Newsletter 19-13

Issue 19-13, April 14, 2019

 

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  1. HARTMANN STUDENT TRAVEL GRANTS FOR DPS/EPSC MEETING
  2. EPSC/DPS 2019 JOINT MEETING SESSIONS
  3. MAY 2ND MEETING ABSTRACT DEADLINE APPROACHING: THE PLUTO SYSTEM AFTER NEW HORIZONS
  4. OPAG MEETING AGENDA ANNOUNCEMENT
  5. SBAG EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT AND LIGHTNING TALKS FOR SBAG 21
  6. SPICE TRAINING CLASS
  7. SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY – REGISTRATION OPEN
  8. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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HARTMANN STUDENT TRAVEL GRANTS FOR DPS/EPSC MEETING

 

A generous contribution from William K. Hartmann, supplemented by member 

contributions and matching funds from the DPS Committee, has enabled a limited 

number of student travel grants to assist participation by early-career scientists at 

the annual DPS meeting.

 

Application details are at: 
meetings/hartmann-application

 

Travel grants are intended to be supplemental and are primarily intended for students,

but post-doctoral scientists without other means of support will also be considered.

 

THE DUE DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS APRIL 24 11:59 PM EDT

 

The DPS Leadership is also soliciting additional contributions from members  for the Hartmann Fund. Your tax-deductible gift promotes the careers of our next generation of planetary scientists. Thanks so much for your generosity.

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EPSC/DPS 2019 JOINT MEETING SESSIONS

 

EXO16 : OCEAN WORLDS AND ICY MOONS

 

Conveners : C. Howett, S. Fatemi, C. German, C. Hansen, J. Hofgartner, M. Holmberg, T. Hurford, H. Huybrighs, A. Murray, A. Rhoden, D. Snowden, A. Solomonidou, J. Spitale, and F. Tosi

 

The set of known and suspected ocean worlds continues to expand, leading to intense interest in their viability as potential habitats that may be or may have been inhabited. Previous missions such as Cassini-Huygens, Galileo and New Horizons provide a major incentive for future exploration of the icy Galilean satellites with Europa Clipper and JUICE. Understanding ocean worlds and preparing for their exploration requires input from a variety of scientific disciplines: planetary geology and geophysics (including active processes, e.g. plumes), atmospheric physics, life sciences, magnetospheric environment, space weathering, as well as supporting laboratory studies, preparatory studies for future missions and technology developments in instrumentation and engineering. We welcome abstracts that span the full breadth of disciplines that apply to the icy moons in the outer Solar System with potential liquid oceans underneath, and their exploration.

 

OPS1 : ICE GIANT SYSTEMS

 

Conveners: D. H. Atkinson, O. Mousis, M. Hofstadter, S. Atreya, T. Cavalie, L. Fletcher, C. Paty, and E. P. Turtle

 

This session welcomes abstracts addressing all aspects of ice-giants systems including the internal structure of the ice giants, the composition, structure, and processes of and within ice-giant atmospheres, ice-giant magnetospheres, satellites, and rings, and the relationship to exoplanetary systems. The session will comprise a combination of solicited and contributed oral and poster presentations on new and continuing studies of the ice-giant systems and the connection of the ice giants to our current understanding of exoplanetary systems.

 

We welcome papers that 

* Address the current understanding of ice-giant systems, including atmospheres,

interiors, magnetospheres, rings, and satellites including Triton; 

* Advance our understanding of the ice-giant systems in preparation for future exploration, both remote sensing and in situ;

* Discuss what the ice giants can tell us about solar system formation and evolution

leading to a better understanding of the current structure of the solar system and its

habitable zone; 

* Address outstanding science questions requiring future investigations including

from spacecraft, remote sensing, theoretical, and laboratory work necessary to improve

our knowledge of the ice giants and their relationship to the gas giants and the solar system;

* Present concepts for missions, instruments, and investigations to make appropriate

and useful measurements. 

 

The EPSC-DPS website can be found at https://www.epsc-dps2019.eu/

 

And the outer planet system sessions are listed at

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2019/sessionprogramme

 

If any further information is needed, please let me know. Thank you!

