Author: cviewadmin

On Tuesday the President’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request was released. The request is consistent with the Administration’s past requests and stated priorities. Links are included below to details and commentary. Although there are few surprises in this request, there is some confusion. If you read the request you will see that it includes “discretionary” and “mandatory”, resulting in two interpretations of the request: For example, NASA either has a top line of $18.3B or $19B. The $18.3B number fits within the budget caps but the $19B does not. The argument is that $19B, though over the budget caps and would require additional legislation, is what NASA needs to continue with plans that were funded in FY2016. (Mandatory spending requires specific legislation to add/change — for example entitlements — while discretionary spending is where most federal science and R&D funding resides.)  You may recall that back in the President’s FY2015 budget request, the numbers included “Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI)” money that went above budget caps.  Congress ignored those numbers back in the FY2015 process and are highly likely to again in FY2017.

As in recent years, the Administration and Congress are at odds on a number of priorities, planetary science being one. The President’s planetary request for FY2017 is $1.52B, only $1.39B of which is in the “discretionary” bucket. Congress appropriated $1.63B for FY 2016.  Given the ongoing conflicts between the priorities of the President and Congress, this being the lame duck stretch of this Presidency, and the fact that this Administration will be gone the second quarter of FY2017, this budget request in general could have limited impact.  We will encourage Congress to continue its consistent, strong support for planetary during the upcoming appropriations process. Keep in mind that (primarily) due to the election this year, it is likely that we will see a Continuing Resolution to fund at least part of FY2017.

Read the request at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2017/assets/budget.pdf

Read the NASA materials at http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

Perspective from the AAS forthcoming at https://aas.org/policy/policy-blog

Read opinion from The Planetary Society at http://www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dreier/

Please feel free to contact Makenzie Lystrup at [email protected]

Issue 16-05, February 12, 2016

 

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. MESSAGE FROM THE FRS CHAIR: THE PRESIDENT’S FY2017 BUDGET REQUEST
2. REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2016 PRIZE NOMINATIONS
3. SBAG ANNOUNCEMENTS
4. SPITZER CYCLE 13 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
5. OPAG ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW)
6. ASTROBIOLOGY/PLANET FORMATION EDUCATION PROJECT 
7. UPCOMING MEETINGS
8. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

MESSAGE FROM THE FRS CHAIR: 

THE PRESIDENT’S FY2017 BUDGET REQUEST

 

On Tuesday the President’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request was released. 

The request is consistent with the Administration’s past requests and stated 

priorities. Links are included below to details and commentary. Although there 

are few surprises in this request, there is some confusion. If you read the request 

you will see that it includes “discretionary” and “mandatory”, resulting in two 

interpretations of the request: For example, NASA either has a top line of $18.3B 

or $19B. The $18.3B number fits within the budget caps but the $19B does not. 

The argument is that $19B, though over the budget caps and would require additional 

legislation, is what NASA needs to continue with plans that were funded in FY2016. 

(Mandatory spending requires specific legislation to add/change — for example 

entitlements — while discretionary spending is where most federal science and 

R&D funding resides.)  You may recall that back in the President’s FY2015 budget 

request, the numbers included “Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI)” 

money that went above budget caps.  Congress ignored those numbers back in the 

FY2015 process and are highly likely to again in FY2017.

 

As in recent years, the Administration and Congress are at odds on a number of 

priorities, planetary science being one. The President’s planetary request for 

FY2017 is $1.52B, only $1.39B of which is in the “discretionary” bucket. Congress 

appropriated $1.63B for FY 2016.  Given the ongoing conflicts between the priorities 

of the President and Congress, this being the lame duck stretch of this Presidency, 

and the fact that this Administration will be gone the second quarter of FY2017, 

this budget request in general could have limited impact.  We will encourage Congress 
to continue its consistent, strong support for planetary during the upcoming 
appropriations process. Keep in mind that (primarily) due to the election this year, 

it is likely that we will see a Continuing Resolution to fund at least part of FY2017.

 

Read the request at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2017/assets/budget.pdf

Read the NASA materials at http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

Perspective from the AAS forthcoming at https://aas.org/policy/policy-blog

Read opinion from The Planetary Society at http://www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dreier/

Please feel free to contact Makenzie Lystrup at [email protected]

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2016 PRIZE NOMINATIONS

 

DEADLINE MARCH 15, 2016

 

Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievement in our field. 

It is time to consider nominating a respected colleague for one of the annual 

DPS prizes:

 

The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize honors outstanding contributions to the field of 

planetary science.

 

The Harold C. Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in planetary 

research by a young scientist. 

 

The Harold Masursky Award acknowledges outstanding service to planetary 

science and exploration. 

 

The Carl Sagan Medal recognizes and honors outstanding communication

by an active planetary scientist to the general public.

 

The Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award recognizes

and stimulates distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences. 

 

Detailed descriptions of each of the prizes and the criteria for nominees for 

each can be found at prizes. The nomination form and 

instructions can also be retrieved from this website. The completed nomination 

form and supporting material should be emailed to [email protected]. 

 

Starting this year we are requiring that the nomination package with all

supporting material be submitted as a single document of less than 20 mbytes; 

.pdf is highly preferred. If you have a nomination from a past year that is 

being carried over, you do not need to resubmit unless you are including new 

material.  

 

Anyone except current DPS Committee members may submit a nomination. 

A completed nomination will be retained and considered by the Prize 

Subcommittee for three years, or as long as the nominee is eligible, whichever 

is less. Past nominees may be re-nominated after the expiration of a prior 

nomination. A posthumous nomination is allowed for a limited time after the

nominee’s death, except for the Sagan Medal. For specific details, see the URL 

noted above.

 

The deadline for nominations this year is March 15. 

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

SBAG ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Dear SBAG community,

 

A few SBAG announcements:

———————————-

Draft Findings from the SBAG 14 Meeting

 

Thank you for a productive SBAG 14 meeting! A draft document with findings 

from the  meeting is now posted online and comments from the SBAG community 

are welcomed. Please provide any comments by February 19, 2016. Comments 

can be emailed to [email protected] or any SBAG steering committee 

member.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/findings/

———————————-

SBAG Goals Document

 

As presented at the SBAG 14 meeting, the SBAG Goals Document is currently 

available on the SBAG website for community comments. Committee members 

are particularly thanked for all their efforts to produce this document! Comments 

should be directed to [email protected] and are also due by February 19, 2016. 

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/goals/

———————————-

SBAG 15 Agenda Suggestions

 

SBAG 15 Meeting

June 28-June 30, 2016

Laurel, MD

 

The SBAG 15 meeting is quickly approaching. Suggestions for agenda items 

are welcome and will be considered by the SBAG steering committee as the 

agenda is developed. Please email them to [email protected] or any

SBAG steering committee member.

