A meeting of the IACG's Working Group 2 was held on June 1, 1999 on the first afternoon of the

Spring 1999 Boston AGU. Agencies represented were NASA and IKI. The short notice for the

meeting forced scheduling in conflict with key AGU sessions, including that at which A. Nishida was

presenting a summary of Geotail nightside magnetosphere observations. Attendees were G.

Zastenker for IKI and R. McGuire, S. Fung and R. Carovillano for NASA. Dr. McGuire acted as chair,

representing J. Green who was not able to attend this AGU meeting.

TOPICS OF THE MEETING

O Agency Reports and Updates (IKI, NASA)

O Mirror Sites for the IACG Home Page (included in the NASA report)

O Mirror Sites for CDAWeb or other IACG capabilities (included in the NASA report)

O How can WG-2 better promote/execute its various campaigns?

O What opportunities to schedule the next WG-2 meeting?

O Other business

IKI REPORT (PRESENTED BY G. ZASTENKER)

The report focussed on two major topics

O Status of the four Interball spacecraft

O IKI planning for future missions

Prof. Zastenker reported the Interball-1 Tail Probe is operating well, (4 years into its mission) and is

expected to continue full operations to Oct 2000. In mid-October 2000, it will re-enter the Earth's

atmosphere, and there is no onboard capability to change this. While the loss of Interball will be felt,

he noted that 5 year lifetime is a great extension from the 6-month lifetimes typical of the older

Prognoz spacecraft. Operations of the Interball 1 subsatellite (Magion 1) ceased in August 1997.

Interball-2 Auroral Probe experienced an unexpected rotation of the spacecraft and thus had to

expend control gas to maintain solar panel orientation. This gas was exhausted as of February 1999,

and spacecraft operations are present suspended due to lack of power. It is hoped and expected

that the spacecraft orientation will allow resumption of operation in August 1999. The spacecraft

should then be able to operate indefinitely in a 6-months on, 6-months off mode. The Interball 2

subsatelitte (Magion 5) failed in August 1996; however, it began operating again in May 1998 and at

least some instruments are working well. Those interested are referred to the IKI Interball web page

at http://www.iki.rssi.ru/interball.html for more details.

Prof. Zastenker reported the Interball workshop in February 1999 was highly successful, with many

countries represented. A special issue (perhaps two) of the journal Cosmic Research is planned is

planned in late 1999 for papers presented at the conference. IKI will attempt to coordinate

translations to produce dual-language versions of all papers. Another workshop in the series is now

scheduled for Kiev in February 2000. All ISTP scientists are welcome; more information is available

from the Interball web page referenced above.

He noted that he feels IKI has been very lucky with Interball studies to date, with lots of science

produced. In response to a question, he noted the raw data archive at IKI remains open to

collaborators, with Interball Key Parameters available at IKI approximately 2-4 weeks after data are

taken. While the Russian space agency does not directly fund data processing or achiving, the

Interball team hopes and anticipates there will be nonethess enough money to continue processing

data to the end of the mission, with a some money to support workshops and symposia.

With respect to new missions, there are no new missions now fully approved. IKI has prepared a

proposal (SWARM, also referred to under the acronym ROY) for a new set of 5 spacecraft operating

at separations <~100 km to investigate fine-scale plasma structure in the magnetosphere by means

of radio tomography among the spacecraft. The mission is hoped to launch 2004-2005 with one

main Interball-class spacecraft (500 kg) and 4 subsatellites (80 kg) in a 70,000 x 10,000 km orbit at

62 degrees inclination, with data operations at ms time resolution. The mission status is the

equivalent of a Phase-A feasibility study and discussions with industry. Further development and

approval will depend on the study outcome and on the availability of funding

It was emphasized that IKI also remains very interested and open to possible collaborations on

international missions.

NASA REPORT (PRESENTED BY R. MCGUIRE)

The NASA report covered 5 topics:

O Review of last year's WG-2 recommendations

O IACG/ISTP Solar Eruptive Events CDAW

O Status of mirror sites for CDAWeb

O Status of transfer of IACG home page to ISSI

O Latest planning by WG-3

A copy of the NASA viewgraphs is attached. To several questions from the general agenda, the

CDAWeb mirror sites at RAL and EDC are working well, with typical usage each about 2% of the

main Goddard site. Technical work is continuing on the transfer of the iacg.org URL to ISSI and

should be completed shortly, including both the web site proper and the domain name service

responsibility. Discussion noted the importance that NASA continue maintenance of the IACG

website until a seamless transfer to ISSI is possible. The possibility of mirror sites for the IACG home

pages was briefly discussed but didn't seem to be an urgent issue.

R. Caravillano emphasized that NASA future mission plans include many exciting missions in

various phases of planning and implementation stretching far into the next decade and beyond.

Image is increasingly likely to launch in December of this year. NASA is aggressively pursuing the

Solar-Terrestrial Probe program, with the Stereo AO now released, a Magnetospheric Multi-Scale

AO possible within a year, and both Global Electrodynamics and Constellation (nanosats) in the

expected queue. The next NASA Sun-Earth Connections (SEC) strategic planning "roadmap" report

is now in active development, with Jim Slavin and Keith Strong co-chairs of the committee.

DISCUSSION OF HOW WG-2 CAN BETTER PROMOTE/EXECUTE ITS VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS?

Several key topics came up.

(1) It was noted that the major points of the IACG WG-2 campaigns are to stimulate future missions

and/or more vigorous collaborative international science from existing mission data. It is essential

that the science produced emphasize multi-mission research, and that the results be used to excite

both the science and non-science communities. There was concern expressed that campaign data is

not being used to full effect unless its use is reported to the campaign leadership and then to the

IACG.

(2) There was discussion of the proposal to call a special IACG campaign session at the Fall 1999

AGU. This was favorably received but the note was made that AGU presentations require an

emphasis on formed science work rather than on the campaign planning.

(3) It was decided that WG-2 should develop and distribute a survey to the campaign leaders asking

what they now need WG-2 to do.

(4) It was decided that WG-2 should ask each WG-2 campaign leader to prepare and present (at the

next WG-2 meeting) their campaign status and a plan to better and more visibly organize campaign

collaborations and collective analysis.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITIES TO SCHEDULE WG-2 MEETINGS?

Discussion confirmed this is a difficult question. The members of WG-2 have limited travel resources

and are very busy, so the desire remains to hold WG-2 meetings during other international science

meetings. However, full attendance is difficult to achieve and no upcoming meetings are ideal.

There was then serious discussion whether WG-2 should look to attempt to conduct some of its

business by international teleconference. There was a sense this might be workable, although it

clearly requires substantial advance organization to schedule a teleconference, to plan an

appropriate agenda and to electronically distribute appropriate written background materials in

advance. Further exploration of this idea and at least one experiment are actions to the WG-2

members.

OTHER BUSINESS

There was no other business identified and the meeting was then adjourned. Since this meeting was

immediately followed by an open users' meeting on coordinated science services (i.e. CDAWeb,

SSCWeb) operated by the NASA GSFC Space Physics Data Facility, several IACG representatives

stayed for that meeting as well.