IHY and the International Astronomical Union
A. O. Benz
Institute of Astronomy, ETH Zurich
benz@astro.phys.ethz.ch/Fax: +41-1-632 42 23
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has been
concerned about distributing solar data for many decades. Recently,
Division II (Sun and Heliosphere), including Commissions 10, 12 and 49,
has initiated a Working Group on Solar Data Distribution headed by Dr.
Kiyoto Shibasaki. The intent of the Working Group is to survey the
existing and growing data exchange through the Internet and to propose
guidelines at an international level. The existing structures at the
national levels should not be replaced nor duplicated. In particular, the
Working Group should study electronic means to support archiving and
distribution of characteristic parameters of solar activity, solar events
and active regions (lists similar to today’s QBSO and Solar Geophysical
Data ), support finding available data from the various observatories and
satellites, quick-look data (such as in today’s SOHO data center,
Base2000 etc.), actual raw data or calibrated data in archives located
around the world and downloading software for the data analysis. The IAU
is happy to cooperate with anybody on these topics.
POSTER ABSTRACTS
The SOHO Joint Observing Programmes (JOPs) as a Model for the Practical
Implementation of the IHY.
Richard A. Harrison
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) carries 12 instruments
designed to study the Sun and the Heliosphere. Many observations involve
the co-ordination of operations of several instruments and, on numerous
occasions also include co-ordination with other space-based or
ground-based instrumentation. The planning and co-ordination for this has
been done using so-called Joint Observing Programmes, or JOPs. Scientists
write up their plans for multi-instrument use and submit them to the SOHO
operations team. The JOPs are stored in a JOP library, which anyone can
view, and are refined and used to plan observations in detail. In effect,
this approach means that the 'grass roots' scientist effectively requests
and designs his or her own observations schemes with the help of the SOHO
operations teams. The system has worked very well, and probably accounts
for the vast majority of the major scientific breakthroughs using SOHO.
However, it is a system which has minimised the 'red tape' and ensures
that the end user is in the driving seat. It has made full use of the
Web. This system can be adopted and adapted for use as the principal tool
for running the observational aspects of the IHY. No-one wants a large
bureaucratic system with little scientific profit; a JOP approach would
allow the user community to know how to get involved with the IHY, how to
request observations and would provide an efficient mechanism for
maximising the real scientific return.
Polar Science Challenges in IPY Perspective.
Kotlyakov V.M., Frolov I.E., Grikurov G.E., Leichenkov G.L., Lukin V.V.
The Polar regions of the Earth are remarkable for unique opportunities for
developing a variety of research disciplines. This in the first place
refers to glaciology in a broad sense, encompassing the history of
formation and behavior of ice caps in relation to climate and sea level
changes. An ionosphere study can only be successfully performed in the
high Arctic and Antarctica. Polar oceanology has become a special branch
of oceanographic sciences due to unparalleled circulation systems existing
in the Southern and Arctic Oceans and the influence they have on global
climate. Both Polar regions are exceptional laboratories for environmental
monitoring and preservation, as well as for meteorological observations
and weather forecasting. Earth sciences in Polar areas gain from
observations of extraordinary geodynamic settings and related plate
tectonics processes, and subglacial lakes in Antarctica represent a new
intriguing research target whose importance for fundamental sciences is
probably not yet fully perceived. Biology, human health, societal problems
and many other scientific disciplines of academic and applied nature
receive substantial input from Polar research, and mineral wealth of the
Arctic is already beginning to play a vital role in global economy.
Adequate development of Polar research is, however, often beyond
capability of any single nation, and joint international efforts in both
Polar regions, and especially in Antarctica, has long been underway. IPY
offers excellent chance of advanced planning, thorough coordination and
orderly execution of large-scale cooperative programs that would address
the most complex issues of Polar studies, e.g. sampling the subglacial
Vostok Lake in Antarctica and/or conducting earth science investigations
relevant to delimitation of legal continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean.
SEARCH, North Pole Environmental Observatory, and
IPY.