———————————-

SBAG 16 Meeting Dates

 

We try to set dates for SBAG meetings about one year in advance. Discussions 

among the steering committee led to the suggested dates below for the SBAG 

16 meeting, but we’d like to know if there are known issues or conflicts with 

these dates before finalizing them. Please email [email protected] or

any SBAG steering committee member if so.

 

SBAG 16 Meeting

January 11-13, 2017

Tucson, AZ

———————————-

Best wishes,

Nancy Chabot

SBAG Chair

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

SPITZER CYCLE 13 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

 

Release Date: 9 February 2016

Frontier Legacy & Exploration Science Letters of Intent Due:  24 March 2016

Proposal Deadline: 8 June 2016, 4:00 PM PDT

 

On behalf of NASA and the Spitzer Space Telescope Project, the

Spitzer Science Center (SSC) at Caltech is pleased to announce

the release of the Cycle-13 Call for Proposals (CP).  This is the final CP 

for the Spitzer mission that will solicit all proposal sizes.  14,000 hours of 

observations are solicited for execution between October 1, 2016 and 

September 30, 2018.  The NASA Science Mission Directorate budget currently 

supports Spitzer operations through September 2016. Both the Astrophysics and 

the Planetary Science Divisions are supporting Spitzer operations. 

 

The execution of Spitzer Cycle-13 is contingent on the results from the 

2016 NASA Astrophysics Senior Review and the allocation of operations 

funding for FY17-18.  An update will be issued to this CP prior to the deadline 

if necessary.  

 

Major changes in the Cycle-13 call for proposals, compared to previous 

cycles, are summarized in the Executive Summary of the CP.  A new proposal 

category, Frontier Legacy, is introduced for programs requiring > 2000 hours.   

All other proposal sizes are also solicited.   

 

Priority in the selection of Cycle-13 will be given to programs that highlight

 

— Astro2010 science themes

— Planetary science programs observing targets in our Solar System.

•                — Investigations that concentrate on developing the scientific landscape 

that JWST will explore, or will help maximize the JWST scientific return.

 

Innovative investigations with scientific high risk/gain are encouraged. 

 

All programmatic and technical information for Cycle-13 is

available electronically from the Proposal Kit section of

the Spitzer Science Center website at

 

http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/warmmission/propkit/

 

Investigators worldwide from all types of institutions are

eligible to submit proposals subject to the guidelines provided 

in the CP. Joint HST or Chandra observations can be proposed 

as part of a Spitzer Cycle-13 proposal.

 

All proposals must be submitted electronically using Spot, the

SSC proposal planning and submission software. The S19

version of Spot is available from the SSC website and

via the auto-update feature in Spot. Proposers must use

this version of the software to submit their proposals.

The required Cycle-13 proposal templates are available at the

Proposal Kit website and the proposal submission system 

is open.

 

Any questions should be addressed to the Spitzer Helpdesk at

 

[email protected]

 

Spitzer Science User Support

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

OPAG ROADMAPS TO OCEAN WORLDS (ROW)

 

OPAG is forming Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) to develop 

recommendations for NASA’s Ocean Worlds Exploration Program 

and is accepting submissions for participation. 

 

Anyone interested in the ROW team should send an email to OPAG Chair

Alfred McEwen at [email protected]. Include in the email a 

paragraph about how you would contribute to the roadmap work, a CV, 

and any schedule constraints that you may have over the next 11 months.

 

More details are available on the OPAG website:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/meetings/feb2016/presentations/day-1/08-Roadmap-Ocean-Worlds-McEwen.pdf

 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

ASTROBIOLOGY/PLANET FORMATION EDUCATION PROJECT

 

My name is Molly Simon and I’m a 3rd year graduate student at The University

of Arizona working with Dr. Chris Impey on an astrobiology/planet formation 

education project. If you teach an astrobiology course for non-majors and could 

send me your syllabus and the list of topics you teach in the course that would 

be great!

Additionally, if you teach planet formation in any course (not just astrobiology) 

if you could provide me with a short explanation as to how you teach it 

(powerpoint slides, videos etc…) I would greatly appreciate it!

Email: [email protected]

Thank you!

 

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7

UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) JAPAN GEOSCIENCES UNION (JpGU) AND AGU JOINT SESSIONS AT
JpGU ANNUAL MEETING

 

Abstract Deadline 18 February 2016: 

 

The Japan Geosciences Union (JpGU) and the American Geophysical 

Union (AGU) will hold joint sessions at the JpGU annual meeting in 

May 2016, and a joint JpGU-AGU meeting in May 2017. The 2016 

JpGU meeting will be held in greater Tokyo region from May 22-26, 

where six planetary science sessions have been designated as Joint 

JpGU-AGU sessions with presentations in English. The final abstract 

deadline is 18 February 2016. You can find all relevant information 

on the meeting, venue and the program at the following JpGU 2016 

Meeting website:

http://www.jpgu.org/meeting_e2016/greeting.html

 

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) FACULTY POSITIONS IN ASTROPHYSICS AT INSTITUTO 

DE ASTROFISICA DE ATACAMA, COPIAPO (CHILE), 

 

http://eas.unige.ch/jobs.jsp?id=671

 

The Instituto de Astrofisica de Atacama (IAA) at the Universidad De

Atacama (UDA) in Copiapo (Chile) invites applications for two faculty 

positions to join the IAA team. The successful candidates will join a 

group of five faculty working on a broad range of research topics and

will have access to the Chilean Time in a broad array of facilities,

including ALMA, VLT, Gemini, Magellan, LSST, GMT and the E-ELT. 

 

We are particularly interested in candidates with strong experience in 

one or more of these fields: 

 

-Origin, structure and evolution of planets, satellites, and minor bodies

in the Solar System; 

-Extrasolar Planets; 

-Formation, structure and evolution of stars; 

-Milky Way: stellar populations, star clusters, variable stars, galactic structure; 

-Terrestrial Mars analogs; 

-Astrobiology. 

 

The positions carry teaching duties in astronomy at the undergraduate 

level, with a load of 6h per week. The working language is English. 

While knowledge of Spanish is not required (teaching can be done in 

English), the successful candidates are expected to teach in Spanish 

within two years. The appointment at UDA will be for three years, with

a first probation year, and the position is further extendable subject to 

performance. 

 

Applicants should have a PhD in astronomy or physics or related sciences 

completed at least 3 years prior to the starting day of the contract. 

 

To receive full consideration, applications must be sent by Friday 18 of March 

2016, although the position will remain open until filled. Start date is expected 

to be October 2016. 

 

Applications must be submitted by e-mail to Mauro Barbieri 

(mauro.barbieri @ uda.cl), and they should include: 

1) Cover letter, 

2) Curriculum Vitae, 

3) List of publications, 

4) Statement of recent research achievements (max. 2 pages), 

5) An outline of future research (min. 2 pages, max. 10 pages), 

6) The contact details of three referees (one needs to be the last employer, the 

others needs to be aware of the recent work of the candidate). 

