Table of Contents ====================================================================== 1. 2014 Mini-GEM: Metrics and Validation Focus Group Session 2. 2014 Mini-GEM: Scientific Magnetic Mapping and Techniques Focus Group Session 3. CISM Space Weather Summer School July 13 – July 24, 2015 4. NSF Graduate Fellowship Program Preparation Workshop December 16, 2014 ====================================================================== *************************** ** THE GEM MESSENGER ** *************************** Volume 24, Number 42 December 10, 2014 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. 2014 Mini-GEM: Metrics and Validation Focus Group Session ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Howard Singer , Lutz Rastaetter and Tim Guild The Metrics and Validation Focus Group will hold one session at the Mini-GEM workshop at the Westin San Francisco on Sunday, 12/14, at 12PM in the Cornell room. While we welcome any and all contributions which address the Metrics and Validation focus group goals, we will discuss two topics in particular. Magnetopause challenge: Models have been shown to differ strongly in the magnetopause location for the same solar wind conditions. We know that nightside (magnetotail) activity may result in considerable changes of the magnetopause in the day side. We are looking for events that have two or more spacecraft in the day side that crossed the magnetopause at nearly the same time and events where the solar wind conditions do not change but the dayside magnetopause was found passing spacecraft. ULF Wave Modeling Challenge: We're organizing a modeling challenge to investigate the ability of global models to reproduce ULF wave fields in the magnetosphere, and ultimately if those ULF fields can radially diffuse an existing radiation belt electron population from L~5.5 to L~4.5 in two weeks. We can split this overarching question into two distinct ones: 1. Can global models of the magnetosphere reproduce the observed persistent, solar wind driven, low mode number ULF wave fields in the magnetosphere? and... 2. Are those waves capable of producing the observed energetic radiation belt population evolution observed during the first two weeks of March 2013 as observed by Van Allen Probes? We encourage contributions from modeling, observations, and informative validation techniques which can inform us of shortcomings in our knowledge of the geospace environment, contributing to the GEM goals. In the spirit of GEM, we welcome brief, spontaneous presentations, but to help with planning, if you would like to speak on one of the topics listed, or anything else related to M&V, please send a note to Tim Guild with your name and a title for your contribution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. 2014 Mini-GEM: Scientific Magnetic Mapping and Techniques Focus Group Session ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Elizabeth MacDonald , Robyn Millan , Eric Donovan The Scientific Magnetic Mapping and Techniques focus group will be having one session at the mini-GEM workshop in the Westin San Francisco on Sunday December 14, 2014. Our session is in the City Room from noon until 1:50 pm. The session will cover recent progress on a number of mapping issues, from our recent open-closed boundary challenge event (11/14/2012, Liz MacDonald, Haje Korth, Robert Rankin), to discussion of updates to TS07 (Grant Stephens, APL) as well as empirical modeling of the 3D force-balanced pressure and magnetic field structure during substorm growth phase (Chao Yue, UCLA), BARREL/RBSP polar cap conjunction (Alexa Halford, Dartmouth, 1/7- 10/2014). We will also plan for focus group summation activities, such as a review paper on recent mapping progress; interested volunteers are urged to volunteer and attend the end of the session for this discussion. More information can be found at bit.ly/gem_mapping; new participants and students are welcomed. Please contact one of the organizers to sign up today! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. CISM Space Weather Summer School July 13 – July 24, 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Wiltberger CISM Space Weather Summer School July 13 – July 24, 2015 NCAR Boulder, CO Application Deadline: March 1, 2014 The CISM Space Weather Summer School is intended to give students a comprehensive immersion in the subject of space weather: what it is, what it does, and what can be done about it. Space weather is many things: beautiful when seen through the eyes of a sun-viewing telescope, fascinating when studied for its alien worlds of magnetic structures and phenomena, awesome when witnessed as a solar eruption or auroral storm, and devastating to the users of services it disrupts. Space weather links the Sun, the Earth, and the space in between in a branching chain of consequences. Weather systems on the Sun can spawn interplanetary storms of colossal size and energy that envelop the whole planet in electrical hurricanes. Such storms attack high-tech, complex, and expensive technological systems that provide much of the infrastructure that allows modern society to function. Applications are welcome from upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students interested in pursuing a career in solar and space physics, as well as professionals interested in broadening their understanding of the space environment. The school will provide support for travel and housing expenses for all US student participants. Course Overview SW 101: Solar activity, solar wind, magnetosphere, and ionosphere SW 102: Effects on astronauts and spacecraft, radiation hazards, communication disruptions SW 103: Assumptions and drivers of models, results and limitations SW 104: Hands on activities exploring model results and data to understand the space environment. For additional information on this program and instructions on how to apply http://www2.hao.ucar.edu/Events/2015-CISM-Summer-School/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. NSF Graduate Fellowship Program Preparation Workshop December 16, 2014 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Lois Sarno-Smith At AGU this year, several students will be hosting a 1 hour NSF GRFP workshop on Tuesday December 16th beginning at 11. This workshop is designed for undergraduates, pre-candidate graduate students, and faculty members who wish to know more about how to write a successful NSF GRFP application. NSF GRFP winners from different disciplines will describe their experience writing the GRFP and answer questions about the application process. We hope you consider attending. Lois Sarno-Smith, University of Michigan, loisks@umich.edu Ryan Mcgranaghan, University of Colorado at Boulder, ryan.mcgranaghan@colorado.edu Robert Stillwell, University of Colorado at Boulder, robert.stillwell@colorado.edu Vicki Hsu, University of Colorado at Boulder, vicki.hsu@colorado.edu +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | To broadcast announcements to the GEM community, please contact | | Peter Chi, GEM Communications Coordinator, at: | | | | | | Please submit your announcements in plain text or Word document. | | | | To subscribe the GEM Messenger, send an e-mail to | | | | with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: | | subscribe gem | | To remove yourself from the mailing list, the command is: | | unsubscribe gem | | | | GEM Messenger is also posted online via newsfeed at | | http://heliophysics.blogspot.com and | | http://www.facebook.com/heliophysics | | | | Back issues are available at: | | http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/gemwiki/messenger/ | | | | URL of GEM Home Page: http://aten.igpp.ucla.edu/gemwiki | | Workshop Information: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem/index.html | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+