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Dear Colleague,

**Apologies for cross-postings**

I AM WRITING TO REMIND YOU THAT THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION AND
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FOR THE ASTROSURF LAUNCH MEETING (NEW
ASTRONOMICAL CHALLENGES IN SURFACE SCIENCE) IS TODAY.

This meeting will take place on 18th-19th April in the Chemistry
Department at University College London.  Plenary Speakers: Paola
Caselli (Osservatorio di Arcetri, Italy), Ted Madey (Rutgers
University, New Jersey, USA), David Clary (Oxford University, UK)

More information about the meeting, and registration details, can be
found on the web site at
http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/astrosurf/challenges/index.html


There are no fees for this meeting, but we ask that you register so
that we have appropriate numbers for catering etc.  Please note that
you will need to arrange your own hotel accomodation in London.  We
have provided a link from the web site with some suitable hotels
http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/astrosurf/challenges/accommodation.html

The meeting will act as the launch pad for a new EPSRC-sponsored
network in surface science applications in laboratory astrophysics
(AstroSurf), which will bring together scientists from a range of
disciplines with a common interest in understanding the interaction
of the gaseous interstellar medium with the surfaces of dust grains.
Only relatively recently have astronomers realised the importance of
this gas-grain interaction in the chemical evolution of the
interstellar medium. Surface scientists, both experimental and
theoretical, are now investigating many aspects of this interaction;
the formation of hydrogen and other molecules from atoms, the
behaviour of the icy mantles that coat the grains and how these
mantles are processed to yield complex, pre-biotic molecules by
light, electrons and ions. It will be the role of the network to
encourage communication between scientists from different communities
to ensure that a proper and complete understanding of these complex
interactions is forthcoming.

We hope to see you all at this meeting next month!

Best wishes,

Wendy Brown
On behalf of the AstroSurf organising committee

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