News Archives | Page 47 of 70 | AAS Division for Planetary Sciences

Newsletter 17-11

Issue 17-11, March 8, 2017

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IN MEMORIAM: TOBIAS C. OWEN (1936-2017)

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IN MEMIORIAM: TOBIAS C. OWEN (1936-2017)

Tobias (Toby) C. Owen died on March 4, 2017. With his passing, science has

lost a great talent, a valued colleague, and to many in the US and abroad, a close

friend. A former student of G. P. Kuiper, Toby’s earliest work was in spectroscopy

of the giant planets, and this interest quickly broadened to encompass all aspects

of the origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres. With a special interest in

isotopic abundances, he pursued and promoted a wide range of observational and

theoretical investigations toward understanding the origins of all the planets and

small bodies of the Solar System. As one of the world’s leading planetary scientists,

he was an active participant in a great number of missions, including Apollo 15 and 16,

Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Rosetta, Juno, and Cassini-Huygens. He played a leading

role in the development of the Cassini-Huygens mission as a joint project of NASA

and ESA, and was called upon frequently to promote this and other missions to

funding agencies in Europe as well as to NASA. Toby had close ties with European

colleagues, notably in France where he inspired a vigorous planetary group at the

Paris Observatory, and also promoted collaboration with planetary scientists in the

USSR/Russia and in other countries. The DPS as a division of the AAS began with

the initiative of Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and Toby, acting on a suggestion of Juan

Oro and with the support of several planetary specialists at Kitt Peak National

Observatory. In 1968, Toby and Carl forged the relationship with the AAS that

persists to the present time. The full story can be found on the DPS website at:

history/chamberlain_cruikshank_1999

Toby was a professor at SUNY Stony Brook for many years, and then at the

University of Hawaii, where he was affiliated until his passing. He will be

remembered as a man of the world, unfailingly generous and modest, and a

great scientist. He inspired all of his many colleagues with his enthusiasm for

all aspects of planetary science, including the big questions of the origin of the

Solar System and of life in the Universe. Toby received a number of honors in

the US and in Europe, and in 2009, he was awarded the Gerard P. Kuiper Prize

of the DPS.

Dale Cruikshank

DPS Historian

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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]

Tobias (Toby) C Owen died on March 4, 2017. With his passing, science has lost a great talent, a valued colleague, and to many in the US and abroad, a close friend. A former student of G. P. Kuiper, Toby’s earliest work was in spectroscopy of the giant planets, and this interest quickly broadened to encompass all aspects of the origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres. With a special interest in isotopic abundances, he pursued and promoted a wide range of observational and theoretical investigations toward understanding the origins of all the planets and small bodies of the Solar System. As one of the world’s leading planetary scientists, he was an active participant in a great number of missions, including Apollo 15 and 16, Viking, Voyager, Galileo, Rosetta, Juno, and Cassini-Huygens. He played a leading role in the development of the Cassini-Huygens mission as a joint project of NASA and ESA, and was called upon frequently to promote this and other missions to funding agencies in Europe as well as to NASA. Toby had close ties with European colleagues, notably in France where he inspired a vigorous planetary group at the Paris Observatory, and also promoted collaboration with planetary scientists in the USSR/Russia and in other countries. The DPS as a division of the AAS began with the initiative of Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and Toby, acting on a suggestion of Juan Oro and with the support of several planetary specialists at Kitt Peak National Observatory. In 1968, Toby and Carl forged the relationship with the AAS that persists to the present time. The full story can be found on the DPS website.

Toby was a professor at SUNY Stony Brook for many years, and then at the University of Hawaii, where he was affiliated until his passing. He will be remembered as a man of the world, unfailingly generous and modest, and a great scientist. He inspired all of his many colleagues with his enthusiasm for all aspects of planetary science, including the big questions of the origin of the Solar System and of life in the Universe. Toby received a number of honors in the US and in Europe, and in 2009, he was awarded the Gerard P. Kuiper Prize of the DPS.

