. Fox/TR>
    08:30 - 09:00	L. Svalgaard:
    	Determination of Interplanetary Magnetic Field Strength, Solar Wind Speed, and EUV Irradiance, 1890-Present (invited)
    09:00 - 09:30	I. Usoskin:
    	Long-term Solar Cycle Evolution (invited)
    09:30 - 10:00	N. Krivova and S. Solanki:
    	Solar total and spectral irradiance: modelling and a possible impact on climate (invited)
    10:00 - 10:15	Coffee break
    Session Chair:	G. Thuillier
    10:15 - 10:45	R. Muscheler and J. Beer:
    	Long-term Climate Variations and Solar Effects (invited)
    10:45 - 11:15	J. F. Gonzalez-Rouco, E. Zorita, U. Cubasch, H. v. Storch,
    	I. Fisher-Bruns and U. Schlese:
    	Simulating the climate since 1000 AD with the AOGCM ECHO-G (invited)
    11:15 - 11:30	S. Duhau:
    	Global Earth Surface Temperature Changes Induced by Solar Dynamo Mean Magnetic Field Variations
    11:30 - 11:45	K. Georgieva, B. Kirov, J. Javaraiah:
    	Solar Asymmetry and Sun-Earth Connections
    11:45 - 12:15	H. Schmidt and G. Brasseur:
    	HAMMONIA: A New Whole Atmosphere Model to Investigate the Climate Effect of Solar Variability (invited)
    12:15 - 12:30	N. Kilifarska and J. Haigh:
    	Effect of Solar Variability on Chemical Composition and Thermal Structures in Stratosphere Derived from HALOE measurements
    12:30 - 14:00	Lunch break
    14:00 - 20:30	Excursions

  
  
• SESSION IV (Friday, morning, see the Schedule):
  • Parallel ISCS WG1 and WG2/3 Sessions
  • Convener(s): Judit PAP, David WEBB, George SIMNETT
  • Topics proposed for discussion:
    
  • WG1:
    • Data Calibration and Validation;
    • Models and Techniques;
    • Climate Models and what has to be done.
  • WG2/WG3:
    • Space Weather Aspects of CMEs; Forecasting Tools;
    • Interplaneatry CMEs: Remote sensing and in-situ signatures, magnetic clouds, modeling;
    • The importance of multiple eruptions of magnetic structures.
  
  
• SESSION V (Thursday, afternoon):
  • Comparison of CME Activity: Solar Cycle Maximum and Minimum
  • Convener(s): Simon PLUNKETT
  • Oral talks:
    

    14:00 - 14:30	N. Gopalswamy:
    	Coronal Mass Ejections Activity during Solar Cycle 23 (invited)
    14:30 - 14:45	A.N. Zhukov, I.S. Veselovsky, V. Bothmer, A.V. Dmitriev, F. Clette,
    	J.-F. Hochedez, E.P. Romashets, P. Cargill:
    	Solar Wind Disturbances and Their Sources in the EUV Solar Corona
    14:45 - 15:15	A.C. Sterling:
    	A Near-Solar-Cycle's Worth of CME Studies with Yohkoh (invited)
    15:15 - 15:45	Coffee break
    15:45 - 16:15	V. Bothmer:
    	Sources of Magnetic Helicity over the Solar Cycle (invited)
    16:15 - 16:30	C.C. Wu, R.P. Lepping, N. Gopalswamy:
    	The Occurrence Anomalies of Magnetic Clouds and CMEs Vary with Solar Activity
    16:30 - 16:45	A. Dal Lago, L.E.A. Vieira, E. Echer, W.D. Gonzalez, A.L. Clua de Gonzalez,
    	F.L. Guarnieri, L. Balmaceda, J. Santos, R. Schwenn, N.J. Schuch:
    	Solar and Interplanetary Causes of Super Storms in the Period of 1997-2001

  
  
• SESSION VI (Thursday, morning, see the Schedule):
  • Initiation of CMEs
  • Convener(s): Volker BOTHMER
  • Oral talks:
    

