News & Announcements

Dear sdOB12 Delegates,

This message is being sent to delegates who are presenting a regular, in-person talk at sdOB12. A separate message is being sent to those presenting virtual talks or posters/lightning talks. Please read all of the information below regarding upcoming deadlines and instructions for talk presenters:

The latest draft of the science program is available on the conference website. All program times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (=UTC−04:00). Delegates should locate their assigned talk slot (designated with a "T") and be prepared to present at that time. Please note that we might continue to make small changes to the program between now and May 19. 

There will be an allowance of 20 minutes per talk, including 2-3 minutes for questions. All presentations will be given using the same conference laptop. We will provide a presentation clicker/laser pointer and handheld microphone. 

If possible, talks should be sent via email to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com by Friday, May 16, as an attachment or as a link to a file-sharing site. However, we understand some delegates might need more time to finish their talks while traveling, and others might want to make small adjustments to their talks during the conference. The absolute deadline for sending your talk is 24 hours before your talk begins. 

Acceptable formats for talks include the following: PDF (.pdf; highly preferred), PowerPoint (.pptx; highly preferred), Keynote (.key; will be played through iCloud and may be slow if file is large), and Google Slides (make public, share link). Regardless of the format, we recommend also uploading a PDF version of your presentation to avoid any potential formatting issues when using the conference laptop. Please use your last name at the beginning of the filename (e.g. KILKENNY_talk.pdf, KILKENNY_talk.pptx). We recommend using widescreen (16:9) or standard (4:3) aspect ratios for your slides.

Thanks, and see you all soon!

-Brad

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC

Dear sdOB12 Poster Presenters,

This message is being sent to delegates who are presenting a poster (+ lightning talk) at sdOB12. A separate message will be sent soon to those presenting regular talks. Please read all of the information below regarding upcoming deadlines and instructions for poster presenters (this information was previously included in the 4th Announcement): 

The latest draft of the science program is available on the conference website. Delegates should locate their assigned poster lightning talk slot and be prepared to present at that time (designated with a "P"). Please note that we might continue to make small changes to the program between now and May 19. Posters will be on display all week and primarily viewed during coffee breaks. There are no assigned times during which presenters must be standing at their posters.

Physical, printed posters will be attached to boards that are 48” (121.9 cm) x 36” (91.4 cm (landscape aspect ratio 4:3 or portrait aspect ratio 3:4). Posters should not be printed on an area larger than this. The LOC has funds to print posters on behalf of delegates who do not want to travel with them. If you would like the LOC to print your poster for you, you must email a PDF copy of the poster to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com by Monday, May 12, at 13:00 UTC. All posters received after this time must be printed and brought to the conference by the delegates themselves. Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this deadline. Delegates bringing their own posters may leave them at the registration desk when checking in at Wildacres on May 19.

All poster presenters will give a ~2-minute “lightning talk” advertising their work. If possible, poster lightning talks should be sent via email to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com by Friday, May 16, as an attachment or as a link to a file-sharing site. However, we understand some delegates might need more time to finish their lightning talks while traveling. As such, the absolute deadline for uploading your lightning talk is 24 hours before the talk begins. If you do not send us separate slides for your lightning talk, we will display your poster PDF on the screen during your lightning talk. 

Acceptable formats for poster lightning talks include the following: PDF (.pdf; highly preferred), PowerPoint (.pptx; highly preferred), Keynote (.key; will be played through iCloud and may be slow if large), and Google Slides (make public, share link). Regardless of the format, we recommend also uploading a PDF version of your presentation to avoid any potential formatting issues when using the conference laptop. Please use your last name (surname) at the beginning of the filename (e.g. BARLOW_lightningtalk.pdf,  BARLOW_poster.pdf, etc.). We recommend using widescreen (16:9) or standard (4:3) aspect ratios.

Thanks, and see you soon!

Brad

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC

Dear sdOB12 Delegates,

We are less than one month away from sdOB12! We currently have 64 registrants for on-site participation at Wildacres Retreat Center. You can see their names listed on the Participants section of our conference website. The breakdown of participants is as follows:

• 25 Professors/Research Scientists (39%)

• 11 Postdocs (17%)

• 19 Masters/PhD Students (30%)

• 5 Undergraduate Students (8%)

• 4 Accompanying Persons (6%)

We will also have 10-20 people joining us at sdOB12 virtually (via Zoom). During the conference, delegates will present a total of 42 standard talks and 14 posters/lightning talks in the five sessions listed below. A tentative schedule of daily activities is available on the conference website.

• Session 1:  Surveys, Catalogs & Population Studies

• Session 2:  Formation & Evolution

• Session 3:  Binaries, Triple Systems, & Interactions

• Session 4:  Pulsations & Asteroseismology

• Session 5:  Atmospheric Analysis & Spectroscopic Diagnostics

This announcement includes details on the scientific program, presenter instructions, social events, travel logistics, and additional lodging information. Please review all the information in this announcement and continue to refer to the conference website for answers to any questions you might have. The News & Announcements page includes copies of the First, Second, and Third Announcements. Please email us (sdOB12meeting@gmail.com) if you have any remaining questions!

