1. SSA National Assets Greece Ioannis A. Daglis National Observatory of Athens

2. Existing facilities / expertise Emerging facilities / expertise

3. Historical note In summer 2000 the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Space Storms and Space Weather Hazards was held in Greece

4. An outcome of this meeting was this book: It was one of the very first books on Space Weather, and it has been included as recommended teaching material of the UN Space Sciences Curriculum.

5. Major existing facilities/expertise VLF Receiver Station, Univ. of Crete Aristarchos Optical Telescope, NOA Athens Digisonde and DIAS, NOA Athens Neutron Monitor Station, UoA

6. Crete VLF receiver Station A joint project of University of Crete (Ionospheric Physics Lab) and Stanford University Established in July 2003, to support the EuroSprite, CAL and AWESOME projects Coupling of Atmospheric Layers - EU / RTN http://cal-crete.physics.uoc.gr/VLF-sprites/VLFmain.html

7. The AWESOME network offers new possibilities for VLF-lightning research in co-ordination with EuroSprite (ground), TARANIS and ASIM (space) programs The Crete VLF station is part of AWESOME Collaborative A global VLF network sponsored by NASA, IHY, and The United Nations http://nova.stanford.edu/~vlf/IHY_Test/pmwiki/pmwiki.php

8. Abstract: Exhaustive observation tests have been made and detected problems have been confronted by Zeiss. Test observations with the already installed equipment (imaging CCD and ATS spectrometer) have been performed successfully and the commissioning of both instruments is finished. Preliminary tests with the MES-AT spectrometer have been made and commissioning of this instrument is expected within 2009. Further infrastructure at Helmos Observatory (i.e. DIMM telescope, fiber optics and expansion of the existing control room and guest house) is presented. ARISTARCHOS TELESCOPE Ch. Goudis, P. Hantzios, P. Boumis, M. Xilouris, A. Katsiyannis, A. Maroussis National Observatory of Athens, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics InfrastructureTelescope and Instrumentation The dome housing the 2.3 m telescope. The building was constructed by the Greek company ΠΡΟΤΕΡ. When in operation, the dome is fully open providing a 3 m wide slit allowing the telescope optics to quickly achieve thermal equilibrium with the ambient temperature. Side view of ‘ARISTARCHOS’ telescope. The primary mirror diameter is 2280 mm and the secondary mirror diameter is 740.7 mm. The optical design is of Ritchey-Crétien type with a focal ratio of f/8. The field of view on the main port is 1.04 degrees while the field of view on the four side ports is 10 arcminute. The guiding of the telescope is made through two off-axis autoguiders providing an accuracy of <0.25 arcseconds in one hour. The control of the telescope is made from a building situated 35 m away from the dome. The building, after a recent expansion (2009), can accommodate up to six people while lodging facilities such as kitchen, meeting room and a small library exist to support the observers. Since 2007 constant power is provided via the national electricity network. A 13 Mb/s microwave link to Athens (Penteli), via Gerania mountain, and a recent (2009) fiber optics connection (allowing for speeds up to 100 Mb/s) secure fast internet connection and data transfer. A small dome (constructed in summer 2009) houses a 30 cm MEADE telescope to be used for monitoring the atmospheric quality providing HαHα HβHβ [N II] 6584 [N II] 6548 [O III] 5007 [O III] 4959 HeII 4686 [S II] 6716 & 6731 HeI 5876 4min exp. First-light spectra of Dumbbell Planetary Nebula acquired with ATS. A Liquid Nitrogen tank of maximum capacity of 600 lt is used to support the operation of the LN 2 cryogenic CCD cameras. Nitrogen is transported on site with a special tank vehicle by Air Liquid company. improved in 2005. Continuous cleaning of the road is needed to maintain the road safe. During winter time large snow condensations prevent access by car. continuous estimates of the atmospheric seeing. The DIMM method is used. The road leading from Kalavryta Ski Center up to the telescope site (altitude of 2340 m) has been vastly Aristarchos Transient Spectrometer (ATS; designed by J. Meaburn and manufactured in Manchester University), is a low-medium resolution spectrometer, a fibber-coupled device with a Peltier cooled CCD. LN 2 CCD is currently the main instrument for imaging that was used for the testing of the telescope throughout the commissioning phase It is a 1kx1k CCD camera of 0.28 arcseconds/pixel providing a field-of-view of approximately 5x5 arcminute 2. First-light image of the Planetary Nebula NGC 7009 acquired with the LN 2 CCD. MES-AT is a high resolution spectrometer. Its primary use, is to obtain spatially-resolved profiles of individual emission lines from faint extended sources emitting in the range 3900 – 7500 Å with a spectral resolving power of λ /Δλ ≤ 10 5. A direct image of the field can also be obtained. VEC is a 4096 x 4096 (15 microns) Fairchild, back illuminated liquid nitrogen CCD, giving a field-of-view of 10x10 arcminute 2. It will be used for imaging. RISE2 will be built for exoplanet studies and in particular for detection of transit timing variations providing a timing accuracy of <10 seconds making it the best suited instrument for this work.

