1. Page 1 COSPAR Commission H: Fundamental Physics in Space Presentation for From Quantum to Cosmos by John Mester Stanford University 22 May 2006 © Alan Bean, courtesy Greenwich Workshop Inc.

2. Page 2 l COSPAR – the Committee on Space Research was established by the International Council for Science 1958 u International Council for Science -Umbrella NGO founded in 1931 u Antecedents: IGY and Sputnik l COSPAR Mission  Promote scientific research in space  Provide a forum for the discussion of information and the exchange of results u Objectives pursued through: ßBiennial Scientific Assemblies ßPublications: Elsevier's ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH l COSPAR annual report submitted to United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Introduction to COSPAR

3. Page 3 COSPAR Organizing Structure l Governed by a Bureau and Council u Bureau ßCOSPAR President: R-M. Bonnet (France) ßVice-Presidents: W. Hermsen (NL) E.C. Stone (USA) u Council ßRepresentatives of Member National Scientific Institutions ßInternational Scientific Unions, (e.g. IUPAP) ßChairs of COSPAR Scientific Commissions l Space Studies Board of National Academy of Sciences serves as the U.S. National Committee for COSPAR

4. Page 4 COSPAR Scientific Structure l 8 Scientific Commissions u A: Earth's Surface, Meteorology and Climate u B: Earth-Moon System, Planets, and Small Solar System Bodies u C: Upper Atmospheres of the Earth and Planets u D: Plasmas in the Solar System, Planetary Magnetospheres u E: Astrophysics from Space u F: Life Sciences as Related to Space u G: Materials Sciences in Space u H: Fundamental Physics in Space Commission H Organization u Chair:A. M. Cruise (UK) u Vice Chairs:M. Lee (USA) J. Mester (USA) T. Sumner (UK)

5. Page 5 COSPAR Commission H l Commission H established in 1996 u Recognition of emerging field not served by other commissions u Inclusive Definition 1) fundamental physical laws governing matter, space and time ßgravitational and particle physics, ßstudy of gravitational waves in space, ßequivalence principle tests, ßthe search for new hypothetical long-range forces, ßthe search for antimatter in the universe, ßunification of the fundamental interactions of Nature. 2) organizing principles from which structure and complexity emerge ßquantum phenomena and their applications ßcritical phenomena in superfluids ßBose-Einstein condensation ßsymmetry principles in macroscopic physics ßrenormalization group studies ßlaser cooling technologies for advanced clocks and rotation sensors

6. Page 6 Advantages of Space for Fundamental Physics from Everitt et al. ASR -a COSPAR Publication

7. Page 7 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly Beijing, China, 16 – 23 July 2006 l Commission H Sessions to include talks on u Equivalence Principle Tests u Space tests of General Relativity u GR in the Strong Field Limit u Gravitational Waves u Precision Clock Experiments u Atom Interferometry in Space u Cold Quantum Gases in Micro-Gravity l Joint Commission E/Commission H Sessions u Particle Astrophysics  X ray and  Ray Astrophysics u Studies of Black Holes u Micro-Satellite Science