About CESRA

The Community of European Solar Radio Astronomers (CESRA) is an informal organization of European scientists to stimulate research of the outer solar atmosphere by means of radio waves and any other suitable diagnostics.

The aims of CESRA are to promote studies of the radio emission of the Sun and related topics including solar-like stars, to promote new instrumental developments, to facilitate contacts between observers using diffrent tools (remote sensing from gamma-rays to radio waves, in situ measurements), to stimulate collaboration between observers and theoreticians, solar, heliospheric and stellar physicists, to encourage young scientists in the field of solar radio physics, and to maintain contacts with all groups in the field within Europe and other parts of the world.

History of CESRA

In the letter by A.D. Fokker (Utrecht) dated June 12, 1970, invites “many” solar radio colleagues to a meeting at the IAU General Assembly in Brighton (August 18 – 27, 1970) (the letter found by Arnold Benz, Zurich), so August 1970 meeting in Brighton is the most appropriate date as the start of CESRA.  The “Statement of intentions and policy” was adopted at the 1972 meeting in Bordeaux. Initially the name meant “Committee of European Solar Radio Astronomers”. Members were the representatives from each observatory. In 1992 at a meeting with A.O. Benz (caretaker), M. Pick, G. Trottet, A. Magun and P. Zlobec, “Committee” was changed to “Community” and gave CESRA a democratic structure with statutes similar to today’s.

Arnold Benz  reports on the early history of CESRA “It started with the idea to build a European instrument for solar radio observations: The Joint Interferometer Project (JIP). In this phase CESRA was chaired by A.D. Fokker (Utrecht). When JIP became unrealistic in 1978, it was decided not to dissolve the organization, but give it to a “caretaker” to do whatever needed. The caretaker was Arnold Benz until CESRA became a more organized form in 1992, having a President, a Board and Statutes. Benz organized meetings together with a local organizer.

The list of previous Board members and CESRA meetings can be found here