Newsletter 14-24

Issue 14-24, September 26, 2014

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1) TMT US COMMUNITY SURVEY
2) WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCE LUNCH AT 46TH DPS MEETING
3) CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR IAU COMMISSIONS
4) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
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TMT US COMMUNITY SURVEY

Dear colleague:

I’m would like to invite you to fill out a short TMT US Community Survey.   The US TMT Science Working Group (SWG) is helping to develop a plan for possible future NSF participation in TMT.  We would like your input on how you would use TMT for your research, and on the instrumentation, operations, time allocation, and data management issues you view as most important to maximize the scientific return of TMT.  Filling out this survey will help inform the SWG’s discussions and its report to the NSF.

Most of the survey consists of multiple choice questions, which should only take 10 to 15 minutes to answer. There are some optional “essay questions” where you can provide additional information or opinions about various issues – we would really appreciate your considered input on these topics.

•       Thirty Meter Telescope US community survey
           Please respond by Monday, 6 October 2014

The SWG has compiled some useful background information about TMT, its adaptive optics, instrumentation, observing modes and capabilities, data management, time allocation, the project status and timeline, the partnership, construction and operations costs, and about US participation in TMT:
•       TMT background information and frequently asked questions
Also, please help us to get out the word about this survey by forwarding this message to your colleagues!   

Apologies if you receive several announcements about this survey – we want to get the news out and to gather as many responses as possible.  If you have additional questions or comments, please write to the US TMT SWG at [email protected].

           Thank you!
                      Mark Dickinson, for the US TMT SWG

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E-mail:                        [email protected]                      Telephone:      (+1) 520 318 8531
Address:
           NOAO, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson AZ 85719 USA
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WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCE LUNCH AT 46TH DPS MEETING

Hosted by: DPS Professional Development subcommittee
Organizers: Sondy Springmann, Maggie McAdam, Kelsi Singer

Please join us for an informal meeting and discussion hour over lunch on Tuesday, November 11th 2014, from 12:00-1:30 p.m.  This year’s topics will revolve around the ideas of powerful communication and how to be an ally to minority community members.  We will have presentation material interspersed with plenty of discussion time.  Please feel free to bring any information/announcements related to women in astronomy and planetary science to share. 

Thanks to the generosity of the DPS committee, we will be able to provide lunch this year.  All are welcome(!), but pre-registration athttp://bit.ly/DPS_WIPS_2014 is required due to space limitations.  Please try to register before October 15th so we can accurately place the lunch order.

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR IAU COMMISSIONS

A formal call for proposals for IAU Commissions is now available. These can either be new Commissions or existing Commissions re-applying for approval. An online submission form is accessible to IAU members (you’ll need to log in with your IAU username and password), as well as a PDF with full details and guidelines for responding to the call. 
Proposal submission will be in two phases:
    • Letters of intent, due by 15 October 2014
    • Full proposals, due by 31 January 2015

See : http://iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann14014/

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JOBS/POSITIONS 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) CPS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN PLANETARY/EXOPLANET SCIENCE

The Centre for Planetary Sciences (CPS) at the University of Toronto is a centre for the study of all planets, near and far. The CPS expects to offer several postdoctoral fellowships of up to three years. The starting date will be September 1, 2015. Salaries and funds for travel/research expenses will be competitive. A Ph.D. in any field of earth and planetary sciences or astrophysics is required. Fellows are expected to carry out original research in observational or theoretical planetary/exoplanet science under the general supervision of the permanent CPS-affiliated faculty, from several relevant departments at UofT. We only accept electronic submissions (web addresses provided below). Applicants are asked to submit a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests (3 pages) and arrange for three letters of recommendation (Note that two different websites are used for the application and for the submission of reference letters). The deadline for applications and all letters of recommendation is December 1, 2014. The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from visible minority group members, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
CPS Information Website: http://cps.utoronto.ca/
CPS Fellows Application Website: http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/webapps/webforms/cps/postdoctoralfellows.php
CPS Reference Letter Submission Website:http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/webapps/webforms/cps/reference/postdoctoralfellows.php

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) 2ND ANNOUNCEMENT: PLATO 2.0 SCIENCE CONFERENCE – CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The conference, held on December 3-5, 2014 in Taormina, Italy, is to bring together experts of the exoplanet and stellar physic communities already involved or willing to collaborate to the preparation of the mission to share ideas and expertise and to highlight the potential contribution of PLATO 2.0 to the (exo-)planetology in the next decades. The program envisages invited talks, oral contributions and posters. There will be time for discussions.

Registration is now open:

Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline (oral) – 31th October 2014
Abstract Submission Deadline (poster) – 15th November 2014

Feel free to distribute the information to interested colleagues.

Best wishes,
   Heike Rauer and the PLATO Board

Upcoming events:
December 3-5, 2014: PLATO 2.0 Science Conference
March 2016 : Mission Adoption & IPC approval

Contact: [email protected]
Website: www.plato-mission.eu
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/PLATOMissionCon
If you do not want to receive this newsletter in future, please write a note to [email protected]

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-23

Issue 14-23, September 18, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) 46TH DPS MEETING SCIENCE SCHEDULE AND EVENTS NOW AVAILABLE
2) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
3) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

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46TH DPS MEETING SCIENCE SCHEDULE AND EVENTS NOW AVAILABLE

The schedule for the upcoming meeting in Tucson (the block schedule and the link to the online program) is now available and can be found here:

http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-science-schedule-and-events

The SOC

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JOBS/POSITIONS 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) EARLY MARS POSTDOC AT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

Department of the Geophysical Sciences at The University of Chicago
seeks to hire a postdoctoral researcher to support investigations of
the early climate of Mars through analysis of Mars topography and
forward modeling of topographic change. The successful candidate will
work with Assistant Professor Edwin Kite to assemble, analyze, and
model crater-modification and crater-infilling datasets. Candidates
should have a background in Planetary Science, Earth Science, or
Astrophysics, and have experience working with large datasets.
Experience with Mars is helpful but is not required. Start date is
flexible. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to
develop a program of independent research aligned with the objectives
of the group as exemplified by the projects listed at:

http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~kite/proposals/

as well as to mentor undergraduate students.

The University of Chicago hosts a vibrant planets and exoplanets
research program, with particular emphasis on potentially habitable
planets:

http://geosci.uchicago.edu/planetary-science-planetary-atmospheres
-and-exoplanets

Application materials should be received by December 20 for full
consideration. Applicants should send a CV, a brief description of
research interests and experience, and the names of three referees as
a single PDF file to [email protected]. Please direct informal
inquiries about this post to Edwin Kite ([email protected]).

B) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN SOLAR SYSTEM PLANETARY SCIENCE AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at Arizona State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Planetary Science to begin August 2015. Preference will be given to candidates whose research focus is on Solar System planetary science, and who have research strengths that complement or extend those of current SESE faculty (http://sese.asu.edu/people_faculty).
Established in 2006, the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) is the focal point of earth and space science at Arizona State University, one of themost dynamic and fastest growing institutions of higher learning in the United States. An essential part of SESE’s mission is to make new discoveries by integrating science and technology. SESE faculty and their research groups benefit from a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, and thrive on broad collaborations.
The requirements for this position include: (1) a PhD in Planetary Science or a closely related discipline; (2) a strong research record in planetary science established through publications in international peer-reviewed journals; and (3) a commitment to quality teaching and mentorship at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Applications should include: 1) a cover letter that includes a description of the applicant’s research and teaching interests and experience; 2) a current CV; and 3) the names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three references. All materials should be submitted in PDF format to [email protected].
Application deadline is November 21, 2014; if not filled, reviews will continue weekly until the search is closed. Background check is required for employment.
Arizona State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to excellence through diversity. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The Title IX statement can be viewed at     
www.asu.edu/titlelX.  ASU’s non-discrimination, anti-harassment and nonretaliation policy can be viewed at ACD 401: Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Nonretaliation.

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) ASTEROID IMPACT DEFLECTION ASSESSMENT (AIDA) WORKSHOP
15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland

NEW ABSTRACT DEADLINE

The first International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop will be held 15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland. AIDA is a technology demonstration of the kinetic impactor concept. It is composed of the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission) spacecrafts, each under consideration by NASA and ESA.The combination of both spacecrafts is referred to as AIDA.

The registration is now open. Please visit:http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/AIDAWorkshop2014_Register/AIDAWorkshop2014_Register.html
The deadline for registration is October 8th.

Abstracts are also solicited for participants to the workshop. The final deadline for abstract submission is 15 September 2014 (23:59 EST). Topics include studies relevant to the two concepts (DART projectile and AIM rendezvous spacecraft), knowledge of the Didymos binary system (the target of the AIDA demonstration), and on binary origins, dynamics and properties (e.g. regolith and surface characteristics, internal structure), impact observing strategies, additional science opportunities during an impact demonstration and associated payloads, impact modeling and momentum transfer of an artificial projectile, ejecta dynamics, etc.

Please visit: http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/ for further details, including schedule, abstract format, registration, local information.

B) FIRST JUPITER-SATURN INTERIORS WORKSHOP: 
Sunday, Dec. 14th (Just prior to AGU)

This is the first announcement for the Jupiter-Saturn workshop.   It is open to the Juno and Cassini science teams, with a limited participation from the broader community working on the interiors and the environments of the two giant planets.  Invited and contributed talks will address Jupiter and Saturn interior structure from gravity and magnetic field measurements, chemical composition, radiation belts and outer environments, atmospheric circulation, gravity-induced ring dynamics. The topics are relevant to science in both Cassini’s end-of-mission orbits and Juno’s mission. This workshop will give the opportunity to learn about the current understanding of the formation processes, interior structure and dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn, and the attainable results at the completion of the Juno and Cassini missions.

All interested participants are welcome.  If you would like to attend this workshop, please contact the organizers, Dave Stevenson ([email protected]) and/or Luciano Iess ([email protected]).

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-22

Issue 14-22, September 07, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS PROVISIONING REPORT MADE PUBLIC
2) PLANETARY SCIENCE-RELATED HEARING IN CONGRESS — WATCH ONLINE OR IN PERSON
3) “AMBASSADORS” OUTREACH WORKSHOP: DEADLINE EXTENDED; SOME TRAVEL SUPPORT AVAILABLE
4) JWST WORKSHOP ON POTENTIAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS AT 46TH ANNUAL DPS MEETING
5) LSST USERS SURVEY
6) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
7) UPCOMING MEETINGS

+———————————————————————+

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RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS PROVISIONING REPORT MADE PUBLIC

From Ralph McNutt:  The last RPS Provisioning Study (completed over a decade ago) has finally been made publicly available and is posted at the PSD-RPS website (see
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/PSD-RPS/RPS-Provisioning-Study-Cassani-Report-May%2
02001.pdf).

Though events of the last 13 years have changed the environment (e.g., additional security concerns triggered by the 9/11 attacks, economic downturn, etc), this report still gives valuable insight into the issues surrounding RPS power systems. For example, Appendix O provides insight into the evolution of funding arrangements up to that time. The latter has, of course, evolved yet again with the language of the FY14 budget, which transferred responsibility of infrastructure costs to NASA.  

DPS members who are interested in RPS power will find this document and the others on the PSD-RPS website (lpi.usra.edu/PSD-RPS) to be helpful context for understanding ongoing discussions.
 

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PLANETARY SCIENCE-RELATED HEARING IN CONGRESS — WATCH ONLINE OR IN PERSON

The Space Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will hold a hearing next week on the ASTEROIDS Act, which was introduced in July by Rep. Bill Posey (R- FL) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA). The goal of the legislation is to establish and protect property rights for commercial exploration and exploitation of asteroids. The ASTEROIDS Act would apply only to U.S. companies and seeks to ensure that materials mined from an asteroid by a U.S. company are the property of that company. It would not confer ownership of the asteroid itself. Although the hearing is focused on this specific bill, other planetary science matters should be discussed. Five witnesses have been announced for the hearing:
•      Jim Green, Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division;
•      Phil Christensen, an Arizona State University (ASU) professor who co-chairs the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) and was a member of the NRC’s Decadal Survey for planetary science;
•      Jim Bell, another ASU Professor who is President of the grass-roots space advocacy group The Planetary Society; and
•      Mark Sykes, CEO and Director of the Tucson, AZ-based Planetary Science Institute
•      Joanne Gabrynowicz, who before her retirement headed the National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi and was editor of the Journal of Space Law; she is currently a member of the NASA Advisory Council’s Planetary Protection Subcommittee
The hearing is at 10:00 am ET on September 10, 2014 in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building and can be seen streaming at http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-space-exploring-our-solar-system-asteroids-act-key-step

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“AMBASSADORS” OUTREACH WORKSHOP: DEADLINE EXTENDED; SOME TRAVEL SUPPORT AVAILABLE

Introduction to Outreach for Early Career Planetary Scientists:
A Day-long Hands-on “Astronomy Ambassadors” Workshop
Sunday, 9 November at the JW Marriot Starr Pass, Tucson

Update: We anticipate some travel support will be available for some participants, for example towards the additional hotel night. Accepted participants will be polled for financial need and those selected notified by 16 September. 

We invite graduate students, post-docs, and early-career faculty or research scientists to a workshop providing training and resources for effective outreach to K-12 teachers and students, families, and the public.  The workshop will take place on the Sunday preceding the annual Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Tucson. It’s based on based on the popular and successful AAS Astronomy Ambassadors program run at the AAS meetings. Participants will be introduced to discussion and questioning strategies, ways to avoid technical jargon, specific hands-on activities usable in a variety of settings, and ways of finding outreach partners in their own communities.  They will also learn about and receive a set of written and electronic resources, including The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 (which features 133 classroom tested astronomy activities and much background material) and The MOOSE (“Menu of Outreach Opportunities for Science Education” which covers existing astronomy outreach programs, directories of useful organizations, training and evaluation resources, websites for images and further activities, and guides for scientific presenters.)

Participants will gain some basic communication skills for bringing planetary science to the public, will discover a wealth of existing resources (and thus lose the desire to reinvent the wheel), and will network with other early-career professionals who would like to make outreach an integral part of their professional identities. Some of the discussion will focus on how to establish on-going partnerships with local schools, museums, parks, fairs, and community centers.  The workshops will include presenters from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the DPS.

The number of participants is limited, and we ask you to apply as early as possible. To apply, we ask you to register for the DPS meeting and complete the application here:http://aas.org/content/dps-46-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop-application .  Applications are due by August 27.  You will be notified of your acceptance by September 9. We especially want to encourage applications from groups that are under-represented in science and those who are new to outreach. For more information, seehttp://aas.org/meetings/dps46/aasdps-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop.