    08:30 - 08:45	D. Maricic, B. Vrsnak, D. Rosa, B. Hrzina:
    	Initiation and development of two coronal mass ejections
    08:45 - 09:15	P. Heinzel
    	EUV filaments and their mass loading (invited)
    09:15 - 09:30	L. Wei, P.Z. Xue, S.T. Wu, P. Scherrer:
    	Effects of Magnetic Topology on CME Kinematic Properties
    09:30 - 09:45	M. Tomczak:
    	Kinematics of X-ray ejections
    09:45 - 10:00	M. Barta and M. Karlicky:
    	Radio manifestation of reconnection outflow jets
    10:00 - 10:30	Coffee break
    10:30 - 10:45	A. Nindos, J. Zhang, H. Zhang:
    	Patterns of photospheric evolution and the initiation and magnetic helicity of CMEs
    10:45 - 11:00	C. Foullon:
    	Automated detection and 3D reconstruction of EUV prominences
    11:00 - 11:15	B. Sylwester and J. Sylwester:
    	Analysis of Yohkoh-observed limb flare accompanying strong CME/SEP events
    11:15 - 11:30	D.K. Callebaut, V.I. Makarov, A.G. Tlatov:
    	Relation between 'solar magnetic dipole' and filament bands
    11:30 - 11:45	B.A. Lindblad:
    	Solar Control of Meteor Radar Rates
    12:30 - 14:00	Lunch break

  
  
• SESSION VII (Friday, afternoon):
  • CMEs, ICMEs and Space Weather
  • Convener(s): David WEBB
  • Oral talks:
    

    14:00 - 14:30	B. Jackson, P.P. Hick, A. Buffington:
    	Remote Sensing of Heliospheric Structures Using IPS and Thomson Scattering Observations (invited)
    14:30 - 14:45	B. Vrsnak, D.Ruzdjak, D. Sudar, N. Gopalswamy:
    	Dynamics of Coronal Mass Ejections in the Near-Sun Interplanetary Space
    14:45 - 15:00	Y. Feldstein, B. Tsurutani, W. Gonzalez, A. Prigancova, A. Levitin, J. Kozyra,
    	L. Alperovich, U. Mall, L. Gromova, L.A. Dremukhina:
    	Space Weather Signatures of the 1-7 May 1998 Global Disturbances and Their Quantification in Terms of Magnetospheric Contributions into Dst Development
    15:00 - 15:30	R. von Steiger and T.H. Zurbuchen:
    	Composition Signatures of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (invited)
    15:30 - 16:00	Coffee break
    16:00 - 16:15	J. Richardson:, J.C. Kasper, A.J. Lazarus, C. Wang:
    	Solar Cycle and/or Helium Variations in the Solar Wind
    16:15 - 16:30	E. Romashetsand M. Vandas:
    	Interplanetary Magnetic Clouds of Toroidal Shapes
    16:30 - 17:00	M. Vandas:
    	Interplanetary Modeling of ICMEs (invited)
    17:00 - 17:15	D. Odstrcil:, J.A. Linker, R. Lionello, Z. Mikic, P. Riley, V.J. Pizzo, J.G. Luhmann:
    	3-D Simulations of ICMEs by Coupled Coronal and Heliospheric Models
    17:15 - 17:30	Z. Smith, T. Detman, M. Dryer, C.D. Fry, C.-C. Wu:
    	Study of Solar-based Inputs into Space Weather Models that Predict Interplanetary Shock Arrivals at Earth
    17:30 - 17:45	V.N. Ishkov:
    	Short Term Forecast of Solar Geoeffective Flare Events

  
  
• SESSION VIII (Saturday, morning):
  • Interplanetary Shock Waves and Solar Energetic Particles
  • Convener(s): George SIMNETT
  • Oral talks:
    

