As Conference and Scientific Program Chairs of the 2007 Particle Accelerator Conference, we welcome you to Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico. At an elevation of 5,335 feet (1,626 meters) above sea level, Albuquerque is the highest metropolitan area in the United States. We expect to have an exciting scientific program in an invigorating environment with many cultural interactions that will enhance your overall experience.

With a population of just under 500,000, Albuquerque serves as the gateway to the state’s many attractions: from the Indian pueblos that line the upper Rio Grande… to the nation’s highest (at 7,000 feet or 2,134 meters) AND oldest capital city of Santa Fe… to the wonders of Carlsbad Caverns near the Texas border.

New Mexico is a state of contradictions and contrasts, hence the descriptor “Land of Enchantment”: it is largely unpopulated and rural, yet it is home to two of the nation’s premier scientific laboratories (Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories). Prehistoric petroglyphs are within a stone’s throw of some populated areas. It has the second largest population of Native Americans of any state (behind only Alaska), yet it has a very strong Hispanic identity. It is largely an arid environment, yet it hosts millions of Canada Geese and other migratory birds in the winter.

Associated with the 22nd Particle Accelerator Conference, we invite you to take time after the plenaries, the presentations, and the poster sessions to discover this Land of Enchantment.