Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) - Italy Universita` di Cagliari - Italy Universita` di Torino - Italy University of Mississippi - USA CONSTRAINED DYNAMICS AND QUANTUM GRAVITY 05 CALA GONONE (SARDINIA, ITALY), SEPTEMBER 12-17 2005 SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT The INFN and the Universities of Cagliari, Mississippi, and Torino invite all interested researchers and students to participate in the Fourth Meeting on Constrained Dynamics and Quantum Gravity, which will take place in Cala Gonone (Sardinia, Italy) from Monday 12th to Friday 16th September 2005. The purpose of the meeting (as for the first meeting, held in Dubna, 1995, the second meeting, held in Santa Margherita Ligure, 1996, and the third meeting, held in Villasimius, Sardinia 1999) is to bring together workers from Field Theory, General Relativity and related areas to discuss the present status and latest developments in the quantum treatment of gravitational systems. Advisory Committee: Orfeu Bertolami (IST Lisboa, Portugal) Luca Bombelli (Univ. Mississippi) Steve Carlip (UC Davis, USA) Alessandro D'Adda (INFN Torino, Italy) Vittorio de Alfaro (Universita and INFN Torino, Italy) Stanley Deser (Brandeis, USA) George Dvali (NYU, USA) Sergio Ferrara (CERN) Gian Francesco Giudice (CERN) Roman Jackiw (MIT, USA) Edward W.Kolb (Fermilab, USA) Luca Lusanna (INFN Firenze, Italy) Roy Maartens (Univ. Portsmouth, UK) Hermann Nicolai (AEI, Potsdam, Germany) Tullio Regge (Politecnico di Torino, Italy) Augusto Sagnotti (Univ. Roma La Sapienza, Italy) Kellogg S. Stelle (Imperial College London, UK) Ruth Williams (DAMTP, Cambridge, UK) Organising Committee: Mariano Cadoni (University of Cagliari and INFN Sezione di Cagliari, Italy) Marco Cavaglia` (University of Mississippi, USA) Jeanette E. Nelson (University of Torino and INFN Sezione di Torino, Italy) Local Organisation Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita` di Cagliari Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Cagliari Scientific Programme The scientific programme, to be decided by the Advisory Committee, will consist of invited plenary talks and short communications. The main subjects to be covered are: Quantum Gravity Cosmology Black Holes Strings and Extended Objects Gauge Field Theory and Quantisation A partial, non-confirmed list of speakers is Orfeu Bertolami (IST, Lisbon, Portugal) Steven Carlip (Univ. California, Davis, USA) Stanley Deser (Brandeis University, Waltham MA USA) Georgi Dvali (New York University, USA) Sergio Ferrara (CERN, Geneva, Switzerland) Roman Jackiw (MIT, Cambridge MA, USA) Jorma Louko (University of Nottingham, UK) Luca Lusanna (INFN, Firenze, Italy) Roy Maartens (Univ. Portsmouth, UK) Annalisa Marzuoli (Univ. Pavia, Italy) Pietro Menotti (Univ. Pisa, Italy) Hermann Nicolai (MPI, Potsdam, Germany) Augusto Sagnotti (University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy) Domenico Seminara (Florence University, Italy) Kellogg S. Stelle (Imperial College London, UK) Call for Abstracts There will be a very limited number of speakers in parallel sessions. Those who wish to be considered are requested to first register (if you have not pre-registered) at www.phy.olemiss.edu/GR/qg05/registration.html and then complete the form www.phy.olemiss.edu/GR/qg05/talks.html which submits the title and a short abstract of their talk (maximum 20 lines, anything longer will be automatically truncated) as soon as possible AND NO LATER THAN 30 JUNE 2005. PLEASE NOTE THAT EVEN IF YOU INCLUDED A TITLE IN PRE-REGISTRATION YOU SHOULD NOW SEND US THE ABSTRACT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED. A chairperson for each parallel session will choose speakers and allot times. Submission of an abstract in no way implies acceptance of the talk. The Conference Venue The meeting will take place at the beautiful sea resort of Cala Gonone, about 120 Kms south of Olbia, on the eastern (Tyrrhenian) coast of the island of Sardinia, Italy. The conference Centre is at the Hotel Smeraldo (www.suforti.it/pagine/albergoservizi_ing.htm) and accommodation is at the nearby Hotel Village Palmasera (www.palmaseravillage.com), and will start on Monday 12th September. Participants are expected to arrive at Cala Gonone on Sunday 11th September for registration at the Conference Centre from 3 pm to 7 pm. There will be a reception there from 6 pm onwards. The meeting will end in the afternoon of Friday 16th September. About Cala Gonone Sardinia is the second largest Mediterranean island after Sicily, separated from Southern Corsica by just 13km of sea, the Bonifacio straits, and is bathed by some of the cleanest water in the Mediterranean. It is stunningly beautiful and unspoilt, and boasts some of the best food in Italy. Cala Gonone, in the province of Nuoro, is a small port and fishing village in the Gulf of Orosei, the last stretch of uninhabited Italian coast, and home to the last rare examples of monk seal. There are cliffs sweeping down to the sea, snowy white beaches, blue bays and sea caves. A wonderful vegetation of myrtle, rosemary, rock rose and sea lavender border the sandy beaches, many of which can only be reached by sea or by foot, such as, Cala