2014 Summer Workshop Sessions

June 15-20, 2014

Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Conference Center, Portsmouth, Virginia

General workshop information is available at the 2014 Summer Workshop Page. Information about the GEM Student Workshop on Sunday, June 15 is available at GEM Student Forum.

Below are tentative session agenda provided by Focus Groups. The information here serves as a rough guide for those who wish to know the most updated session plans. Due to the nature of the GEM Workshop, Focus Groups may continue to revise their agenda on this page or during sessions if needed.

Monday, June 16, 2014

0815-1000 AM: Planery Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

• IMS tutorial by Drew Turner -- Probing the tempest: Current concepts and recent relevations concerning the nature of Earth's inner magnetosphere and geomagnetic storms
• MIC tutorial by Joe Huba -- Modeling the ionosphere/plasmasphere system: Quiet and stormtime conditions

1030 AM-1215 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosphere (Ports Ballroom I-III)

What controls the rate of dayside reconnection?

• Joe Borovsky (Space Science Institute), Scene-setting talk
• Ramon Lopez (University of Texas, Arlington), Scene-setting talk
• Joachim Birn (Space Science Institute), Axford conjecture and reconnection rate
• Shan Wang (University of New Hampshire), observations of dayside reconnection rate
• Alex Glocer (NASA-GSFC), general method for computing 3d reconnection rate
• John Dorelli (NASA-GSFC), On the relationship between the solar wind electric field and the dayside magnetopause reconnection rate

General Contributions

• Michael Hesse (NASA-GSFC), kinetic asymmetric reconnection
• Jason Shuster (UNH), PIC sims of electron distributions in EDR
• Colby Haggerty (UDel), electron heating
• Ruilong Guo (New Hampshire), Cluster observations of secondary island formation

[IMS/MIC] Storm-time Inner Magneotsphere-Ionosphere Convection (Amphitheater)

• Jo Baker -- Introduction and discussion of the directions the focus group should be going
• Larry Lyons -- Low entropy channel flow contribution to SAPS region flow bursts and particle injection
• Bob Lysak -- Coupling between high and low latituds by ULF waves
• Yiqun Yu -- Initial results on data assimilation of substorm particle injections in a 4D kinetic ring current model RAM-SCB
• Jichun Zhang -- Excitation of EMIC waves detected by the Van Allen Probes on 28 April 2013
• Christian Ferradas -- Heavy ion dominance near Cluster perigees
• George Khazanov -- IM coupling in the region of diffuse aurora

1330-1500 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosphere (Ports Ballroom I-III)

How is magnetotail reconnection modulated by dayside reconnection? What is the nature of magnetotail reconnection onset and transients?

• Toshi Nishimura (UCLA), Scene-setting talk
• Joachim Birn (Space Science Institute), Scene-setting talk
• Ying Zou (UCLA), polar cap flow-PBI connection

What determines the cross-tail scale of reconnection jets?

• Phil Pritchett (UCLA), Scene-setting talk
• Jiang Liu (UCLA), Scene-setting talk
• Yi-Hsin Liu (LANL), kinetic simulations of tail reconnection
• Mike Shay (UDel), 3d tail reconnection

[IMS/MIC] Storm-time Inner Magneotsphere-Ionosphere Convection (Amphitheater)

• Evan Thomas
• Matina Gkioulidou -- The role of energetic ion injection in the buildup of Earth's ring current pressure: Van Allen Probes observations of the March 17th, 2013 storm
• Mike Liemohn -- Nonlinear feedback on the inner magnetospheric electric field after keV plasma injections
• Sasha Zou -- Storm enhanced density (SED) related study using GPS TEC, AMPERE and PFISR
• Margaret Chen -- The effect of simulated precipitation electrons on ionospheric conductance and the stormtime ring current energy content
• Stan Sazykin -- Discussion

1530-1700 PM: Splinter Sessions

[Special] Strategic Priorities for Funding in the NSF Antarctic Program (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

NSF has requested that the National Academy of Science develop a consensus recommendation on the most compelling research that can be supported in the coming decade and outline steps forward to implement this research. This meeting is to engage the space science community to participate in the development of this consensus recommendation. The Antarctic can be a platform for measurements and investigation of space weather phenomena and several measurement programs are presently active. How should funding priorities be set for this research during the coming decade? Please help to establish these priorities. Very broad key scientific questions have been identified in the 2011 NRC report “Future Science Opportunities in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean”. The relevant question for our community is “What can the Antarctic platform reveal about the interactions between the Earth and the space environment”. The results from the NAS committee established to develop funding priorities will have an important impact on funding decisions at NSF and our research community needs to be strongly represented.

