Issue 12-24, October 1, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) REMINDERS 44TH DPS MEETING
2) GERALD A. SOFFEN MEMORIAL FUND TRAVEL GRANTS FOR 2012
3) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
4) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

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REMINDERS 44TH DPS MEETING

See you next week in Reno !! Note the following reminders.

A) DPS Registration Reminder
If you have not registered you may use any of the options below.

Online: psi.edu/dps12/reg.shtml
Phone: 202-328-2010 ext. 106
Fax: 202-234-7850

If you are presenting an abstract you must register to attend the meeting.

B) Education/Outreach Events
1) Are you active in education & outreach, but looking for a way for your efforts to have a greater impact? Join us Sunday afternoon before the meeting for a special workshop “Boosting the Effectiveness of Your Education and Outreach Efforts”. Topics include public lectures and outreach events, teacher professional development, getting into classrooms, as well as rticipant-selected topics. For each topic, research-based best practices, lessons learned, tips, available resources, and participant experiences will be explored. Possible funding sources will be presented. We’ll be in the Teton Room at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino on Sunday, 14 October 2012 at 1:00pm-5:00pm.

2) A student outreach program at DPS 2012 is under development for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the science poster and exhibit area. Middle school students will sign up to take part in a variety of hands-on science activities. Volunteers are needed to help make this a great experience for the students. Check upcoming DPS emails for how to volunteer or directly contact LOC chair, [email protected].

3) An informal Meeting of Opportunity (MoO) for those active in E/PO is being planned during DPS. A very short survey for availability has been posted at the link below. Please check out the conference schedule (links below) to determine when you’ll be free to meet with some of your Planetary Science E/PO colleagues, and let us know as soon as possible!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DPS_MoO_2012

4) Last but not least: the education sessions. They’re on Thursday and Friday (Oct 18 and 19); details are below.
411. Education, Public Outreach, and History (Poster session)
Thursday, Oct 18, 2012, 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM, Exhibit Hall
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/ViewSession.aspx?sKey=348341a7-6776-…{C752C15A-58ED-4FA6-9B4A-725245476867}

515. Education and Public Outreach (Oral session)
Friday, Oct 19, 2012, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Reno Ballroom
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/BrowseResults.aspx?category=1c12fd35…

Keep you eye on future DPS emails for updates and additions!
Nick Schneider, [email protected]

C) DPS 2012 Meeting Social Media Accounts
The DPS LOC has started social media accounts for this year’s Annual Meeting and beyond. Stay tuned for the latest news, announcements, and discussions.

These accounts are at :
https://www.facebook.com/DPSMeeting
https://twitter.com/DPSMeeting

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
GERALD A. SOFFEN MEMORIAL FUND TRAVEL GRANTS FOR 2012

The Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the last
2012 Travel Grant application opportunity for undergraduate and
graduate students pursuing studies in fields of space science and
engineering.
The Travel Grants, in the amount of $500, enable student recipients to
attend professional meetings to present their research. The Fall 2012
Travel Grant application deadline is October 15, 2012.
Jerry Soffen, a biologist by training, led a distinguished career in
NASA, including serving as the Project Scientist for Viking and as an
architect for the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The Travel Grant
continues Jerry’s dedication to educating and involving future
generations in space science and engineering pursuits.
The electronic application materials and instructions are located on
the Soffen Fund website:

http://SoffenFund.org

Questions regarding the application or application process may be
sent to: [email protected]

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) TENURE-TRACK PROFESSOR POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT AALTO UNIVERSITY

The Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering (ELEC) opens seven tenure track professor positions including openings in Earth Observation, Space Science and Technology, and Radio Astronomy.
About 40 km west of the main Aalto University Campus, the Metsähovi Radio Observatory operates a 14 m diameter radio telescope. Metsähovi is part of the several international VLBI networks, while single-dish telescope time is mostly allocated for flux density monitoring of extragalactic radio sources and for solar observations. Flexible scheduling enables target-of-opportunity observations as well as hands-on radio astronomical experience to students.
The Department of Radio Science and Engineering (RAD) is a multi-disciplinary unit with a research focus on understanding of the physics of electromagnetic waves from radio to terahertz frequencies and beyond. The Earth Observation research at RAD has focused especially on microwave remote sensing, most recently involving the ESA SMOS mission instrumentation, analysis and data validation with our Skyvan aircraft measurements.
We seek to expand our space activities to near-Earth space science and technology, focusing especially on the ESA Science Programme missions and space weather physics and monitoring. Our first technology demonstration cubesat Aalto-1 is being built as a student effort and targets for launch in 2013-2014. Aalto-2 has just been selected for the EU QB50 programme and obtained national funding for building and launch.
The positions are open at all levels: assistant professor, associate professor, and full tenured professor, depending on the qualifications of the applicant. We seek scientists with interest in research related to the scientific topics as well as developing instrumentation and technologies for the research. The emphasis between science and technology may vary depending on the candidate’s qualifications and interests.

For more information on the positions
http://elec.aalto.fi/en/about/careers/
Dean Tuija Pulkkinen [email protected]
HR coordinator Jaana Hänninen [email protected]

B) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for a position at the assistant professor (tenure track) level in either:
Inorganic Geochemistry – Areas of expertise might include (but are not limited to): isotope and or/trace element geochemistry, geochronology, igneous or metamorphic petrology, cosmochemistry, or aqueous geochemistry.
Crustal Dynamics – Areas of expertise might include (but are not limited to): active tectonics, mountain building, basin formation, or crustal fluid movements. We are open to candidates with technical expertise including remote sensing, geodesy, seismic imaging, structural geology, and physical and/or numerical modeling. We encourage applicants who apply their work to societal issues like energy production, reservoir engineering, or hazards assessment and mitigation.

POSITION AVAILABLE: July 1, 2013, with academic year beginning September 2013.
TO APPLY: Applications are accepted via the UCSC Academic Recruit online system, and must include a letter of application, curriculum vitae with list of all career publications, a brief summary of research and teaching interests, and up to 5 PDFs of relevant (p)reprints. Contact information for four people prepared to write letters of recommendation*. Applicants are invited to submit a statement addressing their contributions to diversity through their research, teaching and/or service. Documents/materials must be submitted as PDF files.
Apply at https://recruit.ucsc.edu/apply/JPF00014
Refer to Position #JPF00014-13 in all correspondence.
CLOSING DATE: Review of applications will begin on November 7, 2012. To ensure full consideration, all application materials should be completed by this date. The position will remain open until filled, but not later than 6/30/2014.
—
Francis Nimmo
Dept. Earth and Planetary Sciences
University of California Santa Cruz
1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
[email protected]
tel. +1 831 459 1783
fax. +1 831 459 3074
http://es.ucsc.edu/~fnimmo

C) POST-DOCS AT THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION
The Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism has multiple postdoctoral fellowships available in geophysics, volcanology, and planetary science. Details can be found at
http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/fellowships-mainmenu-96/general-mainmenu-475.

Please send this announcement along to any interested parties who may not be on this list.
—
Matthew J. Fouch
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
Carnegie Institution of Washington
5241 Broad Branch Road, NW
Washington, DC 20015
O: 202-478-8827
F: 202-478-8821
E: [email protected]
W: http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/users/fouch

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) DPS IN RENO RELATED MEETINGS

The program for the 44th DPS 2012 Meeting in Reno is available at:
http://www.psi.edu/dps12/sciprog.shtml

Oral and Poster Presentations
Information regarding Oral presentations and Poster guidelines and suggestions are available at psi.edu/dps12/abs.shtml.

Presentation Uploads
If you have an oral presentation in Reno, you must upload your presentation to the Speaker Ready service. We encourage you to upload your presentation early at aasuploads.com. After your presentation has been uploaded, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive an email, please contact [email protected]. If you have trouble uploading your presentation at the link above, please email it to [email protected] with the session number, speaker number, last name, email address, and operating system.

Workshops AT DPS :
– Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group 6
13-14 October, 7:30am-5:30pm
Organizer: Ozhen Pananyan, [email protected]

– Planning Your Solar System Observations with JWST
14 October, 9:00am-12:00noon
Organizer: Stephanie Milam, [email protected]

– NASA Grant Writing Workshop
14 October, 12:30pm-4:00pm
Organizer: Curt Niebur, [email protected]

– Boosting the Effectiveness of Your Education and Outreach Efforts
14 October, 1:00pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Nick Schneider, [email protected]

– Planetary Science on Commercial Suborbital Flights
14 October, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Organizer: Constantine Tsang, [email protected]

– Remote Observations of Rosetta Target Comet 67P
14 October, 2:00pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Rita Schulz, [email protected]

– Publishing Your Paper: A Guide for MSc and PhDs
16 October, 12:00noon-1:00pm
Organizer: Clare Lehane, [email protected]

– Women in Astronomy Discussion Hour
17 October, 12:00noon-1:30pm
Organizer: Kelsi Singer, [email protected]

– Meeting of the IOPW Atmospheres Section
17 October, 3:30pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Ricardo Hueso, [email protected]

– Europa mission studies town hall
The Europa SDT i will present an update of their activities at noon, Oct 16, at the Reno DPS. This Town Hall meeting will bring the community up to speed on the current status of the NASA descoped Europa Flagship mission studies.

B) MEPAG MEETING SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 4, 2012 IN MONROVIA, CA
The 26th meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group
(MEPAG) is scheduled for October 4, 2012, at the DoubleTree Hotel in
Monrovia, CA.

Please RSVP to:
Joyce Pulliam ([email protected])

C) MAVEN MARS SCIENCE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
Preliminary agenda for the Dec. 2 MAVEN Mars Science Community workshop
has been posted to our web site at:
http://lasp.colorado.edu/maven

The workshop will run all day, and is intended to provide the science
community with more information about the mission than has been
available previously. It will take place on the Sunday prior to the
AGU meeting in San Francisco, at a venue to be announced.
No registration is required.
If you have questions, or to get on the mailing list for future
announcements about the workshop, contact:

Bruce Jakosky
[email protected]

D) PLANETARY SCIENCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, OCT 2-3, 2012
Topics include:
Planetary Science Division Update
Mars Exploration Program Update
Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Update
Mars Program Planning Group Update
Discovery Program Update
Planetary Science Division Senior Review Update
Research and Analysis Update
Reports from Analysis and Assessment Groups

The meeting will also be available telephonically and by WebEx.
Any interested person may call the USA toll free conference call number
800-619-8846, pass code PSS, to participate in this meeting by telephone.