Sincerely,

Brad Barlow

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC & SOC

IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES

2025 May 12 - Deadline - Poster PDF submission (for posters printed by the LOC)

2025 May 16 - Deadline - Talk submission (including lightning talks for posters)

2025 May 19 - Recommended and earliest possible arrival at Wildacres (16:00 check-in)

2025 May 20-24 - sdOB12 Science Program at Wildacres

2025 May 25 - Latest possible departure from Wildacres (9:30 check-out)

More dates/times can be found on the sdOB12 Schedule webpage.

SCIENCE PROGRAM:

Program - The latest draft of the science program is available on the conference website. Delegates should locate their assigned presentation time slots and be prepared to present at that time. Chairs for talks and discussion sessions are still being finalized.

Talks - There will be an allowance of 20 minutes per talk, including 2-3 minutes for questions. All presentations will be given using the same conference laptop. Talks should be sent via email to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com no later than Friday, May 16 as an attachment or as a link to a file share site. Acceptable formats for talks include the following: PDF (.pdf; preferred), PowerPoint (.pptx; preferred), Keynote (.key), and Google Slides (make public, share link). Regardless of the format, we recommend also uploading a PDF version of your presentation to avoid any potential formatting issues when using the conference laptop.

Remote Talks -  Remote talks will have the same time allowance as in-person talks (i.e., 20 minutes, including questions). Delegates presenting remotely will do so synchronously by joining the Zoom session and sharing their screen.

Posters - Physical, printed posters will be displayed throughout the week and attached to foam boards that are 48” (121.9 cm) wide by 36” (91.4 cm) tall (landscape aspect ratio 4:3). Posters should not be printed on an area larger than this. The LOC has funds to print posters on behalf of delegates who do not want to travel with them. If a delegate would like the LOC to print their poster for them, they must email a PDF copy of the poster to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com Monday, May 12, at 13:00 UTC. Posters received after this time must be printed and brought to the conference by the delegates. There will be an allowance of 2 minutes for poster presenters to give a “lightning talk” advertising their work, with an additional 1 minute for questions. Slides for the lightning talks should follow the same instructions as regular talks (i.e., send to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com by May 16). 

Remote Participants - If you are interested in joining sdOB12 remotely but have not informed the LOC already, please send an email to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com to let us know. We will send out instructions for joining the sdOB12 Zoom session a few days before the conference begins.

Recording - All talks will be recorded and made available to registered delegates for a period after the workshop has ended. If you do NOT wish your talk to be recorded you must advise the organizers at the same time as submitting your slides. Otherwise, permission will be assumed.

Proceedings - There are plans to publish informal proceedings using Zenodo. Additional information will be provided during the meeting.

SOCIAL PROGRAM:

The main social program for sdOB12 includes the following events: 

• Campfire Conversations (every night starting at 20:30) - Delegates and accompanying persons are encouraged to join us by the fire pit at the Amphitheater every evening from 20:30-22:00 for beer, wine, S'mores, and good conversations.

• Coffee Breaks (twice per day) - Delegates and accompanying persons may enjoy coffee, tea, and light snacks twice per day at the Canteen in the South Lodge.

• Conference Dinner (Day 3 - Thursday, May 22 at 17:30) - We will hold the official conference dinner on the evening of Thursday, May 22nd at Homeplace Beer Company in Burnsville, NC. This dinner will be informal; participants do not need to wear formal attire. The event will take place both inside and outside the brewery, so participants should bring appropriate attire in case it is cold that evening. Burnsville is an approximately 40-minute drive from Wildacres. We can drive 30 delegates to the venue using our two shuttles, but we will need several delegates with vehicles to drive the remaining delegates over. The conference dinner is available only to delegates and accompanying persons who paid for the conference dinner fee upon registration.

• Linville Falls Hike (Day 4 - Friday, May 23 at 15:30) - Interested delegates are invited to join us for a hike to Linville Falls on Friday, May 23. Linville Falls is an approximately 50-minute drive from Wildacres. We currently plan to arrive to Linville Falls around 15:30 and stay there for two hours. During this time, participants may explore a variety of easy, moderate, or difficult hiking trails surrounding Linville Falls, the Plunge Basin, and Linville Gorge. Adventurous hikers can even take a quick swim in the Plunge Basin (with extreme care!). We can drive 30 delegates to Linville Falls using our two shuttles, but we will need several delegates with vehicles to drive the remaining delegates over. There is no added cost for the Linville Falls trip, and it is open to all delegates and accompanying persons. 

• Evening Social Events (every evening) - After dinner each evening, delegates may choose to hike around the Wildacres complex, play indoor/outdoor games, or participate in a few other activities the LOC is currently planning. Details will be shared during the conference.