 

David Atkinson

 

OPS2 : SATURN SYSTEM AND THE CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION

 

Please consider submitting an abstract to session OPS2 of the EPSC-DPS Joint meeting 2019 which will take place at the Centre International de Conferences de Geneve (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland on 15-20 September 2019.

 

https://www.epsc-dps2019.eu/home.html

 

Results related to the Saturnian system from ground-based and Cassini-Huygens mission observations are welcome in OPS2. All aspects of the system (planet, satellites and rings) will be presented, with emphasis on recent findings. 

 

For more information see: 

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/abstractsubmission/…

 

Abstract submission deadline : 08 May 2019, 13:00 CEST

 

Early registration deadline : 31 July 2019

 

Conveners: A. Coustenis, S. Edgington, F. M. Flasar, A. Masters, C. Plainaki, and L. Spilker 

 

SB1 : DYNAMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISATION OF SMALL BODIES WITH GAIA AND THE NEW GENERATION OF SURVEYS

 

This session welcomes abstracts describing results, developments, and perspectives on the discovery or the physical and dynamical characterisation of the small bodies of our solar system using ground based and space-borne telescopic surveys. Results related to the utilisation of the stellar and solar system objects catalogs published in Gaia DR2 are especially welcomed.

 

This session invites also abstracts about future Gaia data releases and their perspectives (asteroid mass measurements, the detection of Yarkovsky acceleration on objects, and spin/shape properties from photometry), as well as other future surveys or missions.

 

The abstract submission deadline is May 8, 2019, 13:00 CEST.  Please use the below link to learn more about this session and to submit an abstract:

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/session/34453

 

We look forward to a great meeting in Geneva.

 

The conveners,

 

Paolo Tanga, Federica Spoto, and Joseph Masiero

 

SB5 : TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECTS AND THEIR DUST ENVIRONMENT, PLUTO, 2014 MU69, AND CENTAURS

 

This session welcomes papers about the trans-Neptunian objects and their environment, including investigations of space weathering. We encourage scientific investigations based on both space and Earth-based observations as well as theoretical and laboratory investigations. Papers based on observations and measurements obtained from within the Kuiper Belt are particularly encouraged including those focusing on 2014 MU69 (a target of the New Horizons mission). We also welcome papers about the Pluto system including investigations of the geology, composition, atmosphere, climate and environment. Papers on processes that may be active in the Pluto system are particularly encouraged and include topics such as formation of organics in Pluto’s atmosphere and surface, or seasonal/climatic models of volatile transports.

This session will also welcome abstracts devoted to studies of the Centaurs, in particular on their structure, composition, dynamics and activity patterns. We invite studies that describe observations, theory, experimental work, and future spacecraft encounters related to: (i) the onset and provenance of activity beyond Jupiter’s orbit, and (ii) the nature of surface modification at these heliocentric distances (including, but not limited to, solar radiation, space weathering and impacts).

 

The abstract submission deadline is May 8, 2019, 13:00 CEST. 

 

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/session/34462 

 

Please join us in Geneva, Sept. 15-20 2019, for what is sure to be a great meeting.

 

Conveners: Kelsi Singer, Maria Teresa Capria, Heather Elliott, Sonia Fornasier, 

Walter Harris, Rodrigo Leiva, Catherine Olkin,Davide Perna, Simon Porter, 

Silvia Protopappa, Gal Sarid, Bernard Schmitt, Anne Verbiscer, and Laura Woodney
 

SB8 : LATEST SCIENCE RESULTS IN PLANETARY DEFENCE

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

We would like to invite you to send an abstract to Session SB8 “Latest Science Results in Planetary Defence”  at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting on 15 – 20 September 2019 in Geneva.

             

Abstracts are invited covering all aspects of planetary defense: Results from space and ground based telescopic data, results from past and ongoing missions that are relevant for planetary defence as well as updates of planned missions that will significantly contribute and enhance the scientific knowledge for the global planetary defence strategy are welcome.

             

More information about the session and a link to abstract submission can be found on:

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/session/34463

 

Deadline is the 8th of May.