Dale Cruikshank
DPS Historian

Newsletter 17-08

Issue 17-08, February 19, 2017

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OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP UPDATES
EUROPA LANDER SDT REPORT RELEASED
2017B NASA KECK CALL FOR PROPOSALS
UPCOMING MEETINGS
JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP UPDATES:

1. Next OPAG meeting is Feb 22-23 in the grand ballroom of the Georgian

Terrace Hotel in Atlanta. See final agenda at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/.

Highlights include updates on Juno, Cassini, and Europa Clipper,

Europa Lander SDT report and community discussion, report from the

Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds study, and presentations on seven New Frontiers

mission concepts to outer planets and ocean worlds.

Webex:

OPAG Workshop 2017

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 | 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time

(GMT-05:00) | 12 hours 50 minutes |

Recurrence: Every day, from Wednesday, February 22, 2017, to

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Meeting Link: https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m4f25a0acefb7ee05be4dc1ac6dadfb96

Meeting number: 998 698 611

Meeting password: W@lc0m31

Audio connection:
Conference Number: 1-888-324-7108
Participant Code: 3118411

Please use the link below to test your connection prior to the meeting.

https://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

2. Summer OPAG meeting: Please join us September 6–7, 2017 in

La Jolla, California, at the Samuel H. Scripps Auditorium

(https://scripps.ucsd.edu/about/venues/seaside-forum), next to the

largest ocean in the inner solar system. Additional details will be

posted on the OPAG website (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/) as

they become available.

-Alfred McEwen and the OPAG steering committee

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EUROPA LANDER SDT REPORT RELEASED

The SDT report for the pre-Phase A study of a Europa lander

mission concept has been released and is available at

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/docs/Europa_Lander_SDT_Report_2016.pdf.

Community members are encouraged to read the report and attend a

town hall event on Sunday, March 19, from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. LPSC.

The town hall is intended to provide an extended opportunity to

communicate the science content of the report to the scientific community

and, equally importantly, to engage in constructive discussion with the

scientific community. A second town hall will take place on the afternoon

of Sunday, April 23, at AbSciCon.

For questions please contact Dr. Curt Niebur at [email protected].

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2017B NASA KECK CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The 2017B NASA Keck call for proposals is available with proposals

due March 16, 2017

Highlights for 2017B (see guidelines for complete details):

1. Keck Observatory Archive (KOA) Check: In an effort to use the NASA

time on the Keck telescopes as efficiently as possible, starting in 2017B we

will ask proposers to verify to the TAC that their science goals cannot be met

through public observations already in the KOA. To accompish this, the PI

must enter text into a box on the submission page explaining why the data in

KOA are not sufficient to meet their science goals. Please see

this section in the call guidelines for more information and instructions.

1. Time Domain Astronomy: Observers now have the ability to propose both

cadence/Time Domain Astronomy (TDA) and Target of Opportunity (ToO)

programs following the policies outlined here (TDA policies) and

here (ToO policies). For Semester 2017A, four Keck partners (UC, Caltech,

UH, and NASA) have agreed that TAC-approved ToO/TDA projects may

interrupt observers at any of the four institutions. Each TAC can award up

to a combined total of six ToO/TDA observations which interrupt any of the

other institutions. PIs may ask for their time to be uninterruptable, i.e. as

exempt from ToO or TDA interrupts. Programs scheduled as half nights or

smaller will not be interrupted. It is anticipated that interruption-free time

will be rarely granted.

2. Information on strategic grading of NASA Keck proposals.

3. Letter for Mission Support proposals must be requested from NASA HQ

by March 1, two weeks before the submission deadline.

4. Check the WMKO instrument page for the current list of available instruments.

————————————————————————————————

NASA intends the use of the Keck telescopes to be highly strategic in support

of on-going space missions and/or high priority, long-term science goals.

Proposals are sought in the following discipline areas: (1) investigations in support

of EXOPLANET EXPLORATION science goals and missions; (2) investigations

of our own SOLAR SYSTEM; (3) investigations in support of COSMIC ORIGINS

science goals and missions; and (4) investigations in support of PHYSICS OF THE

COSMOS science goals and missions. Direct mission support proposals in any of

these scientific areas are also encouraged.