The WebEx link is:

https://nasa.webex.com/

Topic: PSS October 2 2012
Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Time: 8:30 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Meeting Number: 991 184 838
Meeting Password: PSS@Oct2

Topic: PSS Oct 3 2012
Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Time: 8:30 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Meeting Number: 997 149 734
Meeting Password: PSS@Oct3

See also PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

 

———————————+

 

Issue 12-23, September 17, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) REMINDERS 44TH DPS MEETING
2) INCLUDE THESE EDUCATION/OUTREACH EVENTS IN YOUR DPS PLANS
3) DPS 2012 MEETING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
4) ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS: A NEW PROGRAM FOR EARLY-CAREER ASTRONOMERS WHO WANT TO DO OUTREACH
5) NOAO CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR 2013A
6) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
7) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
REMINDERS 44TH DPS MEETING

DPS Registration Reminder
Late registration has begun for the DPS Reno meeting. If you have not registered you may use any of the options below.

Online: psi.edu/dps12/reg.shtml
Phone: 202-328-2010 ext. 106
Fax: 202-234-7850

If you are presenting an abstract you must register to attend the meeting.

Hotel Reservations : Hotel rooms are also filling up quickly. Make your room reservations now by going to https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=3192976

The hotel reservation deadline is 20 September 2012.

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
INCLUDE THESE EDUCATION/OUTREACH EVENTS IN YOUR DPS PLANS

A) Are you active in education & outreach, but looking for a way for your efforts to have a greater impact? Join us Sunday afternoon before the meeting for a special workshop “Boosting the Effectiveness of Your Education and Outreach Efforts”. Topics include public lectures and outreach events, teacher professional development, getting into classrooms, as well as rticipant-selected topics. For each topic, research-based best practices, lessons learned, tips, available resources, and participant experiences will be explored. Possible funding sources will be presented. We’ll be in the Teton Room at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino on Sunday, 14 October 2012 at 1:00pm-5:00pm.

B) A student outreach program at DPS 2012 is under development for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the science poster and exhibit area. Middle school students will sign up to take part in a variety of hands-on science activities. Volunteers are needed to help make this a great experience for the students. Check upcoming DPS emails for how to volunteer or directly contact LOC chair, [email protected].

C) An informal Meeting of Opportunity (MoO) for those active in E/PO is being planned during DPS. A very short survey for availability has been posted at the link below. Please check out the conference schedule (links below) to determine when you’ll be free to meet with some of your Planetary Science E/PO colleagues, and let us know as soon as possible!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DPS_MoO_2012

D) Last but not least: the education sessions. They’re on Thursday and Friday (Oct 18 and 19); details are below.
411. Education, Public Outreach, and History (Poster session)
Thursday, Oct 18, 2012, 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM, Exhibit Hall
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/ViewSession.aspx?sKey=348341a7-6776-…{C752C15A-58ED-4FA6-9B4A-725245476867}

515. Education and Public Outreach (Oral session)
Friday, Oct 19, 2012, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Reno Ballroom
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/BrowseResults.aspx?category=1c12fd35…

Keep you eye on future DPS emails for updates and additions!
Nick Schneider, [email protected]

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
DPS 2012 MEETING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

The DPS LOC has started social media accounts for this year’s Annual Meeting and beyond. Stay tuned for the latest news, announcements, and discussions.

These accounts are at :
https://www.facebook.com/DPSMeeting
https://twitter.com/DPSMeeting

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
DPS PLANETARY JOBS REGISTER NOW OPEN

DPS has developed and implemented a new Planetary jobs register, where you can find currently open jobs within the field of planetary science, broadly defined:

jobs

Each job listed has its associated position type, geographical location, category, title, and due date listed. Each of these fields can be sorted. The goal is for this DPS jobs site to become a central repository for any and all planetary jobs, from geochemistry to astrophysics. Posting of jobs is free. If you have a position to post, please fill out the jobs submission form at:

node/add/job

Please send any comments, questions, or suggestions to the DPS Jobs Czar at: [email protected]

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
ASTRONOMY AMBASSADORS: A NEW PROGRAM FOR EARLY-CAREER ASTRONOMERS WHO WANT TO DO OUTREACH

(Workshop Jan 5 & 6, 2013 at the Long Beach American Astronomical Society Meeting)

The American Astronomical Society (working with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and other organizations) is sponsoring a new program to support early-career astronomers (graduate students, post-docs, new faculty) with training, resources, and a web-based community for doing effective outreach to schools and to the public. If you are a new astronomer with an interest in spending a fraction of your time helping students or the public become more scientifically literate, this is an invitation to join our inaugural cohort.

For now, some of the costs are being underwritten by the AAS Council. The first workshop for the “Astronomy Ambassadors” program will be held before the January 2013 AAS meeting, where participants will spend two active, hands-on days learning techniques, examining selected materials, and getting to know each other and an existing community of astronomers who do and support outreach activities. Applications are due by no later than Oct. 24th.

For more about the program, see: http://aas.org/education/ambassadors

For more workshop information, visit: http://aas.org/meetings/aas221/ambassadors_workshop

To complete an online application, go to: http://aas.org/meetings/aas221/ambassadors_application

================================
Andrew Fraknoi, Chair, Astronomy Program
Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd.,
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022, USA

Telephone: (650) 949-7288
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook Page (The AstroProf):
http://www.facebook.com/Fraknoi
================================

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6
NOAO CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR 2013A

Due: 27 September 2012

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory announces the availability
of observing time for the 2013A semester, February 2013 – August 2013.
Time is available with the Gemini North and South telescopes, the
6.5-m telescope of the MMT Observatory, the 5-m Hale Telescope at
Palomar Observatory, and the telescopes of Cerro Tololo Inter-American
Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory. Details of
instrumentation, observing modes, schedules, and proposal submission
instructions are available at:
http://ast.noao.edu/observing/proposal-info

Proposals are due no later than 11:59pm MST (Mountain Standard Time)
on Thursday, 27 September 2012.

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY TIER II CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR IN PLANETARY ASTRONOMY
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British
Columbia invites applications from outstanding candidates for a
tenure-track Canada Research Tier II Chair (http://www.chairs.gc.ca/) in
the field of planetary astronomy.

In this area, the Department of Physics and Astronomy has expertise in
solar system dynamics, small-body observations, transit studies of
extrasolar planets, and studies of planets in globular clusters;
associated research on planetary magnetic fields and internal structure
is performed in the UBC Earth and Ocean Sciences Department. Candidates
are sought whose research addresses issues related to the formation,
evolution, and characterization of planets and planetary systems beyond
the Earth.

Applicants must have a PhD Degree or equivalent, relevant postdoctoral
experience, an outstanding research record and a strong interest in
teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in the department of
Physics and Astronomy. The successful candidate will be appointed at the
level of assistant professor, but a higher rank may be considered for
applicants with exceptional qualifications and experience.
Responsibilities of the position include establishing and conducting an
internationally competitive and externally funded research program,
effectively teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels,
supervising graduate students, and participating on service committees
for the department, university, and academic/scientific community.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity.
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. We especially welcome
applications from members of visible minority groups, women, Aboriginal
persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual
orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and
knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.
The University is also responsive to the needs of dual career couples
and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Canada Research
Chairs are open to individuals of any nationality; offers will be made
in accordance with Canada Immigration requirements associated with the
Canada Research Chairs Program.

Dossiers must be complete by Nov. 6/2012, following the application
procedures found at http://www.phas.ubc.ca/employment

B) POSTDOC POSITION IN PLANETARY SEISMOLOGY: INSTRUMENTATIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS
Following the NASA selection of INSIGHT, the first Martian Geophysical Observatory to be launched in 2016 as Discovery mission 12, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) are opening a three years postdoctoral position in the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP/Université Paris Diderot/CNRS), Paris, France.
65% of the position will be devoted to Insight SEIS project activities, with a focus on the analysis and interpretation of test data of the various models expected to be manufactured for the project (e.g. Actual Breadboards, Qualification, Flight and Spare models). The other 35% will be devoted to a Research program in Planetary seismology aiming to prepare the future INSIGHT data analysis with Earth and/or Moon seismic data. Missions activities will be defined by the SEIS VBB manager (S. de Raucourt, [email protected]), while the Research program will be co-­‐defined with the SEIS investigation Lead (P. Lognonné, [email protected]).

