Issue 24-09, Jun 17, 2024
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- 56TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS)
- DPS CALL FOR WORKSHOP AND SPLINTER MEETING PROPOSALS
- HAPPY JUNETEENTH!
- KIANA MCFADDEN THIS YEAR’S DPS-NSBP SPEAKER AWARDEE
- 2024 ADVANCING IDEA IN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE
- DPS FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (FRS) CAPITOL HILL ANNUAL VISIT
- SEARCH FOR LIFE SCIENCE ANALYSIS GROUP (SFL-SAG) CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
- NEW HORIZONS SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT WEBINAR
- NEUTRAL AND ION PHOTOCHEMISTRY IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES – LORENTZ CENTER WORKSHOP – CONTACT ORGANIZERS BY JUNE 17
- 2024 TAPS MEETING ABSTRACT SUBMISSION, TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATION, AND REGISTRATION OPEN – AUGUST 15-16, SAN ANTONIO
- CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE PLANETARY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP IN BOULDER
- EXOPLANETS: COMPOSITIONS, MINERALOGY, EVOLUTION – INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP WITH TRAVEL SUPPORT (AUGUST 17-18, CHICAGO)
- DPS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS
- EXAMINING THE READINESS OF THE LUNAR COMMUNITY TO RECEIVE ARTEMIS SAMPLES
- SPACE SCIENCE SERIES VOLUMES AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS
- CURRENT TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ICARUS AND THE PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
- JOBS, POSITIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES
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56TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS)
Join us 6-10 October in Boise, Idaho, and online for the 56th Annual Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) meeting. We plan to open abstract submissions by 24 June with a closing date of 17 July.
The Hartmann Student Travel Grant and the Underrepresented Minority Communities in Planetary Science Travel Grant will again be offered, stay tuned for the applications to open in the next couple of weeks.
Please note: Yom Kippur begins on Friday, 11 October, so the meeting will begin with an evening reception on Sunday, 6 October, and end one day earlier than usual, on Thursday, October 10.
If you have any questions regarding DPS 56, please contact the AAS meetings team at 202-328-2010 or [email protected].
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DPS CALL FOR WORKSHOP AND SPLINTER MEETING PROPOSALS
We are now calling for proposals from the community for Workshops and Splinter Meetings for the 56th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS). Decisions about which proposals can be accommodated are expected to be made by 9 July for Workshops and 16 July for Splinter Meetings.
Workshop Proposals
A workshop is a focused meeting, typically with a small group of invited participants, usually on an educational, programmatic, or career topic. Workshops are typically collaborative and interactive. Examples include tutorials on use of astronomical software, and tools related to scheduling and data analysis for observatories and missions. Formal Working Group meetings for observatories and missions are usually scheduled as workshops. Deadline: 2 July
Splinter Meeting Proposals
Splinter Meetings are science or programmatic meetings that may be scheduled by organizations or groups usually in parallel to scheduled DPS sessions. These will usually require separate meeting space and may require A/V support, and/or catering. Deadline: 10 July
https://submissions.mirasmart.com/DPS56/Splash.aspx
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HAPPY JUNETEENTH!
The DPS Professional Climate and Culture Subcommittee (PCCS) would like to wish everyone a Happy Juneteenth! This annual celebration of emancipation of slavery in the United States [1] is a federal holiday (on June 19). In honor of this occasion, we encourage all members of our community to celebrate [2], become familiar with this U.S. history [1], and reflect on the many contributions by Black scientists and other scientists of color to the investigation of space. In particular, we recommend checking out #blackinastroweek2024 (June 16-22) [3] and consider participating in the annual meeting of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), this year jointly hosted with the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP), to be held Nov 13-17 in Houston, TX [4]. Via a partnership between NSBP and DPS, the annual DPS URM travel grant to support attendance by members of URM communities to the NSBP or the DPS annual meeting will open shortly. Donations to the DPS URM travel grant can be submitted via the DPS site, and those submitted by the end of October will be matched by a DPS community member, up to $4k.
