Newsletter 14-11

Issue 14-11, May 5, 2014

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1) MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
2) PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION SEEKING VOLUNTEER REVIEWERS
3) JWST NOW IN HORIZONS
4) TWO NEW RESOURCE GUIDES FOR THOSE WHO TEACH OR EXPLAIN ASTRONOMY
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Dear DPS Community,

As Washington’s cherry blossoms are replaced by bright green leaves and winter gives way to spring warmth, I have a few items to bring to your attention.

First, our DPS elections are in full swing. Make your voice heard and your vote counted!  Take a moment to go to http://aas.org/vote/ and cast your vote.  Instructions were provided in the most recent DPS email distribution (news/2014-dps-elections-procedure).

Second, there is a great deal of budget-related activity in Washington right now.  Your DPS Federal Relations Subcommittee (FRS) and DPS leadership are actively involved in planning and discussions.  If you would like to play a role, I point you to a recent blog by our colleague Dr. Jim Bell.  In his open letter to the professional planetary science community (http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0501-an-open-letter-to-planetary-scientists-from-jim-bell.html), Jim outlines some specific actions one could take to be a part of the process.  Please note that these activities are distinct from those organized by our FRS, which will be the subject of a future update from the FRS Chair Makenzie Lystrup.

Finally, start thinking about the DPS meeting this fall (http://aas.org/meetings/dps46).  Both the LOC and SOC are making great progress, and the Tucson meeting is shaping up to be just terrific!   My thanks go out to Joe Spitale, Faith Vilas, and all of the volunteers who are engaged in the pre-meeting planning telecons and email debates.   Mark your calendars now, and keep an eye out for more meeting info soon.

Heidi Hammel
DPS Chair

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PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION SEEKING VOLUNTEER REVIEWERS

To increase the pool of un-conflicted reviewers the Planetary Science Division is seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in reviewers of proposals and/or in-person reviewers to engage in discussions at a face-to-face panel meeting. New researchers (including post-doctoral fellows) are welcome to apply as they provide fresh insight from people close to the most current research. Just follow the links below to the volunteer review forms and indicate the fields in which you consider yourself to be a subject matter expert and click the boxes. If your skills match our needs for this review NASA will contact you to discuss scheduling.     

We are currently seeking reviewers for:

ROSES 2014 E.3 The Exoplanet Research Program
ROSES 2014 C.2 Emerging Worlds
ROSES 2014 C.6 Solar System Observations

Go to:
http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/ 

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JWST NOW IN HORIZONS

The James Webb Space Telescope’s planning trajectory has been added to JPL’s Horizons ephemeris system. It is now possible to generate ephemerides of all cataloged solar system bodies with respect to JWST by setting the observing site/center to @jwst.  This trajectory will be updated to the actual orbit after launch. As a reminder, the JWST Solar System Working Group has been considering science cases from the solar system observing community for future observations with NASA’s next great observatory.  A white paper summarizing the instrumentation and observatory capabilities, as well as key science cases is now available (http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.6845). More details regarding solar system observations with JWST can be found here: http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science/solar-system.

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TWO NEW RESOURCE GUIDES FOR THOSE WHO TEACH OR EXPLAIN ASTRONOMY

“Unheard Voices,” a set of resource guides about the astronomy of many cultures and about the contributions of women to astronomy, is now available on the Multiverse web site at:
http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/Learning-Resources/Educator-Resource-Guides

The two new resource guides are designed specifically for instructors and students in introductory college science courses (such as Astro 101), but can be used by anyone who is teaching, explaining, or learning astronomy or earth and space science.  Sponsored by the Heliophysics Forum of the Space Missions Directorate at NASA, the guides include written, on-line, and audio-visual materials, many of which can be used directly in the classroom, for student papers, or personal enrichment.

“Unheard Voices 1: The Astronomy of Many Cultures” features the contributions to astronomy of African, Asian, Hispanic, South Pacific, Islamic, and Native American cultures, together with a section on reports and articles for achieving greater diversity in science.  (15 pages)

“Unheard Voices 2: Women in Astronomy” features sections on: the history of women in astronomy in general, materials on selected women astronomers of the past, issues facing women in astronomy today, and materials on selected contemporary women astronomers. (13 pages)

Multiverse — formerly known as the Center for Science Education at the University of California, Berkeley — offers a website with a wide range of resources, information, and programs, to help educators and their students learn about the universe in a more multi-cultural context. 

