Issue 15-22, May 20, 2015
+————————————–CONTENTS————————————–+
- IN MEMORIAM: STANTON J. PEALE (1937-2015)
- SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) MEETING #13:
REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS - CALL FOR PARTICIPATION – TRAINING OPPORTUNITY PHOTOGRAMMETRIC
PROCESSING OF PLANETARY STEREO IMAGERY USING ISIS AND SOCET SET - FAMELAB
- JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
- UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
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N.B. Distribution of the May 20, 2015 issue of the DPS Mailing was delayed by
a server shutdown at the AAS Office. Apologies for any now-out-of-date entries.
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IN MEMORIAM: STANTON J. PEALE (1937-2015)
Stanton J. Peale passed away on May 14, 2015 in Santa Barbara from
complications of leukemia. He was 78. Stan was surrounded by family
and friends prior to and during his passing. He was a kind and
brilliant planetary scientist with expertise in dynamics and
geophysics. His career spanned over five decades. After earning his
PhD at Cornell University in 1965, he took a faculty position at the
University of California, Los Angeles, and then at the University of
California, Santa Barbara, where he worked from 1968 until 2015. His
most recent work was submitted for publication on May 11, 2015. His
contributions include the prediction of widespread volcanism on
Jupiter’s moon Io, the derivation of a general theoretical framework
that governs the rotational states of bodies subject to tides, the
study of tidal evolution in satellite systems, and the development of
an ingenious procedure to determine the size and state of Mercury’s
core. He was also a pioneer in the study of extrasolar planets, both
in terms of their dynamics and their detection by microlensing. Stan’s
work illustrated the power of physics to probe the interiors of
planets. Stan was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize (1979), the
James Craig Watson Medal (1982), and the Brouwer Award (1992). He was
elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2009. He was a
wonderful, beloved colleague and will be deeply missed.
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SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) MEETING #13:
REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
Dear SBAG community,
The website for the 13th SBAG Meeting, which will be held
June 29 – July 1 in Washington, DC, is now available:
The website contains logistics information, the current agenda, and
the opportunity to register. Registration is free but is important for
planning and to document the community interest in having future
NASA-supported SBAG meetings. Please register for the upcoming
meeting if you plan to attend.
Best wishes,
Nancy Chabot
SBAG Chair
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CALL FOR PARTICIPATION – TRAINING OPPORTUNITY PHOTOGRAMMETRIC
PROCESSING OF PLANETARY STEREO IMAGERY USING ISIS AND SOCET SET
The Planetary Photogrammetry Guest Facility at the Astrogeology
Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey would like to announce
its Call for Participation for a training opportunity on July 27-29,
2015. This training will cover photogrammetric processing of planetary
stereo imagery using ISIS and SOCET SET software developed by BAE
Systems. The training is FREE to participants, and will cover end-to-
end, hands-on photogrammetric procedures for surface extraction
(i.e., digital elevation model generation) from Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter HiRISE image pairs. For additional information and sign-up
instructions, please see:
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/facilities/photogrammetry-guest-facility
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FAMELAB
Calling all early career scientists: Passionate about science?
Love to communicate… or want to learn how? Join us at Phoenix
ComiCon on May 30th for the 4th regional heat of FameLab USA’s
Season 3!
FameLab is a fun-filled day of competition, coaching, and camaraderie
that’s all about science communication. You craft a 3-minute,
powerpoint-free talk on your research or a related topic and deliver
it in a supportive environment to judges who give only constructive
feedback. No slides, no charts-just the power of words and any prop
you can hold in your hands. The heart of the whole thing is a workshop
conducted by communication professionals to help you enrich your
skills. Everyone wins!
All info about the Phoenix competition is here:
http://famelab-eeb.arc.nasa.gov/competitions/season3-phx2015/
or email Daniella Scalice with any questions at:
[email protected]
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JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
A) PLANETARY RADAR RESEARCH SCIENTIST
The Arecibo Observatory has an opening for a postdoctoral or research
scientist position in the Solar System Studies group studying near-
Earth asteroids and other Solar System bodies with the Arecibo
Observatory Planetary Radar system and the William E. Gordon Telescope.
This position would involve observations, data processing, archiving,
and modeling of near-Earth asteroids and other Solar System bodies
with the Arecibo Planetary radar system. Experience with radar
observations and techniques is not a prerequisite. Experience and
interest in astronomical observations of Solar System objects,
small-bodies geophysics, astronomical instrumentation, and / or
numerical inverse modeling are desirable. The incumbent would be
resident in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and be an employee of Universities
Space Research Association. The incumbent would be expected to
participate in radar observations and also carry out an independent
research program, and would be encouraged to apply for partial
funding support. The Observatory and the Solar System group have
significant computing facilities. Conference travel and equipment
support are available.
To apply please visit:
For further information, please contact Dr. Mike Nolan at:
[email protected]
B) POST-DOC POSITIONS RELATED TO HITRAN
We are seeking talented young individuals for positions of postdoctoral
associates and visiting students to participate in the HITRAN group.
Postdoctoral associates will be involved in the preparation of the HITRAN
compilation. The responsibilities will include construction of the spectral
line lists for the molecular species relevant to the modelling of planetary
atmospheres. This will include, but is not limited to, collecting available
experimental and theoretical data, assessing their quality and creating
semi-empirical models for calculating parameters that are not available
in the literature. In addition to being co-authors on the widely cited
HITRAN paper, the candidates will have an opportunity to work on
first-author publications in the field of atmospheric and/or astronomical
spectroscopy.
The candidates are expected to have a working experience in the field
of molecular spectroscopy (understanding of different types of molecular
symmetries, transitions, selection rules, working with Hamiltonians, etc).
The knowledge of lineshape issues is a plus. Familiarity with the HITRAN
database is desired. Experience with Fortran and/or Python is required.
Proficiency in English language and good communication skills are required.
Candidates will have to be able to work both independently and within a team.
Applicants are expected to have completed their PhDs no earlier than
July 2011 and be able to start their duties no later than October 1, 2015.
The position is for one year and provides a stipend of $59,000 per annum
(changing to $60,000 in January 2016). Depending on the performance and
the availability of funding the position may be extended to another year.
Medical insurance can be covered.
Applications (with CVs) and independently two reference letters should
be sent to Iouli Gordon ([email protected]) and Laurence Rothman
C) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR POSITION:
SOLAR-SYSTEM EXPLORATION SCIENCE
The Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of
Science, the University of Tokyo invites applications for a position as
an assistant professor in the area of Solar-System exploration science.
We seek a creative individual with leadership ability in the field of
solid planetary science based on planetary exploration and observations
including instrumental development. The successful candidate can have a
science background other than solid planetary science. The successful
candidate will be appointed at the earliest possible date after
September 1, 2015, and is expected to teach laboratory classes at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A Ph.D. or equivalent
qualification at the time of appointment is required. If not already
fluent in Japanese, he or she will be expected to achieve fluency
sufficient for giving lectures and performing administrative duties
within several years.
Applications must be received by June 22, 2015 via either e-mail or
postal mail.
More information is available at:
http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/open-positions/2458/
D) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH POSITION: PLANETARY
GEOCHRONOLOGY/ INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT
We are seeking a postdoctoral scholar to help develop our LIBS-MS
geochronology instrument. Examples of projects that may be pursued
include understanding how LIBS and mass spectrometry techniques can
be used to understand planetary lithologies, comparing K-Ar and Ar-Ar
ages of planetary samples with complex thermal histories, and/or
investigating experimental conditions (pressure, temperature, viewing
angle, measurement techniques, etc.) to optimize flight instrument
workflow and hardware. Candidates are encouraged to contact Dr.
Barbara Cohen ([email protected]) directly to develop a
research proposal. Applications are due July 1 and must be submitted
through the NASA Postdoctoral Program web site:
Dr. Barbara Cohen
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
256-961-7566
[email protected]
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UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
A) NASA PRE-PROPOSAL WEBEX/TELECONFERENCE:
MINORITY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
PROJECT (MUREP) AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE
STEM PARTNERSHIP (MAIANSP)
Pre-proposal Teleconference/Webex
Thursday, May 21, 2015
3:00 pm EDT
You are strongly advised to check the MAIANSP page in NSPIRES webpage
before connecting for any changes.
Announcement Number: NNH14ZHA001N, Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 43.008
The teleconference will provide an in-depth overview of the MAIANSP
opportunity and proposal requirements. Please visit the MAIANSP
page in NSPIRES for information regarding this NASA opportunity.
After the presentations, there will be a brief Q&A session.
Connection Instructions:
WebEx (for the visua; component)
Meeting Number: 395 781 200
Meeting Password: MAIANSP123!
https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m661bd1635c25281
4ff5b28d893d50ed7
To view in other time zones or languages, please click the link:
https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m3d02ab7a3671f4c
09e3427b69cd22ce6
Teleconference (for the audio component)
Call-in number: 866-844-9416
Participant passcode: 9768771
If calling from outside the US, send an email to the
[email protected] for an out-of-country phone number.
Presentation slides and a written transcript of the teleconference
will be posted to the NSPIRES website. Questions asked during the
call will be part of the MAIANSP FAQ document.
Questions regarding this session should be sent to:
[email protected]
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Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
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—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325