The proposed workshop will introduce data analysis of space-based white-light coronagraph observations and radio spectral observations from space and ground to study shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). CME and space-based radio data have been accumulated at the CDAW Data Center of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The coronagraph images are from the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). Near-Sun manifestations of CMEs are obtained from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). In the heliosphere, in-situ observations from NASA's Wind and Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) missions will be used to track CME flux ropes into the interplanetary medium. In addition, ground based radio data from the e-CALLISTO and RSTN networks will be used for the studying near-Sun manifestation of CME-driven shocks inferred from type II radio bursts. In the interplanetary medium, the shocks are inferred from type II radio bursts at frequencies below ~16 MHz observed by Wind/WAVES and STEREO/WAVES instruments. Context information such as soft X-ray flares and solar energetic particle (SEP) events will be obtained from NOAA's GOES missions. This workshop will enable scientists and students in developing countries to analyze space- and ground-based data to investigate Earth-affecting solar transient phenomena. In particular, scientists from the Central Asia region will be targeted as participants (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia). Participants from neighboring countries such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. After the workshop, the participants will be able to continue correlative data analysis on CMEs and shocks, thus contributing to the progress of this important field in Sun-Earth connection. The workshop will be conducted in Samarkand State University, Samarkand City, Uzbekistan. The lectures and data analysis sessions will be conducted in the conference hall and classrooms equipped with LED projectors and internet connection. We expect the students to bring their own laptop computers. In the unlikely event that some participants do not have a computer, we shall arrange computers for them. The workshop is scheduled to be held during August 19-30, 2024. We will adopt COSPAR principles and will take care of the gender balance as well as a balance between junior and senior speakers as much as possible. Breakfast and lunch are also part of the arrangement, plus two coffee breaks.
The workshop title is:
"Coronal and Interplanetary Shocks: Data Analysis from SOHO, STEREO, SDO, Wind, and Ground-based Radio Data.
The workshop dates are August 19-30, 2024 and the venue is Samarkand University.
The university's conference rooms and classrooms are very convenient for conducting seminars.
There are enough classrooms for lecturers and students and each room is equipped with smart monitors and high-speed internet via ethernet and Wi-Fi.
The LOC will however test the bandwidth which could be increased if considered necessary, given the potentially large demand.
The website of the university is:
https://e-callisto.org/cospar2024/COSPAR2024workshopUzbekistan.html
The scientific lead of the workshop is Nat Gopalswamy, GSFC, NASA, USA.
The workshop will be held in English.
Scientific Organising Committee (SOC):
Local Organising Committee (LOC):
The local organizers will invite Prof. R. Khalmuradov, Rector of Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov and director of Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute to welcome the participants in a simple ceremony at the beginning of the workshop. COSPAR representatives will also say a few words
The participants will be selected from applicants that are Masters students, Ph.D. students, post-doctoral fellows and young researchers. Since there should be about 3 or 4 students per lecturer to ensure that there is a strong interaction between the students and their supervisors, the aim is to have 35-40 attendees, with up to 20 participants from Uzbekistan and the rest from other countries in the region. The students from Samarkand that are not staying in the hostel will still be part of all the social activities of the group, including lunch and coffee breaks. The organizers will try to keep a proper balance among male/female students at a similar scientific merit level. These last two aspects are just indicative, since the selection must be based on academic and scientific merits, and not on nationalities or gender.
a) Participants should have a basic knowledge of Python. However,
there will be refresher lectures on Python. A pocket guide for installing Anaconda with Python 3.7 and Spyder
will be made available on the workshop web site. It is recommended that Anaconda be downloaded from:
https://www.anaconda.com/download/.
(The participants need to decide on 32-bit or 64-bit to download depending on their computer operating system and for Python 3.7).
All lectures on Python will be made available online as a zip-file. The participants will be asked to download the ZIP-file (~74 MB)
and create a subfolder in their workshop folder. It is important that the participants download and install all programs,
tools and libraries BEFORE the workshop to save time and avoid connectivity issues.
The organizers will provide some Python support outside the workshop hours.
b) Overview of SOHO, STEREO, SDO, ACE, RSTN, and CALLISTO instruments and their instrumental products.
The workshop will focus on data analysis of space-based white-light coronagraph observations and radio spectral observations
from space and ground to study shocks driven by CMEs.
c) An overview of coronagraph data from space missions that can be effectively combined with ground-based observations to make significant
progress in some key issues in space science.
d) We will then go through exercises to analyze space- and ground-based data to investigate Earth-affecting solar transient phenomena.
After the workshop, the participants will be able to continue correlative data analysis on CMEs and shocks,
thus contributing to the progress of this important field in Sun-Earth connection.
The students will be divided into 5 or 6 groups. Each group will be assigned two Sun-to-Earth events, which will be analyzed during
the workshop. Each group will be mentored by one of the lecturers.
