INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 81

Three months have passed since the XXIIIrd General Assembly in Kyoto, a memorable event that no doubt remains vivid in the minds of those who attended it. On behalf of us all, I thank again our Japanese hosts, headed by the Chairpersons of the Scientific and Local Organising Committees, Daiichiro Sugimoto and Toshio Fukushima, for their immense efforts that made such a superbly well-organised meeting possible. That the final number of participants reached nearly 2000 was due not only to the attractions of the venue and scientific programme, but also to the generous amounts of travel support our Japanese colleagues were able to provide despite the substantial cost of the meeting itself. On the IAU side, the design of the scientific programme and the solution of innumerable practical matters were due to the devoted efforts of my predecessor, Immo Appenzeller, and our Secretariat staff, Monique Orine and Julie Saucedo, to whom I also extend our most cordial thanks. Meeting the standards they have set is a daunting challenge, but I shall do my best to live up to the confidence shown me.

Among other achievements in 1997, I am pleased to note our very successful International School for Young Astronomers in Iran and our Teaching for Astronomy Development course in Vietnam (see reports in this IB). It is encouraging also that a Working Group on African Astronomy has been formed, with South African astronomers as the driving force. I hope that the IAU may thus continue, within our modest means, to help erode some of the political barriers to scientific - and other - exchanges in the world.

In Kyoto, it was decided that the XXIVth General Assembly will take place in Manchester, UK, August 7-19, 2000. Already a few days after returning from Kyoto, I visited sunny Manchester (yes!) to discuss preparations for this event with our British hosts. I look forward to seeing a great many of you in Manchester and suggest that now is a good time to start plannning an exciting scientific programme for this event.

The IAU Office has not been idle since the Kyoto GA. Letters of welcome have been sent to our ~775 new members. Contributions to the Highlights and Transactions are pouring in and being assembled into the three volumes that will record the busy activities of the GA. Our WWW home page has been restructured and moved to a new address, which can remain permanent as IAU Officers come and go. Please make sure to check your entry in the membership file, including your e-mail address, as we plan to gradually introduce electronic dissemination of the IB and other news. A variety of other useful, encouraging, or sinister matters that have kept us busy are summarised in a new Section 1, "Faits Divers".

Readers will notice that this issue of the IB is distributed by the new IAU Publisher. After 15 years, it has also been given a new cover, designed by Lars Lindberg Christensen; the beautiful photograph of Comet Hale-Bopp (March 10, 1997) is reproduced courtesy of astro-photographer Eckhard Pawlik of Waldenburg, Germany, to whom I extend my thanks.

Finally, I extend the best wishes of the IAU Officers and Secretariat to all of you for a professionally and personally rewarding 1998.

December 1, 1997

Johannes Andersen

General Secretary

"Faits Divers" was a daily newspaper column fondly remembered by your Editor from his days as a young postdoc in France. This was where one checked the ups and downs of everyday life; the marriages, bank robberies, births, murders, and stolen cars (e.g. your own). This item in the next IBs will serve an analogous purpose.

Among the "ups", I note with relief that at least some new initiatives to ruin the night sky with commercial displays have recently been averted. The most serious of these was no doubt the recent attempt to revive the so-called "Star of Tolerance" project, a bright artificial satellite supposedly celebrating the year 2000, which would have been a dominating feature of the night sky for several years. Accompanied by a veritable feeding frenzy of media hype, it was purported to generate vast revenues for vaguely described humanitarian and other purposes. Fortunately, both UNESCO (last year) and ESA (this year) have decided, wisely and responsibly, not to further this project which would have been deleterious not only in itself, but above all by throwing the door wide open to the proliferation of space advertising. As directed by a General Assembly resolution (p. 27), we are currently examining possible ways to propose an international treaty protecting the night sky - like, e.g. the Antarctic continent - from such activities. Meanwhile, we ask all IAU members to alert the General Secretary to any future similar menaces as early as possible: Astronomers worldwide are all in favour of tolerance, but want it extended to all stars - not just the occasional artificial one!

