Newsletter 15-16

Issue 15-16, April 2, 2015

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2015 PRIZE NOMINATIONS
  2. IAU PRESS RELEASE
  3. NASA PSD SEEKS REVIEWERS FOR ROSES PROPOSALS
  4. JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
  5. UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

REMINDER: CALL FOR DPS 2015 PRIZE NOMINATIONS

 

DEADLINE APRIL 15, 2015

 

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]

 

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 April 15.

 

Consider for example the Carl Sagan Medal, which recognizes excellence in public communication in
planetary science. Do you have a colleague that excels in reaching out to the public, who has a particularly
effective way of communicating new findings in our field? We want to recognize those efforts that are so
important to the health of our field!

 

The Masursky Award recognizes meritorious service to planetary science. Do you have a colleague whose
efforts made a significant difference in the success of an endeavor you’ve been involved in through
engineering, managerial, programmatic or public service activities? Consider nominating that individual!

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

IAU PRESS RELEASE

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has issued a press release regarding the opportunity to name features on Pluto and its satellites. The full release can be found at 

http://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1502/

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

NASA PSD SEEKS REVIEWERS FOR ROSES RESEARCH PROPOSALS

NASA’s Planetary Science Division is seeking volunteers to serve as reviewers for proposals from the following ROSES-2015 programs:  

In addition, some volunteer opportunities also exist for proposals from the physics divisions as well:

All of these opportunities to review currently and others in the future can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/

Finally, proposers may also Suggest Reviewers for ROSES Planetary Science Proposals at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/suggested-reviewers/

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
 

A) JOINT ALMA OBSERVATORY POSTDOCTORAL POSITION

ALMA started its first Early Science observations in late 2011 and has already produced 200 papers, many in influential journals. At the Cycle 2 Call for Proposals, ALMA received more submissions than any other telescope in history. We are offering Postdoctoral Fellowships to join ALMA at this exciting period during which the array is ramping up to its full operational potential. ALMA Postdoctoral Fellows will be appointed for three years and will spend at least half of their time dedicated to their personal research. These Fellowships offer young scientists opportunities and facilities to enhance their research programs through involvement in science activities and close contact with experienced staff at the world’s foremost observatory for sub-mm astronomy. Deadline 1 June.

https://cw.na1.hgncloud.com/nrao/loadJobPostingDetails.do?jobPostingID=101040source=jobList

B) Ph.D. STUDENT – University of Versailles Saint-Quentin

Ion chemistry in Titan’s atmosphere by experimental simulation

Context :

Titan is the largest satellite of Saturn. This object is unique in the solar system as it hosts a dense atmosphere mainly made of nitrogen N2 and methane CH4, with a pressure of 1.5 bar at the surface. The nitrogen rich atmosphere and the presence of liquid areas at the surface make it one of the most interesting objects to understand the evolution of the Earth before the emergence of life and to look for habitable worlds outside the solar system.
The Cassini-Huygens space mission is probing Titan since 2004. It reveals an intense atmospheric photochemistry initiated by photo-dissociation and ionization of N2 and CH4. Photochemistry on Titan leads to the formation of solid organic aerosols responsible for the smog surrounding permanently the satellite. These aerosols are produced in large amounts and have a significant interest for astrobiology because they are among the most complex organic material ever detected in extra-terrestrial bodies.
In the upper atmosphere, the plasma spectrometer onboard Cassini detected signatures compatible with the presence of heavy molecules which are precursors for the solid core of the aerosols. This observation evidences the key role of ion chemistry for organic growth. It is now admitted that aerosols are initiated in the ionosphere, where gas and solid aerosols coexist in a fully coupled ionic and neutral chemistry. However the processes coupling ion chemistry and aerosol production are mostly unknown.

Project :

The PhD student will address the issue of the ion chemistry contribution to the organic growth in Titan’s ionosphere, both in the gas phase and in the solid phase.
The work will require an experimental simulation approach, using a plasma reactor simulating the heterogeneous chemistry occurring in Titan’s ionosphere. Ion species will be investigated in-situ by ion mass spectrometry. Neutral products will be complementary studied by infrared absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and GC-MS analysis.  

Profile of the applicant :

The PhD candidate must hold a master degree in physics, chemistry or in planetary science and be motivated by the laboratory simulation of planetary atmospheres. The PhD contract will start in September or October 2015.
——————————————————————————————————————-
Applications should be sent before May 30th 2015 to Dr Nathalie Carrasco. 
Email : [email protected]  /   Tel: +00 33 (0)1 80 28 52 72
The application will include a letter of interest, the academic results obtained both in license and master degrees, a CV, and a recommendation letter.
The thesis will be funded by the European Research Council (ERC starting grant PRIMCHEM). 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS

 

A) FUTURE OF PLANETARY RADIO ASTRONOMY WORKSHOP

 

This is the second announcement of a workshop on the future of planetary radio astronomy with single-dish
telescopes, to be held at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank WV on June 9-10 2015. 

 

Registration is now open!

https://science.nrao.edu/science/meetings/2015/planetary-radio-astronomy-future/registration 
Abstract submission is also open!

https://science.nrao.edu/science/meetings/2015/planetary-radio-astronomy-future/abstract-submission 

The deadline for registration and abstract submission is April 30 2015. 

 

Radar studies of near-earth asteroids, mapping of planet and lunar surfaces, chemical compositions of
comets, asteroids, and planetary atmospheres, and origins of solar systems, are just some of the exciting
topics currently being studied through the use of large single-dish telescopes. We encourage you to attend
this workshop and present your ideas on how the large single-dish telescopes such as the GBT and Arecibo
can best contribute to future research in these and other topics, including new and improved capabilities and
instrumentation.  Attendance will be limited to roughly 30 people, and we aim to provide plenty of time for
discussions. We expect the agenda to evolve as we hear from potential participants. Please forward this
message to anyone that may be interested in attending this workshop, and we hope to see you in Green Bank
in June! 

 

Best regards, Alyson Ford & Frank Ghigo National Radio Astronomy Observatory – Green Bank

 

———————————+

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