Dr. Nedjeljka Žagar obtained the first Slovenian project awarded by the European Research Council. The ERC StG MODES deals with modal analysis of atmospheric balance, predictability and climate. The project was obtained and had a successful start in 2011. This project deals with the atmospheric balance and predictability in terms of the energy percentage which is associated with various types of motions, balanced (Rossby-type) motions and inertio-gravity motions. The project will quantify balance in the atmosphere based on reanalysis datasets and ensemble forecasting systems and use the results as a starting point for climate model assessment for their ability to represent the present climate and possible changes of balance in model simulations of future climate scenarios. Results will allow dynamical classification of climate models based on their balance properties. In 2011 the programme team also started 3 projects financed by the European Space Agency. Their topics concern meteorology, general relativity and astrophysics. We also continued with 3 COST projects (COST Action TD1105, COST Action ES1004, COST MP0905) and with the project FAIRMODE (Forum for Air Quality Modeling and Europe, fairmode.ew.eea.europa.eu/). We are also members of the centre of excellence Space.si, where we lead the workpackages on astrophysics and meteorology. We would like to emphasize a successful completion of the project "Establishment of air quality modeling system in Slovenia" for the Slovenian Environmental Agency in which for operational ozone and particulate matter forecasting over Slovenia a complex modeling system was built. By establishing this system Slovenia fulfilled the requirements of the EU regarding operational air quality forecasting. Modeling system consists of a photochemical model CAMx, operational meteorological model ALADIN-SI, and modules for temporally and spatially variable fields of anthropogenic emissions. Regional transport of polluted air masses was included in the system by providing chemical boundary conditions from global chemical models MOZART and IFS (from MACC project). Results calculated with this modeling system were validated on selected summer (for ozone) and winter (for particulate matter) episodes. The results of the validation have been presented at international conference (HARMO 2011).
D.01 Chairing over/coordinating (international and national) projects
COBISS.SI-ID: 2401124The programme group is very active in science outreach and in communicating scientific results to the general public. We do: (1) our own daily weather forecast calculated with increased spatial resolution and published on our web-page, (2) daily astronomical news digest and astronomy picture of the day translation on our web portals, (3) monthly public lectures for the general public within the cycle entitled "A journey through the Universe", (4) open days and nights on the occasions of season changes at the Astronomical observatory at Golovec, (5) preparation and organization of the monthly radio broadcast "Frequency X" with an astronomical topic, which airs on the 2nd programme of the national radio (Val 202), (6) contribution to educational programmes of the national TV, (7) preparation of the 3rd competition on astronomy for school-pupils, in collaboration with the Mathematical, Physical and Astronomy society of Slovenia, (8) translation and publication of astronomical learning materials (COBISS-ID 255251712 and 254230784) and authorship of the yearly astronomical ephemeris "Our sky" (COBISS-ID 33758464), (9) prepartion of expert opinions for public entities and state courts.
F.17 Transfer of existing technologies, know-how, methods and procedures into practice
The programme group is responsible for the entire university-level education in meteorology and astrophysics in Slovenia. This sums up to some 20 courses at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics and at other faculties of the University of Ljubljana. Considering that these lectures are given by just 4 teachers of our programme group, and that many courses, despite their optional nature, have over 50 students, it is clear that our programme group has an exceptional teaching load. So it is clear that a continuing support from the Slovenian research agency via its visiting professor scheme is essential. In 2011 we were therefore able to ask our visitors from Sweden, Italy and US to take part of the teaching load. We are also taking care of the upgrades of the research equipment available to our students. In 2011 a meteorological measurement site at the Faculty has been upgraded. At the Astronomical observatory Golovec an astronomical spectrograph to measure radial velocities has been inaugurated and tested. Typology below quotes a PhD thesis completed in 2011.
D.10 Educational activities