2011 CEDAR-GEM Joint Workshop

This year GEM held its annual summer workshop jointly with CEDAR at the Santa Fe Convention Center in Sante Fe, New Mexico on June 26 - July 1, 2011.

• Logistical information and Workshop Agenda can be found at the GEM Workshop Web Site.
• Information about the CEDAR-GEM Student Workshop on Sunday, June 26 can be found at GEM Student Forum.
• The 2011 CEDAR-GEM Joint Workshop will hold (1) CEDAR sessions, (2) GEM Focus Group sessions, and (3) Joint CEDAR-GEM sessions. GEM will also hold two special sessions (see below).
• The CEDAR website maintains pages for the detailed descriptions of CEDAR-GEM Joint Sessions and CEDAR Sessions.
• This Wiki page contains the Calls for Presentations announced by GEM Focus Groups and other special/joint sessions as published in GEM Messenger. [Last updated: June 26, 2011] (Note: In the e-mail addresses below the symbol @ is replaced by " [at] ".)

FG: Plasmasphere-Magnetosphere Interactions (PMI) Sessions

Conveners: Jerry Goldstein <jgoldstein [AT] swri.edu>, Maria Spasojevic <mariaspasojevic [AT] stanford.edu>, Joe Borovksy <jborovsky [AT] lanl.gov>, Phil Erickson <pje [AT] haystack.mit.edu>

• Session I: (Mon 27 Jun, 4 - 6 pm)
• Session II: (Tue 28 Jun, 10 - 12 am)
• Session III: "M-I Coupling within Plasmasphere Boundary Layer". JOINT WITH CEDAR (Tue 28 Jun, 1:30-3:30p)

SECOND Call for Participation

The PMI focus group invites presentation and participation in three sessions at this year's GEM/CEDAR joint workshop. The details and current list of speakers are given below. Also listed below are the science topics that will be covered in presentations and discussions.

Please e-mail us for a speaking slot as soon as possible; the sessions are filling up!

Also, if you are interested in co-chairing any of the sessions please let us know.

SESSION TIMES & SPEAKERS:

Monday 27-Jun ROOM: CC O'Keefe+Milagro

16:00-18:00 Breakout 1: "Plasmaspheric Density

• Mark Moldwin Modeling plasmaspheric density: formation, evolution, morphology.
• Rick Chappell Shredded plumes in the afternoon sector in OGO/ISEE data
• Richard Denton refilling rates in the plasmasphere
• Pontus Brandt LWS TRT on the plasmasphere
• Jerry Goldstein Superposed epoch analysis of plasmaspheric density

Tuesday 28-Jun ROOM: CC O'Keefe+Milagro

Session Chair: Liz MacDonald & Jerry Goldstein

10:00-12:00 Breakout 2: "Wave-Particle Interactions in the Plasmasphere"

• Jacob Bortnik Wave particle interactions
• Richard Denton wave/particle instabilities, with ties to LWS FST team
• Lauren Blum Comparing EMIC wave obs w. plasma-based proxy: stat & case study
• Lunjin Chen Relationship of EMIC waves to density fluctuations
• Vania Jordanova chorus excitation by anisotropic ring current electrons

Tuesday 28-Jun ROOM: CC Coronado+DeVargas

Session Chair: Phil Erickson & Jerry Goldstein

13:30-15:30 Breakout 3: "M-I Coupling within the Plasmasphere Boundary Layer" (JOINT WITH CEDAR)

• Rick Chappell Plasmapause location & structure: PBL (msphere & ionosphere)
• Jerry Goldstein Plasmaspheric Plumes: 3D, lumpy, evolving structures

Large electric fields in the non-shielded inner magnetosphere

• Phil Erickson Ionospheric/magnetospheric PBL E-field variability
• Pontus Brandt Inner magnetospheric electrodynamics
• Mike Ruohoniemi New results for PBL with mid-latitude SuperDARN

SCIENCE TOPICS:

1) Modeling plasmaspheric density: formation, evolution, morphology. Observations in support of models, and model-data comparisons. What are the radial, MLT, and field-aligned structures? What evidence is there for interhemispheric asymmetries?

2) The inner magnetospheric electric field: global modeling, observations, and impact.

3) Plasmaspheric plume density distribution. How well do plasmaspheric drainage plumes map to ionospheric SED plumes moving westward? What is the altitude and temporal signature as we move from low to mid to high latitudes? What creates the "lumpy" structure within plumes, and how does this structure evolve? Is the plasma inside late-storm plumes from the magnetosphere, or outflow from a hot-ionosphere high-latitude source? Where are the gaps in understanding?

4) PBL electric field variability. What is the altitude dependence of the variability and what implications does this have for field-aligned currents and the scaling of the magnetic field mapping function / electric field structuring? Do we have enough empirical evidence to make a statement and can data-guided models help?

5) Plasmapause location and structure. How do ionospheric and magnetospheric people locate the plasmapause / PBL? Are these compatible? What forms the structure seen on the PBL inner edge?

6) Wave/particle interactions and macroscale instabilities in the PBL. Where are these located (in plasmasphere, in ducts, on plasmapause, within plume, ..)? Where do they have an impact on particle trajectories through scattering or anomalous heating?

7) Conductivity control of PBL electrodynamics. How is the coupled electric field on PBL field lines affected by ionospheric conductivity in either or both hemispheres?

WANT TO SPEAK?