TRAVEL INFORMATION:

Please refer to the Travel Section and Venue Section of the website for the address to Wildacres Retreat Center. Per Wildacres rules, delegates should not arrive to the retreat center earlier than 16:00 on Monday, May 19th. Wildacres staff cannot accommodate our group before this time. Room check-in will begin at 16:00 on Monday, May 19th, and run through the evening. Additionally, all delegates should leave the retreat center no later than 12:00 on Sunday, May 25th. 

Vehicles may be parked in any unmarked space in the parking lot at the top of the mountain. Upon arrival to Wildacres, please head to the registration table in the lobby of the North Lodge to receive your badge, room assignment, and conference bag.

If you have reserved a ride on the LOC-sponsored shuttle, a member of the LOC will contact you by May 9 to confirm pick-up times and locations. We are still waiting on travel information from a few delegates before finalizing the two shuttle pick-up and drop-off times from/to CLT/Charlotte. 

GETTING READY FOR WILDACRES:

Given the isolated and unorthodox nature of this conference venue, delegates are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Wildacres Retreat Center, its policies, and the surrounding environment. Here are some things to consider when packing for sdOB12:

• Entertainment - There will be plenty of downtime on the mountain during sdOB12, so delegates are encouraged to bring books, games, playing cards, musical instruments, and anything else they'd like to keep themselves entertained on the mountain.

• Clothing/Weather - The weather at Wildacres (elevation 1006 m, or 3300 ft) can be unpredictable in late May. The average high temperature in late May is 23°C (73.4°F), and the average low temperature is 11°C (51.8°F). Bringing layers to accommodate the changes in temperature is a good idea. There is limited air conditioning at Wildacres, so if the temperatures are abnormally warm during sdOB12, some of the rooms could get warm. Wildacres is not a "dress up place" so bring casual clothes. Include a jacket, sweater, and comfortable walking shoes (especially if joining us on the Linville Falls hiking excursion). We will spend some time outside during the evenings (around the campfire, etc.).

• Smoking/Vaping - Smoking/vaping is not permitted indoors at the retreat center. Smoking/vaping is permitted outdoors - with the exception of on the patio between the lodges.  We ask that guests wishing to smoke be aware of drifting smoke and stay away from locations where smoke can drift in open windows or doors.

• Snacks - Wildacres is an isolated venue, and there are limited food options outside of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Delegates might consider bringing some snacks with them. There are a few vending machines with snacks and soda (cash only), an ice machine, and a microwave. The LOC will provide light snacks during the coffee breaks and evenings.

• Toiletries - Wildacres does not provide toiletries to guests. The LOC has purchased mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, bar soap, and tissues for all sdOB12 guests. Delegates who require specialized haircare or hygiene products should bring their own. Additionally, the LOC will provide some extra razors, shaving gel, shower caps, toothbrushes, and toothpaste for guests who forgot to pack them. These will be available in the lobby.

• Money - Delegates do not need to bring money to Wildacres. The conference fees already cover food & drinks for all delegates throughout the week (including the dinner conference). However, if delegates would like to purchase items from the Wildacres Canteen (e.g., snacks, fleece jackets, sweatshirts, t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.), they will need to bring cash since Wildacres does not accept credit cards.

More information can be found on the Getting Ready for Your Visit section of the Wildacres website.

CODE OF CONDUCT:

We are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all sdOB12 attendees. We ask all participants to treat each other with dignity and respect, and to refrain from any form of harassment, bullying, or discrimination. Disrespectful behavior, including verbal, physical, or sexual harassment, will not be tolerated. We encourage attendees to report any unethical or inappropriate conduct promptly to a member of the SOC or LOC. All complaints will be treated confidentially and investigated appropriately. By attending sdOB12, participants agree to adhere to this code of conduct to help ensure a professional and welcoming experience for everyone.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEES:

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Andrzej Baran, Xuefei Chen, Stephan Geier, JJ Hermes, Simon Jeffery, Thomas Kupfer, Marilyn Latour, Holly Preece, Veronika Schaffenroth, Valérie Van Grootel, & Maja Vučkovič.

Local Organizing Committee (LOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Alekzander Kosakowski (Associate Chair), Jennifer Barlow, Nathaniel Berry, Wendy Burns, Charles Derbyshire, Sydney Jetton, Bennett Kirby, & Bryce Smith.

NOTE: THIS MESSAGE IS FOR REGISTERED DELEGATES ONLY

Dear Registered sdOB12 Delegates,

Only 1.5 months remain until sdOB12! To help us prepare for your arrival and ensure a comfortable stay on the mountain, please fill out and submit the Travel/Preferences Form to share your travel plans, food restrictions/allergies, and any other preferences. Each delegate and accompanying person should do so.

The deadline for submitting the Travel/Preferences Form is Tuesday, April 15th.

