IAU Symposium on Universal Physical Processes
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) Symposium 257 on Universal Heliophysical Processes will be held in Ioannina, Greece during September 15-19, 2008. The symposium is cosponsored by the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) program and the University of Ioannina.
The focus of IAU symposium 257 is on the universality of physical processes in the region of space directly influenced by the Sun through its mass and electromagnetic emissions the heliospace. The symposium will also attempt to consolidate the knowledge gained in space science over the past fifty years since the birth of this discipline in 1957. The topics include: Solar sources of heliospheric variability; Origin, evolution and dissipation of magnetic structures; Plasma processes: flows, obstacles, circulation; Energetic particles in the heliosphere; Heliophysical boundaries and interfaces including shock waves; Reconnection processes; Turbulence in heliospace; Physical processes in stellar systems.
We expect about 200 participants from all over the world. The symposium will consist of invited talks, contributed talks, and poster presentations. A Conference Proceedings will be published soon after the symposium by the Cambridge University Press.
More details including travel, accommodation, registration, and abstract submission can be found on the symposium web site:
http://iau257.uoi.gr/.
If you are interested in knowing more about Ioannina, please contact Alexander Nindos (anindos {at} cc.uoi.gr), LOC chair or the SOC Co-chairs Nat Gopalswamy, David Webb, and Kazunari Shibata.
Nat Gopalswamy [gopals {at} ssedmail.gsfc.nasa.gov]
(17 January 2008)
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SPECIAL Session 1 at the Montreal COSPAR meeting: eGY - Towards a Global Earth and Space Science Informatics Commons
This session is addressed to a broad audience to encourage the adoption of modern and visionary practices for managing and sharing data and information. The full call for papers and instructions on how to submit papers can be found at: http
http://www.cospar-assembly.org.
The date/time of the session has not yet been set. A selection of refereed papers from the event will be published after the Assembly in Advances in Space Research, Elsevier. The COSPAR meeting will be held in Montreal from 13-20 July 2008.
W.K. (Bill) Peterson [pete {at} lasp.colorado.edu]
(23 January 2008)
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2008 Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) General Meeting
The 2008 eGY General meeting will be held in Boulder Colorado on March 5-6 at the NCAR Mesa Laboratories. The goals of the meeting are to: Share information about progress, related initiatives/developments; Identify and plan remaining activities and conference events; Develop marketing arrangements and Succession planning CODATA WG, IUGG Union Commission. More information about the meeting can be found on the eGY web site: www.egy.org.
W.K. (Bill) Peterson [pete {at} lasp.colorado.edu]
(23 January 2008)
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First Results the Whole Heliosphere Interval; SPD/SPA Special Session at Spring AGU
The Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) is an international coordinated observing and modeling effort to characterize the 3-dimensional interconnected solar-heliospheric-planetary system. It begins with data originating at the Sun during Carrington Rotation 2067: March 20 - April 16, 2008. WHI's science begins with the solar interior and extends through the heliosphere and interplanetary space out to the heliopause. WHI is a special campaign period of the International Heliophysical Year, and involves the participation of many participating observatories and researchers around the world. A synoptic set of observations will provide baseline measurements of the heliophysical system, while targeted observing campaigns during the WHI interval will focus on particular sub-regions of the coupled heliospheric system and address specific scientific questions via day- to-day coordinated observations. There will be a SPD/SPA Special Session at the AGU 2008 Joint Assembly, 27-30 May 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This session will provide a broad description of the heliosphere at solar minimum by showcasing early results of the WHI campaign. We invite contributions to this session from anyone involved in WHI observations, either targetted or synoptic, or modeling efforts. For further details see:
http://ihy2007.org/WHI/WHI.shtml, and to submit an abstract go to:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/?content=program.
Sarah Gibson [sgibson {at} ucar.edu]
(28 January 2008)
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First WHI Workshop to be held in August!
Save the dateswe will have the first Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) science workshop in Boulder, Colorado the week of August 25-29. See
http://ihy2007.org/WHI/WHI_news.shtml
for updates and details.
Sarah Gibson [sgibson {at} ucar.edu]
(28 January 2008)
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The International Heliosphysical Year in Switzerland: A Review
This report is available from Arnold Benz, IHY National Coordinator for Switzerland. The report's authors are: A. O. Benz, M. Bianda, S. Berdyugina, C. Monstein, R. Ramelli, W. Schmutz, R. von Steiger, J. O. Stenflo.
Here is a summary. The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) announced by the United Nation Organization (UNO) for 2007 has initiated several activities in Switzerland. They included an international project in the frame of Observatory Development of the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI), a public exposition "In the Fire of the Sun" traveling through continental Europe, Open Door days at observatories, conferences, and reports in the media in Switzerland. The activities have enhanced public awareness of Sun-Earth interactions and heliophysics, as well as communicated the fascination of the Sun. Some of the initiated activities will continue in the coming years.
