[Loops] Loops Workshop SOC

[Leon Golub]

Helen,

Nice summary. I agree with Ed that we should periodically ask ourselves 
whether what we're doing makes sense, and you have answered it nicely, 
in my opinion.

Leon


On 7/9/2010 7:21 PM, Helen E. Mason wrote:
> Dear Ed and Colleagues,
>
> I think the Loops workshops have been one of the most engaging,
> lively and productive series of workshops which I've ever been
> involved with (possibly with the exception of the Skylab workshops).
> ...and in addition, the most fun!
>
> Why?
>
> 1) a small group of dedicated scientists with a specific
>   focus and goal
>
> 2) an international group, not just NASA or European based only.
>
> 3) cross-fertilisation between theory and observations (all observations:
>    Hinode/STEREO/SoHO/TRACE)
>
> 4) inclusion of younger scientists in a very positive and constructive 
> way
>    (Fanu spoke eloquently about this at the last workshop)
>
> 5) a good mailing list which shares information and provokes discussion
>
> I personally don't like really BIG meetings such as IAU and COSPAR.
>
> Many of the larger meetings, for example the Hinode series simply
> tend to be folk presenting their own work, with very little
> opportunity for real discussions and establishing collaborations.
> Nontheless, I have tried to attend all of them.
>
> I find small workshops where folk all work and socialise together
> much better. The tendancy in bigger meetings is for folk to
> stick to their own groups, to the people they already know
> and work with.
>
> We haven't yet solved the problem we set ourselves. If we do so
> in the next meeting, perhaps that should be the last. Otherwise
> why stop a series of workshops which has been so productive?
>
> With respect, I don't think I've seen Ed at many of the Loops
> meetings, although Hinode/XRT has been well represented,
> and as a result collaborations have been successfully established.
> Several XRT team members are regular participants and as a result
> are now working with other groups, including my own.
>
> Before signing a death warrant, I think we should see how the
> meeting in Spain goes, and decide there whether or not to hold
> another meeting.
>
> Best wishes,
> helen
>
> On Fri, 9 Jul 2010, Ed Deluca wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Allow me to present a contrarian point of view.
>>
>> As initially conceived the loops workshops were committed to
>> solving a while defined, but complex science problem:
>> "What are the physical processes that define the structure
>> and evolution of coronal loops"
>>
>> Three years of observations with STEREO and Hinode (in
>> addition to continued supporting observations from SOHO,
>> TRACE and RHESSI) have provided critical observations,
>> models have evolved and great progress is being made.
>>
>> Given this, why are we not planning on closing down the
>> Loops Workshops, declaring victory and going home?
>>
>> There is a real danger in continuing to isolate the "loops
>> community" from the solar/heliospheric community.
>> We have seen this in the past with the heliosiesmology,
>> they spent decades talking to themselves rather then
>> engaging with the rest of the community. So I would
>> suggest the the Mallorca meeting be the final
>> loops workshop and that scientists reintegrate themselves
>> into the solar community.
>>
>> With respect,
>> Ed
>>
>>
>> Klimchuk, James A. (GSFC-6710) wrote:
>>>
>>>  Dear friends,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       Coronal Loops 5 will take place next year in Mallorca, Spain, 
>>> and it
>>>  is now time to form the Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC).  We 
>>> have
>>>  decided to make the selection of the SOC a more formal process than 
>>> it has
>>>  been in the past.  To that end, we have established bylaws for the 
>>> Coronal
>>>  Loops Workshop Series (attached).   The first step was to elect a 
>>> Steering
>>>  Committee from among the 20 founding members---those who attended 
>>> at least
>>>  3 of the first 4 workshops.  This has just been completed.  The 
>>> next step
>>>  is for the Steering Committee to elect 5 of 7 members of the SOC.  
>>> The new
>>>  SOC chair, Inaki Ugarte Urra, and past chair, Joan Schmelz, are
>>>  automatically members.  The purpose of this e-mail is to ask the 
>>> broader
>>>  loops community for nominees to serve on the SOC.  A slate of 
>>> candidates
>>>  will then be presented to the Steering Committee for a vote.  If 
>>> you would
>>>  like to nominate yourself or someone else, with their permission, 
>>> please
>>>  send me an e-mail at James.A.Klimchuk at nasa.gov
>>> <mailto:James.A.Klimchuk at nasa.gov> by the end of the day next 
>>> Monday, July
>>>  12.   Sorry for the short fuse, but there are reasons for acting 
>>> quickly.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  Thanks,
>>>
>>>  Jim
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  P.S.  In Mallorca, we will discuss the bylaws and whether they 
>>> should be
>>>  modified.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ******************************************************************************** 
>>>
>>>
>>>  James A. Klimchuk
>>>
>>>  NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
>>>
>>>  Solar Physics Lab, Code 671
>>>
>>>  Bldg. 21, Rm. 158
>>>
>>>  Greenbelt, MD  20771
>>>
>>>  USA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  Phone:  1-301-286-9060
>>>
>>>  Fax:      1-301-286-7194
>>>
>>>  E-mail:  James.A.Klimchuk at nasa.gov <mailto:James.A.Klimchuk at nasa.gov>
>>>
>>>  Home page:
>>>  http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/671/staff/bios/cs/James_Klimchuk_ssi.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  No endorsement by NASA is implied for any correspondence related to my
>>>  role as an officer of professional organizations (American Geophysical
>>>  Union, American Astronomical Society, International Astronomical 
>>> Union).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ******************************************************************************** 
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
>>>
>>>
>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>  Loops mailing list
>>>  Loops at solar.physics.montana.edu
>>>  https://mithra.physics.montana.edu/mailman/listinfo/loops
>>
>>
>>
>