*************************** ** THE GEM MESSENGER ** *************************** Volume 5, Number 25 October 5, 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------- REPORT ON THE GEM STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING, 1 JULY 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------- GEM SC Committee Chair: W. Jeffrey Hughes The GEM Steering Committee met on the Saturday following the Snowmass Workshop. The main items of business were to discuss the status of the GEM program within NSF, plans for next summer's workshop, cooperation between GEM and GGS, and cooperation between GEM, CEDAR and SUNRISE, especially with respect to the Space Weather Program. Richard Behnke (Upper Atmosphere Section Head), Odile de la Beaujardiere (Magnetosphere/GEM), and Bob Robinson (Upper Atmosphere Facilities) from NSF attended the meeting. Bob Hoffman, Deputy Project Scientist for the Polar Spacecaft, represented the GGS program, along with Bob Carovillano, the NASA Liaison on the Steering Committee. Report from NSF: Rich Behnke reported a positive budget outlook, in spite of the general state of gloom in Washington. A budget increment to begin the new space weather program was likely in FY 96, and funding for the Polar Cap Observatory project also had a good chance. Thus in all probability all programs within the Upper Atmosphere Section would get reasonable budget increments. The Space Weather Program was getting underway. An implementation plan was being drafted; the science section had been put together in June by a small representative group of scientists. The plan would be published in the late summer. Odile de la Beaujardiere reported that if the Space Weather increment does appear in the FY96 budget, there will be some kind of special proposal opportunity to apply for this money. Details were yet to be worked out. Regular GEM proposals will be due October 16. Snowmass Workshop '96: Harlan Spence has already started planning for next summer's workshop. The dates are fixed as June 24-28, which is the week following the CEDAR workshop in Boulder. This arrangement allows us to organise some joint GEM/CEDAR space weather sessions either over the intervening weekend or at the end of the CEDAR Workshop and/or beginning of the GEM Workshop. We discussed the pros and cons of the various options, but nothing was decided as we must coordinate with the CEDAR Workshop organisers. (This we are currently doing.) Coordination between GEM/GGS: We had a long discussion of how coordination between the GEM and GGS programs would mutually benefit both programs, and perhaps allow more rapid publication of new results from GGS, which is very important for its continued operation beyond its nominal two years. We noted how much overlap there is between scientists participating in GEM and GGS. Nelson Maynard has already arranged a number of ground radar observations to coincide with interesting s/c orbit conjunctions. Bob Hoffman plans on holding frequent (probably quarterly) GGS/Polar Science Team Meetings from now through launch and beyond. Opportunity exists for inviting GEM scientists to these meeting, and perhaps holding one of the series at Snowmass in conjunction with the GEM workshop. Space Weather Events: There was considerable discussion about selecting a new space weather event for which complete solar wind coverage is available, so that the forcing function is known and cause and effect can be established. Following the successful launch of WIND last year this is now possible. The events already selected have insufficient solar wind data to constrain the models, which leaves out an important component of space weather. A new event study would be one good means getting a GEM/GGS collaboration established, and might lead to the rapid results GGS is looking for. Such a study would include everyone: modelers of all types, numerical simulators, space and ground-based data analysers, everybody who thinks s/he has something to contribute. GEM Achievements: We agreed that it was time to take stock of GEM achievements and plan for future activities. As a first step in this process we will review working group progress, achievements, and future plans at our next meeting. We will assess which working groups have substantially achieved what they set out to do, which have more work to do, and what new working groups may be needed. Liaison Member Reports: Canada: John Samson reported that the CANOPUS system had been recently refunded through the year 2000, and that Canada had set up special funding for young scientists still seeking a permanent position. The future looks a lot brighter in Canada than it did a year ago. Russia: Yuri Galperin reported that the Interball Tail Probe would be launched in August with an inclination of 62 degrees, and an apogee of 30 Re initially at 7 MLT. The orbit would precess to local midnight by December. The companion Interball Auroral Probe is scheduled for a launch in the Feb-April '96 time frame. Russian ground based programs are under continual threat. Russian scientists want to get involved in Space Weather. GEOTAIL: Nakamura reported that GEOTAIL was now in a 30x10 Re orbit, and that the orbit, data collection, and funding were all stable. ORSTED: Eigil Friis-Christensen reported that launch of the ORSTED mission has been delayed till Feb/March '97 due to slips in the primary mission they will be launched with. As part of the project they are developing near real time versions of Kp and the pc (polar cap) index. Related to this are the near real time auroral magnetic indices being developed in conjunction with CLUSTER. the Danish ground-based observations are now funded through the ORSTED program, and some enhancements, including more imaging riometers, are taking place. United Kingdom: Alan Rodger reported that 7 SuperDARN radar systems are now operating and that a further two are funded and under development. Construction of the new EISCAT Radar on Svalbard is underway and on schedule. Space Weather is not a priority in Britain; their funding agency gives "good science" highest priority. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |To add name to the mailing list, send a message to: editor at igpp.ucla.edu | |For message to whole GEM mailing list, send to: gem at igpp.ucla.edu | |For message to a specific working group (BL Campaign), send to: | | gem_field at igpp.ucla.edu (WG1); gem_boundary at igpp.ucla.edu (WG2); | | gem_current at igpp.ucla.edu (WG3); gem_data at igpp.ucla.edu (WG4) | | gem_ggcm at igpp.ucla.edu (WG5) | | gem_chair at igpp.ucla.edu (WG chairs, Odile and W. J. Hughes) | | | |URL of GEM Home Page: http://igpp.ucla.edu/gem/Welcome.html | |Please update your e-mail address. | |CAUTION: Do not send messages to gem at igpp.ucla.edu unless you want | | your message to go to everyone in the GEM mailing list! | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+