    08:30 - 09:00	I.A. Robinson:
    	Low Energy Proton Signatures of Halo CMEs at L1 (invited)
    09:00 - 09:30	M. Reiner:
    	Radio Signatures of Solar Energetic Particle Acceleration (invited)
    09:30 - 10:00	S. Poedts,B. Van der Holst, I. Chattopadhyay, D. Shergelashvili, D. Banerjee,
    	R. Keppens, H Deconinck:
    	Simulations of Shock Waves in the Interplanetary Medium (invited)
    10:00 - 10:15	G.M. Simnett:
    	A New Concept For Solar Flares
    10:15 - 10:30	J. Magdalenic, P. Zlobec, B. Vrsnak, M. Messerotti, H. Aurass:
    	Radio Signatures of Fast Oscillatory Phenomena in the Solar Corona
    10:30 - 10:45	L.I. Miroshnichenko:
    	Multiple Particle Acceleration at the Sun: New Approach to Separation of the Sources
    10:45 - 11:00	Coffee break

  
  
• SESSION IX (Saturday, morning):
  • Future Activities
  • Convener(s): Shi Tsan WU / Brigitte SCHMIEDER
  • Oral talks:
    

    11:00 - 11:30	B. Schmieder:
    	Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System (CAWSES) (invited)
    11:30 - 12:00	J.L. Bougeret:
    	Future Programs in Solar and Heliospheric Radio Astronomy (invited)
    12:00 - 12:30	R.A. Howard:
    	Stereo mission (invited)

  
  
  
• JOSO MONDAY'S SESSION (Monday, afternoon):
  • JOSO (Joint Organization for Solar Observations) Meeting: New Instruments/Missions/Eclipse Results
  • Convener(s): Arnold HANSLMEIER
  • Oral talks:
    

    14:00 - 14:20	Gyori, L., Baranyi, T., Mezo, G., Ludmany, A.:
    	Current status of Debrecen Photoheliographic Data
    14:20 - 14:40	Kotrc, P.:
    	Problems of Measurement od Linear Polarization in Solar Flares
    14:40 - 15:00	Kotrc, P., Kschioneck, K.:
    	From Czerny-Turner to a Multichannel Spectrograph, from Photografic to CCD Detectors
    15:00 - 15:20	Lefebvre, S., Rozelot, J.P.:
    	An original contribution inside the whole PICARD program: the MIRESOL
    15:20 - 15:40	Otruba, W., Poetzi, W., Hanslmeier, A.:
    	Instrumentation upgrade at Kanzelhohe Solar Observatory
    15:40 - 16:00	Sylwester, J., Sylwester, B.:
    	Patterns of X-ray Line Emission Variability as Observed by RESIK Bragg Spectrometer
    16:00 - 16:30	Coffee break
    16:30 - 18:30	JOSO Business Meeting:

  CALL FOR PAPERS

  You are invited to submit abstracts of your contributions in the whole range of topics indicated above. The abstracts must be submitted via the ISCS 2003 Symposium web site Abstract Form in which you are particularly asked to indicate the Session number to which your contribution is related. The individual Session committees (conveners) will decide on acceptance of your submissions and allocate them to the oral and/or poster categories. An ultimate deadline for the abstract submissions is 31 March 2003. This is because the SOC/conveners need time to arrange the Sessions. Authors will be notified on the acceptance of their contributions before 15 April 2003. Possible later abstracts (contributions) may be considered for a poster presentation only.

  FORMAT AND PRESENTATION

  The Symposium will consist of a series of invited reviews (25 minutes + 5 minutes for discussion), invited oral contributions (10 + 5 minutes), accepted oral contributions (10 + 5 minutes) and posters. The posters are intended to be up for the entire meeting (however, a final decision on this will depend from an actual number of the poster submissions). Poster tables will probably be not unified but an 80x80 cm minimum size is guaranteed. One evening Poster Session is planned in duration of about 2 hours.

  Overhead and slide (5x5 cm) projectors will be available. Computer presentation will be possible in case of adjusting oneself to the following circumstances: We have data projector of ASK C105 XGA type with resolutions 800x600 and/or 1024x768. You may bring (a) your notebook with an output to external monitor, and/or (b) your presentation on diskette or CD prepared in MS Power Point program (an appropriate computer will be on hand).