[GGCM/Tail] Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosphere/Tail-inner Magnetosphere Interactions (Ports Ballroom I-III)

• Misha Sitnov (JHU-APL), Scene-setting talk
• Andrei Runov (UCLA), Scene-setting talk
• Jim Drake (Maryland), BBFs/DFs/reconnection
• Heli Hietala (Imperial), temperature anisotropy across reconnection exhaust jets
• Michael Balikhin (Sheffield), the finite structure of dipolarization fronts
• Joachim Birn (Space Sciences), relation between BBFs and reconnection: source of energetic particles
• Natasha Buzulukova (NASA-GSFC), high S magnetotail simulations (presented by John Dorelli)

[IMS/MIC/GGCM] Storm-time Inner Magneotsphere-Ionosphere Convection/Geospace System Science (Amphitheater)

• Joe Borovsky -- Introduction to Systems Science focus group and its overlap with SIMIC
• Jonathan Krall -- SAMI3/TIMEGCM: How the thermosphere shapes the quiet time plasmasphere?
• Stan Sazykin
• Gang Lu -- Influence of penetration electric fields on TEC
• Jerry Goldstein -- Imaging perspective of subauroral polarization stream (SAPS)
• Jo Baker and Stan Sazykin -- Discussion

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

0815-1000 AM: Planery Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

• Tail tutorial by Jim Klimchuk -- Onset conditions for impulsive magnetic energy release
• GGCM tutorial by Jian Yang -- Effects of plasma-sheet bubble injections

1030 AM-1215 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging into the GEM GGCM (Ports Ballroom I-III)

• Bob Schunk -- Overview of Ion Outflow (invited)
• Dan Welling -- Merged Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Modeling of the GEM Idealized Storm Period Using GPW and BATSRUS
• Nick Perlongo -- PWOM Results as Input to MHD Models for the Idealized and First Real Storm Periods
• Dan Welling and Nick Perlongo -- Merged Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Modeling of the GEM Idealized Storm Period Using PWOM and BATSRUS (invited)
• Roger Varney and Mike Wiltberger -- Merged Modeling of the GEM Idealized Storm Period Using an Ionosphere/Polar Wind Model (IPWM) and the LFM-MIX/CMIT (invited)

[Tail] Tail-Inner Magnetosphere Interactions (Amphitheater)

[10 minutes/5 vugraph limit per presentation]

• Xiangning Chu, UCLA, “On the relation between the formation of SCW and the BBFs and the aurora”

• Joachim Birn, SSI: “On relation of SCW to BBFs”

• Yan Song, Univ. Minn, “Theory of the Generation of Field-Aligned Current in Association with the Substorm Current Wedge Related to BBFs/Dipolarization Fronts”

• Bob Lysak, Univ. Minn, What is the physics of the oscillations in the field and plasma seen ahead of the front?"

• Toshi Nishimura, UCLA, “Tail-inner magnetosphere interaction seen by auroral streamers and proton aurora”

• Ying Zou, UCLA, “Polar cap flow-PBI-streamer connection”

1330-1500 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging into the GEM GGCM (Ports Ballroom I-III)

• Vince Eccles -- Ionospheric Dynamics During the 8-day GEM First Real Storm Study Period (invited)
• Abdallah Barakat -- Ion Outflow Predicted by the Generalized Polar Wind Model During the GEM First Real Storm Period (invited)
• Dan Welling and Abdallah Barakat -- Merged Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Modeling of the First Storm Period Using GPW and BATSRUS
• Naritoshi Kitamura -- FAST Ion Outflow Measurements—Flux, Velocity, Temperature, Current Density and Characteristics of Electron Precipitation During the GEM First Storm (invited)
• Tom Moore and Rick Chappell -- Polar Measurements of Low Energy Ion Outflow and Lobal Wind During the GEM First Storm Period (invited)

[IMS] Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

[Invited: 8 min/talk; Contributed: 5 min/talk]

• Vania Jordanova -- Review of the convection-diffusion type radiation belt models (invited)
• Alex Glocer -- Recent RBE model results on radiation belt dynamics (invited)
• Yuri Shprits -- Review of the diffusion-type radiation belt models (invited)
• Richard Thorne -- Recent diffusion model results on radiation belt dynamics (invited)
• Greg Cunningham -- Recent DREAM3D model results on radiation belt dynamics
• Anthony Chan -- Recent SDE model results on radiation belt dynamics (invited)
• Scot Elkington -- MHD/SDE methods and results
• Adam Kellerman -- MLT-dependent reanalysis of radiation belt electrons: Case studies using several satellites and different magnetic field models
• All: End-of-session discussion

