C4. Commission on Cosmic Rays

Report of Commission 4 (Cosmic Rays) of IUPAP to the Meeting of IUPAP Council and Chairs
Mexico City
September 28, 2001

1. 27th International Cosmic Ray Conference: C4 is the standing international advisory committee for the major conference of the field, the International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC) which is on a two-year cycle. The meeting in Hamburg, August 7-15, 2001 featured new results on ultra-high energy cosmic rays from Hi-Res Fly's Eye and AGASA, as well as a report of the solar neutrino results from SNO and the latest neutrino measurements from Super-Kamiokande. A unique aspect of this meeting series is the combination of space physics and particle astrophysics. This year the emphasis was on measurements and interpretation of violent events in the heliosphere by a constellation of spacecraft and ground-based detectors during the current solar maximum. Detection of neutrinos with the neutrino telescopes Baikal and AMANDA were reported. The conference featured updates on several major projects of the field at various stages of development and construction: the Auger giant air shower experiment, new gamma-ray detectors (GLAST and Agile in space, VERITAS, HESS, CANGAROO, MAGIC on the ground) and kilometer-scale neutrino telescopes.

2. Prizes: C4 now awards three prizes. The Yodh prize is new this year, with Reuven Ramaty selected as winner shortly before his death. The O'Ceallaigh award, which was awarded for the first time in 1999 jointly to John Simpson and G. Zatsepin, went this year to V. Ginzburg. The Duggal Award for an outstanding young scientist in the field was awarded to Teresa Monatruli, University of Bari.

3. Business: During its meetings at Hamburg, C4 heard a report from the Japanese National Organizing Committee which will host the 28th ICRC at Tsukuba, Japan, July 31-August 7, 2003. An invitation to hold the 29th ICRC in India at a date and place to be determined in 2005 was received favorably. The Russian member of C4, Olga Ryazhskaya, requested the Commission to endorse and promote a proposal for offsetting Russian debt to "leading world countries" in exchange for support of Russian participation in international collaborations such as the Pierre Auger Project and Monolith. While the Commission found the idea attractive and interesting, it considered that the idea needed consideration in a broader context. The proposal was therefore forwarded to the President of IUPAP. Discussions on recommendations for new members of C4 to begin in 2002 are ongoing and will be reported at Mexico City.

Thomas K. Gaisser, Chair of C4
September 7, 2001