------------------------------------------------------------- Report of the June 20, 1998 GEM Steering Committee Meeting ------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dick Wolf (wolf@alfven.rice.edu) MEETING OF GEM STEERING COMMITTEE (8:15am-12:15 pm, June 20, 1998) Attendees: Kile Baker, Brian Fraser, John Freeman, Ray Greenwald, Michael Hesse, Mary Hudson, Jeff Hughes, Janet Kozyra, Janet Luhmann, Larry Lyons, Therese Moretto, Rumi Nakamura, Anatoli Petrukovich, Jimmy Raeder, Alan Rodger, Chris Russell, Howard Singer, Roger Smith, Dick Wolf. Janet Luhmann proposed a joint SHINE/CEDAR/GEM study of a magnetic cloud event. The idea generated considerable enthusiasm, particularly for the Inner-Magnetosphere/Storms campaign, which is anyhow compiling a list of candidate magnetic storms. Janet proposed that the joint workshop be held the weekend between CEDAR and GEM next year, and that idea was well received. Anatoli Petrukovich, substituting for Yuri Galperin, provided the following report from the Interball program: Interball-Tail (launch date: 3 August 1995). The situation onboard is stable. All main instruments are OK (magnetometer, ion and electron spectrometers, energetic particle spectrometer, etc.). Almost continuous data coverage is provided along the orbit. Estimated duration of the mission is until October 2000 (due to re-entry). Interball-Auroral (launch date: 29 August 1996). The situation onboard is stable. All main instruments are OK (magnetometer, ion and electron spectrometers, energetic particle spectrometer, etc.). Some problems with the wave instrument and imager still continue. Duration of the mission will be limited by the supply of cold gas (used for spacecraft stabilization). At the beginning of May, the 1998 INTERBALL-AURORAL subsatellite Magion-5 was reactivated (lost two days after the launch due to short-circuit). Commissioning-phase operations were performed during May and June, and now all instruments are operational. Kile Baker (NSF) reported that this year's announcement of grants for the National Space Weather Program should be out soon. (The announcement is now out. See, for example, THE GEM MESSENGER, Volume 8, Number 26, June 26, 1998). The proposal deadline is September 1. Michael Hesse, representing NASA-ISTP, showed vugraphs supplied by Mario Acuna, head of ISTP. He mentioned that Wind will begin exploring high magnetic latitudes in Earth's magnetosphere, after doing a backflip over the Moon. The ISTP program will continue through 2001. Equator-S has ceased functioning, due to a latchup in the main memory; however, the spacecraft will go through eclipse late this summer -- which amounts to a "reset." The spacecraft operators are optimistic that it will come on-line again. Polar should continue operating until 2002. Dick Wolf presented a report from the June 19 meeting of the GGCM Steering Committee that was prepared by its chair, George Siscoe. There were four major points: 1. Concept Studies. The committee favors continued development of both MHD and modular spines. The next GEM "AO" should fund modules for either architecture. 2. Center/Funding Strategy. The present situation is very fluid: if either the Boston University proposal for an NSF Science and Technology Center or the Community Coordinated Modeling and Development Center (CCMC) at Goddard Space Flight Center is funded, then GGCM goals and costs can be modified to take advantage of the synergy that will be achieved from working with these programs 3. Phase-1 Implementation. Much is riding on the success of Phase 1 implementation. The committee recommends that proposals to use Phase-1 products be encouraged, along with proposals to add to Phase-1 products. Top priority for the present is to ensure that Phase-1 products become available and that people be rewarded for using them. 4. Inclusion of Inner-Magnetosphere/Storm Campaign. A representative of the Inner-Magnetosphere/Storm Campaign should be added to the GGCM Steering Committee. After consultation with members of the IM/S campaign, Mary Hudson suggested Anthony Chan as an appropriate candidate. The GEM Steering Committee endorsed that nomination. The Inner-Magnetosphere/Storms Campaign reported that its first summer workshop as a full-scale campaign was a success. They have compiled a list of candidate magnetic storms for study and plan to select the first two by the time of the fall AGU. Michael Hesse reported that the GGCM Campaign has completed its second summer workshop as a full campaign