Nick Schneider, DPS Education & Public Outreach Officer
Suzy Gurton & Andy Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

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JWST WORKSHOP ON POTENTIAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS AT 46TH ANNUAL DPS MEETING

When: Sunday, 9 November from 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm
Where: JW Marriott Starr Pass, Tucson, AZ

The Science Working Group of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has a dedicated effort to establish the scientific capabilities of this facility for Solar System Science and would like to invite you to participate in a workshop being held at the 46th Annual DPS Meeting in November.  In order to fully realize the potential of JWST for Solar System observations, we have recently organized 10 focus groups including: Asteroids, Comets, Giant Planets, Mars, Near Earth Objects, Occultations, Rings, Satellites, Titan, and Trans-Neptunian Objects, to explore various science use cases in more detail. The findings from these groups will help guide the project as it develops and implements planning tools, observing templates, and data pipeline and archive so that they enable a broad range of Solar System Science investigations. This workshop will consist of: 1) Presentations of findings from the focus groups, and 2) Discussion with the broader community to identify gaps in the focus-group science use cases and in envisioned observatory capabilities. These outputs from the workshop will be used to inform ongoing development and pre-launch operational studies. More information on this workshop, including remote participation details, as well as more information regarding Solar System observations with JWST and other observatory capabilities can be found inhttp://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science/solar-system. Community input is essential and we hope you will consider attending this workshop in November.

We also want to encourage the community to consider supporting observations with current facilities, such as Spitzer, to prepare for future observations with JWST.  The Spitzer Cycle 11 call is now available (Due October 29) and specifically addresses a priority for Solar System observations and developing the scientific landscape that JWST will explore.  

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LSST USERS SURVEY

Dear Future LSST User,

As you may know, LSST plans to have a system that will automatically identify various types of “events” appearing in the LSST data stream. These events will include things such as supernovae, moving objects, and many other types, and it is expected that there will be millions of events nightly. Our team at Vanderbilt and Fisk is working to design an external “events alert broker” that will generate real-time notification of LSST events based on user-specified criteria. For example, users will be able to specify that they wish to be notified immediately via text message of urgent events, such as GRB counterparts, or notified only occasionally in digest form of less time-sensitive events, such as eclipsing binaries.

We need to hear from you which features you need in such an alerts broker system to make it most useful to you! Please follow the link below to take a brief survey to let us know what you find most useful, what your wish-list would be for such system, and how you imagine you might interact with such a system, so that this notification service can be as optimal and user friendly as possible.

http://bit.ly/lsstsurvey

Thanks!

Gabriella Alvarez and Keivan Stassun
On behalf of the Vanderbilt/Fisk Team

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JOBS/POSITIONS 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) POST-DOC POSITION AT INAF – OSSERVATORIO ASTROFISICO DI CATANIA, ITALY

A post-doc position is available at the Laboratory for Experimental Astrophysics (INAF – OsservatorioAstrofisico di Catania, Italy) under the supervision of Dr Giuseppe Baratta.
The position is funded by the Italian Space Agency within the project “Photochemistry on the Space Station” and is open to researchers of any nationality.
The awarded fellow will be involved in the analysis of organic refractory residues obtained in the Laboratory for Experimental Astrophysics after ion irradiation of simple mixtures of icy molecules containing C, N, and O. These residues contain triple CN bonds that are considered relevant to pre-biotic chemistry. These samples are already on board the International Space Station (ISS) and will be exposed to solar radiation starting from mid-October for about one year. 
In particular the awarded fellow will be in charge of:
-Laboratory experiments that, using an UV lamp, are aimed at simulate the solar irradiation of the samples;
-Analysis of the samples, by infrared spectroscopy, after the exposure to space and comparison with samples exposed in the laboratory or not exposed;
-Analysis of the results and preparation of manuscripts to be submitted to peer reviewed journals;
-Dissemination of the results by participating to scientific meetings and/or to outreach events.

The following knowledge, skills and experience will be considered as preferential qualifications:
-Experience with complex laboratory apparatuses with particular emphasis to ion bombardment, electron or UV irradiation; 
-Knowledge of spectroscopic techniques, particularly IR;
-Familiarity with the physical-chemical properties of solid materials in space;
-Team working and communications skills.

The selection is based on the CV and qualifications of the candidates and could be possibly integrated by an interview (in case of an interview it can be done via teleconference).

The position is for 1 year but it is expected to be extended for 1 additional year after a positive evaluation of the scientific activity performed during the first year.

The call (in Italian and in English) is available at http://www.oact.inaf.it/weboac/concorsi_it.html#contratti%20a%20tempo%20determinato
The deadline for application is 15 October 2014 at 13.00 (CET).

Applications (in Italian or in English) must be sent by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt  and the deadline refers to the time when the envelope arrives at the Observatory in Catania. According to the Italian laws the application procedure for Italian citizens, EU citizens and non-EU citizens is slightly different.
Please read the call carefully and do not hesitate to contact for any question:

Giuseppe Baratta ([email protected])
Maria Elisabetta Palumbo ([email protected])
Giovanni Strazzulla ([email protected])

B) ESA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN SPACE SCIENCE

The European Space Agency awards several postdoctoral fellowships each
year. The aim of these fellowships is to provide young scientists,
holding a PhD or the equivalent degree, with the means of performing
space science research in fields related to the ESA Science and
Robotic Exploration Programmes. Areas of research include planetary
science, astronomy and astrophysics, solar and solar-terrestrial
science, plasma physics and fundamental physics. The fellowships have
a duration of two years and are tenable at the European Space Research
and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands, or at the
European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo,
near Madrid, Spain.

Applications are now solicited for fellowships in space science to
begin in the fall of 2015. Preference will be given to applications
submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD.
Candidates not holding a PhD yet are encouraged to apply, but they
must provide evidence of receiving their degree before starting the
fellowship.

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2014.

For more information see:
http://cosmos.esa.int/fellowship

Questions, contact: Dr. Oliver Jennrich or Dr. Matteo Guianazzi,
at [email protected]

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) FIRST JUPITER-SATURN INTERIORS WORKSHOP: 
Sunday, Dec. 14th (Just prior to AGU)

This is the first announcement for the Jupiter-Saturn workshop.   It is open to the Juno and Cassini science teams, with a limited participation from the broader community working on the interiors and the environments of the two giant planets.  Invited and contributed talks will address Jupiter and Saturn interior structure from gravity and magnetic field measurements, chemical composition, radiation belts and outer environments, atmospheric circulation, gravity-induced ring dynamics. The topics are relevant to science in both Cassini’s end-of-mission orbits and Juno’s mission. This workshop will give the opportunity to learn about the current understanding of the formation processes, interior structure and dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn, and the attainable results at the completion of the Juno and Cassini missions.

All interested participants are welcome.  If you would like to attend this workshop, please contact the organizers, Dave Stevenson ([email protected]) and/or Luciano Iess ([email protected]).

B) ASTEROID IMPACT DEFLECTION ASSESSMENT (AIDA) WORKSHOP
15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN, NEW ABSTRACT DEADLINE

The first International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop will be held 15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland. AIDA is a technology demonstration of the kinetic impactor concept. It is composed of the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission) spacecrafts, each under consideration by NASA and ESA.The combination of both spacecrafts is referred to as AIDA.

The registration is now open. Please visit: http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/AIDAWorkshop2014_Register/AIDAWorkshop2014_Register.html
The deadline for registration is October 8th.

Abstracts are also solicited for participants to the workshop. The final deadline for abstract submission is 15 September 2014 (23:59 EST). Topics include studies relevant to the two concepts (DART projectile and AIM rendezvous spacecraft), knowledge of the Didymos binary system (the target of the AIDA demonstration), and on binary origins, dynamics and properties (e.g. regolith and surface characteristics, internal structure), impact observing strategies, additional science opportunities during an impact demonstration and associated payloads, impact modeling and momentum transfer of an artificial projectile, ejecta dynamics, etc.

Please visit: http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/ for further details, including schedule, abstract format, registration, local information.

C) THE ASTROBIOLOGY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2015
Hilton Chicago, Illinois,
June 15–19, 2015.

http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2015/

AbSciCon2015 is the next in a series of conferences organized by the 
astrobiology community. The conference will convene scientists from all 
over the world who work in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology 
— the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life 
in the universe — to report on research findings and plan future 
endeavors. The theme for AbSciCon2015 is “Habitability, Habitable 
Worlds, and Life.” 

Astrobiology is an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor. Given the 
wide variety of disciplinary tools and topics to be presented at the 
conference, the success of AbSciCon2015 will be built upon the 
community’s involvement in the organization of topical sessions. 
Community members are urged to be proactive in proposing sessions, 
merging similar session topics, and organizing abstracts into selected 
sessions.

The Call for Session Topics and Organizers is open.
http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2015/program/topics/

The deadline to submit Session Topics is October 22, 2014. Contact 
[email protected] for more information.

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-21

Issue 14-21, August 25, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) “ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS” OUTREACH WORKSHOP AT THE TUCSON DPS MEETING
2) RELEASE OF THE CALL FOR THE M4 ESA CV MISSION
3) FARINELLA PRIZE AWARDED TO DAVID VOKROUHLICKÝ
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
“ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS” OUTREACH WORKSHOP AT THE TUCSON DPS MEETING

Introduction to Outreach for Early Career Planetary Scientists:
A Day-long Hands-on “Astronomy Ambassadors” Workshop
Sunday, 9 November at the JW Marriot Starr Pass, Tucson

Update: We anticipate some travel support will be available for some participants, for example towards the additional hotel night. Accepted participants will be polled for financial need and those selected notified by 16 September. 

We invite graduate students, post-docs, and early-career faculty or research scientists to a workshop providing training and resources for effective outreach to K-12 teachers and students, families, and the public.  The workshop will take place on the Sunday preceding the annual Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Tucson. It’s based on based on the popular and successful AAS Astronomy Ambassadors program run at the AAS meetings. Participants will be introduced to discussion and questioning strategies, ways to avoid technical jargon, specific hands-on activities usable in a variety of settings, and ways of finding outreach partners in their own communities.  They will also learn about and receive a set of written and electronic resources, including The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 (which features 133 classroom tested astronomy activities and much background material) and The MOOSE (“Menu of Outreach Opportunities for Science Education” which covers existing astronomy outreach programs, directories of useful organizations, training and evaluation resources, websites for images and further activities, and guides for scientific presenters.)

Participants will gain some basic communication skills for bringing planetary science to the public, will discover a wealth of existing resources (and thus lose the desire to reinvent the wheel), and will network with other early-career professionals who would like to make outreach an integral part of their professional identities. Some of the discussion will focus on how to establish on-going partnerships with local schools, museums, parks, fairs, and community centers.  The workshops will include presenters from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the DPS.

The number of participants is limited, and we ask you to apply as early as possible. To apply, we ask you to register for the DPS meeting and complete the application here: http://aas.org/content/dps-46-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop-application .  Applications are due by August 27.  You will be notified of your acceptance by September 9. We especially want to encourage applications from groups that are under-represented in science and those who are new to outreach. For more information, see http://aas.org/meetings/dps46/aasdps-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop.

Nick Schneider, DPS Education & Public Outreach Officer
Suzy Gurton & Andy Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
RELEASE OF THE CALL FOR THE M4 ESA CV MISSION

The “Call for the M4 mission” (a Medium-size mission opportunity in ESA’s Science Programme for a launch in 2025) has been released.

The Call and all the relevant information are available at http://sci.esa.int/2014_M4_Call

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
FARINELLA PRIZE AWARDED TO DAVID VOKROUHLICKÝ

The Board of the 2014 Paolo Farinella Prize, composed by B. Bottke, F. Mignard,
A. Rossi, D.J. Scheeres and G.B. Valsecchi, has unanimously awarded Prof. David
Vokrouhlicky (Charles University, Prague, Czeck Republic) the Prize for 2014,
on the topic “non gravitational forces in the Solar System”.

David Vokrouhlicky is an accomplished dynamicist who has made major
contributions to crucial questions in the dynamics and physics of solar system
and has brought new ideas that are now the ground for wider exploration.
A close collaborator and friend of Farinella, David shared Paolo’s interest in
the dynamics of both artificial and natural celestial bodies exploiting this
interdisciplinary approach to enrich both disciplines.
David and Paolo Farinella were the first to set forth a unified
version of the Yarkovsky effect (the diurnal and seasonal brands) and to draw a
bold conclusion at that time regarding the importance of this kind of radiation
forces in the orbital evolution of asteroids.  At that time when radiation
forces were seen relevant only for dust particles, David and Paolo set a new
paradigm by showing that these tiny forces could drive minor bodies into the
internal region of the solar system and be responsible for triggering their
capture into resonances.

The Prize will be delivered to Prof. Vokrouhlicky in a Special Prize Session during the 2014 EPSC in Cascais, Portugal (07 – 12 September 2014)

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-20

Issue 14-20, August 18, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) ABSTRACT DEADLINE FOR THE 46TH DPS MEETING COMING UP 
2) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
3) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
ABSTRACT DEADLINE FOR THE 46TH DPS MEETING COMING UP 

DPS members you are invited to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting in
Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass. See:
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

* Important notice !!!!
21 August 2014 : Regular Abstract deadline, coming up quickly now !
See http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

Other important dates:
22 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Final Deadline
26 August 2014
DPS 46 Early Registration Deadline
11 September 2014
DPS 46 Regular Registration Deadline

And also:
– 24 September 2014 : 46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 10 October 2014 : 46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
JOBS/POSITIONS 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) IPAC VISITING GRADUATE STUDENT FELLOWSHIP 2015

The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech announces the availability of six-month graduate student fellowships. The program is designed to allow students from other U.S. or international institutions to visit IPAC-Caltech and perform astronomical research in close association with an IPAC scientist. Eligible applicants are expected to have completed preliminary course work in their graduate program and be available for research during the period of the award. Funding from IPAC will be provided for a 6-month period via monthly stipends, plus relocation expenses. Several students are expected to be accepted each year, subject to the availability of funding. Students are expected to be at IPAC during the duration of the Fellowship, nominally January to July, with some flexibility on the starting and ending dates.

For more information please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Rafael Millan-Gabet ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>).

The call for 2015 applications is now open. Deadline: September 5, 2014.

Please follow the application instructions at:   http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/community/GraduateFellowship

B) LABORATORY MANAGER AT UNIV. OF ALABAMA AND NASA MSFC

The University of Alabama Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center invite applications for a laboratory manager responsible for routine operation and maintenance of the MSFC Noble Gas Research Laboratory (MNGRL). A PhD or MS in the physical sciences, experience in mass spectrometry (noble gas and/or ICPMS, TIMS, etc.), and ultra-high vacuum laboratory operations are required. Salary is $67,151-$85,000 per year depending on qualifications; initial appointment is for 1 year with renewal based on performance and availability of funding. Applications will be reviewed beginning Sept 2 until position is filled. Apply online at http://uah.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=50487.

Contact : Dr. Barbara Cohen
[email protected]

C) MAVEN POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN MARS MAGNETIC FIELDS AT NASA/GSFC

Applications are now being accepted for a Postdoctoral Research 
Associate, funded through the University of Maryland College Park 
(UMCP) and the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and 
Technology (CRESST), to work in the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory 
of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) investigating Mars 
magnetic fields using data from the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile 
EvolutioN) mission. Additional details are available at:

http://www.astro.umd.edu/employment/

The appointment will be initially for one year, with the possibility of 
renewal in subsequent years.  Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a 
relevant discipline with experience conducting scientific research 
related to the MAVEN science objectives or the types of instruments 
included in the MAVEN science payload. Disciplined IDL and Fortran 
programming skills, demonstrated scientific writing ability, and 
experience in acquisition and analysis of data (especially magnetometer 
data) from space flight instruments are highly desirable.

