When working on a European scale, electronic tools can help a lot to improve collaboration between members of a community. Therefore, ASPERA is developing new tools to increase its internal and external communication abilities.

The new website portal of ASPERA, www.aspera-eu.org, will be launched July 1. It aims to present the ASPERA European Astroparticle Physics network and its activities to coordinate Astroparticle Physics on a European scale. Implemented by FECYT in Spain, the web portal will increase the image of ASPERA and shall serve as a hub for the whole Astroparticle Physics community, linking with experiments that have European participation in this field of science, classified by topics.

Astroparticle Physics is also described through six main questions that the field is trying to answer, while a map presents a collection of European infrastructures. In addition, the ASPERA website will offer interesting tools for the whole community, such as an internal collaborative space and a webpage for jobs ads in Astroparticle Physics.

A Virtual Conferencing System for Astroparticle Physics

Only a computer, a microphone and a webcam are needed to participate in a “virtual conference”. When connected to the Internet, you are able to attend such a meeting from everywhere in the world! « It is just like you are discussing in the same room » said Didier Rouable, who is implementing and testing the virtual conferencing system at CNRS. He explains that the tool is very easy to use and offers many functions. For instance, it is possible to share file documents between all the participants of a meeting, to chat with one or several persons, or to use a virtual white board to draw diagrams that can be seen by other participants.

This system, called EVO, already in use by many international collaborations, was developed by and for the scientific community, firstly at CALTECH. ASPERA management has begun to successfully use EVO and it should be widely used for all kinds of meetings in the very near future.