and would like to reorganize, emphasizing coupling to the other campaigns. They propose to abolish their present two working groups ("Spine" and "Modules") but to keep the present coordinators (Michael Hesse and Dick Wolf) and working group chairs (Joachim Birn, Phil Pritchett, Jimmy Raeder, Frank Toffoletto) as a GGCM Program Committee. They propose that the GGCM part of next year's GEM workshop consist of one GGCM-only session, plus sessions that are joint with the Inner-Magnetosphere/Storm and Tail/Substorm Campaigns, and the Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Working Group. The main purpose of the joint sessions would be to discuss possible inner-magnetosphere, tail/substorm, and ionosphere-magnetosphere-coupling modules for the GGCM. Joachim Birn and Phil Pritchett will act as liaisons to the Tail/Substorm Campaign. The group proposed to name Margaret Chen as an additional member of the GGCM Program Committee and as liaison between the GGCM and Inner-Magnetosphere/Storm Campaigns; that nomination was endorsed by the GEM Steering Committee. The Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Working Group will suggest an additional member, to serve as liaison between GGCM and that Working Group. There was discussion of the need for better coordination of workshop sessions and for starting the planning process earlier. It was agreed that the campaign coordinators and working group chairs should meet together before the Fall AGU to draft a plan for the summer workshop sessions. It was agreed that graduate student Larry Kepko's presentation in the summary session of this year's workshop contained good ideas. Dick Wolf promised to get Larry's vugraphs transcribed and emailed to the GEM Steering Committee. It was agreed that plenary tutorial speakers should be given more systematic instructions that emphasize making the tutorials useful to students. It was agreed that we should involve graduate students more in the workshop planning and leadership and that a graduate student should be added to the GEM Steering Committee. The question was raised as to how long the Tail/Substorm Campaign should continue. Some people felt that it was crucial that campaigns have clearly limited lifetimes, as envisaged in the original plan for GEM. That was the philosophy under which the Boundary Layer Campaign ended. There were counter-arguments that campaigns should continue until crucial problems were solved, or at least until they could be represented computationally by GGCM modules. At the end, it was agreed that the present Tail/Substorm focus should continue for two more years. The GEM Steering Committee normally issues a "GEM A/O" statement each year to advise people on what to submit to the Fall GEM proposal solicitation. It isn't a real Announcement of Opportunity, of course, just informal advice. It was agreed that 1998 GEM proposals that make use of Phase-1 GGCM products would be particularly encouraged, along with proposals for the Inner-Magnetosphere/Storm Campaign, which is now in full swing. The statement should also note that proposals for the full range of GEM activities, including all campaigns, are appropriate. Dick Wolf agreed to draft a statement and circulate it to the Steering Committee before it is sent out to the community. It was agreed that a GEM Mini-Workshop would be held in San Francisco on Saturday, December 5, the day before the Fall AGU starts. Changes in Steering Committee membership: Bob Clauer, who had been the NSF liaison on the S/C, has been replaced by Kile Baker. Kile's position as a regular member on the S/C will be filled by Bob Clauer. Bob will be regarded as completing Kile's term, which started in 1996. Jeff Hughes, who rotates off the S/C after many years of faithful and highly effective service, first as a member and then as Chair, will be replaced by Ray Greenwald. This appointment follows the convention that a coordinator of each campaign sit on the S/C. Recently, Roger Smith agreed to be the CEDAR-GEM liaison, and he has been officially appointed to the CEDAR S/C. His four-year term on the GEM S/C would have normally expired this year, but it was agreed that he should be appointed to another 4-year term. Roger accepted that appointment. Therese Moretto was named to replace Eigil Friis-Christensen as the European liaison. The issue of a Canadian liaison was discussed. After further discussions after the meeting, Kile Baker appointed Rick Sydora (University of Alberta) to that position. A NASA liaison to