Please visit the sdOB12 conference website for any questions you have regarding our week at Wildacres. Feel free to email us (sdOB12meeting@gmail.com) if you have any remaining questions.

We are planning to send out a Fourth (and Final) Announcement to all registered delegates early in May. This announcement will include detailed information on the following: 

• Items to bring with you to Wildacres 

• Check-in/check-out instructions 

• Final LOC shuttle pick-up times/locations/instructions 

• Instructions for preparing/uploading your talk/poster 

• Science program 

• Conference dinner 

• Social program 

• Conference proceedings

•  + more

Thanks, and see you all next month!

-Brad

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC and SOC

Dear confirmed and potential sdOB12 delegates,

In this short announcement you will find information regarding upcoming deadlines and other items related to sdOB12. Please review all the information in this announcement, and respond accordingly. We will send a Fourth Announcement to registered delegates on May 1, and it will contain detailed information on preparing talks/posters, travel arrangements, the science/social programs, etc. Until then, please visit the conference website for answers to questions you might have. The News & Announcements page includes copies of the First and Second Announcements.

Contributions Deadline — The deadline for submitting the title/abstract of your contribution (talk and/or poster) is March 15. Please use the Abstract Submission Form to send these in by the deadline. All delegates are welcome and encouraged to contribute a talk and/or poster, regardless of status (student, postdoc, professor, etc.).

Late Registration Deadline — The late registration deadline is April 15. If you are planning on attending but have not submitted your sdOB12 Registration Form, please do so as soon as possible. Note this form is only for delegates attending in person (see below for remote information). There are only a few rooms left at Wildacres, and we will fill those rooms on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration Fees & Receipts — If you already registered but have not yet paid your registration fees via wire transfer, please do so as soon as possible. We will send a receipt within one week of receiving your payment. In cases where there is no information identifying the delegate on the wire transfer, it might take longer to receive your receipt as we work to link the payment to the delegate.

Travel/Preferences Form — On April 1, we will circulate an important form that all in-person delegates must submit. On the form, we will collect information regarding your travel plans (e.g., flight arrival times, etc.), food restrictions/allergies, drink preferences, and more. The deadline for submitting this form is April 15. We will send a follow-up email once the form is available, and it will also be found on the main page of the sdOB12 website.

Shuttle Transportation — Some delegates already expressed interest in riding on an LOC-sponsored shuttle to/from Wildacres on the Registration Form. If you marked “yes” to this question, we have already sent you an invoice with the shuttle cost included. If you marked “maybe” to this question, please confirm via email (sdOB12meeting@gmail.com) by April 1 whether you do or do not need shuttle transportation. Due to limited seating, we recommend that those who can rent a vehicle and drive themselves opt for that option. We are currently planning on operating three shuttles to Wildacres on Monday, May 19 at three different times. We will wait until we receive delegates’ arrival times (which we will collect through the Travel/Preferences Form in April) before determining and announcing these times and pick-up locations. We will do the same for the three departing shuttles on Saturday, May 24.

Remote Participation — While we strongly encourage attending sdOB12 in person, we understand that not everyone can be there physically. All sessions will be streamed via Zoom, and the session links will be provided closer to the meeting date. Please let us know (sdOB12meeting@gmail.com) if you intend to participate in sdOB12 remotely (including giving a remote presentation).

Fourth Announcement — We are planning to send out a Fourth (and Final) Announcement to all registered delegates on May 1. This announcement will include detailed information on the following:

• Items to bring with you to Wildacres

• Check-in/check-out instructions

• Final LOC shuttle pick-up times/locations/instructions

• Instructions for preparing/uploading your talk/poster

• Science program

• Conference dinner

• Social program

• Conference proceedings

• + more

Please email us (sdOB12meeting@gmail.com) if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Brad Barlow

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC

_____________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES:

2025 March 15 - Deadline: Contribution Title & Abstract (Talk and/or Poster)

2025 April 1 - Travel/Preferences Form Opens

2025 April 15 - Deadline: Late Registration

2025 April 15 - Deadline: Travel/Preferences Form

2025 May 1 - Fourth (and Final) Announcement 

2025 May 19 - Recommended and earliest possible arrival at Wildacres (16:00 check-in)

2025 May 20-24 - sdOB12 Science Program at Wildacres

2025 May 25 - Latest possible departure from Wildacres (10:00 check-out)

More dates/times can be found on the sdOB12 Schedule webpage.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ORGANIZING COMMITTEES:

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Andrzej Baran, Xuefei Chen, Stephan Geier, JJ Hermes, Simon Jeffery, Thomas Kupfer, Marilyn Latour, Holly Preece, Veronika Schaffenroth, Valérie Van Grootel, & Maja Vučkovič.

Local Organizing Committee (LOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Jennifer Barlow, Nathaniel Berry, Wendy Burns, Charles Derbyshire, Sydney Jetton, Bennett Kirby, Alekzander Kosakowski, & Bryce Smith.

