The Centre
de Physique des Houches is located near Chamonix
in the French Alps. It is easily accessible by car (highway from France
and Italy), train (train station in Les Houches accessible from France
via Saint-Gervais and from Switzerland via Martigny), and plane (fast bus
and taxi services from Geneva
International Airport). The Centre
de Physique des Houches is perched above the village of Les
Houches, facing the Mont-Blanc. The setting is beautiful and hospitable.
Because of its isolation, the site lends itself above all to intense scientific
discussion and in-depth personal work. On the edge of woods and meadows,
set apart from the village itself, it also offers many opportunities for
activities such as hiking, mountain climbing and skiing.
The
School participants, both lecturers and attendance, are brought together
by a community life that has always been a particular feature of the Centre
de Physique des Houches. All participants are housed and have their
meals at the Center. The Physics
Center buildings have been renovated. They are made-up:
-
of a main building for classes with a lecture hall, several work rooms,
a library, offices for the secretaries and the scientific organizers and
a computer room;
-
of an old but renovated farm house with the Center refectory and common
room;
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and of eight comfortable chalets where participants are lodged in single
rooms; a few studio apartments are available for families.
The lecture room provides all modern facilities: blackboard, screens and
projectors for overheads, slide and video projector, multi-standard VCR.
The computer system consists in a Unix workstation with X-terminals, PCs
and Macs and a laser printer, all connected through a local Ethernet network.
The Center has an Internet connection. A small library with some scientific
revues and textbooks is available. Access is provided to the most important
scientific databases, preprint libraries and on-line journals via the Internet
link.
We will set up a special computing center connected to the present system
for the practical works with Linux PCs.