Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
xii
PREFACE
• Identification—having considered scientific value, urgency, cost category and risk, and technical readiness—of the highest-priority science targets for the interval 2013-2022, recommending science
objectives and measurement requirements for each target rather than specific mission or project design/
implementation concepts; and
• Development of an integrated research strategy that will present means to address these targets.
In response to this request, the NRC appointed the 19-member Committee on a Decadal Strategy for
Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) and 86 additional experts organized into three discipline panels—
the Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interactions, the Panel on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere
Interactions, and the Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics—and five informal working groups. The
discipline panels were charged with the task of defining the current state of research in their discipline and
determining priorities for scientific investigations in those areas. One member of each panel also served on
the survey committee as a designated liaison. The working groups—Theory, Modeling, and Data Exploitation; Explorers, Suborbital, and Other Platforms; Innovations: Technology, Instruments, and Data Systems;
Research to Operations/Operations to Research; and Education and Workforce—were similarly charged
to assess the state of the field in these cross-cutting areas and to determine areas of critical needs. These
working groups were composed approximately half by members of the survey committee and panels and
half by volunteer consultants. The members of the working groups are listed in the section that follows
this preface. In total, the survey committee, discipline panels, and working groups involved 105 members.
This effort has been supported by NASA and NSF.
Work on the decadal survey began in August 2010 with preparations for the first meeting of the survey
committee in September 2010. The survey committee met to consider the survey charge; to hear from
NASA and NSF regarding their expectations for the survey, as well as from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and representatives from previous NRC decadal survey committees; and to
determine the set of tasks for the discipline panels and working groups. The survey committee held a total
of six meetings (September 1-3, 2010, and in 2011, February 1-3, April 12-14, June 14-16, August 29-21,
and November 16-18).
The discipline panels each convened first in November 2010 and held a total of three meetings:
• Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interactions—November 15-17, 2010, January
12-14, 2011, and June 1-3, 2011;
• Panel on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Interactions—November 17-19, 2010, January 18-20, 2011,
and June 20-21, 2011;
• Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics—November 29-December 1, 2010, January 10-12, 2011,
and May 25-27, 2011.
The working groups held one meeting each, with the exception of the Research to Operations/Operations to Research group, which held both a town hall meeting and a follow-up meeting. Each of the five
working groups reported its progress during the survey committee meetings and by writing a white paper
report to summarize its findings.
One significant difference from the 2003 decadal survey of solar and space physics was the decision
to contract with the Aerospace Corporation to perform an independent cost and technical evaluation
(CATE) of notional missions. This effort was made to increase the cost realism of notional missions and
to facilitate cost comparisons between missions. The survey committee and panels reviewed 288 mission
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
xii
PREFACE
• Identification—having considered scientific value, urgency, cost category and risk, and technical readiness—of the highest-priority science targets for the interval 2013-2022, recommending science
objectives and measurement requirements for each target rather than specific mission or project design/
implementation concepts; and
• Development of an integrated research strategy that will present means to address these targets.
In response to this request, the NRC appointed the 19-member Committee on a Decadal Strategy for
Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) and 86 additional experts organized into three discipline panels—
the Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interactions, the Panel on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere
Interactions, and the Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics—and five informal working groups. The
discipline panels were charged with the task of defining the current state of research in their discipline and
determining priorities for scientific investigations in those areas. One member of each panel also served on
the survey committee as a designated liaison. The working groups—Theory, Modeling, and Data Exploitation; Explorers, Suborbital, and Other Platforms; Innovations: Technology, Instruments, and Data Systems;
Research to Operations/Operations to Research; and Education and Workforce—were similarly charged
to assess the state of the field in these cross-cutting areas and to determine areas of critical needs. These
working groups were composed approximately half by members of the survey committee and panels and
half by volunteer consultants. The members of the working groups are listed in the section that follows
this preface. In total, the survey committee, discipline panels, and working groups involved 105 members.
This effort has been supported by NASA and NSF.
Work on the decadal survey began in August 2010 with preparations for the first meeting of the survey
committee in September 2010. The survey committee met to consider the survey charge; to hear from
NASA and NSF regarding their expectations for the survey, as well as from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and representatives from previous NRC decadal survey committees; and to
determine the set of tasks for the discipline panels and working groups. The survey committee held a total
of six meetings (September 1-3, 2010, and in 2011, February 1-3, April 12-14, June 14-16, August 29-21,
and November 16-18).
The discipline panels each convened first in November 2010 and held a total of three meetings:
• Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interactions—November 15-17, 2010, January
12-14, 2011, and June 1-3, 2011;
• Panel on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Interactions—November 17-19, 2010, January 18-20, 2011,
and June 20-21, 2011;
• Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics—November 29-December 1, 2010, January 10-12, 2011,
and May 25-27, 2011.
The working groups held one meeting each, with the exception of the Research to Operations/Operations to Research group, which held both a town hall meeting and a follow-up meeting. Each of the five
working groups reported its progress during the survey committee meetings and by writing a white paper
report to summarize its findings.
One significant difference from the 2003 decadal survey of solar and space physics was the decision
to contract with the Aerospace Corporation to perform an independent cost and technical evaluation
(CATE) of notional missions. This effort was made to increase the cost realism of notional missions and
to facilitate cost comparisons between missions. The survey committee and panels reviewed 288 mission