References
[1] “What Is Juneteenth?” by Henry Louis Gates Jr. https://bit.ly/3cQmAqX
[2] Poem “Emancipation” by Priscilla Jane Thompson https://bit.ly/3wGOrlF
[3] Black in Astro week: https://www.blackinastro.com/
[4] NSBP website including link to the meeting: https://nsbp.org/
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KIANA MCFADDEN THIS YEAR’S DPS-NSBP SPEAKER AWARDEE
The DPS and National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) are pleased to announce this year’s DPS-NSBP Speaker Awardee: Kiana McFadden, a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona. Kiana McFadden was selected based on her talk at the NSBP Fall 2023 meeting, entitled “Size and Albedo Constraints for (152830) Dinkinesh Using WISE Data.” This work was critical for helping the NASA Lucy mission plan their November 2023 encounter with this small main-belt asteroid. We look forward to hearing her invited talk at the 2024 DPS annual meeting, with travel supported by DPS.
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2024 ADVANCING IDEA IN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE
The LPI’s 2024 Advancing IDEA in Planetary Science conference aims to boost the community’s momentum in incorporating Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) principles in the workforce. NASA and other planetary science stakeholders have committed to fostering IDEA principles throughout their agencies and funded programs. The LPI’s Expanding NASA’s Community of Planetary Sample Scientists (ENComPSS) program is supporting this virtual conference as a next step, building upon the 2022 Advancing IDEA in Planetary Science conference. We encourage participants from the 2022 conference to provide updates on the progress that has been made in the past two years.
Call for Abstracts and Registration
Abstract submission deadline: August 7, 2024, 5:00 p.m. CDT
Registration fees are not being collected for this meeting, but registration is required. Registration will be available through October 25. Before the conference, registered attendees will receive an email from Houston Meeting Info with virtual connection information.
Meeting Portal Updates: We have modified the meeting portal to follow best practices that support inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. We encourage you to log into the meeting portal to update your profile information. From the meeting portal home page, click Edit Profile.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/advancingidea2024/
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DPS FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (FRS) CAPITOL HILL ANNUAL VISIT
The DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee (FRS) completed its annual visit to Capitol Hill, to discuss NASA and NSF planetary science funding and priorities, in early June of 2024. The FRS visits followed DPS Committee advocacy visits in early May of 2024. A revised one-pager, available to the DPS community on the AAS DPS website, and a letter detailing planetary science community priorities and specific asks were included in visit preparation efforts. During these visits we met and communicated with House and Senate Authorization and Appropriation staffers responsible for NASA and NSF, as well as individual Congressional offices of DPS committee and FRS members. We also had the opportunity to meet with the newly introduced NASA SMD Acting PSD Director. Our advocacy focused on continued education about the Planetary Science and Astrobiology decadal survey, as well as the small-, mid-scale, and large missions to multiple solar system destinations that sustain our current workforce and provide opportunities to train the next generation of STEM professionals. We emphasized the importance of maintaining the decadal recommendation specific to Research and Analysis (R&A) funding levels tied to 10% of the PSD budget, as well as the importance of balance across NASA SMD and PSD, which includes a balance of mission destinations and opportunities for planetary science community members of different career stages. Our advocacy was well received this year, and there continues to be strong support for planetary science within Congress.
Angela M. Dapremont, AAS DPS FRS Chair ([email protected])
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SEARCH FOR LIFE SCIENCE ANALYSIS GROUP (SFL-SAG) CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) and the NASA Astrobiology program have chartered the Search for Life Science Analysis Group (SFL-SAG). The purpose of the SFL-SAG is to refine the recommendation for a ‘Search for Life’ mission in the 2023-2032 Planetary Science Decadal Survey by narrowing down the type of environment to which the SFL mission will be delivered, identifying the specific science and technology needs for a mission to that location, and identifying those mission elements that will offer the most conclusive answers, for a mission of this class, to the question of ‘Are we alone?’. The SFL-SAG charter can be found at https://www.lpi.usra.edu/mepag/sag/sfl-sag/SFL-SAG_Charter.pdf and contains further details about the purpose, scope, approach and deliverables of the SAG.