The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity employer. All 
applications received by September 1, 2014 will receive full 
consideration.

D) PH.D. PROGRAM APPLICATION AT IRSPS, PESCARA, ITALY

There will be opportunities for potential Ph.D. candidates seeking
training, education, and research in Planetary Geology at the
International Research School of Planetary Sciences (IRSPS,
http://www.irsps.unich.it/) in the Ph.D. course of “Earth Systems and
Built Environments” of Universita d’Annunzio, Pescara, Italy
(http://www.unich.it/). Candidates interested in geological research
of Mars and terrestrial analogs in particular are encouraged to apply.
The selected Ph.D. students are expected to begin their programs from
the beginning of 2015. Ph.D. candidate positions with salary paid for
the duration of the Ph.D. program (3 years) would be available to some
highly-evaluated candidates. Evaluation interview for candidacy for
students residing outside the country would be conducted through
telecon. The deadline for the application is September 9th (13:00 PM,
Italian Time) and it must be sent by registered mail, or by hand or by
private courier to the address indicated in the call. For other
details, please refer to:
http://www.unich.it/bandi/bando-di-concorso-lammissione-ai-corsi-di-dottorato-di-ricerca-aa-201415-xxx-ciclo

or contact :
Gian Gabriele Ori ([email protected])
Goro Komatsu ([email protected])

E) ESA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN SPACE SCIENCE

The European Space Agency awards several postdoctoral fellowships each
year. The aim of these fellowships is to provide young scientists,
holding a PhD or the equivalent degree, with the means of performing
space science research in fields related to the ESA Science and
Robotic Exploration Programmes. Areas of research include planetary
science, astronomy and astrophysics, solar and solar-terrestrial
science, plasma physics and fundamental physics. The fellowships have
a duration of two years and are tenable at the European Space Research
and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands, or at the
European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo,
near Madrid, Spain.

Applications are now solicited for fellowships in space science to
begin in the fall of 2015. Preference will be given to applications
submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD.
Candidates not holding a PhD yet are encouraged to apply, but they
must provide evidence of receiving their degree before starting the
fellowship.

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2014.

For more information see:
http://cosmos.esa.int/fellowship

Questions, contact: Dr. Oliver Jennrich or Dr. Matteo Guianazzi,
at [email protected]

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) IPM-2014
November 4-7, 2014
Greenbelt, MD, USA

The objective of the Workshop 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.

Exceptional keynote and invited speakers are a highlighted part of the program.

The workshop page with all the instructions on how to submit the abstracts (including a template and a sample abstract) is at: 
http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/
Abstract deadline is Aug 25, 2014

We encourage you to submit an abstract and be part of this unique international gathering focused on instrumentation for planetary missions. In particular, we encourage abstracts on CubeSat/SmallSats instruments concepts from all over the world.

POC: Brook Lakew <[email protected]>

B) THE ASTROBIOLOGY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2015
Hilton Chicago, Illinois,
June 15–19, 2015.

http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2015/

AbSciCon2015 is the next in a series of conferences organized by the 
astrobiology community. The conference will convene scientists from all 
over the world who work in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology 
— the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life 
in the universe — to report on research findings and plan future 
endeavors. The theme for AbSciCon2015 is “Habitability, Habitable 
Worlds, and Life.” 

Astrobiology is an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor. Given the 
wide variety of disciplinary tools and topics to be presented at the 
conference, the success of AbSciCon2015 will be built upon the 
community’s involvement in the organization of topical sessions. 
Community members are urged to be proactive in proposing sessions, 
merging similar session topics, and organizing abstracts into selected 
sessions.

The Call for Session Topics and Organizers will open September 2, 2014:
http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2015/program/topics/

The deadline to submit Session Topics is October 22, 2014. Contact 
[email protected] for more information.

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-19

Issue 14-19, August 7, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR : 2014 DPS ELECTIONS RESULTS
2) 46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON EVENTS
3) LSST CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION 
4) SPITZER CYCLE-11 CALL FOR PROPOSALS
5) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
6) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR : 2014 DPS ELECTION RESULTS

Dear DPS members,

I am very pleased to announce the results of the recent DPS election.  We welcome Jason Barnes as incoming Vice-Chair, and as DPS Committee members, we welcome Josh Emery and Amy Lovell. 

The DPS relies on its membership to volunteer for leadership, so we thank all of our members who were willing to run for elected positions.  

As my term comes to an end in October, I am confident that DPS will be in good hands as these new leaders join our current strong Committee and Bonnie Buratti takes over as Chair.

Heidi Hammel
DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON EVENTS

Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

* Important dates

21 August 2014 : Regular Abstract deadline
See http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

– 26 August 2014
DPS 46 Early Registration Deadline

* Plenary Talks at the DPS meeting

– Anita Cochran  – Current Events in Comet Science

– Matt Hedman – Current Review of Rings Science

– Bruno Sicardy – The Rings of Chariklo

– Rick Elphic – Review of the Lunar Science from LADEE

– Amanda Hendrix – The Moon in the UV

– Vikki Meadows – Current Review of Exoplanets Science

* “Astronomy Ambassadors” Outreach Workshop at the Tucson DPS Meeting

Introduction to Outreach for Early Career Planetary Scientists:
A Day-long Hands-on “Astronomy Ambassadors” Workshop
Sunday, 9 November at the JW Marriot Starr Pass, Tucson

We invite graduate students, post-docs, and early-career faculty or research scientists to a workshop providing training and resources for effective outreach to K-12 teachers and students, families, and the public.  The workshop will take place on the Sunday preceding the annual Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Tucson. It’s based on based on the popular and successful AAS Astronomy Ambassadors program run at the AAS meetings. Participants will be introduced to discussion and questioning strategies, ways to avoid technical jargon, specific hands-on activities usable in a variety of settings, and ways of finding outreach partners in their own communities.  They will also learn about and receive a set of written and electronic resources, including The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 (which features 133 classroom tested astronomy activities and much background material) and The MOOSE (“Menu of Outreach Opportunities for Science Education” which covers existing astronomy outreach programs, directories of useful organizations, training and evaluation resources, websites for images and further activities, and guides for scientific presenters.)

Participants will gain some basic communication skills for bringing planetary science to the public, will discover a wealth of existing resources (and thus lose the desire to reinvent the wheel), and will network with other early-career professionals who would like to make outreach an integral part of their professional identities. Some of the discussion will focus on how to establish on-going partnerships with local schools, museums, parks, fairs, and community centers.  The workshops will include presenters from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the DPS.

The number of participants is limited, and we ask you to apply as early as possible. To apply, we ask you to register for the DPS meeting and complete the application here:http://aas.org/content/dps-46-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop-application .  Applications are due by August 27.  You will be notified of your acceptance by September 9. We especially want to encourage applications from groups that are under-represented in science and those who are new to outreach. For more information, seehttp://aas.org/meetings/dps46/aasdps-astronomy-ambassadors-workshop.

Nick Schneider, DPS Education & Public Outreach Officer
Suzy Gurton & Andy Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
LSST CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION 
http://www.lsst.org/lsst/news

August 4, 2014

The long awaited news has arrived – LSST has received its federal construction start as described in this AURA press release.  On Friday afternoon, August 1, the NSF authorized the LSST project for construction with $27.5M in FY14 and a budget plan through 2022 that stays within a $473M overall budget cap. 

The effort that brings us to this important step in making LSST a reality is more than a decade in the making, starting with Tony Tyson and the Dark Matter Telescope, a concept that grew to become the LSST as known today.  We gratefully acknowledge the hard work by so many that contributed to this milestone: 

·       The LSST Corporation for their leadership role in promoting the concept and securing initial funding, organizing the necessary support within both the astronomy and physics communities for the construction and operations of LSST
·       Our private donors – led by the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences – whose early contributions  kept the project viable and supported the early construction efforts
·       The staff at the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy for continued support for design and development of the LSST concept and whose perseverance and diligence navigated LSST through the federal procedures at the most challenging time in US history to initiate a major research project
·       To Sidney Wolff, John Schaeffer, and Don Sweeney for their early leadership
·       To our science collaborators who volunteered their time to provide valuable feedback and to document a compelling science case as presented to the National Science Board as the LSST Science Book
·       And especially to the hundreds of project team members who have worked so hard and endured hundreds of reviews to define and defend the LSST concept with their expertise, experience, and passion.
From a twinkle in the eye of Tony Tyson in 1996 to relentlessly scanning the sky in 2022, the LSST has broken through the technology, science, and political challenges and is on its way to revolutionizing both our cosmic knowledge and the open and collaborative methods of acquiring that knowledge.  With every confidence in the project team to complete the construction task, we are excited to begin this next phase for LSST and look forward to sharing the adventure.   

Steven Kahn, LSST Director
Victor Krabbendam, LSST Project Manager

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
SPITZER CYCLE-11 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Dear Planetary Community,

On behalf of NASA and the Spitzer Space Telescope Project, the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) at Caltech is pleased to announce the release of the Cycle-11 Call for Proposals (CP). Both the NASA  Astrophysics and the Planetary Sciences Divisions are providing support for Spitzer operations. 

Priority in the selection of Cycle-11 will be given to programs that highlight
                 — Astro2010 science themes
                 — Planetary science programs observing targets in our Solar System.
•       — Investigations that concentrate on developing the scientific landscape that JWST will explore, or will help maximize the JWST scientific return.

In this cycle proposers are especially encouraged to consider compelling planetary science campaigns (long-term/multiple observations) that focus on the changing nature of solar system objects over time. Many of these objects are possible future mission targets as outlined in the most recent planetary decadal survey. Proposers should identify how these observations contribute to the body of scientific knowledge needed to help refine objectives for future missions and aid in the understanding of the origin or evolution of the targeted body. These major observing projects should be of lasting importance to the broad planetary community with the Spitzer observational data yielding a substantial and coherent database that can also be used by subsequent planetary researchers.   

The Cycle-11 CP solicits Exploration Science (ES) General Observer, regular General Observer (GO) and Snapshot proposals.  Cycle-11 programs will execute in the February 2015 – September 2016 timeframe. We  expect to select 6,700 – 9,200 hours of scheduling priority 1 programs  and 1,000 hours of priority 2 snapshot programs.  Major changes in the  Cycle-11 call for proposals, compared to previous  cycles, are summarized in the Executive Summary. 

All programmatic and technical information for Cycle-11 is available electronically from the Proposal Kit section of the Spitzer Science Center website at :
http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/warmmission/propkit/

Investigators worldwide from all types of institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this CP. Joint HST or Chandra observations can be proposed as part of a
Spitzer Cycle-11 proposal.

DEADLINES:
Large & Exploration Science Letters of Intent Due:   28 August 2014
Proposal Deadline:  29 October 2014, 4:00 PM PDT

All proposals must be submitted electronically using Spot, the SSC proposal planning and submission software. The S19 version of Spot is available from the SSC website and via the auto-update feature in Spot. Proposers must use this version of the software to submit their proposals.
The required Cycle-11 proposal templates will be available at the Proposal Kit website in late August and the proposal submission system will also open at that time.

If you have any questions or need advice on planning your solar system observations with Spitzer, please just contact our Helpdesk at

[email protected]

Yours sincerely,

Lisa Storrie-Lombardi
Assistant Director for Community Affairs
Spitzer Science Center 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
JOBS/POSITIONS 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) International Max-Planck Research School on Astrophysics — Call for applications   

The International Max Planck Research School on Astrophysics (IMPRS) is soliciting applications for its PhD program. Located in the beautiful Munich-Garching area in southern Bavaria (Germany), the school offers a unique environment for graduate students due to the presence of four internationally renowned institutes which form the school:

       * The Max Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics (MPE)
       * The Observatory of the University of Munich (LMU/USM)
       * The Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA)
       * The European Southern Observatory (ESO)

     IMPRS offers a highly competitive PhD program, including lectures,  seminars and a research project supervised by leading scientists at one of the participating institutions. Course language is English. Students have access to the world largest ground- and spaced-based observatories and instrumentation operated by the participating institutes as well as to supercomputers for advanced numerical simulations and theoretical studies.

     Applications for the PhD-program are open to students from all countries. Successful applicants will get a fellowship and we will assist you with all administrative matters. This means “Concentrate on your research — we do the rest!”

     For more details see: http://www.imprs-astro.mpg.de/content/application

     The closing date for applications for the program starting in September 2015 is November 15, 2014. If for any reason you have problems keeping the deadline, please inform us ahead and we will extend it upon request.

     For questions please contact the IMPRS admission office
     imprs-astro.mpg.de> or call us on Skype

Contact: Prof. Werner Becker
International Max-Planck Research School on Astrophysics
at the University of Munich           I * M * P * R * S
Giessenbachstrasse 1               
     PO BOX 1312                          http://www.imprs-astro.mpg.de/
     85741 Garching                       Phone: +49 89 30000 3650
     Germany                              Fax: +49 89 30000 3655

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6
UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) 2014 EUROPEAN PLANETARY SCIENCE CONGRESS
07 – 12 September 2014
Centro de Congressos do Estoril, Cascais, Portugal

http://www.epsc2014.eu/

– PLANETARY ANALOGUES TOWN HALL MEETING

An Analogs Town Hall is planned for Tuesday, 9 September from 9:00 to
12:30 in the Mars Room. This is intended for members of the analogs
community – principal investigators, scientists, engineers, mission
managers – who wish to discuss recent analog activities over the past
five years on a global scale, and propose new concepts for research
projects and missions in support of future Solar System exploration.
This will be a forum for discussion between the participants and
invited speakers regarding recent and ongoing activities conducted by
the speaker’s home space agency. These include but are not restricted
to: space exploration analog project goals, results, and lessons
learned; how analog project results are communicated; how analog
missions could be expanded in future to more closely match space
missions; and how all these activities could become more visible to the
global space exploration community.

Convenors:
Dean Eppler (NASA Johnson Space Center)
Stephen Hoffman (Science Applications International Corporation)
Gian Gabriele Ori (International Research School of Planetary Sciences)
Nicole Schmitz (German Aerospace Center Institute for Planetary
Research)
Marie-Claude Williamson (Geological Survey of Canada)

Contact:
Steve Hoffman
[email protected]

http://www.epsc2014.eu/analogues_town_hall_meeting.html

– ROSETTA SPECIAL SESSION (SB0)

This special session will take place on Monday 8 September in the Jupiter Room and will be devoted to presenting the first (and latest) results of the Rosetta mission obtained at the comet 67P/Churuymov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta is slowly approaching its target. On 23 May it passed below 1.000.000 km  from the comet. Early observations in April/early May by its OSIRIS camera showed that the comet activity has started according to prediction models (http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/05/15/comet-67pc-g-is-becoming-active/). Rosetta will rendezvous with 67P on 7 August, when it will come within 100 km. The programme will consist of invited talks only. Additional Rosetta observation results may be presented in other sessions, especially in SB6.