[Tail] Tail-Inner Magnetosphere Interactions (Amphitheater)

[10 minutes/5 vugraph limit per presentation]

• W Douglas Cramer, UNH, “OpenGGCM to investigate steady and bursty tail flow into the ring current region during CME and CIR-driven storms”

• Xiaojia Zhang, UCLA: "Evaluation of ECH Wave Contribution to Diffuse Aurora

• Jian Yang, “RCM-E simulation of a thin arc preceded by a north-south-aligned streamer” & “RCM-E simulation of field-line slippage in the near-Earth plasma sheet: a test of substorm inside-out scenario (tentative)”

• Shin Ohtani, APL, “Variations of High-energy Ions during Fast Plasma Flows and Dipolarization in the Plasma Sheet: Comparison among Different Ion Species”

1530-1700 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging into the GEM GGCM (Ports Ballroom I-III)

• Stein Haaland -- Cold Ion Outflow: Cluster Measurements During the GEM First Storm Period (invited)
• Lynn Kistler -- Cluster Measurements of O+ During the GEM First Storm Period (invited)
• Elena Kronberg -- Cluster RAPID Energetic Ion and Electron Measurements During the GEM First Storm Period (invited)
• Joe Borovsky -- LANL Plasma Measurements During the GEM First Storm Period (invited)
• Naritoshi Kitamura -- FAST Observations of the Solar Zenith Angle Dependence on Relations Between Energy Input and Outflowing H+ and O+ Ion Fluxes >3000 km

[IMS] Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

[Invited: 8 min/talk; Contributed: 5 min/talk]

• Louis Ozeke -- Specifying ULF wave properties and quantifying radial diffusion (invited)
• Peter Chi -- Occurrence of high-m ULF waves in the magnetosphere as observed by ST-5 satellites
• Michael Hartinger -- The effect of magnetopause motion on fast mode resonance
• Kyungguk Min -- Specifying EMIC wave properties based on statistical THEMIS data (invited)
• Richard Denton -- Simulation of pitch angle scattering of relativistic electrons by EMIC waves
• Nigel Meredith (presented by Wen Li) -- Global model of lower band and upper band chorus from multiple satellite observations (invited)
• Wen Li -- Construction of the dynamic global chorus wave distribution based on POES electron precipitation
• Maria de Soria-Santacruz Pich -- Global distribution of plasmaspheric hiss waves inferred from POES observations
• Ksenia Orlova -- Activity dependent global model of electron loss inside the plasmasphere
• Qianli Ma -- The distribution of magnetosonic waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere
• All: End-of-session discussion

[Tail] Tail-Inner Magnetosphere Interactions (Amphitheater)

[10 minutes/5 vugraph limit per presentation]

• Jacob Bortnik, UCLA, “TBA”

• Christine Gabrielse, Vassilis Angelopoulos, Andrei Runov, Drew L. Turner, UCLA:” Magnetospheric Particle Injections and their Relation to Impulsive, Localized Electric Fields”

• Christine Gabrielse, Vassilis Angelopoulos, Andrei Runov, Drew L. Turner, UCAL “Statistical characteristics of particle injections throughout the equatorial magnetotail”

• V. G. Merkin, M. Sitnov, J. Lyon: "Resistive MHD simulations of generalized 2D equilibria with LFMBOX”.

• Mike Wiltberger, NCAR: “LFM simulations of BBFs”

• J. C. Green, J.V. Rodriguez, J. Machol, R. Redmon: “Update on phase space density data from the POES and GOES satellites"

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

0815-1000 AM: Planery Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

• Agency Reports from NSF, NASA and NOAA
• Dayside tutorial by Jim Burch -- The science of the MMS mission

1030 AM-1215 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging into the GEM CCGM (Ports Ballroom I-III)

• Jonathan Krall -- SAMI 3 Modeling of Post-Storm Plasmasphere Filling and Comparisons With Measurements (invited)
• Mick Denton -- Long-lived Drainage Plumes—Where Does the Plasma Come From? (invited)
• George Khazanov -- What Is Missing in the Modern Plasmaspheric Studies?
• Ted Fritz -- The Energization of Ionospheric Plasma in the Cusp during the Solar Event of 23 May, 1998 Using Polar and ACE
• GENERAL DISCUSSION OF FUTURE COLLABORATIVE STUDIES

[IMS] Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

[Invited: 8 min/talk; Contributed: 5 min/talk]