 

Best regards,  

 

The Conveners 

 

SB11 : PLANETARY RING SYSTEMS

 
Dear Colleagues,   

 

We would like to invite you to send an abstract to Session SB11 “Planetary ring systems”at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting on 15 – 20 September 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. This session is open for discussions about rings around Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and small outer-solar-system bodies. Theoretical and observational studies of ring morphology, dynamics, composition, origin, evolution, and interactions with nearby moons are all topics of interest. Contributions reporting on the latest results from the Cassini mission and from TNO and Centaur observations are particularly welcome.   

 

More information about the session and a link to abstract submission can be found on:https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/session/34467   

 

Deadline is the 8th of May 2019.   

 

Best regards, 

 

Phillip D. Nicholson, Gianrico Filacchione  
 

TP20 : IONOSPHERES OF UNMAGNETIZED BODIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THEIR RESPONSES TO SPACE WEATHER ACTIVITY

 

Dear colleagues,

 

We would like to encourage you to submit an abstract to our session TP20: Ionospheres of Unmagnetized Bodies in the Solar System and their responses to space weather activity: Terrestrial Planets and comets for the joint EPSC-DPS conference that will take place in Genève (Switzerland) on 15-20 September 2019.

 

Please find more details in here:

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2019/sessionprogramme

 

“Ionospheres are an integral part of planetary atmospheres, being tightly coupled

to the neutral atmosphere, exosphere and surrounding plasma environments.

Specifically, the ionospheres of unmagnetized (or weakly-magnetized) bodies

with substantial atmospheres are controlled not only by solar radiation and neutral

atmosphere variations, but also directly impacted by the surrounding plasma

environment (e.g. the solar wind for Mars, Venus, Pluto and comets, and the

Kronian magnetosphere for Titan) and space weather variability. Understanding

how each unmagnetized body reacts to all these factors is a key in comparative

aeronomy because although a priori all of them have a general similar behavior,

they also have scientifically important differences caused by their different natures.

This session focuses on the ionospheres of Mars, Venus, Pluto, Titan, and comets

such as 67P/CG, and solicits abstracts concerning remote and in situ data analysis,

modeling studies, instrumentation and mission concepts. Topics may include, but

are not limited to, day and night side ionospheric variability, sources and influences

of ionization, ion-neutral coupling, current systems, comparative ionospheric studies,

and solar wind-ionosphere interactions and responses of the ionized and neutral

regimes to transient space weather events. Abstracts on general plasma and escape

processes are also welcome.”.

 

** Note that this year this session belongs to the “Terrestrial Planets” block only,

but both terrestrial planets and comet communities are welcome to submit abstracts.

 

Deadline for abstract submissions: 8 May 2019, 13:00 CEST

 

Please do not hesitate to forward this message to appropriate persons.

 

With best wishes,

 

Beatriz Sanchez-Cano, Christopher Fowler, Xiaohua Fang, Candace Gray, Pierre Henri, and Matteo Crismani 

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MAY 2ND MEETING ABSTRACT DEADLINE APPROACHING: THE PLUTO SYSTEM AFTER NEW HORIZONS

 

The Pluto System After New Horizons (PSANH) meeting will be held July 14-18

at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. The meeting

will cover all aspects of the Pluto system, including geology, atmosphere, origins,

and satellites. Contributed presentations are solicited for presentations both involving

and not involving New Horizons results; see 

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/plutosystem2019/abstracts/ .

 

The deadline for abstracts is 5 pm Central Daylight Savings Time on Thursday May 2nd.

 

Alan Stern

PSANH SOC Chair

 

Hal Weaver

PSANH LOC Chair

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OPAG MEETING AGENDA ANNOUNCED

 

The OPAG April 23-24, 2019 meeting Agenda has been posted on the OPAG website:

 

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/meetings/upcoming/

 

Registration is required for all attendees except for the steering committee members.

Please use the link above to access the registration link on the OPAG website.

 

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SBAG EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT AND LIGHTNING TALKS FOR SBAG 21

 

As a reminder, the next SBAG meeting will be June 24-25th in the greater Washington D.C. area.