Encouraging news is also forthcoming from the recent, month-long World Radiocommunication Conference, where the radio astronomy community turned up in force under the aegis of the Inter-Union Committee on Frequency Allocation for Radio Astronomy and Space Science (IUCAF). There seems to be a growing understanding for the need to preserve the frequency intervals most vital to radio astronomy, but great vigilance and careful preparation are needed before the next WRC conference in 1999.

Future administrative meetings and other events as currently scheduled are listed below. The list can also be consulted at the IAU WWW home page under News and Announcements, where it will be regularly updated.

Officers' Meeting:

February 19-20, 1998, in Paris.

July 2-3, 1998, in Paris, France.

August 7-19, 2000, in Manchester, UK.

13 - 19 July, 1998, Victoria, Canada

Chairperson, Local Organizing Committee: J. Hesser.

Principal Topics:

• Recent Observations of Stars and the ISM of the Magellanic Clouds
• The Physical Properties and Structure of the Multiple-Phase ISM
• Interactions between Stars/OB Associations/Clusters and the ISM
• Stellar Evolution - Observations vs Theoretical Models
• Stellar Systems - IMFs, Abundances, Ages, Dynamics, Populations
• Star Formation History and Evolution of the Magellanic Clouds
• The Global Structure of the Magellanic Clouds - Populations, Distributions of Matter, and Dynamics
• The Distance to the Magellanic Clouds
• Connections to Other Magellanic Irregulars and Distant Universe

Contact address: You-Hua Chu, Astronomy Dpt, University. of Illinois, 1002 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Tel: 1 217 333 5535 E-mail: chu@astro.uiuc.edu

The current composition of the IAU Divisions is listed below. Division Presidents’ addresses are given on the inside back cover as well as on the IAU Web page. Names and addresses of the new Commission Presidents and Vice-Presidents are given i Sect. 5.

Division I Fundamental Astronomy/Astrométrie fondamentale

Commission 4: Ephemerides

Commission 7: Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy

Commission 8: Positional Astronomy

Commission 19: Rotation of the Earth

Commission 24: Photographic Astrometry

Commission 31: Time

Division II The Sun and Heliosphere/Soleil et héliosphère

Commission 10: Solar Activity

Commission 12: Solar Radiation and Structure

Commission 49: The Interplanetary Plasma and the Heliophere

Division III Planetary System Sciences/Sciences du système planétaire

Commission 15: Physical Study of Comets, Minor Planets and Meteorites

Commission 16: Physical Study of Planets and Satellites

Commission 20: Position and Motions of Minor Planets, Comets and Satellites

Commission 21: Light of the Night Sky

Commission 22: Meteors and Interplanetary Dust

Commission 51: Bioastronomy: Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Division IV Stars/Etoiles

Commission 26: Double and Multiple Stars

Commission 29: Stellar Spectra

Commission 35: Stellar Constitution

Commission 36: Theory of Stellar Atmospheres

Commission 45: Stellar Classification

Division V Variable Stars/Etoiles Variables

Commission 27: Variable Stars

Commission 42: Close Binary Stars

Division VI Interstellar Matter/Matière interstellaire

Commission 34: Interstellar Matter

Division VII Galactic System/Système galactique

Commission 33: Structure and Dynamics of the Galactic System

Commission 37: Star Clusters and Associations

Division VIII Galaxies and the Universe/Galaxies et l'Univers

Commission 28: Galaxies

Commission 47: Cosmology

Division IX Optical Techniques/Techniques optiques

Commission 9: Instruments

Commission 25: Stellar Photometry and Polarimetry

Commission 30: Radial Velocities

Division X Radio Astronomy/Radioastronomie

Commission 40: Radio Astronomy

Division XI Space and High Energy Astrophysics

Commission 44: Space and High Energy Astrophysics

Division I: Fundamental Astronomy (Ken Seidelmann)

This is an interesting time in fundamental astronomy as covered by the Commissions of Division I. There is a new fundamental reference system (International Celestial Reference System) based on extragalactic sources. There is a new optical realization of the ICRS based on the Hipparcos astrometric satellite. These provide reference frames in radio and optical wavelengths with milliarcseconds accuracies, significantly more accurate than the past. This is a challenge to build on and improve for the future. The Commissions and Working Groups are organized to meet that challenge.