• Natalia Ganjushkina -- Event-fitted magnetic field model (invited)
• Adam C. Kellerman -- On the influence of magnetic field model errors on data assimilation and radiation belt modeling
• Joachim Birn -- Modeling the seed population of radiation belt electrons (invited)
• Natalia Ganjushkina -- 5-50 keV electrons in the inner magnetosphere: Observations and modeling
• Drew Turner -- Energetic particle injections and their contributions to the outer belt seed population
• Alexander Boyd -- Using Phase Space Density to look at the Radiation Belt Seed Population
• Chia-Lin Huang -- Electron dropouts due to magnetopause shadowing: statistical study using GOES data and last closed drift shell calculation
• Richard Denton -- Ion composition at geostationary orbit, and its effect on EMIC waves
• Justin H Lee -- THEMIS statistics on low-energy ion compositional properties and their application to observations and modeling of EMIC waves
• All: End-of-session discussion

[GGCM] Geospace System Science (Amphitheater)

"Timescales, Time Lags, and Feedback Loops in the M-I System". This is an audience-participation discussion about the time lags in the solar-wind-driven magnetosphere-ionosphere system, about the characteristic timescales in the dynamics of the system, and about feedback loops affecting the system.The discussion will involve the solar wind, geomagnetic current systems, the plasmas of the magnetosphere, the radiation belt, substorms, the ionosphere, and the atmosphere.

1330-1500 PM: Splinter Sessions

[IMS] Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

[5 min/talk]

Empirical studies:

• Bob Johnston -- AE9/AP9/SPM: Update for the GEM Community
• Yi-Jiun Su -- Specification of > 2 MeV electron flux as a function of local time and geomagnetic activity at geosynchronous orbit
• Larry Lyons -- Earthward penetrating meso-scale flow bursts leading to electron loss via EMIC waves
• Hong Zhao -- The 90 deg-minimum pitch angle distribution in the slot region and inner belt

All: Wrap-up discussions and planning for future FG activities

Potential challenge events:

• Wen Li -- Radiation Belt Electron Acceleration by Chorus Waves During the 17 March 2013 Storm
• Weichao Tu -- RB electron dropout and acceleration during the October 2012 event

[GGCM] Geospace System Science (Amphitheater)

"Part1 -- Long-Running Measurements of the State of the System: What Can Be Done?". This is an audience-participation discussion about creating new geomagnetic indices from measurements besides magnetometers. The discussions will involve wave measurements, plasma measurements, composition measurements, radiation-belt measurements, substorm measurements, radar measurements, precipitation measurements, etc. A number of researchers have agreed to comment on ideas.

[GGCM] The Ionospheric Source of Magnetospheric Plasma-Measuring, Modeling and Merging into the GEM CCGM (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

Informal Workshop Comparing Models and Measurements:

• Open discussion and data comparison
• Short papers by Jun Liang and Mike Liemohn

1530-1700 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] Geospace System Science (Amphitheater)

"Part2 -- Long-Running Measurements of the State of the System: What Can Be Done?". This is an audience-participation discussion about creating new geomagnetic indices from measurements besides magnetometers. The discussions will involve wave measurements, plasma measurements, composition measurements, radiation-belt measurements, substorm measurements, radar measurements, precipitation measurements, etc. A number of researchers have agreed to comment on ideas.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

0815-1000 AM: Planery Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

• Dayside tutorial by Antonius Otto -- Dayside solar wind-magnetosphere coupling
• GGCM tutorial by Jimmy Raeder -- Prospects for data assimilation in global magnetosphere models

1030 AM-1215 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] Geospace System Science (Amphitheater)

"Planning Session for the Geospace Systems Science Focus Group". An open discussion to select the topics for the GSS sessions for the next few GEM Summer Workshop. We want to consider new systems-science questions to ask, future joint sessions with other focus groups, new problems and new techniques, and data analysis methods.

1330-1500 PM: Splinter Sessions

[Special] THEMIS Training Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

This session is intended for developers who are interested in contributing plugin modules to support new missions or data sets within the SPEDAS framework and analysis tools. SPEDAS (Space Physics Environment Data Analysis Software) has evolved from a THEMIS-specific set of tools, to a more general multi-mission framework. We will present newly released features and capabilities of the framework, followed by an open discussion and Q&A regarding the road map for future development.

1530-1700 PM: Splinter Sessions

[Special] THEMIS Training Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

This session is intended for users who are interested in using SPEDAS for loading, plotting, and analyzing data from THEMIS and other supported missions. We will present a variety of data analysis scenarios, focused mostly on THEMIS data, but touching on some of the other multi-mission capabilities. The formal presentation will be followed by an open Q&A, help session, and installation clinic.

