Issue2, July 2013

AOSWALink

We hope the AOSWA framework helps
our activities for improving space weather activities.
http://aoswa.nict.go.jp/

In this Issue...
Automatic Solar Synoptic Analyzer,
the Analog-to-Digital Converter for Space Weather Prediction

Sunhak Hong, researcher
National Radio Research Agency, Korean Space Weather Center ..…. 2

Dagik Earth: A tool to present the space weather datain four-dimension

Akinori Saito, Ph.D.
Department of Geophysics, Kyoto University ..….

3

Second Announcement and Useful Information ofthe 2nd AOSWA Workshop.

The National Space Science Center (NSSC)
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences..….

4What purpose does AOSWA LINK serve?
AOSWA LINK is a newsletter service that seek to encourages communication among associates and allreaders. Here, we will provide information about AOSWA , its work, associate's work and research, which
create a mutual understanding that lead to better collaboration.
If you should wish to submit an article, you are greatly appreciated. The articles should be approximately
500 words and contain either figures or pictures. Also It is available for use as a means of spreading information, such as upcoming conference. Your feedback is always welcome.
Contact to:

Issue2, page 1

Automatic Solar Synoptic Analyzer,
the Analog-to-Digital Converter forSpace Weather Prediction
Sunhak Hong, Researcher
National Radio Research Agency, Korean Space Weather Center, Korea
The Korean Space Weather Center of the National

quantitative way for the prediction of flares and CMEs.

Radio Research Agency has developed an automatedWhen identifying coronal holes and filament channels,

software system of identifying sunspot groups, coronal

images of SDO AIA 193 and global H-alpha network areholes and filament channels, those are three major so-used for morphological identification and also SDO HMI

lar sources causing the space weather. Space weather

magnetograms for quantitative verification. The output

forecasters of some space weather operation centers,

results of ASSA are routinely checked and validated

i.e. NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center produce

against NOAA's daily SRS(Solar Region Summary) andthe solar synoptic drawings as a daily basis to predict

UCOHO(URSIgram code for coronal hole information).

solar activities, such as solar flares, filament eruptions,

The overall procedures of obtaining raw data, digitalhigh speed solar wind streams, and co-rotating interac-

image processing, producing output files are fully imple-

tion regions as well as their possible effects to themented with IDL(Interactive Data Language). which areEarth. As an attempt to emulate this process with a fully

operated automatically and periodically with one-hourautomated and consistent way, we developed a soft-cadence. ASSA has been deployed at the Koreanware system named ASSA(Automatic Solar Synoptic

Space Weather Center and serve its customers in anAnalyzer).

operational status from the December 2012. The result-

When identifying sunspot groups, ASSA uses high-ant images and text data can be accessed at http://resolution SDO HMI intensitygram and magnetogram

www.spaceweather.go.kr/assa. Additionally, a

as inputs and providing McIntosh classification and Mt.

standalone IDL application program for ordinary users

Wilson magnetic classification of each active region bycalled ASSA GUI is being distributed, with which users

applying appropriate image processing techniques suchcan experience the same procedures of ASSA on theiras thresholding, morphology extraction, and region

own computers. We presented our results back in 2012

growing. At the same time, it also extracts morphologi-AGU Fall Meeting and 2013 Space Weather Week.

cal and physical properties of sunspot groups in a
The website of the Korean Space Weather Center,
where you can find the latest results of ASSA and download ASSA GUI program from.

Issue2, page 2

Dagik Earth: A tool to present
the space weather data in four-dimension
Akinori Saito, Ph.D.
Department of Geophysics, Kyoto University, Japan
It has been widely recognized that the education andI hope you can make an attractive EPO activity onpublic outreach (EPO) activity is crucial for research

space weather with Dagik Earth. Dagik Earth DVD is

institutes/projects to contribute society. Digital 3D dis-available on your request to info@dagik.org. We ap-

play of the Earth and planets, such as Geo-Cosmos

preciate any comments and questions on Dagik

by Miraikan, Japan, and the Science on a SphereEarth.

