THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND

• The Physics of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies. W. HU, IAS, Princeton, NJ, USA
• Observations and Theory of the Cosmic Microwave Background. A. LASENBY, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK
• The Best Window to the Very Early Universe and New Goals for Instrumental Developements.

  Y. N. PARIJSKIJ, Special Astrophysical Observatory, Karachai-Cherkess Republic, Russia

• The CMB after MAXIMA and BOOMERANG.

  P. RICHARDS, CFPA and Univ. of California at Berkeley, CA, USA

LARGE SCALE STRUCTURE, DARK MATTER AND THE COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT

• Large-scale Structure, Theory and Statistics. P. COLES, University of Nottingham, UK
• Deciphering the Nature of Dark Matter. B. SADOULET, CFPA and Univ. of California at Berkeley, CA, USA
• Measurements of Cosmic Acceleration and the Global Geometry of the Universe with Type Ia Supernovae, I and II.

  B. P. SCHMIDT, Mount Stromlo and Siding Spling Observatories, Australia

• Galaxy Formation. J. SILK, University of Oxford, UK
• Dark Matter Reconsidered. Cosmic Dark Energy. P. STEINHARDT, Princeton University, NJ, USA

FRACTALS AND SCALING LAWS IN ASTROPHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY

• The Statistical Mechanics of the Self-Gravitating Gas. H. J. DE VEGA, Université de Paris VI, France
• Fractals in Nature. Fractality, Lacunarity and the Near-Isotropic Distribution of Galaxies.

  B.B. MANDELBROT, IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY, & Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

• Scaling in the Universe. L. PIETRONERO, Università di Roma I, Italy
• The Nature of the Cosmological Many-body Phase Transition.

  Will our Universe Have a Phase Transition in its Infinite Future?

  W. SASLAW, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

• Galaxy Structures and Fractal Distributions. F. SYLOS LABINI, Université de Genève, Switzerland

PRIMORDIAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL BLACK-HOLES

• Primordial Black-holes and Gravitational Memory. B. CARR, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, UK
• Dense Matter in the Interior of Neutron Stars and in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions.

  H. HEISELBERG, Nordita, Copenhagen, Denmark

• Primordial Black Holes and Hot Matter. J. KAPUSTA, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
• Black Hole Astrophysics. I. NOVIKOV, TAC, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Black Hole Evaporation in String Theory and the String Phase of Black Holes.

  N. SANCHEZ, Observatoire de Paris, France

HIGH ENERGY AND NEUTRINO ASTROPHYSICS

• The Physics of the Highest Energy Particles.

  Dark Matter from Energetic Particles.

  P. L. BIERMANN, Max-Planck Institut, Bonn, Germany

• The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS):

  Detector and Physics Results of the Precursor Flight and the AMS on the International Space Station.

  H. HOFER, ETH Hoenggerberg, Zurich, Switzerland

• Extreme Energy Cosmic Rays and Cosmic Neutrinos. Astrophysics Involved and Experimental Approach.

  L. SCARSI, Università di Palermo & IFCAI/CNR, Italy

• Interactions and Propagation of Ultrahigh Energy Particles in Intergalactic Space.

  Mysteries and Theories of the Origin of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays.

  F. W. STECKER, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

An updated understanding from a fundamental physics and deep point of view of the progress and key issues in the early universe and the physical processes which took place in it. The interplay between cosmic microwave background radiation, large scale structure and dark matter problem will be stressed within a synthetic view. The central focus is placed on the crucial issue of the phase transitions in the early universe and their observable consequences: baryon asymmetry, baryogenesis and cosmological fluctuations. Emphasis will be given to the precise interplay between cosmology, statistical physics and particle physics in these problems, both at the theoretical and experimental/observational- levels, with a carefully balanced programme emphasizing the genuine interdisciplinarity of this domain. Special lectures will be devoted to particle/nuclear physics, neutrinos in astrophysics and high energy astrophysics.

In addition, each Course of this series, introduces and promotes through special sessions,topics or subjects, which, although not being of purely astrophysical or cosmological nature, are of relevant physical interest for astrophysics and cosmology. A special session of this Course will be devoted to the physics of Scaling Laws, Fractals and Turbulence and their applications.

Deep understanding, clarification, synthesis, careful interdisciplinarity within a fundamental physics approach, are goals of this series.

Lectures cover from a motivation and pedagogical introduction for students and participants not directly working in the field to the last developments and recent results.

All Lectures are plenary, have the same duration and are followed by a discussion. The discussion part is as important as the lectures themselves. All Lectures take place in the `P.A.M. Dirac' Lecture Hall of the San Domenico-`P.M.S. Blackett' Institute.

In the latest years, the cross-section between these fields has been increasing both at the theoretical and experimental levels: particles, fields and strings, astronomical observations, space satellites data. Such interplay fruitfully influence research activity setting up Astrofundamental Physics.

By the nature of the domain itself, there are different aspects, approachs and points of view (sometimes complementary to each other, sometimes in contradiction), to a same topic or subject. Special care is taken to provide the grounds of the different lines of research in competition (not only one approach). In this way, participants have an excellent opportunity to learn about the real state of the discipline, and to learn it in a critical way.

The Course provides an occasion to review achievements, to confront theory and models with observations and among themselves, to exchange information on the latest developments and to discuss future prospects. The Course brings together experimentalists and theoreticians, -physicists, astrophysicists and astronomers- from a variety of backgrounds, young scientists at post-doctoral level, senior scientists and advanced graduate students as well.

The detailed Programme and Lecturers of the Course will be distributed later on.

   Persons  wishing to attend the Course should apply in writing to:

Prof. N. Sánchez

Observatoire de Paris DEMIRM

F-75014 PARIS, France

Tel: 33.1. 40 51 22 21 Fax:  ++33.1. 40 51 20 02

or to,

Prof. Héctor de Vega

LPTHE, Univ. Paris VI

Tour 16, 1er. etage, 4, Place Jussieu

F-75230 Paris cedex 05 FRANCE

Tel: 33 1 4427 7430 Fax: 33 1 4427 7088

They should specify:

i) date and place of birth, together with  present nationality;

ii) degree and other academic qualifications;

iii) list of publications;

iv) present position and place of work.

   Young persons with only a few years of experience should enclose a letter of recommendation from their research group leader or from another senior scientist active in the field.

    The total fee, which includes full board and lodging (arranged by the School), is US $ 1000.

                  No special application form is required

        A letter will be sent to successful applicants.   Participants experiencing difficulties with travel documentation and who need to know whether or not their applications have been accepted may get an earlier special decision upon request.

  Admission to the Course will be decided on the basis of scientific excellency.

                  Arrival day  is December 6th, 2000

                 Departure day is December 17th, 2000

Participants must arrive in Erice on  December 6th, 2000 (NO LATER than 5 p.m.).

   More detailed information will be sent to successful applicants together with the letter of acceptance.