Information about the Commissions and the Working Groups is most readily available through the Division I home page. The Commission Presidents and Working Group Chairmen welcome your contributions and comments as they work during this triennium.

Division II: The Sun and Heliosphere (P. Foukal)

The new Organizing Committee of Division II established in Kyoto consists of P. Foukal, USA (President of Division II, and of Comm. 12); G. Ai, PRC (President, Comm. 10); A. Benz, Switzerland (V.P., Comm. 10); O. Engvold, Norway (ex-President, Div. II); S. Solanki, Switzerland (V.P., Comm. 12); M. Vandas, Czech Rep. (V.P., Comm. 49); and F. Verheest, Belgium (President, Comm. 49).

Our divisional meeting held on August 23, 1997 in Kyoto included presentations from the Working Groups on eclipses (J. Pasachoff), on the quarterly solar activity bulletins (E. Hiei), and on the sunspot index data center, and a compilation of solar activity (P. Cugnon). O. Engvold then described the IAU's newly adopted divisional structure, its impact on the Commissions (including its helpful promotion of cooperation between them), and on structure of the IAU Reports. Discussion followed on ideas for increasing participation in the divisional IAU business meetings. J. Pecker urged that the new divisional structure not be allowed to split up the IAU, as he felt has happened at the IUGG.

At a later working lunch of the Div II OC members present in Kyoto, plans were made for presenting a strong solar and heliospheric program at the next General Assembly in Manchester, U.K. We thank the past OC of Commissions 10, 12, and 49 for their excellent work in organizing two very successful meetings on helioseismology, and on the corona and solar wind, at the Kyoto GA.

Division III: Planetary System Sciences (M.F. A'Hearn)

During the General Assembly in Kyoto, the Division adopted more formal guidelines for its operation, including a minor change in Officers of the Division (including the divisional past President). The Division now has two working groups whose interests and tasks transcend those of the individual commissions to which they formerly reported. These are the Working Group on NEOs and the Small Bodies Names Committee. The division also accepted the final report of the Working Group on Interplanetary Pollution, forwarding it to the IAU Executive Committee for dissemination to other international organizations for endorsement and action. The WG, its tasks completed, was dissolved at the request of its Chairman.

The EC reviewed the affairs of the Union extensively. Recommendations to the GA regarding national and individual membership were decided upon, based on the advice of the Nominating Committee (see Sect. 12). The finances were examined and found to be in excellent health, and dues for earlier years from a few countries with economic problems could be waived. On the publication policy, the new IAU publishing contract (see IB 80) will substantially reduce costs to astronomical libraries. The Information Bulletin will gradually be offered in an electronic version as an alternative to the printed format, also helping to reduce mailing costs. Finally, the EC was pleased that the ISYA and TAD educational programmes in Iran and Vietnam had been so successful (see Section 9), and congratulated the organisers on this result.

Much time was devoted to discussing how to optimise relationships with the Divisions in the future, taking advantage of the presence of most Division Presidents or their representatives. The experience of the past three years was reviewed and ideas formulated how to strengthen ties throughout the IAU through the Divisions, using both personal and electronic communications. While it may not be possible to invite all Division Presidents to EC meetings between General Assemblies, the Agendas for Officers' and EC meetings will be forwarded to them for comment and contributions invited, and they will also receive the Minutes of such meetings. The IAU Web page will be restructured (cf. Sect. 1) to more deliberately direct the flow of information through the Division Web pages which all Divisions will establish, with a long-term view to establishing similarly structured e-mail connections to all IAU members. Finally, proposals for IAU Scientific meetings should in the future be collected by Division Presidents and forwarded by them, with advice on their priority, to the EC for final decision.

The EC reviewed the detailed arrangements for the opening and closing sessions of the XXIIIrd General Assembly (see Section 7), including recommendations and resolutions to be submitted to the GA. The EC itself decided to propose a resolution on measures against the increasing adverse environmental impacts on astronomy by commercial activities at all wavelengths. A request had been received from the French National Committee for Astronomy that the EC recommend to the General Assembly that interval between GAs be increased from three to four years, to save money and avoid overlaps with other meetings. After carefully considering the perceived benefits in the light of the new GA format and the timescales needed for proper planning of IAU GAs, the EC unanimously decided to not forward this proposal to the GA.