J. Morison (1), J. Overland (2)
(1) Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of
Washington, (2) NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
morison@apl.washington.edu/Fax 1 206 616 3142
The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) has been conceived
as an interdisciplinary, interagency program with international ties and a
core aim of understanding the complex of significant, interrelated,
atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial changes that have occurred in the
Arctic in recent decades. These changes are affecting every part of the
Arctic environment and are having repercussions on society. There is
evidence that these changes are connected with the positive trend in the
strength of the circumpolar vortex as often characterized by the Arctic
Oscillation (AO) index. It is unclear what feedback processes on climate
or ecosystems may be involved in the recent changes, but modeling and
retrospective studies indicate they could be characteristic of global
warming. In any event, observations suggest that the impact at high
latitudes is substantial. SEARCH will seek to detect future change in
large part by establishing distributed observatories both on land and in
the ocean. It will understand change through a program of coordinated
modeling and analysis, including development of an Arctic System
Reanalysis. SEARCH will help to adapt to change by communicating with
Arctic communities and industries.
The North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO) is a NSF Office of
Polar Programs funded distributed observatory centered on the North Pole.
It includes annual establishment of an automated drifting station and deep
ocean mooring as well as repeated hydrographic surveys. Starting in 2000
and funded through 2004, the NPEO observations in this critical region
have shown that the ocean and ice are to a large extent still in the
changed condition characteristic of the 1990s. In many ways NPEO is an
example of the measurement philosophy and approach that can be used to
implement SEARCH.
Our vision is that by time of IPY, the SEARCH program will have
matured to the extent that it might engage in a yearlong intensive
sampling period involving the international Arctic research community and
contributing to IPY by putting results in historical and regional context.
'Presumably there will be a Fourth:' Lessons from the Polar and
Geophysical Years.
Fae L Korsmo
Planning and executing the First and Second Polar Years (1882-1883 and
1932-1933) and the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958) required not
only scientific leadership but also international diplomacy and
coordinated logistical and political support. This historical perspective
compares the international and policy contexts of the three eras and
points out the lessons learned, taking as a point of departure Lloyd
Berkner's message to the U.S. National IGY Committee, "Presumably there
will be a Fourth Geophysical Year."
The Case for a Fourth International Polar Year.
R. Bindschadler
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 971, Greenbelt MD 20771
Robert.A.Bindschadler@nasa.gov
Our polar exploring ancestors created a unique legacy for those who
continue to unravel the mysteries of these fascinating regions. Within
the polar research communities, justification for enduring the rigors of
polar work to solve these mysteries is usually not necessary. However, to
the public at large and the policy makers around the world, constant
reminders of the global relevance and universal importance of polar
processes are required. International Polar Years at quarter and
half-century intervals have provided opportunities to reemphasize these
critical points, push back the edge of the unknown with exciting polar
discoveries and sow the seeds of future understanding through the
collection of new data sets. The next opportunity for such a reemphasis
is the year 2007. Polar research has gained enormous credence in global
climate research since the International Geophysical Year (initially
planned as the Third International Polar Year) in 1957. Exploring these
links with new studies and a much expanded autonomous measurement network
to monitor key parameters are obvious candidates for a Fourth
International Polar Year. At the same time, there are vast, yet
unexplored areas of Antarctica, particularly the subglacial environment
where geology, glaciology and biology combine to form unknown tectonic and
biotic conditions. New technologies are required to conduct some of the
exploratory research and to make feasible remote measurements in the
often-harsh polar environment. These technological developments also
afford the use of polar regions as a test bed for future planetary
missions to icy worlds such as Mars and Europa.
IPY Challenges and Opportunities.
G.L. Johnson (1), R. Bindchadler (2) and S. Hakkinen (2)
(1) IMS, UAF Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7220 , (2) NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Code 971, Greenbelt, MD 20771
e-mail: gljgerg1@aol.com
The year 2007 will be the 125th anniversary of the first IPY and it would
be an appropriate occasion to launch another polar initiative. Various
available data suggest that significant and interrelated atmospheric,
oceanic and terrestial changes have occurred in the polar regions in
recent decades. These events affect every part of the polar environment
and have repercussions on society. Expanded studies are
urgently needed. Goals for IPY:
- In a similar thrust to both the IPYs and IHY the goal would be
to obtain synoptic measurements for studying large scale
processes at high latitudes with research endeavors
characterized by a high level of international cooperation
and collaboration.
- To understand whether the profound changes in the polar
regions are due in some part to anthropogenic changes or
are part of a natural fluctuation. An essential part of
this goal is studies of the environmental paleohistory of
of the high latitudes, such as outlined for the JEODI
(Joint European Ocean Drilling Initiative) drilling program.
