Issue 14-14, June 14, 2014
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1) FROM THE DPS CHAIR
2) 46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : CALL FOR PAPERS, EVENTS AND FUNDS
3) FEEDBACK ON DISSERTATION TALKS AT THE 2013 DPS MEETING
4) PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE SPECIAL ISSUE “SOLAR WIND INTERACTION WITH THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS”
5) NEW NASA OBSERVING CAMPAIGN TO STUDY COMET C/2013 A1
6) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
7) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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FROM THE DPS CHAIR
June is well underway, and so are plans for the 2014 DPS meeting. See the invitation below from the LOC, and visit the Tucson meeting website for the most up-to-date information (http://aas.org/meetings/dps46). We expect a large attendance – looking forward to seeing you there!
Planning has also commenced for the 2015 DPS meeting in the Washington DC area’s National Harbor on November 8-13, 2015, and we are very pleased to announce that the 2016 meeting will be jointly hosted by DPS and the European Planetary Science Congress. This DPS-EPSC meeting will take place in Pasadena, CA, on October 16-21, 2016. Mark your calendars now!
Earlier this month in Boston, the AAS summer meeting was in full swing. Planets were a key feature, with a multi-session meeting-within-a-meeting entitled “On the Shoulders of Giants: Planets Beyond the Reach of Kepler.” Please reach out to your astronomy colleagues who work in the fields of exoplanets and astrobiology. We in the DPS have a wealth of experience and five decades of expertise in the study of planets to share.
Thanks are due to Makenzie Lystrup and our Federal Relations Subcommittee for their strong advocacy efforts, as well as to each and every one of you who took the time to contact Congress recently. The House of Representatives has passed a 2015 funding bill for NASA at $17.9 billion ($435 million above the Administration’s 2015 request and $250 million above its 2014 level). The accompanying report also directs $1.45 billion to the Planetary Science Division (~$185 million above the administration’s proposed budget). This is just one step along the way (we still need to hear from the Senate) but it is a positive signal for NASA and planetary science.
I also want to personally thank my fellow DPS leaders. We recently met in Washington DC at the AAS Office for our annual mid-year meeting. We discussed all manner of topics related to the health and well-being of the DPS: budgets, meetings, professional development, advocacy, and much more. It is a pleasure to work with this strong leadership team.
And finally we extend our thanks to all of YOU who have voted in our elections for new DPS Officers and DPS Committee Members. We now eagerly await hearing from the remaining 90% of you. Yes, only about 10% of our membership has participated in our election thus far. Please, folks, take a moment right now, today, to cast your VOTE in the DPS election. Go to http://aas.org/vote/ and do your part for the DPS. Thanks!
Heidi Hammel
DPS Chair
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46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : CALL FOR PAPERS, EVENTS AND FUNDS
Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46
Dear DPS members, we invite you to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting! Please note these important dates:
– 18 June 2014 : 46th DPS Workshop Proposals Due (for workshops with registration fees)
– 21 August 2014 : 46th DPS Regular Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 26 August 2014 : 46th DPS Early Registration Deadline
– 24 September 2014 : 46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 10 October 2014 : 46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline
If you like paradigm-shifting oral sessions, cutting-edge poster round-ups, and rubric-smashing education and outreach workshops then you won’t want to miss the 46th Annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences in Tucson Arizona! At the Tucson 2014 DPS meeting, you will participate in world-class hobnobbery with an eclectic array of moon swooners, dust musterers, gas bags, lava lovers, glass masters, math blasters, ring dingers, first lighters, dewar slewers, infraheads, ultrapilots, dot wranglers, plasma tamers, non-synchronous rotators, flight-rule makers, flight-rule breakers, spin doctors, planet smashers and general space cases against a backdrop of sand, bedrock, rock beds, basins, ranges, saguaro, ocotillo, mesquite, palo verde, rattle snakes, scorpions, javelina, sunshine, stars, planets, and the best sunsets you will ever see!
* Abstracts
See in particular http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps
DPS specifies the following regulations for submission and presentation of abstracts at a Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting:
– Any person may submit an abstract.
