Space Weather Euro News Vol. 10 Issue 14 (28-11-06)

Table of Contents:

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  1. Space Weather Working Team Meeting #20. Meeting Summary
  2. Call for Proposals to Host the Fourth European Space Weather Week, November 2007
  3. 10th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference, 18-21 June 2007, Biarritz, France
  4. News From The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel
  5. Job opportunity: Postdoctoral Researcher to Carry out Research in
    Electromagnetic Geophysics and Space Weather Physics at ISARS
  6. Job opportunitity: Visiting Fellow in Space Physics at Natural Resources Canada
  7. Some ESA Tender Actions from ESA-EMITS
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HTML version: http://esa-spaceweather.net/spweather/SWEN/swen.html
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Send all contributions to:
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1. Space Weather Working Team Meeting #20. Meeting Summary
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From: Mike Hapgood M.A. Hapgood

The Space Weather Working Team held its 20th meeting in Brussels on
Friday 17 November, immediately following the Third European Space
Weather Week. The full minutes of the meeting will be circulated
shortly. This note provides an advance summary of key issues discussed
and decided at the meeting.

  1. The report of the ESA space weather cost benefit analysis (CBA)
    was recognised as an important influence on future space activities
    in Europe. Members of the SWWT were encouraged to read and comment
    on it. Comments are especially needed from the ground-based effects
    and ionospheric communities, which are areas where the report suggests
    there may be major benefits. However, the report is subject to numerous
    caveats. So if we, as a community, wish to turn this report into
    practical action, we need to provide further evidence on the scale and scope of
    those benefits.
  2. FP7 was, of course, a key issue for the SWWT. The meeting heard reports
    on recent contacts with Commission officials and especially that we were
    encouraged to pursue opportunities for space weather research infrastructure
    (e.g. ground-based measurements and their delivery to users), e.g.
    through ESFRI and through calls for bottom-up infrastructure proposals. There
    are also possibilities to propose space weather activities where we can show
    that these are relevant to other European space activities such as GMES.

    Mike Hapgood has an action to organise an all-day meeting early in 2007
    to brainstorm FP7 plans. Details will be circulated as soon as possible.
  3. The work of the topical groups threw up two valuable ideas on raising general awareness about space weather:
    1. the groups could organise to create Wikipedia articles on their area
      of interest and link these to the existing short Wikipedia article on space
      weather. This action was proposed by the ground effects topical group,
      but could be applied more widely.
    2. it is important that the space weather community reach out to the
      engineering communities at risk from space weather, e.g. by presenting
      at engineering conferences and publishing in engineering journals. Some
      groups already do this and find it helps to develop a real space weather user
      community and also practical political influence.
  4. The SWWT approved two resolutions as shown below. The Chair will
    formally communicate these to the relevant bodies.
    1. National space weather programmes are now developing in several countries -
      especially in Germany, Belgium, Italy and France. The Space Weather
      Working Team welcomes these developments and recommends that ESA, through its
      R&D or other actions, supports European coordination of these national activities
    2. A key factor controlling most space weather phenomena is the state of
      the solar wind, including its embedded magnetic field, that impacts the
      Earth's magnetosphere. Upstream monitoring of the solar wind and magnetic field
      (e.g. at the L1 Lagrangian point) is critical for many space weather services
      and also for studies of the underpinning science. The Space Weather Working
      Team therefore recommends that the relevant agencies (ESA, EUMETSAT, NOAA,
      national agencies, etc....) implement a follow-up to the current provision based
      on the aging NASA Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft and the associated
      data infrastructure established by NOAA.
    Two other resolutions (space weather as an environmental science,
    outreach) were remitted for further work and discussion at SWWT #21. Resolutions
    on the need for space weather virtual observations and to support SWENET will
    also be developed for that meeting.
  5. Next meeting. It was agreed that this should be a standalone meeting
    in May (in time to feed good ideas into the IHY infrastructure meeting in
    Torino on 18-22 June).

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2. Call for Proposals to Host the Fourth European Space Weather Week, November 2007
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From: A. Glover, J. Lilensten Jean.Lilensten at obs.ujf-grenoble.fr
http://www.esa-spaceweather.net/mailform/mailform.html?name=A_Glover

Following on from the success of the third European Space Weather Week
held in Brussels on 13-17th November 2006, the ESWW organising
committee is soliciting proposals from European groups who would like to
take on the organisation of ESWW4, to be held in November 2007. This
will be an important year for space weather in Europe as the meeting will
include one full day final presentation of the COST 724 action and will
coincide with the International Heliophysical Year so a large attendance
is again expected.

Any group interested to host next year's meeting should provide their
proposals to Alexi Glover and Jean Lilensten by 15th December 2006.
These should not exceed 2 A4 pages in length and should include the following
important information:

Please note that the registration fee (including hire of facilities and
welcome reception) should not exceed 80Euros and the meeting must be
held in a country that is both an ESA member state and participating in the
COST 724 Action.

Following an evaluation of the proposals received, it is anticipated
that the exact location and date will be announced in mid-January 2007.

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3. 10th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference, 18-21 June 2007,
Biarritz, France
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From: Jean-Pierre Catani jean-pierre.catani at cnes.fr

This is the announcement for the 10th Spacecraft Charging Technology
Conference to be held from 18 to 21 June 2007 in Biarritz (France).

http://www.10thsctc.com

We invite authors to submit an abstract for the 10th Spacecraft
Charging Technology Conference before December 31st, 2006.

