Purpose

The Cosmological Parameters , which determine the global geometry and future evolution of the Universe have been subject of very active recent research, the results of which are defining the dynamical state of the universe we live in.

This meeting intends to bring together Chilean and foreign astronomers working in Chile, plus a small number of participants from abroad (up to a total of about 45 people), with some 15 expert cosmologists from around the world to discuss recent advances and scientific problems of common interest regarding the Cosmological Density Parameter , and related Energy Density Parameters, like .

In addition to its interest to the international and Latin American astronomical communities, it should have the effect of stimulating Chilean astronomy and its links to the astronomical communities of other countries, in preparation for the tremendous opportunities that will be available in the country with the installation in Chile of several 8 m class optical and infrared telescopes, plus one or more world-class millimeter arrays.

Preliminary Program and Prospective Speakers

We are planning four days of conferences. The format would be Invited Talks in the morning, and Topical Discussion and Poster sessions in the afternoons/evenings. A list of subjects to cover is:

• Large Scale Motions in the Universe
• Redshift-space distortions of redshift surveys
• Galaxy dynamics on small scales; the Cosmic Virial Theorem
• Anisotropies of the CMB
• Mass function, morphology, and evolution of clusters of galaxies
• Measurements of using high redshift SNe and BCG's
• Structure formation and QSO absorption lines at high redshift
• Mass-to-light ratios of clusters
• Constraints from Quasar lensing, lensing by clusters, and lensing by the field
• Constraints from the observed age of globular clusters
• Nucleosynthesis and .

Invited Speakers

Neta Bahcall, Princeton University, USA (*)

Michael Bolte, University of California, USA

Alejandro Clocchiatti, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile

Luiz da Costa, ESO and CNPq, Brasil

Avishai Dekel, Racah Institute of Physics, Israel

Carlos Frenk, University of Durham, England

Andrew Hamilton, University of Colorado, USA

Wayne Hu, Institute for Advanced Study, USA

Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard University, USA

Guinevere Kauffmann, Max-Planck-Institut, Germany (*)

Chris Kochanek, Harvard University, USA

Ofer Lahav, Cambridge University, England

Jordi Miralda-Escudé, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Max Pettini, Cambridge University, England

Michael Strauss, Princeton University, USA

Nick Suntzeff, Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Chile

Tony Tyson, Lucent Technologies - Bell Laboratories, USA

David Tytler, University of California, USA

Simon White, Max-Planck-Institut, Germany (*)

Craig Wheeler, University of Texas at Austin, USA (*)

(*) To be confirmed.

Scientific Organizing Committee

Neta Bahcall, Princeton University, USA

Alejandro Clocchiatti, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Avishai Dekel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Jim Peebles, Princeton University, USA.

Hernán Quintana, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

David N. Spergel, Princeton University, USA.

Michael Strauss, Princeton University, USA.

J. Anthony Tyson, Bell Laboratories, USA.

John Craig Wheeler, University of Texas, USA.

Local Organizing Committee

Alejandro Clocchiatti, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Leopoldo Infante, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Hernán Quintana, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Andreas Reisenegger, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Gladys Reineking, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

WORKSHOP FORMAT - REGISTRATION - NO PROCEEDINGS

The workshop will be organized around several invited talks per day and topical discussion sessions led by a chairperson during the evenings. Invited talks will be around an hour long, with plenty of time for questions and discussion. Special time slots will be reserved, as well, for poster sessions. The afternoon hours of most days, between the invited talks and the discussion sessions, will be free from workshop activities. All contributions will be in the form of posters. However, certain funding agencies request oral presentations. The discussion sessions chairpersons will decide on these. Therefore, the registration form does not give a choice of poster or oral contributions. If someone needs a special invitation, for funding purposes, please write to the LOC.

Interested persons are encouraged to send the registration forms by e-mail, or use the on-line WWW registrations (at http://www.astro.puc.cl/~workshop/reg.html ), not later than November 15th.