– Presenters must be listed as the first author on the paper.
– Presenting/first author must register for the meeting.
– Nonmembers can only present once every 10 years.
– Nonmembers are required to have a sponsor who is an active AAS Full Member or DPS Affiliate; the sponsor will be notified.
The DPS Science Program is coming together. There will be a wide range of invited plenary talks and we expect plenary talks by the Urey and Kuiper prize winners.
* Workshops
If you are planning a workshop in association with the 2014 DPS meeting in Tucson, please note that June 18 is the deadline to submit your proposal if you wish it to be included as an option on the DPS Meeting Registration form. Note that workshops that have registration fees must be listed on the DPS Meeting Registration form. The proposal deadlines for other workshops are Sept. 2 (for public workshops) and Oct. 27 (for private workshops). At the website above, choose the “Submit a Workshop Proposal” button at the right. Be certain to read the read the “Instructions, terms, and conditions” linked at top prior to submitting your workshop proposal.
* Accommodation and diversions
The JW Marriott Starr Pass is located about five miles west of downtown Tucson and it is a great venue with restaurants, hiking, biking, swimming, golf, and more! In case you’re worried about hotel fever, we will run a regular shuttle service to downtown Tucson and the university area so you can sample the best tacos, burritos, chimichangas, vampiros, caramelos, albondigas, chile rellenos, pico de gallo, carne asada, and queso fundido west of the San Pedro, south of the Rillito and east of the Santa Cruz!
We are planning a number of diversions including a field trip to Meteor Crater, a food-truck round-up, and an art exhibition! The banquet will be held at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which will be open and fully available to attendees!
Please see http://aas.org/meetings/dps46 for more information!
* Funds
Please also remember to donate to the new professional development award for planetary scientists, the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund. The fund will provide financial assistance to qualifying DPS members to facilitate their attendance at the annual DPS meeting by offsetting dependent-care costs, either at the meeting location or at home during the week of the conference. The Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund will support Dependent Care Grants for the 46th annual meeting of the DPS in Tucson, Arizona, 9-14 November 2014.
More information about the new fund, including how to donate: http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-dependent-care
We hope to see you in Tucson in November! The SOC and LOC.
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FEEDBACK ON DISSERTATION TALKS AT THE 2013 DPS MEETING
During the 2013 DPS meeting, as an experiment, the DPS offered extended 15-minute time slots for Dissertation Talks (generally at the end of the relevant session) rather than the usual 10 minutes. These were an opportunity for PhD students whose dissertation is almost complete, or those who have graduated since the last DPS meeting, to present thesis results. Normal speaker rules applied, and there is a lifetime limit of one such talk per person.
The 2014 DPS Science Organizing Committee (SOC) solicits feedback from the community as to whether the experiment was successful and should be continued.
If you gave a Dissertation Talk, do you think that the extra time was beneficial to you? Do you think that being identified as a graduating student was beneficial? Why or why not? Do you think that one of these aspects would have been as effective without the other?
If you heard a Dissertation Talk during a session, do you think that the extra time was beneficial? Do you think that identifying the speaker as a graduating student was beneficial? Why or why not? Do you think that one of these aspects would have been as effective without the other?
Please send feedback to [email protected]
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PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE SPECIAL ISSUE “SOLAR WIND INTERACTION WITH THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS”
(_deadline 1st July___)
Dear colleagues,
We would like to propose you to participate to the special issue “Solar wind interaction with the terrestrial planets” in the Planetary and Space Science journal (deadline for submission : July 1st). The covered topics include all aspects of planetary plasma physics and interactions in the inner Solar System, e.g. :
(a) magnetospheres, ionospheres, auroras
(b) the solar wind interaction with planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth,
Mars) and their moons, or with asteroids / comets
(c) plasma interactions with exospheres, dust and surfaces
(d) intercomparisons of planetary environments
Contributions are welcome which address previous, present, forthcoming and planned observations from space, as well as ground-based observations, theoretical modelling or simulations. Laboratory studies on planetary analogues aiming to simulate the surface-plasma interaction are considered as well.
If you intend to submit a manuscript to this issue, here is the procedure:
1) The manuscript should be written following the PSS guidelines (http://www.elsevier.com/journals/planetary-and-space-science/0032-0633/guide-for-authors).
2) The manuscript should be submitted within July 1stto the web page : http://ees.elsevier.com/pss/
3) In the beginning of the submission procedure you will be asked to choose ‘article type’ : you should choose ‘*SI: solar wind planet interaction*’. We would also like to ask you to give us 3-4 names of potential reviewers when you submit your manuscript.
The acceptance deadline (latest date where your paper should be accepted for publication) will be December 1st 2014, leading to an expected publication date in early February 2015. The papers will be of course available online as soon as the paper is accepted, inside the “in press” online section.
We thank you in advance for your participation to the issue.
Best regards,
The editors (P. Garnier, A. Milillo, A. Radioti)
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NEW NASA OBSERVING CAMPAIGN TO STUDY COMET C/2013 A1
We announce the beginning of a new NASA Observing Campaign to study comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring), including two observers’ workshops to take place on 11 Aug and 19 Sept 2014. This comet, first discovered in January, 2013 at the Siding Spring Observatory in NSW, Australia, by R. McNaught et al. (2013) will fly within 135,000 km of the planet Mars on the 19th of October, 2014 circa 18:30 UT. Mars will be moving through the comet’s outer coma, carrying its orbiting and ground based roving spacecraft fleet with it. In this way the Mars fleet will be participating in a very close comet flyby of a dynamically new comet fresh from the Oort cloud passing inside the ice line for the first time, a feat that is almost impossible to do with current s/c missions. Plans are underway to use instruments aboard the Mars-orbiting spacecraft to observe C/Siding Spring around the time of close approach. (E.g., the HiRISE instrument aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), has the potential to image the comet at 140 m/pix, resolving the nucleus of a DN comet for the first time).
NASA is leading an effort to observe and study this comet, facilitating the use of all available ground and space-based remote observing resources. Measurements leading to increased understanding of its orbit, nucleus size, density, strength, and rotation rate, composition, coma and tail morphology, and evolution over time are highly encouraged, especially around the time of Mars closest approach. All these observations will also contribute to the studies of the interactions between the Martian atmosphere and cometary dust and volatiles, relevant to understanding the delivery of cometary water and organics to inner planets. With a high orbital inclination of 129 deg, the comet is best observed from the Southern hemisphere, and will appear brightest to Earth based observers in mid-September 2014 ([V] ~ 10) while [V] at closest approach will be ~ 13). We encourage all observing proposals to observe the comet using NASA facilities, especially ones focusing on the comet’s abundances, activity, and evolution along its orbit, as well as those from observatories around the world.
In order to facilitate the maximal observing of Siding Spring, we are planning on holding a 1-day observer’s workshop/telecon on 11 Aug 2014, and Mars fleet pre-encounter tag-up workshop/telecom on 19 Sept 2014. All interested parties are welcome to attend and discuss their observing plans, needs, and results. We also plan on supporting a post-encounter special session at the Fall 2014 AGU meeting in San Franscisco.
Contacts
For more information about observing opportunities for Comet Siding Spring, please visit the CIOC Campaign webpage at http://cometcampaign.org and the Mars Program Siding Spring webpage at http://mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring “
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JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
For all Job opportunities, please visit jobs
and also consider posting a job by filling out the jobs submission form at:
node/add/job
You can send any comments, questions, or suggestions to the DPS Jobs Czar at: [email protected]
A) STAFF SCIENTIST – LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE (LPI)
The Universities Space Research Association’s Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas, www.lpi.usra.edu is accepting applications for the position of Staff Scientist, a rank equivalent to Associate Professor. The successful applicant will perform outstanding basic scientific research in the lunar and planetary sciences, attract funding for their personal research activities, present research results in publications in refereed journals and at conferences, participate in the academic community for his/her field, support NASA through activities on committees and panels, and contribute to the dissemination of lunar and planetary science. He/she will have mentoring roles for junior scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and university students.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a planetary sciences or geosciences-related field and at least 4 years of experience in scientific research beyond the Ph.D. While applications will be accepted in any area of the planetary sciences, including research that enhances the interactions between LPI and the Astromaterials Research Group at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), applications that complement current scientific expertise are desired. The successful candidate must be able to communicate effectively in oral and written formats, including presentations to the scientific research community, and government representatives.