The proposal process is managed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute

(NExScI) at Caltech.

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Complete proposal call information: http://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/

Questions: [email protected]

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) ASTROBIOLOGY 2017

Dear Colleagues,

We announce that registration is open for Astrobiology 2017.

This conference will take place in beautiful Chilean Patagonia at

Coyhaique (November 26th-December 1st, 2017).

http://www.astrobiology2017.org

The astrobiology community in the IAU has the tradition to hold

a series of scientific meetings every three years. For a truly multidisciplinary

discussion, we welcome researchers at the frontier of science from the

fields of astronomy, planetary and space science, chemistry, biology,

geology, philosophy, sociology and ethical issues, among others.

KEY DATES

* Early Registration deadline: May 19th

* Oral contribution submission deadline: July 28th

* Regular registration deadline: Oct 13th

* Poster contribution deadline: Oct 13th

* Late registration deadline: Nov 17th

* Conference starts: Nov 26th

CONFERENCE TOPICS

* Star and planet formation

* Extrasolar planets / Habitable zones and habitable planets

* Planets in the solar system / Comets and meteorites

* Prebiotic molecules in the ISM and protoplanetary disks

* Early Earth environments and the emergence of life

* Life in extreme conditions and early life

* Search for life in the Universe

* Societal and ethical issues linked to astrobiology

* Education in Astrobiology

INVITED SPEAKERS Over 20 superb invited speakers have already

confirmed. The updated list can be found at: http://astrobiology2017.org/speakers/

TRAINING SCHOOL We are also preparing a two day training

school with lectures on basics of Astrobiology open to all participants.

This school will precede the conference and take place on Santiago

during Friday 24th and Saturday 25th. There is no extra cost for

participants of the conference but space is limited. Interested

participants of the TS should reserve a seat during registration.

STUDENT SUPPORT We expect to be able to provide a reduced

number of travel funds for students. Instructions to apply for it will be

provided on the webpage during coming March.

B) IUGG SYMPOSIUM ON PLANETARY SCIENCES

Dear Colleague

The 1st IUGG Symposium on Planetary Sciences (IUGG-PS 2017),

interdisciplinary observation and understanding of the Solar System

will be held in Berlin, Germany, July 3-5, 2017. More information

can be found at http://www.dlr.de/iugg-ps2017

Best Regards
Shuanggen
On behalf of Organizing Committees

C) LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS/PLANETARY SCIENCE SESSION

AT SUMMER AAS MEETING

Abstract submission (and registration) for the 2017 LAD meeting, held

with the 230th AAS meeting (June 4-8th, 2017, in Austin TX) are now

open! Please go to https://aas.org/meetings/aas230 for all the details.

The LAD meeting will begin in the afternoon of Monday June 5th and end

with a morning session on Thursday June 8th, with morning and afternoon

sessions Tuesday and Wednesday. There will also be a LAD plenary talk

on Tuesday morning by Dr. Bonnie Buratti of JPL on results from the

ROSETTA mission, with a focus on the importance of laboratory measurements

to our understanding. Session topics & confirmed invited speakers include:

Dust & Ices – with invited speaker Dr. Christine Joblin (IRAP)

Plasmas – with invited speaker Dr. R. Paul Drake (UMich) on upcoming

major challenges and opportunities in plasma physics studies in the lab

Molecular Physics – with invited speaker Dr. Catherine Walsh (Leeds),

speaking on chemical complexity in protoplanetary disks in the era of

ALMA and Rosetta

Planetary Physics – with invited speaker Dr. Michael A’Hearn (UMd),

speaking on studies of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Atomic Physics – with invited speaker Dr. Stuart Loch (Auburn) speaking

on methods for generating error estimates for theoretical calcuations

Nuclear/Particle Physics – with invited speakers Dr. Annika Peter (OSU)

talking about Dark Matter searches and detection techniques

Substantial room has been left in the schedule for contributed talks (and posters),

so please plan to attend and present your latest results at what will be a top

meeting for Laboratory Studies in 2017!