The participants will be asked to bring their own laptops.
This is useful because this way they have the data, software, and instructions installed in their own computers when they go home.
The difficulties posed by a large variety of laptop types, with different CPU, memory and disk capacity,
will be minimized during the beginning of the workshop.
A computer room with 10-15 desktops could be provided locally by SamSU for covering problem cases.
The webpage will indicate what the laptops should have with instructions on:
-operating system
-development libraries, compilers and other tools that should be installed
-python tools
If special software is required by the lecturers, this will be discussed well in advance with IT staff.
During the workshop there will be free internet access for participants and lecturers (internet connection speed is going to be tested extensively at the venue and if necessary, measures will be taken by SamSU's IT department to increase the speed).
The organization will cover in full the flight costs of all the lecturers,
except when their own agencies kindly offer to pay. If that is the case, we should include that agency in the list of sponsors.
The organization will offer to partially cover the travel costs of all students requesting it.
The students must apply for this support. The amount offered should be between 50% and 75% of the costs of the cheapest ticket
to Samarkand from the place of origin of the student.
The rationale for not covering the full travel costs is that we expect that the student's home institution would make an effort
for the student to attend the workshop (the host institution will benefit from this activity).
On the other hand, the full lodging and meals costs of all students will be fully covered (see next point).
In extreme situations in which the candidates cannot find any local support and would risk not attending the workshop,
the organizers may decide to cover more than the maximum of 75% given above.
This will be decided by the selection committee on a case by case basis.
The lodging and meals of the students and lecturers will be covered in full for the 2 weeks.
The students and lecturers will stay at the SamSU international students hostel.
Students will be lodged in shared double rooms as far as possible, lecturers will occupy single rooms.
The organizers will take into consideration gender, religion, etc., to organize the student rooms as far as possible.
Breakfast and lunch will be offered at the university cafeteria next to the student accommodation.
There are plenty of places close to the university offering a large culinary and economic variety.
Banquet: One will be organized during the second week of the workshop.
Coffee breaks: There will be 2 coffee breaks per day organized at the venue.
The organizers will take into account possible dietary constraints when organizing the meals.
A separate dinner for the lecturers will be organized during the workshop as a token of gratitude to them.
Budget is provided on a separate page.
The following tasks will be undertaken by the LOC:
Citizens of 90 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Switzerland and Tajikistan can enter
Uzbekistan with visa-free regime for 30-60 days.
Citizens of 57 countries, including USA, India and Turkmenistan can enter Uzbekistan with electronic visa for 30-60 days
(https://uzbekembassy.com.my/eng/consular_services/visa_information/#:~:text=A%20visa%2Dfree%20regime%20for,(up%20to%2090%20days)).
Acceptance and invitation letters will be sent to those participants who need them for visa applications.
If at the time of the workshop there is a new virus outbreak that hinders traveling,
the organizers propose to postpone the workshop for a later time.
At that moment we will discuss this, and possible other options, such as a virtual or hybrid workshop.
The organizers and the representatives of the workshop will review the situation every ~3 months to decide the course of action.
During the workshop following excursions are foreseen:
PCB attaches considerable importance to the selection of students on the basis of merit,
so no distribution according to countries of origin can be guaranteed. However,
the importance of meeting the needs of the host country is understood,
and a certain level of preference for students from the host country is assumed.
As a rule of thumb, at least 60% of the participants should come from countries in the region other than the host country.
"Merit" includes scientific background, ability and potential,
but also likelihood of benefiting in a research career from attending the workshop and,
relationship to relevant home country scientific policies.
The selection committee should also balance the personal and local circumstances that may prevent underrepresented groups from attending
the workshop, always keeping in mind that the selected participants must have a certain minimum level of knowledge in order to be
able to profit from this workshop.
Applicants will be required to provide a CV, a description of their research to date,
a motivation letter for participation and 1 supporting recommendation letter from their supervisors or head of department.
The selection will be made by a panel consisting of at least 5 members in total. Selection panel represented by:
Zavkiddin Mirtoshev and Akhmad Absanov from LOC, Nat Gopalswamy and Nandita Srivastava from SOC, Denise Perroni from COSPAR
Applications will not be refused on the basis of nationality.
The local organizers will provide a 2 or 3 pages report of the scientific and social part of the meeting with some photos to COSPAR within
3 months after the workshop.
The COSPAR organizer will prepare a financial report on how the money was spent in the organization of the workshop,
including copies of the receipts for all the items. LOC will provide copies of the receipts for the expenditures paid with the local
contributions.
COSPAR will arrange (and agree with the local organizers) the most efficient way to transfer or make available funds provided
by COSPAR for this workshop.
There will be a questionnaire at the end for the students to evaluate the workshop