GEM still remains to be identified. It was agreed that the graduate student representative to the GEM S/C should serve a one-year term and that this year the person should be Larry Kepko. In future years, the GEM graduate students should be asked to forward several names to the S/C before the June S/C meeting, and that the S/C should select one. Kile Baker (later) agreed to write Larry an official invitation letter. The GEM Steering Committee for 1998-99 thus looks as follows: Regular Member Appointed ______________________________________ Clauer, Bob 1996 Freeman, John (W/S Coord) 1997 Hudson, Mary 1995 Greenwald, Ray 1998 Kepko, Larry 1998 Kozyra, Janet 1996 Lyons, Larry 1997 Raeder, Jimmy 1995 Wolf, Dick (Chair) 1997 Member Liaison to ________________________________________ Fraser, Brian Australia Galperin, Yuri Russia Moretto, Therese Denmark Nishida, Atsuhiro Japan Opgenoorth, Hermann Germany Rodger, Alan Great Britain Sydora, Rick Canada Baker, Kile NSF Singer, Howard NOAA Smith, Roger CEDAR TBD NASA Hq Russell, Chris (Communications Coordinator) PLANS FOR 1999 WORKSHOP: John Freeman reported that the dates for GEM 99 are June 20-26. He proposed that the large-scale plan for the meeting be the same as '98: Inner Magnetosphere/Storms - M, T, W GGCM - T, W, Th Tail-Substorm - W, Th, F Magnetosphere- Ionosphere - M, T, F There was no objection. John reiterated the plan agreed to earlier in the meeting to have a meeting with all workshop conveners and working group chairs (essentially a GEM Program Committee) at the GEM mini-workshop before the Fall AGU, with the goal of obtaining a first draft detailed meeting schedule. This would then be fine-tuned throughout the Spring. There was more affirmative discussion of this and how to get people to plan earlier. John then asked for suggestions for improvements or comments on the Workshop. The following suggestions were received: * The slide projectors were not used at all and can be eliminated. * We need two overhead projectors in each of the breakout rooms. * The Internet connection in the Club Room should be at the projector site, not against the wall. * IP numbers should be made available to participants in advance so that they can more easily configure their machines to use the Internet connections for presentations. * An international reservation number for the hotel should be made available. There followed some discussion of room assignments and favorable comments on the planning of the meeting. SCHEDULING OF WORKSHOPS IN OUT YEARS: STP Symposium - Dick Wolf reported that Joe Allen recently inquired about whether GEM would be receptive to the STP Symposium being held in association with GEM. Joe had not been specific about whether STP would be before, during, or after GEM. It was agreed that there would be no problem if STP were held at the same location as GEM in a preceding or following week. CEDAR/GEM Coordination - Freeman reported that there was strong interest from the CEDAR coordinators to hold simultaneous meetings at the same location in 2000 and that a meeting to discuss the logistics feasibility had been held with Doug Phillips (hotel staff), B. Emery, R. Smith, U. Cantu and J. Freeman. Based on this, it appears logistically impossible to hold joint meetings at Snowmass Village during our usual meeting dates in June, because of conflicts for meeting rooms with the Suzuki Workshops. We would have to move to Boulder or to the second week in July for Snowmass Village. Roger Smith then stated the reasons that simultaneous GEM/CEDAR workshops would be useful. Discussion then began on the advantages and disadvantages to GEM. There was substantial opposition to the idea of simultaneous/joint workshops from several members of the Steering Committee. There was no objection, however, to coordinated meetings between the two groups at either end of GEM. Eventually a consensus emerged that Roger would take back a report that GEM would be happy to engage in plans for joint meetings on the weekend, extending into Monday, for the weekend before GEM. This would essentially be an extension of what was done this year. It was then suggested that the SHINE group could be included in this weekend joint meeting and Janet Luhmann's suggestion for a magnetic cloud study could naturally involve all three groups and serve as a nucleus topic for the double-jointed meeting. No vote was taken but there seemed to be a solid consensus on this concept. Kile Baker endorsed the idea. It was noted that this could take place as early as next year, 1999. The GEM S/C prefers that the weekend workshops would be held in Snowmass Village. 