To maximize the value of the SAG’s final report, the chartering organizations are seeking representation across a broad range of scientific and technical fields, including, but not limited to:
- Astrobiology and origin of life
- Geology (geochemistry, geobiology)
- Biology (biochemistry, microbiology)
- Chemistry (organic chemistry, prebiotic chemistry)
- Climate and atmospheric science
- Planetary protection
- Technology (robotics, landed and mobility systems, instrumentation, life detection, subsurface access, mission architecture and operations)
Self-nominations for participation on SFL-SAG are being solicited through June 26, 2024, with selections occurring soon thereafter. The anticipated period of SAG activities will be July 2024-March 2025. Applicants should anticipate a regular meeting cadence during this period, with meetings done chiefly by Microsoft Teams or Zoom, and communications by email.
Applicants are asked to submit their CV of no more than 2 pages, and a cover letter of no more than 2 pages (as a single, combined document), indicating interest in SFL-SAG participation, and touching upon those evaluation elements listed in the SFL-SAG Charter under ‘Methods/SAG Member Selection’ and listed on the application website at https://www.lpi.usra.edu/mepag/sag/sfl-sag/. As we seek a balance of experiences and expertise, selection to the SAG does not require knowledge of, or experience in, all evaluation elements. Applications are encouraged from candidates whose primary expertise is not based in Mars research, and applicants from all career levels.
Applications should be uploaded at the Google Form https://forms.gle/pYLUyyDMLijPxMTd7 in PDF or DOC file format by 5pm PDT on June 26, 2024.
If you have questions, or difficulty uploading your application, please contact Jonathan Bapst at [email protected]
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NEW HORIZONS SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT WEBINAR
Join us on June 27th, 2:30-3pm EST (11:30-12 PST,12:30-1pm MST,1:30-2pm CST)
New Horizons continues its operation, now at 58.8au from the Sun. Since 2015 it has made ground-breaking discoveries of the Pluto-Charon system, flown past the small contact KBO binary Arrokoth and collected phase and light curve data for some three dozen additional KBOs and the ice giants. It has also been sampling dust density throughout the solar system and studying the cosmic optical background. To raise awareness of New Horizon’s scientific impact we are beginning a new spotlight seminar series (30 min, fourth week each month) which we invite you to attend online, or watch recorded at your convenience.
Our speaker will be Alex Doner from the University of Colorado. His talk is entitled:
“New Horizons Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter Observes Higher than Expected Fluxes Approaching 60 AU”
Connection Link:
https://zoom.us/j/97317697636?pwd=MTAzMjJmNThTeFppR3JoYzlkUXVCQT09
Meeting ID: 973 1769 7636
Calendar for future seminars:
Recordings are archived and posted at:
https://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/index.php#Spotlight-Presentations
For questions, contact New Horizons CoI Susan Benecchi, [email protected]
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NEUTRAL AND ION PHOTOCHEMISTRY IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES – LORENTZ CENTER WORKSHOP – CONTACT ORGANIZERS BY JUNE 17
We would like to draw your attention to the following Lorentz Center Workshop: Neutral and Ion Photochemistry in Planetary Atmospheres, 29 July – 2 August 2024, Lorentz Center@Oort – Leiden, The Netherlands
https://www.lorentzcenter.nl/neutral-and-ion-photochemistry-in-planetary-atmospheres.html
The aim of this meeting is to bring together experts from the chemistry, planetary science, and astronomy communities to tackle topics such as:
- Disequilibrium Chemistry in (Exo)Planetary Atmospheres
- Observational Diagnostics of Photochemistry
- Chemical Networks, Cross Sections, Molecular Spectroscopy
- Laboratory Experiments, Ab-Initio Calculations
The workshop will be a small-scale, in-person meeting with a strong focus on interactive discussions and collaboration. There is no registration fee and participation includes daily lunches, a sea-side workshop dinner, and a wine and cheese social event.
We still have several open spots, so if you are interested to participate or have further questions, you can send an email to [email protected] or contact one of the organizers directly before June 17th. Please feel free to share this message with interested colleagues or students.