  A computer centre with access to the Internet will be available to the participants, together with a limited copying facility.

  PROCEEDINGS

  All the accepted contributions (including posters) will be published as a well-known ESA-SP volume. Mr. A. Wilson is appointed to be Editor. A basic requirement to authors is to bring their CAMERA-READY PAPERS to the editor of the ESA-SP volume who will be present at the Symposium on 25 and 26 June. Twelve (12) pages for invited reviews, six (6) pages for invited oral contributions and four (4) pages for contributed talks and posters are envisaged. You may prepare your camera-ready papers by using the MS World text-processor program or by using the LATEX program. Instructions for ISCS 2003 proceedings are available here as a MS Word file (which you can use as a template for MS Word) and a PDF file. LATEX ESA-SP style is available here.

  REGISTRATION

  Registration via the ISCS 2003 Symposium web site (please, use the Registration Form there) is highly preferred. However, don't hesitate to use our fax number, e-mail and post addresses in case of any difficulties. In any event, the filled in Registration Form should be sent to LOC before March 31, 2003. The participants who pre-registered themselves are kindly asked to fulfil and send us the Registration Form, as well (understandably, the Registration Form provides additional important information in comparison with those in the Pre-registration Form).

  In case of your undecidedness do not hesitate to registrate after the above deadline until the Registration Form will be dispalyed at the Symposium web site.

  REGISTRATION FEE

  We are pleased to announce a certain reduction of the Registration Fee (RF) in comparison with that published in the 1st Announcement. This is mainly because the ESA willingness to publish Proceedings of our Symposium. On the other hand, a continuous strengthening of the Slovak Crown (Sk) against EURO (for more than 12% during several last months) has an opposite effect in comparison with the ESA contribution. Anyway, we are able to reduce a basic RF to 280 EUR for participants and to 80 EUR for accompanying persons. This Registration fee may be paid at the registration desk upon arrival. The LOC will welcome your early registration at amount 240 EUR (60 EUR for accompanying persons). The deadline for early registration is March 31, 2003. The RF includes the complete Congress Centre renting and services (including computer and poster facilities), a bag with the Booklet of Abstracts and a writing set, refreshments at the coffee breaks and all the Social Events except of Closing Dinner. However, apart from RF, we found sponsors to invite all the participants to attend the Closing Dinner free of charge.

  PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT

  Any individual payments in advance (before your arrival) should be made by direct transfer of the correct sum in EURO (Czech and Slovak participants in Slovak crowns - Sk) to the below account. All payments must be free of bank charges to the receiver, i.e. all bank charges for effecting the international money transfer must be met by the remitter. This must be explicitly stated when authorising the international money transfer order.

  At the Symposium registration desk only payment in cash in Slovak Crowns, EURO and USD will be accepted (using actual rate of exchange). Please note that the personal checks, traveler's checks, company checks or Eurocheques cannot be accepted at the registration desk.

  In most of the hotels payments by credit cards are accepted (VISA, MasterCard, EuroCard, Maestro, Dinner's Club). Unfortunately, the paying by American Express is not acceptedin the hotels.

  Exchange of foreign currencies (Euro, US$, Swiss francs, English pound) is possible in the Kontakt and Horizont hotels (5% tax). Banks are open in Tatranska Lomnica and Poprad from 08:00-17:00.

  LOC has established a special account for ISCS 2003 Symposium. Please use next data for payment or for transfer of money by sponsors:
  

  Bank: SLOVENSKA SPORITELNA, a.s.
        Bratislava 
        Slovak Republic
        SWIFT Code:  SLSPSKBX
  
  Name of account: SYKORA Julius
                   ISCS 2003
                   Jesenskeho 15
                   Poprad, Slovakia
  
  Account No.:     0491877594/0900
  

  It will help (a matter of tax) if as a title of payment you will state: 613 (non-commercial transfer).

  For example, correspondence banks in USA are:
  

        Cur. Bank:                  Account No.               SWIFT Code:
        American Express Bank       00725085                  AEIBUS33      
        Bankers Trust Company       04850168 /FW021001033/    BKTRUS33
  

  The data of Cur. Banks partners of SLOVENSKA SPORITELNA (SLSP a.s.) in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Croatia and Switzerland are available here. It is believed that, in fact, you can use desk of any bank in your country and desk of any bank in the countries not listed above. However, in case of not using Cur. Bank some additional charging for transfer of money is applied.

  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

  A limited amount of funds is available to assist the participation of young researchers (under 35), the scientists from developing countries and perhaps from Central and Eastern Europe. However, this support will only be partial, covering preferably accommodation and/or waiving the registration fee. Applications for the grants are now closed(*) and the Grant Request Form was removed from our web site. SOC will decide on the level of individual assistance and information on support should reach the applicants before February 28, 2003.

  (*) For US scientists granted from US sources a special deadlines are adopted (31 March 2003 for application and 1 April 2003 for information). The US applicants should contact the chairman of the ISCS Project and SOC (S.T. Wu) and the chairmen of the ISCS Working Groups (Judit Pap and David Webb) directly at their addresses (e.g., E-mails: wus@cspar.uah.edu, papj@marta.gsfc.nasa.gov, david.webb@hanscom.af.mil).

  TRAVEL INFORMATION

  How to reach the venue of Symposium:

  (a) By Plane

  The nearest international POPRAD-TATRY Airport is only 18 km from the Symposium venue. Unfortunately, due to process of economic transformation nowadays no regular flights to/from this Airport are operated.

  The nearest easily accessible airport is the KOSICE Airport at the distance of about 100 km south-east from Tatranska Lomnica. The Kosice Airport is daily reachable from two major destinations: Bratislava (Czech Airlines, SKY EUROPE Airlines), Prague (Czech Airlines, SKY EUROPE Airlines). The weekdays flights to Kosice are also from Vienna Airport (operated by Tyrolean Airlines). There is a bus/shuttle service between the Kosice and Poprad-Tatry Airports. You are strongly adviced to buy your ticket indicating as a final destination of your flight the Poprad-Tatry Airport. Then, a fare for the bus/shuttle transport from Kosice to Poprad is included in the price of your ticket.

  If your flight (via Prague, Vienna or any other destinations) terminates in Bratislava (about 340 km from Poprad) then you are encouraged to continue by train (see below). One should notice that there is a rather frequent bus connection (in interval of about two hours) between Vienna Airport and Bratislava (50 km).

  CZECH AIRLINES (CSA)

  CZECH AIRLINES (CSA) operate flights from PRAGUE to KOSICE and provide automatically the bus transport from KOSICE to POPRAD (about 100 km). The price of the bus transportation is included in the price of the flight ticket under a condition that you booked and bought your ticket to/from POPRAD (!). It means that you need to buy your ticket by asking for the flight, e.g., from Huntsville to Poprad. The following parts of the flight (as an example) should be identified in your flight ticket: Huntsville - New York, New York - Frankfurt, Frankfurt - Prague, Prague - Kosice, Kosice - Poprad (then the last part of your "flight" represents, in fact, a bus transportation). The same procedure for the return flight. You should buy the ticket for destination (Poprad - Kosice, ... - Huntsville). The first part (Poprad - Kosice) of your "flight" will be again realized by bus.

  This is a time-table of the Czech Airlines (CSA) for 2003 SUMMER SEASON.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  - From PRAGUE to KOSICE (and POPRAD):
  
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Flight No.    Day of the week  Departure       Arrival         Arrival (*) 
                                  (PRAGUE)        (KOSICE)       (POPRAD, bus)
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  OK 974        1 2 3 4 5 7      10:40            12:10          14:00    
  OK 972        1 2 3 6          12:40            13:55          15:45           
  OK 972        7                12:40            14:10          16:00
  OK 978        6                19:40            21:10          23:00
  OK 978        1 2 3 4 5 7      21:40            23:10          -- --
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Only the last flight has no CSA bus transportation from Kosice to Poprad. 
  If necessary, LOC will provide van/bus transportation to the participants 
  using  this last flight of the day.
  