(SOS) by NOAA, is one of the useful tools to show
the science data to general audience in an institutive

Figure 2. Setup of Dagik Earth in a science museum.

way.
Figure 1. Dagik Earth in National Museum ofNature and Science,Tokyo.

Dagik Earth is an affordable, portable and open system for the four-dimensional presentation of the Earth

Figure 3. Setup of Dagik Earth in a classroom.

and planetary science data. “Four-dimension” means
3D in space and one-dimension in time, here. It uses
normal PC projector and PC (Windows and Mac).
The software and contents are freely available foreducation at the Dagik Earth web site (http://earth.dagik.org/english/). Thus it is easy to start
Dagik Earth if user can find something white andround.
There are several Dagik Earth contents that are related with the space weather phenomena, such as theGPS-TEC disturbances, aurora image by FUV on theIMAGE satellite, and solar images by the STEREOsatellites.

Issue2, page 3

Second announcement and Useful Informationof the 2nd AOSWA Workshop
The National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
The 2nd AOSWA (Asia-Oceania Space Weather Alli-

A limited amount of funds are available to young re-ance) Workshop will be held during 4-7 November

searchers and key contributors. Please send email

2013 in Kunming, China . We are pleased to an-(with abstract) to Siqing Liu (liusq@nssc.ac.cn) be-nounce that the online registration and the abstract

fore August 1, 2013 for financial aid. The workshop

submission are open for the 2nd AOSWA Workshop.

website can be found at http://www.aoswa2013.cn

Important Dates· Financial support request (with abstract) deadline: August 1, 2013

· All abstracts due by August 20, 2013
· Early Bird registration deadline: August 31, 2013 (250 USD)
· Later and On-site registration (300 USD)
Accommodations
Dianchi Garden Hotel is chosen as the official hotel for the workshop. Room reservation is accessible from the workshop website. The hotel will keep rooms available until October 10, 2013, andafter this deadline the availability is not guaranteed.
Workshop ThemeSpace weather modeling from research to operation
Session topics· The research on solar cycle activity especially on the current solar cycle· Ionosphere and related applications· Radiation environment (radiation belt, cosmic rays, solar particle radiation) and effects· The construction of space weather forecast models· Research to operations (R2O)· International coordination on space weather forecasting
Scientific Organizing Committee members
Ji WU (Chair, NSSC, China)

A. K. Upadhayaya (NPL, India)

Toshio IGUCHI (Co-Chair, NICT, Japan)

Potapov Alexander Sergeevich (ISTP, Russia)

Jiancun GONG (Co-Chair, NSSC, China)

Sunhak Hong (RRA, Korea)

Weixing WAN (Co-Chair, IGG, China)

Huaning Wang (NAO, China)

Mamoru ISHII (NICT, Japan)

Siqing Liu (NSSC, China)

Dave Neudegg (IPS, Australia)

Jun Lin (YNAO, China)

Rupesh M. Das (NPL, India)

Issue2, page 4

Information of Kunming
very hot in summer. With its perpetual spring-like weather
which provides the ideal climate for plants and flowers,Kunming is known as the "City of Eternal Spring". The city
is covered with blossoms and lush vegetation all-year
round.
Its economic importance derives from its geographicalposition. It is positioned near the border with Southeast-

Kunming is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Prov-ern Asian countries, serving as a transportation hub inSouthwest China, linking by rail to Vietnam and by road toince in Southwest China. It is the political, economic,

Burma and Laos. This positioning also makes it an im-communications and cultural centre of Yunnan. Locatedportant trade center in this region of the nation. Kunmingat an elevation of 1,950 meters on the Yungui Plateau

has been designated a special tourism center and aswith low latitude and high elevation, Kunming has one ofsuch sports a proliferation of high-rises and luxury hotels.