Abstracts & titles for sdOB12 contributions (both posters and talks) are due on March 15! Submit them here: https://forms.gle/VTJhKsL9RaUBViNW8

The Third Announcement will be sent out the first or second week in March and will include additional information about submitting a Preferences/Travel form, joining sdOB12 remotely, and more.

The regular registration deadline for sdOB12 has now closed. Late registration will continue through April 15th (using the same Registration Form).

Dear confirmed and prospective sdOB12 delegates,

We are writing to draw your attention to two important deadlines.

REGULAR REGISTRATION DEADLINE

The regular registration deadline is less than one week away, on February 1. If you have not already done so, please submit your sdOB12 Registration Form by then. Within 1-2 weeks after you submit this form, a member of the LOC will send an invoice with instructions on how to make your wire transfer. Late registration will continue through April 15th but includes a $75 increase in the registration fee.

CONTRIBUTIONS DEADLINE

The deadline for submitting the title and abstract for your contribution(s) is March 15th. Delegates may contribute a talk and/or a poster. Please submit abstracts using the sdOB12 Abstract Submission Form. 

We plan to distribute the Third Announcement during the first or second week of March. That message will contain additional information on the science program, social activities, travel arrangements, food preferences, and more. Until then, please continue to check the official sdOB12 website for updates and answers to any questions you have. 

Brad Barlow

on behalf of the sdOB12 LOC

SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE 12TH CONFERENCE ON HOT SUBDWARF STARS AND RELATED OBJECTS

DOWNLOAD PDF COPY

2025 May 20-24

Wildacres Retreat Center

1565 Wildacres Road

Little Switzerland, NC  28749 USA

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/sdob12/

Email: sdOB12meeting@gmail.com

We are pleased to announce that registration for sdOB12 is now open. In this announcement you will find important information about the registration process, submitting abstracts, travel, and accommodations. Please visit the conference website for more information.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES:

2024 Dec 5 - Registration / Payment / Contributions Open

2025 Feb 1 - Deadline - Regular Registration & Payment

2025 Feb 15 - Preferences Form Opens 

2025 Mar 15 - Deadline - Contribution Title & Abstract (Talk and/or Poster)

2025 Apr 15 - Deadline - Late Registration & Payment / Preferences Form

2025 May 19 - Recommended & earliest possible arrival @ Wildacres (16:00 check-in)

2025 May 20-24 - sdOB12 Science Program @ Wildacres

2025 May 25 - Latest possible departure from Wildacres (10:00 check-out)

More dates/times can be found on the sdOB12 Schedule webpage.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

SCIENCE PROGRAM:

The sdOB12 conference program will include contributions on the following topics:

• Origins and Evolutionary Pathways: Examining both standard and alternative mechanisms behind the formation of hot subdwarfs. 

• Population Studies: Investigating the distribution and characteristics of hot subdwarfs in the field, clusters, and galaxies to understand their formation and evolutionary processes on a broader scale.

• Role in Binary and Multiple Star Systems: Understanding the dynamics and evolution within hot subdwarf systems and the nature of their stellar, substellar, and planetary companions.

• Atmospheric Properties: Investigating the unique chemical and physical properties of hot subdwarf atmospheres.

• Pulsation and Asteroseismology: Using stellar pulsations to probe internal structures and test theoretical models. 

• Advancements in Stellar Physics: Exploring common envelopes, convection, diffusion, atomic interactions, and tidal effects within hot subdwarfs. 

• Connections to Other Stellar Objects: Linking the behavior of hot subdwarfs to that of progenitor, successor, and related systems, such as red giant binaries, white dwarf binaries, pre-ELM white dwarfs, and BLAPs.

Additionally, sdOB12 encourages contributions related to the integration of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies in the field, such as the following:

• Impact of Upcoming Surveys: Discussing the potential transformations in our understanding of hot subdwarfs brought by current/forthcoming large-scale surveys like Gaia, SDSS, LSST, BlackGEM, Argus, LAMOST, Roman, and more. 

• Impact of Artificial Intelligence: Exploring how machine learning can enhance data analysis and interpretation, potentially uncovering new insights into stellar behavior and evolution. 