The candidate must demonstrate experience in seismology and/or space instrumentation and/or low noise instrumentation with either a PhD or an Engineer diploma. Net income will be in the range of 2100-­‐2300€/month depending on experience.
Due to ITAR regulation, this position is open to individuals with single national or third country/dual national of NATO and/or European Union countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, or Switzerland. The position is open as early as October 1st, 2012. Candidate proposal will be examined weekly until postdoc recruitment and early postdoc start will be strongly appreciated. After position completion and until the mission completion, the selected individual will remain an INSIGHT SEIS collaborator.
Proposals must be sent through E-mail to [email protected] with email subject: ‘SEIS INSIGHT Posdoc position’ and must contain:
• Motivation letter with proposed position starting date,
• CV with indication of citizenship
• one reference letter plus a list of 2 possible additional references with name, address, emails and professional relations, if any.
• a 3 pages description of the possible VBB testing challenges
• 3 page description of the proposed Research project

Additional informations : IPGP web site :
http://www.ipgp.fr INSIGHT web site : http://insight.jpl.nasa.gov/
INSIGHT movies of science goals and SEIS deployment :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RSTYvwodKO0
SEIS Instrument and IPGP SEIS team description (in French)
http://ganymede.ipgp.jussieu.fr/seis/

C) THE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE RESEARCH GROUP AT THE VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL SEARCHES COLLABORATORS (PHD & POSTDOCS)
in the framework of the Interuniversity Attraction Pole “PLANET TOPERS” Planets: Tracing Transfer, Origin, Preservation, & Evolution of their ReservoirS
Thanks to major funding from the Belgian Science Policy for the period 2012-2017, several positions at PhD and Postdoctoral levels are available at the VUB starting in October 2012 to work on habitability of planets and moons of our solar system. The positions are offered in the frame of an Interuniversity Attraction Pole « PLANET TOPERS ». http://iuap- planet-topers.oma.be provides a description of this research initiative and the partners.
For questions contact:
Philippe Claeys ([email protected]) or Steven Goderis ([email protected]) by e-mail;
info on ESSC research we.vub.ac.be/~essc

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
UPCOMING MEETINGS

A) DPS IN RENO RELATED MEETINGS

1) The program for the 44th DPS 2012 Meeting in Reno is now available at:

http://www.psi.edu/dps12/sciprog.shtml

Oral and Poster Presentations
Information regarding Oral presentations and Poster guidelines and suggestions are available at psi.edu/dps12/abs.shtml.

Presentation Uploads
If you have an oral presentation in Reno, you must upload your presentation to the Speaker Ready service. We encourage you to upload your presentation early at aasuploads.com. After your presentation has been uploaded, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive an email, please contact [email protected]. If you have trouble uploading your presentation at the link above, please email it to [email protected] with the session number, speaker number, last name, email address, and operating system.

2) THANK YOU TO OUR 44TH ANNUAL DPS MEETING SPONSORS!
Ball Aerospace
Elsevier Icarus
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
Lockheed Martin
NASA
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute
Northrop Grumman
Orbital Sciences
Southwest Research Institute, Boulder
The Boeing Company
University of Nevada, Reno

3) WORKSHOPS

A) AT DPS

– Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group 6
13-14 October, 7:30am-5:30pm
Organizer: Ozhen Pananyan, [email protected]

– Planning Your Solar System Observations with JWST
14 October, 9:00am-12:00noon
Organizer: Stephanie Milam, [email protected]

– NASA Grant Writing Workshop
14 October, 12:30pm-4:00pm
Organizer: Curt Niebur, [email protected]

– Boosting the Effectiveness of Your Education and Outreach Efforts
14 October, 1:00pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Nick Schneider, [email protected]

– Planetary Science on Commercial Suborbital Flights
14 October, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Organizer: Constantine Tsang, [email protected]

– Remote Observations of Rosetta Target Comet 67P
14 October, 2:00pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Rita Schulz, [email protected]

– Publishing Your Paper: A Guide for MSc and PhDs
16 October, 12:00noon-1:00pm
Organizer: Clare Lehane, [email protected]

– Women in Astronomy Discussion Hour
17 October, 12:00noon-1:30pm
Organizer: Kelsi Singer, [email protected]

– Meeting of the IOPW Atmospheres Section
17 October, 3:30pm-5:00pm
Organizer: Ricardo Hueso, [email protected]

– Europa mission studies town hall
The Europa SDT is still hard at work, and will present an update of their activities at noon, Oct 16, at the Reno DPS. This Town Hall meeting will bring the community up to speed on the current status of the NASA descoped Europa Flagship mission studies. There will be about a half hour of presentations on the two mission concepts still being studied, followed by discussion. The planetary community is strongly encouraged to attend and provide feedback to the SDT, OPAG, and NASA.

B) 221ST AAS MEETING, LONG BEACH, CA 6-10 JANUARY 2013

Important Dates
Early Registration: 16 August – 13 September 2012
Regular Registration: 14 September – 15 November 2012
Late Registration: 16 November – 20 December 2012
Registration with On-site Fees: 21 December 2012 – 10 January 2013

Abstract Submission Deadline: Monday, 1 October 2012. 9:00pm ET
Late Abstract Submission Deadline: Monday, 3 December 2012, 9:00pm ET

Public Splinter Meeting Request Deadline: 15 November 2012
Private Splinter Meeting Request Deadline: 15 December 2012

Child Care Grant Requests Due: 5 December 2012

Hotel Reservation Deadline: 14 December 2012

C) NEXT OPAG MEETING, JANUARY 9-10, 2013, ATLANTA

The next Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in early January of next year. We will not get snowed out. Further details are forthcoming, but suggested agenda items and other requests should be sent to [email protected].

D) 10TH MEETING OF THE VENUS EXPLORATION AND ANALYSIS GROUP (VEXAG): Washington DC, 13-15 November 2012

The tenth VEXAG meeting will be held 13-15 November 2012. This 2-1/2 day meeting will be held at or near NASA Headquarters in downtown Washington, DC. The primary objective of this meeting is to review and update the Goals and Objectives for Venus Exploration. Time will be made available for science presentations as well as updates from the community on issues relevant to Venus science and exploration.

If you are interested in receiving future VEXAG emails please register for the VEXAG email distribution list at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/vexag.cfm.

Please watch for additional information regarding advance registration and details for the 10th VEXAG meeting at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag.

E) MAGNETOSPHERES OF THE OUTER PLANETS 2013

The 2013 MOP conference will take
Place on July 8 to 12 in Athens, Greece.
See http://space.academyofathens.gr/mop2013/

Registration and abstract submission open: January 7, 2013
Abstract submission deadline: May 1, 2013
Registration deadline: May 31, 2013

Nick Sergis, for the LOC
[email protected]

F) See also PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

 

———————————+

 

Issue 12-22, September 8, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) 2013 MEMBERSHIP ONLINE RENEWALS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER
2) CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY (IRTF)
3) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
4) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
2013 MEMBERSHIP ONLINE RENEWALS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

The 2013 renewal period has began. Moreover, although you are getting this e-mail you may not have re-activated your registration to the DPS membership list and not have paid your 2012 dues…
Pay your membership dues online at https://members.aas.org/ through 31 December 2012. Renew today by logging in to your membership record, and consider making a donation to the DPS Grants. These programs support our discipline as well as recognize the research of your fellow astronomers. By renewing online and not receiving a paper renewal, you will help your Society save enormous costs.
Also, please take a moment to update your personal DPS member file.

More than fifty percent of the membership renewed online during the 2012 renewal period. We considered 2012 a success and look forward to having more than 80 percent renew online for 2013. Renewing early saves the AAS substantial cost and increases the funding available for our programs.

Thank you for your support.
Send general replies to [email protected].

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE NASA INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY (IRTF)

DEADLINE: 1 October 2012

Proposals for observing time on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility for the February 1 through July 31, 2013 semester are due Monday, October 1, 2012, 5:00 P.M. Hawaii Standard Time.
See our Web site for our ONLINE submission form at http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.php. Please note that we allow only one page each for the Scientific Justification and the Technical Justification. You may include one additional page for figures and tables. Submit these as a pdf attachment via the online form.

Observers should read the information on the current IRTF instrument complement and also on the visitor instruments that are available on a collaborative basis at http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/Facility/.
Facility instruments include: SpeX (0.8-5.4 micron spectrograph), NSFCAM2 (1-5 micron camera) and CSHELL (1-5 micron high-resolution spectrograph). Visitor instruments (available on a collaborative basis with the instrument team) include: TEXES (5-20 micron high-resolution spectrograph; contact Matt Richter at [email protected] for more information), BASS (3-14 micron spectrometer; contact David Lynch at [email protected]), CELESTE (5-25 micron echelle spectrometer; contact Don Jennings at [email protected]), and HIPWAC (9-12 micron heterodyne spectrometer; contact Ted Kostiuk at [email protected]).
Remote observing is available with SpeX, NSFCAM2, and CSHELL from any site that is convenient for the observer.
NSFCAM2 is being upgraded with a new array and array controller this fall. See our website for details.

IMPORTANT:

1. Please note that SpeX will not be available on semester 2013B, which starts in August 2013.
2. Please review our publication list and send to William Walters ([email protected]) any missing references or corrections:

http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/research/biblio/Refereed.html
http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/research/biblio/Non_Refereed.html

This is critical for our efforts to continue funding for the IRTF.

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) DIRECTOR, FLORIDA SPACE INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

The Florida Space Institute (FSI) of the University of Central
Florida (UCF) seeks applications and nominations for its Director.
FSI’s charter is to support space research, development, and education
activities within UCF and the broader State of Florida, and secondarily
to support the development of Florida’s space economy — civil,
defense, and commercial.

Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent experience, demonstrated
leadership and management ability, effective interpersonal skills,
national and international recognition, a record of winning
competitively funded space funding, an entrepreneurial mindset for
building organizations, and past experience in academic programs.
More information about FSI can be found at: http://fsi.ucf.edu.
Review of applications will begin 01 October 2012 and will continue
until the position is filled. Applicants should apply on line at
www.jobswithucf.com before 01 October 2012; refer to position number
37346. Please direct any questions to the current FSI Director, Dr.
S Alan Stern, at [email protected].

Forwarded by :
Dr. Yan Fernandez, Associate Professor
Department of Physics, University of Central Florida
[email protected], http://www.physics.ucf.edu/~yfernandez

B) POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN EXOPLANETS ATMOSPHERES AT LPL

The Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of
the University of Arizona has an opening for a Post Doctoral Research
Associate in the fields of exoplanet atmospheres. The successful
applicant will work with the exoplanet group at LPL in the development
of models for the thermal structure of exoplanet atmospheres and in
the comparison of models with available observations. Applicants
should have a PhD or equivalent in Planetary Science, Astrophysics, or
Physics and extensive experience with numerical computation using the
Fortran programming language. Applicants should also be familiar with
radiative transfer calculations. The appointment is for two years,
dependent upon the availability of funding. A curriculum vitae and
the names of 3 references should be sent to Dr. Roger Yelle.