Also, if you are interested in laboratory studies applicable to either

Astrophysics or Planetary Science, please consider joining the LAD division:

https://lad.aas.org/members

D) EUROPEAN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONGRESS 2017

Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija
17–22 September 2017, Riga, Latvia

http://epsc2017.eu

Abstract deadline: 3 May 2017, 13:00 CEST.

Dear colleagues,

We invite the world-wide community of planetary scientists to submit

an abstract for presentation of their recent work at the EPSC 2017 Meeting,

which will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija, Riga, Latvia,

17–22 September 2017.

The previous meeting joint meeting with DPS in Pasadena, CA, United

States, was hugely successful and enjoyable.

The EPSC2017 will revert to the traditional EPSC structure, with sessions

for industry and amateurs and this year’s outreach theme will be enlarging

our community. We expect a very well attended meeting, with many high

quality presentations.

The meeting will consist of oral and poster sessions, as well as

workshop-style sessions.

The current list of sessions is organized around the following topics:

TP Terrestrial Planets
LSE Lunar Science and Exploration
OPS Outer Planet Systems
MG Magnetospheres and Space Physics
MT Missions, Techniques and Industry
EX Exoplanets and Origins
AB Astrobiology
SB Small Bodies
LF Laboratory and Field Investigations
OEP Outreach, Education, and Policy
AM Amateur Astronomy

The scientific programme and abstract submission are accessible at:

http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2017/sessionprogramme
Please browse the list of sessions and identify the session that most closely

matches your area of interest; your abstract can be submitted directly to that session.

Information on registration and social events will become available soon

on the meeting web site.

Please forward this message to colleagues who may be interested.

We look forward to seeing you in Riga.

With best wishes,
Manuel Grande and Maria Teresa Capria
on behalf of the Scientific Organizing Committee

Mario Ebel
on behalf of Copernicus Meetings

E) RADIO EXPLORATION OF PLANETARY HABITABILITY

Join us at the upcoming AAS Topical Conference Series (AASTCS) meeting

Radio Exploration of Planetary Habitability, to be held in Palm Springs,

California, 7-12 May 2017.

https://aas.org/meetings/aastcs/radiohab

The idea of this meeting has grown out of the need to better understand

star-planet interaction and its impact on habitability of planetary companions,

especially those in close orbits around low-mass stars. The meeting will

address a wide range of the related topics, broadly divided into the following

three categories:

Stellar activity and planetary habitability
Detection of planets and planetary magnetic fields
Relevant theoretical considerations

Emphasis will be placed on a potential impact of radio astronomy, especially

the existing and planned large radio telescopes, in this area of research.

Registration is open and abstracts are being accepted: Early registration

and abstract submission deadline: 8 March.

Hotel reservations in the meeting room block are now open, as well.

Reserve your room by 5 April to ensure the group rate.

More information will be added to the meeting website as it

becomes available.

Hope to see you in Palm Springs!

F) THE FIRST BILLION YEARS INITIATIVE

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/first-billion-years/

The basic structures and compositions of our solar system were set

during its First Billion Years — a time of planetary accretion and

differentiation, intense impact bombardment, and the beginnings of

habitable environments. To encourage transdisciplinary study of this

formative era, the Lunar and Planetary Institute is excited to announce

a new initiative: The First Billion Years.

The initiative’s core will be a coordinated series of topical conferences,

2017–2019, emphasizing fundamental processes during The First Billion Years:

Accretion, Differentiation, Bombardment, and the Rise of Habitability.

These conferences will include input from all relevant disciplines,

provide venues for cross-fertilization of ideas across disciplinary boundaries,

and facilitate major advances in our understanding of that seminal time.

Beyond the conferences, we anticipate spinoffs of special sessions at other

meetings, focused special publications, and topical workshops.

Become a key contributor and help shape the course of important

discussions surrounding The First Billion Years by participating in

the four topical conferences!