Delegates are encouraged to propose oral and/or poster contributions on any of these or related topics. If necessary, the final decision on oral contributions will be made by the SOC shortly after the submission deadline. Talks that cannot be scheduled will be accepted as posters.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SOCIAL PROGRAM:

sdOB12 is a scientific retreat designed to bring together leaders in the field of hot subdwarf stars to share progress updates, address unsolved problems, and forge new friendships & collaborations. Since the sdOB12 venue is isolated and far from any cites or towns, the LOC will plan on-site social events for each day of the conference. This program includes a welcome reception, outdoor movie night, live music, trivia, game night, and other community-building activities. Additionally, the LOC will plan excursions to local attractions (e.g., Linville Falls, Linville Caverns, Biltmore Estate) on the third day of the conference (Thursday, May 22nd) and a conference dinner on the fourth day of the conference (Friday, May 23rd). These options are subject to change depending on hurricane recovery progress in the area. More details on these options will be announced at a later date. Delegates are also encouraged to bring books, games, musical instruments (there are some pianos on-site), and anything else they'd like to keep them entertained on the mountain throughout the week.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REGISTRATION PROCESS:

In order to participate in sdOB12, all delegates and accompanying persons must do the following:

• Review the conference website, and understand the nature of sdOB12. The conference is located at an isolated retreat center in the mountains of North Carolina. Please review the Venue, Accommodations, Travel, and FAQ sections of the website to understand the nature of this conference and venue. Please also read all parts of this Second Announcement before registering.

• Submit the Registration Form. Upon submission of the Registration Form, your room at Wildacres will automatically be reserved for you by the LOC.

• Make a single payment for registration/lodging/meals/conference dinner. Within 1-2 weeks after submitting the registration form, delegates will receive a follow-up email from sdOB12meeting@gmail.com with an invoice and instructions for paying for sdOB12 via wire transfer. A summary of costs associated with sdOB12 follows this section.

• Submit titles and abstracts for sdOB12 using the Abstract Submission Form. Delegates may present a talk and/or a poster. Talks will be ~20 minutes, including Q&A. Printed posters will be displayed in the lecture hall all week, and poster presenters will have the chance to give a 1-minute “micro talk” advertising their poster at designated times.

• Submit the Preferences Form (available starting in February) for food/excursions/travel. In February, the LOC will circulate a Preferences Form so delegates can submit any food restrictions, express interest in social events/excursions, and confirm arrival/departure times to the LOC.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SDOB12:

A summary of costs associated with sdOB12 is shown below. Within 1-2 weeks after submission of the sdOB12 Registration Form, a member of the LOC will calculate your total bill and send an invoice for payment. This single invoice will list one combined amount that includes registration, Wildacres lodging+food, and the conference dinner.

Registration (required for delegates):

The registration fee helps pay for the opening reception, coffee breaks, snacks/drinks, excursions, conference materials/supplies, & local transportation. Only delegates participating in the scientific component of sdOB12 must pay the registration fee. Accompanying persons do not have to pay for registration.

     $225 / person - Regular Registration (deadline: Feb 1)

     $300 / person - Late Registration (deadline: Apr 15)

Lodging+Meals @ Wildacres (required for delegates & accompanying persons):

Wildacres is the only option for lodging & food at the conference venue. Wildacres staff requires that both delegates and accompanying persons must each make a payment for lodging+food. There are four different fixed rates for sdOB12, depending on how many nights a delegate stays and whether a single room (i.e., staying in room by yourself) or double room (i.e., sharing room with someone) is booked. Wildacres does not prorate costs for shorter stays.

Given the nature of the conference venue, we strongly encourage delegates to arrive to Wildacres the late afternoon/evening of Monday, May 19th and to depart either the afternoon of Saturday, May 24th, or the morning of Sunday, May 25th.

IF PARTICIPANTS ARE STAYING AT WILDACRES FOR 5 OR 6 NIGHTS (“FULL” STAY):

     $740 / person - SINGLE-Occupancy Room + Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

up to 6 nights/7 days lodging in a single room with no other occupants

17 meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner), starting with dinner May 19 & ending with breakfast May 25

     $430 / person - DOUBLE-Occupancy Room + Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

up to 6 nights/7 days lodging in a double room (i.e., two people staying in room)

17 meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner), starting with dinner May 19 & ending with breakfast May 25

IF PARTICIPANTS ARE STAYING AT WILDACRES FOR 1, 2, 3, OR 4 NIGHTS (“PARTIAL” STAY):

     $615 / person - SINGLE-Occupancy Room + Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

up to 4 nights/5 days lodging in a single room with no other occupants

11 meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner), starting with dinner on 1st day, ending with breakfast on last

     $380 / person - DOUBLE-Occupancy Room + Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

up to 4 nights/5 days lodging in a double room (i.e., two people staying in room)

11 meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner), starting with dinner on 1st day, ending with breakfast on last

Conference Dinner (optional):

Delegates and accompanying persons must make this payment in order to participate in the conference dinner. Those not attending the conference dinner may stay behind at Wildacres and eat dinner at the cantina (at no extra cost). 

     $65 / person - Conference Dinner

Shuttle Transportation to/from Wildacres (optional, limited):

Delegates who have the ability are encouraged to rent a vehicle and drive themselves to Wildacres, ride with someone else who has rented a vehicle, or book their own taxi/Uber/private ride. If delegates would like to coordinate ride sharing with one another (personal vehicles, rentals, Uber, etc.), they may use this Ride Sharing Communication Sheet to offer or request rides.