[GGCM] Metrics and Validation (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

Model Uncertainty: Dealing with uncertain physical processes and boundary conditions

In this session we solicit contributions discussing how model uncertainties and uncertain boundary conditions affect model results and validation. Specifically solicited are strategies to accommodate uncertainty in modeled physical processes (e.g. uncertain radiation belt diffusion coefficients), uncertainty in boundary conditions (e.g. upstream solar wind), or the validation of models at their boundaries (such as ground-based magnetometers).

We will introduce a challenge based on previously run magnetopause standoff simulations that compared model results to magnetopause crossings of geo-synchronous satellites. The few crossings observed during strong events revealed significant discrepancies between the major magnetospheric MHD models. We plan to revisit the challenge on the basis of selected events with steady and changing solar wind conditions and observations near the nose of the magnetosphere. The role of boundary conditions applied at the inner boundary (e.g., ionospheric conductance and convection, plasma density and temperature, magnetic field) can be tested. Some of the questions that can be addressed are:

• Which model is better suited to predict magnetopause position near the nose of the magnetosphere under typical conditions/storm time conditions?
• What model assumptions affect the model predictions significantly and lead to differences between models?
• How does the magnetopause change during extreme events
• How sensitive is model performance to changes of the boundary conditions?
• Can we define common settings for the inner boundary location, and the plasma density or temperature applied at this boundary?

We also anticipate presentations on topics such as the influence of the plasma sheet boundary conditions on ring current development and also welcome specifications of uncertainties derived from observations and lessons from data assimilation and ensemble modeling methods.

Draft Agenda: (~12 min/ presentation, walk-ons welcome and we will adjust time appropriately)

• Tim Guild: Introduction to Session
• Bob Weigel: Validation of MHD Magnetosphere Models - Long-term, point, and single model analysis with measured solar wind inputs.
• Bob Weigel: Validation of MHD Magnetosphere Models - Short-term, global, and intermodel comparisons with artificial solar wind inputs.
• Lutz Rastaetter: Introduction to the Magnetopause Crossing Challenge.
• Yari Collado-Vega: Events and observations for the magnetopause challenge.
• Alex Glocer: The effects of the inner near Earth boundary conditions on MHD models.
• Darren DeZeeuw: Virtual Model Repository tools to calculate metrics derived from CCMC runs.
• All: Open Discussion

Friday, June 20, 2014

0815-1000 AM: Planery Session (Ports Ballroom IV-V)

• Tail tutorial by Mike Wiltberger -- Determination of the global conductance pattern and its influence on the dynamics of the geospace
• Student-selected tutorial by Robyn Millan -- Radiation belts: Lost and found in Antarctica

1030 AM-1215 PM: Splinter Sessions

[GGCM] Metrics and Validation (Ports Ballroom VI-VIII)

Validating Models Under Extreme Geomagnetic Conditions.

Extreme events in the geospace environment are among the most interesting scientifically as well as important for their space weather consequences. The goals for this session are: to show model results for extreme events in the magnetosphere, to share information about the range of conditions where models have been validated, to assess methods for validating model performance with limited observations (such as for early historical events), and to assess the reliability of a model outside the range in which it has been validated. These results will guide our understanding of the magnetosphere under extreme conditions, and provide insight into what physics needs to be incorporated into models so that they perform better during extreme events. Contributions to these and related issues are welcome.

Draft Agenda:

(8-10 min/ presentation, walk-ons welcome and we will adjust time appropriately)

• Howard Singer – Chair and Introduction

• Jimmy Raeder: Modeling Extreme Events with OPENGGCM

• Mike Wiltberger: Modleing Extreme Events with LFM/CMIT

• Dan Welling: Modeling Extreme Events with the SWMF

• Dan Welling and Vania Jordanova: Validating RAM-SCB under Extreme Conditions

• Bob Weigel and Brian Curtis: Global comparison of OpenGGCM, BATSRUS, and SWMF predictions under high and low solar wind pressure conditions (artificial inputs)

• Yuri Shprits: Unusual Behavior of Radiation Belts During Extreme Events

• Chigomezyo Ngwira: Modeling extreme `Carrington-type' space weather events using three-dimensional global MHD simulations”

• Alex Glocer and Mei-Ching Fok: Testing Magnetosphere Radiation Belt and Ring Current models under Extreme Conditions

• Discussion, including suggestions for a Modeling Challenge for Extreme Conditions