Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:39:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Spitzer Science Center HelpDesk <help@spitzer.caltech.edu>
Subject: SIRTF: Announcement of Second TPF/Darwin International Conference



     Second Terrestrial Planet Finder/Darwin International Conference

                  "Dust Disks and the Formation, Evolution
                     and Detection of Habitable Planets"

                     Mission Bay, San Diego, California

                              July 26-29, 2004

               http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/TPFDarwinConf/

Now is the time to mark your calendar, and plan to attend this exciting
conference!   Registration and abstract submission are now open.  Abstract
deadline is April 30.

This will be the second annual joint-TPF/Darwin conference.  It follows
the very successful Heidelberg meeting in April 2003.  The main purpose of
this conference series is to help develop the field of extra-solar planet
research. The conference is hosted by the TPF and Darwin Projects, the
Michelson Science Center, and the Spitzer Science Center.

We plan three major science themes:  1. Recent results on exo-zodiacal
disks from Spitzer and other space and ground observations. We expect
exciting new results from Spitzer, and space and ground instruments on
structure, composition, and frequency of debris disks.  2. The link
between the physical conditions in the early solar nebula and
astrobiology.  Spitzer will provide new information on the properties of
zodiacal disks in the first 500 million years of a planetary system's
existence.  3. Discussion of TPF/Darwin designs, science requirements and
technology advances.

We have selected an excellent location!  San Diego is a wonderful resort
destination, and its summer weather is normally very predictable: dry,
sunny, and warm, but not too hot.  The meeting hotel is the Hyatt Regency
Islandia, Mission Bay, close to the ocean and the famous Sea World marine
wildlife park.

More information, including a draft agenda, is available on the conference
web site listed above.  You can sign up on the web site to receive e-mail
news and announcements about the conference.  We will add more information
as it becomes available, so please check back frequently.

If you would like a full-color poster to help us advertise the Conference,
please send us an e-mail at TPFDarwinConf@jpl.nasa.gov, and we will send
you some copies to post in your department.

We hope to see you in San Diego!

      Chas Beichman, SOC Chair, TPF Project Scientist
      Steve Unwin,   LOC Chair, TPF Deputy Project Scientist