The LOC will schedule two shuttles to transport people between Asheville/Charlotte and Wildacres on Monday, May 19th and return on Saturday, May 24th. See details below. Limited seats are available. You may express your need for one of these shuttles on the Registration Form. Payment for these shuttles will be handled separately from registration/lodging/conference dinner, and at a later time.

ARRIVAL - SHUTTLE FROM CHARLOTTE/ASHEVILLE TO WILDACRES:

 ~$75 / person - CLT Airport/Charlotte to Wildacres on Monday, May 19th (leaves late afternoon)

    LOC-organized shuttle will pick up participants at CLT airport and one other non-airport location in/near Charlotte (location to be determined and announced later). 

        Departs CLT/Charlotte: 18:00 (approximate; exact pick-up times/locations TBA later)

        Arrives at Wildacres: 20:20 (approximate arrival)

  ~$75 / person - AVL Airport/Asheville to Wildacres on Monday, May 19th (leaves late afternoon)

    LOC-organized shuttle will pick up participants at AVL airport and one other non-airport location in/near Asheville (location to be determined and announced later). 

        Departs AVL/Asheville: 18:00 (approximate; exact pick-up times/locations TBA later)

        Arrives at Wildacres: 19:15 (approximate arrival)

DEPARTURE - SHUTTLE FROM WILDACRES BACK TO CHARLOTTE/ASHEVILLE:

~$75 / person - Wildacres to CLT Airport/Charlotte on Saturday, May 24th (leaves early afternoon)

    LOC-organized shuttle will take delegates from Wildacres to CLT airport and one other non-airport location in/near Charlotte (locations to be determined and announced later). 

        Departs Wildacres: 13:00 (approximate; exact pick-up times/locations TBA later)

        Arrives at CLT/Charlotte: 15:30 (approximate)

  ~$75 / person - Wildacres to AVL/Asheville on Saturday, May 24th (leaves early afternoon)

    LOC-organized shuttle will pick up participants at AVL airport and one other non-airport location in/near Asheville (to be determined and announced later). 

        Departs Wildacres 13:00 (approximate; exact pick-up times/locations TBA later)

    Arrives at AVL/Asheville: 14:15 (approximate)

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EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS:

Subject to sufficient external funding, participating students might be eligible for a refund of $100 upon arrival at the conference. More information will be available in March.

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VENUE:

The entirety of sdOB12 will take place at Wildacres, an isolated retreat center in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, USA. Wildacres consists of lodges with 56 guest rooms, a cafeteria where all meals will be served, an auditorium for presentations, and indoor/outdoor meeting spaces. Delegates will spend the entire week on the Wildacres mountain (with the exception of excursions). A simple, single payment will cover all meals, room costs, and excursions for the entire week at Wildacres. Given the unorthodox nature of this venue, delegates are encouraged to read all sections of the conference website to familiarize themselves with the retreat center, its policies, and its surrounding environment. The isolated nature of the venue is intended to facilitate close interactions between delegates throughout the week. There will be plenty of downtime on the mountain during sdOB12, so delegates are encouraged to bring books, games, musical instruments (there are some pianos on-site), and anything else they'd like to keep them entertained on the mountain throughout the week.

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ACCOMMODATIONS:

sdOB12 will take place at Wildacres, an isolated retreat center in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, USA. All sdOB12 delegates should stay on-site at Wildacres; there are no other housing options at the conference venue. (The only exception would be delegates with a vehicle who choose to stay in a hotel/inn or campsite down the mountain in a neighboring village and drive up to Wildacres each morning/evening.) Wildacres has two lodges that contain a total of 56 rooms. Each room has two twin-size beds, a small private bathroom (toilet, shower), and an open sink/vanity area just outside the bathroom. There are a limited number of rooms available at Wildacres, and so we strongly encourage undergraduate and graduate students to share rooms, if possible. Rooms will be booked automatically for delegates & accompanying persons after they submit the Registration Form. Please visit the Venue and Accommodations sections of the sdOB12 conference website for more information.

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TRAVEL:

Given the nature of the conference venue, we strongly encourage delegates to arrive to Wildacres the late afternoon/evening of Monday, May 19th, and to depart Wildacres either the afternoon of Saturday, May 24th (last day of conference) or the morning of Sunday, May 25th.

Wildacres Retreat Center is located at the following address: 

1565 Wildacres Road, Little Switzerland, NC  28749, USA

The closest regional and international airports are in Asheville (AVL) and Charlotte (CLT), respectively. It might take more planning than usual on the part of the delegates to get to Wildacres, compared to other conference venues. There are no public trains, buses, etc. that travel to Wildacres from nearby cities or airports. 

