Introduction
Objectives of the CAWSES Program
An end-to-end modeling capability is the ultimate goal of solar terrestrial physics so that physical processes can be tracked throughout the entire Sun-Earth system. With CAWSES, SCOSTEP again recognizes the crucial need for a systems approach in solar-terrestrial physics. It is proposed to implement CAWSES in the period 2004-2008 to foster a scientific approach to understanding the short term (Space Weather) and long term (Space Climate) variability of the integrated solar-terrestrial environment, and for its societal applications. These include human activities in space, the need for increased reliability of technological systems whose performance depends on variations in the solar-terrestrial environment, and global changes in climate and ozone. Education will also play an important part in CAWSES.
CAWSES will accomplish the following specific objectives:
- Articulate timely outstanding scientific questions in the connected Sun-Earth system, particularly in cooperation with other ICSU programs.
- Coordinate international aspects of specific national programs when the participating nations find this desirable.
- Provide a forum to bring together the international solar-terrestrial science community to help define future programs.
- Continue to help developing nations to participate meaningfully in international solar-terrestrial programs.
- Provide scientific inputs for the purpose of specifying the environment for technological systems whose performance critically depends on solar-terrestrial variations.
- Provide a coordinated environment in which computer modelers work within observational and analytical programs to achieve validated, reality-based end-to-end models of the entire Sun-Earth system, and then assist in the transition to applications.
- Provide scientific inputs that help ensure human safety in space, since humans will be spending increasing amounts of time there.
- Contribute solar-terrestrial information to the Global Change community.
- Actively help international science education by providing solar-terrestrial information to the international educational community and promote scientist-and-student interactions.
- Systematically review the quality of solar-terrestrial databases and derived information and improve metadata for solar-terrestrial products so that they meet scientific community needs.
- Guide the World Data Center system of ICSU in providing needed STP data and information collecting, processing and archiving services in the modern Internet era.
CONTACT US:
CAWSES Office, Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave. Boston, MA 02215 USA; Phone: 617/353-5990; FAX: 617/353-6463;