Registration for the Summer School opens today, 12 Feb 2004. To register for the School please complete the response form below and return it to us by 14 May 2004. Attendance at the Summer School will be limited to the first 150 people to fully register. Full registration includes payment of the registration fee of $120 (before 14 May 2004) or $140 (after 14 May 2004). Unfortunately we are unable to offer any financial assistance to students attending the School this year.
The Summer School will cover the fundamentals of radio interferometry, including both connected element and very long baseline interferometers. Lectures will be given by staff and faculty from NRAO, New Mexico Tech, the University of Cambridge, the University of Hawaii, Caltech, and the Australia Telescope. The range of subjects will be similar to past Summer Schools, and can be reviewed by consulting "Synthesis Imaging in Radio Astronomy II", the published collection of lectures from the 6th NRAO Synthesis Imaging Summer School (ASP Conference Series, Volume 180, 1999). The lectures will be given at a level appropriate for graduate students in astrophysics. There will be ample time for questions and discussion following each lecture and at the end of each day. A copy of "Synthesis Imaging in Radio Astronomy II" is included in the registration fee and will be distributed to attendees in Socorro upon their arrival.
All lectures will take place in room 101 at Workman Center on the campus of New Mexico Tech. A preliminary schedule of lectures and other events is available here.
There will be a School Dinner on June 18. There will also be a hike followed by a cookout and pool party on Saturday June 19; bring sturdy shoes, a light jacket, a water bottle, swimsuit, and sunscreen! A tour of the VLA will take place on Sunday June 20.
Registration for the School will not be considered complete until payment of the registration fee has been received by NRAO. If we have not received your payment by 14 May 2004 then your name may be dropped from the list of registered participants to enable other people to attend. Please contact Claire Chandler if your circumstances make payment by May 14 difficult. The registration fee is $120 if paid before May 14; after May 14 the late registration fee will be $140, assuming space is still available. Payment of the registration fee must be in US$. Payment options include credit cards (Visa or Mastercard), personal cheques drawn on a U.S. bank, and travelers cheques. Cash may be used only if paying at the meeting by prior agreement. Cheques should be mailed to Terry Romero, NRAO, P.O. Box O, Socorro NM 87801. If you prefer to use a credit card but do not want to e-mail the credit card number and expiration date, then please send a separate FAX (505-835-7027, Attention: Terry Romero) or letter to Terry Romero (at the above address) with those details. Purchase orders will not be accepted. Refunds will be given, less a $10 processing fee, until 28 May 2004. After 28 May, no refunds will be possible.
The registration fee covers NRAO-provided transport (see TRANSPORTATION below), a copy of ASP Vol. 180, use of the New Mexico Tech swimming pool and gym, snacks during the morning and afternoon breaks on lecture days, the School dinner on Friday June 18, the cookout and pool party on June 19, and a sack lunch at the VLA on June 20.
Except as noted above, the registration fee does not cover the costs of meals. A complimentary continental breakfast is available at some of the motels, and numerous restaurants are located near the motels. On lecture days, a cafeteria will be open on the New Mexico Tech campus within easy walking distance of Workman Center. For dinner, several restaurants are within walking distance of the motels.
NRAO has rooms blocked at four motels, all located at the North end of California street in Socorro. Participants are responsible for contacting one of these motels and making a reservation before 31 May 2004. Credit card information will be necessary to reserve the room. Participants from outside the USA may contact Terry Romero (tromero@nrao.edu) for assistance with making the reservation. Please mention that you are with the NRAO Summer School to get the guaranteed rate listed below. Tax is currently approximately 11%. Remember to specify whether you would like a smoking or non-smoking room. Reservations for some of these motels can be made via the web or via nation-wide toll-free numbers, but you may not be able to receive the NRAO Summer School rates using these methods.
Payless Inn
Econo Lodge
Super 8 Motel
Holiday Inn Express
NRAO will provide transport between Albuquerque Airport and Socorro. The times of these buses will be set to best match the arrival times of School participants when we have their flight information. The tentative schedule is:
| Mon 14 June 2004: | Leave airport at: | 3.00 pm |
| 7.00 pm | ||
| 10.30 pm | ||
| Tue 22 June 2004: | Leave Socorro at: | 5.30 pm |
| Wed 23 June 2004: | Leave Socorro at: | 7.00 am |
If you are unable take advantage of the free NRAO shuttles provided above then it is possible to arrange for transportation through American Transportation (formerly known as Socorro Taxi). The cost is approximately $57 one-way, and arrangements will be the responsibility of the traveler. Contact American Transportation directly (karyn@socorrotaxi.com, or use the toll-free number 1-800-9914276). A credit card will be required, and reservations must be made well in advance. Albuquerque-based taxis will not usually agree to take passengers to Socorro, and if they do, they are extremely expensive.
Buses will pick people up from the motels each morning at 8:30am and take them to Workman 101 (lecture days), or to the AOC (data reduction tutorial day, 18 June), or to the VLA (tour day, 20 June). On lecture days buses will leave from Workman 101 at 5.30pm to return to the motels. On the day of the School dinner buses will return to the motels from Macey Center at 9.00pm.
ATMs are available in the Student Union Building on the Tech Campus, in Smith's Supermarket, and at local banks in Socorro. Be sure to change any foreign currencies into US dollars either in your home country or at a major US airport; currency exchanges are not available in Albuquerque or Socorro.
Some access to e-mail and the WWW will be available from a small computer cluster in a building near the main lecture hall in Workman Center.
If you would like to extend your stay to reduce data before or after the school, you must make separate arrangements. Please see the information for visiting scientists.
Please check with your local US embassy or consulate about visa requirements. If you need a supporting letter from us, please send a request via e-mail to tromero@nrao.edu.
If you have questions about the lecture program, or of a scientific nature, address them to Claire Chandler (cchandle@nrao.edu). For assistance with registration or other logistical arrangements (especially for participants coming from outside the USA), please contact Terry Romero (tromero@nrao.edu; tel: (505)835-7315; FAX (505)835-7027). The telephone number for the main reception desk at the AOC is (505)835-7000 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Mountain Time).
| 14 May 2004 | Payment deadline for early registration |
| 31 May 2004 | Deadline for motel reservations |
| 31 May 2004 | Third and final mailing to participants |
| 15 Jun 2004 | First day of the School |
| 18 Jun 2004 | Data reduction tutorial at AOC, School dinner at Macey |
| 19 Jun 2004 | Hike/cookout/pool party |
| 20 Jun 2004 | Tour of the VLA |
| 22 Jun 2004 | Last day of the School |
Please download the ASCII version of the response form, and return it by 14 May 2004 to
| e-mail (preferred): | tromero@nrao.edu | |
| or | FAX: | (505)835-7027 |
| or | regular mail: | Ms. Terry Romero |
| National Radio Astronomy Observatory | ||
| P.O. Box O | ||
| Socorro, NM 87801, USA |
Claire Chandler
On behalf of the local organizing committee: Claire Chandler, Greg Taylor, Terry Romero, Michelle Creech-Eakman, Skip Lagoyda, and Terry Lopez.