Newsletter 20-32

Issue 20-32, July 10, 2020

 

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  1. DPS 2020: VIRTUAL MEETING
  2. ARECIBO OBSERVATORY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE
  3. FIVE YEARS AFTER HL TAU: A NEW ERA IN PLANET FORMATION
  4. FALL AGU VIRTUAL MEETING, ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS OPEN
  5. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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DPS 2020: VIRTUAL MEETING

The DPS Committee has decided, out of concern for our community during the 

ongoing coronavirus pandemic, to hold the 52nd DPS meeting as a virtual meeting, 

Oct 26-30, with possible additional activities planned for surrounding days.  The 

meeting will be a mix of pre-recorded talks, virtual posters, live moderated discussions 

of these talks and posters, live plenary sessions, and asynchronous discussions 

throughout the week.  The SOC is working the details – please stay tuned! 

We anticipate opening abstract submission on July 17, with abstracts due on Aug 10. 

Details regarding the use of Hartmann travel grants will be forthcoming. We will be 

offering the Niebur fund for childcare; these grants will be augmented to account for 

virtual meeting attendance.

Please stay tuned for plans ancillary activities such as workshops and social events 

associated with the meeting.

Are you interested in helping to plan the DPS meeting as part of the Virtual Organizing 

Committee (VOC)? Please contact Amanda Hendrix at [email protected]. We are seeking 

input on ancillary virtual activities and communication tools that would make this meeting 

especially useful to those whose careers are being particularly impacted by the current 

pandemic.

We will plan to hold a future DPS meeting in Spokane. A huge thank you to Jason Barnes 

and the Spokane LOC for their work so far!

 

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ARECIBO OBSERVATORY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE

 

The Summer 2020 Arecibo Observatory Quarterly Newsletter is now available! 

Each newsletter features science highlights and updates about the telescope, staff, 

and current education programs. The newsletter also includes articles about recent 

AO planetary science observations and publications: 

·         Radar Observations during close approach of PHA 1998 OR2

You can subscribe to receive this newsletter via email in the future: Join AO Newsletter list

 

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FIVE YEARS AFTER HL TAU: A NEW ERA IN PLANET FORMATION

 

Virtual conference, Dec 7 – Dec 11, 2020

Six years ago, somewhere in an email thread at the Joint ALMA Observatory:

“Re: Suggestions for Science Verification targets for Long Baselines
HL Tau @ 04 31 38.45 +18:13:59.0
Band 6 total flux around 1 Jy.

Observations would be continuum in whatever bands are available. 

Band 3 might be most interesting to compare with the VLA data.” 

A few months after these words were written, the ALMA antennas pointed toward

HL Tau, the first protoplanetary disk to be imaged with the ALMA long baselines.

These observations marked the start of a revolution that has shaken the foundations

of our understanding of planet formation and protoplanetary disk evolution. Now, ~5

years after the publication of the iconic image of HL Tau, we aim to celebrate its

anniversary with a conference that will discuss the most important advances in this

new era in planet formation.

The conference will be online, and it will take place from Dec 7 to Dec 11, 2020.

The conference will consist of a series of invited talk, live discussions, contributed talks

(live or pre-recorded), and virtual posters. All talks will be recorded and made available

to all the participants in order to facilitate discussions across different timezones. Registration
will be FREE OF CHARGE. Pre-registration is now openand the specific format and

logistical details will be confirmed in the near future. The program will offer a broad view

of the field, covering from the early stages of disks still embedded in their parental envelope

to the times when full planetary systems are formed and only a few remnants of the progenitor
disk are left. It will also explore the future of planet formation studies, as well as the impact

and potential of upcoming instrumentation and telescopes (e.g. E-ELT, JWST), with particular
focus on ngVLA. With this workshop, we aim at creating a more unified view of the exciting
discoveries that have taken place in recent years. Some of the specific topics that will be discussed are:

– Planet formation in embedded protoplanetary disks.
– Role and origin of disk substructures.

– Dust evolution and planetesimal formation.

– Disk polarization and magnetic fields.

– Planet formation in multiple systems.

– Chemistry in protoplanetary disks.

– Protoplanetary disk demographics.

– Disk evolution and dispersal.

– Gas kinematics in protoplanetary disks.

– Detection and characterization of young exoplanets and circumplanetary disks.

– Debris disks.

 

More information can be found on our website: https://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/2020/hltau2020.html.
Please, feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues.
We hope to see all of you in December.