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) 48TH ESLAB SYMPOSIUM: NEW INSIGHTS INTO VOLCANISM ACROSS THE SOLAR SYSTEM
17-20 June, ESTEC

The preliminary program is now published on the website, see http://congrexprojects.com/2014-events/48-ESLAB/programme. The detailed program with individual contributions will follows shortly, and will be announced on the website.
Registration is still open, and will be until the start of the meeting. In addition, “Late Abstracts – Poster Only” submission is still possible until May 16th. The poster session will be on Thursday 19th, June.
The symposium will focus on volcanism in the Solar System. Of particular interest, but not limited to, will be new insights obtained over the last years from international space missions to planets, Moons and cryo-volcanism. The format will be made up of plenary sessions on topics related to volcanism in the Solar System, with contributed oral and poster presentations.
Sebastien Besse on behalf of the SOC

B) NASA EXPLORATION SCIENCE FORUM 2014
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
July 21-23, 2014

The Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI) is pleased to announce the 1st annual NASA Exploration Science Forum (ESF), to be held July 21-23, 2014 at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA.  This year’s Forum will feature scientific discussions related to several exploration targets of interest: the Moon, near-Earth asteroids and the moons of Mars. There are no registration fees to attend the conference, but registration is required. Non-US citizens MUST register by May 26, 2014 to allow time to process the visit. To learn more about the conference and register, please go to:
http://sservi.nasa.gov/NESF2014/

Questions can be directed to:
Yvonne Pendleton, Director of SSERVI ([email protected])
Dana Hurley, SOC Co-Chair ([email protected])
Nancy Chabot, SOC Co-Chair ([email protected] )

The abstract submission deadline has passed, but the following topics relevant to the Moon, near-Earth Asteroids, and Phobos/Deimos will be covered at this meeting:

Volatiles – formation, destruction, location, form
Dust/Regolith – origin and evolution
Exosphere/Plasma Interactions,
Radiation Environment – space weathering and human health
Geology,
Geophysics,
Robotic Missions,
Sample Return
ISRU
Astro/Heliophysics
Public Outreach

The ESF will contain a special session to engage the exploration and science communities in an important discussion of objectives and benefits of the different Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) destinations – the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, the moons of Mars. As many of the ESF topics are of relevance to the International Space Exploration Coordination Group’s (ISECG) Global Exploration Roadmap (GER), NASA, together with other space agency representatives from ISECG, will leverage the participating Forum scientists present and conduct a separate session on the GER on July 24, immediately following the Exploration Science Forum.  This session seeks to discuss topics of interest that increase the synergies between human and robotic missions to increase the return for each community.  All ESF participants are welcome to attend, but they must be registered.  Forum and GER logistics, schedule and registration info may be found at http://sservi.nasa.gov/NESF2014/

C) WORKSHOP ON THE STUDY OF THE ICE GIANT PLANETS
July 28-30 at APL in Laurel, MD

Abstract submission and registration are now open for the Workshop on the Study of the Ice Giant Planets July 28-30 at APL in Laurel, MD.  The abstracts deadline is May 15 and early registration runs through June 27.  For more information, please see: 
http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/icegiants2014/icegiants20141st.shtml

D) SMALL BODIES DYNAMICS MEETING
Ubatuba, SP, Brazil, August 24-28th

The SBD meeting intends to provide a new space for in-depth and stimulating discussions and talks on all aspects of minor bodies dynamics. Topics covered by this meeting will involve the dynamical evolution of asteroids, TNOs, satellites, rings, dust, and space probes. The SBD meeting will feature invited talks on a range of topics, contributed talks, and posters.

The meeting will take place in the Hotel Wembly Inn, in Ubatuba, SP, Brazil, on August 24-28th.  More information on the conference is available at
http://sbd14.sciencesconf.org/

E) EUROPEAN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONGRESS 2014 – EPSC2014
07 – 12 September 2014
Cascais, Portugal

http://epsc2014.eu

Abstract deadline: 6 May 2014.

The international community of planetary scientists is invited to submit an abstract for presentation of their recent work at the EPSC 2014 Meeting, which will take place at the Centro de Congressos do Estoril, Cascais, Portugal, 07-12 September 2014.

The meeting will consist of oral and poster sessions, as well as workshop-style sessions. We expect a very well attended meeting, with many high quality presentations.

The current list of sessions is organized around the following topics:
TP Terrestrial Planets
GP Giant Planet Systems
MG Magnetospheres and Space Physics
MTI Missions, Techniques and Industry
MTW MT Technology Foresight Workshops
EX Exoplanets and Origins
AB Astrobiology
SB Small Bodies
PD Planetary Dynamics
LF Laboratory and Field Investigations
OEP Outreach, Education, and Policy
AM Amateur Astronomy
CP Comparative Planetology

The scientific program and abstract submission are accessible at:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2014/sessionprogramme

Please browse the list of sessions and identify the session that most closely matches your area of interest; your abstract can then be submitted directly to that session.  
The session conveners, together with the Scientific Organizing Committee, will finalize the science program shortly after the abstract deadline.  

Information on registration, accommodation, travel routes, visa requirements and social events will become available soon on the meeting web site.

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Note some of the following sessions :

* TP3: Venus
Rather than have a combined “Terrestrial Planet atmospheres session”, this year we are having a dedicated Venus session to enable a broad view of surface, atmosphere and evolution of this planet in support of a forthcoming “Venus 3” book project. We invite abstracts on all aspects of Venus science, from modelling to observation, from interior to surface to atmosphere to exosphere.