Roger Yelle <[email protected]>

C) NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers scientists and engineers
unique opportunities to conduct research at NASA Centers. Each NPP
fellowship opportunity is designed to advance NASA research in a
specific project related to space science, earth science, aeronautics,
exploration systems, lunar science, astrobiology, or astrophysics.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before
beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree
requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign
nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply.

Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high
cost-of-living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial
assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and
$8,000 per year is provided for professional travel.

Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and
November 1.

For further information and to apply, visit:

http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm

Questions may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected]

D) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

The Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University has a need for
a post-doctoral researcher. The successful candidate will work with
Prof. Timothy Glotch and will use laboratory spectroscopic and modeling
techniques to determine the optical constants of low symmetry minerals.
The successful candidate will also use the Multiple Sphere T-Matrix
(MSTM) and other models to investigate light scattering within
planetary regoliths. The successful applicant will have the opportunity
to pursue projects of their own design and submit grant proposals.

The successful candidate must possess a Ph.D. in Geology, Physics, or
Planetary Science and have experience working with infrared data from
Mars, the Moon, or Earth. Ideally, the successful candidate will be
highly experienced in the use of Fortran, Matlab, and/or other computer
programming languages. Experience with laboratory spectroscopic
instruments is also a plus.

The appointment will be for 1-year with the possibility of renewal for
up to 3 years. Those interested in this position can apply online by
visiting:

http://www.stonybrook.edu/jobs

and clicking on “Category K.” Applications may also be mailed to:

Roberto Martinez, Recruiting Specialist
Human Resource Services
390 Administration Building
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-0751

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
UPCOMING MEETINGS

See PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS

Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html

A) DPS IN RENO RELATED MEETINGS

The program for the 44th DPS 2012 Meeting in Reno is now available at:

http://www.psi.edu/dps12/sciprog.shtml

– Please note that NASA’S EXOPLANET EXPLORATION PROGRAM ANALYSIS GROUP (ExoPAG) will hold its sixth meeting on Saturday-Sunday, 13-14 October, 2012, just prior to the 44th AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Reno, NV.
ExoPAG meetings are open to the entire scientific community, and offer an opportunity to participate in discussions of scientific and technical issues in exoplanet exploration, and to provide input into NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP). All interested members of the astronomical and planetary science communities are invited to attend and participate.

Contacts are: Prof. Scott Gaudi, ExoPAG Chair
([email protected]), and/or Dr. Douglas Hudgins, ExoPAG
Executive Secretary ([email protected]).

ExoPAG web site at http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exopag

– and that we invite all participants to attend the DPS MEMBERS MEETING
on Tuesday, October 16, 10:30 AM- 12:00 PM in the Tahoe Room.

B) 2012 CANADIAN SPACE SUMMIT – SEPTEMBER 14 ABSTRACT DEADLINE

The deadline is approaching for abstracts and workshop proposals for the Canadian Space Summit! This Space Summit will be hosted at Western University, London, Ontario, home of the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX), from Nov. 14-16, 2012. The theme of the 2012 Canadian Space Summit is Bridging Communities: Unifying the Canadian Space Sector. The goal of this conference is to provide a venue for interdisciplinary networking and promote further connections between the various communities within the Canadian space sector. Please visit the conference website for more information on abstract submission, registration, accommodations, and more: css2012.uwo.ca

 

Issue 12-21, September 6, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————————————–+
1) CALL FOR ACTION
+——————————————————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
CALL FOR ACTION
This has been a pretty good summer for Planetary Science. NASA has delivered the goods in the form of the spectacular success of the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover landing, and the continued achievements of Cassini, DAWN, Kepler, and MESSENGER to name a few. The DPS membership was very effective in getting the attention of Congress to restore the NASA planetary exploration budget. In April the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees added significant funding to the President’s budget request. Bipartisan support for planetary science was strongly in evidence in all our interactions with Congress. But we are a long way from being out of the woods. This will be a complicated legislative year (it is a presidential election year after all) and we will need more e-mails and letters to Congress before the budget is finalized.

Right now the problem is the Administration in the form of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science Technology Policy (OSTP). These organizations give NASA direction for future planning and that direction is currently requiring major budget cuts over the next five years. Planetary exploration requires multi-year planning and commitments. While Congress can give planetary exploration extra money on a year-by-year basis, the OMB five-year planning budget can hamstring NASA’s execution of any Congressionally-enhanced planetary program. We need to engage OMB and OSTP and push for the inclusion of five-year budget planning levels up to or above the FY12 level of $1.5B. This level is required to achieve the goals within the range of Decadal Survey priorities.

We are coordinating this effort with calls from the Planetary Society and Planetary AGU to send a consistent message to the Administration to do what the President promised to the Curiosity team, that is to provide the resources necessary to continue exploring the solar system. Attached to this call are contact details for the key OMB and OSTP executives that need to hear our message, a suggested letter, and a set of talking points. All of this information will also be posted on the DPS federal relations subcommittee website.

What to do: Send physical letters to the directors of OMB and OSTP with copies to their subordinates that handle NASA budget planning. The time to do this is now. OMB and OSTP are currently assembling their recommendations for the FY14 budget and the planning levels for the next five years. At the very minimum we can all afford 20 minutes to generate the e-mails necessary to contact these officials. If the DPS as a group does that, we will have a powerful impact on the budget process. As I said before about Congressional letters, if we do not act, we will be ignored. Without our advocacy these draconian budget cuts will stand and this golden age of planetary exploration will end. Let’s get busy!

Example OMB/OSTP Letter:
Jeffery Zients: Acting Director, OMB address letters to him and cc the others
Sally Ericsson
Dr. Paul Shawcross
Joydip Kundu

The Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503

OSTP:

Dr. John Holdren: Director, OSTP address letters to him and cc the others
John Olson
Dr. Tamara Dickinson

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

725 17th Street, Room 5228

Washington, DC 20502

Dear ___________________
President Obama called NASA’s Curiosity rover team shortly after their successful landing on Mars and congratulated them:
“We’re fortunate to be part of a society that can reach beyond our planet and explore frontiers that were only imagined by our ancestors… I’m going to give you guys my personal commitment to protect the investments that have been made in science and technology.”
America is the world’s universally acknowledged leader in the exploration of our solar system, as the unique accomplishments of Curiosity demonstrate. No other nation on Earth can realistically attempt a mission of exploration as technically complex and as awe-inspiring as Curiosity. The whole world watched in admiration as America landed a large, long-duration roving laboratory on the inhospitable surface of Mars, as they continue admire the achievements of NASA and our international partners in the continuing exploration of Mercury and the Saturnian system with the MESSENGER and Cassini spacecraft, and look forward to discoveries at Pluto, Jupiter, Ceres, and throughout the solar system in the near future.
Yet this renown is challenged by the Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 and beyond, which would eliminate funding for any new flagship-class planetary science missions and dramatically reduce the cadence of focused Discovery and New Frontiers missions.
Under such a budget, America’s leadership in planetary exploration will be threatened. America’s youth will be deprived of a powerful source of inspiration to seek careers in science and engineering. America’s industrial base will be deprived of a stimulus to advance its technological capabilities to unprecedented heights. These two consequences will be detrimental to the future prosperity and security of the United States.
The Administration’s proposed budget fails to implement the plans set out in the recent US National Research Council (NRC) Planetary Decadal Survey. Moreover, it fails to live up to the President’s heartfelt commitment to the Curiosity team to continue exploring the endless frontier and to support investments in science and technology. I respectfully urge you to restore the modest investment that is required for NASA to continue to lead the way in solar system exploration.

Sincerely,
[Your Name and Address]

Talking Points:
• Planetary science activities provide an excellent value to the taxpayer and provide a strong return on investment
• We are in the middle of a major revolution in the understanding of the origin and evolution to the solar system and if there is life beyond Earth.
• The planetary science community came together in 2009-2010 to decide on the set of priorities for the 2013-2022 time period, identifying the most important science questions in the discipline and the most effective ways of answering those questions in a realistic way given the resources available. The Planetary Decadal Survey lays out a plan for the next decade with solid community support.
• Congress, by its House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee actions in April 2012, has shown strong support for a vigorous US planetary exploration program.
• The Administration’s 5-year planning budget for planetary exploration is strongly at variance with the program laid out in the Decadal Survey and the clear budgetary guidance given by Congress in the April 2012 actions. The 5-year planning budget does not allow Decadal Survey priorities to be implemented, prevents NASA from planning to funding levels that Congress has shown they are willing to support, and greatly delays future exploration. This planning constraint will force NASA to back away from American leadership in solar system exploration.
• Current planning by the Administration for FY13 does not contemplate a restoration of funds by Congress to the level proposed by the House ($1.4B) or a complete restoration to FY12 levels for planetary exploration ($1.5), which has been mentioned as a possibility by some members of Congress. Failure of the Administration to do plan for a positive scenario will undermine the benefit of such Congressional action.
• The Administration’s 5-year planning budget gravely damages the US Mars program. Only the US has the technical capability to land on Mars which is critical for all robotic surface explorations and for future human exploration. We must find way to regularly return to Mars with small competed missions to maintain our capabilities and build on our accomplishments.
• The major planned reduction in planetary exploration will abrogate the search for past or perhaps even current life in the solar system just at the point in human history that we have acquired to ability to search for and find it.
• The outer solar system is in grave danger of going “radio dark” in 2017, when the very successful Cassini mission ends. Outer solar system missions require many years of lead time to plan and execute, and no outer solar system missions are currently planned beyond 2017.
• Several moons of the outer solar system including Europa may have water oceans and the “ingredients” required for life. By exploring these worlds, we can address one of the most important questions in all of science: Is there life beyond Earth?
• In direct response to the planetary Decadal Survey, less expensive mission options have been defined to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa. Paradigm-changing outer solar system science can be accomplished within a cost-constrained planetary program.
• Planetary science discoveries are a major motivation for students pursuing the Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) careers that propel the U.S. forward.
• NASA has been working closely with our international partners to development joint missions that lower the overall cost to US taxpayers. Budget cuts have ended our participation in two Mars missions with ESA and seriously endanger participation in ESA’s JUICE outer solar system mission.
• Innovative technologies developed for space have broader utility and impact that benefits all of society.
The Administration’s 5-year planning budget for NASA planetary exploration should be restored to and maintained at levels consistent with the planetary Decadal Survey recommendations and NASA should be directed to:
• Increment the Research & Data Analysis program by 5% relative to FY 2011.
• Fund technology development programs at 7-9% of the Planetary Division budget.
• Continue to fully fund those missions returning high-value science data.
• Restore the “Discovery” program to a 24 month cadence and New Frontiers to a cadence of two missions per decade.
• Select one of the recommended flagship missions to Mars or the Outer Planets.