Luna (Moon Beach). The white chalk rocks and limestone cliffs give the water an enticing crystalline pale blue colour. The coastline is dotted with stunning caves and caverns with remarkable stalactites, stalagmites and underground lakes. Dorgali, 10 km north of Cala Gonone, is famous for craftwork and is the centre of the renowned Cannonau wine-growing region. Weather In September the weather in Sardinia is normally very good, with warm days and cooler but pleasant evenings. There is usually a sea breeze, and average temperatures are 20C (min) and 26C (max). It rarely rains. The sea temperature is normally about 24C. Conference Registration There will be a conference fee of Euro 250 (details of how and when to pay will appear later). This includes : The reception, the conference dinner, coffee breaks, and one excursion. Tickets for the conference dinner and social programme may be purchased for accompanying persons. Travel * AIR Olbia International airport has several flights a day to/from the intercontinental airports of Milan and Rome. There are also connections to many other Italian and European airports, e.g. Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Palermo, Turin, Venice, Frankfurt, Paris, Munich, Zurich, London. See Meridiana (www.meridiana.it/en/) or Alitalia (www.alitalia.com). A number of low-cost airlines also fly to Olbia or other Sardinian destinations from many Italian and European airports. Please note that the conference period is high season. WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. In particular, the connections between mainland Italy and Sardinia are often heavily booked. * SEA There are numerous ferries from the Italian mainland (eg. Civitavecchia, which is 1-2 hours by train (www.trenitalia.com/home/en/) from Rome, or Genova, Livorno, Piombino) to Olbia, though there are also some ferries to Golfo Aranci, 20 km north of Olbia, and connected to Olbia by a public bus service. Arbatax is closer to (and south of) Dorgali but there are fewer ferries, and the road is very bad. For ferry information see www.fun.informare.it/ferry/zona3uk.asp. * LOCAL TRANSPORT Cala Gonone is easily reached by road from Dorgali and is approx. 120 Km from Olbia airport. Buses from Olbia airport connect with Dorgali and from Dorgali to Cala Gonone there are many buses. We can arrange transport from Olbia airport to Cala Gonone but it must be booked in advance. The charge is about 20/25 Euro. Accommodation We have negotiated a very good all-inclusive price for full board at the Hotel Village Palmasera (link) for the period Sunday 11th -- Saturday 17th September 2005 (6 nights). This package can be booked on-line (with Visa or Mastercard, and at the moment only in Italian - the English version will appear soon) at www.prenohotel.com/index.php?page=pageS&strut=79382431&ALL=1 The all-inclusive package we have negotiated with the Hotel Village Palmasera is as follows: Full board (breakfast lunch and dinner, including wine/mineral water) for the period Sunday 11th September till Saturday 17th September 2005 (6 nights). This includes a Club card (tessera club) which allows use of all the facilities of the hotel (sport, entertainment, baby sitting etc). The prices are: * Double or twin room, two persons, Euro 360 per person (for the moment the on-line procedure only allows the entire room booking i.e. Euro 720. We were looking into how to book for those who want to share but do not yet have someone to share with). * Single room (i.e. one person) Euro 510. * Double room (one person) Euro 540. Note that on Sunday 11th September rooms are available from 1 pm, and evening dinner is included but not lunch, and on Saturday 17th September breakfast and lunch are included, and rooms should be vacated by 12 noon. PLEASE NOTE that the conference period is high season, and this offer is available only until June 30th 2005. After that date these prices and availability cannot be guaranteed. For other dates or special requirements you should contact the Hotel Village Palmasera directly by fax (+39 078 493072), email (info@palmaseravillage.com), or telephone (+39 078 493191, Monday to Friday 8:00am-5:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm EU time). Alternatives to the Palmasera are * Other hotels, all within 3 km of the Conference Centre, at www.esit.net/annuario/hotels/nu_frameset_e.html * The Camping Village Cala Gonone, about 1.5 km from the Conference Centre, www.campingcalagonone.it/index/indexinglese.htm (for bookings: Tel. +39 078 493165, Fax. +39 078 493256) Visas Those people needing an invitation in order to apply for visa or financial support are requested to send all details by E-mail: qg05@phy.olemiss.edu or Fax: +1 662 915 5045 (attention of Dr. M. Cavaglia). We will supply letters/faxes in english and/or italian as necessary. The Postscript, PDF, or ASCII versions of this bulletin, including the registration form and further information can be obtained at www.phy.olemiss.edu/GR/qg05/. Personal inquiries can be addressed to: qg05@phy.olemiss.edu This meeting is sponsored by: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Universita` di Cagliari Universita` di Torino University of Mississippi Universita` di Pisa