Delegates who have the ability are encouraged to rent a vehicle and drive themselves to Wildacres, ride share with someone else, or book their own taxi/Uber/private ride. There is a large parking lot at Wildacres where vehicles can park for free all week. If delegates would like to coordinate ride sharing with one another (personal vehicles, rentals, Uber, etc.), they may use this Ride Sharing Communication Sheet to offer or request rides. Use of this sheet is voluntary. Its purpose is to facilitate travel-related communication between delegates. Delegates using it are responsible for reaching out to others and updating the sheet as needed. Note that the sheet is publicly available to anyone with the link.

The LOC will schedule two shuttles to transport people between Asheville/Charlotte and Wildacres on Monday, May 19 (day before first day of science program), and Saturday, May 24th (last day of science program). Each shuttle will stop both at the airport (CLT & AVL) and one location in the city (Charlotte & Asheville) before taking off for Wildacres. The city pick-up locations will be announced at a later date. Limited seats are available. Costs and approximate departure times can be found in the “Costs Associated with sdOB12” section above. Delegates who need to book a shuttle can indicate this on the Registration Form. 

Please visit the Travel section of the sdOB12 conference website for more information.

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VISAS & OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS:

Delegates are responsible for ensuring their own eligibility to enter the United States and, if required, for obtaining the appropriate visa. The organizers will issue a formal letter of invitation to any bona fide delegates that require such a letter for visa or funding purposes. If required, please write to sdOB12meeting@gmail.com (Subject: sdOB12 Invitation Letter) and provide your full name, institute, contact details, and any specific content that needs to be in the letter.

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CONFERENCE RATIONALE:

Hot subluminous stars are objects situated between the upper end of the white dwarf cooling sequence and main sequence in the H-R Diagram. Most are hot subdwarf O/B stars that are either currently fusing helium to carbon in their cores on the extended horizontal branch, or recently stopped core fusion and are evolving towards the white dwarf cooling track. Several other types of objects also have evolutionary tracks passing through or near this part of the H-R Diagram, including post-AGB sdO stars, pre-extremely low mass white dwarfs, blue large-amplitude pulsators, and more. All hot subluminous stars are evolved objects thought to share one common trait: binary interactions are necessary for their formation. Given their formation histories, studies of hot subdwarfs and related objects can provide powerful insights into Roche lobe overflow processes, common envelope evolution, and other interesting astrophysical phenomena. The broader impacts of these studies touch on gravitational wave physics, the survivability of exoplanets, Type Ia supernovae, and more. Current and future large telescopes and surveys have and will continue to expand our knowledge of these intriguing stars—especially in the era of quickly advancing machine learning algorithms and complex statistical methods.

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ORGANIZING COMMITTEES:

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Andrzej Baran, Xuefei Chen, Stephan Geier, JJ Hermes, Simon Jeffery, Thomas Kupfer, Marilyn Latour, Holly Preece, Veronika Schaffenroth, Valérie Van Grootel, & Maja Vučkovič.

Local Organizing Committee (LOC): 

Brad Barlow (Chair), Jennifer Barlow, Nathaniel Berry, Wendy Burns, Bennett Kirby, Alekzander Kosakowski, & Bryce Smith.

The 2nd Official Announcement for sdOB12 will be sent out (and posted here) the first week of December. It will contain important information for registering, making payments, submitting contribution abstracts, and more.

Dear Potential sdOB12 Delegates,

I am writing today to give you an update on sdOB12 and its venue (Wildacres Retreat Center in North Carolina, U.S.).

As you might have heard, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the U.S. in late September and devastated parts of Western North Carolina. A few locations received 62 cm of rain within a 72-hour period, a 1-in-1000 years rain event. Some small towns located in mountain valleys next to rivers were entirely washed away by the floodwaters. The images/videos of the flooding and aftermath are heartbreaking.

Wildacres Retreat Center, the host location for sdOB12, is located on top of a mountain peak in the area affected by Helene. I finally made contact with some of the Wildacres staff members today by phone. They haven't had power until recently, and they've been preoccupied with post-storm clean-up. Their staff members are all OK, and the Wildacres Retreat Center itself had only minimal damage. Some of the mountain roads up to Wildacres were damaged, and road crews have been working around the clock to repair them. 

In short, Wildacres still believes they can host sdOB12 from 20-24 May 2025. However, they will confirm their ability to host sdOB12 sometime in late November (once they see how progress on the roads, etc. is going). As soon as we have confirmation, we will email all potential delegates with an update. The current plan is to open registration for sdOB12 on 1 December, at which time we will issue the Second Announcement. Until then, I would recommend waiting until our location confirmation to purchase flights into CLT or other airports. -If- we have to move the conference away from Wildacres, the SOC will send out an alternative location and date as soon as we hear from Wildacres. A likely alternative would be hosting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the same week (20-24 May). In this case, people who have already purchased airline tickets into CLT could keep them since Chapel Hill is within driving distance of CLT.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, expect to hear from us again near the end of November.

Best Regards,

Brad

on behalf of the SOC and LOC