Accretion: Building New Worlds
Conference Date: August 22–25, 2017
Location: LPI, Houston, Texas

Differentiation: Building the Internal Architecture of Planets
Conference Date: April 23–27, 2018
Location: San Gabriel Valley, California

Bombardment: Shaping Planetary Surfaces and Their Environments
Conference Date: September 30–October 3, 2018
Location: Barringer Crater, Winslow, Arizona

Habitability in the Early Solar System
Conference Date: October 7–11, 2019
Location: Yellowstone National Park

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University

of Virginia is seeking outstanding candidates for a Research Scientist.

This position is term-limited. Primary responsibilities include participating

with the Cassini team members to develop rarefied gas dynamics models

to provide planning, data analyses and data interpretation of measurements

to be made by the Cassini spacecraft of Saturn’s Atmosphere during its

proximal orbits. This will include disseminating the scientific results at

national conferences and in peer reviewed scientific journals. Secondary

duties include writing scientific proposals to NASA and NSF to obtain

funding to further research in the area of planetary evolution.

Skills in the following areas are essential: Knowledge of Direct Simulation

Monte Carlo modelling for rarefied gas dynamics, Monte Carlo modeling

of ballistic exospheres on planetary bodies, familiarity with the data from

the INMS and CAPS instruments on Cassini, good oral and written

communication skills, as well as attention to detail and good record keeping.

A Ph.D. in Engineering Physics or a related field with at least two years

post-doctoral experience is preferred.

To apply, visit https://jobs.virginia.edu and search job posting number 0620345.

Complete an online candidate profile and attach a cover letter, detailed

curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity / affirmative action

employer committed to developing diversity in faculty at all levels and

welcomes applications from women, minorities, veterans, and persons

with disabilities.

B) POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: NEAR-EARTH OBJECT CHARACTERIZATION

https://lowell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Post-Doc-Moskovitz-2017.pdf

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at Lowell

Observatory to work on the physical characterization of near-Earth

objects. This position will be supervised by Dr. Nicholas Moskovitz.

The position is to be split with 80% of the time dedicated to the main

program and 20% for any other research of the postdoctoral associate’s

choosing. The start date is negotiable, but the preference would be for

late Summer or early Fall 2017.

The postdoctoral associate will work in collaboration with

Dr. Moskovitz and other project team members on an ongoing physical

characterization survey of near-Earth objects. This survey is working

to build a comprehensive dataset of astrometry, rotational light

curves, and spectra for hundreds of newly discovered NEOs. In addition

to assisting with target management and conducting regular (1-2 nights

per month) observing runs, the postdoctoral associate will be expected

to take a leading role in the survey’s spectroscopic observations,

reductions, and analysis.

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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]

Newsletter 17-07

Issue 17-07, February 9, 2017

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: CALL FOR 2017 DPS PRIZE NOMINATIONS
HST AND EUROPA: CALL FOR COMMUNITY INPUT
TITAN THROUGH TIME 4
2017 NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE SUMMER SEMINAR APPLICATIONS OPEN
IN MEMORIAM: AKIVA BAR-NUN (1939-2017)
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVER SUPPORT WEBINARS
JWST USER COMMITTEE: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
DRAFT FINDINGS FROM SBAG 16 MEETING
JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: CALL FOR 2017 DPS PRIZE NOMINATIONS

Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievements in our field and

nominations for this year’s prizes will be accepted until April 1, 2017.

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 prizes/nomination-form.

Please contact [email protected] or the prize subcommittee ([email protected])

with questions. Being recognized by our colleagues for exceptional work is a

great honor and inspires outstanding scientific research. Please take the time

to recognize your colleagues for their exceptional work.

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. For specific details,

see the URL noted above.

Lucy McFadden

DPS Chair

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HST AND EUROPA: CALL FOR COMMUNITY INPUT

Jupiter’s satellite Europa is a priority target for a NASA Flagship Mission.

Observations with Hubble show evidence for gaseous plumes suggestive of

outgassing from the sub-crustal ocean. There is high scientific importance in

learning more about potential Europa plumes, their properties and locations.

At the same time, HST observing time is a precious resource, and in prior

observations the duty cycle of detections has been low.