 

Questions may be addressed to the previous e-mail address. 

 

Relevant links: 

 

Universidad de Atacama 

http://www.uda.cl 

 

Instituto de Astrofisica de Atacama 

https://sites.google.com/site/grupoastrouda 

 

Convocatoria Programa de Insercion de Investigadores en la UDA 

http://www.vrip.uda.cl/frontend/noticia_completa/104

 

Best regards,

Mauro Barbieri

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 16-04, January 31, 2016

 

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. OPAG WEBEX CONNECTION INFORMATION 
2. SPICE TRAINING CLASS
3. NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION FACILITIES RFI
4. CALL FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LUVOIR STDT
5. UPCOMING MEETINGS

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

OPAG MEETING: WEBEX CONNECTION INFORMATION

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

Please participate in the OPAG meeting using this webex info:

 

Every day, from Monday, February 1, 2016, to Tuesday, February 2, 2016

7:00 am  |  Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)  |  12 hrs 50 mins

Join WebEx meeting 

Meeting number:         998 595 936

Meeting password:      

W@lc0m3!

 

Meeting Link:  

https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=me88b4e92d185143b73352a580b94ef38

 

Join by phone

Conference Number:  866-844-9416

Participant Passcode: 7864394

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

SPICE TRAINING CLASS

 

NASA’s Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility announces a SPICE

training class will be held April 12-14, 2016, at a hotel near Pasadena California.

Details about the class and the registration form are available here: 

 http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/WS2016_announcement.html.

 

The class is designed for professionals working in the field of solar system

research. It will consist of a combination of lectures, based on SPICE tutorials,

and on student-executed programming lessons (“open book” style) available in

each of the four programming languages supported by NAIF (Fortran 77, C,

IDL and Matlab). 

 

There is no charge for the class, but advance registration is required. The 60

seats available will be allocated only upon NAIF receiving a completed

registration form. Allocation will be done on a first come — first served basis.

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION FACILITIES RFI

 

NASA Request for Information Assessing the Planetary Science Community’s 

Use of the Planetary Science Division Facilities

 

Dear Colleague: 

 

NASA’s Planetary Science Division is releasing this Request for Information 

(RFI) to solicit feedback regarding Planetary Science Division Facilities. 

 

Responses to this RFI are due as a PDF submitted via email by April 30, 2016,

see below for details.

 

Background:

 

The Planetary Science Division (PSD) is interested in maximizing the scientific 

productivity of its Facilities Program. To assess its Facilities Program, PSD 

initiated a review of its existing funded facilities, organized a special session at 

the upcoming Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in Houston, 

Texas, and is now soliciting comments from the planetary science community 

through this RFI.

 

In its review of existing facilities, PSD was focused on assessing how the 

currently funded facilities are working, how they serve the science needs of the

broader planetary community, identifying the impact and productivity of each 

funded facility, and determine best practices and lessons learned for further 

development of a Facilities Program.

 

The LPSC special session solicited abstracts from any person or group who 

feel that they have a facility that has a substantial user base outside the in-house 

users and clearly advances the broader field. The organizers did not want to 

overprescribe who should or should not submit an abstract, but relied on 

members of the community to use their judgment as to whether their facility 

fits these criteria. Through this, PSD sought to help the present facilities, as 

well as ones not currently funded by PSD gain more visibility within the 

community, but specifically with members who may not know about them 

or their capabilities. PSD will also use this special session as part of the 

definition of potential future additions to the Facilities Program.

 

Requested Information:

 

This RFI solicits community feedback on any or all of the following questions:

 

1.   1. Do you use any existing planetary science facility that serves the broader community? 
If so, please describe to what extent. How did you find out about it? Please briefly 
describe your experiences in using that facility.

 

2.   2. In your opinion, what capabilities are missing or unavailable in the implementation 
of your research activities that could be supported through the Facilities Program? Are 
you aware of existing facilities that could meet your needs if they were made available 
to the community?

 

3.   3. Do you currently manage, or plan to develop, a facility that could serve the broader 
community? Describe the facility and what needs it would fill.

 

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and does not constitute a 

commitment, implied or otherwise, that NASA will take procurement 

action in this matter. The information gathered will be used by NASA 

to make decisions regarding the development of the Planetary Science 

Division’s Facilities Program. 

 

Responses to This RFI:

 

Input should be in a PDF file format, attached to an E-mail and sent to Doris 

Daou at [email protected] with subject line: REPONSE to Facilities RFI. 

 

·         Input should not exceed two pages.

·         Margins: 1 inch on all sides, with a standard page size of 8.5 × 11 inches. 

·         A 12-point or larger font having, on average, no more than 15 characters per inch 
(e.g., Times New Roman and Arial). Proposers may not adjust the character spacing 
or otherwise condense a font from its default appearance. 

·         Line spacing: Font and line spacing settings should produce text that contains no 
more than 5.5 lines per inch. Proposers may not adjust line spacing settings for a 
selected font below single-spaced. 

 

Inputs received in response to this RFI will be considered by NASA, which 

will establish a PSD internal team to create a strategic plan for the Facilities 

Program. PSD will assess the needs of the community for existing facilities 

through past use, define an implementation approach to answer future needs 

from the Facilities Program, and provide programmatic direction for the 

Facilities Program.

 

Point of Contact:  Doris Daou, [email protected]

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LUVOIR STDT

 

Dear colleagues,

 

NASA recently identified 4 large astrophysical mission concepts to be 

studied in preparation of the Astro 2020 Decadal Survey, including the 

Large UV / Optical / IR Surveyor (LUVOIR). 

 

LUVOIR is envisaged as a large, multi-purpose general observatory with 

capabilities to revolutionize many areas of astrophysics and discover and 

characterize a wide range of exoplanets — including potentially habitable 

ones. LUVOIR could also provide valuable Solar System remote sensing 

observations.

 

With this huge range of science to be considered, broad expertise will be 

needed to ensure that the most compelling mission is designed. We would 

like to invite you to apply for participation in the LUVOIR Science and 

Technology Definition Team (STDT). Assisted by our study office at GSFC, 

the STDT will be tasked with providing science goals, observation requirements, 

and key mission parameters to guide the definition and design of the LUVOIR 

concept.

 

Please download the following PDF call for STDT nominations to get started. 

 

Also, further details about the STDT charter can be found here: 

 

http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/2020-decadal-survey-planning/.

 

Note that the applications deadline is Monday February 1, 2016. 

We encourage self-nominations and nominations from early-career 

scientists.

 

Please feel free to email me or call me with any questions. 