 

——————————————————————————————————————+

Issue 12-20, August 20, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) CHAIR UPDATE
2) DPS 44TH MEETING IN RENO – PROGRAMME IS ON LINE
3) DUE DATE DELAYED FOR OUTER PLANETS RESEARCH (OPR) PROGRAM
4) PROPOSALS SOLICITED FOR USE OF KECK TELESCOPES
5) MATURATION OF INSTRUMENTS FOR SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION (MATISSE) PROGRAM
6) 2013 ONLINE RENEWALS BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER
7) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
8) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
CHAIRS UPDATE

Although it is the Dog Days of Summer several notable events have enlivened August. First is the highly successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars. Any planetary exploration is fraught with risk; but the cost, technical challenges, and potential science return of the Mars Science Laboratory made this a nail-biter. And it worked great! Curiosity is returning awesome images of an alien world and the mission is off to a great start. Congratulations are due from all of us at DPS to the MSL team including the science teams, JPL, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and the NASA Headquarters Mars Program!

The other major event of August was the DPS elections.
I want to congratulate Heidi Hammel (DPS vice-chair elect), Paul Withers and Ross Beyer (DPS committee members elect). The quality and impact of DPS depends on the quality and drive of our members who donate their time organization. We are fortunate to have such outstanding people willing to devote their time to the DPS and our joint efforts to make a real difference in the course of planetary exploration. Congratulations and welcome! The DPS committee and officers names can be found at : leadership

Dan Britt,
DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
DPS 44TH MEETING IN RENO – PROGRAMME IS ON LINE
The 44th annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society will take place from Sunday October 14 to Friday October 19, 2012 in Reno, NV

See:
http://www.psi.edu/dps12/

The science program is now on line at :
http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/start.aspx?mkey={C752C15A-58ED-4FA6-9B4A-725245476867}

Among other special events, please join us for Tuesday’s special events:

– The DPS Members Meeting on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, 10:30 AM -12:00 PM in the Tahoe Room
And
– The Agency Night on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM in the Reno Ballroom

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
DUE DATE DELAYED FOR OUTER PLANETS RESEARCH (OPR) PROGRAM
ROSES

Amendment 13 delays the due date for proposals to the Outer
Planets Research Program to November 2, 2012, so as not to overlap with
the 44th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the
American Astronomical Society. Notices of intent to propose are still
requested by August 24, 2012.

This Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement NNH12ZDA001N will be
posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at:
http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
(select “Solicitations” then “Open Solicitations” then “NNH12ZDA001N”).

RSS feed at:
http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/
roses-2012

Questions concerning OPR may be addressed to:

Terry Hurford at (202) 358-0780 or
[email protected]

[From the PEN]

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
PROPOSALS SOLICITED FOR USE OF KECK TELESCOPES

NASA is soliciting proposals to use the Keck Telescopes for the 2013A
observing semester (February 2013 – July 2013).

Use of the Keck telescopes will be highly strategic in support of on-
going space missions and/or high priority, long term science goals.
NASA Keck time is open to a wide range of disciplines including
exoplanets and solar system topics, galactic, and extragalactic topics,
cosmology and high energy astrophysics.

There is limited time for observations based on public Kepler data or
data obtained through the Kepler Guest Observer programs. Proposals
are also sought in: (1) investigations in support of EXOPLANET
EXPLORATION science goals and missions; (2) investigations of our own
SOLAR SYSTEM; (3) investigations in support of COSMIC ORIGINS science
goals and missions; (4) investigations in support of PHYSICS OF THE
COSMOS science goals and missions; and (5) direct MISSION SUPPORT.

The proposal process is being handled by the NASA Exoplanet Science
Institute (NExScI) at Caltech and all proposals are due on 13
September 2012 at 4 pm PDT. For further information and proposal
submission, please see:

http://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/index.shtml

Questions not answered on the web pages can be directed to
[email protected]

[Edited for length]

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
MATURATION OF INSTRUMENTS FOR SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION (MATISSE) PROGRAM

The MatISSE Program supports the advanced development of
spacecraft-based instruments that show promise for use in future
planetary missions. The goal of the program is to develop and
demonstrate planetary and astrobiology science instruments to the point
where they may be proposed in response to future announcements of
flight opportunity without additional extensive technology development
(approximately TRL 6). The proposed instrument must address specific
scientific objectives of likely future planetary science missions.

The name of this program was formerly Astrobiology Science and
Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID).

Notices of intent are requested by August 31, 2012, and proposals are
due by October 31, 2012.

Go to:
http://nspires.nasaprs.com/

On a related note, we regret to inform potential proposers that
Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System
Observations (PICASSO) and Astrobiology Science and Technology for
Exploring Planets (ASTEP) will not be solicited this year. However, we
anticipate that they will be solicited in ROSES 2013 and draft text
for PICASSO is presented in ROSES 2012.

Questions concerning either PICASSO or MatISSE, may be addressed to:
Janice L. Buckner
202-358-0183
[email protected]

[From the PEN]

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6
2013 ONLINE RENEWALS BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER

You can renew your membership and pay your 2013 DPS dues online beginning
the first week of September, 2012. Please help the AAS save
substantial costs by renewing online at aas.org.

Paper renewals will be mailed in late October so please take a moment
and log in to your member record and opt out of receiving your renewal
notice by US mail. You will need your member login ID and password. If
you have not used this before, give the membership department a call
and they will provide you with that information or, you can reset your
password online. Any address changes can be made directly on that
page. If you need assistance, please contact membership at aas.org, or
call 202-328-2010 x101.

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) PERMANENT FACULTY POSITION IN ASTRONOMY/ASTROPHYSICS
The Department of Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology invites applications for a permanent faculty position that will begin in January 2013 (preferred) or August 2013. This position may be at any rank, assistant through full professor. Preference will be given to candidates with observational or theoretical expertise in stellar, exoplanet and/or planetary astronomy/astrophysics. The successful candidate will have guaranteed access to the Ortega telescope in Florida and the SARA facilities at Kitt Peak in Arizona and Cerro Tololo in Chile. Candidates with experience in astronomical instrumentation are particularly encouraged. Florida Tech is located on the eastern coast of central Florida, just south of the Kennedy Space Center. Information about the Department and current research activity in astronomy/astrophysics can be found at http://cos.fit.edu/pss/ and http://astro.fit.edu, respectively. To apply, please send a cover letter, CV, statement of research and teaching experience and interests, and the names of at least three references to [email protected] or via regular mail to Faculty Search Committee, Dept. of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne FL 32901, USA. The review of applications will begin on August 1st, however applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Florida Tech is an equal opportunity employer

B) TWO POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS: The OSSOS Survey.
The Outer Solar Systems Origins Survey (OSSOS) is an approved Large Program for four years on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (see http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/en/science/LP_13_16/), to detect a large sample of outer Solar System moving objects.
Two postdoctoral fellows are sought to begin in 2013 to be involved in discovery/tracking observations, detected object exploitation, and scientific analysis/modelling of the survey’s results. Previous work in the field of outer Solar System small-body science is needed. Depending on the postdoctoral fellow’s interests and the eligibility for various funding sources, the work might be undertaken at either the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), the National Research Council of Canada (Victoria), or the Universite de Franche-Compte (Besancon, France). Enquiries should be made via email, with a statement of interests and CV enclosed, to B. Gladman
([email protected]) by September 14, 2012.

C) POST-DOC ON EXOPLANETS IN PALERMO
INAF- Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo is offering a post-doc fellowship in “Stellar Activity effects on the study of exoplanetary atmospheres”

Application details in http://www.astropa.unipa.it/indice_generale/opplavoro.html.
Deadline : 7 September 2012

Any questions can be addressed to [email protected]

D) VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR POSITION IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
A two-year visiting assistant professor position is available in the research group of planetary atmospheres in the department of physics at the University of Houston. It is expected that a successful candidate will join in the laboratory of comparative planetary atmospheres at the University of Houston. The applicant should have a Ph.D degree in planetary sciences, atmospheric sciences, or a related field. The position involves analysis of remote-sensing data sets of planetary objects in our solar system (e.g., Giant planets, Titan, Venus, Mars, and Earth). In addition, research will include the use and development of numerical models to investigate the large-scale atmospheric phenomena on different planetary objects. Applications will be considered starting on September 1, and the search will remain open until filled. Interested applicants should send a statement summarizing their research interests, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of three references to Dr. Liming Li ([email protected]). The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites applications from women and under-represented minorities.

E) NASA CONTRACTOR SEEKS SCIENTIST FOR ROSES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT/TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SDSE, the contractor to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) that
supports peer review, is seeking a (preferably PhD) Scientist to
conduct the day-to-day management of PSD ROSES programs. Subjects
include Planetary Atmospheres, Chemistry, Geology and Spectroscopy,
especially but not limited to the Saturnian System, as well as
laboratory, observational and theoretical studies of the formation of
our Solar System and other planetary systems. For more information see:
http://sj.tbe.taleo.net/SJ6/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SDSE&cws=1&r…
and
http://www.sdsellc.com/

F) UWINGU TO LAUNCH NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPACE RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS

As described recently by the AAAS, Uwingu (which means sky in Swahili) is a small start-up company consisting of astronomers, planetary scientists, former space program executives, and educators. You can learn more about Uwingu on Facebook and can follow on Twitter, or by Googling recent articles and blogs about it.