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-18

Issue 14-18, July 29, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) LAST CHANCE TO VOTE AT THE 2014 DPS ELECTIONS
2) 46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON REMINDERS
3) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: EUROPA CUBESAT CONCEPT STUDY
4) EUROPA PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
5) ISSUE WITH INTERRUPTIONS OF ICARUS SUBSCRIPTIONS
6) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE IN THE 2014 DPS ELECTIONS

DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING: FEW MORE DAYS LEFT !

Please remember to vote ! The 2014 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee will close soon after July 31st 2014.

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 have trouble voting on line, the AAS can do a proxy vote and vote on your behalf (send an e-mail to [email protected]). You will still get an automated email confirmation and a separate manual email, both with who you voted for and a confirmation number.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
o Jason W. Barnes, University of Idaho
o Stephen J. Mackwell, LPI, Universities Space Research Association

The elected Vice-Chair will take his/her functions in October 2014 and will become the DPS Chair in October 2015.

You should also vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee: 
o Maria Antonietta Barucci, LESIA, Paris Observatory
o Joshua Emery, Dept of Earth & Planet. Sci., University of Tennessee
o Amy Lovell, Dept of Physics & Astronomy, Agnes Scott College  
o Gerald Wesley Patterson, APL, Johns Hopkins University

The successful candidates will serve on the committee for three years after October 2014.

The detailed vitae and position statements for each of the candidates can be found on the main election page,
http://aas.org/vote/

It is very important for all of us to participate to these elections, so please take a moment to vote !

Thank you !

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46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON REMINDERS

Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

DPS members you are invited to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting!

* Important dates

21 August 2014 : Regular Abstract deadline
See http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

Other important dates:

– 26 August 2014
DPS 46 Early Registration Deadline

– 11 September 2014
DPS 46 Regular Registration Deadline

– 24 September 2014 
46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET

– 10 October 2014 
46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline

– August 29, 2014 11:59 PM
Hartmann travel grants applications deadline

– 6 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Regular Deadline

– 22 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Final Deadline

——————————————————
* Historical Session at DPS
——————————————————

With the deadline of August 21 for abstracts approaching, the DPS has agreed to have an oral historical session, cosponsored by the AAS’s Historical Astronomy Division (HAD), on the Monday morning, November 10, in Tucson.  Last year’s Monday morning DPS/HAD session attracted over 100 people.  
DPS or HAD members are invited to submit abstracts for the session by the August 21 deadline.  Depending on how many submissions we have, we will then apportion time as well as oral/poster acceptances.
Note that a historical abstract does not count against a member’s quota of one research abstract.
Anyone with questions is invited to contact me.

Jay Pasachoff
Chair of HAD
[email protected]

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: EUROPA CUBESAT CONCEPT STUDY

JPL invites proposals with the intent to provide a study to address a mission concept for a small CubeSat spacecraft up to 3U in size that would be carried aboard the potential Europa Clipper spacecraft, released in the Jovian system and would make measurements at Europa.  This request is open to U.S. Higher Educational Institutions. It is anticipated that up to 10 proposals will be selected, each not to exceed $25K. The performance period is approximately 8 months.

The proposal due date is Aug. 18, 2014, 3:00 p.m. PDT.

This effort may lead to additional tasks in the future, however, there is no commitment at this time to fly CubeSats on the potential Europa Clipper mission.

Any communication in reference to this RFP should be via email to the attention of Patrick Thompson [email protected] .
Complete information is available at: https://acquisition.jpl.nasa.gov/RFP/SS-06-30-14

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EUROPA PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

The Europa Pre-Proposal Conference has been scheduled for Monday, August 4, 2014. Potential proposers to the Europa Instrument Investigation PEA soliciting Principal Investigator (PI)-led science investigations for a Europa mission are encouraged to attend this pre-proposal conference. Information will be presented by NASA officials, and participants will have the opportunity to pose questions regarding the opportunity.       

The pre-proposal conference has been scheduled from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm EDT. The conference will be virtual and participation will be facilitated via Webex and teleconference line. Travel to the pre-proposal conference is not necessary and attendance in person is not supported. The agenda and instructions will soon be posted at:

http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/europa/

Dr. Curt Niebur
NASA Headquarters
(202)358-0390

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ISSUE WITH INTERRUPTIONS OF ICARUS SUBSCRIPTIONS

The DPS Committee has become aware that several DPS members with personal member subscriptions to Icarus have experienced interruptions in their on-line access. This seems to be related to Elsevier failing to update their records following renewal of DPS membership and Icarus subscription. 

Elsevier is now aware of the problem and has taken steps to rectify it. They have now also assigned a specific Society Liaison to oversee DPS member subscriptions. 

If you experience a problem with on-line access to your personal Icarus subscription, please contact Mitchell Ross at: <[email protected]>.  Further information regarding DPS member subscriptions to Icarus can be found at: <content/publications>.

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) 2014 AGU FALL MEETING
December 15-19, 2014
San Francisco, CA, USA

The abstract deadline for all submissions is 6 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT and no abstracts will be accepted after this date. See hereafter for some planetary-related sessions.

——————————————————————-

SESSION B3387 : LOOKING FOR LIFE: FORMATION, PRESERVATION AND 
DETECTION OF BIOSIGNATURES IN TERRESTRIAL ANALOGUE ENVIRONMENTS

Interpreting in situ enigmatic features (body or trace fossils, 
isotopic or molecular signatures, chemical disequilibria, or 
conspicuous mineralization) as indicators of biological activity is a 
notoriously difficult task. The goal of characterizing biosignatures 
is not only to identify attributes as uniquely produced by biological 
processes, but also to recognize these attributes as unambiguous 
indicators of life. Understanding and recognizing the biogeochemical 
process that result in biosignatures, both in the lab and in field-
based studies of terrestrial analogues of potentially habitable 
environments beyond Earth, will provide valuable information for 
future life detection missions. Emphasis will be placed on 
interdisciplinary studies that advance our understanding of 
biosignature formation mechanisms and detection methods.

Conveners: Alexandra Pontefract (University of Western Ontario) and 
Haley M. Sapers (University of Western Ontario) 

– SESSION P1671 : THE SCIENCE OF EXPLORATION AS ENABLED BY THE MOON, 
NEAR EARTH ASTEROIDS AND THE MOONS OF MARS

A close collaboration between science, technology and exploration will 
enable deeper understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies as we 
move further out of low-Earth orbit. The new Solar System Exploration 
Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) will focus on the scientific 
aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth 
Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars. This session will feature 
interdisciplinary, exploration-related science centered around all 
airless bodies targeted as potential human destinations. Areas of 
study reported here will represent the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, 
and Martian moon sciences encompassing investigations of the surface, 
interior, exosphere, and near-space environments as well as science 
uniquely enabled from these bodies.

https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/
Session1671.html

Conveners:

Brad Bailey ([email protected])
David Morrison ([email protected])
Yvonne J Pendleton ([email protected])
Gregory Schmidt ([email protected])

– SESSION P2116 – MERCURY: RESULTS FROM MESSENGER’S LOW-ALTITUDE CAMPAIGN

We invite contributions to a special session on Mercury at the 2014 
AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA, December 15–19, 2014.

NASA’s MESSENGER mission, now nearing the fourth and final year of 
orbital operations at Mercury, is well into a low-altitude campaign 
that is returning images and measurements of the planetary surface 
and near-surface that are unprecedented in their resolution. This 
session will highlight the latest results from MESSENGER observations 
and their implications for Mercury’s geological evolution, the 
interaction of the planet’s exosphere and magnetosphere with the 
solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, and the planet’s 
geophysical and geochemical characteristics. We also welcome 
contributed papers on future mission opportunities, complementary 
ground-based observations, laboratory measurements, and theoretical 
developments relevant to planetary processes at Mercury.

https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2116.html

Conveners:
Paul Byrne (Lunar and Planetary Institute)
Larry Nittler (Carnegie Institution of Washington)
Sean Solomon (Columbia University)

– SESSION P2314  : PLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS, INTERIOR DYNAMICS, AND MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES

Planetary magnetic fields open a window to a planet’s interior and may 
also play a role in the retention of a planet’s atmosphere from the 
effects of stellar wind, providing an opportunity for life to exist 
and flourish at the surface of terrestrial planets. This session 
invites papers regarding theories, numerical simulations, and 
observations of the nature of magnetic fields in solar system planets 
or extrasolar planets.  Further, the session aims to bring together 
scientists from different communities for an up-to-date overview of 
the nature of planetary magnetic fields and interior dynamics in the 
Solar system planets and exoplanets.  Contributions dealing with 
magnetic field generation and Solar wind interaction with planetary 
magnetic fields are welcome. Observational methods of interest are 
low frequency radio, UV, and other remote sensing techniques that may 
provide evidence for the presence of extrasolar planetary magnetic 
fields.

http://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/p/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=2314

Conveners:
Walid Majid, (JPL)
Daniel Winterhalter (JPL)
Leslie Rogers (Caltech)

– EVOLUTIONS, INTERACTIONS AND ORIGINS OF OUTER PLANET SATELLITES 
Session ID#: 2526
This session explores current and past planetary processes that lead to unique present day conditions on outer planet satellites.  The session will consist of invited and contributed talks that highlight geological and geophysical modeling and interpretation of both remote-sensed and in-situ data. Presentations on  interaction of planetary field and plasma  with the surfaces and interiors of the moons and theoretical models of the origin and evolution of surfaces and interiors of the moons are also welcome. Contributions that investigate processes on multiple moons to uncover underlying trends are especially welcome.

– CASSINI AT SATURN:  SCIENCE TODAY AND IN THE FINAL THREE YEARS
Session ID#: 3530
This session will focus on recent findings in the Saturn system and unique science investigations planned for Cassini’s final three years. It will highlight both theoretical and observational studies, including their significance for astrobiology, exoplanets, and giant planet formation and evolution. 
After ten years at Saturn, Cassini’s final three years extend its observational baseline by 30%, studying the Saturn system in a seasonal setting never before seen by any spacecraft, and visiting unexplored regions between the innermost ring and top of Saturn’s atmosphere. Outstanding opportunities include: observing seasonal processes on Saturn, Titan, icy satellites, rings, and magnetosphere as summer arrives at Saturn’s northern hemisphere; studying time variability of many phenomena, including Enceladus plume activity and ring system variations; determining Saturn’s internal structure using gravitational and magnetic field measurements; determining ring mass and its radial distribution; and sampling the composition of ring particles and upper atmosphere during the unique end-of-mission phase.

– TITAN’S ENIGMATIC ATMOSPHERE AND IONOSPHERE
Session ID#: 3235
The processes that control Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere remain in many ways enigmatic even after ten years of observations and study from the Cassini mission and the Huygens probe. The instruments onboard Cassini-Huygens have studied in-situ and remotely many aspects of Titan’s atmosphere and coupled ionosphere. In the mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere studies of atmospheric composition, structure, and chemistry have recently produced breakthroughs in our understanding of this complex system. In this session, we focus on recent and ongoing studies of Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere. Papers focusing on atmospheric observations, modeling, and laboratory studies are welcomed.

– ENCELADUS: A HABITABLE WORLD
Session ID#: 1492
Geysers of icy particles and vapor, with trace amounts of organic compounds, erupting from warm fractures and deriving from a salty, subsurface sea make the Saturnian moon Enceladus the most accessible extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special session, now in its 9th year, we continue our focus on those topics relating to the origin and state of the moon’s geologically active south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics of Enceladus’ jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the moon’s potential for biological activity.

– THE RITE OF SPRING: THE CHANGING SEASONS ON TITAN
Session ID#: 2347
Intense scrutiny by the Cassini Saturn Orbiter (celebrating its 10th anniversary in orbit), combined with extensive ground based observing campaigns, has established Titan’s seasonal weather pattern over more than a third of a Saturn orbital period. Many of the changes seen in the atmosphere are associated with changes on the surface.  These changes are the product of atmospheric processes such as evaporation, rainfall and/or infiltration and fluvial activity most probably in combination with dynamic processes ongoing in Titan’s interior.  The relative contribution of each of these processes to Titan’s state at a given point in time is gradually being understood. The session will present recent spacecraft and ground-based results and test the veracity of the current models.

– PLANETARY RINGS: THEORY AND OBSERVATION
Session ID#: 3091
This session will focus on theoretical and observational studies of planetary rings. Subjects to be covered include the structure, dynamics and composition of the rings; the interaction of the rings with the ionosphere, magnetosphere and interplanetary meteoroids; and the origin and evolution of the rings. Cassini observations obtained in the last decade will be highlighted, along with Earth and HST observations, theoretical models and laboratory results.

– SOLAR SYSTEM DUSTY PLASMA
Session ID#: 3403
Dust has been identified as an important component in space plasma environments in the Solar System. Through various charging processes, the plasma properties can be significantly altered due to the presence of macroscopic charge carriers (dust). Dust dynamics, on the other hand, can be strongly, or even collectively, decided by ambient plasma conditions. This session seeks contributions on general dust science but with special focus on dusty-plasma studies in various environments, including: laboratory experiments, Noctilucent clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes, the plume of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, planetary rings, surfaces of airless objects, and cometary environments. The goal of the session is to compare dusty-plasma phenomena under various conditions to improve our understanding of the processes responsible for dust charging, altering the properties of the plasma, and the emergence of dust collective behavior.

– IN AND OUT OF JOVE: GIANT PLANET INTERIORS, ATMOSPHERES, AURORAE, AND IONOSPHERES
Session ID#: 2819
We solicit new research findings about the ionospheres, atmospheres and deep interiors of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.  A special focus of our session is on the processes that reflect the interior rotation rate of Saturn.  The sources of data to be covered in our session include the continuing observation by the Cassini spacecraft, now in its 10th year in orbit around Saturn.  We also cover results of the recent Saturn Aurora Campaigns that coordinated observations by Cassini, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. For Jupiter, we solicit long-term monitoring using ground- and space-based telescopes, and studies in anticipation of the Juno spacecraft’s arrival in August 2016.  Observations of Uranus and Neptune are also within in our session’s scope.  In addition, we solicit modeling and theoretical presentations that address these observational findings.

– MOON-PLASMA INTERACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Session ID#: 1450
This session will focus on new observational and theoretical studies of the interaction between the moons of our solar system and the magnetized plasmas incident upon them. This includes plasma interactions with the solid surfaces, atmospheres, and intrinsic and induced magnetic fields of the moons, both inside and outside of their parent planets’ magnetospheres. Of special interest are results related to plasma and magnetic field observations near the terrestrial moon and from Cassini’s flybys of Saturn’s icy satellites Enceladus, Rhea and Dione. Studies deepening our understanding of the interconnection between Titan’s ionosphere and its highly dynamic magnetospheric environment are also very welcome. The interaction of Jupiter’s moons with the ambient magnetospheric plasma will be especially addressed with a view to provide support to the ongoing Juno Mission and the planning of synergistic measurements for the upcoming JUICE Mission. Comparative studies of the various moon-plasma interaction scenarios are particularly welcome.