 

Thank you and best wishes, 

 

Aki Roberge (LUVOIR Study Scientist), on behalf of the LUVOIR Study Office

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) COMETARY SCIENCE AFTER ROSETTA: FUTURE DIRECTIONS 

London, June 16-17, 2016 

 

At this meeting, we shall review the current status of the field of  cometary

science following the keenly anticipated results of Rosetta,  with the aim to

engender focused, collaborative studies of these  fascinating objects. The

programme will include solicited presentations  and talks and posters given

by the attendees. 

 

For an outline of the meeting, and to register your interest, please visit:

 

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/planetary-science/comets-after-rosetta 

 

This meeting will immediately follow the Royal Society Discussion

Meeting: Cometary science after Rosetta, also to be held in London,

on June 14-15:

 

https://royalsociety.org/events/2016/06/cometary-science/  

 

Organizers: Geraint Jones (University College London, UK),

Matt Taylor (European Space Agency, NL), Alan Fitzsimmons

(Queen’s University Belfast, UK), Matthew Knight (University of

Maryland, USA)

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 16-03, January 22, 2016

 

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. REMINDER: VOTE IN THE 2016 AAS ELECTION
2. SIGN UP FOR 2016 AAS CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY TODAY
3. DPS MEMBER WINS EGU DAVID BATES MEDAL
4. OPAG MEETING: PRESENTING R&A NUGGETS
5. UPCOMING MEETINGS
6. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

REMINDER: VOTE IN THE 2016 AAS ELECTION

 

DPS members who are AAS members are reminded to vote in the 2016 

AAS election.  DPS members Stefanie Milam and Jay Pasachoff are on

the ballot for AAS Councilor.  Deadline is 31 January 2016.

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

SIGN UP FOR 2016 AAS CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY TODAY

 

Do you want to learn how science policy gets made “inside the Beltway?”

Would you like the opportunity to share your passion for science with people 

in Congress and the White House? Have you ever run for student government?

 

If you answered yes to any of these questions and want to help the AAS

advocate for our discipline in Washington, please consider applying to 

participate in the 2016 AAS Congressional Visits Day (CVD).

 

AAS CVD is 15-16 March 2016, and the deadline for signing up is 22 January (TODAY!).

 

If you’re an AAS member (junior membership counts) and eligible to vote in 

the United States, then you should consider signing up for AAS Congressional 

Visits Day 2016. The AAS will cover most of your travel expenses. We strongly 

encourage undergrads, grad students, and postdocs to apply. 

 

To apply, please complete the CVD form. 

 

For more information about CVD check the AAS Policy Blog post. 

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] .

 

We hope to see you in DC in March!

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

DPS MEMBER WINS EGU DAVID BATES MEDAL

 

DPS member, Sushil Atreya, has been selected for the David Bates Medal 

of the European Geosciences Union for “exceptional contributions to planetary 

and solar system sciences”. The medal was established by the EGS (now 

EGU) in 1992 in honor of the eminent physicist and mathematician Professor 

David Bates and is awarded every other year.  

(http://www.egu.eu/news/200/egu-announces-2016-awards-and-medals/)

http://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/david-bates/

 

Congratulations Sushil!

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

OPAG MEETING: PRESENTING R&A NUGGETS

Dear OPAG Colleagues,

 

At the upcoming OPAG meeting we will have 30 minutes dedicated 

to R&A nuggets, similar to the last OPAG meeting.  Please consider 

presenting your latest results!   

 

You can find instructions and advice here: 

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/meetings/aug2015/presentations/

 

Examples and a template can be found here:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/science_nuggets/

 

Let us know when you arrive — we hope that you will take advantage 

of this opportunity to showcase your research. 

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) AOGS 2016 SESSION PS-13: Communicating The Excitement 

Of Space Exploration To Audiences In Young Space-faring Nations

 

Asia Oceania Geosciences Conference 2016

July 31 – Aug 5, Beijing, China

Conference website:

http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=home.htm

Abstract submission deadline: February 19, 2016

 

Recent years have seen growth in the number of nations that are 

conducting spacecraft missions for planetary science, space science, 

and astronomy. China, India, and Japan have flown successful lunar 

and planetary missions. Korea and Russia also have plans to enter or 

re-enter the arena of space exploration. A challenge for countries with 

youthful space exploration programs is to engage their citizens and 

communicate an appreciation of the value and excitement of space 

exploration. This session will highlight education and public outreach 

(EPO) programs, strategies, and technologies, with emphasis on developing 

countries and nations that are relatively new to space science and exploration. 

We also welcome presentations that describe outreach programs that have 

been successful in the U.S., Europe, or elsewhere.

 

Conveners: Prof. Yongchun Zheng (National Astronomical Observatories, 

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China), Dr. David Blewett (Johns Hopkins 

University Applied Physics Laboratory, United States)

 

B) 31st IUGG Conference on Mathematical Geophysics, Paris.

Geophysics, from Mathematics to Experiments 

 

The 31st edition of the IUGG Conference on Mathematical Geophysics

(CMG) is to be held at the Institut Henri Poincare (Paris) on June 6th to

10th, 2016.  CMG covers a wide spectrum of current research topics in

Geophysics: physical based modelling and measurements in Geophysics,

using mathematical and numerical approaches, spanning terrestrial,

atmospheric and oceanic flows, seismology, modelling of seismic sources

and eruptions. This conference is traditionally dedicated to theoretical

and modeling works but in 2016, it will also emphasize works with an

experimental side or related to experimental investigation — in particular

conceptual experiments that address physical mechanisms and scaling l

aws. A dedicated session on Planetary Geophysics is chaired by Ralph

Lorenz (APL) and Norbert Schorghofer (Hawaii). 

 

Please note the dates and visit cmg2016.sciencesconf.org  for more

details, abstract templates and schedule. Note that the deadline for

abstract submission has been extended to 31st January 2016.  Registration

will open in February.

 

Questions may be emailed to: [email protected] 

 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) Tenure Track Faculty in Astronomy and Sabbatical 

Replacement Instructor Positions Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Daytona Beach, Florida

 

Brief Posting Description

The Department of Physical Sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical 

University’s Daytona Beach Campus invites applications for a Tenure-Track 

faculty position in the astronomical sciences, including planetary science.  

Candidates with observational and/or instrumentation experience who are 

interested in using the facilities outlined below are especially encouraged

to apply.  This 9-month tenure track position may be at any rank: assistant 

through full professor. Applicants for this position must have a Ph.D. in 

astronomy, physics, or related discipline.  In addition, one or more sabbatical 

replacement instructor positions will be available.  Applicants for the latter 

must have at least a M.S. degree in physics, astronomy, or related discipline.  

All candidates must be available by August 15, 2016.

