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			 **   THE GEM MESSENGER   **
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						     Volume 16, Number 24
						     November 15, 2006

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1. Solicitation of Contribution to the "Solar Wind Plasma Entry
   and Global Properties of the Plasma Sheet" Session at the
   Mini-GEM Meeting on Dec. 10, 2006
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From: Antonius Otto <ao at how.gi.alaska.edu>
      Jay R. Johnson <jrj at pppl.gov>
      Simon Wing <Simon.Wing@jhuapl.edu>

With this letter, we invite contributions to the PATM working group of the
GEM-GI campaign at the upcoming mini-GEM meeting in San Francisco on Sunday
Dec. 10 in the Marriott Hotel (see 
http://gem.rice.edu/~gem/gem2006mw/index.html).  The session will be held 
in a workshop-style that emphasizes discussions rather than AGU style 
talks, which will be plentiful later that week.  The topics of discussion 
address solar wind entry into the magnetosphere and will include, but are 
not limited to, the following:

* What observational constraints can be used to test competing solar wind 
  entry mechanisms for northward IMF, e.g., double reconnection, K-H 
  instability, kinetic Alfven wave, etc.?  

* What are the distinctive signatures predicted by the theoretical models
  that can be used to guide observations on the solar wind entry mechanisms?

* What are the values of the pv**gamma in the magnetotail as a function of
  locations?  What are its implications to entry mechanisms?  Are the
  cold-dense ions on the same adiabats as nominal plasma sheet ions?  What
  are its implications to plasma transport?  

* What physical processes (entry and transport) can modify pv**gamma?  

* What are the time scales for the cooling of the plasma sheet?  What are 
  the theoretical predictions?

Those who are interested in the above topics or/and other related topics 
central to the plasma entry problem are invited to attend the discussion 
and provide brief (max 3 slides) presentations.

We will also take the opportunity to discuss  the future of the plasma 
entry science and how this can be addressed in the new GEM structure of 
focus groups.

Sincerely,

Antonius Otto
Jay R. Johnson
Simon Wing


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