- Better define the terrestrial-solar coupling by obtaining a
coordinated set of observations to study at the largest
scale the solar generated events that affect life and
climate on earth.
- Use the exceptional opportunities of Polar and space research
to integrate educational outreach into research projects
by communicating the unique results to the interested
scientific community and to all peoples of the Earth.
There are a number of other factors that point to 2007 as an excellent
target for the next IPY. (1) The IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program)
will commence in October, 2003 with field operations being launched in
subsequent years with the Arctic having a strong potential to be a focal
point. (2) Several new vessels capable of navigating polar waters will be
available in the next few years providing unprecedented multi-discipline
all season data collection and scientific drilling capability. (3) SEARCH
program will be well underway to collect Arctic multi-diciplinary data.
Observing the Arctic From Space: Educational Opportunities for an
International Polar Year.
J. Kelley (1), G. Yanow (2), V. Alexander (1), L. Johnson (1)
Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
99775 (USA), (2) JPL/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
91109 (USA)
ffjjk@uaf.edu/Fax +1-907-474-7204
Recommendations for an International Polar Year (IPY) will require
integrated circumpolar research projects using present and advanced
technologies. The IPY will offer exceptional opportunities for
participation by indigenous residents of the Arctic. Educational outreach
will be an essential component of IPY programs, to improve science
competence and citizen awareness through participation in IPY projects and
utilization of educational products. An important and practical objective
of IPY educational outreach is to recognize that the earth is a system and
that it is best from space that we can acquire seasonal and secular
atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic environmental data. Acquisition of
reliable ground truth data in support of remote sensing of geophysical and
geochemical variables will be essential, especially with broad long-term
coverage in the polar regions. It should be an essential element of the
IPY program. In the United States NASA has developed a strategy for
long-term monitoring of some key parameters needed to bring us closer to
the answers we need regarding climate change in the Arctic and polar
regions. Technology consists of a group of five polar satellites that
make a suite of earth observations referred to as the “A-Train”. Data
from this group of satellites, as well as from the Orbital Carbon
Observatory (OCO) and older Quikscat and new Seawinds radar missions, will
provide focus for an education program based not only on the acquisition
of polar data but also on how these data correlate with global
observations. We recommend that an educational outreach secretariat be
developed for each national program that will involve the indigenous
people of the Arctic and elsewhere in acquisition of data relevant to
satellite observations. The secretariat will provide for information
transfer, coordination with scientific projects, opportunities for
participation in project activities, communication of scientific results
to the public, and greater participation of residents of circumpolar
nations in polar science.
RHESSI and non-thermal solar physics in the IHY.
H.S. Hudson, J.M. Davila, B.R. Dennis, R.P. Lin, J. Ryan, and G. Share
The signatures of non-thermal activity on the Sun - X-rays, gamma-rays,
and high-energy particles - present us with the closest possible view of
the essential physics underlying solar activity and its heliospheric
consequences. During the International Heliophysical Year (2007) we will
have a rich harvest of measurements from current sunspot maximum from an
unprecedented array of observations from space. This poster will present
the most recent observations from the newest spacecraft, RHESSI (the
Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager) in the context of
the IHY and possible future programs.
Proposal of Study of Medium-Scale Plasma Processes in Heliospheric
Plasmas.
D. J. Wu (1,2)
(1) Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2
West Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China)
(2) National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of
Sciences (Beijing, 100020, China)
E-mail: wudj@public1.ptt.js.cn /Fax: +86-25-3329433
Since IGY the study of heliospheric plasma physics in a broad
subject of the Sun-Earth connection has progressed greatly in both
exploring technology and theoretical model. Our understanding of the
microphysics of their dynamics, however, is still far from complete. The
most basic questions about the physical nature such as magnetic energy
bursts, plasma heating, particle acceleration, etc. remain still
unanswered, and many new problems and questions arise as new discoveries
due to the advanced measurement technologies. It is in general believed
that the plasma activities in the heliosphere are driven mainly by the
magnetic energy bursts occurring on the solar surface and that the key
problem is how the ordered macroscopic magnetic energy in a strong
magnetized plasma such as the solar atmosphere to release and to be
transferred into plasma particles, and then how the releasing magnetic
energy to be transported to the broad heliospheric space.