The STScI Director has constituted a committee to provide advice on how

Hubble can best support planning for a future mission. The committee members

are Professor John T. Clarke (Boston University), Dr. John Spencer (Southwest

Research Institute) and Dr. Amanda Hendrix (Planetary Science Institute). One

task of the committee is to recommend an approach that appropriately balances

the science priorities against the resource requirements.

Further details can be found at

https://confluence.stsci.edu/display/STUCP/HST+Europa+Advisory+Committee.

At this time, the Advisory Committee is soliciting input from the community

with regard to optimising Hubble observations of Europa. That input may be

relevant to any aspect of planning, scheduling and executing observations,

including suggestions for coordinating Hubble programs with observations

that might use other facilities. Contributors should indicate whether their

submission can be made available to the broader community. The committee

will maintain full confidentiality if such is requested.

Input should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected].

The deadline for receiving materials is TOMORROW February 10, 2017.

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TITAN THROUGH TIME 4

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, April 3-5 2017

Abstract submission is currently open for the 4th Workshop on “Titan Through Time:

Formation, Evolution and Fate” until WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15TH 2017.

As in previous years, we invite contributions on Titan’s atmosphere, surface and

interior evolution; ongoing observations of seasonal change; modeling of all types;

laboratory work, and other topics that give insight into Titan’s unique character.

Missions: as well as new results from Cassini-Huygens, we have recently

confirmed invited speakers on the subject of two recently announced mission

proposals to Titan in the New Frontiers “Ocean Worlds” category: a Titan Orbiter,

and a Titan Lander.

For further details, abstract submission and registration visit: www.regonline.com/titaniv

Note that support for some student travel is available by application.

Conor Nixon
Chair SOC

On behalf the Science Organizing Committee.

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2017 NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE SUMMER SEMINAR* APPLICATIONS OPEN

NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent

PhDs, and doctoral students, as well as engineering students within 6-9 months

of completion of their masters degree (but not planning to pursue a PhD degree),

for its 29th Annual Planetary Science Summer Seminar*, which will be held

July 24-28, 2017 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

During the program and pre-session webinars, student teams will carry out the

equivalent of an early mission concept study, prepare a proposal authorization

presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. By the end of the

session, students will have a clearer understanding of the life cycle of a space mission;

relationships between mission design, cost, and schedule; and the tradeoffs

necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the quality of science.

Applications are due April 3, 2017. Partial financial support is available for a

limited number of individuals. Further information is available at http://psss.jpl.nasa.gov

*Previously named Planetary Science Summer School

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IN MEMORIAM: AKIVA BAR-NUN (1939-2017)

Akiva Bar-Nun, a leader in the field of cosmochemistry, died in Jerusalem,

Israel on January 25, 2017. Akiva was born in 1939. After

completing his doctorate in shock wave chemistry at the Hebrew University

in Jerusalem in 1968, he did his postdoc at Cornell University, where he

worked with the late Carl Sagan. This led to a lifelong interest in the origins

of life. His formal entrance into the field of planetary science came with a

1975 paper predicting that thunderstorm shocks were the source of short-lived

hydrocarbons in Jupiter’s atmosphere. This prediction was eventually

confirmed by spacecraft observations. In 1976, after six years as lecturer at

the Hebrew University, Akiva joined the faculty at Tel Aviv University.

There he continued to explore the importance of shockwaves for the origins

of life. In addition, he investigated the photochemical production of planetary

aerosols. Later on, he set up his unique and world-famous laboratory, where

he conducted pioneering studies of ices under conditions typical of comets.

His investigations on trapping of volatiles by cometary ices and their subsequent

release upon warming of the ice, revolutionized cometary research. Akiva’s

expertise made him a valuable contributor to several international space

projects, including the HASI experiment on the HUYGENS spacecraft that

landed on Titan, as well as the ALICE and ROSINA instruments on the

ROSETTA spacecraft. Akiva served as the Director General of the Israel

Space Agency between 1989-1993, and then for another two years as its

Vice Chairman. He was an excellent teacher and mentor, who inspired

numerous students, and he played an important role in advancing the public

understanding of science. Generations of young students have delighted in

his book on the Solar System (New Worlds, published in 1984, in Hebrew).

Akiva was also a good friend. He will be sorely missed.

Morris Podolak and Dina Prialnik

Submitted by Jonathan Lunine

(Corrected version)

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JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVER SUPPORT WEBINARS

1) Charts and webcast recording of the 2017/02/07 webinar
on the JWST Early Release Science Program, including background
info about JWST science capabilities and planning tools, are
available under Event Assets at:
http://tinyurl.com/JWST-ERSwebinar

2) Two upcoming webinars may be of interest:
   + Moving Targets Observations with JWST (Feb. 14, 11am EST)
   + JWST Exposure Time Calculator Demo (Feb. 21, 11am EST)
   Information about both can be found at:
             https://jwst.stsci.edu/events

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JWST USER COMMITTEE: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

STScI is constituting a User Committee for the James Webb Space Telescope.
The JSTUC will be drawn from the U.S, Canadian and ESA communities, and
will include representatives from the JWST instrument teams. The JSTUC
charter is linked here

https://confluence.stsci.edu/display/STUCP/JWST+Users+Committee.

At this time, STScI is calling for expressions of interest from community
members who would like to serve as JSTUC members. Self-nominations
are welcomed. Submissions should include a cover letter and a one-page
curriculum vitae summarizing the nominee’s relevant background and
JWST-related interests, and should be submitted by e-mail to
[email protected]. There is no restriction on citizenship. Nominations
will be considered through February 14, 2017.

Ken Sembach, Director, Space Telescope Science Institute
John Mather Senior Project Scientist, James Webb Space Telescope,
Goddard Space Flight Center

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DRAFT FINDINGS FROM THE SBAG 16 MEETING

Thank you for a productive SBAG 16 meeting! A draft document with findings

from the meeting is now posted online and available for comments from the

SBAG community. Please provide any comments by February 20, 2017.

Comments can be emailed to [email protected] or any SBAG

steering committee member.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/findings/

Tim Swindle, SBAG Steering Committee Chair.

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: NEAR-EARTH OBJECT CHARACTERIZATION

https://lowell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Post-Doc-Moskovitz-2017.pdf

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at Lowell

Observatory to work on the physical characterization of near-Earth

objects. This position will be supervised by Dr. Nicholas Moskovitz.

The position is to be split with 80% of the time dedicated to the main

program and 20% for any other research of the postdoctoral associate’s

choosing. The start date is negotiable, but the preference would be for

late Summer or early Fall 2017.

The postdoctoral associate will work in collaboration with

Dr. Moskovitz and other project team members on an ongoing physical

characterization survey of near-Earth objects. This survey is working

to build a comprehensive dataset of astrometry, rotational light

curves, and spectra for hundreds of newly discovered NEOs. In addition

to assisting with target management and conducting regular (1-2 nights

per month) observing runs, the postdoctoral associate will be expected

to take a leading role in the survey’s spectroscopic observations,

reductions, and analysis.

———————————+

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].

Call For 2017 DPS Prize Nominations

Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievements in our field and nominations for this year’s prizes will be accepted until April 1, 2017. 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 prizes/nomination-form. Please contact [email protected] or the prize subcommittee ([email protected]) with questions. Being recognized by our colleagues for exceptional work is a great honor and inspires outstanding scientific research. Please take the time to recognize your colleagues for their exceptional work.

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. For specific details, see the URL noted above.

Lucy McFadden
DPS Chair

Newsletter 17-06

Issue 17-06, February 5, 2017

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

IN MEMORIAM: AKIVA BAR-NUN (1940-2017)
JWST EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE PROGRAM: PRE-PROPOSAL WEBINAR
MINOR PLANET CENTER USERS ADVISORY GROUP
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AT JOHNS HOPKINS APPLIED PHYSICS LAB (APL)
2017 AGU FELLOWS NOMINATIONS OPEN
UPCOMING MEETINGS
JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

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IN MEMORIAM: AKIVA BAR-NUN (1940-2017)

Akiva Bar-Nun, a leader in the field of cosmochemistry, died in Jerusalem,

Israel on January 25, 2017, after a long illness. Akiva was born in 1940. After