In 2006, the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal) – Observatório Astronómico da Universidade de Coimbra (OAUC) - will celebrate the 80th anniversary of performing the first spectroheliographic observations in Coimbra. Full-disk spectroheliograms have been routinely taken in the Ca II K-line (K1 and K3) and in 1990 regular observations in the Hα line have also started (sample spectroheliograms can be downloaded here).
This anniversary is an excellent opportunity to organise an international solar physics meeting, jointly with a historical session commemorating the life and work of Prof. Francisco Costa Lobo (1864-1945) who installed the spectroheliograph in Coimbra in the 1920s. The instrument itself is a twin of the spectroheliograph operated at the Observatoire de Meudon. The Coimbra University itself (founded in 1290) is one of the oldest European universities. The meeting will take place on its campus just inside the Coimbra historical down-town and will also include an excursion to the Coimbra Observatory which is located at the city periphery.
The scientific meeting will cover various aspects of chromospheric plasmas which are particularly well observed in the above-mentioned Hα and Ca II lines, but also in a variety of other lines including the UV and EUV spectral range. This will include the structure and dynamics of the chromosphere (cell interior, network, spicules etc.) as well as other features seen at the chromospheric level or having the properties of plasmas at chromospheric temperatures: sunspots chromosphere, plages, chromospheric flares, prominences and filaments etc. The relation of such plasmas to other atmospheric layers and/or processes will also be discussed, in particular using the UV and EUV data from SOHO (ESA/NASA) and other space telescopes.
A long-term (cyclic) evolution of the chromosphere and its activity, including solar irradiation variations and effects on space weather, will be included, in particular with respect to long-term observations made in Coimbra. Finally, since this meeting is organised around the above-mentioned anniversary, a session devoted to new solar instruments capable of observing chromospheric plasmas will be held (including the space instrumentation).

LIST OF KEY-NOTE SPEAKERS
• Historical Session
     • A. Soares Alves (OAUC)
     • Z. Mouradian (Observatoire de Meudon, Meudon, France)
• Session 1:            
     • M. Carlsson (Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo, Norway)
     • B. De Pontieu (Lockheed Martin’s Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA, USA)
     • R. Rutten (Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands)
• Session 2:            
     • P. Mauas (Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
     • K. Tziotziou (Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Greece)
• Session 3:            
     • P. Heinzel (Astronomical Institute, Ondrejov, Czech Republic)
     • A. Lopez Ariste (Observatoire de Meudon, Meudon, France)
• Session 4:            
     • A. Berlicki (Astronomical Institute, Wroclaw University, Wroclav, Poland)
     • H. Hudson (Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA)
• Session 5:            
     • J. Fontenla (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Colorado, USA)
     • S. Solanki (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany)
• Session 6:
     • B. Fleck – SOHO Project Scientist (ESA Space Science Department, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA)
     • B. Gelly – THEMIS S.L. (INSU-CNRS/CNR, La Laguna Tenerife - Spain)
     • S. Keil (NSO, Sunspot, USA) - TBC
     • Ch. Keller (Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands) - TBC
     • R. Rutten – DOT (Astronomical Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands)
     • A. Title / B. De Pontieu (Lockheed Martin’s Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA, USA)
     • A. Vourlidas (Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA)

• 22 January  - First Announcement, web-site opens
• 1  February - Abstract submission opens
                        - Registration opens
• 15 June       - Closing date for abstract submission II.
                         (for those who do not apply for travel support)
• 30 June       - Closing date for early registration
                        - Information on travel supports
                        - Information on selected papers
                        - Second Announcement (Programme Finalised)
• 31 July         - Closing date for registration and abstract submission
• 31 August    - Closing date for hotel reservation
• 15 September - Closing date for registration and late abstracts
                        (can be accepted only as posters)
                        - Final Announcement
• 8  October    - Arrival, registration
• 9  October    - Meeting starts
• 13 October   - Meeting ends

The registration fee is 250€ per participant, and will be due in cash upon registration. The registration fee includes the Meeting documentation and logistics, coffee breaks, a visit to "Biblioteca Joanina", the old library of the University of Coimbra, and an excursion to the archeological site of "Conimbriga", a copy (plus shipping costs) of the proceedings (the proceedings will be published as a volume of ASP Conference Series), as well as the conference dinner organized on Thursday, October 12.

Important: upon registration, participants should also pay 55€ for each accompanying person (for social events and excursions).

PRESENTATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS

The Key-note talks for CSPM-2006 have:
30 min (plus 5 min for discussion) in the Historical Session,
30 min (plus 10 min for discussion) in the Sessions 1-5.
Other oral contributions (including all the talks in the Session 6)
have 15 min (plus 5 min for discussion).

The maximum size of posters is 100 cm x 120 cm (width x height).

Conference PC + Video projector and overhead projector will be available for oral contributions.

Wi-fi internet connection and few PCs with internet connection will be available for participants at the Meeting site

Several social events are planned during the Meeting. On Tuesday there will be a visit to the Old Library "Biblioteca Joanina" of the University of Coimbra. On Wednesday afternoon, we plan an excursion to the Astronomical Observatory in Coimbra and the Archeological site of Conimbriga (the ruins of a Roman town, beautiful mosaics: more information on this page http://www.conimbriga.pt/index_en.html). These visits are included in the registration fee. On Thursday evening, we are organizing the Conference Dinner in the "Palácio S. Marcos", an old Portuguese edifice located 20 km from Coimbra.