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2024 TAPS MEETING ABSTRACT SUBMISSION, TRAVEL GRANT APPLICATION, AND REGISTRATION OPEN – AUGUST 15-16, SAN ANTONIO
The 2nd Texas Area Planetary Science (TAPS) Meeting will take place on August 15-16, 2024, at the downtown UT San Antonio (UTSA) campus in San Antonio (UTSA San Pedro I, 506 Dolorosa St, San Antonio). The TAPS meeting aims to strengthen interactions within the Texas planetary-exoplanet science and astrobiology community and foster collaborations & partnerships between institutions & researchers. We encourage researchers, faculty, postdocs, and students interested in planetary science and astrobiology/exoplanet research to join us for this 1.5-day event.
The meeting website has been updated: https://sites.google.com/view/tapsmeeting/home
You can submit your abstract (this year, we are soliciting oral or poster presentations), apply for a travel grant, and register on the website under the tab TAPS002-2024. We are pleased to offer travel grants for attendees at all career stages, supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Here are the deadlines to keep in mind:
July 8th: Abstract Submission Deadline
July 9th: Travel Grant Application Deadline
July 15th: Registration Deadline
Please contact Xinting Yu ([email protected]) or [email protected] for any questions.
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CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE PLANETARY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP IN BOULDER
Planetary scientists and astrobiologists within the United States are invited to apply to attend the Culturally Inclusive Planetary Engagement professional development workshop and public engagement event August 20-22, 2024, in Boulder, CO, in partnership with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Denver Metro. During the three-day workshop, participants engage with local informal educators to discuss and model effective strategies for engaging Black and Latinx communities in planetary science, and conduct hands-on activities during a co-designed public engagement event. More information about the workshop and links to the application form are available at https://www.lpi.usra.edu/planetary-reach/workshops/.
Spaces are limited. Stipends (including travel stipends) are available for those participants who are able to accept them. Application deadline: June 18, 2024.
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EXOPLANETS: COMPOSITIONS, MINERALOGY, EVOLUTION – INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP WITH TRAVEL SUPPORT (AUGUST 17-18, CHICAGO)
Exoplanets! Formation! Evolution! And you! Participate in a great interdisciplinary workshop at Goldschmidt24 that will feature talks+discussions on astronomy, geology, and astrobiology to help bridge the gap in exoplanet characterization. The speakers of the workshop — all experts in their field — have come together to write the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RiMG) book: “Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution.” The chapters are primers, focused on understanding/learning about other disciplines and are catered to non-expert scientists, and will be the focus of the talks. The hope for our workshop is to spur interdisciplinary conversations and initiate collaborations, as well as explain the current state of the field and teach one another about our respective fields. Plus, everyone gets a copy of the book with registration!
Workshop information: https://tinyurl.com/Goldschmidt24Exoplanets
Dates: August 17-18, 2024 in Chicago, right before Goldschmidt2024
Registration: Cost is $260 (reg) / $210 (students). Includes lunch and coffee for both days, as well as a copy of the RiMG book!
Travel support: The organizers have secured NASA funding to offset domestic travel and registration costs for U.S.-based researchers. Interested attendees can apply for funding here: https://forms.gle/F8QkqKuPhqCTsnow6
Forms submitted by June 23 will receive full consideration. We expect to notify applicants by June 26, 2024. The workshop registration deadline is July 1, 2024.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalie Hinkel at [email protected].
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DPS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS
The DPS Professional Development Subcommittee seeks new members; all career levels from students to professionals are welcome. The Professional Development Subcommittee provides educational, networking, and informational opportunities within the DPS community. These include the Women in Planetary Science event, professional development events, early career events, and a dependent care grant at the annual meeting. Read more about the subcommittee here: https://dps.aas.org/leadership/development.
If you’re interested in joining this subcommittee, e-mail the current chair Jennifer Hanley ([email protected]).
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EXAMINING THE READINESS OF THE LUNAR COMMUNITY TO RECEIVE ARTEMIS SAMPLES
The joint LEAG-ExMAG Specific Action Team (SAT) is examining the readiness of the lunar community to receive Artemis samples. Part of their task is to address how well-prepared we are to maximize the science return of nominal Artems samples. In this context, preparedness refers to that of workforce, facilities, and funding. A critical part of making this determination is receiving community input for the report.