Requests for speaking slots, ideas, comments, or questions:

Jerry Goldstein <jgoldstein AT swri.edu>, Maria Spasojevic <mariaspasojevic AT stanford.edu>, Joe Borovksy <jborovsky AT lanl.gov>, Phil Erickson <pje AT haystack.mit.edu>

FG: Magnetic Mapping Sessions

Conveners: Eric Donovan <edonovan [at] ucalgary.ca>, Robyn Millan <Robyn.Millan [at] dartmouth.edu>, and Elizabeth MacDonald <macdonald [at] lanl.gov>

Magnetic mapping between different geospace regions is of critical importance to many of the GEM science challenges. Present observational programs produce simultaneous observations from disparate geospace regions that cannot be properly interpreted without addressing the mapping issue. Global models and simulations imply mappings that need to be correct in order for the models to be as useful as possible for science and prediction. Techniques for such mappings include empirical and event-based models, simulations, utilizing auroral boundaries and phenomena, magnetoseismology, and multi-point in situ particle observations. There is a pressing need for taking stock of these techniques, assessing their weaknesses and adding to their strengths, and for determining how global simulations compare with reality in terms of mapping. Although much work is being done on specific mapping techniques, this Focus Group will bring together scientists from different subdisciplines in an effort to foster an open discussion about the issues encountered when using these techniques, and to promote cross-fertilization of ideas.

This is the first year of the GEM Focus Group (FG) on Magnetic Mapping. This focus group has a five year term, and aims to deliver a review of existing mapping techniques, new metrics for assessing the validity of different techniques, quantifiable improvements of existing techniques, and provide, through community challenges, demonstrations of how those improvements will benefit GGCM, activities of other focus groups, and GEM in general.

We are holding three sessions at the upcoming GEM/CEDAR Workshop in Santa Fe:

Thursday, June 30 (13:30-15:30 and 16:00-18:00) in CC Coronado/DeVargas:

• Overview of FG objectives
• Invited talks on mapping techniques/issues (E. Zesta, J. Bortnik, V. Merkin)
• Open discussion and solicited ~5 minute presentations

Friday, July 1 (10:15-12:15) in CC Coronado/DeVargas

• Planning for future and ongoing activities

In this first Workshop for the FG, we are reserving roughly half of overall session time for open vigorous discussions, but we still have time available for shorter (<5 min) talks (we have two such requests to date). If you are interested in presenting, please contact us (the organizers): Robyn Millan, Elizabeth MacDonald, and Eric Donovan (Robyn.Millan [at] dartmouth.edu, macdonald [at] lanl.gov, edonovan [at] ucalgary.ca).

FG: Dayside FACs and Energy Deposition Sessions

Conveners: Delores Knipp <delores.knipp [at] gmail.com>, Stefan Eriksson <eriksson [at] lasp.colorado.edu>, Geoff Crowley <gcrowley [at] astraspace.net>,Herb Carson <herbert.c.carlson [at] gmail.com>

We would like to invite contributions to the Dayside FAC and Energy Deposition (FED) focus group at the upcoming GEM-CEDAR workshop in Santa Fe on June 27-July 1, 2011. This will be the second year in which special sessions on this topic have been held. The effort focuses on explaining the relation between enhanced dayside Poynting flux and field-aligned currents, sources of field-aligned currents in the solar wind and magnetosphere and their impacts in the ionosphere-thermosphere system. The Focus Group goals and other information are at:

http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawikiwiki/index.php/FG:_Dayside_FACs_and_Energy_Deposition

The FED focus group will hold two sessions. Both sessions have been tentatively scheduled on Tuesday Jun 28 (10-12 and 1:30-3:30). The sessions will cover data, theory, and modeling aspects of the following topics:

• Dayside Poynting Flux, Joule Heating and Their Relation to Field Aligned Currents
• Particle Energy Deposition on the Dayside
• Dissipation of Magnetospheric Energy in the Dayside Thermosphere
• Thermospheric Density Enhancements and Traveling Atmo/Ionospheric Disturbances
• Solar Wind Drivers for Extreme Dayside Poynting Flux Events

The sessions will be held in a joint workshop with CEDAR. We anticipate a full slate of presentations and want to encourage a presentation style in which each speaker will be allotted time for a 3-4 slides, in order to ensure enough time for discussion. At least one of the slides should deal with unresolved issues. Speakers are encouraged to end their presentation with outstanding questions that can be addressed jointly.

If you have not already done so, please send the title(s) and session(s) of your contribution(s) to us at your earliest convenience at the email addresses listed below.

Also note that some of the Dayside FED events have been added to the GEM-CEDAR challenge events and will get additional attention in the Challenge sessions (see meeting calendar for details).

FG: Near Earth Magnetosphere: Plasma, fields and coupling Sessions

Conveners: Sorin Zaharia <szaharia [at] lanl.gov>, Stan Sazykin <sazykin [at] rice.edu> and Benoit Lavraud <Benoit.Lavraud [at] cesr.fr>

The Near Earth Magnetosphere: Plasma, Fields and Coupling Focus Group will hold 2 sessions at the upcoming GEM-CEDAR Joint Workshop in Santa Fe (June 26-July 1, 2011), on Tuesday 06/28 and Wednesday 06/29, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. We invite potential contributors to participate with short presentations on topics relevant to the focus group, including theoretical, modeling and observational studies of the near-Earth magnetosphere plasma, electric and magnetic fields, as well as their interaction.

The main goal of the focus group is to improve physical knowledge and modeling of the near-Earth (< 10 RE) magnetosphere and its coupling with the outer magnetosphere; a more detailed description of the focus group objectives can be found at

http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawikiwiki/index.php/FG8._Near_Earth_Magnetosphere:_plasma%2C_fields%2C_and_coupling

Potential contributors are encouraged to contact Sorin Zaharia or Stan Sazykin with the title of their presentation.

FG: Diffuse Auroral Precipitation Sessions

Conveners: Richard Thorne <rmt [at] atmos.ucla.edu>

The Diffuse Auroral Precipitation focus group will hold three breakout sessions at GEM this June in Santa Fe. This is a solicitation for participation in the sessions. Brief informal talks are encouraged covering the following three topics. Please send titles of prospective talks to the relevant session chairs with a copy to <rmt at atmos.ucla.edu>.

1. Observations and Origin of Pulsating Aurora

• June 29: 10:00-12:00 AM
• Session Chairs: Sarah Jones (sjones.04 at gmail.com); Wen Li (moonlit at atmos.ucla.edu)

2. Scattering Mechanisms for Diffuse Auroral Precipitation

• June 29: 1:30-3:30 PM
• Session Chairs: Binbin Ni (bbni at atmos.ucla.edu); Xin Tao (xtao at atmos.ucla.edu)

3. Wrap-up Session: What have we learned?

• June 30: 10:00-12:00 AM
• Session Chair: Richard Thorne (rmt at atmos.ucla.edu)

FG: Modes of Magnetospheric Response Sessions

Conveners: Larry Kepko <Larry.kepko [at] nasa.gov> and Bob McPherron <rmcpherron [at] igpp.ucla.edu>

To encourage mingling with the CEDAR community, the Modes of Magnetospheric Response focus group will hold only one session Monday afternoon at the upcoming joint GEM/CEDAR Workshop (June 27-July 1) in Santa Fe, NM.

This focus group has as its aim the improvement of knowledge of the physical mechanisms that provide different dynamical modes of response of the magnetotail to the solar wind. These include substorms, steady magnetospheric convection, sawtooth injection events, pseudo breakups, and poleward boundary intensifications. Possible discussion topics include: event and/or statistical studies of SMC or sawtooth events; Coupling of solar wind energy into the magnetosphere; polar cap saturation; etc. A complete description of the FG and its goals can be found at http://bit.ly/beGmTF

Interested speakers should contact Larry Kepko or Bob McPherron.

FG: Plasma Entry and Transport into and within the Magnetotail (PET) Sessions

Conveners: Antonius Otto <ao [at] how.gi.alaska.edu>, Jay R. Johnson <jrj [at] pppl.gov>, and Simon Wing <Simon.Wing [at] jhuapl.edu>

We would like to invite contributions to our final PET focus group sessions at the upcoming GEM workshop in Santa Fe on June 26 – July 1, 2011. It is expected that there will be two sessions, both of which have been scheduled on Monday Jun 27 (See http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem/index.html for the definitive schedule).

1. Summary (01:30 – 03:30);
2. Planning/Future vision (04:00 – 06:00)

We welcome contributions to both sessions. We are particularly interested to hear what the magnetotail/plasma sheet researchers are interested in a future FG. Interested speaker should prepare 2-3 slides, in order to ensure enough time for discussion. If you have not already done so, please send the title(s) and session(s) of your contribution(s) to us at your earliest convenience at the email addresses listed below.

Simon Wing (simon.wing at jhuapl.edu) Antonius Otto (ao at how.gi.alaska.edu) Jay Johnson (jrj at pppl.gov)

FG: Radiation Belts and Wave (RBW) Modeling Sessions

Conveners: Y Shprits <yshprits [AT] atmos.ucla.edu>, J Bortnik <jbortnik [AT] gmail.com>, S Elkington <lkingto [AT] lasp.colorado.edu>, and C Kletzing <cak [AT] delta.physics.uiowa.edu>

1) GEM Radiation Belt and Waves challenge

The GEM Radiation Belt and Waves focus group would like to invite modelers and data assimilators to participate in its first GEM challenge, in which the pool of participants will be simulating a specified set of events, using a common data set as input.

An outline of the challenge, the rules and the relevant data are hosted on the Virtual Radiation Belt Observatory website and can be accessed at: http://virbo.org/RBW#Challenge_Data

The comparison of models and observations will take place at the 2011 GEM summer meeting. For the explanation of rules please contact "Jacob Bortnik" <jbortnik AT gmail.com>, "Scot Elkington" <elkingto AT lasp.colorado.edu>, "Paul O'Brien" <Paul.OBrien AT aero.org>, "Kletzing, Craig" <cak AT delta.physics.uiowa.edu>.

2) RBW schedule

This year we will have 5 GEM sessions and 1 joint GEM cedar session. We encourage participants to submit the titles of their presentations to http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/~yshprits/rbw2011.html by June 12th. Contributed presentations will be approximately 5 min and include no more than 3 slides. Invited presentations will be limited to 10 min and 7 slides. Presentations submitted after June 12 and walk-in presentations will be limited to 1 slide. We particularly encourage participants to submit their presentations to the Joint with CEDAR session: Remote Sensing the Inner Magnetosphere.

3) RBSPb event list

The RBSPb event list, page is now operational on ViRBO http://virbo.org/RBSPb . The web site design contains a list of storms, relevant papers, data, and figures. We encourage participations of the RBW working group to email publication titles and data relevant to these events to virbo+RBSPb AT virbo.org.

For comments/ questions please contact "Drew Turner" <drew.lawson.turner AT gmail.com>, "Michael Hartinger" <mhartinger AT igpp.ucla.edu>, "Weichao Tu" <Weichao.Tu AT colorado.edu>, "Yuri Shprits" <yshprits AT atmos.ucla.edu>, "Bob Weigel" <rweigel AT gmu.edu>

FG: Ion Outflow Sessions

(Session Dates: June 27 and June 29, 2011)

Conveners: Dan Welling <dwelling [at] lanl.gov>

The new GEM focus group on The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging Into the GEM GGCM will hold four joint GEM/CEDAR sessions at the upcoming meeting in Santa Fe. The conveners, Rick Chappell, Bob Schunk and Dan Welling would like to invite participation from the GEM/CEDAR community for any of the following four sessions. The sessions will begin with a summary overview talk and will be followed by contributed workshop-style talks with discussion. Each session will last two hours. The topics and times of the sessions are listed below. Please contact the session chairman for each of the four sessions to be added to the agenda for the session.

June 27, 2011; 1:30-3:30pm

Measurements of Ion Outflow in the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere.