Finally, the EC reviewed the official invitations received to hold the XXIVth GA in Manchester, UK, in August 2000 and the XXVth GA in Sydney, Australia, in August 2003. Reaffirming its earlier position, the EC decided to propose to the GA to accept both invitations at this time (see Section 8).

The 70th meeting of the EC was also held in Kyoto at the GA venue, on August 28, 1997. Following the elections at the second session of the GA on August 27, the EC met in its new composition (cf. inside cover page) except N. Kardashev, who was unable to attend. IAU President Robert P. Kraft chaired the meeting. Again, all Division Presidents were present or represented, and the IAU Administrative Assistant, Monique Orine, also attended.

The EC received reports from Prof. D. Sugimoto and Dr. T. Fukushima, NOC and LOC Chairs, respectively, for the XXIIIrd GA, on their experience with the organisation of the GA. This very large and complex task had, on the whole, been accomplished very smoothly and successfully through the devoted efforts of our Japanese hosts, and the EC expressed it warm compliments and thanks to the organisers.

The future organisation of the cooperation between the Divisions and the IAU Officers and Secretariat was again the subject of a long and constructive discussion. Basically, it was agreed to proceed along the lines discussed at the 69th EC meeting (see above). Division Presidents were strongly encouraged to review the internal (Commission or other) organisational structure of the Divisions in the light of the scientific needs of the future. The EC would look favourably at proposals to try out new structures on an informal basis before possibly proceeding to the formal creation or merger of Commissions or similar bodies.

The format of the Reports on Astronomy had been keenly debated by Commission Presidents, who divided about equally in two camps: One found the past, comprehensive, printed format to be outdated and inordinately time-consuming, better to be replaced by more nearly real-time news services on Division and Commission Web sites. The other basically found the present format valuable and satisfactory, but constrained by the page limits imposed. It was decided to give Commissions, for the coming triennium, the choice between summary reports of perhaps two pages with specified format and contents, to be proposed by the General Secretary, and the traditional format, in the hope that an appropriate balance would be reached.

On financial matters, the EC accepted with thanks the offer of the Finance Sub-Committee to remain in function for the coming triennium, to advise the General Secretary and to assist in the preparation of the budget for 2001-2003. The function of Treasurer was then no longer needed.

The last major Agenda item was the selection of IAU sponsored scientific meetings in 1998 from the large slate of proposals. The final choice comprised five Symposia, six Colloquia, one Regional Astronomy Meeting, and one Co-Sponsored Meeting (cf. Section 3). Some changes to the future procedure for submitting proposals for IAU sponsored scientific meetings would be implemented in the revised Rules for Scientific Meetings (now available from the Secretariat, the Assistant General Secretary, and from the IAU Web page.

The 71st meeting of the EC will take place on July 2-3, 1998, at Observatoire de Paris, France, at the invitation of Vice-President C. Césarsky. Major items on the Agenda will be the preparations for the XXVth GA and the selection of IAU sponsored meetings in 1999. Any matters to be placed on the agenda of the meeting should reach the General Secretary before May 1, 1998.

The XXIIIrd General Assembly of the IAU was held in the Kyoto International Conference Hall in Kyoto, Japan, from August 17 to August 30, 1997, at the invitation of the Science Council of Japan and the Astronomical Society of Japan. Nearly 2000 Members and Invited Paricipants from 59 countries took part in the scientific programme, and the nearly 200 Registered Guests enjoyed the rich cultural attractions of the old Imperial capital of Kyoto and its surroundings. The efforts of the 40-strong Local Organising Committee, Chaired by Toshio Fukushima, and many helpers, ensured that a very pleasant and trouble-free meeting was enjoyed by all.

The opening session of the General Assembly itself took place on August 20, 1997, and was honored by the presence of their Majesties, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, an expression of their Majesties’ interest in scientific matters which was amplified in the Emperor’s address (the full text of which will appear in Trans. XXIIIB). Among several administrative matters, the proposed revisions of the Statutes and Bye-Laws which formally introduce the Divisions in the IAU organisational structure were approved (available from IAU the Web page).