  - From (POPRAD) KOSICE TO PRAGUE:
  
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Flight No.    Day of the week  Departure (*)    Departure      Arrival 
                                 (POPRAD, bus)    (KOSICE)       (PRAGUE)
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  OK 979        1 2 3 4 5 6      -- --            06:20          07:50   
  OK 979        7                04:45            08:00          09:30           
  OK 973        1 2 3 6          11:25            14:40          15:55
  OK 973        5 7              11:25            14:40          16:10
  OK 975        1 2 3 4 7        13:00            16:20          17:50
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Only the first flight has no CSA bus transportation from Poprad to Kosice. If 
  necessary LOC will provide van/bus transportation to the participants using 
  this first flight of the day.
  
  (*) Departures and Arrivals of bus from Kosice to Poprad and from Poprad to
  Kosice may differ by minutes.
  

  SKY EUROPE AIRLINES

  Except of CSA there is a smaller company SKY EUROPE Airlines providing cheap flights from PRAGUE and BRATISLAVA (Vienna) to KOSICE. (For more information on the flights by this company see the Sky Europe web site). Connecting flights of the Sky Europe Airlines to Bratislava and Prague are from Munchen, Berlin, Zurich and Milan. It is possible to make reservation or/and buy the ticket from your residence by using an ambossed paying card. The Sky Europe Airlines does not provide bus/van transport from Kosice to Poprad. If necessary the LOC will solve this for you.

  (b) By Train

  Reaching Bratislava (Vienna) or Kosice by plane you can continue to Poprad also by train. The train connections to Poprad railway station from Budapest (via Kosice, or Bratislava), from Prague (via Zilina) and from Warsaw (via Zilina, or Kosice) are possible but a little more complicated. From Bratislava and Kosice you are encouraged to use IC-trains or the 1st class of the express trains. (Poprad is situated on the railroad connecting these two towns at about 3/4 of distance from Bratislava - see five maps available). An average interval between departures of the trains from Bratilslava and Kosice is two hours, while duration of travelling is about four hours from Bratislava and one hour from Kosice. An approximate price of the IC ticket is 15-20 EUR from Bratislava and 10 EUR from Kosice. To find the most convenient route, please click on pages of the Slovak Railways (ZSR), German Railways (DB), or Swiss Railways (SBB).

  (c) By Car

  Site of the Symposium is situated at the northern Slovakia near to central part of the boundary with Poland (geographic coordinates of the site are: 20° 17' 28'' E, 49° 09' 10'' N, 810 m a.s.l.). Poprad lies on the European route E50. A highway represents about half of distance from Bratislava (4-5 hour of travelling). Using five maps here will allow you to find and come easily to the hotels by your car.

  (d) Travel help

  Important: Having information about your arrival (indicated, e.g., in the Registration Form, if possible) the LOC will assist at the Poprad Airport terminal, Poprad railway station and, if necessary, at the Kosice Airport and will provide transportation to the venue. In case of any inconvenience you can take taxi to reach "Hotel Academia in Stara Lesna" (the price is about 10 EUR (400 Slovak crowns) for taxi from Poprad). Taxi station is on the right from the railway station building.

  ACCOMMODATION

  There is sufficient hotel capacity for all the participants to be accommodated in a walking distance less than 10 minutes from the Hotel Academia with its Congress Centre (see a map of the hotels). The hotels are equipped with a variety of relaxation and sport facilities (e.g., swimming pools, sauna, tennis courts, bicycles, etc.). All the necessary accessories are available in the hotels. Some of the services are free of charge for the accommodated guests. A substantial majority of the hotel rooms are double at a very reasonable prices. Thus, there is feasible to order these rooms for a single occupancy only, usually at a slightly reduced prices. A limited number of the three-bed rooms are available and/or an extra bed can be installed on request in most of the double rooms. Apartments do exist, as well.