Applicants should apply to the posting at https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ and must include a letter of interest, a Curriculum Vita with list of relevant publications, a brief (maximum three pages) 5-year research plan, and a list of three references. Requested materials must be received by August 1, 2014. Additional information on current research and facilities at the LPI can be found on our website at www.lpi.usra.edu. USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
B) SPACE POLICY INTERNSHIPS AT THE NRC’S SPACE STUDIES BOARD
Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships are offered twice annually in Washington, D.C., by the National Research Council’s Space Studies Board. The summer 2014 program is restricted to undergraduates and available slots have already been filled. Vacancies still exist in the autumn 2014 program, which is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Applications for the autumn program will be accepted until June 20, 2014. Successful candidates will be contacted by July 17, 2014.
Additional information about the program, including application procedure, can be found at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/ssb_052239.
C) NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for
scientists and engineers to conduct research largely of their own
choosing, yet compatible with the research opportunities posted on the
NPP Web site.
Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete
one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s
missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science,
astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human
exploration and space operations, and astrobiology.
A sample research opportunities is:
https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17590
Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before
beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree
requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign
nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply.
Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high cost-
of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial
assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and
$8,000 per year is provided for professional travel.
Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1.
The latest NPP Newsletter:
http://bit.ly/1iUrK4I
For further information and to apply, visit:
http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm
Questions: [email protected]
D) PHD POSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NANTES – MODELING INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF ICY MOONS
Applications are invited for a PhD position at the Laboratoire de
Planetologie et Geodynamique, University of Nantes (France).
The successful candidate will work under the guidance of Dr. Giuseppe
Mitri and with Dr. Gael Choblet and Dr. Gabriel Tobie on the early
internal evolution of icy satellites of the Jupiter and Saturn system.
He/she will model the early evolution and differentiation processes of
Jupiter’ and Saturn’s icy satellites solving the convection equations
including multi-phase dynamics in a 2D and 3D geometry. Applicants must
have obtained a Master degree in Geophysics, Physics or an equivalent
degree. In addition, the applicant should have strong experience with
programming languages. The position will be available in September 2014. A
later start date is also possible.
Applicants should send a CV, a statement of research interests (1-2 pages)
and the names and contact information of two references to G. Mitri
([email protected]).
E) NASA HQ VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT – PLANETARY PROTECTION OFFICER
NASA has posted a position in the Science Mission Directorate for the Planetary Protection Officer.Applications are due by June 25, 2014.
NOTE: This announcement is open to current NASA Federal employees serving under a career, career-conditional or VRA appointment, those serving on an appointment under 213.3102(u) of Schedule A, or NASA term employees who have acquired conversion eligibility under the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004
For additional information regarding the position, as well as qualifying and application procedures, please review the complete announcement. Please copy and paste the following URL into your search browser: http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/372414100
Additional questions regarding this position can be directed to Dan Shen, NASA HRMD at (201) 358-4670.
Job Title: Planetary Protection Officer
Department: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Agency: Headquarters, NASA
Job Announcement Number: HQ14C0030
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
A) OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP MEETING
The dates for the next OPAG meeting will be July 23-24 in Bethesda, MD.
We will be meeting at the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel. The logistics are now posted on the OPAG homepage:
Please note that the deadline for getting hotel rooms at the group rate is June 23. The agenda will be posted soon.
Candy Hansen
OPAG Chair
B) SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP 11 MEETING
Logistical details and a draft agenda are now available on the SBAG
website for the 11th SBAG Meeting:
11th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group
July 29-31, 2014
Washington, DC
Participation is open to all. Participants are requested to register
using the SBAG 11 website, and registration is free.