The Earth's ionosphere has been shown to be a significant contributor of plasma to different particle populations of the magnetosphere. Through a variety of energization processes, the low energy ionospheric particles are transported from low altitudes upward into the magnetosphere where they can become more energized and can help create fundamentally important regions such as the plasma sheet and ring current. This workshop will review and discuss observations of outflow in the ionosphere and magnetosphere as a stimulus for refining existing outflow models. (Session Chairman: Rick Chappell rick.chappell [at] vanderbilt.edu)

June 27, 2011; 4:00-6:00pm

Modeling Ionospheric Outflow

There is a continuous ion outflow from the Earth at high latitudes. The outflow consists of light thermal ions (H+ , He+ and O+) and energized ions (NO+, O2+, N2+, O+, N+, He+ and H+). The ion energization in the polar wind is associated with photoelectrons, hot magnetosphere electrons and ions, wave-particle interactions in the cusp and nocturnal oval at various altitudes, electromagnetic wave turbulence above the polar cap, and centrifugal acceleration. In addition, the ion outflow occurs in conjunction with magnetospheric convection, which causes the high-latitude plasma to drift into and out of the dayside ionosphere, cusp, polar cap, nocturnal auroral oval, and subauroral night-side ionosphere. Because of the complicated dynamics, various ion outflow models have been developed, including hydrodynamic (fluid), hydromagnetic, semi-kinetic, kinetic, generalized transport, and macroscopic particle-in-cell models. This workshop will identify the ionospheric outflow models that currently exist, establish the strengths and limitations of existing models, and determine the important outflow processes that need to be included in outflow models.

(Session Chairman: Bob Schunk schunk [at] cc.usu.edu)

June 29, 2011; 10:00-12:00 noon

Geospace Generalized Circulation Models (GGCMs), invaluable tools for studying the Earth's magnetosphere, have historically neglected the ionospheric source of magnetospheric plasma. Recently, an increased recognition of the importance of this source has spurred the magnetospheric modeling community towards finding new, innovative ways to include it in the large-scale models. This workshop will examine existing merging techniques between outflow and magnetosphere models and review recent discoveries concerning the impact ionospheric outflow has on the global magnetospheric results.

(Session Chairman: Dan Welling dwelling at lanl.gov)

June 29, 2011; 1:30-3:30pm

The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma: Measuring, Modeling, and Merging into the GEM GGCM focus group (or simply Outflow MMM) is a newly developed focus group aimed toward combining research of ionospheric outflow with Geospace General Circulation Models (GGCMs). The focus group has four major goals: refine existing outflow models through data-model comparisons, merge these models into the GGCMs and examine the impact on the magnetosphere, evaluate the coupled codes through data-model comparisons, and examine feedback from the magnetosphere to the ionospheric outflow. This session will summarize the Outflow MMM sessions that have taken place throughout the GEM/CEDAR meeting and work with the GEM and CEDAR communities to plan for the future of the 5-year focus group.

(Session Chairmen: Rick Chappell rick.chappell [at] vanderbilt.edu; Bob Schunk schunk [at] cc.usu.edu; Dan Welling dwelling [at] lanl.gov)

We look forward to your participation in these joint sessions.

FG: Magnetosheath Sessions

Conveners: Steven Petrinec <steve.petrinec [at] gmail.com> and Katariina Nykyri <nykyrik [at] erau.edu>

The Magnetosheath Focus Group will hold a 2-hour session on Tuesday, June 28 of the 2001 Joint CEDAR-GEM Workshop at the Santa Fe Convention Center. In addition to our pre-scheduled invited speakers (Michael Schulz and Hui Zhang) we invite participants to provide short presentations related to any of the magnetosheath focus group topics listed below. We also encourage both ionospheric and magnetospheric modelers and people using observations to participate in the development of the "GEM Magnetosheath Challenge", where the impact of specific magnetosheath conditions on magnetospheric and ionospheric dynamics is studied. Please send the title of your presentation to us by June 16th.

The Primary Objectives and Expected Activities of the FG:

1. To produce more comprehensive models of large scale magnetosheath flow and field patterns, and geometry of the magnetosheath region

2. To improve understanding of magnetosheath plasma instabilities and wave particle interactions: Spatial distribution and characteristics

3. To develop a better understanding of the effects on magnetospheric dynamics due to processes occurring in the magnetosheath and due to characteristic magnetosheath properties.

The focus group proposal with specific science questions can be found at http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/pdf/GEM_FG_MSheath_proposal.pdf .

We especially encourage data-analysts utilizing in-situ spacecraft measurements from Themis and Cluster missions, theoretical modelers, global and local modelers to participate in this session. We will also entertain presentations of studies of magnetosheaths of other solar system bodies, as they relate to the terrestrial magnetosheath.

FG: Substorm Expansion Onset: First 10 Minutes Sessions

Conveners: Vassilis Angelopoulos <vassilis [at] ucla.edu>, Shin Ohtani <ohtani [at] jhuapl.edu>, Kazuo Shiokawa <shiokawa [at] stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp>, Andrei Runov <arunov [at] igpp.ucla.edu>

We would like to invite contributions to the Substorm Expansion Onset: First 10 Minutes focus group session at the upcoming GEM-CEDAR workshop in Santa Fe, NM on June 27-July 1, 2011. We will have four sub-sessions to discuss the following topics

1. Onset timing 2. Onset signatures propagation in the magnetotail and to the ground 3. Ground-Space Mapping of Physical Processes 4. Substorm processes near transition between stretched and dipole field lines

The workshop agenda and other information are available at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem/

Contributions based on data analysis, theory and modeling addressing the Focus Group topics are welcome. One of the goal of this focus group is to complete a matrix showing correspondence of each observation/model result to various substorm-onset physical models whether it gives positive or negative supports of the models. The current version of the matrix is available at the GEM Wiki page (http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawikiwiki/index.php/FG12._Substorm_Expansion_Onset:_The_First_10_Minutes).

We would encourage a workshop presentation style with allotted time for maximum 3 slides in order to ensure enough time for discussions. Please provide us with the title(s) of your contribution(s) and the topic(s) to be addressed at your earliest convenience.

