The International Heliophysical Year: Activities in the Latin America region

1. The International Heliophysical Year: Activities in the Latin America region Cristina H. Mandrini1 and Jean-Pierre Raulin2 1IAFE, Buenos Aires, Argentina and 2CRAAM/EE-Mackenzie, São Paulo, Brazil Overview Organization and Coordination Regional Planning Meetings • 1st meeting at the Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics Center MacKenzie (CRAAM), Presbyterian University MacKenzie, Săo Paulo, Brazil, December 8 and 9, 2005. • 2nd meeting during the SCOSTEP 11th Quadrennial Solar Terrestrial Physics Symposium in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, on March 8, 2006. • 3rd meeting during the “The Physics of Solar-Wind/Magnetosphere Coupling” meeting in Puerto Vallarta, México, 4 – 8 November, 2006 The efforts in developing activities related to the IHY program began in July of 2004. Since then, four countries (see map) have actively participated. Fourteen institutions, among them, national observatories and research institutes, laboratories and/or university department are involved in the Latin America region. A total of 47 principal investigators and their accompanying research groups have been identified and agreed to have their instrumental facilities involved in collaborating researches during the IHY program. Cuba and Colombia may soon be involved in IHY. Outreach Activities Coordinated Investigation Programs 13 – J.-P. Raulin: High Energy Processes and Dynamics of the Low Solar Atmosphere During Explosive Events              14 - J.-P. Raulin, E. Correia, V.S. Makhmutov: Ionospheric effects of the solar activity variations, solar flares, lightnings and energetic particle precipitations 16 - Luis Eduardo Antunes Vieira: Investigation of cosmic ray modulation of cloud properties and net radiative flux in the southern hemisphere magnetic anomaly (SHMA)  18 - Emília Correia:  Spatial and temporal TEC characterization of the ionosphere in the South  Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly   37 - Walter D. Gonzalez: Interplanetary causes of intense magnetic storms Conexión Sol-Tierra Lima, Perú, April, 17-22, 2006 Scientific Objectives The scientific topics to cover through the study of universal processes are as follows: • Heliosphere and Cosmic Rays: modulation of cosmic rays by the Sun, detection of solar particles during large flares, detection and imaging of large scale solar wind disturbances, early detection of solar events. • Solar Physics: flares, CMEs, active regions, particle acceleration, radiation processes (optical and radio wavelengths). • Ionospheric studies: D-region perturbations, equatorial and mid-latitude quiet and perturbed ionosphere, ionospheric plasma instabilities origin and propagation. • Troposphere, mesosphere and ionosphere studies: water vapor, cloud convection, stratospheric temperature variations, temperature and wave propagation. • Geomagnetism: Earth magnetic field measurements, south Atlantic magnetic anomaly monitoring, solar induced geomagnetic activity. 1st RIARCHE Buenos Aires Argentina, September, 25-29, 2006 1st SBGEA São José dos Campos, Brazil, October, 23-26, 2006 UNBSSI Projects Two projects and one international collaboration are planned in the region within the UNBSSI program: 1. South America VLF NETwork (SAVNET): a VLF receiver network for monitoring the long-term solar radiation and the study of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). SAVNET has been approved (10/2006) and will be operating mid-2007. 2. A magnetometer network over the Brazilian territory, for a continuous monitoring of the SAMA, and better definition of planetary geomagnetic indices. This proposal will be submitted soon. 3. One instrument from CALLISTO deployed in México. Next: 1) School in conjunction with VIII COLAGE, Mérida, México, July 2007. 2) IHY School held at CRAAM, São Paulo, Brazil, November 2007. WEBSITE: http://www.alage.org/ihyla.html IHY Inauguration Ceremony – February 19, 2007