An exceptionally rich scientific programme was offered during these two weeks, including six Symposia (IAU Symposia Nos. 183 - 188), 23 Joint Discussions and 3 Special Scientific Sessions (on the Galileo and ISO space missions, and on Comet Hale-Bopp). Programmes of these meetings were published in IB 78. In addition, well over 100 Commission and Working Group meetings were also held. The three Invited Discourses were given by R.E. Williams (The Hubble Deep Field), B. Warner (Cataclysmic Variable Stars), and I.D. Novikov (Black Holes in the Universe). Overall, a total of nearly 800 oral and 1100 poster papers were presented during the XXIIIrd General Assembly.

Proceedings of the six scientific Symposia will be published in the regular IAU Symposium Series under separate editorship for the individual Symposia. Condensed Proceedings of the Invited Discourses, Joint Discussions, and Special Scientific Sessions will be published in Highlights of Astronomy, Vol. 11A&B (two volumes), edited by the IAU General Secretary. These volumes, and the Transactions, will all be published by Kluwer Academic Publishers.

At the second session of the General Assembly, on August 27, 1997, two new Associate Members were admitted (Bolivia, and the Central American Assembly of Astronomers representing the astronomers in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama). The admission of 774 new Individual Members was announced, bringing the total membership to 8,562 (see Sect. 12). The proposed Budget for 1997-2000 (published in IB 80) was approved, and new Officers and a new Executive Committee as listed on the inside cover of this IB was elected. Invitations to hold the XXIVth General Assembly in Manchester, UK, in 2000 and the XXVth General Assembly in Sydney, Australia, in 2003, were presented and acccepted.

The Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are reproduced below and will, together with the new Statutes, Bye-Laws and Working Rules, full records of the other adminstrative business conducted at Kyoto, and the admininistrative and financial reports for the triennium 1994 - 1997, be published in the Proceedings of the General Assembly (Trans. XXIIIB).

The XXIIIrd International Astronomical Union General Assembly,

Proposed by Commission 5

The XXIIIrd International Astronomical Union General Assembly,

proposed by Joint Discussion N. 3

and endorsing the conclusions of the IAU-IUGG Working Group

The XXIIIrd International Astronomical Union General Assembly

proposed by Joint Discussion N. 3

The XXIIIrd International Astronomical Union General Assembly

1. examine and clarify the effects on astrometric computations, of changes such as the adoption of the International Celestial Reference System, the availability of the Hipparcos catalogue, and the change expected in the conventional precession-nutation model, and
2. make recommendations regarding the algorithms to be used,

Sub-Working Group of the Working Group on Astronomical Standards (WGAS)

The XXIIIrd General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union

The XXIIIrd International Astronomical Union General Assembly

At the second session of the XXIIIrd General Assembly, an invitation to hold the XXIVth General Assembly in Manchester, UK, during the period August 7-19, 2000, was extended by M. Longair on behalf of the Royal Society and the British astronomical community. The General Assembly unanimously voted to accept this invitation.

The XXIVth General Assembly will be held on the campus of the University of Manchester and the facilities of the nearby Royal Northern College of Music. The plenary sessions of the General Assembly will be held in the large new Bridgewater Concert Hall, the home of the Hallé Orchestra. The General Secretary visited Manchester again on September 11, 1997 (in splendid weather) to re-visit the premises and review the planning with LOC Co-Chairmen R.D. Davies and D. Walsh.

Contrary to some traditional perceptions, the centre of Manchester is a teeming site of urban renewal, old buildings being newly cleaned (unrecognisable to former Manchester graduates!) and attractive modern buildings going up everywhere. The XXXIVth General Assembly will make use of the facilities of the Main Building and the Schuster Insitute of Physics & Astronomy and adjoining institutes for other sciences, as well as the large concert and convention halls at the new Royal Northern College of Music, within easy walking distance. This will provide a combination of the large rooms needed for the Symposia and major Joint Discussions and a large number of smaller lecture and meeting rooms for Working Group and Commission meetings.

An attractive feature of the Manchester venue is the availability of over 5000 low-cost University dormitory rooms, ranging from traditional to brand new modern apartments with all conveniences. We trust that this will help to bring a large audience to the meeting and thus fulfill the essential purpose of IAU General Assemblies, to get astronomers from all over the world together to discuss and further the progress of our common science.