  

Job Requirements

Applications are under consideration now and the position will remain open 

until filled.  Completed applications must include a cover letter, full CV,

 statements of teaching philosophy and research interests, as well as the 

names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of at least three professional 

references.  All materials must be submitted through our online application

portal (http://eraucareers.erau.edu).  For information on the position and 

department, please contact Terry D. Oswalt, Ph.D., Chair, Department 

Physical Sciences, [email protected], 386-226-7571.  For questions 

or help with the application process, please contact Erin Goldesberry, 

[email protected].

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 16-02, January 17, 2016

 

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. REMINDER: VOTE IN THE 2016 AAS ELECTION
2. NASA’S ASTROPHYSICS WEBSITE FOR THE PLANETARY SCIENCE
   COMMUNITY
3. COMMUNITY REMINDER
4. SPICE TRAINING CLASS
5. SBAG GOALS DOCUMENT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT
6. UPCOMING MEETINGS
7. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

REMINDER: VOTE IN THE 2016 AAS ELECTION

 

DPS members who are AAS members are reminded to vote in the 2016 

AAS election.  DPS members Stefanie Milam and Jay Pasachoff are on

the ballot for AAS Councilor.  Deadline is 31 January 2016.

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

NASA’S ASTROPHYSICS WEBSITE FOR THE PLANETARY SCIENCE
COMMUNITY

 

Jim Green, Director, Planetary Science Division, NASA

Paul Hertz, Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA

 

NASA’s Astrophysics Missions are available for the use of the entire science 

community to advance important science objectives independent of which 

NASA Division manages the programs.  The planetary science community has 

benefited from both using the tools and science derived from NASA’s 

astrophysics investments. This has been occurring for a long time and we 

want to highlight this great relationship that our two disciplines have continued 

to develop over the years. We truly believe that the collaboration benefits both 

scientific disciplines and furthermore, that the best insights comes from 

interdisciplinary interactions between many scientific fields. 

 

With the goal of engaging the planetary community in taking part in further 

potential observations from astrophysics missions and continued astrophysics 

collaborations, we held workshops at the Division of Planetary Science (DPS) 

meeting through a collaboration of the Astrophysics and Planetary Science 

Divisions. As a result and with the goal of providing continuous information to 

the community we are creating a website that would keep updates about the 

missions proposals schedules as well as links to white papers and presentations 

that would help our community.

 

Please visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/astrophysicsassets/, we plan to archive the 

presentations given at our workshops and keep an updated calendar relevant 

to our community. 

 

This website is not meant to replace the missions websites, but provide, as 

much as possible a portal for our community interested in using those 

investments. It is quite apparent that we have been experiencing a renaissance 

of planetary science using astrophysics missions. We deeply appreciate how 

these two communities of scientists have started to work together in 

understanding the origin and evolution of our Solar System and all the 

diversity of objects within. When we look at the sky at night, we now know 

that the stars we see have solar systems similar to our own.  This is the new 

paradigm that has drawn us more closely together.

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

COMMUNITY REMINDER

We would like to remind the community that NNH15ZDA012L, 

“NASA RFI: PREPARATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 

COMMUNITY-BASED ROADMAP FOR NASA’S PLANETARY 

DATA SERVICES” is open through January 25, 2016.  

 

We want to encourage past or present users of Planetary Data System Data 

or services to look the RFI and decide if there is a contribution in each case

that the user would like to make toward providing community comments 

on the workings of PDS.

 

Thank you.

 

Tom Morgan

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

SPICE TRAINING CLASS

NASA’s Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility announces a SPICE 

training class will be held April 12-14, 2016, at a hotel near Pasadena California. 

Details about the class and the registration form are available here:  http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/WS2016_announcement.html.

 

The class is designed for professionals working in the field of solar system 

research. It will consist of a combination of lectures, based on SPICE tutorials, 

and on student-executed programming lessons (“open book” style) available in 

each of the four programming languages supported by NAIF (Fortran 77, C, 

IDL and Matlab). 

 

There is no charge for the class, but advance registration is required. The 60 

seats available will be allocated only upon NAIF receiving a completed

registration form. Allocation will be done on a first come — first served basis.

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

SBAG GOALS DOCUMENT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT

 

Dear SBAG Community,

 

I’m happy to share that the SBAG document, Goals and Objectives for the 

Exploration and Investigation of the Solar System’s Small Bodies, is now 

available for review and comment by the SBAG community. Thank you to 

everyone, especially the goals committee leads and members, for all the work 

over the last year to get us to this point!

 

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/goals/

 

Over the last year, the committees have worked to produce this document, 

with drafts posted to the SBAG website prior to the SBAG 13 meeting in 

June 2015, a three-month community comment and review period through

September 2015, followed by revisions by the committees and creation of a

single document in the last quarter of 2015. This complete document is now 

posted for further review and comments from the SBAG community, with 

all comments due by February 19, 2016. Comments should be directed to 

SBAG chair, Nancy Chabot ([email protected]). 

 

The timing of this comment period is purposely chosen to enable review of 

the document prior to the upcoming SBAG 14 meeting at the end of the

month (January 27-29, 2016). The goals document will be discussed during 

the SBAG 14 meeting, and there is time following the meeting for additional 

comments. 

 

As a reminder, please register for the SBAG 14 meeting if you plan to attend, 

and I look forward to a productive meeting in a few weeks.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/

 

Best wishes,

Nancy Chabot

SBAG Chair
 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) AOGS 2016 SESSION PS-08: 

Solar System Primitive Body Exploration Missions

 

Asia Oceania Geosciences Conference 2016

July 31 – Aug 5, Beijing, China

Conference website: 

http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=home.htm

 

Abstract submission deadline: February 19, 2016

 

This session welcomes abstracts about the results from all past and 

ongoing small body missions by combining multiple missions, as well 

as new concepts for future missions.  Solar system small bodies are 

considered the best-preserved fossils from the early era of planetary 

systems formation. Small body exploration missions have tremendously 

revolutionized our understanding of the formation of the planetary system 

with their paradigm changing results.  In the context of past and current 

missions, such as Dawn, Rosetta, Stardust-Next, EPOXI, Deep Impact, 

NEAR, Giotto, and VEGA, as well as missions such as Hayabusa2, en 

route to its target, OSIRIS-REx, in development and possibly Lucy, Psyche, 

AIDA, and the Japanese Trojan asteroid mission, it is now time to both 

combine the mission results to enhance scientific returns of these missions, 

and to develop concepts for future small body explorations.  Abstract

submissions are open until February 19, 2016.

 

Conveners:  Jian-Yang Li (Planetary Science Institute, United States), 

Makoto Yoshikawa (JAXA, Japan), Lucy McFadden (NASA Goddard 

Space Flight Center, United States), Sebastien Besse (ESA, Spain), 

Liang Chang (Yunnan Observatory, China)

 

B) AOGS 2016 SESSION PS-09: Planetary Science Data Archiving

 

Asia Oceania Geosciences Conference 2016

July 31 – Aug 5, Beijing, China

Conference website:

http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=home.htm

Abstract submission deadline: February 19, 2016

 

The focus of this session is planetary science data archives, archiving 

activities, and future plans. We invite contributed abstracts related to 

all aspects of planetary science data archiving activities and concepts 

and will invite speakers from the major data archiving organizations 

from various space agencies to discuss their facilities and activities. 

