URSI General Assembly, Lille, France (August 1996)

REPORT ON THE OPEN COMMISSION MEETINGS (BUSINESS MEETINGS)

Commission G
Ionospheric Radio and Propagation

Chair: Dr. K. Schlegel (Germany)
Vice-Chair: Prof. B.W. Reinisch (U.S.A.)

First Meeting: Thursday, August 29, 17:20

1.1 Election of Vice-Chairman for 1996-1999

Five candidates have been nominated: W. Kofman (France), R. Leitinger (Austria), S. Pulinets and A. Shirochkov (Russia), P. Wilkinson (Australia). 24 ballot sheets have been received by mail, 8 have been collected at the meeting. As a result of the vote P. Wilkinson was suggested to the Council as new Vice-Chair of Comm. G.

1.2 Review of Commission G activities 1993-1996

The Chair gave a report about these activities including the financial situation, these reports are attached as Appendices A1 and A2.

1.3 Working Groups within Comm. G

The following Working Groups existed during the last triennium:

Most of the officers of these WGs had previously submitted written reports on the activities. The reports were distributed during the meeting. The summary of these reports is attached as Appendix B. Proposals of continuation during the 1996-99 triennum were received from most WGs. (see Agenda item 3.2).

1.4 Commission G Resolutions

The received resolutions were read to the audience. A formal vote was taken under item 3.1 on the third business meeting.

1.5 Review of Radio Sciences and Reference Disk

The Chair thanked the Commission Editor P. Wilkinson for his excellent work in editing the Comm. G part of the RRS and in preparing the disk. Comm. G decided not to participate in future issues of the disk, because it was expressed that the information contained can also be found elsewhere.

1.6 Any other business

Some issues for the round table discussion were collected.

Second Meeting: Friday, August 30, 17:20

This meeting was held together with Commission H.

2.1 Joint Working Groups

The following joint WGs existed during the last triennium:

Most of the officers of these WGs had submitted written reports which were distributed on the meeting. They are included in Appendix B.

2.2 Suggestions for joint Activities 1996-1999

The following joint Working Groups have been approved by the respective Commissions to continue their duties, in some cases new officers have been appointed:

GFA.1 Radio Occultation Observations of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere

Co-Chair for Com G: P. Hoeg (Danmark)
Co-Chair for Com F: F. Solheim (USA)

This is the former WG AFG.1. The title was changed to make the objectives of this WG more clear. Since most of the activitities come from Commission G, the "G" was put in the first place.

GF.2 Middle Atmosphere

Co-Chair for Com G: J. Röttger (Sweden)
Co-Chair for Com F: C.H. Liu (China SRS)

This is the former WG FG.1. Since most of the activities come from Commission G, the order of the letters was reversed.

GH.1 Active Experiments in Plasmas

Co-Chair for Com. G: Sa. Basu (USA)
Co-Chair for Com. H: T. Leyser (Sweden)

GH.2 Computer Experiments, Simulations and Analysis of Wave-Plasma Processes

Co-Chair for Com G: H. Thiemann (Germany)
Co-Chair for Com H: H. Matsumoto (Japan)

CGH.1 Wave and Turbulence Analysis

Co-Chair for Com G: A.W. Wernik (Poland)
Co-Chair for Com H: F. Lefeuvre (France)

EGH.1 EM Effects Associated with Seismic Activity

Co-Chair for Com G: O.A. Pokhotelov (Russia)
Co-Chair for Com H: M. Parrot (France)

For the General Assembly in 1999 the following joint symposia have been suggested:

  1. Electromagnentic Scattering in Gases and Plasmas (G: C. Hanuise, H: t.b.a.)

  2. Ionospheric Modification with high Power Radio Waves ( H: T. Leyser, G: Sa. Basu)

  3. Theory and Simulations of Nonlinear kinetic Processes in Space Plasmas (H: Y.Omura, M.A. Abdalla, G: t.b.a.)

  4. Sounders in Space, new and old (H: G. James, R.F. Benson; G: B. Reinisch)

  5. Wave Propagation: Observations and Data Analysis (H: F. Lefeuvre, K. Hashimoto, G: t.b.a.)

  6. Lightning-Ionosphere Interactions (H: Nunn; G: Inan)

  7. Electromagnetic Coupling incl. Seismic Activity between the Ground and the upper Ionosphere and Magnetosphere (H: Molchanov; G: t.b.a.)

2.3 Joint Resolutions

The accepted resolutions are printed elsewhere in this volume.

2.4 Any other business

There was not enough time to discuss any further items.

Third meeting: Thursday, September 3, 17:00

3.1 Resolutions

The resolutions which have been adopted are printed elsewhere in this volume.

3.2 Commission G Working Groups for 1996-1999

All the following Working Groups have been approved by Commission G to continue their duties. They are listed here together with the new officers:

G.1 Ionosonde Network Advisory Group (INAG)

Chair: R. Conkright (USA)
Secretary: P. Wilkinson (Australia)

G.2 Studies of the Ionosphere using Beacon Satellites

Chair: R. Leitinger (Austria)
Vice-Chairs: J.A. Klobuchar (USA), P.V.S. Rama Rao (India)

G.3 Incoherent Scatter

Chair: A.P. van Eyken (Norway)
Vice-Chair: W. Swartz (USA)

G.4 Ionospheric Informatics

Chair: S. Radicella (Argentina)
Vice Chair: R. Hanbaba (France)

COSPAR-URSI: International Reference Ionosphere

Chair: D. Bilitza (USA)
Vice Chair (COSPAR): K.I. Oyama (Japan)
URSI Comm. G Repres.: B. Reinisch (USA)

URSI-IAGA: VLF/ELF Remote Sensing of the Ionosphere and Magnetosphere (VERSIM)

URSI Comm. G Repres.: A.J. Smith (UK)
URSI Comm. H Repres.: U.S. Innan (USA)

3.3 Review of Commission G Programme at Lille

The following issues were raised during the discussion:

  • - invited papers should be more of a review type

  • - some papers were poorly presented and contained not much new science, high standard need to be maintained

  • - the schedule of Comm. G and H should be better adjusted

  • - some rooms had not the proper standard for presentations

  • - session summary at the end of each session is higly desirable

  • - high quality of poster session was acknowledged

    3.4 Suggestions for Scientific Sessions at the next GA in 1999

    The following topics have been suggested:

    There was a long discussion, since the number of sessions was regarded as too high, particularly if the 7 proposed joint sessions with Comm. H are also taken into account. A reduction has to be worked out by the new Chairman in collaboration with the proposers and suggested convenors of the sessions.

    3.5 Symposia and Workshops to be considered for Comm. G Sponsorship in 1996-1999.

    The list is attached as Appendix C.

    3.6 Any other Business

    The following suggestions were made for future activities and new URSI officers:

    3.7 Address by the new Chairman B. Reinisch

    The Chair, Kristian Schlegel, thanked all colleagues for their support and collaboration during the past triannum and left the floor to the new Chair, Bodo Reinisch, who gave a short address to the audience.