Our British hosts are adddressing their daunting task with characteristic cheerfulness and resolve, and your General Secretary looks forward to working with them to present another memorable meeting. A detailed timetable of events leading up to the General Assembly will soon be drawn up. The timetable and much additional practical information on GA2000 will appear in future issues of the IB and on the IAU Web page.

At the second session of the XXIIIrd General Assembly, an invitation to hold the XXVth General Assembly in Sydney, Austraila, in August 2003, was also presented by J. Mould,. on behalf of the Australian National Committee for Astronomy. The General Assembly voted unanimously to also accept this invitation, which thus fixed the venue of the XXVth General Assembly. Details on this event will follow in due course.

The primary IAU activities in the educational sphere are the exchange programme operated by Commission 38 (see below) and the International Schools for Young Astronomers (IASYA) and Teaching for Astronomy Development (TAD) programmes organised by Commission 46 (see Sect. 9.2). In addition, the IAU has coordinated its efforts with the ESA/UN Workshops on Basic Space Science.

In the future, these activites are expected to continue. Ways are being explored to coordinate them more deliberately with analogous plans at COSPAR, with the activities planned under the ambitious new ICSU programme on Capacity Building in Science, and with future plans at the UN. The goal would be to make the overall effort more effective both in the short and long term, and also to reflect changing patterns in the ways in which such activites can be funded. The UNISPACE III conference in July 1999 should be a good opportunity to refine and implement these ideas.

Within the limitations imposed by the budget of the Commission as approved by the Executive Committee of the International Astronomical Union, funds are available to Commission 38 toward grants to qualified individuals to enable them to visit institutions abroad. It is intended, in particular, that the visitors should have ample time and opportunity to interact with the intellectual life of the host institution so that maximum benefit is derived by both sides. It is a specific objective of the programme that astronomy in the home country be enriched after the applicant returns.

i. plan of scientific activity,

ii. curriculum vitae,

iii. letters of support from home and host institutions,

iv. information on responsibility for subsistence at the host institution,

v. information on lowest available travel fare.

The 23rd International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA).

July 4 - 23, 1997, Zanjan, Iran

The 23rd ISYA met in the mile-high city of Zanjan, Iran, on the attractive campus of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), at the invitation of its Director, Dr. Y. Sobouti. The IAU provided travel grants to 14 foreign participants from Nigeria, Indonesia, Turkey, Lebanon, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. Among 24 Iranian participants from 11 universities and IASBS, almost half were women (selected on criteria independent of gender). IASBS and its efficient staff provided housing and meals, attended to the cultural events, excursions, and the many individual needs of participants. Much help was provided by the governor of the Province of Zanjan.

A major goal of ISYA is to demonstrate, to scientifically isolated students, the frontier nature of astronomy and the importance of questions, discussions, judgment on evidence, etc. Particularly important for a quick start of discussions was the opportunity, already on the first day, for small group daytime and nighttime sky observations and, soon thereafter, for practical work on computer-based data analysis. After some days, discussion groups formed quite independently of nationality or gender. Nearly half the participants presented a short outline of their research. Several participants eagerly sought out foreign faculty for detailed presentation of their work. For the first time at an ISYA, nearly all participants spoke English adequately for conversation even at the start of the ISYA.

The lecture courses started at a basic level, since most Iranian students were physics students with only introductory astronomy. But nearly all courses led to some current research topic and demonstrated the flavor of frontier science. Several topics treated in two courses with different points of view demonstrated the breadth of astronomy. The foreign faculty members were: Ed Guinan (USA, binary stars and their many astrophysical applications, use of small telescopes), Rajaram Nityananda (India, gravitational lenses), Michèle Gerbaldi (France, stellar atmospheres, data analysis with MIDAS), Jihad Touma (USA/Lebanon, chaos in the solar system), and Don Wentzel (USA, MHD and related solar physics). Mr. Arvind Paranjpye (from IUCAA, India) put the local telescope into working condition, provided his low-cost photometer for measurement of solar limb darkening and, with Michèle Gerbaldi, supervised night-time observing, including several nights using a CCD. Michèle Gerbaldi became a role model for the Iranian women and put them at ease talking with foreigners. Iranian lecturers from IASBS and four universities gave relatively short courses.