We plan to create new ways for space research and education to be funded in addition to existing sources from NASA and other government agencies is the US and abroad. Our target is to generate millions to tens of millions of dollars per year for this purpose, and to then create grants programs to disburse these funds. We are at present raising funds for our first product rollout. For more information and an opportunity to participate, go to:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/180221?c=comments&a=904032

Alan Stern, Mark Sykes, Henry Throop
Founders, Uwingu LLC

G) POST-DOCS IN ASTROBIOLOGY
There are several astrobiology postdoc funding opportunities now open, with due dates in November. See the Sagan Fellowship announcement
http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/careers/

and the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship announcement
http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/funding/

[Forwarded by Mark Allen]

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8
UPCOMING MEETINGS

a) 2nd Exobiology Workshop
November 11-14, 2013
Frejus, France
http://www.exobiologie.fr/index.php/actualites/evenements/rencontres-sfe…

b) Lessons Learned in Decadal Planning in Space Science: A Workshop
November 12-13, 2012
Irvine, CA
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/CurrentProjects/SSB_070954

c) 10th Meeting of the Venus Exploration and Analysis Group (VEXAG)
November 13-15, 2012
Washington, DC
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag

d) NASA Advisory Council Meeting
November 28-30, 2012
Huntsville, AL
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/nac/meetings/index.html

e) Magnetic Fields in the Universe IV: From Laboratory and Stars to the
Primordial Structures
February 4-8, 2013
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
http://www.nucleares.unam.mx/mfu4

f) Transformational Science with ALMA: From Dust to Rocks to Planets
Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems
April 8-12, 2013
Waikoloa, HI
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/rocks/index.html

g) International Young Astronomer School on Exploiting the Herschel and
Planck data (2013)
April 15-19, 2013
Meudon, France
http://ufe.obspm.fr/rubrique344.html

h) UK Astrobiology Conference
April 17-19, 2013
Edinburgh, Scotland
http://www.astrobiology.ac.uk/astrobiology-conference-2013

i) 2nd International Congress of Astrobiology
September 24-28, 2013
Medellin, Columbia
http://www.astrobiologia.org/2-congreso-internacional-de-astrobiologia.html

 

Issue 12-19, July 31, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) HARTMANN DPS AWARDS
2) YOUR LAST CHANCE TO VOTE AT THE 2012 DPS ELECTIONS
3) MARS CURIOSITY ROVER LANDING : MESSAGE FROM JIM GREEN
4) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
HARTMANN DPS AWARDS
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Hartmann student travel awards for the DPS 2012 Reno meeting. We acknowledge the generous sponsorship of NASA’s Lunar Science Institute that enabled us to increase the number of awards. The student winners are:

Jasmina Blecic, Univ. of Central Florida
Joshua Brakensiek, Home school
Patricio Cubillos, Univ. Central Florida
Johanna Laina Fischer, Florida Institute of Technology
Erin George, Univ. Colorado, Boulder
Gwendolyn Hicks, Univ. of Columbia (research at U of Michigan)
Erik Larson, Univ. Colorado, Boulder
Olivier Poch, LISA, Univ. Paris, France
Pryscilla Pires dos Santos, Univ. Estadual Paulista, Brazil
Anezina Solomonidou, LESIA, Paris, France and Univ. Athens, Greece

We look forward to seeing them in Reno.

Rosaly Lopes
DPS Vice-Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
YOUR LAST CHANCE TO VOTE AT THE 2012 DPS ELECTIONS

Following pleas from some of our colleagues, we have decided to extend by a week the elections deadline, which will now close on August 3d 2012, just a few days from now.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE !!!

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, please take a moment to do so now. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
– Heidi Hammel, AURA
– Jeff Moore, NASA Ames

You should vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee:
– Ross Beyer, SETI Institute
– Sebastien Charnoz, AIM, Univ. Paris Diderot, France
– Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis, Southern African Large Telescope
– Paul Withers, Boston University

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

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
MARS CURIOSITY ROVER LANDING : MESSAGE FROM JIM GREEN

[from the PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER SPECIAL EDITION
Volume 6, Number 33 (July 29, 2012)]

By : James L. Green, Director Planetary Science, NASA

One week from today, our community will be forever changed, one way or
the other, no matter what. The landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover at
Gale Crater occurs at 1:30 AM (Eastern Time) and it will be a history
event. Curiosity is our latest flagship mission and it demands all of
our attention. This feat represents the most difficult entry, descent,
and landing (what is known as EDL) of a planetary science rover ever
attempted, anywhere. As you may already know, the historical success
rate at the planet Mars is only 40%. Although our landing percentage
odds are higher (100%), successful landing with an unproven, next
generation, landing system…well, that will be a white-knuckle-
experience to say the least.

One short week away is the crescendo of the “Martian – Year of the
Solar System.” In addition to planetary’s two years of success; for
the MSL team, it’s the culmination of over 8 long years of effort.
Frankly, the future of the Mars program and perhaps planetary science
is at stake. It goes without saying that we are in trying budgetary
times.

Each one of us in the planetary science community should appreciate,
understand, and take ownership of this event. We should discuss
Curiosity’s Landing to our friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
Whether you are part of the Mars program or not, I encourage you
to become aware of what will happen in one week and talk to your own
“network” of family and friends. At the very least, watch the
“7 Minutes of Terror” video on Youtube, and hear firsthand what will
occur. Beginning tomorrow, an animation will be available showcasing
EDL on our Eyes On Solar System website:

http:/solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes

An entire “toolkit” has been created to assist you in raising
awareness and communicating all aspects of this incredible mission
and the EDL event at:

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/msl_landing.cfm

If you are hosting a landing event or are looking to participate
in an event near you, please go to www.nasa.gov/mars to find a
location before the landing. Or, during the landing, watch it, live,
online at that same site. For Curiosity and planetary science on
August 6th, one way or another, our world will not be the same.

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) FACULTY OPENING – PHYSICS DEPARTMENT OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

The Department of Physics at Washington University announces a faculty
opening in experimental physics at the level of Associate Professor
with tenure in space sciences, particularly cosmochemistry or
extraterrestrial materials. Candidates at the Assistant Professor
level who are exceptionally well qualified and who have a demonstrated
aptitude for teaching and original research will also be considered.
Duties include teaching and advising students, conducting original
research, and participating in departmental and university service.
A PhD in a relevant field is required. Demonstrated success in
obtaining research funding is highly desirable. The appointment
will begin fall 2013. Applications should consist of the following:
cover letter, current resume including publication record, statement
of research interests and plans (up to 5 pages), statement of teaching
interests and approach (up to 3 pages), and names and complete contact
information (including email addresses) of three references.
Application materials must be submitted electronically by email as
a single file in editable PDF format to:
[email protected]

For full consideration applications should be submitted on or before
November 15, 2012. Washington University is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative action institution. Women and minorities are
encouraged to apply.

B) OSIRIS-REx MISSION TEAM IMAGE PROCESSING SCIENTIST

The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is leading
the OSIRIS-REx mission to a primitive asteroid. Images from the
spacecraft’s cameras will be critical to many elements of the mission,
including optical navigation, global mapping to secure a shape model
to define a reference coordinate system, the search for valid and
viable sampling sites, monitoring of the sample acquisition process
and the search for any satellites and dust plumes around the asteroid.
We seek a full-time staff scientist who will help define and create
the image processing requirements and algorithms needed to achieve
this goal. During asteroid proximity operations, they will use their
knowledge of image processing and tools to manage routine pipeline
processing of returned images, and the creation of ad-hoc imaging
products. They will also support the creation of image data products
to support the selection of a sampling site.

We are searching for a PhD in an appropriate field with 3-4 years of
experience OR a bachelors or higher degree in an appropriate field
and 10 years of experience.

To read more about the job or to apply, visit the University of
Arizona’s Human Resources Website at:

https://www.uacareertrack.com/

and search for Job Number 50477.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
UPCOMING MEETINGS

AGU 2012 PS SESSIONS

The meeting website is:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/

The registration and housing is open since July 12, 2012. The abstract
submission website is:
http://agu-fm12.abstractcentral.com/

Abstract deadline reminder: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

More planetary-related sessions :

– AGU SESSION P021: Planetary Surfaces in Motion
With the advent of high spatial resolution and increasing temporal baselines, spacecraft observations have documented surface changes on planetary bodies at decadal, annual, and shorter timescales. These data provide fundamental insight into active surface changes, which vary in type, mode, and magnitude across the Solar System, and provide motivation for model, terrestrial analog, and laboratory studies that seek to better understand underlying physical mechanisms and relevant environment conditions. This session seeks abstracts focused on observations and modeling of surface processes, including fluvial, volcanic, mass wasting, aeolian and other agents that cause changes that can be monitored by spacecraft. Laboratory and field analog studies are also welcome.
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/session-search/single/planetary-surfaces…

– AGU SESSION SH017: Sun-Grazing Comets as Solar Probes: What Goes on Behind the Occulter Disk? (conveners Dean Pesnell, Casey Lisse, Matthew Knight)
“On Dec 16, 2011, comet C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) became instantly famous when it not only survived perihelion but had its journey around Sun chronicled by a dizzying array of solar and astrophysical missions. We have now seen two comets outgassing near the surface of the Sun. However, much remains to be learned about comets and the Sun from observing the Kreutz sun-grazing family. This session solicits papers on the properties of sun-grazing comets and what their perihelion passage reveals about the Sun. Topics include the observations of sun-grazing comets, the determination of their orbital elements, models of the comet as it passes perihelion, the fate of the material in the solar corona, and the response of the corona.”

– AGU SESSION DI008: Necessary Ingredients for Next-Generation Dynamo Models”
“Self-consistent dynamo models have existed for almost twenty years. However, the models are limited by computational constraints to adopt material properties, fluid forcings, and rotation rates that are far from geophysical reality. This mismatch between models and reality raises important questions. What aspects of core physics are captured by present-day models and how can shortcomings be identified? Next-generation models will refine key model components to better reflect the state of the core. This session invites contributions that discuss our present understanding of dynamo systems and that shed light on how best to construct next-generation, massively-parallelized models.”