 

We encourage participation by early-career scientists and engineers at SBAG meetings and have two opportunities at the upcoming SBAG meeting in June specifically aimed at the early career small body community:

 

Early career travel support: With funding from NASA, we are planning to offer limited U.S. travel support for early career scientists to participate in the SBAG 21 meeting, to be held in the greater Washington DC area on June 24th-25th. Interested undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, and other early career scientists (within 5 years of PhD/MS/BS) should submit a letter and a CV to SBAG Early Career Secretary Hannah Susorney ([email protected]) by COB (5 pm Eastern time) April 19th 2019. Included in the letter, which must not exceed 2 pages, should be a demonstration of financial need and an explanation of how the applicant’s work relates to the purposes of the SBAG. The letter and CV should be combined into a single PDF document for submission by e-mail attachment.  Recipients of NASA travel support will be expected to give a short presentation (~10-15 minutes) of their SBAG-relevant work at the SBAG 21 meeting.

 

Lightning Talks: We are providing time on the agenda for early-career scientists and engineers present at the meeting to introduce themselves and their research to the community. The talks will be 3 minutes each. If you are interested in giving a lightning talk, please contact the early-career secretary Hannah Susorney ([email protected]) two weeks before the meeting. Please encourage students

and postdocs that you know to participate!

 

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SPICE TRAINING CLASS

A beginner’s SPICE training class will be held in a hotel near Pasadena, California on June 4-6, 2019.

NASA’s SPICE system is used for computing observation geometry for robotic science missions. It has been in use since the Magellan mission to Venus, and is now used on most worldwide planetary missions as well as on some heliophysics and Earth science missions. This three-day class is free of charge and is open to everyone involved with space science, including foreign nationals and commercial enterprises. Attendance will be limited to the first 60 registrants. Details about the class and the required registration form are found here:  
https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/WS2019_announcement.html

 

 

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SOFTWARE SYSTEMS FOR ASTRONOMY – REGISTRATION OPEN
 

Please note that registration is now open for the summer school in Software Systems for Astronomy (SSfA-6). The course will take place July 15-26, 2019, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The course covers software design and implementation of telescope and instrument control systems, observation planning tools, and software for analyzing and 

archiving astronomical data. 
 

If you are not a University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH) student, use this link to register:
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/summer/SummerAdmissions.php

If you are a UHH student, use this link to register:
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/summer/SummerCourseRegistration.php

More information can be found here: 
http://astro.uhh.hawaii.edu/Summer/Summer-2019/ssfa19.php

Direct questions to [email protected]

 

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: HYPERVELOCITY 
IMPACT

A new postdoctoral fellow position is available within the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (hemi.jhu.edu) at Johns Hopkins University in the area of hypervelocity impact experiments on geophysical and quasibrittle materials. The primary experiments will be performed at the new HyFIRE facility at Johns Hopkins, which achieves impact velocities of 7 km/s with rich diagnostics, including flash X-ray, ultra-high-speed optical visualization, photon doppler velocimetry, and high-speed spectral imaging.

The potential candidate should have a Ph.D. in mechanics, geophysics, planetary science, materials science, or physics. A willingness to work with modelers performing large-scale impact simulations is expected. An interest in data science and machine learning is a plus.

If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] with a single PDF file containing your curriculum vitae, the names of at least two references, and a brief research statement. Please use the subject line “HEMI Postdoctoral Fellow in Hypervelocity Impact.” Review of applications will begin May 15.

The Johns Hopkins University is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and is committed to building a diverse environment; women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Details can be found at: 
https://hemi.jhu.edu/join-hemi/job-and-internship-opportunities/

 

B) POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: HYPERVELOCITY 
IMPACT

A new postdoctoral fellow position is available within the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (hemi.jhu.edu) at Johns Hopkins University in the area of hypervelocity impact experiments on geophysical and quasibrittle materials. The primary experiments will be performed at the new HyFIRE facility at Johns Hopkins, which achieves impact velocities of 7 km/s with rich diagnostics, including flash X-ray, ultra-high-speed optical visualization, photon doppler velocimetry, and high-speed spectral imaging.

The potential candidate should have a Ph.D. in mechanics, geophysics, planetary science, materials science, or physics. A willingness to work with modelers performing large-scale impact simulations is expected. An interest in data science and machine learning is a plus.

