Newsletter 13-15

Issue 13-15, June 10, 2013

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1) 45TH DPS MEETING : CALL FOR PAPERS
2) PLEASE CHECK YOUR DPS MEMBERSHIP AND REMEMBER TO VOTE !
3) INVITATION TO THE MAVEN LAUNCH
4) ACS ASTROCHEMISTRY SUBDIVISION OPENS UP AFFILIATE STATUS FOR AAS AND DPS MEMBERS
5) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
6) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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45TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2013) : CALL FOR PAPERS

Denver, CO, 6-11 October 2013

Abstract submissions are now open for the 2013 DPS meeting, which will be held in Denver on October 6-11th.
See http://aas.org/dps-45th-meeting/45th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentati… and go to:
http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps
The deadline for regular abstracts will be 9:00pm EDT on July 18th.

DPS specifies the following regulations for submission and presentation of abstracts at a Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting:
– Any person may submit an abstract.
– Presenters must be listed as the first author on the paper.
– Presenting/first author must register for the meeting.

This year, as an experiment, the DPS is offering extended time slots for talks by PhD students whose dissertation is almost complete, or those who have graduated since the last DPS meeting, to present thesis results. Time slots for PhD talks will be 15 minutes long, rather than the usual 10 minutes. Normal speaker rules apply, and there will be a lifetime limit of one such talk per person. Select the appropriate checkbox to take advantage of this opportunity.

Note that the AAS Historical Astronomy Division will be meeting in conjunction with the DPS and will use the same abstract submission system- be sure to select “Regular Abstract Submission” to submit a contributed abstract to the DPS meeting.

Other meeting details are at http://aas.org/meetings/45th-meeting-division-planetary-sciences

We hope to see you in Denver in October! The SOC and LOC.

 

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PLEASE CHECK YOUR DPS MEMBERSHIP AND REMEMBER TO VOTE !

Please, if you haven’t already done so, renew online at https://members.aas.org/ by logging into your membership record. You must have your login and password information.
Also, please take a moment to update your personal DPS member file.

If you have any problems, and for general replies, or if you are a special status (affiliate, etc) write to or call :
Faye Peterson
Director of Membership Services
[email protected]
202.328.2010, extension 109
202.234.2560, fax

ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE !!
The 2013 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 31st 2013.

To vote, go to
http://aas.org/vote/

You will need your AAS member login ID (which defaults to your membership number), and your password. If you haven’t registered to or renewed your DPS membership recently, you are getting this e-mail because we are using large recent DPS lists, but you may actually not be an active member anymore… So, please take a moment to check your status now and renew if you haven’t done so already. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

 

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INVITATION TO THE MAVEN LAUNCH

Members of the Division for Planetary Sciences are cordially invited to the launch of the MAVEN mission to Mars from Kennedy Space Center. The launch period begins Nov. 18, 2013, ten days before Thanksgiving. To begin the process of receiving the formal invitation form NASA, please read the extended information at http://lasp.colorado.edu/maveninvite/signupform/ and enter the required information for your group. (The form itself is accessed at the bottom of the last tab at this website.) Each DPS member may bring up to five additional people. When completing the form, be sure to (1) enter Nick Schneider as your sponsor, (2) enter DPS as the sponsor connection and (3) use the same email address at which you received this message. Note that foreign nationals (including green card holders) are welcome at the launch but may not use the same signup form – please inquire via the email listed below. Launch guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses. Note that there is a hard deadline of 15 July for submitting your information.

MAVEN stands for The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission which will explore Mars’ climate history by studying the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the sun and solar wind.
For more information, see http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/ .
For more information about the launch, please carefully review the website above, then contact nick.schneider at lasp.colorado.edu.

 

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ACS ASTROCHEMISTRY SUBDIVISION OPENS UP AFFILIATE STATUS FOR AAS AND DPS MEMBERS

The recently established Astrochemistry Subdivision of the Division of Physical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS) invites members of the American Astronomical Society and the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences to join the ACS Astrochemistry Subdivision
http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/Bil301/ACSAstrochemistryjoin.html

as an Affiliate Member., see :
https://aas.org/posts/news/2013/05/acs-astrochemistry-subdivision-opens-…

Please complete a division application form at:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/membership/td/join/CTP_004160

and email or fax (614-447-3671) it to ACS Member Services. Note that the PHYS annual membership dues are $15, which should be remitted with the form. Please indicate that you would like to join the Astrochemistry Subdivision.