FG: Space Radiation Climatology Sessions

Conveners: Paul O'Brien <paul.obrien [at] aero.org> and Geoff Reeves <reeves [at] lanl.gov>

The Space Radiation Climatology Focus Group will hold 2 2-hour sessions at the upcoming GEM-CEDAR Joint Workshop: 10-Noon and 1:30- 3:30 on Wednesday, June 29th.

This is the final year of the focus group. The sessions will be organized around a few invited talks summarizing work over the life of the focus group, as well as open time for contributed talks on recent progress and plans for future investigations. The group co-chairs invite interested parties to contribute talks on climatological studies, data assimilation, long-term data sets, and related topics in the inner magnetosphere.

A focus group wiki/agenda will be maintained at http://virbo.org/GEM_FG9_2011. Also, post your favorite recent and all-time climatology papers to the wiki!

Please contact Paul O'Brien (paul.obrien at aero.org) or Geoff Reeves (reeves at lanl.gov) to schedule your contribution. The main wiki for the focus group can be found at http://virbo.org/GEMFG9

Joint: Electrodynamic Coupling of the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere at Middle and Low Latitudes

Conveners: Bela Fejer <bela.fejer [at] usu.edu>, Thomas Immel <immel [at] ssl.berkeley.edu>, Stanislav Sazykin <sazykin [at] rice.edu>, Naomi Maruyama <naomi.maruyama [at] noaa.gov>

Joint CEDAR-GEM Workshop: Electrodynamic Coupling of the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere at Middle and Low Latitudes

Session: Mon 27 Jun, 1330-1530

Room: Convention Center O'Keefe+Milagro

We would like to invite presentations and participation in this session at the GEM-CEDAR joint workshop. The session description and a list of science questions are given below. The format of the presentations is informal with several slides and we would like to encourage science discussions.

If you are interested to give a talk in the session, please let us know.

Session Description:

In the last decade, there have been many new development in understanding the electrodynamic coupling of the inner magnetosphere with the middle and low latitude I-T system. One of the great achievements was the identification and explanation of common magnetic-storm processes in plasmaspheric and ionospheric data and images, and the realization that disturbance dynamo and prompt penetration electric fields are not independent but interact with each other non-linearly. New developments continue to highlight the coupled nature of the system during quiet times as well as in response to magnetic storms. Significant gaps in our understanding still exist and lie in the need to quantify the various sources of electrodynamic variability at mid and low latitudes and the interactions and feedback between them. For instance, during quiet times, fluctuating winds in the thermosphere from sources in the lower atmosphere are likely to compete with fluctuation of magnetospheric sources, both in terms of driving winds and in imposing modest penetration electric fields. These sources of quiet-time fluctuations in the fields, render it extremely difficult to separate storm from quiet, since the background from one day to the next can be 50% of the signal. During storms the magnetospheric sources tends to dominate but lack of knowledge in the uncertainty in the quiet background can confuse interpretation of the storm response. This workshop is designed to bring together the CEDAR and GEM experts in the sources of mid and low latitude electrodynamics from the inner magnetosphere, thermospheric wind dynamo, and forcing from the lower atmosphere.

New science questions to lead discussions:

1) Response of low and mid-latitude ionosphere to penetrating magnetospheric fields vs. disturbance dynamo.

During a storm, the effects of both penetrating magnetospheric fields and disturbance dynamo fields drive changes in the ionosphere. What's typical, what's not? Does the F-layer go up or down, at what local times and for how long after storm onset? During disturbances, can the effects be reasonably separated or predicted? Do the responses depend on solar flux conditions?

2) Contribution of magnetospheric sources to quiet-time variability at low and mid latitudes.

During periods of low geomagnetic activity, the ionosphere continues to exhibit large variability. Is this due only to sources such as tropospheric forcing, or is the ionosphere more susceptible to forcing from magnetospheric sources, owing to the low ionospheric/magnetospheric densities of recent solar minimum conditions?

3) Storm-time wind dynamo electric fields in the inner magnetosphere.

The thermospheric winds that develop during geomagnetic storms drive electric fields that have a profound effect on the ionosphere. This disturbance dynamo develops after storm onset and persists for many hours after storm drivers lessen. These storm-time fields develop on magnetic L-shells that are usually occupied by cold plasma, but stripped of that during storms. What do the storm time dynamo electric fields look like from the point of view of the inner magnetosphere? Are these important for post-storm plasmaspheric dynamics?

Joint: High Speed Streams and Their Geospace-Atmosphere Consequences Workshop

Conveners: Janet Kozyra <jukozyra [at] umich.edu> Richard Thorne <rmt [at] atmos.ucla.edu>

Date: 30 June 2011

Time: Session 1 1330-1530 UT; Session 2 1600-1800 UT

URL for Workshop: http://cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu/wiki/index.php/2011_Workshop:High_Speed_Stream_Driving_of_Geospace

Invitation to Participate:

Please come and participate in a multi-disciplinary discussion of the response of geospace and the atmosphere to high speed streams, both in general and as observed during the recent unusual solar minimum. All are welcome!

• Speakers (listed below) have been invited to introduce new findings, the questions they raise, and possible consequences in other geospace regions.
• We are very interested in information about additional features in geospace during high-speed streams. Please let the conveners know if you have 1-2 slides to present that raise new issues.
• We are hoping to take advantage of the unique environment that the joint CEDAR-GEM meeting provides to identify the signatures of related processes in different regions. Please come and add your expertise to the mix in the joint workshop.

Workshop Description:

This workshop addresses the impacts of high speed streams on the development of auroral activity, radiation belt enhancements, inner magnetosphere-subauroral response, and atmospheric perturbations. A particular sub-focus is to explore the changes in the geospace-atmosphere response in the recent unusual solar minimum interval due to the combination of strong and long-lasting high speed streams, the lowest average IMF and solar wind densities ever recorded at 1 AU, and the lowest solar EUV fluxes in three solar cycles, placing system responses into a backdrop of tenuous ionospheric densities and low conductivities.