the mildest climates in China. The weather never gets

Visa Application

A ttendees from most countries will be required to obtain a

China for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting

visa to enter the People's Republic of China; Attendees canrelatives and friends or for transit.

apply for a Chinese visa through a travel agency or directly

Once you have paid for the AOSWA workshop registration,at the nearest Chinese embassy. If attendees apply for a

we will issue you an official invitation letter with CAS seal

tourist visa, which will allow them to attend the conference(also called Authorised Notification Form for Visa Applica-and go sightseeing, an official visa invitation letter will nottion) to assist you to obtain a visa to China. You can use

be needed from BISMIS. No visa is required for ordinary

the letter to get a visa in the nearest Chinese Embassy/

passport holders from Singapore, Brunei and Japan to visit

Consulate.

Tours Information
Fu xian LakeFu Xian Lake is located in the boundary area of theCheng jiang county and HuaNing county. Which is a aboutwest, the hot water pond in the east, Jinsha Bathing
beach in the north. Haimen river and Gushan island in thesouth.

70kms from kunMing. Fuxian lake has a shape of inverted
gourd, it covers an area of 212 square kms, which is the3rd largest lake in Yunnan. The main scenic spots around
Fuxian Lake include luchong village and Yusun Hill in theThe Stone Forest

The Stone Forest lies about 80 miles to the southeast of Kunming. A geological phenomenon, the Stone Forest was a vast
expanse of sea during the Paleozoic era— some 270 million
years ago. Later, the movement of tectonic plates altered theearth's crust, causing the sea to recede and its limestone bottom
to appear, thereby forming land. Due to the constant seepingof rain through the cracks in the limestone, some of the stoneformation dissolved and the fissures broadened, producing agroup of great sculptures of different shapes, all molded by na-Issue2, page 5

In the midst of the forest, there is a huge rock screen on

minority). Sani people are industrious and hospitable—and

which two words——Stone Forest——are engraved in offi-

unconstrained. Sani women are expert at spinning, weav-cial script (in a calligraphic style typical of the Han Dynasty,

ing, and embroidering. They like to wear rainbow-colored

206 B.C.-220 A.D.). Among the scenic sights is the "Swordheadgear and bright-colored dresses. The young people

Peak Pond" with jadeite-colored water so clear that one

especially are very good singers and dancers. Every day at

can see the bottom of the pond. Other astonishing sights

sunset, under the moonlight, boys and girls gather at theinclude "Figure of Ashima," "Shi Ba Xiang Song" (its namevillage platform. While the boys play the three-stringed

originating in the Chinese love story, "Liang Shanbo andplucked instruments, the girls clap their hands and dance

Zhu Yingtai"), and "Lotus Peak."the strong-rhythmed traditional "A'Xi (Ah-shi) Dance in theThe splendor of the Stone Forest is enhanced by the local

Moon" with great enthusiasm. If you happen to witness thecustoms of the native Sani people (who are part of the Yi

event, you will be invited to join in the festivity.

And more…
For more information of the conference and traveling.
Please see the link below.
http://aoswa.nict.go.jp/info/workshop/2nd.pdf

Editor’s notes
Yuko Uchida, Editor of AOSWA LINK
I’ve been a staff of AOSWA Secretariat since April 2013
and this is my first editing its newsletter. As this link isquite new service launched in 2013, I hope it works aseffective communication tool and keeps on attract theinterest of readers for long. Now I’m working on theAOSWA LINK is issued
by AOSWA Secretariat
AOSWA Secretariat
c/o NICT Applied Electromagnetic
Research Institute, Space Weather andEnvironment Informatics Laboratory
4-2-1 Nukui-Kitamachi, Koganei,
Tokyo 184-8795 Japan
URL: http://aoswa.nict.go.jp/

website renewal which should be able to provide useful
information more to visitors. It is my pleasure to engage
in AOSWA work. Please feel free to contact me if you haveany questions or comments.

Issue2, page 6