The Astrochemistry Subdivision provides an interdisciplinary “home” for individuals interested in astrochemically related research via experiments, theory, observations, space missions, and modeling. Astrochemistry is the study of the abundances and chemical reactions of atoms, molecules, and ions and how they interact with radiation in the gas phase and in the condensed phase in solar systems and in the interstellar medium (ISM) leading to the formation and breaking of chemical bonds. Astrochemistry presents both an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary field with ties to the traditional disciplines chemistry, planetary science, chemical biology, physics, and astronomy.

Here chemistry, defined as the change of matter, is vital in unraveling the chemical and astrobiological evolution of matter on the microscopic (elementary chemical reactions) and macroscopic (planets, moons, interstellar medium) levels. Since the present composition of each macroscopic environment reflects the matter from which it was formed and the chemical processes that have changed the chemical nature since the origin, a detailed investigation of the processes altering the chemical composition of the pristine environment is critical to rationalize its contemporary makeup and to understand its origin and chemistry. Astrochemistry exploits molecular tracers to rationalize the origin and chemical evolution of the interstellar medium and of solar systems by combining laboratory studies (chemical dynamics and kinetics, spectroscopy), theoretical chemistry, astrochemical modeling, astronomical observations, and space missions. This work requires a concerted interdisciplinary relationship between chemists, physicists, astronomers, chemical biologists, and planetary scientists.

We would also like to thank those of you who supported the establishment of the Astrochemistry Subdivision! We hope that this creates a thriving Astrochemistry Subdivision that is able to serve the community.

Ralf-Ingo Kaiser, PhD

 

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JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

For all Job opportunities, please visit jobs
and also consider posting a job by filling out the jobs submission form at:
node/add/job

You can send any comments, questions, or suggestions to the DPS Jobs Czar at: [email protected]

A) PERMANENT JOB RESEARCH SCIENTIST AT NASA GODDARD

NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. Permanent
position. The Science and Exploration Directorate, Solar System
Exploration Division (SSED), Planetary Systems Laboratory, is seeking
a research scientist to provide expertise in spectroscopic study of
small solar system bodies and planetary atmospheres. Studies include:

1) High resolution infrared spectroscopic characterization of comets,
asteroids, and planetary atmospheres.
2) Development of LTE/non-LTE radiative transfer models capable of
interpreting high resolution infrared spectra of small bodies,
planets and exoplanets
3) Development of quantum-mechanical models of polyatomic molecules
of astrobiological interest.
4) utilization of 3-D general circulation models of planetary
atmospheres to understand transport of trace species detectable
with high resolution infrared spectroscopy.

Candidates must have research experience in planetary atmospheric
science and surface composition; infrared spectroscopic observation,
analysis, and data reduction; and radiative transfer and atmospheric
modeling. U.S. citizenship required. To view the full vacancy
announcement go to:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/344238800

Applications must be received by June 28, 2013. For information
about the research program and the Planetary Systems Lab, contact
Keith Noll, Chief, Lab Chief, at 301-614-5968, or by e-mail at
[email protected].
NASA, GSFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

[From PEN. Edited for length.]

B) NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers scientists and engineers
unique opportunities to conduct research at NASA Centers. Each NPP
fellowship opportunity is designed to advance NASA research in a
specific project related to space science, earth science, aeronautics,
exploration systems, lunar science, astrobiology, or astrophysics.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before
beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree
requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign
nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply.

Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high cost-of
-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial
assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $8,000
per year is provided for professional travel.

Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and
November 1.

For further information and to apply, visit:

http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm

Questions may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected]

C) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, PLANETARY SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

The Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at the University of
Tennessee invites applications for a postdoctoral research position in
planetary remote sensing. Research will focus on thermal modeling of
asteroid regoliths in support of the NASA-funded OSIRIS-REx sample
return mission. Specific tasks will include assisting in the
development and testing of an asteroid thermal emission model to be
used by the mission as well as analysis of existing thermal data of
analog asteroids. Experience with numerical modeling is required.
Candidates must have a PhD in the physical sciences (planetary
science, geology, astronomy, physics, or related fields).

The initial appointment is for one year, but the appointment is
renewable for an additional year. Review of applications will begin
July 1, 2013, and the position will remain open until filled. The
expected start date is October 1, 2013.