Draft Agenda

30 June 2011, Session 1

Magnetic Activity during HSS

• 1330 Robert McPherron - Solar wind - magnetosphere coupling during high speed streams, in the recent solar minimum, and in the preceding solar minimum
• 1350 Raluca Ilie - periodicities in the solar wind and magnetosphere during HSS
• 1410 Vania Jordanova - ring current dynamics during high speed streams
• 1430 Jeff Thayer - CIR/HSS impact on the thermosphere
• 1450 Olga Verkhoglyadova ? Ionospheric TEC and thermospheric emission dynamics during HSS
• 1510 Yue Deng - Joule heating and 9-day periodicity of HSS

30 June 2011, Session 2

Radiation Belts and HSS

• 1600 Joe Borovsky - Radiation belts during weak high speed streams in 2006-2007
• 1620 Wen Li - Chorus waves seen on THEMIS during high speed streams

High Speed Stream Effects in the Atmosphere-Ionosphere & Consequences

• 1640 Sharon Vadas - Differences in propagation and dissipation of gravity waves during SC24
• 1700 John Emmert - Causes and consequences of low thermospheric densities this minimum
• 1720 Stan Solomon: Upper atmosphere and ionosphere at Solar Minimum

Summary, Discussion, and 1-2 Slide Contributions from Participants (1740-1800)

Joint: Nightside Multi-scale Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere (MIT) Electrodynamic Coupling during Geomagnetic Disturbances Workshop

Conveners: Michael Nicolls <michael.nicolls [at] sri.com>, Shasha Zou <shashaz [at] umich.edu>, Larry Lyons <larry [at] atmos.ucla.edu>

Date/Time: 29 June 2011

• Session A 1000-1200
• Session B 1330-1530

Location: Eldorado Anasazi Ballroom

Web Links:

• Workshop Description
• Final Agenda: File:MITcoupling session schedule final.pdf

Call for Participation

We invite contributions to this joint session that will be held on Wednesday, June 29th, 10-12 am and 1:30-3:30 pm (2 2-hour sessions). We would like to encourage a workshop-style presentation with 10-15 min including discussion time. Please contact Michael Nicolls (michael.nicolls at sri.com), Shasha Zou (shashaz at umich.edu) or Larry Lyons (larry at atmos.ucla.edu) to schedule your contribution.

Description of objectives of this session:

The MIT system behaves as a complex system characterized by coupling and feedbacks, preconditioning, and memory. This system is of great interest to both the GEM and CEDAR communities and includes a variety of important topics that are common to both initiatives. Understanding the MIT during periods of geomagnetic disturbances as an integrated system as well as from perspectives of each discipline is necessary to move the area forward.

Field-aligned currents (FACs) are the essential mediator between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. FACs modify the ionospheric conductivities by increasing or depleting the ionospheric density through associated particle precipitation and evacuation processes, respectively. The modified conductivity in turn regulates the magnetospheric drivers by changing the exerting forces and electric field distributions, including generating important structured electric fields, such as Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams / Sub-Auroral Ion Drifts (SAPS/SAID). The structured ionospheric density also provides important information about the location/polarity of the FACs and the energy distribution of the precipitating particles in the case of upward FACs.

Geomagnetic disturbances targeted in this joint session include, but are not limited to, substorms, PBIs, streamers and SMCs. These geomagnetic disturbances are associated with enhanced FACs and highly structured auroral forms. The characteristics of FACs, including their 2-D horizontal distribution and their development and evolution through the course of these disturbances, have never been directly observed at sufficient temporal resolution to resolve the intricacies of their dynamics. The newly available Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE) magnetometers will enable us to conduct for the first time 2-D imaging of the FACs distribution. Combined with the perpendicular currents calculated from existing models, they will be able to provide the global-scale 3-D current distribution in the ionosphere. In addition, the continental-scale THEMIS ground-based ASIs and the multi-spectral cameras will enable us to associate auroral forms with direct FAC measurements. Moreover, ground-based radars, including both coherent and incoherent scatter radars, can provide detailed information about the global convection flow and thus electric field patterns, as well as the altitude profile of electron density. Furthermore, with the increasing availability of ground-based GPS receivers, global-scale total electron content can be obtained and the effect of FACs in modifying the ionospheric electron density distribution can be readily evaluated. In the magnetosphere, the NASA THEMIS satellites enable investigation of the linkage between the physical processes in the magnetosphere and structures observed in the ionosphere and thermosphere. The effect of those geomagnetic disturbances on the thermospheric wind can also be monitored by the ground-based Fabry-Perot spectrometers. These instruments as a whole provide us with an unprecedented opportunity for imaging the MIT system in 4-D and for investigating the electrodynamic coupling of the MIT system during geomagnetic disturbances.

This joint session proposal is a call for a multi-instrument observational campaign, requiring close collaborations between both GEM and CEDAR communities. It is timely because of the availability of simultaneous observations from multiple instruments, including those mentioned above and many other instruments and models. In addition, the joint GEM/CEDAR workshop this year will provide us with an excellent opportunity to kick off this interdisciplinary research initiative and a forum for presenting results, discussing solutions and exchanging ideas.

Joint: CEDAR-GEM Modeling Challenge Workshop

(model outputs due June 10)

Conveners: Masha Kuznetsova, Ja Soon Shim, Barbara Emery, Aaron Ridley, Delores Knipp, Naomi Maruyama, Tim Fuller-Rowell, Tim Guild, Jan Sojka, Geoff Crowley

Modelers, data providers and users of space weather models are invited to participate in the CEDAR-GEM Modeling Challenge Workshop (Tuesday, June 28 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm, and Thursday, June 30 10 am - 3:30 pm) during the 2011 Joint CEDAR-GEM Workshop in Santa Fe. Details of the Challenge and instructions on how to prepare and submit model output time series can be found at CCMC, GEM and CEDAR Web sites:

http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/challenges/GEM-CEDAR/

http://cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu/wiki/index.php/2011_Workshop:Modeling_Challenge

http://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawikiwiki/index.php/FG:_Metrics_and_Validation

The CEDAR-GEM Challenge is built upon GEM GGCM and CEDAR ETI Challenges. During the Workshop, GEM and CEDAR communities will share the experiences and lessons learned from the first rounds of the Challenges, address topics of common interest and analyze the effects of geospace model coupling on metrics results.