With this is mind, please respond to a survey about how well prepared we are as a lunar community to enhance the science return of Artemis samples. The survey should take approximately 5-15 minutes and your input is greatly appreciated. We especially would appreciate you letting us know who else should be sent this survey as we want to make sure all interested stakeholders have a chance to provide input.
The link to the form: https://forms.gle/Sab8uXSYEn1Yv4qW7
Please reach out to Nicolle Zellner with any questions: [email protected]
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SPACE SCIENCE SERIES VOLUMES AVAILABLE ON OPEN ACCESS
The University of Arizona Press announces the Open Access release of fourteen previous volumes in the Space Science Series. These newly released volumes span the broad range of planetary science, including giant planets, rings, satellites, asteroids, meteorites, protostars and planets. The full announcement and Open Access links can be found here: https://uapress.arizona.edu/2024/05/new-oa-titles-space-science
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CURRENT TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ICARUS AND THE PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
The current issues for both DPS-affiliated journals are here:
Icarus:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/icarus/vol/415/suppl/C
The Planetary Science Journal:
https://iopscience.iop.org/issue/2632-3338/5/6
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JOBS, POSITIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES
Job seekers and employers are encouraged to browse DPS’s job listings and advertise open positions **for free**.
Recent openings and opportunities are listed below and more are at the link above.
- Job Announcement – Department Chair of Physics and Applied Physics
The University of Massachusetts Lowell invites applications for the position of Chair to lead an established and active Department of Physics and Applied Physics. We seek a visionary chair with a record of academic and research achievement to take the department to a new level, who will supervise and maintain departmental academic activities, while continuing their independent research program in a field that enhances and/or complements our current research strengths. The successful candidate will be a nationally prominent academic leader with an established record of excellence in research, education and mentorship that can promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, respect, and integrity.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a leading public research university in the greater Boston area and has a national reputation in science, engineering, and technology. The appointee will be offered a competitive start-up package, with access to high-end research equipment and facilities, and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across disciplines in various science and engineering departments and research centers.
The position is open until filled, with a planned start date of September 1, 2025.
For more information visit: https://explorejobs.uml.edu/en-us/job/523612/professor-and-department-chair-of-physics-and-applied-physics
- NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship – Application Deadline July 1, 2024
The NASA Postdoctoral Program offers US and international scientists the opportunity to advance their research while contributing to NASA’s scientific goals. The NPP supports fundamental science; explores the undiscovered; promotes intellectual growth; and encourages scientific connections.
Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, astrophysics, biological and physical science, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration systems, space operations, space technology, and astrobiology. Search for NPP research opportunities in Planetary Science here: NPP Research Opportunities.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. Please see current eligibility requirements. Stipends start at $70,000 per year, with supplements for higher cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $10,000 per year is provided for travel and professional development.
Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1.
For further information and to apply, visit: https://npp.orau.org/applicants/index.html.
Questions: [email protected]
- Two Open Rank Professors of Planetary Sciences at the University of Bern
Institution: Division of Space Research and Planetary Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland
Job Description: The Division of Space Research and Planetary Sciences within the Physics Institute of the University of Bern has two openings, as of 2025, for two professors in experimental planetary sciences. The Division is one of the leading research groups in the field of space instrumentation for experimental solar system exploration and is looking for professors in the fields of planetary remote sensing and in situ mass spectrometry or in related fields. The initial hiring level can range from assistant professor tenure track to full professor according to qualifications (open rank). The successful candidates are expected to have or further develop an excellent and internationally recognized track record in the development, construction, and exploitation of scientific instrumentation flying on spacecraft missions. The Division offers excellent conditions in terms of laboratory infrastructure, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities to build space-grade hardware. The University of Bern has set the aim of increasing the percentage of women in leading academic positions and thus strongly encourages female scientists to apply for the positions.
The application deadline is 1 August 2024. More information can be found at:
https://www.space.unibe.ch/about_us/jobs/questionnaire/index_eng.html
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Send submissions to: Denise Stephens, DPS Secretary, at this address [email protected]
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