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The Coimbra Solar Physics Meeting 2006 entitled ``The Physics of
Chromospheric Plasmas'' was held in Coimbra, Portugal from 9 to 13
October, 2006.  In that year the Astronomical Observatory of the
University of Coimbra in Portugal -- Observat\'orio Astron\'omico da
Universidade de Coimbra (OAUC) -- celebrated the 80th anniversary of
the first solar spectroheliographic observations in Coimbra.  The
instrument was built as a twin of the spectroheliograph at the
Observatoire de Paris in Meudon.  Full-disk spectroheliograms have
been routinely taken in the Ca II K line since then, and in 1990
regular observation in H$\alpha$ started as well.

This anniversary was an excellent opportunity to organize an
international solar physics meeting, including a historical session
commemorating the life and work of Prof.\ Francisco Costa Lobo
(1864--1945) who installed the spectroheliograph in Coimbra during the
1920s, and reviewing the subsequent eighty years of solar physics in
Coimbra.  Coimbra University, which hosted the meeting, was founded in
1290 as one of the oldest European universities.  

The content of the meeting was defined to fill a scientific gap by
addressing chromospheric plasmas, covering various aspects which are
particularly well observed in the traditionally used H$\alpha$ and
Ca~II lines, but also in a variety of other lines including the UV and
EUV spectral ranges.  These aspects included the structure and
dynamics of the chromosphere (cell interior, network, spicules etc.)
as well as other features seen at the chromospheric level or having
the properties of plasmas at chromospheric temperatures: sunspot
chromospheres, plages, chromospheric flares, filaments etc. The
relation of such plasmas to other atmospheric layers and/or processes
was also discussed, in particular using the UV and EUV data from SOHO
(ESA/NASA) and other space telescopes.  The long-term (cyclic)
evolution of the chromosphere and its activity, including solar
irradiation variability and effects on space weather, were included,
in particular with respect to the long-term observations made in
Coimbra.  Finally, since this meeting was organized around the Coimbra
spectroheliograph anniversary, a session devoted to new solar
instruments capable of observing chromospheric plasmas was included as
well. About 100 scientists from 24 countries participated in the meeting.

New developments also occur at the Coimbra spectroheliograph itself.
CCD technology has recently replaced the classical registration on
photographic plates (achieved with the assistance of the Ond\v{r}ejov
Observatory).  The large archive of spectroheliographic plates is
currently being digitized with the support of the Ministerio da
Ci\^{e}ncia, da Technologia e do Ensino Superior, and the Coimbra
Solar Information System is being constructed in a collaboration with
UNINOVA.  The meeting was also the final conclusion meeting of the
European Solar Magnetism Network (ESMN) funded by the European
Community in the Fifth Framework program.

We are indebted to the Scientific Organizing Committee for defining
the excellent scientific program and to the participants to make it a
very worthwile and lively conference.  The SOC consisted of Mats
Carlsson, Werner Curdt, Carsten Denker, Ivan Dorotovi\v{c}, Lyndsay
Fletcher, Petr Heinzel (Chair), Robert Rutten, Brigitte Schmieder,
Javier Trujillo Bueno, Georgia Tsiropoula, Han Uitenbroek, and
Jean-Claude Vial.  In addition, we are most grateful to the Local
Organizing Committee consisting of Sandro Batista (webmaster of the
meeting's website,
\url{http://www.mat.uc.pt/~cspm2006/}), Ivan Dorotovi\v{c}, Jo\~{a}o
Fernandes (Chair), and Adriana Garcia for their effort to make of our
meeting pleasant and scientifically successful. The meeting was
jointly organized by Observat\'{o}rio Astron\'{o}mico da Universidade
de Coimbra and Grupo de Astrof\'{\i}sica da Universidade de Coimbra.
The local Host Committee of Artur Soares Alves, Helmut Malonek, and
Jo\~{a}o Fernandes organized the historical session.  We also
acknowledge the professional efforts in the logistics and the
excursions by travel agency Viagens Abreu (Carmen Ramalh\~{a}o and
Sofia Lapo) and the cheerful technical and touristic assistance by
hostesses Joana Rebocho and Joana Morais.

The meeting benefited from significant financial support of the
following institutions to which we express our sincere gratitude:
Funda\c{c}\~{a}o Para a Ci\^{e}ncia e Tecnologia, Funda\c{c}\~{a}o
Luso-Americana, Funda\c{c}\~{a}o Calouste Gulbenkian, Gabinete de
Rela\c{c}\~{o}es Internacionais da Ci\^{e}ncia e do Ensino Superior,
British Council, European Space Agency, European Physical Society,
Caixa Geral de Depositos, Reitoria da Universidade de Coimbra,
Departamento de Matem\'atica da Universidade de Coimbra, the
Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic, and the EC--RTN European Solar Magnetism Network. 

Finally, we thank John Leibacher and the ASP-CS editors for advice on
editing, J\'ulius Koza for careful proof checking, and the authors for
providing the content and worth of this book.

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Petr Heinzel, Ivan Dorotovi\v{c}, Rob Rutten \hfill Ond\v{r}ejov,
February 2007

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