Best regards,
Colin Wilson
Bruno Bézard
Chris Russell
Sue Smrekar
Takehiko Satoh

* EX4 : Formation and Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Systems
Convener: D. Turrini
Co-Conveners: R. Nelson, C. Agnor 

The growing body of data on extrasolar planetary systems is offering us a deeper insight of the rich variety of outcomes of the processes shaping planetary formation, of which the Solar System is just one of the possible results. At the same time, the Solar System offers a large number of constraints to test the theories of planetary formation and of the early dynamical evolution of the planets. This session aims to offer a space for discussing new theoretical, observational and laboratory results about the formation and evolution, both dynamical and collisional, of planetary systems and about their formation environments, the protoplanetary disks.

The dead line for abstract submission is the 6th of May 2014.

We apologize if you receive this email more than once and we kindly ask to circulate it in your institutions and among interested colleagues.
We hope to see you in Cascais,
Diego Turrini, Richard Nelson, Craig Agnor

* The Giant planets Systems theme has also several sessions :
– GP1 / Outer planets systems
           Convener: A. Coustenis  | Co-Conveners: N. Andre, S. K. Atreya, C.S Arridge, L.N. Fletcher
– GP2/ Aeronomy of Giant planets
           Convener: J.N. Yates  | Co-Conveners: L. C. Ray, J. Cho, T. Koskinen
– GP3 /Celebrating 10 years of exploration with Cassini-Huygens
           Convener: N. Altobelli  | Co-Conveners: J.-P. Lebreton , A. Coustenis , C. Sotin
– GP4 /Titan’s Surface and Interior
           Convener: E. Turtle  | Co-Conveners: A. Coustenis , J. I. Lunine , R. D. Lorenz

F) BINGHAMTON GEOMORPHOLOGY SYMPOSIUM
Sept 12-14, at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville

The Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium (BGS), an established forum for exploring all aspects of geomorphology, focuses this year on Planetary Geomorphology.  We warmly welcome abstracts from all branches of planetary – and terrestrial – geomorphology.  BGS2014 will include a field trip to the Appalachian Mts and a workshop on accessing planetary datasets.  Please see http://web.eps.utk.edu/SYMPOSIUM/index.php for more information, to register or to submit an abstract (before Aug 1). Abstracts will be searchable through the SAO/ADS. 

G) 2ND INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTATION FOR PLANETARY MISSIONS
Greenbelt, Maryland (near Washington DC)
November 4-7, 2014

Call for Papers
Submission Deadline: July 28, 2014

The objective of the International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Mission is to have a broad canvas of instrumentation and technology available to ‘Decadal Survey’ missions and those further out. It is also meant to be a forum of collaboration, exchange and discussions where science questions, and the technology needed to address them, are discussed.
The website for the workshop has been updated. Included on the website is the call for papers, registration information and form, plus lodging information.
To view the current information, visit the workshop website:
http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/

H) 11TH EUROPEAN SPACE WEATHER WEEK
17-21 November 2014, Liege, Belgium

** The abstract submission deadline is 1 June 2014. **

We warmly invite abstract submissions to our session “PLANETARY SPACE WEATHER” (http://www.stce.be/esww11/program/03.php).

Please find bellow a full description of this session along with the contact details of all three conveners. The ESWW11 meeting details can be found in the conference website:http://www.stce.be/esww11/ where the necessary guide and links to submitting abstracts can also be found.

** Session Description **
The session welcomes papers on all aspects of the conditions in the Sun, solar wind and magnetospheric plasmas, at different planetary systems of our Solar System, that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne technological systems. Focus will be given in cross-disciplinary issues, including: – the interaction of solar wind/magnetospheric plasmas with planetary/satellite ionospheres and thick (e.g. at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mars, Venus, Titan) or tenuous (e.g. Ganymede, Europa, Mercury, our Moon) atmospheres, including the generation of auroras – the satellite interactions with their neutral environments and dust – the variability of the magnetospheric regions under different solar wind conditions – the inter-comparisons of space weather conditions in different planetary environments Contributions addressing previous (e.g. CHANDRAYAAN-1, KAGUYA), present (e.g. CASSINI, MARS EXPRESS, VENUS EXPRESS, ROSETTA, MAVEN, MESSENGER, VAN ALLEN PROBES) and forthcoming (e.g. BEPI COLOMBO, JUICE, MMS) in situ observations are welcome. Abstracts on theoretical modeling and simulations of planetary space weather conditions, possibly destined for end-users of space weather services, are extremely welcome. Inter-comparisons and interpretation of measurements at different planetary systems and quantification of the possible effect of the environment interactions on components and systems (e.g. radiation doze studies) are strongly encouraged.

** Conveners contact details **
Christina Plainaki (INAF-IAPS, Rome, Italy; [email protected])
Iannis Dandouras (IRAP, Toulouse, France; [email protected])
Maria Andriopoulou (Space Science Institute, Austrian Academy of Science, Graz, Austria; [email protected])

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Send submissions to:
Athena Coustenis, DPS Secretary ([email protected])

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