  Accommodation possibilities, together with tentative AVERAGE prices respecting a present rate of exchange (EUR) are listed below. The prices for the actual rooms may be somewhat lower/higher according to the details of the room's furnishings. More details about the hotels may be found at their web sites.

  Hotel(H)/Pension(P)	Double room	Single occupancy	Three-bed room
  Academia (H)	48	38	70
  Kontakt (H)[1]	63	55	75
  Horizont (H)[2]	25	25	35
  EURO (H)	23	22	30
  Energetik (H)	35	30	--
  Lesna (H)	35	30	--
  Slovnaft (P)[3]	18	14	23
  Alpina (P)	20	--	--
  Grand Hotel Praha [4]	76	51	99

  (1) Prices include breakfast, swimming pool, fitness and 'vital world' procedure during each day.
  (2) These are prices if 80% of the Hotel capacity will be taken by the participants of the Symposium. Otherwise the prices may be about 20% higher.
  (3) The rooms are equipped with individual bathrooms (showers and toilets).
  (4) This prestigious hotel is about 4 km from CC by road (providing of a transport could be considered) and only 35 minutes by footpath. In this hotel a single occupancy means one-bed room.

  The participants are asked to specify clearly the name of the hotel/pension and the preference of the single/double occupancy. In case of your double (triple) occupancy preference we also expect clear identification of (and negotiation with) your roommate(s). There is a question about this in the Registration Form. Unfortunately, the LOC is not able to manage procedure of a fellow-occupancy. If the roommate is not specified we understand that you agree with a single occupancy of the double room and with paying for this single occupancy. The participants supported for accommodation will be, as a rule, accommodated in the rooms with double occupancy. In this case the LOC will assist in choice of their roommate(s) (if not specified by the participants alone).

  We will follow your requirements for the hotel reservation as much as possible. However, to be sufficiently operative with arrangement of accommodation we ask for your consent to shift you to another near-price hotel if your choice will be already taken.

  Capacity of the above hotels and pensions is reserved by LOC up to one month prior to the Symposium. Thereafter the hotel ask to specify our reservation and you will be probably asked to send (deadline 20 May 2003) the corresponding amount (for the whole stay or, at least, a one-day deposit according to your preference). Instruction for payment of accommodation will be given to the registered participants and published on our web site before April 25, 2003. In case that the hotels do not receive any payment for your accommodation by May 20, 2003, the validity of your reservation may remain only non-obligatory (acceptable in case of free rooms during Symposium).

  BOARDING

  Breakfast is included practically in the price of accommodation in all the hotels, mostly in the form of the so-called Swedish tables. As for lunches, we will announce menu in the Hotel Academia for the whole week of Symposium. Vegetarian meals will be served on request. Participants will be, of course, free and welcome to take lunches and/or dinners in their own hotels. Announced prices of each of them are about 5 EUR. Coffee, tee and mineral water, together with cakes (or cookies) and fruits will be served during the morning and afternoon coffee breaks.

  CANCELLATIONS

  Cancellations of the hotel booking (accommodation) received by post, fax, phone and e-mail before 20 May 2003 will be fully refunded. Refund of registration fee will be reduced by an administrative charge of 30 EUR. Later cancellations will receive almost full refund of accommodation (however without the one-day deposit) and a half-refund of the registration fee. In this case, all the printed Symposium materials will be sent to the non-participant.

  SOCIAL EVENTS

  The participants are invited to attend the following events:

  • Monday, June 23 :
    Welcome reception (buffet dinner)
  • Wednesday, June 25 :
    (a) Trip to the Red Cloister with rafting on the Dunajec river (11 km), ending with a picnic dinner in a Country Inn, or
    (b) A guided sight-seeing tour to the Levoca medieval city and to the Spis Castle (about 6 hours, dinner in HA), or
    (c) Visit to the coronal observatory at Mt. Lomnicky Stit (limited to a small number of specialists only) (dinner in HA).
    Naturally, one of these three trips is only available for each participant. LOC recommends participation in the (a) trip with the right to change this preference according to the actual weather.
  • Friday, June 27 :
    Performance of Slovakian folk music with dancing; Closing Dinner in Grand Hotel Praha (free of charge).

  WEATHER

  Weather in Tatranska Lomnica in June is typically Middle-European, and is moderated by the nearby mountains. Both, nice and wet days are possible. In any case, an umbrella in your luggage may be useful. As for temperature, 20-25 C may be expected during the day and 10-15 C in the night. The course of rainfalls and temperature in the days of June as measured during last three years is shown here.

  ACTUAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS

  2nd Announcement	20 December 2002
  Information on support (based on submitted abstract(s))	28 February 2003
  Deadline for submission of Abstracts	31 March 2003
  Deadline for submission of the Registration Form	31 March 2003
  Deadline for application of US participants for US travel grants (based on submitted abstract(s))	31 March 2003
  Deadline for early registration	31 March 2003
  Information on acceptance of the contributions	15 April 2003
  Information on support mailed to US Applicants	1 April 2003
  Final Announcement	31 May 2003
  Deadline for submission of Camera-ready papers	26 June 2003
  Promise to distribute the book of Proceedings	31 December 2003

  SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

  Claus Frohlich (Switzerland), Richard Harrison (UK), P. Manoharan (India), Donald Michels (USA), Vladimir Obridko (Russia), Judit Pap (USA), Margaret Shea (USA), George Simnett (UK), Brigitte Schmieder (France), Julius Sykora (Slovak Republic), Saku Tsuneta (Japan), Takashi Watanabe (Japan), David Webb (USA), Shi Tsan Wu (chair, USA).

  LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

  Jaroslav Ambroz (AI), Anna Antalova (AI), Pavol Bendik (AI), Ales Kucera (AI), Karel Kudela (IEP), Milan Minarovjech (AI), Daniel Novocky (AI), Alina Prigancova (GPI), Vojtech Rusin (AI), Jan Rybak (AI), Metod Saniga (AI), Julius Sykora (chair, AI).

  AI - Astronomical Institute, Tatranska Lomnica, IEP - Institute of Experimental Physics, Kosice, GPI - Geophysical Institute, Bratislava. All institutes are parts of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovak Republic).

  PASSPORT AND VISA

  To visit Slovak Republic you must have valid, unexpired passport. Visa regulations vary quite a lot for different countries. For a detailed information visit web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic (going to Visa detailed information). Those who need a visa to enter Slovak Republic should contact a Slovak Embassy or Consulate well in advance the Symposium date.

  If you need a letter of invitation in order to apply for a visa or for administrative purposes required from your home and/or funding Institute in order to attend the Symposium then you should fill in the appropriate item of the Registration Form. The LOC will be pleased to send you a letter of invitation confirming your participation at the ISCS 2003 Symposium. Please note that this procedure is not an official invitation covering registration fees and travel/accommodation expenses and does not imply any financial support from the part of the organizers.

  CONTACTS

  Any matters related to the scientific program should be addressed and discussed with:

  (a) Co-chairmen of the ISCS Project:
  • Prof. Shi Tsan Wu, The University of Alabama in Huntsville N272B, Technology Hall, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA (wus@cspar.uah.edu)
  • Dr. Vladimir N. Obridko, Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, 142092 Troitsk, Moscow Region, Russia, (solter@izmiran.troitsk.ru)
  (b) Chairmen of the ISCS Working Groups:
  • Dr. Judit M. Pap, (papj@marta.gsfc.nasa.gov)
  • Dr. David F. Webb, (david.webb@hanscom.af.mil)
  • Prof. George M. Simnett, (gms@star.sr.bham.ac.uk)
  (c) Conveners

Any questions or comments on the organizational matters of the Symposium may be directed to the LOC at the addresses:

E-mail: iscs2003@astro.sk
Fax: 421 52 4467 656
Phone: 421 52 4467 866
Mail: Astronomical Institute
      ISCS 2003
      059 60  TATRANSKA LOMNICA 
      Slovak Republic.

Back to the front page of ISCS 2003 Symposium