– BOW SHOCK, MAGNETOSHEATH, AND MAGNETOPAUSE PROCESSES
Session ID#: 2157
This session focuses on observations and modeling of the coupling of plasma from the bow shock, through the magnetosheath, and to the magnetopause at the Earth and other planets.  In recent years a significant number of spacecraft and ground-based instruments have sampled these regions both in situ (THEMIS, Cluster, Double Star, Geotail, Cassini, MESSENGER) and remotely (IBEX, SuperDARN, magnetometers).  These measurements coupled with modeling efforts have advanced our knowledge of a number of processes within these regions.  Understanding coupling between these regions includes bow shock physics, plasma flow and magnetic environment in the magnetosheath, as well as plasma entry through reconnection, wave instabilities, and other magnetopause dynamics.

– MAGNETIC RECONNECTION AND ITS UNIVERSAL CONSEQUENCES IN MAGNETOSPHERIC AND SOLAR PLASMAS
Session ID#: 3111
Magnetic reconnection occurs in a vast range of different plasma conditions, but yet may have similar critical consequences for plasma transport and heating. At Earth and Mercury, the balance between dayside and magnetotail reconnection, sets up the conditions for spontaneous reconnection in the collisionless magnetotail, leading to fast inward flows and heating. At Jupiter and Saturn, there is strong evidence for tail reconnection and similar fast inward flows, but rotational centrifugal forces are likely to be the more important driver triggering reconnection on closed field lines. At high altitudes in the solar corona, reconnection appears to take place with subsequent phenomena such as Supra-Arcade Downflows (SAD) and other instabilities with intriguing similarities to those occurring in planetary magnetotails. This session invites contributions on experimental and theoretical work that addresses reconnection and its consequence in the context of the wide range of plasma environments throughout the heliosphere.

– SURFACE BOUNDARY EXOSPHERES: COMPARING THE MOON, MERCURY, AND MUCH MORE
Session ID#: 3480
Surface boundary exospheres are thin collisionless planetary atmospheres in which gas and dust constituents only collide with the surface.  This class of atmosphere may be the most common among solar system objects.  Mercury, the Moon, several outer planets moons, and Saturn’s rings are known to host such atmospheres, and it is likely that other moons and the larger asteroids do also, including trojans and centaurs. These bodies should also host tenuous shrouds of dust, whether from actively vented plume materials or ejecta from ongoing micrometeoroid bombardment of the surfaces and ring systems of such bodies.  The purpose of this session is to report results from recent missions, including MESSENGER at Mercury, LADEE and LRO at the Moon, Cassini at Saturn/Enceladus, Hubble and Galileo at Europa and Io, and Earth-based occultations of Chariklo.  Comparison of observations with modeling results of source, transport and loss processes are very welcome.

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-17

Issue 14-17, July 24, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) IN MEMORIAM:  BARNEY J. CONRATH (1935-2014)
2) 2014 DPS ELECTIONS VOTING DEADLINE COMING UP
3) ABSTRACT DEADLINE FOR THE 46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON COMING UP AND GRANTS AVAILABLE
4) PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT — CALL FOR THE ESA CV M4 MISSION
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

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IN MEMORIAM:  BARNEY J. CONRATH (1935-2014)

Dr. Barney Conrath passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 23, 2014, at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia, after a bout with cancer.  He is survived by his wife, Marjorie, three children, and five grandchildren.
He was born June 23, 1935 in Quincy, Illinois and grew up near Hannibal, Missouri.  In 1957 he graduated from Culver-Stockton College in northeast Missouri with a BA in Physics, then earned an MA in Physics at the University of Iowa under the direction of James Van Allen.  In July 1960, Barney joined the staff of NASA’s new Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he would spend most of his professional career.  However, Goddard was not ready to accommodate him, since the Center’s buildings were still under construction.  Goddard’s scientists and engineers were housed in temporary quarters scattered over greater Washington, D.C., and Barney spent nearly two years working at the US Naval Receiving Station in the Anacostia section of the city.  Later, he won a Robert Goddard Fellowship and took a leave to earn a PhD in Physics at the University of New Hampshire in 1966, his dissertation being on the violation of the 2nd and 3rd adiabatic invariants by hydromagnetic waves.
Fortunately for atmospheric science, Barney fell in with the wrong crowd at Goddard, and his career in space plasma physics was short lived.  The atmosphere at the Center in its early days was charged with excitement: Earth-orbiting satellites were being launched at a regular rate and Goddard was supplying many of the experiments.  Barney’s group was heavily involved with the Tiros and Nimbus weather satellites, which, respectively, had radiometers and spectrometers to measure the thermal radiation field of Earth’s atmosphere.  This was a new area of exploration, and techniques were needed to interpret the observed radiation and derive physical atmospheric parameters, e.g., the distributions of temperatures, clouds, and gaseous constituents.  Beginning in the mid 1960s, Barney contributed a series of seminal studies on the inversion of planetary infrared spectra observed from space-borne platforms, which was to occupy much of his career.
The course of Barney’s work was strongly influenced by his close association with Rudolf Hanel, who built a series of Infrared Interferometer Spectrometers (IRIS) that were onboard the Nimbus satellites, and then on spacecraft that went to Mars (Mariner 9) and the outer planets (Voyager 1 & 2).  Barney was a co-investigator on all these experiments and became the Voyager IRIS principal investigator in 1986.  Early on, Barney appreciated the value—and sheer enjoyment—of combining the activities of data acquisition and spectral inversion with detailed theoretical modeling of the results.  His passion became understanding the atmospheric thermal structure and dynamics of the bodies he observed.  Using terrestrial analogies to interpret data from strange worlds is usually a reasonable starting point, but sometimes one’s mind needs to be nimble.  This was true of the hydrogen-dominated atmospheres in the outer solar system, where Barney and his colleagues discovered that conversion between the ortho and para forms of molecular hydrogen in disequilibrium could be an important energy source driving atmospheric motions.
Barney twice received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement (1981, 1990), and he became a Goddard Senior Fellow in 1990.  In 1996 he received the DPS Kuiper Prize for his scientific contributions to planetary science.  He retired from Federal service in 1995 and became a Senior Research Associate at Cornell University, continuing his close collaboration with Peter Gierasch that had begun during the Voyager IRIS days. During this time, he participated in the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment. He was also a co-investigator on Cassini’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), an ambitious Fourier Transform Spectrometer that built on the earlier IRIS instruments.   He worked with other CIRS investigators in studying the seasonally varying thermal structure and dynamics of Titan’s stratosphere and the large structural changes effected by Saturn’s great northern storm, which erupted in late 2010.  He actively pursued his research until the end, preoccupied with determining the helium abundance of Saturn’s atmosphere—thus far a challenge—by combining CIRS data with radio occultations and with stellar occultations observed by the Cassini Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). 
In his career, Barney led by quiet example, and he epitomized unselfish cooperation in research.  He was attentive and encouraging.  His integrity and competence were unquestioned.  Those who knew him well will never forget those qualities, nor will they forget him.

Prepared by Michael Flasar, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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2014 DPS ELECTIONS VOTING DEADLINE COMING UP 
DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING: ONLY ONE MORE WEEK !

Please remember to vote ! The 2014 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee will close soon now, on July 31st 2014.

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 have trouble voting on line, the AAS can do a proxy vote and vote on your behalf (send an e-mail to [email protected]). You will still get an automated email confirmation and a separate manual email, both with who you voted for and a confirmation number.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
o Jason W. Barnes, University of Idaho
o Stephen J. Mackwell, LPI, Universities Space Research Association

The elected Vice-Chair will take his/her functions in October 2014 and will become the DPS Chair in October 2015.

You should also vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee: 
o Maria Antonietta Barucci, LESIA, Paris Observatory
o Joshua Emery, Dept of Earth & Planet. Sci., University of Tennessee
o Amy Lovell, Dept of Physics & Astronomy, Agnes Scott College  
o Gerald Wesley Patterson, APL, Johns Hopkins University

The successful candidates will serve on the committee for three years after October 2014.

The detailed vitae and position statements for each of the candidates can be found on the main election page,
http://aas.org/vote/

It is very important for all of us to participate to these elections, so please take a moment to vote !

Thank you !

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
ABSTRACT DEADLINE FOR THE 46TH DPS MEETING IN TUCSON COMING UP AND GRANTS AVAILABLE

Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

DPS members you are invited to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting!

* Important dates

21 August 2014 : Abstract deadline, coming up quickly now !
See http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

Other important dates:
DPS 46 Exhibitor Regular Deadline
6 August 2014
DPS 46 Regular Abstract Deadline
22 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Final Deadline
26 August 2014
DPS 46 Early Registration Deadline
11 September 2014
DPS 46 Regular Registration Deadline

And also:
– 24 September 2014 : 46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 10 October 2014 : 46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline

* DPS Grants

A) DPS Dependent Care Grants
development

In 2011, the DPS began a pilot program to help parents of small children attend the DPS meeting. After surveying the DPS membership (see 2011 Childcare Survey spreadsheet), it was clear that the economic burden of child, elder, and disabled dependent care affects a small fraction of our membership, but the impact is so great that it can often prevent attendance at meetings, especially for early career scientists or those with limited funding. Therefore, members may apply to subsidize dependent care services during the DPS conference week, for use either at the DPS meeting location or at home.
These grants are intended to reimburse some categories of expenses (see : http://aas.org/meetings/dps46/dependent_care)
All expenses should be justified with a receipt to claim the award.

The DPS Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund provides financial assistance to qualifying members in order to facilitate their meeting attendance by offsetting dependent care costs at the meeting location or at home during the DPS conference week. Online applications are solicited no later than 1 month prior to the DPS meeting.

B) Hartmann travel grants

http://aas.org/meetings/dps46/travel_grant

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 atmeetings/travel_grant_application. Travel grants are primarily intended for students, but post-doctoral scientists without other means of support will also be considered.

The due date for applications is August 29, 2014 11:59 PM.

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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PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT — CALL FOR THE ESA CV M4 MISSION

The Director of Science and Robotic Exploration intends to release in the second half of August 2014 a “Call for the M4 mission”, soliciting proposals for a mission with a ceiling to the ESA “Cost at Completion” (CaC) of 450 M€, and a “readiness for launch” foreseen in 2025. The proposal process will foresee the submission of a mandatory “Letter of Intent” by September 16, with a briefing meeting foreseen on September 26 in ESTEC (date and place subject to confirmation). The deadline for proposal submission is foreseen to be in mid January 2015. Letters of support from national funding agencies for whatever mission elements will be proposed to be nationally funded will be required (with the same deadline as for the full proposals). 

The “Call” will solicit proposals in any field of space science, and will be open to ESA-only missions as well as to missions in cooperation with international partners, whether ESA-led or partner-led. Any international cooperation scheme can be considered within the ESA CaC ceiling stated above. Letters of support from the potential international partners will be requested.

The “Call” will contain a technical annex illustrating a number of possible mission profiles that would be feasible within the foreseen cost ceiling. These will include both Vega-based and Soyuz-based mission profiles, and span a variety of mission profiles, from Earth-bound orbits to deep-space and planetary missions, covering the different areas of space science.

The “Call” will be published on the web site http://sci.esa.int .

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) ASTEROID IMPACT DEFLECTION ASSESSMENT (AIDA) WORKSHOP

The first International Asteroid Impact Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Workshop will be held 15-17 October 2014 in Laurel, Maryland.

AIDA is a technology demonstration of the kinetic impactor concept. It is composed of the DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and AIM (Asteroid Impact Mission) spacecrafts, each under consideration by NASA and ESA.The combination of both spacecrafts is referred to as AIDA.

Abstracts are solicited for participants to the workshop. Topics include studies relevant to the two concepts (DART projectile and AIM rendezvous spacecraft), knowledge of the Didymos binary system (the target of the AIDA demonstration), and on binary origins, dynamics and properties (e.g. regolith and surface characteristics, internal structure), impact observing strategies, additional science opportunities during an impact demonstration and associated payloads, impact modeling and momentum transfer of an artificial projectile, ejecta dynamics etc.

Abstracts are due 1 September 2014. Please visit http://www.oca.eu/michel/AIDAWorkshop2014/ for further details, including abstract format.

B) IPM-2014
November 4-7, 2014
Greenbelt, MD, USA

The objective of the Workshop 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.

Exceptional keynote and invited speakers are a highlighted part of
the program.

Visit the link below to submit an abstract by Aug 25, 2014 and view
details regarding registration:
http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/

We encourage you to submit an abstract and be part of this unique
international gathering focused on instrumentation for planetary
missions.

POC: Brook Lakew <[email protected]>

C) 2014 AGU FALL MEETING
December 15-19, 2014
San Francisco, CA, USA

The abstract deadline for all submissions is 6 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT and no abstracts will be accepted after this date. See hereafter for some planetary-related sessions.

– Cassini-related sessions :
Dear Colleagues,

         With Cassini’s Tenth Anniversary behind us and more exciting science opportunities yet to come, let’s keep up our momentum of informing the planetary community about the mission.  To this extent, I have compiled a list of sessions (see attached) occurring at the 2014 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco 15-19 December 2014) that are related to Cassini science.  I would like to encourage you to submit an abstract and present at this venue.

          Abstracts must be submitted by August 6 at 23:59 EDT (this is a hard deadline).  Submission fees apply ($65 or $35-Student).  The abstract submission website is http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2014/scientific-program/

Best regards,
Scott Edgington

——————————————————————-
– Cassini at Saturn:  Science Today and in the Final Three Years
Session ID#: 3530
Session Description:
This session will focus on recent findings in the Saturn system and unique science investigations planned for Cassini’s final three years. It will highlight both theoretical and observational studies, including their significance for astrobiology, exoplanets, and giant planet formation and evolution. 
After ten years at Saturn, Cassini’s final three years extend its observational baseline by 30%, studying the Saturn system in a seasonal setting never before seen by any spacecraft, and visiting unexplored regions between the innermost ring and top of Saturn’s atmosphere. Outstanding opportunities include: observing seasonal processes on Saturn, Titan, icy satellites, rings, and magnetosphere as summer arrives at Saturn’s northern hemisphere; studying time variability of many phenomena, including Enceladus plume activity and ring system variations; determining Saturn’s internal structure using gravitational and magnetic field measurements; determining ring mass and its radial distribution; and sampling the composition of ring particles and upper atmosphere during the unique end-of-mission phase.

– Enceladus: A Habitable World
Session ID#: 1492
Session Description:
Geysers of icy particles and vapor, with trace amounts of organic compounds, erupting from warm fractures and deriving from a salty, subsurface sea make the Saturnian moon Enceladus the most accessible extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special session, now in its 9th year, we continue our focus on those topics relating to the origin and state of the moon’s geologically active south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics of Enceladus’ jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the moon’s potential for biological activity.

– The Rite of Spring: The Changing Seasons on Titan
Session ID#: 2347
Session Description:
Intense scrutiny by the Cassini Saturn Orbiter (celebrating its 10th anniversary in orbit), combined with extensive ground based observing campaigns, has established Titan’s seasonal weather pattern over more than a third of a Saturn orbital period. Many of the changes seen in the atmosphere are associated with changes on the surface.  These changes are the product of atmospheric processes such as evaporation, rainfall and/or infiltration and fluvial activity most probably in combination with dynamic processes ongoing in Titan’s interior.  The relative contribution of each of these processes to Titan’s state at a given point in time is gradually being understood. The session will present recent spacecraft and ground-based results and test the veracity of the current models.