It is of great importance and broad community interest to archive and 

make available to the public the data returned by planetary science 

exploration missions and related data from Earth-based observatories. 

The ultimate goal is to enable and facilitate combined scientific analyses 

using data covering long time-baselines and multiple observations for 

new phenomena and scientific objectives emerging in the future. This 

session provides a forum for researchers in planetary sciences to discuss 

and understand the standards, approaches, current progress, and future 

plans and concepts for effective long-term planetary science data 

preservation.  Abstract submissions are open until February 19, 2016.

 

Conveners: Jian-Yang Li (Planetary Science Institute, United States), 

Ludmilla Kolokolova (University of Maryland, United States), Daniel 

Crichton (JPL, Caltech, United States), Sebastien Besse (ESA, Spain), 

Yukio Yamamoto (JAXA, Japan)

 

C) AOGS 2016 SESSION PS04 : Comparative Aeronomy of Solar

System Bodies 

 

Asia Oceania Geosciences Conference 2016

July 31 – Aug 5, Beijing, China

Conference website:

http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2016/public.asp?page=home.htm

Abstract submission deadline: February 19, 2016

 

Description: Aeronomy, coined by Dr. Sidney Chapman more than 60

years ago and to be distinguished from meteorology, is the study of the

upper regions of planetary atmospheres where ionization and dissociation

are important. Over the past several decades, many planetary missions

(Mars Express, Venus Express, Pioneer Venus Orbiter, Cassini-Huygens,

Messenger, MAVEN, Rosetta, etc.) have contributed substantially to our

knowledge of the physical, chemical, and dynamical processes occurring

within the mesospheres, thermospheres, exospheres, and ionospheres of

various Solar System objects, as well as the couplings of these regions

both downward with the lower atmospheres and upward with the plasma

environments. The comparative approach is becoming increasingly fruitful

when applied to Solar System objects as both spacecraft- and ground-based

datasets are accumulated and interpreted by sophisticated multi-species fluid

and kinetic models. In this session, we invite abstracts on observational,

theoretical, and experimental results of different aspects of aeronomical

processes within the Solar System. We also invite presentations on relevant

future planetary missions (scientific goals, instrumentations, etc.). Both

solicited and contributed talks will be included. 

 

Convernors:

Jun Cui (National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of

Sciences, China), [email protected]

S.A. Haider (Physical Research Laboratory, India), [email protected]

Wing-Huen Ip (National Central University, Taiwan), [email protected]

Robert Lillis (University of California Berkeley, United States), [email protected]

Ingo Mueller-Wodarg (Imperial College London, United Kingdon) [email protected] 

 

D) ISLPS 2016

 

International Symposium on Lunar and Planetary Science 2016

June 9-10, 2016, Wuhan, China

Conference website: http://www.must.edu.mo/ISLPS2016/

Abstract submission deadline: March 30, 2016

 

International Symposium on Lunar and Planetary Science (ISLPS) is a 

biyearly conference series co-organized by China University of Geosciences 

(Wuhan) and Macau University of Science and Technology.  The 2016 

meeting will be held on June 9 and 10 in Wuhan, China.  The Science 

Organization Committee is co-chaired by Prof. Wing-Huen Ip (NCU, 

Taiwan) and Prof. James Head (Brown University).  This international 

symposium focuses on the international academic exchange on the topics 

of processing, analysis, research and application of lunar and planetary 

exploration data.  The scope of the symposium includes, but is not limited 

to, lunar and planetary compositions, topography, surface and internal 

processes, geology, planetary atmosphere and magnetic fields and plasmas, 

meteorites and cosmochemistry, asteroids and comets, and future deep 

space missions.

 

Authors are invited to submit a full paper in the form of an electronic 

file in WORD format to [email protected] before March 30, 2016.  A 

template is available.  All accepted papers will be presented in the symposium, 

and a special issue in an English journal is under planning.

 

Scientific Organization Committee: 

Wing-Huen Ip (Co-Chair, National Central University, Taiwan/Macau 

University of Science and Technology, China), 

James W. Head (Co-Chair, Brown University, USA), 

Clive Neal (University of Notre Dame, USA), 

Jian-Yang Li (Planetary Science Institute, USA), 

Kwing Lam, Chan (Macau University of Science and Technology, China), 

Chunlai Li (National Observatory of China), 

Long Xiao (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China), 

Mark Wieczorek (IPGP Planetary and Space Sciences, University of Sorbonne Paris Cité, France),

Noriyuki Namiki (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), 

Yangting Lin (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, China), 

Young-Jun Choi (Space Science Division, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)

 

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) DIRECTOR OF THE LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE

 

USRA is an independent, nonprofit research corporation where the 

combined efforts of in-house talent and university-based expertise 

merge to advance space science and technology. USRA works across 

disciplines including biomedicine, planetary science, astrophysics, 

and engineering and integrates those competencies into applications 

ranging from fundamental research to facility management and 

operations. USRA engages the creativity and authoritative expertise of 

the research community to develop and deliver sophisticated, forward-

looking solutions to Federal agencies and other customers – on 

schedule and within budget.

 

Universities Space Research Association is seeking a Director of the 

Lunar and Planetary Institute program in Houston, TX. This position 

will provide scientific leadership and management of the program to 

maintain it as a premier research center in support of the NASA 

strategic goals in planetary science and exploration of the solar 

system. This position will also identify new opportunities to leverage 

funding, strengthen, and broaden the funding for research at the LPI 

and also partner with NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) to advance 

the center Lunar and Planetary Science goals. Provide local oversight 

of the institutional functions associated with the USRA owned 

facility in Houston.

 

All interested candidates must apply directly at: 

 

https://usracareers.silkroad.com/

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 16-01, January 10, 2016

 

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
2. REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2016 PRIZE NOMINATIONS
3. OPAG 2016 WINTER MEETING: INFORMATION CIRCULAR
4. 615. WE-HERAEUS-SEMINAR: HOW PRIMITIVE ARE COMETS?
5. 41ST SCIENTIFIC ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR)
6. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

 

The DPS runs on the efforts of volunteers.  We are currently soliciting 

volunteers for the various positions described below. 

In addition to the elected positions, the DPS Committee appoints additional 

officers that serve for fixed terms.  We as a society have had the good fortune 

to have Andrew Rivkin serve us as our Treasurer since 2011, and Vishnu 

Reddy serve as our Press Officer since 2010.  Both are stepping down at the 

completion of their present terms. 

