Issue 11-14, September 9, 2011
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1) IN MEMORIAM: ANGIOLETTA CORADINI
2) EPSC-DPS 2011 DEADLINES AND EVENTS
3) 2012 ONLINE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS HAVE BEGAN
4) JOB OPPORTUNITIES
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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IN MEMORIAM: ANGIOLETTA CORADINI (1946 – 2011)
The Division for Planetary Sciences is very sad to announce that our valued colleague and friend, Angioletta Coradini, passed away on September 4, 2011. Angioletta Coradini started her scientific career in 1969 with her PhD thesis at the Rome University “La Sapienza” devoted to the origin of the glassy particles found in the lunar soils. She worked on lunar samples from the Apollo missions during the seventies, at the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale of the Italian National Reseach Council (CNR). At the same time she started to study the formation of the solar system, becoming a leading expert in that field.
During the eighties she expanded her interest in space instrumentation through a collaboration with the JPL Team who developed the TIMS (Thermal Infrared Mass Spectroscope), gaining experience which allowed her to lead the Italian team for the Cassini VIMS Spectrometer visual channel. Angioletta Coradini did also a lot of management of space experiments, through a long series of successes starting from the PI-ship of VIRTIS on Rosetta. Other experiments in which Angioletta was involved include VIR on DAWN, now in orbit around the Vesta asteroid, JIRAM on the Juno mission en route to Jupiter, the infrared spectrometers on Venus Express, Bepi Colombo, and many other projects.
Angioletta was Head of the Planetology Departement of the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale (1982-1986), Director of the CNR National Group of Astronomy (1984-1990), Director of the CNR (after INAF) Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (2003-2011). All in all, Angioletta was one of the world-recognized leading experts in Planetary Sciences, with varied interests ranging from minor bodies to outer planets and theoretical work on the formation of our Solar system. She made fundamental contributions in all these domains in addition to her involvement in the development and management of some of the most important space missions in this field.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the planetary sciences she had received several awards and recognitions. Her human and scientific qualities will be missed and remembered by her family, colleagues and friends.
There will be a tribute session to Angioletta at the EPSC-DPS meeting (see hereafter).
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EPSC-DPS 2011 DEADLINES AND EVENTS
Please join us at the two plenary sessions, on Monday 3 October and on Wednesday 5 October, 10:30-12:00, during which we will award the Prizes and hear the Prize lectures.
The annual DPS Members (Business) Meeting will be on Thursday at lunch time (12:00 – 13:30) and the Agency night will be the same day in the evening. The EUROPLANET General Assembly will take place on Tuesday 4 October from 17:30-19:00 in the Mars room.
The full science program of the meeting can be found at:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2011/meetingprogramme
Announcements:
A tribute to Angioletta Coradini is being organized for Monday, 3 October, 17:00-17:30 after the Dawn session (SB3) by the conveners.
Yom Kippur in Nantes
Please be notified that any one interested in spending Yom Kippur in Nantes and looking for advice on services could contact Emmanuel Lellouch, <[email protected]>.
Services are being held after sunset October 7 and during the day Oct 8 at the Nantes Synagogue, 5 Impasse Copernic, 44000 Nantes. Emmanuel has contacted the Rabbi, and anyone is welcome to attend, with no reservations required. This is an orthodox synagogue, with separate seating for men and women. If you attend, please dress modestly, and consider making a donation.
For other events, deadlines and milestones at the EPSC-DPS 2011 see:
http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2011/information/deadlines_and_mi…
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2012 ONLINE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS HAVE BEGAN
Pay your 2012 membership dues online at https://members.aas.org/ through 31 December 2011. Renew today by logging in to your membership record, and consider making a donation to the Power of Giving Campaign. These programs support our discipline as well as recognize the research of your fellow astronomers. By renewing online and not receiving a paper renewal, you will help your Society save enormous costs.
If you will renew your dues electronically before 31 December 2011 log in to your membership record today and opt out of a paper renewal to avoid receiving an invoice in the US mail. Also, please take a moment to update your personal DPS member file.
Thank you for your support.
Send general replies to [email protected].
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION IN COMETARY SCIENCE
The Planetary Group, Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland,
College Park has an immediate post-doctoral position opening in
infrared spectral data analysis from the Deep Impact prime mission to
Tempel 1 (Jul. 2005) and the extended mission’s flyby of comet Hartley 2
(EPOXI; Nov. 2010). Successful applicants will join a team of researchers
at UMD working with Deep Impact and EPOXI and a group of planetary
scientists whose projects span from dynamical studies to observational
programs and who hold major roles in several planetary missions.
Prospective researchers should have a strong background in surface and/or
gaseous spectroscopy in addition to knowledge of and experience with small
body research and/or remote sensing. Successful applicants are expected to
be versatile, have a strong and broad interest in planetary science, and
have relevant experience as thesis research or as other post-doctoral
activities.
The position is open immediately. Starting dates in late 2011 are preferable. The University of Maryland is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.
Full text of the job description and application procedure is on the AAS Job Register:
http://jobregister.aas.org/job_view?JobID=40095
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UPCOMING MEETINGS
See the planetary meeting calendar posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
1) Symposium: “Titan Through Time II”,
April 3-5th 2012
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
We are pleased to announce the dates for the second workshop on “Titan Through Time: Formation, Evolution and Fate” in 2012, following the very successful first workshop in 2010. The second meeting will have a similar format, with a 2 1/2 science program comprised of themed sessions, and featuring a mixture of invited reviews, and contributed talks and posters.
As in 2010, we welcome scientific reports and attendance from the widest possible cross-section of the scientific community, including both those studying Titan directly, but also those whose research interests have intersections with Titan science in areas such as laboratory chemistry and spectroscopy; modeling of planetary atmospheres, surfaces and interiors; terrestrial analogs and comparative planetology; and the formation and evolution of the solar system.
Further details including the program of invited talks will be publicized in due course. A link to the website (when available) can be booked-marked here: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~nixon/ttt-2012.html
Hope to see you in 2012.
Conor Nixon, Univerity of Maryland
Ralph Lorenz, Johns Hopkins APL
Co-chairs, science program.
2) Astrobiology Science Conference
April16-20, 2012
Atlanta, Georgia
The call for sessions is now open.
See : http://abscicon2012.abstractcentral.com/