Participate in the Challenge by submitting your model results by June 10th, 2011.

Both CEDAR and GEM communities have recognized that due to the maturity and increasing complexity of state-of-the-art space weather models, there is a great need for a systematic and quantitative evaluation of different modeling approaches. During the last two years both GEM and CEDAR communities addressed this need by organizing and implementing comprehensive, community-wide efforts to test model predictions against observations. In the summer of 2008 the GEM GGCM Metrics and Validation Focus Group initiated a series of metrics studies (aka GGCM Modeling Challenge) focusing on the inner magnetospheric dynamics and ground magnetic field perturbations. A year later the CEDAR community initiated the IT modeling challenge called CEDAR Electrodynamics Thermosphere Ionosphere (ETI) Challenge. The goal of the two Challenges is to evaluate the current state of the space physics modeling capability, to facilitate interaction between research and operation communities in developing metrics for space weather models, to address the differences between various modeling approaches, to track model improvements over time, to facilitate collaboration among modelers, data providers and research communities, and provide feedback for further model improvement.

The Community Coordinating Modeling Center (CCMC) is supporting both Challenges and maintaining a web site with interactive access to model output archive and observational data used for metrics studies. In anticipation of the joint GEM-CEDAR Workshop five time intervals were included in lists of events addressed by both GEM and CEDAR Modeling Challenges:

• December 14, 2006 12:00 UT - December 16, 00:00 UT

• August 31, 2001 00:00 UT - September 1, 00:00 UT

• August 31, 2005 10:00 UT - September 1, 12:00 UT

• May 15, 2005 00:00 UT - May 15, 2005, 20:00 UT

• July 9, 2005 00:00 UT - July 12, 2005, 00:00 UT

Through collaboration between CEDAR and GEM Communities, by analyzing simulation results for ionosphere/thermosphere and magnetosphere models for the same set of events, we can analyze the effects of the geospace environment on the ionosphere. Many of the magnetospheric models are coupled to ionosphere-thermosphere models, so that the metrics can be conducted for both coupled and uncoupled simulations on both models.

Modelers are invited to submit simulation results for the 5 events listed above before June 10th 2011 through the interactive submission interface http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/challenges/GEM-CEDAR/. Model output file formats for each physical parameter and measurement availability table with satellite trajectories and ground stations locations can be found at

http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/challenges/GEM-CEDAR/fileformat.php,

http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/challenges/GEM-CEDAR/measurements.php,

http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/challenges/GEM-CEDAR/measurements-mag

Submissions of coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere models are especially encouraged. To study the effect of different drivers, ionosphere/thermosphere modelers are requested to perform a series of simulations for each event with different models for the ionosphere potential pattern: 1) Weimer 2005 using 15-min averages of the IMF input parameters lagged -5 to -20 min provided by the NCAR and the CCMC; 2) AMIE provided by ASTRA (Geoff Crowley); 3) Global magnetosphere models provided by the CCMC. Please contact Barbara Emery or Masha Kuznetsova if you need assistance to get ionospheric potentials from AMIE and/or global magnetosphere models.

List of physical parameters to be used for metrics studies:

• Ionosphere/Thermosphere models or coupled model components:

- Vertical and horizontal drifts at Jicamarca (VperpN and VperpE)

- Neutral density at CHAMP orbit (Nden)

- Electron density at CHAMP orbit (Eden)

- NmF2 from LEO satellites (CHAMP and COSMIC) and ISRs

- HmF2 from LEO satellites (CHAMP and COSMIC) and ISRs

- Temperature Tn and neutral winds obtained by Fabry-Perot Spectrometer at 250 km (Arrival Heights, Antarctica; Resolute Bay, Canada)

- Ne, Te, Ti at 300 km (Millstone Hill, Sondrestrom, EISCAT, Svalbard ISRs).

- Ion vertical velocity at Sondrestrom ISR

• Geospace models or coupled model components:

- Magnetic field at geosynchronous orbit

- Ground magnetic perturbations

- Dst index

- Auroral oval position (high latitude boundary)

- Auroral oval position (low latitude boundary)

• Parameters along DMSP tracks:

- Poynting flux (Joule heating) into ionosphere along DMSP tracks

- Plasma Velocity (Vx - along track, Vy cross track, Vz - vertical)

• Additional time series in support of simulation results analysis:

- Cross polar cap potential (northern and southern hemisphere) - Joule heating (or Poynting flux) integrated over each hemisphere in GW.

Tentative agenda, suggested topics for discussions, and call for ideas/viewpoint presentations and participation in discussions:

1. Review of the first round of GEM and CEDAR Challenges results. Simulations results, observational data and reports on metrics studies for the first round of Challenges are available at the CCMC website. Comments and discussions are welcomed. Results of the first round of Challenges will be used as a benchmark for further studies.

- Introduction (M. Kuznetsova)

- Overview of the CETI Challenge results (J-S. Shim)

- GEM Dst Challange results (L. Rastaetter, D. Welling)

- Discussion

2. Effects of IT/geospace models coupling on metrics results.

- Comparison of different approaches to introducing geomagnetic activity effects into ionosphere models (A. Ridley, N. Maruyama)

- Poynting flux into the ionosphere (D. Knipp, L. Rastaetter)

- Role of ion outflows from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere.

- Discussion

3. Challenges of the model-data comparison and how to address them

- How to define the equatorward boundary of the auroral oval from simulations (Y. Zheng)

- What metrics to apply and how to calculate skill score for global (e.g., 2D time dependent) observational data. TEC metrics studies planning (B. Emery, L. Goncharenko, A. Coster)

- Methods of data preparation.