As the DPS committee considers potential new Treasurers and Press Officers, 

we want to cast a wide net as possible.  To that end if you, or someone who 

you know, would be both capable and willing to serve the DPS in one of these 

capacities, then please let us know by emailing me at [email protected] . 

The job of the Treasurer is to track the Division’s finances, participate in DPS 

Committee discussions and business, and to pay claimants from the DPS 

accounts when needed.  The Press Officer’s primary duties occur during the 

annual meeting where they must organize daily press briefings. Lately the job 

has also included considerable time during the year to coordinate with the DPS 

Committee, oversee deliberations for the Eberhart Award, and to field press

inquiries to the DPS on planetary topics.  Both of these officers participate in 

two DPS Committee telecons per month and attend an annual 2-day DPS

Committee meeting in Washington, DC.  Both the Treasurer and Press Officer

serve for 3-year terms. 

The DPS Committee is creating a Subcommittee on Harassment to keep up 

the momentum from Christina Richey’s Masursky Prize lecture at our recent 

meeting. The charge of this new subcommittee will be to investigate concrete 

actions that the DPS can take to ensure that our field’s professional climate 

allows for success based solely on scientific merit. I envision that this 

subcommittee will be populated by a diverse set of creative-thinking DPS 

Members, so I encourage both men and women as well as junior and 

well-established people to volunteer (send an email to [email protected]). 

Now’s not the time to be shy; if you would be willing to actively contribute 

to the DPS, please let us know! 

Jason W. Barnes 
DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2016 PRIZE NOMINATIONS
 

DEADLINE MARCH 15, 2016

 

Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievement in our field. 

It is time to consider nominating a respected colleague for one of the 

annual DPS prizes:

 

The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize honors outstanding contributions to the field 

of planetary science.

 

The Harold C. Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in planetary 

research by a young scientist. 

 

The Harold Masursky Award acknowledges outstanding service to planetary 

science and exploration. 

 

The Carl Sagan Medal recognizes and honors outstanding communication

by an active planetary scientist to the general public.

 

The Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award recognizes

and stimulates distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences. 

 

Detailed descriptions of each of the prizes and the criteria for nominees for 

each can be found at prizes. The nomination form and 

instructions can also be retrieved from this website. The completed nomination 

form and supporting material should be emailed to [email protected]. 

 

Starting this year we are requiring that the nomination package with all

supporting material be submitted as a single document. If you have a 

nomination from a past year that is being carried over, you do not need to

resubmit unless you are including new material.  

 

Anyone except current DPS Committee members may submit a nomination. 

A completed nomination will be retained and considered by the Prize 

Subcommittee for three years, or as long as the nominee is eligible, whichever 

is less. Past nominees may be re-nominated after the expiration of a prior 

nomination. A posthumous nomination is allowed for a limited time after the

nominee’s death, except for the Sagan Medal. For specific details, see the

URL noted above.

 

The deadline for nominations this year is March 15. 

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

OPAG 2016 WINTER MEETING: INFORMATION CIRCULAR

 

We cordially invite you to attend the 2016 face-to-face meeting of the 

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), scheduled for 2 days, February 1-2, 2016, 
at Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) Building 263 located at 1223 

Martin Goland Avenue, San Antonio, TX 85721 near the East Gate.  

 

Meetings will begin at 8:30 AM each day, and end by 5 PM on Feb 2.

 

Please register to attend in person at: http://icpi.nasaprs.com/opag2016

 

Key information and discussion topics will include:

* Developments in Outer Planets exploration since the summer 2015 OPAG 

meeting, including status of a new “ocean worlds” program, potential Europa 
mission augmentations, and New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity.

* Overview of latest mission science planning and results:

Cassini

New Horizons

Juno

Europa Mission

* Report from “Ocean Worlds” workshop

* Formulation of a Science Analysis Group study to explore ocean worlds

* Next Decadal Survey

* Ice Giants mission study progress report

* Department of Energy Pu238 production status

* Potential High Definition Space Telescope

* Poster presentations on CubeSats and technology
  developments

 

The meeting is open to all members of the planetary science community, 

including our international colleagues. If you want to present a CubeSat 

or Technology poster, please send title and authors to Pat Beauchamp, 
[email protected].  We will also broadcast the meeting 

via Adobe Connect for those who cannot attend in person.

 

We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio!

 

Candice Hansen and Alfred McEwen, Current and incoming OPAG Chair

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

615. WE-HERAEUS-SEMINAR: HOW PRIMITIVE ARE COMETS ?

Bad Honnef, Germany, 24th – 29th April 2016

Sponsored by the WE-Heraeus-Stiftung

 

Website of the meeting:

http://www.igep.tu-bs.de/WE-Heraeus/index_en.html

 

Scientific Organizers:

Murthy Gudipati (JPL, USA), contact: [email protected]

Jürgen Blum (IGeP, TU Braunschweig, Germany) contact: [email protected]

 

Motivation:

In the light of recent advances in our understanding of comets, in particular 

through the space missions Rosetta, Deep-Impact, and Epoxi, this Wilhelm 

und Else Heraeus-Stiftung-supported “615. WE-Heraeus-Seminar: How 

Primitive are Comets?” will focus on the interior composition of cometary 

nuclei. All of the talks, posters, and discussion will focus on how recent 

scientific advancements and future comet missions could enable a better 

understanding of the cometary nucleus, its structure, and composition, 

from the deep interior to the surface, as well as of the formation of the 

first solid bodies in the young solar system.

 

Contributions:

Besides about 25-30 invited talks, a few (~5-10) contributed oral presentations 

and a significant number (~30) of contributed poster presentations are available.

Please send your title, abstract, and preference (oral or poster) to the organizers 

before the end of February 2016. MS Word, pdf or plain text abstracts are 

welcome.

 

Logistics:

There will be no conference fee and the WE-Heraeus-Stiftung takes over all 

costs for the accommodation and meals of all participants.

 

The scientific program is scheduled to start on Monday, April 25th, 2016, 

09:00 h and will end on Friday, April 29th, 2016, 17:30 h. Arrival is planned 

for Sunday afternoon/evening. The registration desk will be open on Sunday

from 17:00 h through 21:00 h and on Monday morning. Departure will be on 

Friday, around 17:30 h.

 

An informal welcome and get together plus a buffet supper will take place 

on Sunday evening from 18:30 h onwards.

 

One evening the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation invites all participants 

to a “Heraeus Dinner” (conference dinner) and free beverages.

 

An excursion is planned for Thursday afternoon, a leisurely hike in the 

vicinity (destination is the Drachenfels “Dragon’s Rock”. It is a hill – 321 

meters – in the Siebengebirge uplands between Königswinter and Bad Honnef).

 

In order to stimulate as much exchange and discussion as possible, we hope 

that your schedule permits you to be present for the full duration of the seminar.