Best regards,

LOC: Álvaro Ribas (co-chair), Antonio Hales (co-chair), Enrique Macías (co-chair),

Bill Dent, Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, John Carpenter, Julien Milli

SOC: Álvaro Ribas (co-chair), Antonio Hales (co-chair), Enrique Macías (co-chair),

John Carpenter(co-chair), Bill Dent, Catherine Espaillat, Inga Kamp, Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo,
Joan Najita, Julien Milli, Laura Pérez, Lucas Cieza, Misato Fukagawa,

Viviana Guzmán

 

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FALL AGU VIRTUAL MEETING, ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS OPEN

The American Geophysical Union Fall Virtual Meeting 2020 abstract
submission site is now open. Go to: http://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting

Abstract submission guidelines are at: http://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts
Session Viewer/Abstract submission site is at: http://agu.confex.com/agu/fm20/prelim.cgi/Home/0

We will be keeping all sites updated with information regarding the virtual meeting

as the planning continues.

 

AGU FALL MEETING SESSION: “GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS OF SATELLITES 

AND SMALL BODIES: TO IO, AND BEYOND”

 

We wish to invite abstracts to the AGU Fall Meeting Planetary Science session 

“Geology and Geophysics of Satellites and Small Bodies: to Io, and Beyond. 

This is an exciting time for exploring the dynamic, evolving small bodies in the 

Solar System.  The AGU abstract submission site will open in late June.  The 

deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, 29 July at 23:59 EDT.  We hope to 

see you (virtually!) in December.

 

Conveners:  A.G. Davies, K. de Kleer, T. McCord, T. V. Johnson

 

This is a session of contributed and invited papers on the geology and geophysics 

of active or recently active satellites and dwarf planets, including small exoplanets. 

Research is progressing rapidly due to the stream of new spacecraft and Earth-based 

telescope data.  Additionally, there are exciting future missions to the Jovian system 

under development, including Europa Clipper, JUICE, and the proposed Io Volcano 

Observer. Papers are welcomed on processes that affect the interiors of individual 

bodies as well as the surface expressions they produce. Included are the effects and 

chronology of internal heating (tidal dissipation and radioactivity), structural evolution 

(e.g., differentiation), tides, and other geophysical and geological processes (e.g., 

volcanism, tectonism).

 

Sincerely,

Ashley Gerard Davies, Katherine de Kleer, Tom McCord and Torrence Johnson.  

 

AGU FALL MEETING SESSION “LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE OF PLANETARY SCIENCE”

 

We’d like to invite abstracts to the virtual AGU session “ Looking ahead to the future of
Planetary Science” to be submitted through https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts
through July 29th, and look forward to seeing you for a fascinating session. 

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE OF PLANETARY SCIENCE

 

Description:

In preparation for the NASA Decadal Survey, the Planetary Science Division awarded

funds to study eleven mission concepts under the rubric of PMCS (Planetary Mission

Concept Studies). This program element solicited proposals for mission concept studies

that addressed NASA’s planetary science objectives, which are to ascertain the content,

origin, and evolution of the Solar System and the potential for life elsewhere. The oral

session will highlight the final reports of these Planetary Science Decadal Survey studies,

while abstracts for additional concepts that the community may have will be solicited to

be presented in a poster session.

 

Thanks a lot,

Doris Daou, Pat Beauchamp and Julie Castillo-Rogez

 

AGU FALL MEETING SESSION “THE FUTURE OF PLANETARY ATMOSPHERIC,
SURFACE, AND INTERIOR SCIENCE USING RADIO AND LASER LINKS”

 

Radio science has been used to study solar system phenomena and fundamental physics

for over five decades. The scope of this session includes radio and optical science techniques

to study ocean worlds, planetary and small body interiors, the dynamics, composition,

and thermal structure of planetary atmospheres, to characterize the scattering, electrical,

and other properties of planetary surfaces, to study solar system dynamics, and to conduct

tests in fundamental physics. Of particular interest are presentations on radio science investigations
motivated by U.S. Planetary Science Decadal Survey white papers. Relevant technology topics
include but are not limited to the design of small spacecraft networks and constellations, advances
in flight and ground instrumentation, advances in space clock technologies, novel communications
architectures including optical links, advances in radio and laser technologies, and new techniques
and instrumentation for entry probe radio science.

 

The conveners invite abstracts to be submitted through July 29 at https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts 

 

David H. Atkinson, Sami W. Asmar, Luciano Iess, Silvia Tellmann

 

AGU FALL MEETING SESSION “TITAN – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS
OF SATURN’S GIANT MOON”

 

Titan’s unique standing as the only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere

provides an environment like no other. Its complex meteorology of rainfall, wind, rivers,

lakes and seas interacting with a solid surface is reminiscent of the planets of the inner

solar system, while its icy crust and deep liquid water interior provide comparison to outer

solar system ocean worlds, such as Europa, Ganymede and Enceladus. Titan alone straddles

these diverse environments, providing a fertile natural laboratory for studying one-of-a-kind
chemistry, dynamics, geology and more. This session welcomes new results from past missions
including Voyager and Cassini-Huygens; present day modeling, observations and experiments;
and on-going scientific research to prepare for future missions including Dragonfly.

 

The conveners invite abstracts to be submitted through https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts
through July 29th, and look forward to a session

filled with exciting new results.