The invited speakers are:
Nick Featherstone (HAO),
Eric King (Berkeley),
and Peter Olson (JHU).

Please forward this advertisement to your colleagues. We are looking forward to a broad and lively discussion on next-generation dynamos.

Conveners : Jon Aurnou & Bruce Buffett

-AGU SESSION on jets and zonal flows in planetary and astrophysical settings.
“The large-scale circulations observed on planets, exoplanets and stars are often dominated by zonal flows, which tend to become organized into systems of jets. Recent research has shown that such flows may be generated by a rich array of hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic processes. In this session we seek contributions from theorists and observationalists that foster a broad, open-minded, interdisciplinary discussion on zonal-flow and jet formation processes, and on the ways in which such processes may be detected and disambiguated with observations.”

Invited speakers are:
Thomas Gastine (MPI)
Junjun Liu (Caltech)
Jonathan Mitchell (UCLA)
Adam Showman (LPL)

Conveners : Jon Aurnou and Lorenzo Polvani

———————————+

 

Issue 12-18, July 26, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) LAST CHANCE TO VOTE AT THE 2012 DPS ELECTIONS
2) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
3) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE AT THE 2012 DPS ELECTIONS

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE !!!
We would like to remind you that the 2012 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 30th 2012, just a few days from now.

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, please take a moment to do so now. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
– Heidi Hammel, AURA
– Jeff Moore, NASA Ames

You should vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee:
– Ross Beyer, SETI Institute
– Sebastien Charnoz, AIM, Univ. Paris Diderot, France
– Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis, Southern African Large Telescope
– Paul Withers, Boston University

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

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

A) PERMANENT FACULTY POSITION IN ASTRONOMY/ASTROPHYSICS

The Department of Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology invites applications for a permanent faculty position that preferably will begin in January 2013. This position may be at any rank, assistant through full professor. Preference will be given to candidates with observational or theoretical expertise in stellar, exoplanet and/or planetary astronomy/astrophysics. The successful candidate will have guaranteed access to the Ortega telescope in Florida and the SARA facilities at Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo. Candidates with experience in astronomical instrumentation are particularly encouraged. Florida Tech is located on the eastern coast of central Florida, just south of the Kennedy Space Center. Information about the Department and current research activity in astronomy/astrophysics can be found at http://cos.fit.edu/pss/ and http://astro.fit.edu, respectively. To apply, please send a cover letter, CV, statement of research and teaching experience and interests, and the names of at least three references to [email protected] or via regular mail to Faculty Search Committee, Dept. of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne FL 32901, USA. The review of applications will begin on August 1st, however applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Florida Tech is an equal opportunity employer.

B) POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP: ASTEROID SCIENCE WITH OSIRIS-REx

Ithaca College invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in the area of asteroid research related to the OSIRIS-REx mission, part of the NASA New Frontiers exploration program.

The successful candidate will assist with all aspects of asteroid astronomy research in support of the OSIRIS-REx mission including project management, reporting, analysis of data, integration of data sets, presentation of results, travel to conferences, close editing of scientific manuscripts, etc. Candidate must have a Ph.D. in physics, astronomy, or a related field. A strong background in the physics of measurements at different wavelength regions is essential. Experience with computer programming required, preferably with IDL. Of particular interest are applicants with expertise in planetary imaging technologies.

Position is for one year, with possible extension to multiple years. Applicants must complete an on-line application at www.icjobs.org and submit a letter of application, a curriculum vita, a brief summary of research experience, and a scanned copy of your transcript (highest degree). In addition, two letters of recommendation should be sent to: [email protected]. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Target start date is October, 2012.

Ithaca College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

C) TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION IN ASTROBIOLOGY NEW YORK CENTER FOR ASTROBIOLOGY RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeks to hire a tenure-track faculty member in Astrobiology. An appointment at the Assistant Professor level is anticipated. The appointee will be based in the School of Science at Rensselaer (http://science.rpi.edu/), and affiliated with the New York Center for Astrobiology (NYCA, http://www.origins.rpi.edu/), a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The home department of the appointee within the School of Science will be determined at the time of appointment, based on prior experience. Applicants should have research interests and expertise that complement and synergize with current interdisciplinary research in the NYCA, which includes astrophysical studies of organic molecules in the interstellar medium, star formation and the chemical evolution of protostellar envelopes and protoplanetary disks, the impact history of the early solar system, conditions on the early Earth and Mars, the origin and early evolution of the first biomolecules on these planets, the emergence of life on Earth, and the search for biosignatures in our solar system and beyond.
The appointee will join an established team that values the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations. The NYCA also emphasizes education and training at all levels: current programs include an Astrobiology Summer Science Camp for middle-school students, an Astrobiology Teachers Academy for high-school science teachers, college-level courses and a minor degree in Astrobiology, and training of the next generation of researchers at graduate and postdoctoral levels. The appointee would be expected to contribute to these activities. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a statement of research and teaching interests, a list of publications, and the names and contact information of three references to: Professor Douglas Whittet, Chair, Astrobiology Search Committee, Department of Physics, Applied Physics & Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Steet, Troy, NY 12180. Applications may be submitted electronically to [email protected].

Review of applications is ongoing and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applications received by October 31, 2012 are assured fullest consideration.

We welcome applications from candidates who will bring diverse cultural, ethnic, and national and international perspectives to Rensselaer’s work and campus communities. Rensselaer is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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

AGU 2012 PS SESSIONS

The meeting website is:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/

The registration and housing is open since July 12, 2012. The abstract
submission website is:
http://agu-fm12.abstractcentral.com/

Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

Please note and consider submitting abstracts to some of the following sessions and consult the web site for more sessions (from a list compiled by A. Hendrix).

– P015: Origins, evolutions and processes of the outer planet satellites (conveners Krishan Khurana and Amanda Hendrix)

– SM015: Periodicities in the Saturn System: Observations and Explanations (conveners George Hospodarsky, Chris Paranicas, Jared Leisner)

– P030: Titan – A Dynamic World (conveners Bob Nelson, Rosaly Lopes)

– P007: Eyes on Enceladus (conveners Chris McKay, Carolyn Porco)

– SM013: Moon-magnetosphere interactions throughout the solar system (conveners Sven Simon, Joe Westlake and Joachim Saur)

– P029: Solar System Dusty Plasma (conveners Sean Hsu, Xu Wang, Michiko Morooka, Tamas Gombosi)

– P031: Titan’s Enigmatic Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere (conveners Joe Westlake, O.J. Tucker, Tom Cravens)

– P008: Geophysics of Satellites and Small Bodies (conveners Dennis Matson, Tilman Spohn, Bruce Bills, Ashley Davies)

– P020: Planetary Rings: Theory and Observation (conveners Juergen Schmidt, Larry Esposito, Linda Spilker)

– SM012: Magnetospheric Processes and Dynamics at the Giant Planets (conveners Licia Ray, Adam Masters, Jared Leisner)

– SM004 Dawn-Dusk Asymmetries in Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Systems (conveners Stein Haaland, Andrei Runov, Colin Forsyth)

– SM007 Foreshock Phenomena Throughout the Heliosphere (conveners David Gary Sibeck, Glyn A Collinson, Adam Masters)

– SM013 Moon-Magnetosphere Interactions Throughout the Solar System (conveners Joseph Westlake, Sven Simon, Joachim Saur)

– SM015 Periodicities in the Saturn System: Observations and Explanations (Chris Paranics, Jared S Leisner, George B Hospodarsky)

– SM016 Planetary Ion Sources and Magnetospheric Impacts (Michael W Liemohn, Elena Kronberg, Elena E Grigorenko, Andrew W Yau)

– SM018 Seasonal Variability in Saturn’s Magnetosphere (conveners Meredith K Elrod, Wei-Ling Tseng, Roberto Livi)

———————————+ 

Issue 12-17, July 20, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) DPS ABSTRACTS DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TODAY !
2) REMINDER: DEADLINE TO VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS FAST APPROACHING
3) UPDATES ON THE NASA AO FOR ESA JUICE MISSION
4) JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
DPS ABSTRACTS DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TODAY !
The power to the AAS HQ office, and its entire building, has been out for several hours on Wednesday evening. If you tried to submit a DPS abstract or register for the meeting during that time period and were unsuccessful, it is because of the power outage. As a consequence, the deadline to submit abstracts has been extended to today : Friday, 20 July 2012, 9:00 PM ET.

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
REMINDER: DEADLINE TO VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS FAST APPROACHING

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE !!!
We would like to remind you that the 2012 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 30th 2012.

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 to or renewed your DPS membership recently, please take a moment to do so now. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
Heidi Hammel, AURA
Jeff Moore, NASA Ames

You should vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee:
Ross Beyer, SETI Institute
Sebastien Charnoz, AIM, Univ. Paris Diderot, France
Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis, Southern African Large Telescope
Paul Withers, Boston University

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

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
UPDATES ON THE NASA AO FOR ESA JUICE MISSION

An amendment to the NASA AO for the ESA JUICE mission makes two changes
to the AO: 1) it requires submission of Notices of Intent (NOIs) by
July 27, 2012, and 2) it clarifies the process for NASA review of
proposals submitted to ESA. Changes are indicated in bold type in the
updated AO. NASA is requiring NOIs from U.S.-led proposal teams
planning to submit proposals to the NASA AO in order to allow NASA and
ESA sufficient time to properly organize the technical and scientific
review of all proposals. Proposals will not be accepted unless an NOI
is submitted by the July 27 deadline.

The Pre-Proposal Conference for the NASA AO is being scheduled. The
date, time, and agenda will be posted on the JUICE NASA Acquisition
website:
http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/juice/

in the near future. The conference will be virtual and participation
will be provided via Webex; travel to attend the conference in person
is not necessary.