9. Research infrastructure operated of the Ionospheric Group of ISARS/NOA Athens Digisonde DIAS System Athens Digisonde (DPS-4): Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Center for Atmospheric Research In operation since September 2000 The DIAS system: Developed in the frames of the DIAS Project, EC FP6- eContent Programme, 2004-2006 (Belehaki et al., 2006; 2007). The Ionospheric Group of NOA, having been PI of the DIAS project has the responsibility to install, operate and maintain the final DIAS server. Contributing DIAS stations: Athens, Rome, Ebre, El Arenosillo, Juliusruh, Chilton and Pruhonice. DIAS operates regularly since August 2006 and serves ~150 subscribed users.

10. Athens Digisonde http://www.iono.noa.gr Real-time ionospheric observations over Athens - Doppler ionograms - Autoscaled parameters - Drift velocities - Sky maps - Daily directograms. Ionospheric forecast over Athens up to 24 hours ahead Alerts for Ionospheric Storms Under development: Reconstructed Electron Density Profiles over Athens up to geosynchronous orbit (~20,000 km) TEC, ionospheric TEC, Plasmaspheric TEC over Athens DIAS system http://dias.space.noa.gr Specification of the current ionospheric conditions over Europe – Real-time autoscaled ionograms from all DIAS stations in a common format – Nowcasting plots and maps of: fmin, foF2, M(3000)F2, electron density versus height, MUF. – Daily plots of the effective sunspot number. – Maps of the ionospheric activity over Europe. Ionospheric long-term predictions (up to 3 months ahead) - Maps of foF2, M(3000)F2 and MUF. Ionospheric forecasts (foF2) up to 24 h ahead over Europe - Maps and plots of the foF2 parameter Alerts and warnings - for upcoming ionospheric disturbances for the European region.

11. Key added-value products and services for ionospheric forecasting Model  SWIF (Solar Wind driven autoregression model for Ionospheric short term Forecast): provides forecasts of the foF2 parameter for up to 24 hours ahead driven by solar wind parameters (Tsagouri and Belehaki, 2006; 2008; Tsagouri et al., 2009). SWIF incorporates TSAR-foF2 model (Time Series forecasting models for Absolute and Relative foF2) by Koutroumbas and Belehaki (2006); Koutroumbas et al. (2008). The service is running in DIAS and Athens Digisonde systems. SWIF- Alert Detection Algorithm SWIF Forecasting Algorithm

12. Key added-value products and services for ionospheric/plasmaspheric specification Model  SIRMUP (Simplified Ionospheric Regional Model Updated in real-time): provides nowcasting European maps of the foF2, M(3000)F2, and MUF (Zolesi et al., 2004; Tsagouri et al., 2005). The service is running in DIAS system. Model  TaD (TSMP-assisted Digisonde reconstruction technique): provides the reconstructed electron density profile over single locations up to geosynchronous orbit (Belehaki et al., 2009; Kutiev et al., 2009). The service is planned for 2010.

13. Athens Neutron Monitor Station H. Mavromichalaki, M. Andriopoulou, M. Gerontidou, G. Mariatos, M. Papailiou, A. Papaioannou, C. Plainaki, C. Sarlanis, G. Souvatzoglou Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, Athens University - Pan/polis15771 Athens, GR ( emavromi@phys.uoa.gr) University of Athens Athens NM station Athens Neutron Monitor Data Processing (ANMODAP) Center The NM BANGLE Model The Alert System Super 6NM-64 Rigidity 8.53 GV 37 0 53΄N, 23 0 43΄E Altitude 260 m M. Pres. 780 mbar (http://cosray.phys.uoa.gr) Cosmic ray measurements at Athens initiated in November 2000 with a standard 6NM-64 neutron monitor. Athens station was the sixth one to present both graphical and digital data in real time with resolution of 1 hour, 1 min and 1 sec. The Alert software is able to determine the onset of a forth coming Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) using the 1-min NM database of the Athens station. Within the last years an effort has been made in order to construct an effective database of both NM and satellite data in real time, regarding the necessities of space weather monitoring (Athens Neutron Monitor Data Processing Center – ANMODAP Center) The NM Basic Anisotropic Neutron Ground Level Enhancement (BANGLE) model which has been used to analyze various GLEs effects as GLE69 & GLE70 Database of Proton Events An extensive database of all Proton Events ever recorded was created at Athens NM station. It led to the determination of the special characteristics of solar proton events. GLE69 (Plainaki et al, JGR 2007) (Gerontidou et al, Solar Physics, 2005; AIP 2006) (Mavromichalaki et al, Ann. Geophys. 2005) (Souvatzoglou et al, Adv. Space Res. 2009) First Real-Time GLE Alert in December 2006!! Radiation Effects An analysis on Space environment and its effects on components and systems has been utilized by the Athens Cosmic Ray Group for the July 2005 event. At this point a new radiation algorithm is under development (Mavromichalaki et al, IEEE TNS 2007)

