1st Announcement 2-N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E " P R O B L E M S O F G E O C O S M O S " June 29 - July 3 , 1998 Sankt-Petersburg University (SPBU), Sankt-Petersburg, Russia The purpose of the Conference is a summary of recent results on the fundamental aspects of the physics, evolution and interaction of the geospheres with emphasize on common approaches, interdisciplinary studies and those studies leading to understand the geocosmos as a united system. The following fields will be covered at the Conference. Section P. Paleomagnetic reconstructions, Paleointensity and Rock Magnetism as the Physical Basis of Paleomagnetism. Section C. Electroconductivity of the Earth. C1. Investigation of the crust and mantle structure by the electromagnetic methods. C2. Development of the methods of the direct and inverse problems of the electromagnetic sounding using the natural electromagnetic field sources. Section S. Seismology. S1. The theory of the propagation of the seismic waves. S2. Seismic tomography. S3. Global and regional seismisity and Earthquake sources. S4. Earthquake hazard and risk. Section M. Physics of the Sun - Earth relationships. M1. Sun and the solar wind. M2. Interaction of the solar wind and the magnetosphere and theory of the magnetic reconnection. M3. Interactions of magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma. M4. Influence of solar activity on the lower atmosphere. Section B. Heliosphere/Geosphere Action on the Biosphere. (only invited talks at Plenary Meetings are planned) Programq Committee: Organizing Committee Prof. V.N.Troyan - Chairman, SPB University V.Sergeev , A.Lyatskaya, Prof. A.A.Kovtun - SPBU A.Kosterov, L.Antonova, Prof. M.I.Pudovkin - SPBU V.Semenov , N.Belisheva, Prof. V.A.Shashkanov - SPBU Prof. V.A.Sergeev - SPBU The 75th anniversary of the Earth's Physics Department (at Physical Faculty, St.Petersburg University) will be celebrated during the conference. ==================================================== Organization of the conference. We plan a few Plenary meetings with Invited Reviews and Interdisciplinary/Discussion Talks. Presentations at Section meetings will basically include Contributed papers (posters, with a short oral introduction of each paper using 1 viewgraph) and a small number of Invited oral papers. We hope to organize Discussion hours and would welcome the suggestions of hot topics for Discussion. English should be an Official Language of the Conference. We intend to publish contributions in the Book of Abstracts and (partly) in the Proceedings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conference to be held at the Institute of Physics, University of St.Petersburg in Peterhof (25 km from St.Petersburg, "Russian Versaille"). The accommodation at the University student house and hotel is possible (current rate about 30 USD/night) Registration fee is expected to be about 150.000 Roubles for Russian (CIS) participants and 100 USD for participants from abroad. The organisers hope to get some funds to be able to support some number of colleagues to attend the Conference. The deadline for the Abstract presentation : March 15, 1998. We ask potential participants to send us the registration information (following after the example of thesis) before 15 March, 1998. We ask to send us all information and submit your abstracts electronically . E-mail address for the contacts : confer@snoopy.phys.spbu.ru Look also our WWW page at: http://geo.niif.spb.su (will be available somewhat later) !! Please, distribute this information to all colleagues who may be interested ============================================================= In case if the e/mail is not available, please contact : Dr.Victor Sergeev or Dr. Alla Lyatskaya St.-Petersburg University, Ulyanovskaya 1, Petrodvorets, St.-Petersburg, 198904 Russia e-mail: sergeev1@ snoopy.phys.spbu.ru lyatsk@snoopy.phys.spbu.ru phone : (812) 428 46 33 (812) 428 46 31 FAX: (812) 428 72 40 =====================Example of Abstract (to be sent by e/mail)============================ VARIATIONS OF THE LUMINOSITY IN SEVERAL PARALLEL AURORAL ARCS JUST BEFORE THE AURORAL BREAKUP Vladimir V. Safargaleev, Wladislav B. Lyatsky, and Vartan R. Tagirov Polar Geophysical Institute, Apatity 184200, Russia The variations of the luminosity of several parallel auroral arcs before the auroral breakup was studied by using digitised TV-data (obs. Loparskaya). The events of short-time activization at least one of the arcs few minutes before the substorm onset (pseudobreakup events) were chosen for the analysis. All the events may be separated into two groups. The events of the first group are characterized by simultaneous enhancement of intensity in the all arcs (S-events). The events of the second group are characterized by opposite behaviour of the arc intensity when the brightening of one arc is accompanied by fading or disappearance of other arcs (O-events). Some times O-event shows itself as a jump-like (from arc to arc) equatorward movement of the luminosity with the velocity of about 4 km/s at the ionosphere altitude. The character time of the S-events is of about 15 s. The O-events last more than one minute. As the local activization of one of the arc (pseudobreakup) may be caused by the magnetic field lines reconnection in the magnetotail, the counterphase variations of the luminosity in several arc may testify that the beginning of magnetic field lines reconnection in one place in the magnetotail prevents from the reconnection development in any other place. ==================================================================== Registration information to attend the conference ================================== 1. Name: V.V.Safargaleev Institute: Polar Geophysical Institute Address: Apatity, 184200 Russia Phone: (81555) 37 781 FAX: No e-mail: safar@pgi-ksc.murmansk.su 2. Number of Section M2. Title of paper: Variations of the luminosity in several parallel auroral arcs just before the auroral breakup 3. Financial support: (necessary or not necessary, requested amount) 4. Did you graduate from Geophysics Department, Faculty of Physics, S.Petersburg (Leningrad) State University ? If yes, when: