Issue 17-01, January 8, 2017
+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+
- MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2017
- 16th SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) MEETING JANUARY 11-13 IN TUCSON
- THE DPS COMMITTEE REMINDS YOU TO VOTE IN THE AAS ELECTIONS
- 2017 EXOPLANET SUMMER PROGRAM: JUNE 26 – JULY 21, 2017
- NASA NEW FRONTIERS 4 AO PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
- UPCOMING MEETINGS
+——————————————————————————————–+
1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2017
I hope everyone had a chance to have some down-time with family and
friends and perhaps also work hard and focus on something scientific over
the holidays. I’m optimistic that we will continue to have the opportunity
to pursue exploration of our Solar System and other planetary systems in
the year to come, and here’s why.
In October, Thomas Zurbuchen was appointed Associate Administrator
for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. He comes with broad scientific
and organizational leadership experience and I’m encouraged by his leadership
already. Last week, NASA announced that two missions were selected to
proceed into development in the Discovery Program and a few weeks
before that the Announcement of Opportunity for the New Frontiers Program
was released. That and a strong Research and Analysis Program provide
many opportunities for scientific investigations in our fields of research.
The NASA transition team has landed and is actively preparing for the
new administration. Full speed ahead!
Next week we’ll open a lottery for 30 free subscriptions to Icarus, the
Journal of Solar System research published by Elsevier. At the link,
you’ll enter your name and a few sentences stating why you want the
subscription and that you don’t have access to an institutional subscription.
The DPS Committee is in the process of analyzing the exit poll from the
Pasadena meeting, for the purpose of improving the meeting to be held in
Provo Utah, October 15-20, 2017. Stand-by for that analysis, and thanks
to the 353 of the >1400 attendees who responded.
Lucy McFadden
DPS Chair
2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
16th SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) MEETING
JANUARY 11-13 IN TUCSON
The 16th meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) will
be this coming week, Jan. 11-13, in Tucson.
The meeting will be available live via Adobe Connect at
https://ac.arc.nasa.gov/sbag16/
The telecon number is 800-857-7273, participant passcode: 9348469
The agenda can be found at the link below:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/jan2017/Agenda_20161222.pdf
I hope to see you, either in person or virtually this week.
Tim Swindle
SBAG Chair
3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
THE DPS COMMITTEE REMINDS YOU TO VOTE IN THE AAS ELECTIONS
Don’t forget to vote in AAS elections. The DPS is the largest AAS division.
Perry Gerakines and Doris Daou are running for the nominating committee that
selects candidates for officers and councilors and Karen Meech and Terry Oswalt
are running for Councilor.
Balloting closes at 11:59 pm EST on 1 February 2017
https://vote.aas.org/ballot/ballot_view/34
4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
2017 EXOPLANET SUMMER PROGRAM: JUNE 26 – JULY 21, 2017
The Other Worlds Laboratory (OWL) at the University of California,
Santa Cruz (UCSC) announces the 2017 Exoplanet Summer Program
(ESP). Within the program we wish to foster new and existing research
collaborations by outstanding visitors, with stays of 1 to 4 weeks.
Program: The purpose of the program is to allow visitors to generate new
ideas, nurture existing research projects and collaborations, and foster new ones.
There is no theme or focus area – in this fast-moving exoplanets field we want
the participants to drive the discussion and work on areas they feel is most
pressing and exciting. We imagine an ESP program that is modest in terms of
planned activities, besides a daily coffee and seminar with active discussion.
Participants can expect access to shared offices on campus, discussion common
areas, and of course immersion in Santa Cruz’s natural beauty.
Eligibility: Faculty, researchers, postdocs, and graduate students at any level are
invited to apply. Funding is limited, so participant travel support will range from
partial to full.
Applications: Please write 1-2 pages that cover the following areas: The science
that you would like to accomplish while in Santa Cruz, the proposed dates of
your stay, and the science connections that you see with faculty, researchers, or
students within the OWL. Please also include a CV of up to 2 pages. The current
roster of planetary investigators and research at UC Santa Cruz can be found at
http://owl.ucsc.edu/. We particularly welcome joint applications by small groups
wishing to work together on projects. E-mail applications to OWL Director
Jonathan Fortney at [email protected].
Information: We will work with program visitors to aid in finding suitable
housing accommodations either on or off campus. Some on campus shared-
apartment-style housing will be available. Keep in mind that Santa Cruz is
a popular summer destination. Please contact Jonathan Fortney by e-mail or
phone, 831-459-1312, with additional questions about the ESP program.
Deadlines: Applications that are received by January 15th, February 15th,
and March 15th, 2017, will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
NASA NEW FRONTIERS 4 AO PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
Potential proposers to the New Frontiers 4 AO soliciting Principal
Investigator (PI)-led science investigations utilizing a complete
spaceflight mission are encouraged to attend the pre-proposal
conference on Friday, January 20, 2017, from 11:00 am to
approximately 3:30 pm eastern time (Washington, DC). Information
will be presented by NASA officials, and participants will have the
opportunity to pose questions regarding the opportunity. The
conference will be virtual and participation will be facilitated
via Webex and teleconference phone line. Travel to the pre-proposal
conference is not necessary and attendance in person is not
supported. The agenda and instructions will be posted at the NF4
acquisition website (https://newfrontiers.larc.nasa.gov/) under
the Pre-Proposal tab. Attendance is open to all and no registration
is required.