Due to space limitations, by November 20th participants will be told if any selection was needed.

A fee of US$100 is due on the registration day at the workshop, only in cash (we can not handle credit cards). We hope to be able to waive this fee for students who request it.

Because of their limited impact and high work load for both editors (organizers) and authors (speakers), it is not intended to publish proceedings of this workshop.

LOCATION AND ACCOMMODATIONS

The workshop will be held at the ``Hotel del Lago'' in Pucón. Pucón is a resort town on the eastern shore of Lake Villarrica, some 790km (494 miles) to the south of Santiago. The nearest airport with normal scheduled flights by Chilean carriers is in the city of Temuco, 112 km (70 miles) from Pucón. Weather in January should be sunny, with average maximum and minimum temperatures of 25.4 and 10.5 centigrade degrees (78 and 51 Farenheit degrees), respectively. An occasional summer rain could be expected. Pucón is a small town, with a stable population of some 8,000 people, but in the summer months it bursts with touristic activities. The period of the workshop is just previous to the highest part of the season which starts on January 15th.

The ``Hotel del Lago'' is a 5-star hotel, conference center and casino resort, just one block from the lake coast, where the invited speakers will be lodged. All other participants are both welcome and encouraged to stay in this hotel to allow for better group interaction and dynamics. We have reserved a block of rooms at relatively affordable prices. Rooms with double occupancy will go at the same rate as rooms with single occupancy.

Hotel del Lago in Pucón .

The rates quoted below include a ``buffet'' breakfast and free access to many services in the hotel, including pools (one open and another enclosed and temperated), sauna, gym, aerobics, casino, etc. Lunch for anyone can be ordered at the Hotel del Lago, where we have gotten a special price for the participants meals (also quoted below).

HOTEL DEL LAGO

The following list applies to accommodations and services at the Hotel del Lago. We will make any reservation needed at this hotel.

Suite Volcán: US$ 186 per night (single or double occupancy, rooms carry a King size bed).
Suite Valle & Plaza: US$ 146 per night (single or double occupancy, rooms carry a King size bed).
Double Rooms: US$ 140 per night (single or double occupancy, rooms carry two twin size beds).
Additional bed in room (one single bed allowed): US$ 70 per night.

Lunch at Hotel del Lago

A main course centered on a fine cut of meat, pork, chicken or trout, plus dessert, beverage, and tea or coffee: 5,800 Ch$

The same lunch, including wine: 7,300 Ch$

Hostería ``La Poza'':
Address: #11 C./Holzapfel, Pucón. (three blocks from the Hotel del Lago).
Phone: 56 - 45 - 441320
Fax: 56 - 45 - 441958

Cabins: 45,000 Ch$ (host parties of five people, typically in four beds)
Single Rooms: 25,000 Ch$ (king size beds).
Double Rooms: 25,000 Ch$ (two twin size beds).
Triple Rooms: 32,000 Ch$ (three twin size beds).
Appartment: 38,000 Ch$ (hosts 4 people, typically in three beds).

Hostería ``École'':
Address: 592 General Urrutia, Pucón. (three blocks from the Hotel del Lago).
Phone: 56 - 45 - 441675
Fax: 56 - 45 - 441675
e-mail: trek@ecole.mic.cl

Double, Triple, or Quad Rooms: 6,000 Ch$ per person.
``Back Packers'' Room: 4,000 Ch$ per person (this is a big room which host 7 people).

Note: In hostería École you pay per bed , which means that you are supposed to share your room if your party does not occupy all the beds in your room. You can reserve a whole room for yourself by paying 50% of the empty beds in your room, however. Prices at École do not include breakfast.

The area of lake Villarrica has good connections with Santiago. Participants are encouraged to fly from Santiago to Temuco, where minivans and/or small buses hired by the organizers will wait for them for the final land part of the trip to Pucón. The typical high season cost of flying from Santiago to Temuco is 120 US$ (some 58,000 Ch$, round trip). Air companies covering this route are LAN Chile, Ladeco, Avant, and National.