 

Conor Nixon, Alex Hayes, Kathy Mandt and Christophe Sotin

 

AGU FALL MEETING SESSION “CONCEPTS FOR FUTURE PLANETARY SCIENCE MISSIONS
AND INSTRUMENTS” (E-LIGHTNING)

 

Today planetary science missions are exploring the solar system as never before.

NASA spacecraft are headed to targets from Mercury to the Kuiper Belt, and aiming

to return the first samples from Mars and asteroid Bennu. ESA spacecraft are reaching

new targets from Mercury to Jupiter, and a wave of other missions from countries around

the world are targeting the Moon, Mars, near-Earth asteroids and beyond, with an dizzying

array of orbiters, rovers and landers. It is an exciting, dynamic time for planetary scientists

with new opportunities to propose mission concepts ranging from small Cubesats to traditional
large missions. This session solicits interactive electronic poster (e-Lightning) presentations

on novel mission and instrument concepts designed for future planetary science missions. 

 

Abstract submissions are encouraged on all relevant mission and instrument concepts at:
https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/2020/Present/Abstracts by July 29th. 

 

We look forward to another very interesting session in December.

 

Conor Nixon, Morgan Cable, Charles Hibbitts, Melissa Trainer

 

AGU-2020 SESSION ON PLANETARY ACCRETION AND DIFFERENTIATION

 

We invite contributions to the session “Accretion and differentiation of rocky planets:
perspectives from geophysics, geochemistry, & astronomy” at the AGU Fall Meeting 

from 7-11 December 2020, which will be at least partially virtual this year. We welcome
contributions from all disciplines to advance the understanding of the formation and differentiation
of rocky planets including, but not limited to, geochemistry, geophysics, cosmochemistry,
planetary science, and astronomy: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm20/prelim.cgi/Session/101356.
The AGU abstract portal is already open and the deadline for submissions is Wednesday, 29 July.

Session description: The simultaneous advent of high-resolution observations of planet-

forming disks and enhanced prospects to characterize rocky exoplanets highlights the need

for increasing interdisciplinary collaboration to understand the birth and life cycle of terrestrial
worlds in our solar system and exoplanetary systems. Therefore, this session welcomes

abstracts that address new observational, theoretical, and laboratory constraints on the 

formation of Earth and other terrestrial planets in the solar system as well as in exoplanetary
systems. This includes modeling, observational, and experimental studies related to properties

of planetesimals, impacts, pebble accretion, core segregation, moon formation, crust–mantle
differentiation, atmosphere formation, or other major geophysical/geochemical processes that
fundamentally shape the evolution of rocky planetesimals and planets during their formation

and early evolution.

Conveners: Laura Schaefer (Stanford), Rebecca Fischer (Harvard), Tim Lichtenberg (Oxford)
Invited Speakers: Bethany Chidester (UC Davis), Jennifer Bergner (UChicago)
Sections: Study of Earth’s Deep Interior (primary), Mineral and Rock Physics, Planetary Science
Themes: Origin and evolution, Planetary atmospheres, Planetary interiors, Planetary Geochemistry

 

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) FULL OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEORETICAL PLANETOLOGY

 

The Space Research and Planetology Division within the Physics Institute of the

University of Bern has an opening, as per 1 January 2022, for a full or associate

professor (100%) in the field of Theoretical Planetology.

 

The University of Bern hosts one of the leading research groups in Europe in the

field of theoretical planetology and is looking for a candidate at the level of full

professor or associate professor (according to qualifications) in numerical modelling

of the formation and evolution of planetary systems or a related field. The successful

candidate is expected to develop a strong research group that will complement existing

research activities both at the University and within the Swiss and international

landscapes. He/she will also teach at BSc. and MSc. level, including lecturing basic

physics courses in German. Non-German speakers will be given the necessary time to

become competent in the language. The successful candidate will be part of a vibrant

division and institute interacting in research, education, and administration as a member

of the physics faculty. We expect a strong academic record including successful acquisition

of third-party funds and a strong international network in research, as well as excellent

social skills.

 

The University of Bern aims to increase the proportion of women in academic positions

and therefore strongly encourages female scientists to apply. Applications proposing

job sharing will also be considered.

 

Remuneration is in accordance with the personnel regulations of the Canton of Bern.

 

Applications should include

·         Letter of motivation with Curriculum Vitae

·         List of publications and courses taught

·         List of third-party funds raised

·         Information on further academic (including science management) activities

·         Research plan for the first 5 years

The application documents must be submitted by 01.10.2020 electronically in a single

PDF file (<10 MB) to the Dean’s Office (email: [email protected]),

Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, SWITZERLAND and submit the completed

online questionnaire (link to be found at https://www.space.unibe.ch/about_us/jobs/ptp100/index_eng.html).

 

The contact person for additional information is Prof. Nicolas Thomas,

Director of the Physics Institute, ([email protected]).

 

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Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]

 

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