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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
147
Part II
Reports to the Survey Committee
from the Discipline Panels
The decadal survey committee’s assessment and recommendations for the field of solar and space
physics, Part I of this report, were informed to a great degree by the extensive scientific discussion and
technical input of the survey’s three science discipline panels. Themes for these panels were chosen to
emphasize interactions between physical domains, with the goal to further the integration of the overall
research across traditional discipline boundaries. The Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics (SHP), Panel
on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Interactions (SWMI), and Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere
Interactions (AIMI) were charged to summarize scientific progress and to identify the most compelling science questions emerging as targets for research within the next 10 years. The panels also were chartered
to develop a prioritized approach to addressing those questions in the most productive manner, and they
were encouraged to investigate and report on the broader context of their proposed research, for example,
how it pertains to societal needs, and to identify technological needs and means to address the most compelling science questions.
Panel deliberations drew on information gathered at town hall meetings, three face-to-face 2.5-day
panel meetings, and weekly teleconferences. The panels also made extensive use of community input
received through the white papers that were submitted as part of the survey committee’s request for information 1 and from briefings from other decadal survey activities, such as those involving the five crossdisciplinary working groups. 2
Panel interactions with the survey committee were numerous. Each panel was assigned a liaison member who was, at the same time, also a member of the survey committee. Survey committee members also
attended panel meetings to stay informed of emerging developments. Panel leads (chairs and vice chairs)
1 The survey’s website, http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/SSB_056864, includes links to the request for information (RFI) and to the nearly 300 submissions received in response. The RFI is also reprinted in Appendix H of this report, and a
list of responses is given in Appendix I.
2 The topics for the five working groups were 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.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
147
Part II
Reports to the Survey Committee
from the Discipline Panels
The decadal survey committee’s assessment and recommendations for the field of solar and space
physics, Part I of this report, were informed to a great degree by the extensive scientific discussion and
technical input of the survey’s three science discipline panels. Themes for these panels were chosen to
emphasize interactions between physical domains, with the goal to further the integration of the overall
research across traditional discipline boundaries. The Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics (SHP), Panel
on Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Interactions (SWMI), and Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere
Interactions (AIMI) were charged to summarize scientific progress and to identify the most compelling science questions emerging as targets for research within the next 10 years. The panels also were chartered
to develop a prioritized approach to addressing those questions in the most productive manner, and they
were encouraged to investigate and report on the broader context of their proposed research, for example,
how it pertains to societal needs, and to identify technological needs and means to address the most compelling science questions.
Panel deliberations drew on information gathered at town hall meetings, three face-to-face 2.5-day
panel meetings, and weekly teleconferences. The panels also made extensive use of community input
received through the white papers that were submitted as part of the survey committee’s request for information 1 and from briefings from other decadal survey activities, such as those involving the five crossdisciplinary working groups. 2
Panel interactions with the survey committee were numerous. Each panel was assigned a liaison member who was, at the same time, also a member of the survey committee. Survey committee members also
attended panel meetings to stay informed of emerging developments. Panel leads (chairs and vice chairs)
1 The survey’s website, http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/SSB_056864, includes links to the request for information (RFI) and to the nearly 300 submissions received in response. The RFI is also reprinted in Appendix H of this report, and a
list of responses is given in Appendix I.
2 The topics for the five working groups were 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.