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Third International Workshop on AM CVn stars


[Talks are now available in the program section]

    logoFollowing the workshops in Nijmegen and Cape Town, we are pleased to announce the third AM CVn workshop to be held at the University of Warwick April 16-20 2012. The near future offers a rich landscape of facilities relevant to the study of these systems including several large transient/variability driven projects, GAIA, wide-field optical/IR surveys and new instrumentation. The aim of the workshop is to not only bring together the active community working on the accreting AM CVn stars but also forge and strengthen links with related topics such as detached compact binaries, post common-envelope systems, mergers and related theory and modelling.

    Topics include:

    - Population characteristics of the currently known systems

    - The formation and evolution of double white dwarf binaries and related systems

    - AM CVn progenitors and alternative end-products

    - Long-term studies including period evolution and variability

    - Hydrogen-deficient accretion

    - The status of the sub-10min systems

    - Donor star evolution

    - Connections with CVs, (ultra-compact) XRBs and Type Ia progenitors

    - Exploiting upcoming facilities, surveys and missions

    - Modelling and merger simulations

    We expect to maintain the workshop format from the previous meetings with a relatively small number of participants and ample time for discussion and small group splinter sessions. The workshop will be held at the University of Warwick with on-campus accommodation and facilities available for participants. There will be a welcome reception during the evening of the 15th with the scientific program starting on the Monday morning, wrapping up Friday lunchtime.

    Formal registration for the workshop is now open. We recommend you register as soon as possible, and we will be accepting registrations till February 1st 2012. Accommodation is offered in our on-campus hotels at 84£ per night which includes taxes, breakfast as well as internet access in the rooms (see Arden and Radcliffe links for more information, both are a very short walk from the conference venue). For those arriving on Sunday, the Sunday night is available at a reduced rate of £60. In addition, we will collect a £130 registration fee to cover the cost of coffee and lunch breaks. We are planning a social trip on the Wednesday afternoon as well as a conference dinner, please indicate your interest in either of these on the form.

    Payment can be settled in person during the workshop (either using cash or credit card). We do ask you to let us know as soon as possible if anything changes with respect to your attendance since we will be booking rooms on the basis of your registration form, and cancellation charges will apply.

    The University of Warwick is located in central England with Birmingham as the nearest, and most convenient, large airport and is well-connected by public transport (Coventry being the closest train station). For those that are considering extending their visit, the central location of Warwick University ensures that many other UK destinations are within easy reach. For example, fast trains to London take a little over an hour from nearby Coventry train station. Closer by are a number of smaller towns and villages including Kenilworth and Warwick which both have a castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. Slightly further afield, the rural region of the Cotswolds to our West offers a variety of destinations and attractions.

    We look forward to seeing you in Warwick,

    Danny Steeghs, Gijs Nelemans, Matt Wood, Patrick Woudt (SOC)