REPORT ON THE OPEN COMMISSION MEETINGS (BUSINESS MEETINGS)
Chair : Dr. F. Lefeuvre (France)
Vice-Chair : Dr. V. Fiala (Czech Republic)
The Commission held three open Commission meetings, respectively on August 29, August 30 and September 3, 1996. The second meeting was held jointly with Commission G.
1. Approval of the agenda
The chairman started the meeting by a thought to Professors Alpert (Russia) and Woolliscroft (UK) who passed away during last triennium. He announced that a paper would be delivered on the L.J.C. Woolliscroft work about waves in plasmas at the beginning of the session Les was Organising at the time of his death (HCJ). The agenda of the meeting was presented. It was circulated earlier via the Commission's Newsletters. Points on the young scientist programme and the registration fees were added.
2. Election of a Vice-chair
Three candidates had been nominated : Dr. H.G. James (Canada), Dr. G. Mann (Germany) and Dr. D. Nunn (UK). The Chair received 21 valid voting forms from official members before the General Assembly. No change in the voting was requested during the business meetings. The number of first, second and third votes were counted in order to be communicated to the Council. All candidates received a reasonable amount of votes. The first ranked candidate was Dr. H.G. James.
3. Review of the activities during the past three years
3.a. Commission H newsletter
Three Commission H newsletters were sent to the active Commission members (session conveners, WG Chairs and Vice-Chairs, National Commission Chairs) in between the Kyoto and the Lille G.A. The interest of continuing these newsletter was discussed. The majority of the attendants voted for a continuation of the newsletter. Commission members who wish to be on the mailing list must contact Dr. V. Fiala (fiala@ufa.cas.cz).
3.b Working group activities
The Chairs from the five Working groups briefly presented their activity reports : P. Bernhardt for GH.1 (Active experiments in space plasmas), H. Matsumoto for HG.2 (Computer experiments, simulations and analysis of wave plasma process), F. Lefeuvre for CGH.1 (Wave and turbulence analysis), A.J. Smith for the Inter-Union (URSI/IAGA) Working Group VERSIM (VLF/ELF remote sensing of the ionosphere and magnetosphere), M. Parrot for EGH.1 (Electromagnetic effects associated with seismic activity). The attendants were encouraged to read the written reports of the Working Groups before the second Business Meeting.
3.c Sponsorship of meetings
The Chair reported on the sponsorships given by Commission H in the past triennium, based on recommendations made at the General Assembly in Kyoto:
- in Mode B (with financing) :
- in Mode A (without financing)
Two requests arrived after the Kyoto meeting.
One was accepted in Mode B :
Satellite studies of ionospheric and magnetospheric processes, Moscow,
Russia, January 1996,
the other in Mode A :
International conference on
plasma physics, Nagoya, Japan, September 1996.
An application was received for the Int. conference on the physics of dusty plasmas, Goa, India, 21-25 October 1996. Mode A support was promised. Mode B was put for discussion during the Business meeting (see point 2).
3.d RRS and reference disk
F. Lefeuvre thanked the Commission H Editors for Review of Radio Science (V. Fiala) and for reference disk (W. Calvert). It was mentioned that the Japanese contribution had been omitted in the reference disk.
3.e Commission H sessions
The following session table, with an indication on the number of papers (Invited, Contributed, Poster), was discussed :
It was noted :
4. Proposals for the 3 next years
4.1 Terms of reference
After discussion, the proposal to broaden the charter of Commission H to activity in electromagnetic waves in the Earth crust, in sea water and in the solid Earth, was rejected. As a conclusion the terms of reference remain the same.
4.2 On the importance of plasma wave research
R.F. Benson introduced a discussion on:
4.3 Working Groups
The decision on the joint Working Groups with Commission G was left to the second Business Meeting. The idea of a new proposal on the Physics of the dusty plasmas was discussed. The authors were encouraged to contact Commission E members and to submit a proposal at the September 3 Business Meeting.
4.4 Workshops and meetings
After a discussion on the drawbacks to split the commission funding on too many meetings, it was decided to give the priority to proposals coming from the Commission H members and discussed during the G.A. The received proposals were presented. Final decisions were left to the September 3 Business Meeting.
4.5 Editors for RRS and reference disk
The interest of having the Vice-Chair acting as the RRS editor was confirmed. O. Santolik (Czech Republic) volunteered for the reference disk.
He was advised to discussed with W. Calvert (the past Editor) before taking a final decision.. The Commission members emphasized on their wish to have the reference disk on Internet. The Japanese contributions, which had been omitted in the 1996 issue, will be made available on WEB.
4.6 Tutorial and General Lectures
Commission H members were asked to make proposals by September 3.
4.7 Sessions for next G.A.
Several proposals were discussed. It was decided to make a decision on the September 3 Business Meeting on the basis of written proposals only.
4.8 Resolutions
Several resolutions were discussed. It was asked to the authors to reformulate them , then to submit the new version at the second Business Meeting (for joint resolution with Commission G) or at the third Business Meeting (for H resolutions).
5. Any other business
Commission H sent relatively few Young Scientist applications to URSI. The information did not circulate properly in all member committees. Local chairmen must be more active on that subject for next G.A. The level of the registration fees in Lille was explained by the amount of money given to the Young Scientist program and to the constraint which was made on the building to allow the attendants to jump easily from one session to the other. It was asked to finance part of the Young Scientist program from the symposia and workshops and to relax on the proximity of the Commission rooms for next G.A.
Common activities (Working groups, meetings and workshops, joint sessions, joint resolutions) were discussed. The details are reported in the Commission G minutes. Conclusions appear in the report of the third open Commission meeting and on the Council resolutions. Commission H members were asked to vote on the length of future General Assembly (a similar vote was already performed by Commission G). A large majority voted for having the General Assemblies over two weeks (i.e. such as it is) and not to shorten from 2 weeks to 1 week.
1. Approval of the agenda
The proposed agenda was approved.
2. Commission H resolutions
2.1 Vice-Chairman
The election of Dr. H.G. James had been confirmed by the Council.
2.2 Working Groups
No proposal on Physics of the dusty plasmas was received. Resolutions on the other Working Groups were voted (see the Resolutions and recommendations of Commissions part).
2.3 Workshops and meetings to be sponsored
Subject to receipt of proper requests from Organisers, the following sponsorships were recommended:
2.4 Editors for RRS, disk, Radio Science Bulletin
Drs. H.G. James and O. Santolik confirmed their willingness to respectively serve as Commission H editors for RRS and for the reference disk. Dr. P. Bernhardt accepted to be the Radio Science Bulletin Associated Editor.
3. General resolutions
Joint resolutions with Commission G were confirmed. Being supported by two Commissions or more they had been proposed (and accepted) as Council resolutions. One H resolution was voted. It is included in the Resolutions and recommendations of Commissions part.
4. Participation to standing committees
The list of standing committees was reviewed. No recommendation was made.
5. H sessions for the TORONTO G.A.
The following proposals were discussed: