Report on the Activity of Commission G

(7 December 2006)

1. New observation facilities

1.1 SuperDARN Hokkaido radar

Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is a powerful tool for monitoring ionospheric plasmas over a global extent. Recently there is a movement to expand the fields of view of the SuperDARN radars, which used to cover >55° geomagnetic latitude, into the mid-latitude region. The SuperDARN Hokkaido radar is located at (43.5°, 143.6°) geographic coordinates and at geomagnetic latitude of ~37°, much lower than the existing SuperDARN HF radars. It is the second mid-latitude SuperDARN radar and the first one in the Asian sector. The radar construction was completed and started testing observation on November 10, 2006. The radar can monitor the wide latitudinal range (38° to 58°), which could not be covered by using the existing radars.

Coverage of SuperDARN radars

Using the new Hokkaido HF radar, the following scientific targets can be pursued: 1. Study of global ionospheric convection during high geomagnetic activity, 2. Penetration of magnetospheric electric fields to mid and low latitudes during geomagnetic storms, 3. Study of the sub-auroral trough and lower boundary of the diffuse auroral region, 4. Study of low-latitude auroras and SAR arcs in the mid-latitude region, 5. Study of ULF waves in the mid-latitude ionosphere, 6. Study of the generation mechanisms of plasma irregularities in the mid-latitude ionosphere, 7. Study of gravity waves and other plasma instability phenomena in the thermosphere and lower ionosphere, 8. Study of the neutral winds, 9. Study of the upper mesosphere.

With the Hokkaido HF radar it is possible to explore a wide variety of new scientific topics. In particular, Hokkaido is situated in an excellent location to monitor the energy budget between the polar and middle latitude regions, by collaborating with a wide variety of observation networks such as high-latitude SuperDARN, 210° MM network, airglow imager network and Japanese GPS network (GEONET).

For more information, please visit at http://skdb1.stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp/hokkaido

Antenna Array of Hokkaido Radar

(Hokkaido Radar Group, Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University)

1.2 Ionospheric network in the Southeast Asia

Equatorial ionospheric irregularities or plasma bubbles will be great threat in solar maximum periods for applications of Global Positioning System (GPS) including satellite-based augmentation system in aviation. In order to study onset conditions of plasma bubbles and to predict plasma bubble onsets, ionospheric observation facilities have been placed and operated in the Southeast Asian region, namely low-latitude ionospheric network (SEALION), which included four ionosonde stations in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Two of the SEALION ionosondes are at the magnetic conjugate points (Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Koto Tabang, Indonesia) and other two are near the magnetic equator (Chumphon, Thailand and Bac Lieu, Vietnam) Fifth-ionosonde station was installed in Phu Thuy, near Ha Noi, Vietnam in November 2006. The station is close to the latitude of Chiang Mai and longitude of Bac Lieu. In addition to these ionosondes, a magnetometer was installed at the magnetic equator, Phuket, Thailand, and GPS spaced-receiver system in Phu Thuy, which is capable of observing onsets and drifts of plasma bubbles, both in December 2006. Another GPS spaced-receiver system is planed to be installed in Hainan, China in early 2007. SEALION is expected to derive driving forces of equatorial ionospheric variations and instability conditions that are responsible for the generation of plasma bubbles.

SEALION stations

2. Past meetings

2.1 National meetings

8/3,4 第30回極域宙空圏シンポジウム(国立極地研究所).

9/13 STE現象報告会(NICT).　

9/25,26 MTI研究集会(豊川市民ホール).

9/25 第52回生存圏シンポジウム(京都大学生存圏研究所木質ホール).

10/16 中緯度短波レーダー研究会(名大STE研).

2.2 International meetings

7/10-14 Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Meeting (Singapore).

7/16-23 36th COSPAR (Beijing).

7/24-27 Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting (Beijing).　

10/13,14 Symposium on Scientific Applications of GPS in Active Geosphere Investigations

　 (Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University).

3. Future Meetings

3.1 National meetings

12/8 4th Space Environment Information Users Forum (NICT., Koganei, Tokyo).

12/14,15 3rd Space Environment Symposium (Tsukuba Space Center, JAXA, Ibaraki).

12/21,22 Space Science Symposium (ISAS/JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa).

12/22 Antarctica Syowa Base Large Atmospheric Radar Project (PANSY)Workshop

(NIPR, Itabashi, Tokyo).

12/25,26 JST・NICT Joint Simulation Workshop.

3/8-9 CAWSES Space Weather Workshop (STEL, Nagoya U. Nagoya, Aichi).

3.2 International meetings

3/18-21 Workshop on Comparative Study of Space Weather and flare/Substorm

(Fairbanks, Alaska,USA).

2/19,20 7th International Conference on Global Change: Connection to the Arctic (GCCA-7)

(Fairbanks, Alaska, USA).

3/20-23 International Symposium on Coupling Processes in the Equatorial Atmosphere

(Kyoto University Clock Tower Centennial Hall, Kyoto, Japan).

1/3-6 Chapman Conference on Mid-latitude Ionospheric Dynamics and Disturbances

(Yosemite National Park, California, USA).

7/2-13 IUGG (Perugia, Italy).

7/30-8/4 AOGS2007 (Bangkok, Thailand).

9/17-20 Asia Pacific Radio Science Conference (Perth, Australia).