ONLINE PARALLEL SESSIONS

Solar/Solar wind

Focused on observations of the solar sources and associated solar wind disruptions capable of driving the most extreme space weather conditions at Earth.

• Focus events include eruptions of ARs 10798 on 22 Aug 2005 and 10759 on 13 May 2005.
• Both eruptions involved ARs in close proximity to coronal holes. How did this impact the release of the CMEs and their subsequent propagation to Earth? Did this contribute in some way to the geoeffectiveness of the solar drivers?
• What were the differences introduced by the location of the AR at the time of the eruption: one eruption was near the SW-limb, the other was near disc center. How did this alter the flare/SEP impact at Earth?
• How do these events compare to solar drivers of other superstorms in the last solar cycle? How do they compare to other events (weaker than superstorms) that produced "super" substorms?
• Other issues?

Solar Wind/Magnetosphere

Focused on observations that explore the response of geospace to upstream solar wind drivers during extreme space weather conditions and, in particular during times of "super" substorm activity.

• What magnetospheric features are associated with the strong dawn and dusk auroral activity during super substorms?
• How are these features related to upstream solar wind conditions. It appears at least in the focus events, that super substorms occur during times of strong IMF Bz, fast solar wind velocity and high solar wind dynamic pressure?
• What physical processes are responsible?
• Are there associated changes in the geospace configuration?
• How is the partitioning of solar wind energy within the geospace system affected? Are there new features in the energy dissipation? Is there a change in the relative proportion of auroral versus ring current energy dissipation?
• Does this indicate new features in storm-substorm coupling? What is the ring current response? Are there changes in the electrodynamics of the inner magnetosphere? Is the plasmasphere affected?
• Since substorms provide source populations for the radiation belts, do times of super substorm activity produce changes in the radiation belts?
• Other issues?

Magnetosphere/Ionosphere

Focused on observations that explore the coupling in both directions between the magnetosphere and ionosphere during extreme space weather conditions and, in particular, during times of super substorm activity.

• What features in geospace are related to the large-scale dawn and dusk signatures in the auroral oval during super substorms? How do these magnetospheric features couple into the auroral ionosphere?
• Are there feedbacks from the ionosphere/atmosphere to the magnetosphere (i.e., enhanced upflowing ions, etc.)?
• How do changes in the global electrodynamics and/or the magnetospheric configuration associated with super substorm processes drive features in the ionosphere from pole to equator.
• Other issues?

Ionosphere/Atmosphere

Focused on observations that explore the coupling between the ionosphere and neutral upper atmosphere, including coupling to other atmospheric regions during extreme space weather and, in particular, during times of super substorm activity.

• Do the ionospheric depletions, shear flows and strong currents in these regions produce significant ionospheric irregularities?
• Do the dawn and dusk features produce changes in the neutral winds?
• Is joule heating significantly enhanced in this region?
• Are there associated composition changes, conductance changes, temperature changes?
• Does this affect the production of nitric oxide?
• How deep in altitude do magnetic storm effects penetrate into the atmosphere?
• Other Issues

"State of the Art" Space Weather Modeling (Sun-Earth Modelling)

Joint Session with the CAWSES International Workshop on Space Weather Models taking place concurrently at the Earth Simulator Center, JAMSTEC, Yokohama, Japan 14-17 Nov 2006 (see http://www.es.jamstec.go.jp/cswm). Focused on review and discussion of recent progress and the scientific challenges in space weather modeling research.

Purpose of joint session: To provide observers with access to the latest information on space weather modeling capabilities and observational needs.

To provide modelers of extreme space weather with as complete as possible set of observations sun-to-Earth for model inputs and validation.

To identify the subset of Sun-to-Earth science issues where real progress can be made through collaborations between modeling groups and observers.

To promote collaborations that address these issues.

INTERDISCIPLINARY DISCUSSION TOPICS

Parallel Session Message Boards

Monday-Friday: What are the features in individual regions Sun to Earth during super substorms compared to more typical substorm events on the same days?

Conference Wide Message Board

Tuesday: What are linked chains of features Sun-to-Earth associated with the unusual dawn and dusk auroral signatures during super substorms?

Wednesday: What are the global consequences (i.e., how are other regions sun-to-Earth, pole-to-equator, affected through coupling and feedbacks)?

Thursday: What are the linked features sun-to-Earth associated with the interaction between active regions and coronal holes? How is this modified by the location of the AR on the solar disc?

Friday: What are the key system-level science questions related to super substorms, their drivers and the state of the global system for continuing data analysis and modeling? What additional global data analysis products are needed? What additional data sets would be helpful? What issues can global models explore?