Proposed Revised Text for "About VIA"

Astroparticle physics is an exciting and rapidly-developing science concerned with the deep connexions between astrophysics, cosmology, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Hundreds of scientific groups linked by national centres and regional networks (e.g. ASPERA/ApPEC in Europe) are conducting research in this field --- work certain to have a dramatic impact on our fundamental knowledge of the structure and laws of the microscopic world and the universe.

The establishment of a Virtual Institute of Astroparticle Physics (VIA) to provide a unifying and and coördinating structure for this emerging field was proposed in 2006 [1]. With initial support from ASPERA, the Institute opened its website in January 2008. Since then, VIA has evolved into a unique, multi-functional complex successfully combining various forms of collaborative scientific work with distance-education programmes [2, 3]. Integrated into the framework of Paris Diderot University's APC Laboratory, VIA is a useful tool for astroparticle-physics research and education with no distance limitations.

The VIA website offers: VIA's virtual rooms are open for meetings of scientific groups, and also for individual work by supervisors with their students.

You are welcome to join us in all of these activities.