C) PLANETARY RINGS WORKSHOP
13-15 August, 2014
Boulder, CO
The Cassini Rings Working Group will host a Planetary Rings Workshop 13-15 August, 2014 in Boulder, CO at the CU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (CU-LASP). The workshop will be open to all interested parties and any observational or theoretical research on the properties, dynamics, origin or evolution of any planetary ring system is appropriate. This meeting will highlight the latest Cassini results. We plan on predominantly oral talks, but posters will be considered. Ample time will be allowed for discussion. Previous workshops were held in Ithaca (2011), Paris (2008) and Whitefish, MT (2006). The first announcement is posted at LASP’s event website http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini/PlanetaryRingsWorkshopAug2014.html . Registration will be by credit card through Eventbrite. Details will follow in 2nd announcement and will be posted on the above meeting site. (Please email Laura Bloom (address below) if you would like to be placed on our mailing list and receive a direct email invitation once registration opens.) Planned program includes an opening reception Tuesday evening, a workshop dinner on Wednesday, and working lunch on Friday. The meeting will end Friday evening. Estimated costs are $100 for the workshop and $30 for the dinner.
D) AIDA WORKSHOP: HOLD THE DATE!
16-17 October 2014 in Washington
The first International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment
(AIDA) Workshop will be held 16-17 October 2014 in the Washington
DC area. We will discuss the science and planetary defense aspects
of an asteroid deflection by kinetic impactor, focusing on the DART
(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission)
concepts under consideration by NASA and ESA. The combination of both
missions is referred to as AIDA. As such we will include presentations
of those two concepts, discussion of the Didymos binary system, the
target of AIDA , as well as a more general discussion on binary
systems, regolith characteristics and mechanics, internal structures
of asteroids, impact observing strategies, additional science
opportunities during an impact demonstration, and “next steps” for
future deflection tests.
E) WORKSHOP ON VOLATILES IN THE MARTIAN INTERIOR
November 3–5, 2014,
Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), Houston TX 77058.
Since the Workshop on Water in Planetary Basalts in 2007, there has been extensive research conducted on volatiles (H2O, CO2, O2, S, Cl, F, and noble gases) in the martian interior and martian basalts. This new workshop will gather together researchers working on volatiles in the martian interior to discuss the latest developments in the field, where data are lacking, and which observations, instruments, or experiments are needed to make progress on understanding the origin, roles, and evolution of volatiles in the interior of Mars. Reports on data from meteorites, remote sensing, laboratory experimental investigations, in situ surface investigations, astrobiological implications, and geophysical/geochemical modeling are all applicable for inclusion in this workshop.
The first announcement is now available on the conference website:
http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/volatiles2014/
F) 2ND INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTATION FOR PLANETARY MISSIONS
November 4-7, 2014
Greenbelt, Maryland (near Washington DC)
Call for Papers
Submission Deadline: July 28, 2014
The objective of the International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Mission is to have a broad canvas of instrumentation and technology available to ‘Decadal Survey’ missions and those further out. It is also meant to be a forum of collaboration, exchange and discussions where science questions, and the technology needed to address them, are discussed.
The website for the workshop has been updated. Included on the website is the call for papers, registration information and form, plus lodging information.
To view the current information, visit the workshop website:
http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/
G) 11TH EUROPEAN SPACE WEATHER WEEK
17-21 November 2014
Liege, Belgium
** The abstract submission deadline is 1 June 2014. **
We warmly invite abstract submissions to our session “PLANETARY SPACE WEATHER” (http://www.stce.be/esww11/program/03.php).
Please find bellow a full description of this session along with the contact details of all three conveners. The ESWW11 meeting details can be found in the conference website: http://www.stce.be/esww11/ where the necessary guide and links to submitting abstracts can also be found.
** Conveners contact details **
Christina Plainaki (INAF-IAPS, Rome, Italy; [email protected])
Iannis Dandouras (IRAP, Toulouse, France; [email protected])
Maria Andriopoulou (Space Science Institute, Austrian Academy of Science, Graz, Austria; [email protected])
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Send submissions to:
Athena Coustenis, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
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