If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] with a single PDF file containing your curriculum vitae, the names of at least two references, and a brief research statement. Please use the subject line “HEMI Postdoctoral Fellow in Hypervelocity Impact.” Review of applications will begin May 15.

The Johns Hopkins University is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and is committed to building a diverse environment; women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Details can be found at: 
https://hemi.jhu.edu/join-hemi/job-and-internship-opportunities/

 

C) POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY IN PLANETARY SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

 

Applications are solicited for a highly motivated postdoctoral research fellow to join Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna in the Planetary Sciences Group in the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Dr. Donaldson Hanna has research interests that include airless bodies (e.g., the Moon, asteroids, Mercury, Phobos and Deimos), remote sensing, laboratory spectroscopy and planetary instrumentation and is a member of the Diviner Lunar Radiometer and OSIRIS-REx mission teams.

 

The successful applicant will combine remote sensing investigations with laboratory measurements to constrain compositions of airless bodies, particularly the Moon and asteroids.  Particularly, the applicant will work within a team to better understand the formation and evolution of the Moon’s anorthositic crust.  In addition, the applicant will help Dr Donaldson Hanna set-up her laboratory facility at UCF and make lab measurements of lunar and asteroid analogs under simulated airless body conditions.  Experience with remote sensing datasets, ENVI, ArcGIS, MATLAB, and laboratory

measurements are desirable.

 

The applicant will be expected to carry out their own independent research project, give presentations at professional meetings, prepare publications on their work and participate in weekly group meetings.

 

Interested individuals must have a Ph.D. in Planetary Science, Geology, Physics/Astronomy, Engineering, or a related field.

 

Application materials (CV and research statement) should be submitted by email [email protected] by Friday 26th April 2019.

 

D) W.M. KECK OBSERVATORY OPERATIONS ENGINEERING MANAGER

 

Are you looking for an opportunity to use your engineering talents and contribute

to W. M. Keck Observatory’s mission to advance the frontiers of astronomy?

Are you ready to join a dynamic and dedicated team and guide the observatory’s

operations engineering group that enables forefront astronomical research?

 

If you answered yes, we want to hear from you. All qualified applicants, including

minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged

to apply. 

 

Principal Activities 

Under the general supervision of the Operations & Infrastructure Manager, the Operations Engineering Manager (OEM) leads the operations engineering team which has technical ownership and responsibility for operational systems at the summit observatory facility, including: telescopes; enclosures; instrumentation; and physical plant. As the OEM you will foster a team-based systems approach to optimize performance and reliability for maximum scientific productivity. You will facilitate operations participation in the design, installation and integration of new capabilities, effectively transition them into operations and assume ownership post-transition.

 

We are looking for someone who has experience in engineering group technical leadership; and, systems-level technical knowledge of telescopes or similar control systems, instrumentation, electro- and opto-mechanical systems, industrial physical plant equipment, engineering standards and best practices, and development and mentoring of team members.

 

Required Qualifications include: 

 -Bachelor of Science in Engineering. 

 -Five (5) years of experience in engineering management including personnel supervision

 -Five (5) years of work experience in technical operations and maintenance

To see the full job description, go to https://keckobservatory.applicantpro.com/jobs

 

Application 

Apply to join a skilled and deeply committed team of professionals who enable

exciting and important astronomical discoveries. Submit a cover letter and resume

telling us how your background and passion relate to the position. 

 

About Us 

To read about us, our science and our mission, go to: www.keckobservatory.org.

To see a video about Keck go to: https://vimeo.com/90063671

 

The W. M. Keck Observatory (WMKO) operates two 10-meter optical/infrared

telescopes and an associated suite of advanced instrumentation. These telescopes

have been extremely productive scientifically and have allowed the WMKO

science community to play a leading role in understanding the universe from

our solar system, to exoplanets, black holes, the earliest galaxies, and dark

matter and energy. 

 

Benefits 

Keck Observatory offers a robust rewards package which includes: a competitive

salary; a broad benefits bundle including a 403(b) plan; a highly regarded tuition

assistance program for dependent children (K-12 grade); and an unmatched focus

of excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration of employment.

WMKO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify.

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Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])  

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