Applicants should submit (electronic submission is preferred) resume,
statement of research experience and interests, and letters of
recommendation from three references to Prof. Joshua Emery
([email protected]), Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996. UTK is a EEO/AA/Title
IX/Section 504/ADA employer.

D) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN PLANETARY MAPPING AND IMPACT STUDIES: LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE

Universities Space Research Association (USRA) invites applications
for a postdoctoral fellowship in planetary science in Houston, Texas.

The candidate will work with Dr. Paul Schenk, investigating the impact
crater shapes and distributions on icy satellites, including Enceladus,
using the entire Cassini image library, and supplementary stereo and
shape-from-shading techniques (although experience in these tools is
not required). The candidate will also be expected to develop their
own research projects using this data.

Candidate must have a recent Ph.D. in geology or geophysics and have
a strong background in remote sensing/image processing of spacecraft
data, and preferably experience in geophysical or mapping
investigations. The position is generally for two years, with a
possible extension to three years. Apply to the posting at:

https://usracareers.silkroad.com/

Include a letter of interest, a curriculum vita with a list of
publications, a brief statement of research interests, and a list
of three references. Review of candidates begins August 1, 2013,
with a hiring decision, as soon as possible thereafter.
Information on current research and facilities at the LPI is found
on our website:

www.lpi.usra.edu

E) POSTDOC AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCHING PLUTO’S EXTENDED ATMOSPHERE

The University of Texas Center for Aeromechanics Research has a
postdoctoral research position available to develop a three dimensional
DSMC simulation of Pluto’s extended atmosphere in anticipation of the
New Horizons arrival.

A researcher in the field of planetary atmospheres with a background
in programming and outer solar system physics is desired. Knowledge of
the direct simulation Monte Carlo method or related stochastic
modeling would be very helpful.

Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant discipline and a strong
interest in upper atmospheric physics. Position is available
immediately.

Initial appointment is for one year but is renewable for an additional
year. To apply, please contact Prof. David Goldstein at
david(at)ices.utexas.edu.

F) POST-DOC AT INAF-OSSERVATORIO ASTRONOMICO IN PALERMO, ITALY

INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo is offering a post-doc position on “Planet Search around low-mass stars”.
Applications must be received by 30 June 2013. Starting date is 1 September 2013.

Any questions may be addressed to: [email protected]

G) PHYSICS INSTRUCTOR POSITION, NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

The Department of Physics & Astronomy at Northern Arizona University
invites applications for a non-tenure track, one-year Physics
Instructor position for the 2013-2014 academic year. Applicant must
be able to begin work, with all degrees completed, on 19 August 2013.
The position may be renewable for a second year contingent on
satisfactory performance and availability of funding.

The minimum requirements for this position are: a Master’s degree in
physics or a closely related field.

The preferred qualifications are: a strong academic record and the
ability to teach a wide variety of lower-division courses; experience
teaching physics courses at the college level; evidence of high
quality teaching and commitment to student success; strong
communication skills; the experience and/or commitment necessary to
work with a diverse population.

For full position announcement, please see:

http://hr.nau.edu/node/2796&job_req=600330

NAU is an AA/EEO/MWDV employer.

H) JAXA INTERNATIONAL TOP YOUNG FELLOWSHIP

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) International Top Young
Fellowship (ITYF) was established as a prestigious new fellowship
program in 2009. The ITYF is designed to attract outstanding, highly
motivated, early-career researchers in any of the space science fields
covered by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS) to
work in Japan for 3 (extendable to 5) years. An excellent remuneration
package is offered, including research budget (including travel
expense) so that the fellow can extend their international profile, as
well as developing collaborations within Japan.

The most recent call for JAXA International Top Young Fellowship
applications, for FY2013, has been issued.
The application deadline is 31 August 2013. Please see the below the
link for further details.

http://www.jaxa.jp/employ/index_e.html

Please feel free to forward this information to those who might be
interested in it.

Masaki Fujimoto
ISAS, JAXA

 

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

See also: PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

A) SOLAR SYSTEM FORMATION AND OBSERVATION CONFERENCE : REGISTRATION DEADLINE TODAY !!

This is a reminder that the abstract deadline for the SFO – Solar System Formation and Observation Conference, to be held in Bern from 21- 23 October 2013, will close in 10 days (Friday, 14th of June, 2013).

