The Eurasian Astronomical Society (EAAS) regularly holds colloquia on actual problems in astronomy and related sciences. Presently the problems of cosmic factors’ impact on processes on Earth and particularly, on its biosphere are vividly discussed.

The scheme of such colloquia is as follows: the Organizing Committee asks several distinguished specialists to give review talks on most important branches, giving particular attention to problems still unsolved and under discussion. Besides the invited talks, participants may present contributions, both those proposed beforehand and included into the preliminary programs and those resulting from the live discussion. The organizing committee intends to publish the colloquium proceedings. We also plan to distribute the English-language version of the materials on CCDs.

Applications for participation in the colloquium and contribution abstracts should be sent to the secretary of the organizing committee to the address: boch@sai.msu.ru

The colloquium fee is 200 rubles

V.N.Obridko (IZMIRAN) Introduction. The problem. Connection with the SCOSTEP international program VarSITI

Yu.I.Zetser (Institute of Geosphere Dynamics, RAS) Vernadsky: the notion of geosphere

V.N.Obridko (IZMIRAN) The young Sun: paradoxes and hypotheses

L.M.Gindilis (SAI MSU) A review of ideas of life origin: from ancient times to the present day.

O.Yu.Khabarova (IZMIRAN) Evolution of biosphere

A.V.Markov (Institue of Paleontology of RAS – MSU) The early stages of life evolution: archaeon, early proterozoic

A.V. Eliseev (IPA) The role of climate-ecosystems interaction in climate response to exterior impact.

D.M. Pechersky (IPE) Geomagnetic reversal, its properties, causes, possible impact on biosphere

L.I.Miroshnichenko (IZMIRAN) Cosmic rays as a factor of biosphere evolution

B.V.Somov (SAI MSU) An estimate of the extreme energy of flares from the theoretical point of view

Yu.A.Nagovitsin (Pulkova Observatory) Estimation of the maximal height of solar cycle

D.D.Sokolov (IZMIRAN, SAI MSU) The Maunder Minimum, its main characteristics and hypotheses of its origination

M.V.Ragulskaya (IZMIRAN) Live organism adjustment to cosmic factors’ impact: problems and prospective research.

The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric Sciences initiative to coordinate and focus research on the near-earth portion of geospace from the lower ionosphere to where the earth system interacts with the solar wind. The purpose of GEM program is to support basic research into the dynamical and structural properties of geospace, leading to the construction of a global geospace general circulation model (GGCM) with predictive capability. The GGCM effort is now being treated as a separate campaign. The strategy for achieving GEM goals is to undertake a series of campaigns, in both theory and observational modes, each focusing on particular aspects of the geospace environment.

The General Assemblies and Scientific Symposia of URSI are held at intervals of three years.

The main objective of the Assembly is to review current trends in research, present new discoveries and make plans for future research work or for specific projects, especially where it seems desirable to arrange for cooperation on an international scale.

Symposia at the Assembly on selected topics are usually organized by two or more Commissions. Most radio scientists attend the URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium (GASS) solely for these scientific activities, which are open to anyone interested in radio science, whether or not connected with a Member Committee of the Union.

The organizer have confidence to make the event to be the greatest one in its history.

A limited number of awards are available to assist young scientists from both developed and developing countries to attend the GASS.

This conference aims at revisiting long-standing issues of geospace dynamic phenomena. New data from space missions like Cluster, THEMIS and the more recent Van Allen Probes, along with measurements from ground-based magnetometer arrays around the globe, processed with new methods and combined with theory and simulations are expected to shed light on the complex interplay of particles, fields and waves in geospace, and in particular the inner magnetosphere (radiation belts and ring current).

1. Upstream transient phenomena and their effects on geospace Malcolm W. Dunlop, Benoit Lavraud, Spiros Patsourakos

2. Transient processes in the magnetotail and in the plasma sheet Vassilis Angelopoulos, Huishan Fu, Victor Sergeev

3. The role of cold plasma in geospace dynamics Christopher Mouikis, Hans Nilsson

4. Radiation belts and ring current - the energetic geospace Seth G. Claudepierre

5. Combining modeling efforts and in-situ observations to better understand geospace dynamics Sarah Glauert, Yoshiharu Omura, Minna Palmroth

6. Space-borne and ground-based remote sensing of geospace Raymond Pottelette, Kazuo Shiokawa

Over the half century since the first finding of the auroral substorm by Akasofu (1964), auroral and magnetospheric substorm has been one of the main topics for the scientists in space physics. Not only giving the spectacular auroral view, substorm contains various fundamental processes of plasma acceleration and dissipation in the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Recent satellite missions of THEMIS and Van Allen Probes as well as several modeling efforts are giving more insights into the relationship between the mid-tail plasma sheet and the inner magnetosphere and the relationship between substorms and storms. Extended ground imager, radar, and magnetometer arrays provide more complex dynamical features of the magnetosphere during subtorms.

During ICS-12 we are going to highlight the most recent results in substorm research. Topical sessions may cover substorm processes in the tail, interaction between the tail and the inner magnetosphere and ionosphere, substorm currents and its dynamics, and the role of substorm in geospace energetics, as well as the role of MHD and kinetic instabilities in substorms. Other substorm-related researches are also welcomed, such as storm-substorm relationship, ULF/ELF/VLF waves, and non-Earth substorm-like features. Ample opportunity will be given for discussions on the new results.

Conveners: Kazuo Shiokawa and Masaki Fujimoto

1. Generation of waves by meteorological events and characterization of their source spectrum.

2. Propagation of primary internal waves (acoustic-gravity waves, tides, Kelvin waves, tidal and planetary waves) from the lower atmosphere to the ionosphere-thermosphere.

3. Secondary wave generation and wave-wave interactions of various scales.

4. Direct effects of internal waves on the ionosphere and thermosphere and their role in thermosphere-ionosphere coupling.

5. Linking ionospheric variability (electric fields, plasma parameters, etc.) and meteorological events on various time scales.

6. Sun-Earth connection, space weather, and linking meteorological processes to solar driven variability.