Upcoming Events

2008 GEM Summer Workshop

GEM will be holding its annual summer workshop June 22-27, 2008 at the Zermatt Resort and Spa in Midway, Utah. More information will be available soon.

Web sites:

• GEM 2008 Summer Workshop web site

• Zermatt Resort & Spa - Utah

Call for Presentations

Physical Processes in the Cusps: Plasma Transport and Energization

Conveners: K.J. Trattner <karlheinz.j.trattner.dr@lmco.com>, N. Omidi and D. Sibeck

During the 2008 Summer GEM workshop in Zermatt Utah, a number of sessions on the physical processes in the cusp will be held. The main objective of these sessions is to utilize observations, modeling, and theory of the cusp and its role in particle acceleration and plasma transport to assess the current status of the field and forge collaborative efforts towards addressing outstanding issues in the future. Based on the topics in earlier years and the discussions during the mini-workshop held during the 2007 Fall AGU, we plan to focus on the following topics:

1. Plasma transport into the cusp.
2. Energization of ions in diamagnetic cavities.
3. Origin of waves observed in the cusp and their role in particle scattering and acceleration.
4. Interaction of FTE's with the cusp.
5. The source region of energetic ions and electrons observed in the cusp.
6. Ionospheric signatures of such processes such as Poleward Moving Auroral Forms

It is the ultimate goal of the workshop to enhance our understanding of the cusp physics, its coupling to other parts of the system such as the bow shock, magnetopause and the ionosphere and the important role it plays in dayside transport and energization. Observational and theoretical contributions to this session are hereby solicited.

Those interested in these topics are invited to attend and contribute through showing a few slides and/or participation in the discussions. Information regarding hotel reservations and travel arrangements will be posted on the GEM website (http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem) in the near future. Those wishing to give a presentation or with questions regarding the workshop should contact the conveners trattner@mail.spasci.com, omidi@solanasci.com or david.g.sibeck@nasa.gov.

Bow Shock Phenomena and their Magnetospheric Impacts

Conveners: N. Omidi <omidi@solanasci.com>, H. Kucharek <harald.kucharek@unh.edu>, and J. Eastwood <eastwood@ssl.berkeley.edu>

During the 2008 Summer GEM workshop in Zermatt Utah, one or more sessions on the bow shock and its magnetospheric impacts will be held. The main objective of the session is to utilize observations, modeling, and theory of the bow shock and related processes in the foreshock and the magnetosheath to assess the current status of the field and forge collaborative efforts towards addressing outstanding issues in the future. Based on the discussions during the mini-workshop held before the 2007 Fall AGU, we plan to focus on the following topics:

1. Morphology of the ion foreshock as a function of IMF orientation
2. Upstream waves and their role in preconditioning of the solar wind
3. Upstream structures such a foreshock cavities and density holes
4. Interaction of solar wind discontinuities (and CME/CIR) with the bow shock and the resulting phenomena such as hot flow anomalies (HFAs) or magnetic reconnection in the sheath
5. Shock structure, dissipation processes and implications for waves in the magnetosheath
6. Magnetosheath turbulence and impacts on the magnetopause

Those interested in these topics are invited to attend and contribute through showing a few slides and/or participation in the discussions. Information regarding hotel reservations and travel arrangements are posted on the GEM website (http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gem/). Those wishing to give a presentation or with questions regarding the workshop should contact the conveners omidi@solanasci.com, harald.kucharek@unh.edu, eastwood@ssl.berkeley.edu .

New GEM Focus Group "Modes of Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Energy Transfer"

From: Larry Kepko <larry.kepko@unh.edu> and Bob McPherron <rmcpherron@igpp.ucla.edu>

The 2008 GEM workshop will herald a new Tail Focus Group, "Modes of solar wind-magnetosphere energy transfer." This focus group seeks to improve our knowledge of the physical mechanisms that provide for different dynamical modes of response of the magnetotail to the solar wind. The Focus Group proposal is available at

http://www.spaceplasma.unh.edu/~jraeder/GEM/uploads/Main/GEM-FGProposal-2007-McPherron-response.pdf

At the upcoming workshop we will discuss:

• Steady magnetospheric convection
• Sawtooth events
• Poleward Boundary Intensifications
• Pseudo breakups

The discussion of each topic will start with a short invited talk designed to lay the groundwork for discussion. Each invited speaker will describe:

• The particular state of solar wind conditions associated with the response mode
• The internal state of the magnetosphere during the response mode
• What causes the transition into or out of a mode

Anyone interested in participating in the discussion are encouraged to email Larry Kepko (larry.kepko@unh.edu) or Bob McPherron (rmcpherron@igpp.ucla.edu).

New GEM Focus Group "Substorm Expansion Onset: The First 10 Minutes"

FG Leaders: Vassilis Angelopoulos <vassilis@ucla.edu>, Shin Ohtani <Shin.Ohtani@jhuapl.edu> and Kazuo Shiokawa <shiokawa@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp> (conveners)

We are pleased to announce the start of a new focus group, "Expansion Onset: The First 10 Minutes", at the upcoming GEM workshop in Zermatt Utah. This focus group is concerned with magnetospheric and ionospheric processes around the time of substorm onset, and expects to address key physics questions regarding those processes, using ground imagery, magnetometry and in situ observations from the THEMIS, Geotail, FAST, Cluster and other satellite missions, as well as theory and modeling of processes before/during the expansion phase onset. The tentative plan is available at: http://www.spaceplasma.unh.edu/~jraeder/GEM/uploads/Main/GEM-FGProposal-2007-exp-onset-v2.pdf

This year we will focus on the following three topical areas:

1) Timing: What is the time sequence of phenomena observed in space and on the ground, and what are the implications for substorm onset processes?

2) Pre-breakup/onset aurora: What is the electrodynamics of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling before and at the time of substorm auroral breakup? What is the source of growth phase currents?

3) Mapping: How does the presence and evolution of pre-onset and expansion phase onset current systems in the tail and along the field lines affect the link between auroral and plasma sheet locations and processes?

In order to communicate our ideas better we will need tangible examples. Several nice events identified from the last THEMIS tail season can serve that purpose quite well. If there are suggestions for any events from the community please relay them to the conveners. A consolidated list of events will be announced in the near future. There will be 3 GEM meeting break-out sessions regarding this focus group, on Wed. June 25, at 10:30-12:15, 1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5pm. The discussion will start with a speaker presenting the questions at hand and is expected to be followed by event expositions but also theory/modeling related discussions. Anyone interested in participating in the discussion is encouraged to email Vassilis Angelopoulos (vassilis@ucla.edu), Kazuo Shiokawa (shiokawa@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp), and Shin Ohtani(Ohtani@jhuapl.edu).