Table of Contents: 
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1. COST Action 724: "Developing the scientific basis for monitoring, modelling and 
    predicting space weather" Accepted.
2. International Reference Ionosphere. IRInfo No. 24
3. Mullard Space Science Laboratory Operations support scientist - Cassini mission
4. Some ESA Tender Actions from ESA EMITS
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1.  COST Action 724: "Developing the scientific basis for monitoring, 
     modelling and predicting space weather" Accepted.
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From: Toby Clark

I am pleased to report that our proposal for a COST Action "Developing the scientific
basis for monitoring, modelling and predicting space weather" was approved this month
by the COST Committee of Senior Officials. It will be known as COST Action 724.

The next steps in initiating this Action will be for COST officials to arrange for each
COST member state with an interest in this Action to sign up to the Memorandum of 
Understanding. The COST officials may contact those of you who were included as initial
points of contact in the appendix to the draft proposal for more information. Due to COST 
budget constraints the first management committee meeting will not be possible before 
April 2003. This will give extra time to plan the action and to coordinate it with applications 
for funding under the EU 6th Framework Programme.

There will be a good opportunity to begin an informal planning process at the Space Weather
Working Team (SWWT) meeting on 1/2 August in Alpbach, Austria. If you are not already 
aware of this SWWT meeting and would like to attend please contact 
Alexi Glover for details.

The website for this Action will remain for the time being at
http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/COST

Thank you to all of you who have helped to create this opportunity for the Space 
Weather community

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2. *** International Reference Ionosphere ***IRInfo No. 24 ***
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From: Dieter Bilitza 

Please note that the IRI indices file in the directory
ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/models/ionospheric/iri/iri2001/fortran_code/
has been updated with the newest available indices and predictions.

The 12-month-running mean of sunspot number (R12) was obtained from the National
Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder, Colorado. R12 predictions from December
2001 to December 2005 were obtained from the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS) in 
Sydney, Australia. The 12-month-running mean of the ionospheric IG index (IG12) and 
IG12 predictions were obtained from the World Data Center C1 (WDC-C1) in Chilton, 
U.K.

The IRI team greatly acknowledges the efforts of the NGDC, IPS, and WDC-C1 in
maintaining and updating the database of these indices.

Compared to the previous ig_rz.dat file (December 2001) the R12 and IG12 indices 
decreased slightly. Please contact D. Bilitza if you would like a plot of the old and new
indices (will be send as MS Word attachment).

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3.  Mullard Space Science Laboratory Operations support scientist - Cassini mission
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From: Libby Daghorn 

University College London
Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Operations support scientist - Cassini mission

Our Space Plasma Physics Group pursues research in magnetospheric physics, planetary 
physics and space weather. A Postdoctoral Research Assistant is required to join a small
team working on the operation of the Electron Spectrometer, part of the Cassini Plasma 
Spectrometer, now on its way to Saturn having flown past Venus, Earth and Jupiter.

The tasks will include data analysis software and database management. The data analysis
software task includes the development of algorithms to correct the electron data for
spacecraft-produced photoelectrons and spacecraft potential at different points in the solar
system. Candidates should ideally have a PhD in space plasma physics or a related subject,
and will have some experience in the analysis of plasma data.

The post is located at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Holmbury St Mary, 
Surrey, UK. Salary in the RA1A range  starting at £19681 depending on experience. 
(The next funding review is due to take place in March 2003). 
Further information at www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk, contact Dr Andrew Coates 

Applications, including a CV, publications list, names and addresses of two referees and a
brief description of research experience and aspirations, should be sent by 31 July 2002 
to Mrs E.A. Daghorn, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, 
Holmbury St Mary, Dorking RH5 6NT, UK.

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4. Some ESA Tender Actions from ESA/EMITS
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AO3768 DEVELOPMENT OF PROPAGATION MODELS FOR 
TELECOMMUNICATION SATELLITE SYSTEMS
  (From 29/05/2002 to 26/07/2002, Act.Ref.: 98.1XE.10) 

AO4063 APPLICATION OF STEP TECHNOLOGY FOR SPACE ENVIRONMENT 
TOOLS
  (From 15/04/2002 to 10/06/2002, Act.Ref.: 01.1EM.16) 

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For a complete list of ESA Tender Actions, see:
   http://emits.esa.int

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Note: This newsletter is an initiative of the ESA Space Environments and Effects Analysis
Section ( http://www.estec.esa.nl/wmwww/wma) and is a prototype mailing list intended to
provide a forum for information posting news of interest to the Space Weather community in
Europe.

- SWEN contact group (keeping SWEN informed of news from other channels)
  is currently:

  Eamonn Daly, ESA (excluding science programme)
  Richard Marsden, ESA science programme
  Maurizio Candidi, CNR
  Paul Cannon, URSI-Commission G
  Mike Hapgood,  EGS
  Hannu Koskinen, SCOSTEP working group on Space weather
  Pierre Lantos, Observatory of Paris Meudon
  Henrik Lundstedt, Lund space weather center
  Goetz Paschmann, ISSI
  Jean-Yves Prado, CNES Programme Directorate
  Michael Rycroft, ISU
  Volker Bothmer, EGS-Solar Physics Secretary
  Wolfgang Baumjohann, IWF Graz, Austria
  Jinbin Cao, Chinese Space Weather Activity Representative
  Barbara Poppe, NOAA Space Environment Centre
  W. William Liu, Space Science Program, Canadian Space Agency

- SWEN archives are currently available on:

http://www.estec.esa.nl/wmwww/wma/spweather/SWEN/swen.html

http://www.lund.irf.se/HeliosHome/SWEN/spweuro.html
 

- Replies and submissions to this newsletter are welcomed and should be
  sent to:

  #swen@esa.int

- To subscribe to the newsletter send your email address
  to:

  #swen@esa.int

- Please update your e-mail address in the event of a change.
  Please send both your new and old e-mail address to the editor
  to ease updating of your file.

- We look forward to receiving your input.

  SWEN editor:

  Alexi Glover

  Co-Editor:

  Nadine Hoffmann

  SWEN manager:

  Alain Hilgers
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