The SFO conference will address the topics of how our solar system formed and how different regions are investigated by instruments onboard space missions. Five invited speakers will give a review talk each as an introduction to one of the five sessions that will take place. The program will be complemented by presentations (oral and poster) from the participants. Therefore we encourage the submission of abstracts about the mentioned topics and related ones.

With this conference we would like to address PhD students and young researchers, their supervisors as well as senior scientists. For PhD students and young researchers the SFO conference offers the nice possibility to present the own research project and work to an audience of specialists and colleagues from related subjects.

Participants shall register on www.sfo.unibe.ch not later than 31st of August, 2013. The conference fee is 200,- CHF (~160 €) and includes the participation in all sessions, a conference dinner on the second evening and all conference materials. Abstract submission is possible until 14th of June, 2013.

On behalf of the SFO organizing committee,
Susanne Finklenburg

B) CROSSING THE BOUNDARIES IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES: FROM EARTH TO EXOPLANETS : DEADLINE COMING UP SOON

REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Information regarding registration and housing for the Chapman Conference on Crossing the Boundaries in Planetary Atmospheres: From Earth to Exoplanets.

Registration Deadline: 12 June 2013

Housing Deadline: 22 May 2013

http://chapman.agu.org/planetaryatmospheres/my-meeting/

Select your arrival and departure dates
Choose ‘Group‘ from the Partner/Group Rates dropdown
Enter group code, AGU622, in the ‘Code’ field.

C) TARGET NEO 2 WORKSHOP – UPDATE
July 9, 2013
National Academy of Sciences Bldg. 2101 Constitution Ave, NW,
Washington, DC from 8 AM – 6 PM

Registration (free) and information:

http://targetneo.jhuapl.edu

This follow-up to the highly successful Target NEO Workshop, held in
February 2011, supports the development of a robust human exploration
program by ensuring that the technical viewpoints of experts pertinent
to robotic and human NEO exploration are provided and documented.

Key Questions: What are the technical challenges involved and what new
capabilities are needed for the newly proposed Asteroid Retrieval
Mission (ARM)? Are there any alternative approaches? What technical
information is still needed to support and sustain a robust human
explortion program to a NEO?

Outcome: Public Report

Session Descriptions:
Update to Flexible Path Architecture (Asteroid First)
The Small (< 10 m) NEA Population
Finding Small NEAs: Current Capabilities and Gaps
Small NEA Mission Design Challenges
Technical Value of ARM – Panel Discussion

D) URANUS BEYOND VOYAGER 2
International conference: “Uranus beyond Voyager 2 : from recent advances to future missions”. Paris from 16 to 18 September 2013.

In the frame of the rising interest of the community for Uranus and its environment, we are glad to announce an international conference on “Uranus beyond Voyager 2 : from recent advances to future missions”. The meeting will be hold from 16 to 18 September 2013 at the Observatory of Paris (Meudon, France), immediately after the EPSC meeting (the week before in London, UK) to facilitate travels.

The meeting will be organized along eight sessions adressing the various aspects of the study and the exploration of this planetary system, with ample time for presentations and discussions. A preliminary program, including invited presentations, will be posted soon. We warmly welcome contributions to these sessions *** by 15 June 2013 ***.

More details can be found on the webpage : http://uranus.sciencesconf.org

Laurent Lamy on behalf of the organizing committee

E) 4TH PLANETARY CRATER CONSORTIUM MEETING
The 4th Planetary Crater Consortium meeting will be held August 14-16, 2013, at the US Geological Survey in Flagstaff, AZ. The Planetary Crater Consortium is open to planetary scientists interested in any aspect of impact cratering on solar system bodies, including observational, theoretical, experimental, and numerical studies. The meeting is a combination of invited talks, contributed talks, and open discussion. Abstract deadline is Friday, July 26, 2013. For more information, see www.planetarycraterconsortium.nau.edu/ or contact Nadine Barlow ([email protected]).

F) OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP (OPAG) MEETING DATES ANNOUNCED
Dates for the next OPAG meeting have been confirmed.
The meeting will be held July 15–16, 2013, in the Washington, DC, area.

