Working Groups

To achieve its goals (see IHDEA Charter), a handful of working groups have been setup and listed below. The Heliophysics community at large (e.g., scientists and research software engineers) are encouraged to actively participate to any of these working groups. This community is also encouraged to propose new working groups to the IHDEA executive commmittee by sending an email to this email address. A new working group should be proposed by at least two members of the community with clear objectives to be achieved over the first two years of its existence. Progress shall be reported at the annual IHDEA meeting and can be extended in time if needed. Approval of its creation will be communicated to the proposers within 2-3 weeks. For more information on creating a new working group, we kindly invite you to read the IHDEA Bylaws.

Coordinate Systems Standardisation
Lead: Bob Weigel (George Mason University)
Goal is to describe coordinate systems in unambiguous terms, especially where reference models differ over time [e.g. GSM (IGRF-12 vs IGRF-13)].
Data Access Layer
Leads: Jon VandeGriff (John Hopkins University) for HAPI, Jon Cook (Starion for ESA) for TAP, Jack Ireland (NASA/GSFC) for VSO
Goal is to improve the Heliophysics API (HAPI), Table Access Protocol (TAP) and Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) services and to expand adoption of supporting servers at more data centers.
DOI for Science
Goal is to define the process for obtaining datasets' DOI and the coordination of the task amoung the data centers.
  • Heliophysics Semantics and Capabilities
    • Leads: Ryan McGranaghan (NASA/JPL) and Baptiste Cecconi (Observatoire de Paris)
    The purpose of this working group is to align, converge, and accelerate ongoing efforts to represent Heliophysics knowledge in ways that strengthen both our data ecosystem and our community. Goals include creation of a glossary/dictionary for Heliophysics, establishment of processes for harmonization across vocabularies including crosswalks from Heliophysics data and information models to other community semantic resources, to foster the creation of semantic tools for Heliophysics, and to serve as a forum for more sustained and cross-group and -domain exchange. It will be a venue for bringing scholarship around knowledge commons into the Heliophysics community and creating the foundation for our own knowledge commons.
    Python Adoption
    Lead: Julie Barnum (LASP, Boulder)
    Goal is to survey the use of Python in the Heliophysics domain and report on tools, services and web sites, especially through the Python in Heliophysics (PyHC) initiative
    Science Platforms Coordination
    Leads: Shawn Polson (LASP, Boulder) and Jan Reerink (ESA)
    Goal is to develop international standard software computing environments for Heliophysics.
    Leads: Brian Thomas (NASA/GSFC) and Arnaud Masson (ESA)
    Goal is the improvement of the SPASE Information Model for describing observational and derived data, and for describing simulation models, simulations runs, and simulation output (inc. NASA Community Coordinated Modeling Center or CCMC, ESA Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre, VSWMC and European Union supported Integrated Medium for Planetary Exploration or IMPEx). In particular, defining metadata for simulation models and generated data, as well as defining a standard for an execution interface.

    If you're interested in participating in any of these working groups, please contact any of the leads of these working groups.