************************** The MPA/ESO/MPE/USM Joint Astronomy Conference "GROWING BLACK HOLES: Accretion in a Cosmological Context" to be held in Garching, Germany June 21 - 25 2004 ************************** Since the meeting is now very close, we have put together a few (hopefully!) useful bits of information for you. As a reminder, most of the information is available on our web-site: http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~bh-grow ************************** CONFERENCE-RELATED INFO: o The CONFERENCE VENUE will be the Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) located in the Garching Research Campus (Forschungsgelaende) in the vicinity of Max-Planck Institute fuer Astrophysik (MPA), Max-Planck Institute fuer Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) and European Southern Observatory (ESO). o TRANSPORT for the daily conference sessions will be via a special free conference bus service from the hotels in Garching to the IPP. Information will be available at your hotel on arrival. o ORAL PRESENTATIONS: All presentations will take place in the IPP auditorium. The auditorium is newly refurbished, and allows computer assisted presentations. o SCHEDULE OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS: This can be found on the conference Web-page: http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~bh-grow/program.html Time allocated for the presentations includes time for questions and discussions (3 min for 20 min talks and 5 min for longer talks). We would be grateful if all those who have not submitted an abstract could do so as soon as possible, so that we can include it into the Abstract booklet. o POSTERS: The maximum poster size is 75 cm (width) x 120 cm (height). All posters will be displayed in the IPP building during the entire meeting, but we have also scheduled two 30 min poster sessions during which poster rapporteurs will discuss with interested people in the poster area. The poster boards will be assigned according to the numbers given in the abstract booklet. The list of posters can be found at http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~bh-grow/Program/posters.html We would be grateful if all those who have not submitted an abstract could do so as soon as possible, so that we can include it into the Abstract booklet. o COFFEE BREAKS will take place in the IPP building, close to the auditorium. o COMPUTER ACCESS will be made available via a guest account at MPA. We are currently investigating the possibility of having a few PC in the IPP for reading e-mails only. Also, a wireless connection will be available in the MPA and IPP buildings. ************************** ACCOMMODATION INFO: HOTEL DETAILS ARE NOW FINAL: NO NEW HOTEL BOOKINGS ARE POSSIBLE. ANY CHANGES ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOULD BE MADE DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTELS. o HOTEL ADDRESSES are posted on the conference web page ************************** EVENTS: o REGISTRATION and WELCOME RECEPTION will take place between 5 and 10pm on Sunday 20th June in the Rathaus (City Hall) of Garching. The welcome reception will start at 6pm. A map directing you to the hall is posted on the conference web-page (http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~bh-grow/social_event.html) and will be available at your hotel on arrival. Registration will continue on Monday June 21st in the IPP building near the conference hall. o BEER AND BREZ'N PARTY: Tuesday evening at 18.30, there will be informal "Bier und Brez'n" (beer & pretzels) party in the MPE/MPA garden, with traditional Bavarian Beer and food. All registered participants are invited. There will be buses from the MPA taking the participants back to their hotels at around 21.30. o CONFERENCE DINNER: The conference dinner is included in the registration fee and will take place at 19.30 on Thursday June 24th at the Augustiner Grossgaststaetten in Neuhauserstrasse 27, Munich. There will be buses from the IPP (and/or from the Hotels in Garching) taking the participants to the dinner, and buses for the trip back to Garching after the dinner. Accompanying persons willing to come to the Conference dinner will have to be registered at the reception desk during Registration. The price of the dinner for the accompanying guests is 35 Euros. ************************** TRAVEL: o PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION in Munich uses an "honour-system" whereby previously purchased tickets are canceled prior to beginning the journey. Tickets can be purchased from blue machines marked with a green K, or from the drivers of buses. Tickets are validated by inserting them into the blue Entwerter (E) boxes in stations, buses and trams. This must be done before descending to the platform on U- and S-Bahn trains. A single trip is valid for three hours in one direction. * STREIFENKARTE: A convenient and ~10% cheaper way is to buy a Streifenkarte (10 strips, 9.5 Euros) instead of a single trip ticket and cancel the appropriate number of strips depending on the route. * DAY TICKETS (TAGESKARTEN) are valid for all public transport in Munich for the whole day and cost: 4.50 E ("Innenraum" = inner Munich) 6.00 E ("XXL = extended Munich area including Garching) 9.00 E ("Gesamtnetz" = entire area including the airport) * COSTS: - from Garching to Munich - 4.20 E one-way (single trip ticket) or cancel 4 strips (Streifenkarte) - from Garching to Research Campus - 2.10 E one-way (single trip ticket) or cancel 2 strips (Streifenkarte) - inside inner Munich (Innenraum) - 2.10 E one-way (single trip ticket) or cancel 2 strips (Streifenkarte) Infos about public transportation in Munich can be found at the webpage: http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/fahrplanauskunft_en/index.html ************************** OTHER INFO: o PAYMENT: for goods and services. Credit cards are NOT universally accepted. There are many ATMs which allow cash-withdrawal from foreign accounts. o WEATHER: the weather in and around Munich can be quite unpredictable due to its proximity to the Bavarian Alps. Sudden temperature swings are not uncommon so don't get caught out. In recent weeks, the temperature has been as low as 15C and as high as 27C. Naturally, thunderstorms are fairly typical and an umbrella is a good idea. For current conditions try http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/10866.html ************************** CONTACT: Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1 Postfach 1317 D-85741 Garching, Germany Fax: +49 89 30000-2235 Tel: +49 89 30000-2215 Kate O'Shea +49 89 30000-2258 Sergei Nayakshin +49 89 30000-2017 Andrea Merloni ************************** Best regards, The Local Organizing Committee