- Uncertainty analysis of model outputs (R. Schunk).

- Metrics selection for geospace model evaluation. Lessons learned. Threshold-based metrics (A. Pulkkinen)

- Discussion

4. Climatology projects for the thermosphere, ionosphere, ring current, radiation belts, and the plasma sheet (B. Emery, T. Guild) – scheduled for Tuesday June 28, 130-330 PM

5. General discussion on GEM-CEDAR Modeling Challenges. Planning of future activities

Please contact conveners if you would like to present your viewpoint (no more than 3 slides) on topics listed above, and/or would like to suggest additional topics for discussion.

Joint: Nonlinear Plasma Effects in Auroral/Subauroral Plasmas Sessions

Conveners: Evgeny Mishin <Evgeny.Mishin [at] hanscom.af.mil> and Anatoly Streltsov <anatoly.v.streltsov [at] dartmouth.edu>

We would like to announce a tentative Program of the "Nonlinear Plasma Effects in Auroral/Subauroral Plasmas" workshop at the upcoming GEM- CEDAR workshop in Santa Fe on June 27-July 1, 2011.

The objective of this workshop is to make an assessment of the contribution of nonlinear plasma processes to the dynamics of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system with the emphasis on their effects on the energy transport and release in the ionosphere and magnetosphere at auroral and subauroral latitudes.

Nonlinear Plasma Effects in Auroral/Subauroral Plasmas PROGRAM

(CC Kearney)

Monday, June 27, 1600-1800

1. J.-P. StMaurice "A renormalized theory of the nonlinear evolution of Farley-Buneman waves and its implications for the transport properties of the turbulent E region."
2. M. Oppenheim: "3D PIC Simulations of Farley-Buneman Turbulence Demonstrate Anomalous Electron Heating”.
3. Y. Dimant: "Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling through E-Region Turbulence: Anomalous Conductivites and Plasma Heating."
4. D. Hysell "Stochastic calculus and Farley Buneman wave phase speed saturation"

Tuesday, June 28, 1000-1200

1. N. Singh "Kinetic Features of Large-Scale Alfven Wave Propagation in the Auroral Plasma".
2. A.V. Streltsov "Multi-Scale, Multi-Fluid, Nonlinear Coupling Between the Ionosphere and the Magnetosphere at High Latitudes”.
3. E.V. Mishin "Plasma Physics of Sub-Auroral Ion Drifts: A turbulent plasmaspheric boundary layer"

Special: Response of the Magnetosphere to High-Speed Streams Sessions (Sunday before the Workshop)

Convener: Mike Liemohn <liemohn [at] umich.edu>

On the Sunday before the joint GEM-CEDAR Workshop, there will be a day of sessions at the Eldorado Hotel's Sunset Ballroom. There is no extra registration fee, but we ask that you note your intention to attend either via the GEM registration page or with an email to Mike Liemohn.

This day of talks and discussion is centered on the phenomena of high-speed stream (HSS) passages past Earth's magnetosphere. These times represent a unique opportunity because the streams often repeat their geomagnetic activity cycle for several solar rotations, providing a natural laboratory for geospace researchers to understand the physical processes of solar wind-magnetosphere energy coupling. In addition, the geomagnetic activity resulting from these solar structures exhibits systematic responses within geospace. This special day is devoted to exploring the causes and consequences of the systematic geomagnetic response during high-speed streams. Of special interest is the comparison of what happens during HSS times with what occurs during other quiet and active times driven by other solar wind structures.

This day is sponsored by the NASA Living With a Star Program, through one of their Focused Science Topic (FST) Teams. Now in the FST's final year, this event represents the culmination of the group's activities toward understanding near-Earth particle energization in the near-Earth space environment, focusing on the nightside plasma sheet, ring current, and radiation belts. The FST team chose high-speed streams as a central theme for our group-wide effort, narrowing this down to a few selected events for intense analysis.

This 1-day special event will include presentations from investigators in the FST team as well as many from researchers beyond the group. Everyone is welcome to come for the day, hear the talks, and participate in the ongoing discussions (within each session and at the end of the day's agenda).

We ask that those planning to attend this special Sunday session to please click the button for this on the GEM registration page. This will allow for an accurate count for ordering break-time refreshments.

We look forward to seeing you there!

9:00 - 10:30: Session 1 on HSS global magnetospheric processes 10:30 - 11:00: Break 11:00 - 12:30: Session 2 on HSS near tail/inner mag processes (non RB) 12:30 - 2:00: Lunch (on your own) 2:00 - 3:30: Session 3 on radiation belts during HSS 3:30 - 4:00: Break 4:00 - 5:00: Session 3 part II 5:00 - 6:00: Open discussion, summary, and future plans

Session 1: addresses solar wind-magnetosphere coupling during high-speed streams, in particular examining the energy transfer efficiency and mass and energy flow processes.

Session 2: focuses on the flow of mass and energy through the magnetosphere during high-speed streams, in particular focusing on the nightside plasma sheet and near-Earth non-relativistic plasma populations.

Session 3: examines radiation belt processes during high-speed streams, addressing both the acceleration mechanisms and the loss processes for these high-energy particles in near-Earth space.

Special: Pre-Focus Group Planning Session on Magnetic Reconnection

Conveners: Paul Cassak <Paul.Cassak [at] mail.wvu.edu>, John Dorelli, and Brian Sullivan

We would like to announce a pre-focus group planning meeting for a GEM session on magnetic reconnection to be held at the upcoming GEM meeting in Santa Fe. We encourage any and all community members interested in helping to formulate the scope and direction for an upcoming proposal for a focus group to attend. Ideal directions for a focus group incorporate a close interaction between observers, theorists, and/or global modelers. Suggestions for leadership and science focus are encouraged. The session is planned for Tuesday, June 28th, from 1:30-3:30pm. Please email us at Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu with any questions or comments. People not planning on attending that have ideas are encouraged to email their comments in advance.