– Planetary Rings: Theory and Observation
Session ID#: 3091
Session Description:
This session will focus on theoretical and observational studies of planetary rings. Subjects to be covered include the structure, dynamics and composition of the rings; the interaction of the rings with the ionosphere, magnetosphere and interplanetary meteoroids; and the origin and evolution of the rings. Cassini observations obtained in the last decade will be highlighted, along with Earth and HST observations, theoretical models and laboratory results.

– Solar System Dusty Plasma
Session ID#: 3403
Session Description:
Dust has been identified as an important component in space plasma environments in the Solar System. Through various charging processes, the plasma properties can be significantly altered due to the presence of macroscopic charge carriers (dust). Dust dynamics, on the other hand, can be strongly, or even collectively, decided by ambient plasma conditions. This session seeks contributions on general dust science but with special focus on dusty-plasma studies in various environments, including: laboratory experiments, Noctilucent clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes, the plume of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, planetary rings, surfaces of airless objects, and cometary environments. The goal of the session is to compare dusty-plasma phenomena under various conditions to improve our understanding of the processes responsible for dust charging, altering the properties of the plasma, and the emergence of dust collective behavior.

– In and Out of Jove: Giant Planet Interiors, Atmospheres, Aurorae, and Ionospheres
Session ID#: 2819
Session Description:
We solicit new research findings about the ionospheres, atmospheres and deep interiors of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.  A special focus of our session is on the processes that reflect the interior rotation rate of Saturn.  The sources of data to be covered in our session include the continuing observation by the Cassini spacecraft, now in its 10th year in orbit around Saturn.  We also cover results of the recent Saturn Aurora Campaigns that coordinated observations by Cassini, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. For Jupiter, we solicit long-term monitoring using ground- and space-based telescopes, and studies in anticipation of the Juno spacecraft’s arrival in August 2016.  Observations of Uranus and Neptune are also within in our session’s scope.  In addition, we solicit modeling and theoretical presentations that address these observational findings.

– Moon-Plasma Interactions Throughout the Solar System
Session ID#: 1450
Session Description:
This session will focus on new observational and theoretical studies of the interaction between the moons of our solar system and the magnetized plasmas incident upon them. This includes plasma interactions with the solid surfaces, atmospheres, and intrinsic and induced magnetic fields of the moons, both inside and outside of their parent planets’ magnetospheres. Of special interest are results related to plasma and magnetic field observations near the terrestrial moon and from Cassini’s flybys of Saturn’s icy satellites Enceladus, Rhea and Dione. Studies deepening our understanding of the interconnection between Titan’s ionosphere and its highly dynamic magnetospheric environment are also very welcome. The interaction of Jupiter’s moons with the ambient magnetospheric plasma will be especially addressed with a view to provide support to the ongoing Juno Mission and the planning of synergistic measurements for the upcoming JUICE Mission. Comparative studies of the various moon-plasma interaction scenarios are particularly welcome.

– Bow Shock, Magnetosheath, and Magnetopause Processes
Session ID#: 2157
Session Description:
This session focuses on observations and modeling of the coupling of plasma from the bow shock, through the magnetosheath, and to the magnetopause at the Earth and other planets.  In recent years a significant number of spacecraft and ground-based instruments have sampled these regions both in situ (THEMIS, Cluster, Double Star, Geotail, Cassini, MESSENGER) and remotely (IBEX, SuperDARN, magnetometers).  These measurements coupled with modeling efforts have advanced our knowledge of a number of processes within these regions.  Understanding coupling between these regions includes bow shock physics, plasma flow and magnetic environment in the magnetosheath, as well as plasma entry through reconnection, wave instabilities, and other magnetopause dynamics.

– Magnetic Reconnection and its Universal Consequences in Magnetospheric and Solar Plasmas
Session ID#: 3111
Session Description:
Magnetic reconnection occurs in a vast range of different plasma conditions, but yet may have similar critical consequences for plasma transport and heating. At Earth and Mercury, the balance between dayside and magnetotail reconnection, sets up the conditions for spontaneous reconnection in the collisionless magnetotail, leading to fast inward flows and heating. At Jupiter and Saturn, there is strong evidence for tail reconnection and similar fast inward flows, but rotational centrifugal forces are likely to be the more important driver triggering reconnection on closed field lines. At high altitudes in the solar corona, reconnection appears to take place with subsequent phenomena such as Supra-Arcade Downflows (SAD) and other instabilities with intriguing similarities to those occurring in planetary magnetotails. This session invites contributions on experimental and theoretical work that addresses reconnection and its consequence in the context of the wide range of plasma environments throughout the heliosphere.

– Surface Boundary Exospheres: Comparing the Moon, Mercury, and Much More
Session ID#: 3480
Session Description:
Surface boundary exospheres are thin collisionless planetary atmospheres in which gas and dust constituents only collide with the surface.  This class of atmosphere may be the most common among solar system objects.  Mercury, the Moon, several outer planets moons, and Saturn’s rings are known to host such atmospheres, and it is likely that other moons and the larger asteroids do also, including trojans and centaurs. These bodies should also host tenuous shrouds of dust, whether from actively vented plume materials or ejecta from ongoing micrometeoroid bombardment of the surfaces and ring systems of such bodies.  The purpose of this session is to report results from recent missions, including MESSENGER at Mercury, LADEE and LRO at the Moon, Cassini at Saturn/Enceladus, Hubble and Galileo at Europa and Io, and Earth-based occultations of Chariklo.  Comparison of observations with modeling results of source, transport and loss processes are very welcome.

– Titan’s Enigmatic Atmosphere and Ionosphere
Session ID#: 3235
Session Description:
The processes that control Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere remain in many ways enigmatic even after ten years of observations and study from the Cassini mission and the Huygens probe. The instruments onboard Cassini-Huygens have studied in-situ and remotely many aspects of Titan’s atmosphere and coupled ionosphere. In the mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere studies of atmospheric composition, structure, and chemistry have recently produced breakthroughs in our understanding of this complex system. In this session, we focus on recent and ongoing studies of Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere. Papers focusing on atmospheric observations, modeling, and laboratory studies are welcomed.

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-16

Issue 14-16, July 15, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) REMINDER : PLEASE VOTE FOR THE 2014 DPS ELECTIONS
2) 46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : REMINDERS
3) AAS 2013 ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE
4) GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA G.K. GILBERT AWARD: GEOPHYSICS ACROSS THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM
5) DRAFT DISCOVERY 2014 ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
6) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
7) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

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REMINDER : PLEASE VOTE FOR THE 2014 DPS ELECTIONS

DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING: ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS !

The 2014 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 31st 2014.

Please remember 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 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 check your status now and renew if you haven’t done so already at  (http://members.aas.org). This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

If you have trouble voting on line, the AAS can do a proxy vote and vote on your behalf (send an e-mail to [email protected]). You will still get an automated email confirmation and a separate manual email, both with who you voted for and a confirmation number.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
o Jason W. Barnes, University of Idaho
o Stephen J. Mackwell, LPI, Universities Space Research Association

The elected Vice-Chair will take his/her functions in October 2014 and will become the DPS Chair in October 2015.

You should also vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee: 
o Maria Antonietta Barucci, LESIA, Paris Observatory
o Joshua Emery, Dept of Earth & Planet. Sci., University of Tennessee
o Amy Lovell, Dept of Physics & Astronomy, Agnes Scott College  
o Gerald Wesley Patterson, APL, Johns Hopkins University

The successful candidates will serve on the committee for three years after October 2014.

The detailed vitae and position statements for each of the candidates follow.  This information is also linked from the main election page,
http://aas.org/vote/

If you find you’re having difficulties to vote, it may be that your registration with DPS has expired. Please go to the Member Pages (http://members.aas.org) and click the Member Profile link to review your information. Or ask  [email protected] for assistance.

It is very important for all of us to participate to these elections, so please take a moment to vote !

Thank you !

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46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : REMINDERS

Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

DPS members you are invited to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting! Please note these important dates:

6 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Regular Deadline
21 August 2014
DPS 46 Regular Abstract Deadline
22 August 2014
DPS 46 Exhibitor Final Deadline
26 August 2014
DPS 46 Early Registration Deadline
11 September 2014
DPS 46 Regular Registration Deadline

And also:
– 24 September 2014 : 46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 10 October 2014 : 46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline

* Abstracts
See in particular http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

* DPS Dependent Care Grants
See : development

In 2011, the DPS began a pilot program to help parents of small children attend the DPS meeting. After surveying the DPS membership (see 2011 Childcare Survey spreadsheet), it was clear that the economic burden of child, elder, and disabled dependent care affects a small fraction of our membership, but the impact is so great that it can often prevent attendance at meetings, especially for early career scientists or those with limited funding. Therefore, members may apply to subsidize dependent care services during the DPS conference week, for use either at the DPS meeting location or at home.
These grants are intended to reimburse the following categories of expenses:
    • Airfare for a caregiver (e.g., au pair, nanny, sitter) to fly to the meeting location to assist with dependent care for child(ren) under age 18, elderly, ill, or disabled family members able to travel.
    • Airfare for child(ren) under age 18, elderly, ill, or disabled family members, or a family member caregiver traveling to the meeting.
    • Costs for dependent care at the meeting (e.g., onsite babysitting, daycare or elder care service local to the meeting venue; local custodial child care, elder care, and/or expenses for care for elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides; or paying for a nanny or other caregiver’s labor).
    • Costs for additional dependent care at home incurred due to member’s absence during the DPS meeting (e.g., caregiver’s labor, before and after school or extended day programs, late pick-up fees, day camps that are custodial in nature and not educational, daycare centers, sick-child care center not for medical services, custodial childcare / elder care, or expenses for care for elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides).
    • Other justifiable expenses related to the intent of the grant, as approved by DPS governance and AAS accounting.
All expenses should be justified with a receipt to claim the award.
The DPS Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund provides financial assistance to qualifying members in order to facilitate their meeting attendance by offsetting dependent care costs at the meeting location or at home during the DPS conference week. Online applications are solicited no later than 1 month prior to the DPS meeting:

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AAS 2013 ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE

The American Astronomical Society’s annual report for calendar year 2013 is now available for downloading as a 2.2-megabyte PDF file. To read and/or print it, you can go to :

http://aas.org/files/resources/2013_aas_annual_report.pdf

As directed by the Publications Board, the annual report focuses on summarizing the activities of the Society instead of presenting a comprehensive reporting of them all. We hope this will make the report more readable and more widely read.

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GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA G.K. GILBERT AWARD: GEOPHYSICS ACROSS THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM

The Geological Society of American G.K. Gilbert Award session this year is on the topic of ‘Geophysics across the Outer Solar System.’
Exploration of our Solar System over the past decades has revealed the pervasive importance of a myriad of geophysical processes on the icy bodies beyond the asteroid belt.  Understanding the relative importance of large impacts, orbital dynamics, and internal processes for tectonics and other surface modifications is key to untangling the evolution of these objects where water ice is a major, and in many cases dominant, constituent.  Besides revealing evidence of these processes, spacecraft data have enabled the rigorous modeling of these icy bodies’ internal structures, convection in their icy mantles, viscous relaxation of impact crater topography, water-rich volcanism, and cratering mechanics into ice by providing critical topographic and morphological constraints.  These discoveries have also provided evidence for surface processes distinctive to the low-gravity, icy bodies in the outer Solar System.  To celebrate and further understand these discoveries, this session will explore the origin, structure, evolution, and bombardment history of outer planet satellites and Pluto.
The due date for GSA abstracts is July 29.  The G.K. Gilbert session will be held at the GSA Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Oct 21, in Vancouver, BC. http://community.geosociety.org/gsa2014/home/
The session is in honor of Prof. William McKinnon, the 2014 G.K. Gilbert awardee.

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DRAFT DISCOVERY 2014 ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science
Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing draft text for an Announcement 
of Opportunity (AO) to solicit Principal Investigator (PI) led space 
science investigations for the Discovery Program. The draft text can 
be downloaded from the NSPIRES web page either by going to: 

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/ 

selecting “Solicitations”, then “Open” under the “View Solicitations” 
heading and searching for Discovery 2014 or NNH14ZDA009J. Comments on 
this draft text are due to the point of contact below by July 16, 
2014. It is anticipated that Step-1 proposals will be due late in 
calendar year 2014.

The goal of NASA’s Discovery Program is to provide frequent flight 
opportunities for high quality, high value, focused, planetary science 
investigations that can be accomplished under a not to exceed cost cap.

The AO Cost Cap for a Discovery mission is $450M in Fiscal Year (FY) 
2015 dollars, not including the cost of the Expendable Launch Vehicle 
(ELV) or any contributions. Any selected mission will launch no later 
than December 31, 2021.

Proposers should be aware of major changes in this AO from previous 
Discovery Program AOs.       

Dr. Michael H. New
(202) 358-1766
[email protected]

[from the PEN]

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JOBS/POSITIONS 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) NEAR-EARTH OBJECT OBSERVER

The Adler Planetarium (Chicago, IL) seeks an Observer to conduct
follow-up imaging and physical characterization of near-Earth objects
in a major new effort using the ARC 3.5-meter telescope at Apache
Point Observatory. This position will be based in Chicago at the
Adler. Applicants for this position must have their Bachelors degree
in Astronomy, Planetary Science or a related field preferably with
experience in ground-based optical observing. The successful applicant
will be the primary observer for frequent nighttime sessions in
imaging and reflectance spectroscopy via remote observing, and will
conduct a limited amount of data reduction and analysis. In addition
they will spend 10% time on education and outreach activities related
to their research work. The initial appointment will be for two years
with a possible extension dependent on successful performance and
availability of funding, starting no later than October 1, 2014.
Applications will be accepted until position filled.

To apply, send resume to:
Human Resources
[email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
REQ: AST150

B) NEAR-EARTH OBJECT POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW

The Adler Planetarium (Chicago, IL) seeks a Postdoctoral Research
Fellow to conduct follow-up imaging and physical characterization of
near-Earth objects in a major new effort using the ARC 3.5-meter
telescope at Apache Point Observatory. This position will be based
in Chicago at the Adler. Applicants for this position must have their
PhD (or near completion) in Astronomy, Planetary Science or a related
field and should have experience with ground-based optical observing
and a working familiarity with current minor planet research. The
successful applicant will be expected to:
1) lead analysis of asteroid imaging, reflectance spectra, and
  rotational lightcurves;
2) coordinate target selection and observation with the international
  community; and
3) explore innovative research topics in collaboration with other
  members of the Adler astrophysics research staff.

In addition they will spend 10% time on education and outreach
activities related to their research work. The initial appointment
will be for two years with a possible one-year extension dependent
on successful performance and availability of funding, starting no
later than October 1, 2014. Applications will be accepted until
position filled.

To apply, send resume to:
Human Resources
[email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V
REQ: AST140

C) LABORATORY MANAGER AT UNIV. OF ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE
The University of Alabama Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center invite applications for a laboratory manager responsible for routine operation and maintenance of the MSFC Noble Gas Research Laboratory (MNGRL). A PhD or MS in the physical sciences, experience in mass spectrometry (noble gas and/or ICPMS, TIMS, etc.), and ultra-high vacuum laboratory operations are required. Salary is $67,151-$85,000 per year depending on qualifications; initial appointment is for 1 year with renewal based on performance and availability of funding. Applications will be reviewed beginning Sept 2 until position is filled.
Apply online at http://uah.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=50487.

D) PHD IN PLANETOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF NAPLES
Dear colleagues,
a Ph.D. position is available in planetology at the Physics Department of the University of Naples in Italy. The research project will deal with aeolian processes on Mars and is in the frame of the ExoMars DREAMS project. DREAMS is a meteorological station that will fly on 2016 toward Mars onboard the ExoMars mission (http://exploration.esa.int/mars/48898-edm-science-payload/).
In attachment you can find a summary of the proposed research.
Please, could you circulate this announcement among potentially interested students?
Students can contact Dr. Francesca Esposito ([email protected]) for further details.
Thank you so much.

Francesca Esposito
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte
Salita Moiariello 16
80131 Napoli
Tel: +39.081.5575568

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) IPM-2014

Preparations are well under way for the 2nd International Workshop
on ‘Instrumentation for Planetary Missions’ (IPM-2014) to be held
November 4-7, 2014.

The objective of the Workshop 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.

Exceptional keynote and invited speakers are a highlighted part of
the program.

Visit the link below to submit an abstract by Aug 25, 2014 and view
details regarding registration:
http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/

We encourage you to submit an abstract and be part of this unique
international gathering focused on instrumentation for planetary
missions.

The first such Workshop held in 2012 was attended by 230 people
from across the globe. Early indications suggest that this one will
surpass that.

Mark your calendar! Be part of this unique experience!

POC: Brook Lakew <[email protected]>

B) MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL SOLAR SYSTEM SYMPOSIUM (5M-S3)

Dear colleagues,

We invite you to participate in the annual Moscow International Solar
System Symposium (5M-S3) to be held October 13-19, 2014 at the Space
Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow
and kindly ask you to make preliminary registration and submit
abstracts before 31 JULY 2014 at the 5M-S3 website:

http://ms2014.cosmos.ru/

In case of you need Visa Support from IKI in order to attend,
please send:
– Personal Data form (available from request to e-mail
 [email protected])
– Copy of passport to LOC E-mail: [email protected]  before  31 JULY 2014.

Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you have any further questions.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Moscow.

Best regards,
Program Committee 5M-S3
LOC 5M-S3

C) 2014 AGU FALL MEETING
December 15-19, 2014
San Francisco, CA, USA

The abstract deadline for all submissions is 6 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT and no abstracts will be accepted after this date. See hereafter for some planetary-related sessions.

– Special Session : SOLAR SYSTEM DUSTY PLASMA
Session ID#: 3403
Dust has been identified as an important component in space plasma environments in the Solar System. Through various charging processes, the plasma properties can be significantly altered due to the presence of macroscopic charge carriers (dust). Dust dynamics, on the other hand, can be strongly, or even collectively, decided by ambient plasma conditions. This session seeks contributions on general dust science but with special focus on dusty-plasma studies in various environments, including: laboratory experiments, Noctilucent clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes, the plume of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, planetary rings, surfaces of airless objects, and cometary environments. The goal of the session is to compare dusty-plasma phenomena under various conditions to improve our understanding of the processes responsible for dust charging, altering the properties of the plasma, and the emergence of dust collective behavior.
Co-Sponsor(s):
•                               SA – SPA-Aeronomy
•                               SM – SPA-Magnetospheric Physics
Primary Convener:  
Sean Hsu, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
Co-conveners:  
Xu Wang1, Michiko Morooka1 and Tamas I Gombosi2, 

– Special Session : PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES AND THEIR EVOLUTION
Session ID#: 1521
Understanding the evolutionary histories of planetary atmospheres is one of the key scientific questions driving planetary mission planning. While the evolution of our own planet, the Earth, is constrained by geological and geochemical data, the evolutionary paths of other planetary bodies in and outside our solar system must be determined from planetary mission data and astronomical observations. The discoveries of extrasolar planets greatly expand the interests of the scientific community and provide a new opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations between geoscientists, astronomers, and planetary scientists. The session welcomes both observational and theoretical studies relevant to the evolution of planetary objects in and outside of our solar system (including the Earth).

– Special Session : ENCELADUS: A HABITABLE WORLD
Session ID: #1492 

Conveners: Carolyn Porco, Chris McKay

Geysers of icy particles and vapor, with trace amounts of organic 
compounds, erupting from warm fractures and deriving from a salty, 
subsurface sea make the Saturnian moon Enceladus the most accessible 
extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special 
session, now in its 9th year, we continue our focus on those topics 
relating to the origin and state of the moon’s geologically active 
south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical 
and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics 
of Enceladus’ jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and 
evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We 
also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the 
moon’s potential for biological activity.

If you love Enceladus as much as we do, and you have new results that 
fit the topics above, and you’re eager to share them with other 
Enceladus fans, please consider submitting an abstract to this special 
AGU session. 

Hope to see you in San Francisco! 

– Special Session PS2603:
FROM OBSERVATIONS TO THE GLOBAL IGNEOUS EVOLUTION OF MARS

Recent research places us on the cusp to advance planetary-scale
martian evolution. These include mugearite, identified in situ,
indicating a compositional parallel to otherwise unlikely arc and
rift processes; geomorphology suggesting Yellowstone-scale volcanic
edifices; meteorites, such as NWA9034, showing the first compelling
overlap with crustal composition; evidence for isolated pockets of
a wet ancient mantle active until recently; localized spectral
signatures of unusually felsic compositions; and igneous evolution
models such as thermal pipes. Accordingly, this session will address
emerging questions. For example, did thermal pipe analogs contribute
an endogenic source for the planetary dichotomy? Could pyroclastics
and exhalations, of supervolcanoes tapping a mantle, hydrated
comparably with modern Earth’s, yield compositional signatures in the
modern crust? What constraints on magma ocean overturn and
lithospheric de-lamination models might arise by seeking evidence
for a residual primary crust? We welcome contributions from both
planetary and terrestrial geologists to address such interdisciplinary
questions.

Session Co-sponsors include:
DI – Study of the Earth’s Deep Interior
EP – Earth and Planetary Surface Processes
T – Tectonophysics
V – Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrology

Co-chairs: Suniti Karunatillake, James Wray, and J.R. Skok

– Special Session PS 2692:
RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND THE FATE OF PLANETARY HABITABILITY

Rapid environmental change can be used as a scientific bridge,
relating astrobiology to earth, planetary, and space sciences in the
study of how life may adapt through abrupt climate crises. Recent
discoveries inspire us to re-examine our understanding of how rapidly
planetary habitats can be redistributed. Past habitable environments
on Mars from the Curiosity rover, possible subsurface lakes and oceans
on Europa or Enceladus, and potentially habitable exoplanets from the
Kepler spacecraft continue to expand our definition of the habitable
zone. Abstracts on the intertwined aspects of changing habitability,
including the complex interactions among astronomical, geological,
and climatic forces, on the Earth and beyond, are welcome.

Co-Sponsor(s): B – Biogeosciences

For more information, visit:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2692.html

Conveners:
Franck Marchis, Carl Sagan Center, SETI institute, USA
Cynthia B Phillips, Carl Sagan Center, SETI institute, USA
Nathalie A Cabrol, Carl Sagan Center, SETI institute, & NASA Ames
Research Center, USA

– Special Session PS 2464:
ICY WORLD ERUPTIONS AND THEIR ANALOGUES

The potential existence of large plumes of water emitted from Europa’s surface has exciting implications for assessing the habitability of this icy world.  While the evidence from Hubble Space Telescope observations presently awaits confirmation, the analogy to active plumes at Enceladus motivates discussion of how to detect and characterize plumes, and how to understand eruptive features in the solar system in general. This session examines the mechanisms for plume formation and dispersal; geological signatures of eruptions; inorganic and organic composition of materials ejected from the surface and subsurface; and implications for habitability and life detection. Comparisons with eruptive features and activity on bodies such as Ceres, Enceladus, Io, Triton, Venus, and Earth are encouraged. 

Conveners: Steve Vance ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) Cynthia Phillips ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) 

Abstract submission is now open, with a deadline of August 6: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2464.html

– Special Session PS2919:
IN AND OUT OF JOVE – GIANT PLANET INTERIORS, ATMOSPHERES, AURORAE, AND IONOSPHERES

We solicit new research findings about the ionospheres, atmospheres
and deep interiors of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. A special
focus of our session is on the processes that reflect the interior
rotation rate of Saturn. The sources of data to be covered in our
session include the continuing observation by the Cassini spacecraft,
now in its 10th year in orbit around Saturn. We also cover results of
the recent Saturn Aurora Campaigns that coordinated observations by
Cassini, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories.
For Jupiter, we solicit long-term monitoring using ground- and space-
based telescopes, and studies in anticipation of the Juno spacecraft’s
arrival in August 2016. Observations of Uranus and Neptune are also
within in our session’s scope. In addition, we solicit modeling and
theoretical presentations that address these observational findings.

To submit abstracts to this session, visit:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2919.html

Conveners:
Kunio M Sayanagi, Hampton University
Ulyana Dyudina, Caltech
Scott G Edgington, JPL
Marcia E Burton, JPL

– Special Session PS3439:
RECONSTRUCTING HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS ON ANCIENT MARS

Calling all martian geomorphologists, geochemists, sedimentologists,
mineralogists, and astrobiologists for a collaborative session on
habitability and organic preservation on ancient Mars!

Ongoing rover and satellite investigations of the martian surface have
revealed diverse aqueous environments, but these environments most
likely had highly variable implications for habitability and organic
preservation potential. The wealth of geomorphological, chemical, and
mineralogical data available at Mars now allows us to reconstruct
these environments in detail at sites across the planet, by inferring
environmental conditions including (but not limited to): pH, redox
state, environmental stability, radiation shielding, longevity of
aqueous activity, and diversity of possible metabolic pathways.

As habitability and preservation potential are the primary
characteristics that will drive NASA’s continued exploration of Mars,
this session will focus on using inferred environmental conditions to
evaluate both of these characteristics at geological sites relevant to
ancient Mars. We invite abstracts using data from landed and/or
satellite missions, and encourage abstracts that address possible
ExoMars and Mars2020 landing sites.

For more information, visit:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session3439.html

Conveners:
Briony Horgan, Purdue University, [email protected]
Melissa Rice, Western Washington University, [email protected]

– Special Session PS3594:
THE SOLAR SYSTEM COLLAPSING DISC – EVIDENCE FROM COMETS, METEORITES AND GIANT PLANET ATMOSPHERES

For several decades evaluations of the composition of meteorites,
comets and giant planet atmospheres have provided clues to the origin
and evolution of the solar system. When combined with theories on
dynamics and composition of the collapsing disc, a picture of the
history of the solar system unfolds. Several recent NASA and ESA
missions, including Rosetta, JUNO, Dawn and New Horizons will soon
add to constraints on the origin and evolution of our solar system. 
Furthermore, recent laboratory studies provide important results for
evaluation of these measurements. The goal of this session is to put
previous work and upcoming measurements into the broader context of
solar system formation and evolution. This session is open to papers
on comet, meteorite and giant planet atmosphere contributions to
understanding solar system origins, laboratory studies related to the
topic, and theoretical studies of the dynamical and chemical evolution
of the collapsing disc.

Conveners:
Kathleen Mandt [email protected]
Olivier Mousis [email protected]

– Special Session : PS3960:
SOLAR SYSTEM SMALL BODIES – RELICS OF FORMATION & NEW WORLDS TO EXPLORE

The composition and physical properties of Small Solar System Bodies
(SSSBs), remnants of the formation of planets, are key to better
understand the origins of our solar system and their potential as
resources is necessary for robotic and human exploration. Missions
such as ESA/Gaia, NASA/OSIRIS-REx, JAXA/Hyabusa-2, NASA/Dawn and
NASA/New Horizons, to study asteroids, comets, dwarf planets and
TNOs are poised to provide new in situ information. on SSSBs.  Recent
remote observations of bright and main belt comets; asteroid Chariklo,
with its ring system; asteroid and KBO binaries illustrate that the
distinction between comets and asteroids is blurred, providing a new
paradigm for such classification. This session welcomes abstracts on
the remarkable results bringing information on the internal structure
and composition of SSSBs based on space and ground-based data,
numerical models, as well as instrument/mission concepts in the
prospect of future exploration.

For more information, visit:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session3960.html

Conveners:
Padma A Yanamandra-Fisher, Space Science Institute, USA
Julie C Castillo, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
Franck Marchis, Carl Sagan Center, SETI institute, USA
Carey Michael Lisse, JHU-APL, USA

– Special Session PS1871 :
RECENT SOLAR SYSTEM DISCOVERIES USING THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK

The Deep Space Network is well known for its role in commanding and 
communicating with planetary spacecraft that are producing a steady 
stream of new discoveries. The antennas within the Deep Space Network 
also can be used as science instruments in their own right to 
complement and extend the observations conducted with spacecraft. Using 
radio science techniques that link a spacecraft and ground antenna, the 
atmospheres and interiors of solar system objects ranging from 
asteroids to planets can be probed. Using radar transmissions, surface 
and sub-surface characteristics of asteroids, moons, and planets can 
be probed and orbits determined to high precision. This session invites 
papers that highlight recent discoveries or that illustrate the future 
potential for discoveries on the interiors, surfaces, and 
characteristics of solar system bodies obtained by using the Deep 
Space Network.

For more information, visit:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session1871.html

Conveners:
Joseph Lazio, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Sami W Asmar, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Lance Benner, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

D) ESO WORKSHOP – GROUND AND SPACE OBSERVATORIES: A JOINT VENTURE TO PLANETARY SCIENCE

The workshop will be held March 2-5, 2015 in Santiago, Chile. For more information, please see:

http://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/2015/Planets2015.html

More details will be given on the website in the next month.

The goal of this workshop is to explore synergies between ground and space-based observatories with planetary missions for exploring the Solar System and planets, and to foster collaborations between the different communities by sharing scientific and technical knowledge, needs, requirements, and techniques. Scientific topics include, e.g., planetary atmospheres, surfaces and rings, moons, asteroids, TNOs and comets.

Scientific topics include, e.g., planetary atmospheres, surfaces and  rings, moons, asteroids, TNOs and comets.

The morning sessions of the workshop will focus on those topics, while the afternoon sessions will focus on the capabilities of recent observatories, facilities or instruments, before moving on to general discussions.  The list of invited speakers will be announced in the next couple weeks on the website of the workshop. The meeting will be held at the ESO office in Santiago, and will be limited to around 100 participants. The registration fee is expected to be 250 euros, which will cover coffee breaks, lunches at ESO, and a winery tour and conference dinner on Wednesday, March 4. For students, the registration fee is expected to be 150 euros. We hope to secure financial support for a limited number of students.