6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6
UPCOMING MEETINGS
A) ASTROBIOLOGY SCIENCE CONFERENCE SESSION ON THE MODERN MARS HABITABILITY
http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2017
Abstracts due January 18, 2017
Meeting dates April 24-28, Mesa AZ
Modern Mars Habitability: Recent discoveries on Mars, including:
Recurring Slope Lineae, ground ice, and active gully formation,
have been interpreted as indications for the transient presence of
water. The potential for liquid water on Mars has profound
implications for the habitability of the modern Mars environment.
This session solicits papers that examine the evidence for habitable
environments on Mars, present results about life in analogs to these
environments, discuss hypotheses to explain the active processes,
evaluate issues for planetary protection, and explore the implications
for future explorations of Mars.
Organizers: Carol Stoker, NASA Ames Research Center,
and Alfred McEwen, LPL, University of Arizona
B) TITAN THROUGH TIME 4
NASA GSFC, April 3-5th 2017
We are pleased to announce that the 4th workshop on “Titan Through
Time: Titan’s Formation, Evolution and Fate” will be held at NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center, April 3-5th 2017. As in previous years,
the 2 1/2 day workshop will feature a mixture of invited review talks,
as well as contributed talks and posters. The timing of this workshop
is especially apt, coinciding with the last year of the Cassini mission,
and an era when new missions to Titan are envisaged for the “Ocean
Worlds” initiative of the New Frontiers program.
Invited speakers and meeting details can be found at: www.regonline.com/titaniv
The deadline for abstracts is February 15th 2017. Limited student travel
funding is available: see website for details.
Hoping to see many of you in Goddard in April,
Conor Nixon
Chair SOC
On behalf the Science Organizing Committee.
C) CALL FOR PAPERS: SESSION PS06 AT AOGS 2017
Please consider submitting an abstract in the following session at the
upcoming AOGS meeting in Singapore, 6-11 August 2017.
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2017/public.asp?page=home.htm
—–
PS06: Icy Worlds: Moons, Dwarf Planets, Rings and Exoplanets
This session will be devoted to outer planet satellites, rings, icy dwarf
planets and water-rich exoplanets. The session will include solicited,
contributed, and poster presentations addressing observational, laboratory,
and theoretical studies relevant to past, ongoing, and future missions.
Relevant topics include:
(1) interior structure, composition and thermal evolution,
(2) surface geology and composition,
(3) orbital dynamics and interactions,
(4) structure, dynamics and physical properties of planetary rings,
(5) habitable potential for the water worlds.
—–
The abstract submission deadline is 15 February 2017.
The Conveners:
Dr. Jun Kimura (Osaka University, Japan)
Dr. Mathieu Choukroun (California Institute of Technology, United States)
Dr. Frank Sohl (German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany)
Dr. Steven Vance (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States)
Dr. Athena Coustenis (Paris Observatory, France)
D) CALL FOR PAPERS: SESSION PS15 AT AOGS 2017
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2017/public.asp?page=home.htm
The abstract submission deadline is 15 February 2017.
PS15: Volcanism and Tectonism Across the Solar System
The surfaces of the terrestrial planets and their satellites have been
largely shaped through volcanic and tectonic processes. Extreme
conditions on outer solar system bodies, such as the Jovian and
Saturnian satellites, result in different types of volcanism and tectonism.
Fracturing and faulting processes mainly affect minor bodies such as
asteroids and small moons, where volcanism and tectonism have not
played an important role. We invite contributions that cover a wide
range of topics including geomorphology and composition of volcanic
deposits, edifices, and plumes, volcano-induced deformation and edifice
growth and collapse to tectonic structures, faulting and fracturing processes,
crustal stress and strain analysis, cryovolcanism, and any study related to
planetary endogenic processes. Furthermore, studies that relay interactions
between planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres are welcomed.
Comparative studies of volcanic or tectonic systems on Earth with a strong
remote sensing component are encouraged.
———
Hope to see you there!
The Conveners:
Dr. Anezina Solomonidou (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, United States)
Dr. Thomas Platz (Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany)
Dr. Florian M. Schwandner (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, United States)
E) EUROPEAN GEOSCIENCES UNION (EGU) CONFERENCE
This is a reminder that the next European Geosciences Union (EGU)
conference will be held in Vienna on 23-28 April, 2017, with an
impending abstract deadline of January 11, 2017. There are several
planetary-science sessions in categories that include “Solar System
Exploration and Techniques”, “Small Bodies and Dust”,
“Terrestrial Planets”, plus “Outer Planets, Icy Satellites and Rings”.
The latter will include both Cassini and Earth-based results.
The conveners wish to call your particular attention to a special
session this year, PS3.2, covering results from the Juno mission and
supporting observations of Jupiter from space-based and ground-based
facilities.
PS3.2: Initial Results from Juno’s Exploration of Jupiter and the
Earth-based Collaborative Campaign
Convener: Scott Bolton; Co-Conveners: Paul Hartogh, Tristan Guillot,
Glenn Orton, John Connerney, Jean-Claude Gerard
Abstract submission is made through the following site:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2017/abstract
submission/24838
Abstract submission deadline: January 11, 2017
———————————+
Send submissions to:
Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address em