Arnold Benz [benz {at} astro.phys.ethz.ch]
Institute of Astronomy, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
(23 January 2008)
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Space Weather and Europe: an Educational Tool with the Sun (SWEETS)
The "Space Weather and Europe" an Educational Tool with the Sun (SWEETS): project was concluded at the end of 2007. SWEETS as a public outreach activity was funded by the European Commission within the 6th frame work program and contributed to the IHY. The SWEETS consortium consisted of members from many European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Portugal, Turkey) including ESA and DLR.
Major SWEETS activities were a space weather-on tour mobile exhibition that has been traveling through Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and Portugal since it started its journey in June 2007. Meanwhile, the bus has concluded its journey after more than 23,000 km. The bus had an attractive outward appearance introducing into space weather and influences and effects. It contained a 13-panel, bi-lingual space weather poster exhibition available in several languages, an interactive exhibition including video presentations on space weather, personal computers with near-real time access to space weather observing satellites, an optical telescope and a radio telescope for solar observations by the visitors. The tour through the bus was guided by different high-level and outreach-educated European space weather scientists.
Other elements of SWEETS are a Space weather DVD in 7 languages (Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese and Slovak), a European web quiz on space weather, a film "The Breath of a Star", organization of science festivals in Europe including a Space Weather Forum in Schwerin Palace (19 November 2007) and a Space Weather Fair in Greifswald (20-21 November 2007). More details may be found on the SWEETS web page www.sweets2007.de.
Prof. Dr. Rainer Hippler [hippler {at} physik.uni-greifswald.de]
Institut für Physik, Universität Greifswald
Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 6
17487 Greifswald, Germany
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Activity Report of the SWEETS European Initiative.
This is a summary of various activities undertaken by the SWEETS (Space Weather and Europe: an Educational Tool with the Sun) European initiative in which fifteen laboratories were involved. Contact Brigitte Schmieder for more information.
1) A Space Weather dance show "Sonnensturm"
2) A web quiz all over Europe. The quiz was advertised on the SWEETS web pages as well as during the week of the tour bus in Meudon: the different questions of the Quiz were advertized on a leaflet. We had five winners.
3) Space Weather/Sun/Heliospheric public science festivals in 27 countries. In France the SWEETS exhibition (panels in French/English) was duplicated by the Observatoire de Paris and presented during different public events occurring either in Meudon or downtown in Paris. These events included: The Open Door day for IHY on June 10, 2007 organized by C. Briand. More than 1500 visitors visited the Observatoire of Meudon and its solar instruments as well as the SWEETS exhibition. A researchers night (La nuit des chercheurs) took place in Paris on September 28. Brigitte Schmieder and Milan Maksimovic gave presentations on Space Weather and on the STEREO mission. A Science fair (La fête de la Science) took place on October 15-16 in Meudon. The day of the Amphitheater (Envie damphis) took place at the Observatoire de Paris in Paris on November 24. Four conferences were given on the interior of the Sun (J.P.Zahn), solar activity (G.Aulanier), climate (M.L. Chanin), and the aurora (P. Canu). The exhibition Du Soleil à la Terre was displayed from November 8 to December 15 at the Observatoire de Paris in Paris, jointly with the SWEETS exhibition and the SWEETS-CD show. On November 8 was the opening of these exhibitions with 200 invited participants. More than 50 schools visited the exhibition and an estimated 5000 visitors attended.
4) Space Weather on the tour-mobile bus: The SWEETS exhibition on space weather effects was presented June 18-24, at the Observatoire de Paris at Meudon (France), along with an event organized by the town of Meudon on June 23. On June 18, an opening ceremony took place in presence of Dr F.Jansen and two German journalists, the director of the solar department of the Observatoire and the president of the national program on the Sun and Earth funded by the CNRS. A son-et-lumiere show celebrating the 100th anniversary of astronomer Jules Janssen was projected over the Meudon castle façade. On 23 June the bus was open until 10 pm and a few thousand people attended the show. During the previous week, the scientific Space Weather mobile bus tour was visited by more than 1000 persons including school children. During two days the bus visited secondary and technical schools and the pupils could get explanations on the sources and effects of the Space Weather. During these 7 days, a team of 7 scientists of the Observatoire guided the visitors. The visitors could observe the Sun with two telescopes and a spectrograph. Each day the bus tour was guided by 3 to 4 high level solar physicists and outreach educated European space weather scientists.
5) Rocket/balloon launch participation for European web quiz winner and journalists
6) Space Weather/solar/aurora/rocket/balloon movie production for TV
7) Space Weather /Sun /Heliospheric public science festival and public fair in Schwerin castle (main SWEETS festival during ESW 2007)
8) Space Weather telescope video link with Australian (Antarctic Mawson station) and Japanese locations for Schwerin castle festival
9) Space Weather planetarium show in Poland, Finland, France and Portugal (4 new languages)
10) An updated Space Weather/solar CD-Rom/DVD in 7 new languages, poster/flyer.
Brigitte Schmieder participated in the DVD workshop in Helsinki, Finland on September 18-19, 2007 and provided new inputs on the Sun (new movies from TRACE and Hinode), and updated the text of the "Fundamentals" chapter. She visited Greifswald for a second DVD workshop together with F. Jansen in order to update parts of the outreach chapter. The French translation of the DVD was done by the staff at the Observatoire de Paris.