On the other hand, the dynamics of plasma in heliospheric
environments can differ remarkably from that in laboratory because of its
collisionless nature in which numerous plasma fluctuant modes, called the
medium-scale plasma processes, can exist in the medium-scale regime
between the particle collision and plasma oscillation scales. Fast
small-scale microscopic physical processes above the plasma oscillation
frequency (i.e. the electron Langmuir oscillation) produce electromagnetic
wave radiation and directly result in the free energy loss in plasmas. For
slow large-scale macroscopic physical processes (i.e. MHD processes) below
the plasma particle collision frequency plasmas have enough time to relax
to a thermal equilibrium state. We argue that those medium-scale plasma
processes can produce strong coupling between charged particles with
fluctuations of electromagnetic fields in the form of non-radiative waves
and transport the releasing magnetic energy in the solar activities to the
heliospheric space in the form of the non-radiative waves. Thus, they can
play an essential and important role in various heliospheric plasma active
phenomena because it is them that cause the magnetic energy in the forms
of fields and currents to dissipate into plasma particles. Therefore, they
also are the key for us to understand the microphysical mechanisms of the
Sun-Earth connection events.
Since IGY and the first Sputnik spacecraft in 1957, a series of
space exploring programs has accumulated numerous data observed in situ
about heliospheric plasmas. In particular, in recent years many
instruments on satellites can produce data of observations with a high
time-resolution. This can provide a good chance to research in detail the
role of the medium-scale plasma processes in the dynamics of a
collisionless plasma and their contributions to MHD phenomena occurring at
macroscopic scales. Thus research, of course, will invoke the combination
of theory, observation, and simulation studies, and need a broad
international cooperation. We propose that a specific group could be set
up in IHP to organize the research of the role of the medium-scale plasma
processes in the dynamics of heliospheric plasmas. It can be expected that
thus research can produce some new physics to help us to understand the
microphysical mechanism of the collisionless plasma dynamics that drives
various plasma active phenomena in the heliosphere.
In Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the
study of basic microphysical processes in collisionless plasma
environments, in particular, in the solar atmosphere and solar wind, has
long been one of the main work fields, and there is a good base in the
theoretical study. We wish join the international cooperation in IHY and
contribute our theoretical researches to the role of the medium-scale
plasma process in the dynamics of heliospheric plasmas.
The "Whole Sun Month" Campaigns As a Prototype for IHY.
B.J. Thompson, D.A. Biesecker, A.R. Breen, S.E. Gibson
The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) in 2007 will consist of a
series of coordinated observations combining data and models from an
expansive group of international participants. Campaigns will be planned
to target all aspects of heliophysics, including solar and interplanetary
physics, geospace science and the climatary impact on Earth. These
campaigns will require extensive coordination to ensure that available
ground-based and space missions are utilized to the greatest scientific
benefit.
The "Whole Sun Month" campaigns serve as an excellent prototype for IHY.
The first Whole Sun Month campaign (10 August - 8 September 1996)
consisted of an entire month of coordinated solar and heliospheric
observations, followed by workshops which combined the analysis of the
campaign data with the utilization of these data to constrain interpretive
3-D models of solar and heliospheric structure. The subsequent campaigns
(in 1998 and 1999 ) targetted more specific topics, again allowing a broad
base of participants to establish a comprehensive base of observations for
model interpretation.
The many scientific successes of the Whole Sun Month campaigns
(publications, workshops, model refinement and ongoing collaborations) and
the framework of campaign coordination provides an excellent basis for the
planning of IHY campaigns. We will discuss the campaigns in detail and
begin an outline for how the campaigns could be expanded to incorporate
more observations and a greater timeline for IHY.
Collaborative Observatons of the Sun During IHY.
Keith T. Strong (1)
(1) Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, Palo Alto, California,
USA.
keith.strong@lmco.com / FAX: 650-424-3548
Many of the major solar physics space missions (Solar Max, Yohkoh, SOHO,
and (TRACE) have feature extensive collaborative observations with
ground-based observers, sounding rocket flights and other space missions.
These joint observations have produced some significant results. In
preparation for IHY, this poster presents some of the lessons learned from
some of these collaborations. The more successful ones have a clear
scientific goal and have been planned, coordinated and advertised well in
advance with at least one dry run. They have generally not relied on a
particular type of solar activity being present at the time of the
observations or have been very flexible in the timing of the
investigation. Most importantly, they have had a plan with a set schedule
to follow up the observation run with data processing, analysis and
modeling workshops whether it's a large group or just individual
scientists.
