The Eighth International Conference on Hyperons, Charm and Beauty Hadrons will be held at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, from 22 June to 28 June 2008. This conference continues the BEACH series, which began with a meeting in Strasbourg in 1995. The series now offers a biennial opportunity for both theorists and experimentalists from the high-energy physics community to discuss all aspects of hyperon and heavy-flavor physics. The conferences in 2004 and 2006 attracted more than 100 participants.

The 2008 conference will take place on the main campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, the state capital. The city figures prominently in the history of the US Civil War and features several historic sites from that epoch. The Horseshoe, the lovely center of the University campus, is attractive both for its natural beauty and its early nineteenth century architecture. Attendees at this conference will enjoy authentic Southern hospitality and the amenities of a New South urban center.

The conference will begin with a reception on the evening of Sunday, 22 June and end with a summary talk at the conclusion of the morning session on Saturday, 28 June. No sessions are on the schedule for Wednesday, 25 June. On that day a full-day excursion to the charming coastal city of Charleston has been arranged.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

The following topics exemplify the broad scope of the conference:

• CP violation in K and B-meson decays,
• Heavy quark physics,
• Heavy quarkonium production and decay,
• Light meson production and neutrino flux,
• Heavy Quark Effective Theory,
• Lattice QCD and non-relativistic QCD,
• Precise electroweak measurements,
• Hyperon physics,
• Hadronic-neutrino physics,
• Top-quark physics,
• New experimental facilities and projects.

The organizers are aiming at a stimulating mix of presentations on both experimental and theoretical work. Presentations on preparation for upcoming experiments will share the podium with recent results. The contributions will include reports from the various experimental projects that relate to the theme of the conference. Continuing the tradition of the BEACH series all of the sessions will be plenary sessions. The program will accommodate review talks of twenty to thirty minutes and short contributions requiring ten to twenty minutes. Presentations will generally fit into one of the following categories:

• Recent experimental results,
• Recent theoretical results,
• Progress reports on approved experiments,
• Construction of new detectors and related technology.

To complement the diversity of topics the organizers encourage diversity among the participants in regard both to geography and to professional status. The conference is intended to be a productive experience for graduate students and senior researchers alike. The organizers will foster an informal ambience conducive both to collaboration and to networking.

CONFERENCE HISTORY

1995 - Strasbourg, France
1996 - Montreal, Canada
1998 - Genoa, Italy
2000 - Valencia, Spain
2002 - Vancouver, Canada
2004 - Chicago, USA
2006 - Lancaster, UK