When more details are available, they will be posted on the OPAG website:

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

G) HAYABUSA 2013: SYMPOSIUM OF SOLAR SYSTEM MATERIALS
Date: 16-18 Oct., 2013
Place: Sagamihara Campus of JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, JAPAN

We would like to announce that the international workshop entitled “Hayabusa 2013: Symposium of Solar System Materials” will be held on 16-18 October, 2013, at ISAS, JAXA (Sagamihara, Japan). Since the return of samples from Itokawa by Hayabusa in 2010, the initial analyses followed by studies selected in the 1st International AO have been performed. Now is the right time to review these results as a whole. Furthermore, multiple asteroid sample return missions are in progress, and the analysis of returned samples has become one of the key components of planetary science. Now is the right time to set a perspective on the driving force that returned samples will give to the future of solar system science. It is in this spirit that the workshop “Hayabusa 2013: Symposium of Solar System Materials” is designed.

We especially welcome presentations on the following topics:
– Hayabusa sample analysis results
– Solar system science via sample return missions
– New techniques in solar system sample analysis
– New ideas on the origin and evolution of the solar system

There will be no registration fee for this workshop. Please go to http://hayabusaao.isas.jaxa.jp/symposium/
for more details. Please note that the web-page will be updated frequently.

Point of Contact:
[email protected]

H) INTERNATIONAL METEOR CONFERENCE 2012 AUGUST 22-25, POZNAŃ, POLAND

The 2013 International Meteor Conference will be held in Poznań, the capital of the western Poland. This conference will be organized by the Polish Comets and Meteors Workshop (CMW/PKiM) and will take place from 2013 August 22–25. This IMC will be closely connected with Meteoroids 2013 Conference organized a few days later in the same city. Such location of the IMC will help both amateurs and professionals to meet and exchange their scientific results. There are many traveling possibilities to reach Poznań; the city is very easy reachable for all European participants.
Participants will be accommodated in the IOR Congress Center, the modern hotel, conference and restaurant all-in-one facility. During the weekend the IMC participant will visit the Morasko Reservoir – a group of the large meteorite impact craters located north of Poznań and the meteorites exhibition with largest, 178 kg piece of Morasko meteorite, found in 2006.
IMC 2013 registration fee is €150 before 31 May 2013 and €165 after this date. Participants will be accommodated in double rooms. The registration deadline is 2013 July 31. The LOC can be contacted via email on [email protected]. This is the second time the IMC is organized in Poland. The previous was a successful IMC 2002 in Frombork. Hope to see you next time in Poland!

I) EUROPEAN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONGRESS (EPSC 2013)
We would like to inform you that the online pre-registration for the European Planetary Science Congress 2013 from 08 to 13 September in London, United Kingdom, has started.

You will be able to register at Early Registration Rates until 31 July 2013.
Please note that bank transfer payments for registrations are only possible up to this date. As of 01 August 2013, pre-registration at late registration rates will only be possible by credit card payment.
On-site registrations are of course possible by credit card or cash payment. However, please consider that cash payments can only be handled in Euros (not in GBP).

Detailed registration information can be found at:

http://www.epsc2013.eu/registration.html

Moreover, we would also like to draw your attention to the Social Event taking place on Wednesday, 11 September 2013.

Detailed information about the Social Event can be found at:

http://www.epsc2013.eu/social_event.html

Places for the Social Event are strictly limited, we therefore encourage you to book your place as soon as possible.

Please log in with your Copernicus Office User ID and password in order to process your Conference and/or Social Event registration.

J) GSA 2013 OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM SATELLITES COMPANION SESSIONS
We call to your attention two companion planetary science sessions at
the annual Geological Society of America meeting held Oct 27-30 in
Denver, CO focusing on studies related to the outer solar system
satellites.

T9: “Outer Satellite Exploration: The Next 50 Years”. This session
will discuss current paradigms and unanswered fundamental questions
about outer planet satellites that will be important considerations
in future outer solar system exploration, and mission and instrument
concepts that address them.

T12: “Voyager to New Horizons: Exploring Surface and Interior
Processes of Icy Worlds”. This session will highlight surface and
tectonic processes, interiors, and the thermal evolution of icy
satellites, KBOs, and planetary analogs. We encourage experimental
and theoretical modeling studies, as well as observational approaches
to address current scientific objectives.

Additional information about the GSA meeting can be found at:

http://community.geosociety.org/2013AnnualMeeting/Home/

To submit an abstract to either session please visit (Submission
Deadline August 6th, 11:59pm PST):

https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013AM/cfp.epl

Questions about session T9 should be directed to David Williams
([email protected]), and for session T12 should be directed
to Emily Martin ([email protected]).

 

 

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