Michèle Gerbaldi brought two hard disks and software from Haute Provence Observatory, and ESO gave CD Roms with MIDAS software, so that MIDAS could be installed on the local computer system and participants could analyze spectroscopic data. After much efficient advice by telephone and fax to France, the installation was finally successful on one PC. Locally there was, however, no one sufficiently familiar with the computer system to accommodate the new programs to it. This experience demonstrates the difficulties that will be faced in the future when participants from any computer-intensive workshops will try to carry the programs home to their own relatively isolated institutions.

Donat G. Wentzel, secretary for ISYA

Report on IAU/TAD-sponsored "Summer School on Astrophysics"

August 31 - September 12, 1997, Vinh University, Vietnam

This conference is central to the TAD program to re-introduce astronomy to Vietnam. It was organized by Prof. Nguyen Dinh Huan, vice-rector of Vinh University. The IAU supported all travel costs, rooms, and meals for 32 Vietnamese participants (and for some senior Vietnamese astronomers who attended for a few days) and for the two foreign faculty, plus the costs of the conference in a government (air-conditioned) hotel. The total cost was about $15,200. The previously internationally donated equipment, books, and journals were used actively.

Prof. Nguyen Quang Rieu (Observatoire de Paris, coordinator for TAD Vietnam) and Wentzel divided lectures and discussions betwen them. Wentzel added some practical activities, and his lectures and discussions were translated. Summaries of the lectures, in Vietnamese, were provided to all participants well before the conference, but they were probably rather too new and overwhelming for the participants.

Rieu's lectures centered on radio astronomy, its techniques and limitations, the physical origin of radio waves, and astrophysical applications, primarily to the interstellar medium but also in a broad sweep from the solar system to SETI and cosmology. Wentzel outlined the exploration of the solar system, then continued with solar science and stellar evolution. The topics overlapped sufficiently that some discussions werer carried on in front of the participants, showing them how one may have different viewpoints in a frontier science like astronomy.

Response of the astronomy teachers. About half the participants teach the introductory course in astronomy that is required of physics students in Vietnamese universities and pedagogical institutes. This course emphasizes fundamental astronomy and currently includes astronomical development only until about 1968. The teachers, typically physics-trained and in their mid-30's, reacted eagerly to the modern astronomy and took home enough materials so as to incorporate some (at first probably small) part of modern astronomy into their courses. During the second week, it was tried to have the teachers discuss among themselves how to do this, given their physical limitations (e.g. almost none have any projector in their home institution). However, the process of such a discussion was so new to them and the guidance in English too uncertain for any definite results during the conference.

The teachers were particularly fascinated with the informal style of teaching, i.e. encouraging questions from and discussions among the participants. Follow-up astronomy teaching conferences, probably regional, are expected within a year.

Response of the physics students. About half the participants were selected from the most able physics students nationwide. However, these students are used to passive transcription of notes from lecturer via board to their notebooks. They are not used to thinking about what might be measured, or about the accuracy of a set of measurements, nor about interpretations of measurements. They needed an explicit introduction to the inquiry nature of basic science. Thus Rieu spent much time on observational aspects of radio astronomy. Wentzel’s interpretation of pictures from space probes at first left the students somewhat puzzled. However, by the third practical exercise on astronomical photographs, students began to learn how one might discuss such pictures with fellow students and reach conclusion without the Professor's dictation.

During the second week, a few lecture topics were replaced by the solution of specific physics problems, such as Kepler's third law used to obtain masses of newly detected planets or of black holes, contraction times of the early Sun, sunspots regarded as a solenoid, gravity on neutron stars. The role of order-of-magnitude estimates was emphasized, how one can set up simple problems that preserve the essential physics and how one can keep the mathematics in a form that can be readily interpreted in terms of physics. Students and teachers responded immediately to this format of presenting astrophysics.

Donat G. Wentzel, secretary for TAD

Especially for older meetings and Proceedings in the Colloquium series, our records and collection of volumes has large gaps, which we hope to fill with time. We hope Members will help to fill in the missing details, and will later issue a call for missing volumes of Colloquia and Regional Meetings to complete our collections