14. A Forbush Decrease Model A new model on Forbush decreases (FORD Model) is being developed and up to now has been used to analyze complex situations within the minima of the 23rd solar cycle Cosmic Ray / Heart Rate The relationship between daily cosmic ray variations and the average daily and hourly heart frequency for the years 2002 – 2006 has been studied. (Petropoulos et al, Academy of Athens 2006) Forbush decreases analysis Magnetospheric events analysis Real-Time Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB) Mirror Server in Operation Analysis of Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs) Organization of Conferences, Training Courses & Workshops Solar Particle Event analysis with SREM data Forbush decrease database maintenance (Mavromichalaki et al., Adv. Space Res., 2009) (Papaioannou et al., Adv. Space Res., 2009; Annales Geophys, 2009) (Mavromichalaki et al., Proc. 31 st ICRC 2009) (Andriopoulou et al., Proc. 31 st ICRC 2009) (Mavromichalaki et al., Proc. 29 th ICRC 2005) (Mavromichalaki et al, Adv. Space Res. 2009 - Submitted) GLEs are used in a vast range of scientific applications, thus their study has been occurring for a long period. Some applications are the prediction of harmful for the satellite systems and the telecommunications particle fluxesthe analysis of the interplanetary conditions and the prediction of strong geomagnetic storms (http://www.nmdb.eu) A coherent scientific analysis of Solar Particle Events, recorded by SREM units at interplanetary space (INTEGRAL, Rosetta, PROBA- 1) and at ground based detectors (neutron monitors) has been initiated. A treatment by all available data has been performed. First results include time lag and intensity identification with respect to the positions of the satellites. A wide European collaboration for the implementation of the first real time database of Neutron Monitors started in 2008. Athens Neutron Monitor Station, due to its hardware & software development skills was the leader of the upgrading of all NM stations. Also, a mirror server of the NMDV database was set up and is in operation at the Athens NM station. Forbush decreases have been analyzed for many years. The analysis of the Athens group focused on irregular events as the ones of July 2005, August- September 2005 & January 2005. A vast collection of FDs from 1956-2009 is being maintained at the Athens NM station. It is a powerful tool for FD analysis. Geomagnetic storms place their signature in cosmic rays. Mid latitude NM stations, such as Athens NM are capable of producing significant information. Solar Extreme Events 2007 NMDB Training Course 2009

15. Emerging facilities/expertise GPS Real-Time Network, NOA ENIGMA Magnetometer Array, NOA SREM analysis, RB modeling, etc

16. NOA GPS permanent network - NOANET http://www.gein.noa.gr/gps.html Download 30-s free data from 11+ stations

17. NOA GPS permanent network - NOANET Map of high-rate, real-time stations

18. Over the last couple of years the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) has installed and has begun operating ENIGMA (HellENIc GeoMagnetic Array), an array of 4 ground- based magnetometer stations in southeast Europe (central and southern Greece). The realization of this array has become possible through collaborations with the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ. The existing stations are latitudinally equi- spaced between 30° and 33° corrected geomagnetic latitude. Their spatial configuration is suitable for detecting field- line resonance signatures, thus allowing the study of the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere. http://zitis.space.noa.gr/geomag/ ENIGMA

19. GSM-90 O v e r h a u s e r CHIMAG GEOMAG-02M

21. Emerging Competence/Expertise SREM (Space Radiation Environment Monitor): inversion software, SPE analysis Non-linear analysis storm prediction tools Formation Flying solar Coronagraph: Combined Control-Command Procedure for the FF system Space Internet: a new approach to space data transmission

22. Thank you for your attention