Apologies if you have received this announcement more than once.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Stefanie Milam (on behalf of the SOC)

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].

Newsletter 14-15

Issue 14-15, July 3, 2014

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES ANNOUNCES 2014 PRIZE WINNERS
2) 46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : CALL FOR PAPERS, EVENTS AND FUNDS REMINDERS
3) JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
4) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

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AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES ANNOUNCES 2014 PRIZE WINNERS

The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is pleased to announce its 2014 prize winners.

– Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for outstanding contributions to the field of planetary science: Dr. Peter Gierasch made outstanding contributions to our understanding of planetary atmospheres during the 49 years of his professional career. His impact on the study of planetary atmospheres is exceptional, with some of his early papers still being frequently cited today, decades after their publication. His papers on the Martian thermal and dynamical structure (1968), zonal-mean properties of Jupiter (1986), and Venus’s atmospheric rotation (1975) were groundbreaking and remain classics in the field. Long before the greenhouse effect and global warming became household terms, Peter worked these puzzles for Mars. Dr. Gierasch is a professor of astronomy at Cornell University and the co-founder of Cornell’s Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, which he led for over a decade. He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1962 and 1968, respectively. He has served on numerous planetary missions, including Viking, Pioneer, Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini.

– Harold C. Urey Prize for outstanding achievement in planetary research by a young scientist: Dr. Matija Cuk’s broad-ranging research is significantly contributing to unraveling the origin of the solar system’s current structure. He has applied his skills across a remarkably broad range of topics: the origin and evolution of the Moon, binary asteroids and KBOs, as well as tidal evolution, orbital stability, rotational history and cratering of these bodies. Dr. Cuk devised and convincingly demonstrated the BYORP (binary Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack) mechanism, in which thermal radiation forces affect the orbital and rotational histories of binary asteroids. Dr. Cuk’s findings represent some of the most significant contributions to the field. Dr. Cuk, currently a researcher at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, obtained his bachelor’s degree from University of Belgrade, Serbia. He received his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Cornell University and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.

– Harold Masursky Award for outstanding service to planetary science and exploration: Dr. Athena Coustenis has an impressive scientific research career and has made major contributions to planetary science in the spirit of the Harold Masursky award. More than any other member of our community, Dr. Coustenis contributed to promoting and facilitating international collaboration in planetary science. Athena has played a major role in organizing the dissemination of scientific results at international conferences, including those of the European Geophysical Union, the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, the DPS/AAS, the European Planetary Science Congress, as well as the AGU Goldschmidt conferences and the International Planetary Probe workshops. She has rendered outstanding service to the international planetary science community through a combination of managerial, leadership, programmatic, and public service activities. Dr. Coustenis is currently Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, and an astrophysicist with the Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA) of Paris Observatory, France.

– Carl Sagan Medal for outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public: Br. Guy Consolmagno has a decades-long track record of communicating planetary science to the public while maintaining an active science career. In addition, he occupies a unique position within our profession as a credible spokesperson for scientific honesty within the context of religious belief. Br. Guy uses multiple media to reach his audience. He has authored or edited six books, with “Turn Right at Orion” in its fourth edition of publication. This book alone has had an enormous impact on the amateur astronomy community, engendering public support for astronomy. In addition to writing books, he is a dynamic popular speaker, giving 40 to 50 public lectures every year across both Europe and the United States, reaching thousands of people. He regularly gives interviews on BBC radio shows on planetary science topics and hosted his own BBC radio show discussing the origins of the universe (“A Brief History of the End of Everything”). These appearances address both pure science subjects and science-with-religion subjects. As a Jesuit Brother, Guy has become the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief, a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers.

– Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award to recognize and stimulate distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences: James Oberg is a science journalist, space consultant, and retired “rocket scientist” who spent the first 22 years of his career as an engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he specialized in space shuttle operations and orbital rendezvous. Mr. Oberg has authored some two-dozen books about all aspects of space flight for both the astronomy-interested layman and NASA’s training program and has written more than 1,000 magazine and newspaper articles. His work has appeared in Astronomy, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, OMNI, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and other publications. In addition, James has served as the NBC News space consultant for a decade. He is considered an expert on the Russian space program and U.S. space policy. In his winning entry, “Torrid Mercury’s Icy Poles,” in Astronomy magazine’s December 2013 issue, James expertly explores the history of the search for the innermost planet’s water ice and what the MESSENGER spacecraft, launched in 2004, is revealing. The saga of water ice hiding in the shadows on Mercury ranks among the most fascinating chapters in the story of the solar system’s birth and evolution.

The 2014 DPS prizes will be presented at the 46th annual DPS meeting in Tucson, Arizona, 9-14 November 2014 [http://aas.org/meetings/dps46].

Contacts:
Dr. Vishnu Reddy
DPS Press Officer
+1 808-342-8932
[email protected]

Dr. Heidi Hammel
DPS Chair
+1 202-483-2101
[email protected]

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46TH MEETING OF THE DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES (DPS 2014) : CALL FOR PAPERS, EVENTS AND FUNDS REMINDERS

Tucson, AZ, 9-14 November 2014 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass
http://aas.org/meetings/dps46

Dear DPS members, we invite you to attend the 46th Annual DPS meeting! Please note these important dates:

– 21 August 2014 : 46th DPS Regular Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 26 August 2014 : 46th DPS Early Registration Deadline
– 24 September 2014 : 46th DPS Late Abstract Submission Deadline – 9:00pm ET
– 10 October 2014 : 46th DPS Hotel Reservations Deadline

If you like paradigm-shifting oral sessions, cutting-edge poster round-ups, and rubric-smashing education and outreach workshops then you won’t want to miss the 46th Annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences in Tucson Arizona!  At the Tucson 2014 DPS meeting, you will participate in world-class hobnobbery with an eclectic array of moon swooners, dust musterers, gas bags, lava lovers, glass masters, math blasters, ring dingers, first lighters, dewar slewers, infraheads, ultrapilots, dot wranglers, plasma tamers, non-synchronous rotators, flight-rule makers, flight-rule breakers, spin doctors, planet smashers and general space cases against a backdrop of sand, bedrock, rock beds, basins, ranges, saguaro, ocotillo, mesquite, palo verde, rattle snakes, scorpions, javelina, sunshine, stars, planets, and the best sunsets you will ever see!

* Abstracts

See in particular http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-abstract-and-presentation-information and go to: http://abstracts.aas.org/abstract_pass/dps

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.
– Nonmembers can only present once every 10 years.
– Nonmembers are required to have a sponsor who is an active AAS Full Member or DPS Affiliate; the sponsor will be notified.

The DPS Science Program is coming together. There will be a wide range of invited plenary talks and we expect plenary talks by the Urey and Kuiper prize winners.

* Accommodation and diversions

The JW Marriott Starr Pass is located about five miles west of downtown Tucson and it is a great venue with restaurants, hiking, biking, swimming, golf, and more! In case you’re worried about hotel fever, we will run a regular shuttle service to downtown Tucson and the university area so you can sample the best tacos, burritos, chimichangas, vampiros, caramelos, albondigas, chile rellenos, pico de gallo, carne asada, and queso fundido west of the San Pedro, south of the Rillito and east of the Santa Cruz!

We are planning a number of diversions including a field trip to Meteor Crater, a food-truck round-up, and an art exhibition! The banquet will be held at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which will be open and fully available to attendees!

Please see http://aas.org/meetings/dps46 for more information!

* Funds

Please also remember to donate to the professional development award for planetary scientists, the Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund. The fund will provide financial assistance to qualifying DPS members to facilitate their attendance at the annual DPS meeting by offsetting dependent-care costs, either at the meeting location or at home during the week of the conference. The Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund will support Dependent Care Grants for the 46th annual meeting of the DPS in Tucson, Arizona, 9-14 November 2014.
These grants are intended to reimburse several categories of expenses, including:
– Airfare for a caregiver (e.g., au pair, nanny, sitter) to fly to the meeting location to assist with dependent care for child(ren) under age 18, ill or disabled family members, or for dependent elder(s) able to travel.
– Airfare for child(ren) under age 18, ill or disabled family members, dependent elder(s), or a family member caregiver traveling to the meeting.
– Costs for dependent care at the meeting (e.g., onsite babysitting, daycare or elder care service local to the meeting venue, local custodial child care and/or elder care expenses, or paying for a nanny or other caregiver’s labor)
– Costs for additional dependent care at home incurred due to member’s absence during the DPS meeting (e.g., caregiver’s labor, before and after school or extended day programs, late pick-up fees, day camps that are custodial in nature and not educational, daycare centers, sick-child care center not for medical services, custodial childcare and expenses for care for elderly or other family members that the applicant usually provides)
– Other justifiable expenses

All expenses should be justified with a receipt to claim the award.

More information about the fund, including how to donate: http://aas.org/dps-46th-meeting/46th-dps-meeting-dependent-care

We look forward to seeing you in Tucson in November! The SOC and LOC.

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JOBS/POSITIONS 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) CASSINI-HUYGENS PARTICIPATING SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY 2014

You are invited submit proposals for participation to
the Cassini-Huygens mission through the Participating Scientists (PS)
program.

The documentation, proposal submission and support software for this
Announcement are being made available via the Internet at::

http://tinyurl.com/CDAPS2014

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UPCOMING MEETINGS 

A) OUTER PLANETS ASSESSMENT GROUP MEETING
The dates for the next OPAG meeting are July 23-24 in Bethesda, MD. 
We will be meeting at the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel.  The logistics are now posted on the OPAG homepage:

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

Please note that the deadline for getting hotel rooms at the group rate is June 23.  The agenda will be posted soon.

Candy Hansen
OPAG Chair

B) SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP  11 MEETING

Logistical details and a draft agenda are now available on the SBAG
website for the 11th SBAG Meeting:

11th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group
July 29-31, 2014
Washington, DC

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

Participation is open to all. Participants are requested to register
using the SBAG 11 website, and registration is free.

C) IPM-2014

Preparations are well under way for the 2nd International Workshop
on ‘Instrumentation for Planetary Missions’ (IPM-2014) to be held
November 4-7, 2014.

The objective of the Workshop 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.

Exceptional keynote and invited speakers are a highlighted part of
the program.

Visit the link below to submit an abstract by Aug 25, 2014 and view
details regarding registration:

http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/IPM/

We encourage you to submit an abstract and be part of this unique
international gathering focused on instrumentation for planetary
missions.

The first such Workshop held in 2012 was attended by 230 people
from across the globe. Early indications suggest that this one will
surpass that.

Mark your calendar! Be part of this unique experience!

POC: Brook Lakew <[email protected]>

D) 2014 AGU FALL MEETING
December 15-19, 2014
San Francisco, CA, USA

The abstract deadline for all submissions is 6 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT and no abstracts will be accepted after this date.

– Special Session : Planetary Atmospheres and Their Evolution
Session ID#: 1521
Understanding the evolutionary histories of planetary atmospheres is one of the key scientific questions driving planetary mission planning. While the evolution of our own planet, the Earth, is constrained by geological and geochemical data, the evolutionary paths of other planetary bodies in and outside our solar system must be determined from planetary mission data and astronomical observations. The discoveries of extrasolar planets greatly expand the interests of the scientific community and provide a new opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations between geoscientists, astronomers, and planetary scientists. The session welcomes both observational and theoretical studies relevant to the evolution of planetary objects in and outside of our solar system (including the Earth).

– Special Session : ENCELADUS: A HABITABLE WORLD

Session Title: Enceladus: A Habitable World 
Session ID: #1492 
Conveners: Carolyn Porco, Chris McKay

Geysers of icy particles and vapor, with trace amounts of organic 
compounds, erupting from warm fractures and deriving from a salty, 
subsurface sea make the Saturnian moon Enceladus the most accessible 
extraterrestrial habitable zone in our solar system. In this special 
session, now in its 9th year, we continue our focus on those topics 
relating to the origin and state of the moon’s geologically active 
south polar terrain (SPT). These include observational, theoretical 
and modeling investigations of the composition, state, and dynamics 
of Enceladus’ jets and plume, its thermal and interior state and 
evolution, and the geomorphology of the SPT and similar provinces. We 
also welcome studies addressing future spaceflight missions and the 
moon’s potential for biological activity.

If you love Enceladus as much as we do, and you have new results that 
fit the topics above, and you’re eager to share them with other 
Enceladus fans, please consider submitting an abstract to this special 
AGU session. 

Hope to see you in San Francisco! 

E) SECOND WORKSHOP ON EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS
Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, 
February 23-26, 2015

http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/Bil301/Ice2015.html

We wish to bring to your attention announcement of the Second Workshop on Experimental Laboratory Astrophysics to be held in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, February 23-26, 2015.

Contributed talks (30 min) and poster presentations are invited for the ‘Second Workshop on Experimental Laboratory Astrophysics’ in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, February 23-26, 2015. During the last decade, significant new experimental techniques have been developed to investigate the interaction of ionizing radiation (UV, VUV, gamma rays, charged particles) and of neutrals (atoms, radicals, molecules, grains) with surfaces of solids (ices, minerals, carbonaceous compounds) in the Solar System and in the Interstellar Medium (ISM). These processes provide new fundamental insights – sometimes on the molecular level – into the processes that are critical to the chemistry in the ISM, star and planet forming regions, and on/in icy objects in the Solar System from the formation of the simplest molecule (molecular hydrogen) to astrobiologically important species such as amino acids and sugars. There is an increasing convergence of interests of these fields, so a ‘united’, bi-annual workshop is highly desired.

Based on the successful first workshop in 2013, the second  workshop features invited (senior and junior researchers) as well as contributed talks covering the interaction of ionizing radiation (UV, VUV, gamma rays, charged particles) and neutrals (atoms, radicals, molecules, grains) with low temperature solids (ices, minerals, organics). The talks can be extended to observations, modeling, and electronic structure calculations, if these topics can be linked – as evident from the abstract – to laboratory experiments. Also, poster submissions are highly encouraged; this will allow a broad participation of newcomers to the field (students, postdocs).

Accommodation: The workshop will take place in the Sheraton Kauai Resort  in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, starting with a reception and registration on February 22, 2015, at 6 pm (Sunday). The hotel will allocate a block of rooms for workshop participants. Reservations must be made by December 1, 2014. Group rates are available three days pre and post group arrival and departure dates.

Transportation: Sheraton Kauai Resort is a short drive (20 minutes) from the airport (LIH). LIH can be reached from LAX, SFO, or HNL.

Registration: Registration and abstract submission open July 1, 2014, with deadlines on December 1, 2014.  The registration fee of $ 350 includes the reception, snacks, and a book-of-abstracts; the late registration fee after December 1, 2014, is $ 600. No refunds will be given after December 1, 2014. 
Further information will be posted soon.

The Organizers
Brant Jones, University of Hawaii, Murthy Gudipati, JPL, Mark Loeffler, NASA Goddard, Gianfranco Vidali, Syracuse University, Helen Fraser, Open University, UK, Ralf I. Kaiser, University of Hawaii, Naoki Watanabe, University of Hokkaido, Japan

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

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].