Please transmit this information to anybody you know concerned by
Spacecraft Charging

Following the Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference, the Second
Workshop about ISO standardization of Solar Array ESD test will be held
on June 22nd, 2007 at the same site.
(See http://bohr.ele.kyutech.ac.jp/announce.html for detail)

Jean-Pierre Catani
CNES, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales
18, Avenue Edouard-Belin
31401 Toulouse Cedex 9
France

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4. News From The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel
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From: Doug Biesecker doug.biesecker at noaa.gov

During the week of Oct 2-6, 2006, the Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel
met to begin deliberations towards achieving a consensus prediction for
the maximum amplitude and timing of the 24th solar cycle. The panel
expects to issue a preliminary prediction in the spring of 2007.
The panel also expects to issue updates to this prediction on an annual
basis until a final prediction is issued, approximately 30 months after
cycle 24 has begun.

There are more than 30 wide ranging predictions, both published and
submitted directly to the panel, which are being considered.
Significant progress in the development of new predictive techniques
has been made since the cycle 23 panel report (Joselyn et al., 1997).
The panel will consider all new, relevant information submitted to it at
any time (submit.cycle24@noaa.gov) up until the panel issues a final
prediction. The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel is organized and
chaired by NOAA and funded by NASA. The voting members of the Solar Cycle 24
Prediction Panel are: Douglas Biesecker (Chair), Mausumi Dikpati,
Kathlene Dowdy, David Hathaway, Todd Hoeksema, Eric Kihn, Ronald Van der Linden,
Henrik Lundstedt, Dean Pesnell, Leif Svalgaard, and Richard Thompson.
O.C. St. Cyr and Joseph Kunches are ex-officio members.

The following, invited consultants, participated in the panel meeting:
Paul Charbonneau, Matthew Penn, Mark Rast, Keith Strong, Andrey Tlatov, and Steven Tobias.

Subsequent to the meeting, Mark Rast has been named as a voting panel member.

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5. Job Vacancy: Postdoctoral Researcher to Carry out Research in
Electromagnetic Geophysics and Space Weather Physics at ISARS
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From: George Balasis gbalasis at space.noa.gr

The Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National
Observatory of Athens, invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to carry
out research in electromagnetic geophysics and space weather physics at ISARS.
You will develop electrical conductivity models of the Earth's crust and
mantle using satellite and ground observatory magnetic data and study
the Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) at low-latitude locations.

You should have a PhD in geophysics or space physics. Experience of
electromagnetic methods is desirable, although well qualified candidates
with expertise in other areas of geophysics or space physics will be
considered.

Funding is available at least for 14 months. Salary will be at the range
of 2,500 Euros per month. The position should be filled by December 31, 2006.
Starting date is negotiable, but may be as late as March 1, 2007.

For further information contact:

Dr. Ioannis A. Daglis (Director of ISARS)
daglis at space.noa.gr
Tel.: +302108109185
Fax: +302106138343

or

Dr. George Balasis
gbalasis at space.noa.gr
Tel.: +302108109184
Fax: +302106138343

Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing
National Observatory of Athens
Metaxa and Vas. Pavlou
Palea Penteli
15236 Athens
Greece

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6. Job opportunitity: Visiting Fellow in Space Physics at Natural
Resources Canada
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From: Larisa Trichtchenko ltrichtc at nrcan.gc.ca

The Geomagnetic Laboratory/Regional Warning Centre Canada, Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan) invites applications for a two-year visiting fellowship
in space science. Applicants should have a recent PhD in space physics,
plasma physics, solar physics, astrophysics or applied mathematics with
extensive experience in developing complex plasma computer models that are
implemented on workstation clusters and/or parallel computers. The successful
candidate will apply computer models (such as global MHD) in support of the
solution of heliospheric and/or magnetospheric physics problems that lead to
improvements in space weather forecasting. The successful applicant will
work in close collaboration with scientists in the Facility for Data
Assimilation and Modeling at the University of Alberta.

This position is being administered through the NSERC Visiting
Fellowships program.
See http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/sf_e.asp?nav=vfnav&lbi=3d

The position has an anticipated start date of January 5, 2007; closing
date for receipt of applications is December 1, 2006. Applicants should submit
completed NSERC form 200 and accompanying documents directly to NSERC
with a copy to Dr. Larisa Trichtchenko.

Candidates will be hired on the basis of merit. We are committed to the
principle of equity of employment. We welcome diversity and encourage
applications from all qualified women and men, including persons with
disabilities, members of visible minorities, and Aboriginal persons.

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7. Some ESA Tender Actions from ESA-EMITS
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AO5307 EGNOS SECOND GENERATION FEASIBILITY STUDY PHASE A
(From 23/10/2006 to 22/12/2006, Act.Ref.: 06.154.03)

AO5263 SOLAR SAILS MATERIALS
(From 31/10/2006 to 02/01/2007, Act.Ref.: 06.127.01)

AO5124 CONCEPTS FOR DEMONSTRATION OF ADVANCED TECHNIQUES AND
TECHNOLOGIES ON AN EO SMALL MISSION
(From 22/06/2006 to 14/09/2006, Act.Ref.: 05.197.24)

AO4780 ARTES 4 - ESA-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME: CALL FOR PROPOSALS
(From 24/11/2004 to 31/12/2007, Act.Ref.: 04.153.85)

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For a complete list of ESA Tender Actions, see:
http://emits.esa.int
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Note: This newsletter is an initiative of the ESA Space Environments
and Effects Analysis Section ( http://space-env.esa.int) and is a prototype
mailing list intended to provide a forum for information posting news of
interest to the Space Weather community in Europe.

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