Nuclear Science Symposium

October 20-24, 2003

The Nuclear Science Symposium offers an outstanding opportunity for scientists and engineers interested or actively working in the fields of nuclear science, radiation instrumentation, software and their applications to meet and network with colleagues from around the world. The NSS program emphasizes the latest developments in technology and instrumentation and their implementation in experiments in space, accelerators and other radiation environments. In addition, there will be a number of dedicated Workshops and Educational Courses (Short Courses) on specialized NSS topics. The NSS is running together with the MIC, SNPS and RTSD and one important aspect is to further communication and discussions among these different disciplines.

Having received a record number of over 600 contributions from colleagues working on numerous NSS topics from around the world for the NSS and related Workshops alone (and 1,200 contributions for the overall NSS/MIC) we have decided to expand the NSS program this year both in terms of days and contents. While the traditional NSS Parallel and Poster Sessions, Workshops and Short Courses offer the opportunity for very detailed, dedicated and highly specialized presentations and discussions by world experts in the corresponding fields, Plenary Sessions have been added to provide overview and help to integrate the NSS program as events where all attendees may participate, and also meet with each other. To emphasise the importance of presenting all excellent scientific work, the NSS Poster Sessions are given special attention this year as there will be no scheduled NSS oral sessions during the 2-hour poster sessions. In addition, each poster session is announced at the end of the corresponding NSS oral session. All conference participants are invited to the Poster Sessions with poster authors present and available for discussions. Awards will be given for the best poster contributions (recognizing both scientific excellence and presentation quality). The posters will be accessible 24 hours for individual viewing. Joint NSS/MIC and NSS/RTSD events will be offered - which include joint social events as well. NSS participants are welcome to enroll for the MIC dinner cruise (Friday night) while MIC colleagues are cordially invited to participate in the traditional NSS Luncheon on Tuesday. We have worked very hard to eliminate potential conflicts between sessions and events such that every attendee can benefit from this rich scientific program and spectrum of topics, sessions and events offered at this year’s NSS.

This year’s NSS will start on Monday, October 20 and will run through Friday, October 24, 2003. We have designed the program so that each participant will find a great wealth of possibilities and special events in his or her field(s) of interest and expertise as well as large events providing overview and ample opportunity to meet with all colleagues and attendees. One of the true highlights will be the traditional Tuesday NSS Opening Session (09:00-12:00) that includes very prominent experts and leaders in our fields for exciting plenary presentations on the most outstanding current and planned research projects. The speakers will be Prof. Yoji Totsuka, Director General of KEK Japan; Prof. Keith Hodgson, Director of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory USA; and Prof. Edward Kolb, founding head of the NASA/Fermilab Astrophysics Group at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, USA. The Opening Session is then followed by the traditional NSS Luncheon (12:00-14:00) during which Prof. Hitoshi Murayama of University of California, Berkeley, will tell us about the “Mysteries and Future Directions in Particle Physics.”

Though we have invited some of the most prominent people in these fields to share their thoughts with you, the most important people at this conference will be you, for whom we have been preparing this event. It is most important to us that you thoroughly enjoy this year’s NSS program, as well as your experience in Portland, both professionally and also socially.
We would like to thank all of you, in particular the authors of the excellent scientific contributions selected for this year’s NSS, for your contributions which form the true and crucial basis for this unique event.

We would also like to thank the almost 200 reviewers who contributed valuable time and effort in reading and assessing all submissions, as well as the organizing committee members for their devoted work and tireless efforts for formulating an exciting program for this year’s NSS.

Most general information can be found at our website (www.nss-mic.org/2003) but please feel free, and encouraged, to contact us at any time for feedback, suggestions, questions or advice, and in particular if you feel that we can be of help to you – email us at nss2003@cern.ch and we will promptly reply. We are truly here for you, as a member of our science community, and are striving to make this event one of the greatest in our fields!

We sincerely hope you enjoy the 2003 IEEE NSS/MIC, both professionally and socially, and are looking really forward to meeting all of you in Portland, Oregon, USA in October this year.

Uwe Bratzler
NSS Program Chair
Phone: +41-22-767-1309
E-mail: Uwe.Bratzler@cern.ch
CERN EP Division
1211 Geneva 23 
Switzerland