Independent trippers might prefer to arrange their own land trip from Temuco airport. They will find a few options there. A taxi from the airport to Pucón (not recommended) could run as high as 65 US$.
Private minivan companies, of which there are many, can take you to Pucón for 20 US$ or to the JAC bus station of Temuco for 6 US$, approximately. JAC buses from Temuco to Pucón, which run one per hour, approximately, cost about 6 US$ (some 2,600 Ch$).

We include the following pieces of information for the adventurous trippers/landscape admirers who might prefer to take buses from Santiago.

Transportation from Santiago Airport to Santiago Downtown/Bus Stations

Taxi:
Not recommended. Between 17 and 25 US$, depending on your destination.
``Transfers'':
Recommended. Eight to ten passanger minivans which will take you to the exact address you go. The trip could be more lengthy than that of a taxi (no more than a factor of two, and about the same if you are just going to any of the bus stations on La Alameda), but you pay a well establish fare at the airport, and that's it. Cost between 6 and 8 US$, depending on the company and your destination.
Metropuerto Bus: (or similar)
There are a couple of bus companies which run from Santiago airport to Santiago downtown area, connecting mainly with the Line 1 metro stations on O'Higgins avenue (aka ``La Alameda''). These are cheaper (between 2 and 3 US$), but they follow a pre-established route. You should take them only if you realy know where you are going (for example one of the large Bus Stations of Santiago located on La Alameda).

NOTE: All these services can be bought at the lower level of Santiago international airport, by the car rental/transportation area.

Bus companies running from Santiago to Pucón

Most companies have 3 to 6 buses a day. They do not take reservations in advance, typically. Someone has to go there and physically buy the ticket. This can be done well in advance, however.

Buses Lit:
Phone: 56 - 2 - 779 5710 (at Terminal Santiago)

Pullman (i.e. "standard") service at 8,700 Ch$ one way trip.
This buses depart both from Terminal de Buses de Santiago, located on La Alameda near the metro station Universidad de Chile, and from the bus station located on the crossing of Gran Avenida and Departamental (Buses Lit phone there is: 56 - 2 - 520 6600). The latter is way, way south in Santiago city, near the San Joaquín Campus of Católica, where the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department is located, and far from La Alameda. It is not recommended to travel this far to take a bus, unless you need to pass by our place at PUC.

Buses JAC:
Phone: 56 - 2 - 233 0517 and 56 - 2 - 235 2484

Pullman service at 9,500 Ch$ (one way trip).
Ejecutivo service at 15,000 Ch$ (one way trip).
Salón Cama service at 18,500 Ch$ (one way trip).

Salón Cama and Ejecutivo services depart from Torres de Tajamar, an improvised but handy bus terminal in downtown Providencia neighborhood, near metro station Manuel Mont.
The pullman service departs from Bus Terminal Sur, located on La Alameda, near metro station USACH (Universidad de Santiago de Chile).

The "Salón Cama" service is good, with very big and comfortable seats, similar to those of the first class in planes.

Bus companies running from Santiago to Temuco
(in addition to the previous two ones, which go through Temuco)

Cruz del Sur:
Phone: 56 - 2 - 696 9324 and 56 - 2 - 696 9325
Pullman service at 6,800 Ch$ (one way trip).
Salón Cama at 13,500 Ch$ (one way trip).

This buses depart from the modern and handy Terminal Los Heroes, located on La Alameda near the metro station Los Heroes.

TAS-Choapa:
Pullman at 7,500 Ch$ (one way trip).

This buses also depart from Terminal Los Heroes, located on La Alameda near the metro station Los Heroes.

NOTE: From Temuco to Pucón take the JAC bus (hourly service), with a fare of $2,600 Ch$, approximately.

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