 

Venue, accommodation, and meals: Lectures and meals are all arranged in

the main building of the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef.

 

Physikzentrum Bad Honnef

Hauptstraße 5

53604 Bad Honnef

GERMANY

 

Accommodation will be booked for you automatically according to the 

arrival and departure information you provided to us – either in the main 

building of the Physikzentrum or in the guesthouse in the park area of the 

Physikzentrum. Information of your accommodation will follow in due 

time (about one week before the seminar).

 

More information about the Physikzentrum and travel hints are available at 
http://www.pbh.de/en/index.shtml

 

All meals will be served at the Physikzentrum, starting with dinner on 

Sunday, ending with lunch on Friday. Vegetarian food is available on request.

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

41ST SCIENTIFIC ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMITTEE ON

SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR)

Title: Planetary Formation session at COSPAR 2016

(Istanbul, Turkey, on 30 July – 7 August 2016) 

 

The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) will hold its 41st Scientific

Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, on 30 July – 7 August 2016. The COSPAR

Scientific Assemblies supply a forum to all scientists involved in space

research for the presentation of their latest scientific results, the exchange

of knowledge and also the discussion of space research problems. Together

with the now traditional session devoted to exoplanetary studies, event E1.21

“Exoplanets”, COSPAR 2016 will also hold for the first time a session

specifically dedicated to the formation and the evolution of planets and

planetary systems, event B0.5 “Planetary Formation: From Dust to Giant

Exoplanets”. This event, currently planned to take place over two half-day

sessions, is jointly organized by Commission B “Space Studies of the

Earth-Moon System, Planets, and Small Bodies of the Solar System” and

Commission E “Research in Astrophysics from Space”. 

 

Scientific rationale of event B0.5 “Planetary Formation: From Dust to Giant Exoplanets”: 

 

Our understanding of planetary formation as derived from the Solar System,

for decades the only known example of a planetary system, has been

challenged over the last twenty years by the rich diversity of discovered

extrasolar planets. The Solar System, however, still represents a unique

source of detailed information on the processes shaping the formation and

subsequent evolution of planets, both individually and as a whole. Theoretical

works on the formation and early dynamical evolution of planetary systems has

helped to bridge the gap between the story told by the Solar System and that

coming from the extrasolar planets, but the ever growing body of data supplied

by space missions and ground-based facilities promises new challenges in the

coming years. The aim of COSPAR 2016 event B0.5 “Planetary Formation:

From Dust to Giant Exoplanets” is to offer to all involved communities a

common space for discussing new theoretical, observational and laboratory

results about the formation and evolution of planetary systems and of their

formation environments, the protoplanetary disks. 

 

Conference website: https://www.cospar-assembly.org/ 

 

Abstract submission deadline: 2016 February 12  

 

Scientific Organizing Committee:  Diego Turrini (Main Scientific Organizer,

INAF-IAPS, Italy), Sho Sasaki (Deputy Organizer, Osaka University, Japan),

Francesca Altieri (INAF-IAPS, Italy), Gennaro D’Angelo (SETI Institute, USA),

Francesco Marzari (University of Padova, Italy), Motohide Tamura (National

Astronomical Observatory, Japan), Mark Wyatt (University of Cambridge, UK),

Hajime Yano (JAXA, Japan).

 

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE POSITIONS

FLORIDA SPACE INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF

CENTRAL FLORIDA (UCF), ORLANDO, FLORIDA

 

The Florida Space Institute (http://fsi.ucf.edu/), a multi-disciplinary 

center based in Orlando, Florida is devoted to facilitating and conducting 

leading edge applied and basic research in space fields ranging from 

planetary science to space physics to Earth science. We are now seeking 

new applications for lunar, planetary and extra-solar planet research 

scientist positions.

 

UCF and FSI have a range of planetary scientists, primarily working 

in the areas of small body studies, Mars, and exoplanets (see http://planets.ucf.edu/),

and we are committed to becoming a premier institution in planetary 

science and education. Of particular interest to FSI are Principal Investigators 

of planetary science research grants, centers, and mission experiments who 

are seeking a greater career opportunity. 

 

Applicants must have a PhD in a planetary science or a relevant field. 

Preference will be given to candidates with at least six years post qualification 

experience. Successful applicants should have demonstrated research leadership 

ability and interpersonal skills, and a consistent record of both research 

publications and competitively funded space research and/or experimentation 

grants and contracts.  

 

Review of applications will start in March 2016. Applicants should apply 

online at www.jobswithucf.com and click on the ‘Search Available Positions’ 

option on the top left. Once there, type in position number 42542 in the 

“keywords” box to search for this position. The hired candidate is expected 

to start employment at UCF in the Fall 2016 semester. 

 

The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity, equal access, 

and affirmative action employer.

 

B) SUMMER INTERNSHIPS IN RADIO ASTRONOMY, SOLAR

SYSTEM STUDIES & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES 

ARECIBO OBSERVATORY

 

content/summer-internships-radio-astronomy-solar-system-studies-atmospheric-sciences-arecibo

 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

The DPS runs on the efforts of volunteers. We are currently soliciting volunteers for the various positions described below. 

In addition to the elected positions, the DPS Committee appoints additional officers that serve for fixed terms. We as a society have had the good fortune to have Andrew Rivkin serve us as our Treasurer since 2011, and Vishnu Reddy serve as our Press Officer since 2010.  Both are stepping down at the completion of their present terms. 

As the DPS committee considers potential new Treasurers and Press Officers, we want to cast a wide net as possible. To that end if you, or someone who you know, would be both capable and willing to serve the DPS in one of these capacities, then please let us know by emailing me at [email protected] . 

The job of the Treasurer is to track the Division’s finances, participate in DPS Committee discussions and business, and to pay claimants from the DPS accounts when needed. The Press Officer’s primary duties occur during the annual meeting where they must organize daily press briefings. Lately the job has also included considerable time during the year to coordinate with the DPS Committee, oversee deliberations for the Eberhart Award, and to field press inquiries to the DPS on planetary topics. Both of these officers participate in two DPS Committee telecons per month and attend an annual 2-day DPS Committee meeting in Washington, DC. Both the Treasurer and Press Officer serve for 3-year terms. 

The DPS Committee is creating a Subcommittee on Harassment to keep up the momentum from Christina Richey’s Masursky Prize lecture at our recent meeting. The charge of this new subcommittee will be to investigate concrete actions that the DPS can take to ensure that our field’s professional climate allows for success based solely on scientific merit. I envision that this subcommittee will be populated by a diverse set of creative-thinking DPS Members, so I encourage both men and women as well as junior and well-established people to volunteer (send an email to [email protected]). 

Now’s not the time to be shy; if you would be willing to actively contribute to the DPS, please let us know! 

Jason W. Barnes 
DPS Chair