11) Cosmic ray spark chambers
12) Space Weather storm forecast map
13) Mirror system for solar movie
Brigitte Schmieder [brigitte.schmieder {at} obspm.fr]
(24 January 2008)
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IHY Space Weather Monitor Workshop in Ethiopia
A Stanford Solar Center team held an IHY Space Weather Monitor workshop in conjunction with the IHY-Africa Space Weather Science and Education Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The SID (Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance) instruments track changes to the Earth's ionosphere caused by solar activity. The instruments, targeted to high school students, are being distributed world-wide as part of the IHY International Education Program.
About 50 researchers from those attending the IHY conference joined the SID workshop, a prerequisite for obtaining a SID Space Weather Monitor for their university and/or a local high school.
Researchers attending the workshop came from 15 African nations. One of the IHY priorities is the development of space physics research infrastructure in Africa. Satellite studies have shown that equatorial and mid-latitude Africa have unique responses to space weather. However, few ground-based instruments exist there. The networks of the SIDs and their more sensitive research counterpart, the AWESOME networks, distributed throughout Africa will be a good step in understanding the cause for the severe space weather disturbances in that sector.
Deborah Scherrer and M. Cristina Rabello-Soares distributed the monitors and explained their installation and use. In addition to the instrumentation, the SID package included a significant collection of classroom and educational materials designed to introduce teachers to solar and space weather concepts as well as introduce students to SID data and how to use and understand it.
The Solar Center team recognizes that to develop the space science research infrastructure in Africa, the educational infrastructure also needs to be developed and enhanced. Our hope is that placing these 50 monitors throughout the African continent will encourage and excite students to learn more about the Sun, physics, and their unique space weather environment. The workshop and distribution of IHY SID monitors is being funded by the IHY-NASA under the auspices of Barbara Thompson and Joe Davila.
Deborah Scherrer and M. Cristina Rabello-Soares Stanford University
HEPL Solar Physics Stanford, CA 94305 USA
M. Cristina Rabello-Soares [csoares {at} solar2.Stanford.EDU]
(24 January 2008)
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IHY/NASA Teacher Workshop in Ethiopia
A teacher workshop was held in conjunction with the IHY-Africa Space Weather Science and Education Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on November 10, 2007 with the goal to help develop the next generation of African space scientists. It was organized by the AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy Education and Public Outreach Committee.
The workshop gathered 70 high-school science teachers from around Ethiopia for a one-day professional development program. The program discussed fundamental physics concepts relevant to space weather, including an overview of the IHY program. Classroom materials were distributed to be used as hands-on activities by the teachers in their classrooms.
The Houston Natural History Museum and Rice University brought along a portable planetarium and a collection of science shows which were subsequently donated to the Ethiopian National Museum. This facility represented the first planetarium in Ethiopia and only the 4th in Africa. It was demonstrated to the teachers during the workshop and later at a local high-school class.
A post-workshop survey showed that the vast majority of teachers learned much from and enjoyed the workshop and found ample material to use in their classrooms.
Organizers and Presenters: Mulugeta Bekele, Addis Ababa University; Mark Moldwin, UCLA; M. Cristina Rabello-Soares, Stanford University; Patricia Reiff, Rice University; Deborah Scherrer, Stanford University; Carolyn Sumners, Houston Museum of Natural Science; Barbara Thompson, NASA GSFC; Endawoke Yizengaw, UCLA; Negatu W. Yohannes, Addis Ababa.
M. Cristina Rabello-Soares, Deborah Scherrer and the workshop organizers
Stanford University - HEPL Solar Physics Stanford, CA 94305 USA
M. Cristina Rabello-Soares [csoares {at} solar2.Stanford.EDU]
(24 January 2008)
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12 Educational IHY Videos Produced for Latin America and the Caribbean
Dr. Antonio Sanchez has done IHY outreach work on a continuing basis for Latin America and the Caribbean since 2005:
We achieved our goal of producing 12 half-hour videos as an educational contribution to the activities of the International Heliophysical Year. The titles of the programs are: The International Heliophysical Year, History of the solar observation, The solar interior, The solar photosphere, The solar chromosphere, The solar corona, Solar cycles, Observing the Sun, Program PROSOL, The solar research, Relations Sun-Earth, and Discovering a star.
All the programs are in Spanish. All of the programs were casted by the state TV channel TELEMAX, covering the state of Sonora by cable signal and the country through satellite. All the programs are continuously webcast by @stro tv Education at:
http://cosmos.astro.uson.mx/webtv/bbuson.htm.
All the programs are at the webpage
http://cosmos.astro.uson.mx/notas/070101.htm
ready to be downloaded by anyone. The last program, DECAC IHY 12 is specially focused to motivate high-school students. Contact Dr. Sanchez for more details.
From Antonio Sanchez [asanchez {at} astro.uson.mx]
ESTACIÓN DE OBSERVACIÓN SOLAR,EOS
OBSERVATORIO "CARL SAGAN",
OCS APDO. POSTAL 5-088
HERMOSILLO, SONORA, 83190 MÉXICO
Forwarded by Hans Haubold [haubold {at} unvienna.org]
(29 January 2008)