5-YEAR REPORT: Chris Russell reported that a few persons had turned in their reports to him but he was waiting to get everything before assembling the report. He hopes to have something by Fall AGU. INTERNATIONAL REPORTS: Brian Fraser reported that Australia will be launching FEDSAT-1 in 2000 with space science and engineering experiments onboard. He showed vugraphs with details of the satellite and its mission. He also discussed the new Australian TIGER SuperDARN radar and the possibility of a second radar in New Zealand. Rumi Nakamura reported that ISAS will make the GEOTAIL science data base (SDB) accessible on the WEB, including low-energy plasma data (LEP) moments and magnetic field data (MGF). This new system is planned to be starting in the summer 1998 and will be announced in SPA/GEM newsletters, once the capability is established. GEOTAIL will experience 4-hour eclipses in February/March, year 1999 and 2000, which may cause some problems for the satellite. Other than that, the satellite has a very good chance to continue operating even after 2000. The instrumentation for the 210-meridian magnetometer chain, are maintained by Dr. Yumoto (Kyushu University). Plot facitilites for the WEB will be maintained at the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory. Therese Moretto reported plans for the launch of ØRSTED and ASTRID-II. Eigil Friis-Christensen has left the Danish Meteorological Institute to take up the position as Director of the Danish Space Research Institute. This change has implied some reorganization of the Danish space physics group, but should result in an overall enhancement of the Danish effort. The research activities at DSRI now includes a Solar System Physics group with a strong element of solar wind, magnetospheric, and planetary-magnetism research. Furthermore, a small satellite center has been established to implement the longer-term Danish small satellite program, which was recently approved by the Danish government. The main focus for the near future continues to be geomagnetic satellite projects. The Oersted satellite is ready and still waiting for the ARGOS launch. The Oersted vector magnetometer-star imager combined instrument is to be flown on two other satellites with planned launches in 1999. The SAC-C mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and the Argentine space agency with the primary objective of providing images of the Earth's surface (polar sun-synchronous 10.30 LT orbit; 700 km altitude; lifetime 4 years). Denmark participates with an "Oersted" magnetic mapping payload, and this is considered the first activity under the small satellite program. CHAMP is a German geoscientific mission with the goal of mapping the gravitational and the magnetic/electric field of the Earth (polar circular orbit; 500-300 km altitude; lifetime 5 years), to which "Oersted-type" magnetic mapping instruments will be supplied. An activity of major relevance to GEM is the Danish participation in the Swedish ASTRID-2 satellite project, for which a launch in late September (this year) has just been announced. ASTRID-2 is an auroral mission (near-polar circular orbit; 1000 km altitude; lifetime 3 months+) to carry out high resolution measurements of E- and B-field, particle density and distribution functions, and UV auroral imaging and atmospheric absorption. The Danish contribution is the "Oersted" vector magnetometer and star imager redesigned to function on a spinning platform. The level of activity at DMI in relation to the net of ground-based observations in Greenland should continue unaltered. New appointments are being made there at the moment to secure this. Alan Rodger reported that the EISCAT Svalbard radar is now operational. Initial problems with ground clutter have been resolved. There are now 4 SuperDARN radars operational in the southern hemisphere. A further two, for Kerguelen and Tasmania, are funded and should be operational in the next 18 months. The Automatic Geophysical Observatory network in the Antarctic is now complete with 6 being provided by the USA and 4 from the UK. Cluster 2 has been funded. There is a new initiative led by Professor Terry Robinson (Leicester University) to deploy a major new heating facility on Svalbard, called SPEAR. The meeting adjourned with thanks to Jeff Hughes for his years of service to the Steering Committee and to John Freeman for a successful workshop.