Questions may be submitted to Dr. Curt Niebur, [email protected],
the NASA Program Scientist for the ESA JUICE mission. Questions and
answers will be regularly posted to the JUICE NASA Acquisition website
starting this week.

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
JOB/POSITION OPPORTUNITIES

PLANETARY GEOPHYSICS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

The Universities Space Research Association’s Lunar and Planetary
Institute (LPI), in Houston Texas, invites applications for a
postdoctoral fellowship in planetary geophysics.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Walter Kiefer on a
NASA-funded project studying the nature of mantle convection on Mars
and its effects on the thermal evolution and volcanic history of the
planet. The candidate will also have the opportunity to conduct
research in planetary geophysics of his or her own choosing.

The position requires a Ph.D. in Planetary Science or Geophysics with
experience in computer programming and numerical modeling methods,
particularly finite elements. Experience with parallel computing in a
Linux environment will be an asset. The position will be offered for
an initial period of two years with a possible extension to a maximum
of three years.

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vita listing
relevant publications, a brief (maximum three pages) statement of
research interests, and a list of three references to
[email protected]. Further information about LPI can be found at:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu

USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
UPCOMING MEETINGS

A planetary meeting calendar is posted at
http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.

You may also want to consult the Planetary meetings and Conferences Calendar at:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/

A) AGU 2012 PS SESSIONS

The meeting website is:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/

The registration and housing is open on July 12, 2012. The abstract
submission website is:
http://agu-fm12.abstractcentral.com/

Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

Please note and consider submitting abstracts to the following sessions :

P015: Origins, evolutions and processes of the outer planet satellites
This session will consist of invited and contributed presentations dealing with the explorations of the outer planet satellites. New observations and geophysical modeling of data that shed light on the origins of the satellites and their interactions with magnetospheres and rings are very appropriate for this session. Contributions that investigate the origins and evolutions of the interiors, surfaces and atmospheres of multiple moons to uncover underlying trends are especially welcome.

SM015: Periodicities in the Saturn System: Observations and Explanations
Since 2004, the Cassini spacecraft’s fields-and-particles instruments have reported the presence of periodic variations close to the nominal rotation rate of the planet in many of the physical quantities detected or inferred. But extensive work on the Saturn kilometric radiation data have revealed that the north and south hemispheres of the system do not have identical periodic rates. These hemispheric periodicities each order phenomena throughout the magnetosphere, from the magnetopause down into the magnetotail. This session invites observational studies, simulations, and theory examining these periodicities, their origin, and their effects on magnetospheric processes.

P030: Titan – A Dynamic World
Eight years of observations by the Cassini Saturn Orbiter, combined with augmented ground-based observation campaigns, have documented significant changes in the surface, atmosphere, and ionosphere of Saturn’s Titan. As the temporal and spatial resolution both have increased, seasonal changes have been observed including shifts in weather patterns. Observed surface changes are possibly due to evaporation, rainfall and/or infiltration, fluvial activity or, intriguingly, dynamic processes that are presently extant in Titan’s interior. This session will present the most recent spacecraft and ground-based results and test the veracity of the current modeling developments.

P007 Eyes on Enceladus
Enceladus appears to have all the requirements for life: energy, liquid water, organic material, nitrogen and other essential elements, making investigation of this body especially promising and urgent. In this session, we will focus on the most recent observational, theoretical and modeling results on the chemistry, state and dynamics of Enceladus’ jets and plumes, the moon’s thermal and interior state, geologic activity, as well as its astrobiological potential. New results from the recent Cassini flybys of Enceladus should be submitted to this session.

SM013: Moon-magnetosphere interactions throughout the solar system
This session will focus on new observational and theoretical studies of the interaction between the moons of our solar system and the magnetospheres of their parent planets. Of special interest are results related to plasma and magnetic field observations from Cassini’s latest 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 proposed JUICE Mission.

P029: Solar System Dusty Plasma
Dust has been identified as an important component in space plasma environments in the Solar System. For example, the presence of macroscopic charge carriers (dust) has been recognized to be capable to offset the traditional plasma charge balance. This session will 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 studies 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.

P031: Titan’s Enigmatic Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere
The processes that control Titan’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere remain enigmatic after eight years of observations from the Cassini mission. Instruments onboard the Cassini Orbiter have studied many aspects of Titan’s atmosphere and coupled ionosphere both via in-situ measurements and remote observations. Recent studies of atmospheric composition and structure of Titan have produced substantial breakthroughs in our understanding of this complex chemical and dynamical system including results on the ionospheric outflow, ion composition and structure, and thermospheric and exospheric variability. In this session, we focus on recent and ongoing observations, modeling, and laboratory experimentation of Titan’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere.

P008: Geophysics of Satellites and Small Bodies
This is a session of contributed and invited papers on the geophysics of satellites and small bodies. Research is progressing rapidly due to the stream of new spacecraft data. Welcome are papers on processes that affect the interiors of individual bodies as well as the surface expressions they produce (e.g., eruptions). Included are the effects and chronology of internal heating (e.g., radioactivity, tidal dissipation, etc.), structural evolution (e.g., differentiation), tides, etc. These geophysical processes themselves are universal in their application and transcend the compartmentalization suggested by nomenclature such as “satellite,” “dwarf planet,” “asteroid,” “comet,” “KBO,” “TNO,” “parent body,” and “planetesimal.”

P020: Planetary Rings: Theory and Observation
This session will focus on new 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. Recent Cassini observations will be highlighted, along with Earth and HST observations, theoretical models and laboratory results.

SM012: Magnetospheric Processes and Dynamics at the Giant Planets
The giant planets have been studied with the Voyager, Pioneer, Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons missions, as well as with Earth-based observations. This session focuses upon these magnetospheres and the full range of processes active within them. In this session, we invite submissions covering the range of dynamics that are present in the magnetosphere, including, but not limited to, plasma-neutral interactions, wave-particle interactions, the magnetic configuration, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, and auroral dynamics. The session will be an ideal forum for the discussion of recent advances in our understanding of these magnetospheres, and we encourage the submission of abstracts that compare the giant planets to one another.

B) DPS WORKSHOP FOR PLANNING YOUR SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS WITH JWST

The Science Working Group of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has
a dedicated effort to establish the full capabilities of this facility
for Solar System Science. JWST is an infrared-optimized telescope to
be placed at the Earth-Sun Lagrange 2 point. It is scheduled for launch
in 2018, and will have a robust suite of astronomical instrumentation
available for General Observer proposals.

In order to fully realize the maximum potential of JWST for Solar
System observations, we are seeking experienced observers of solar
system targets to participate and provide input in an upcoming
workshop held at the DPS meeting in Reno, Nevada on Sunday October 14,
2012 (9am-noon). This workshop will provide you an opportunity to learn
about the current instrument specifications and observing modes, as
well as the observatory capabilities (brightness limits, moving target
tracking, and others). Our goal is to fully engage the Solar System
community to provide the tools needed to plan observations with JWST.
A key output of the workshop will be capability objectives for the JWST
team to consider for further pre-launch studies. More information can
be found at:

http://www.psi.edu/dps12/

C) GOLDSCHMIDT 2013
will be held in the magnificent Firenze Fiera Congress Center in Florence, on August 25-30, 2013. The organizing committee has identified 24 theme areas, and a range of sessions have been proposed for each theme. Please take a look at the list of themes and sessions and discuss with your colleagues whether there are any obvious gaps in the program. If so please suggest sessions that you think would help make the program more comprehensive. In particular we welcome submissions to the new ‘Union’ theme (theme 01) which is designed to provide a home for exciting geochemistry that is both high profile and cuts across established themes. The additional sessions submitted will be reviewed by the science committee, and included in the list of sessions where appropriate.
The current list of themes and sessions can be viewed at the meeting’s website: http://goldschmidt.info/2013/program/programViewThemes
If you would like to propose an additional session at the Florence Goldschmidt in 2013 please submit your suggestion through the web site: http://goldschmidt.info/2013/sessionSuggestion
 

Issue 12-16, July 13, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR: WELCOME TO RENO !
2) DEADLINE FOR THE 44TH DPS ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACTS COMING UP
3) REMINDER: DEADLINE TO VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS APPROACHING
4) 2013 MEMBERSHIP ONLINE RENEWALS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR : WELCOME TO RENO !
I have good news and bad news about the DPS Annual Meeting in Reno NV (October 14-19). First the bad news. In the past DPS has enjoyed the financial support of NASA Headquarters for portions of the meeting costs. Traditionally the Headquarters grant has covered the costs of publishing the meeting abstracts in the BAAS, but in recent years (the Fajardo and Pasadena meetings) the grant paid for some of the major costs of meeting organization, meeting planning, and registration processing. But the NASA Headquarters grant, in its past form, exists no longer. The scandal that broke over the General Services Administration Western regional meeting in Las Vegas has caused all federal agencies to tighten their meeting support policies. The effect on DPS is to call into question any NASA headquarters support for our meeting and to decrease our revenue as much as $130 per person. There is the possibility of some limited Headquarters support for the BAAS abstract publication, but nothing is certain at this stage.

What is certain is that we need to cut meeting spending. Another factor is the continuing scrutiny of meetings that are largely supported by public money. Most of us go to DPS meetings on NASA grant money, and it should be no surprise to anyone that this is election-year and the knives are out for anything that has the slightest trace of waste or abuse. To save money and to avoid any appearance of abuse, the meeting registration will not be supporting a number of things that were done in the past such as free drinks at the reception and poster sessions (there will be drinks available for purchase), the women in astronomy lunch (there are abundant and inexpensive meal services at the hotel), and entertainment during the reception. What will be supported are the core functions of the meeting: talks, posters, press conferences, and the chance to mingle and talk science in a collegial atmosphere. The bottom line is that the registration is going to be more expensive: Earlybird registration for a regular DPS number will cost $490 and standard registration will be $550. This is in the same range as the dollar cost for the joint DPS-EPSC 2011 meeting in Nantes and in many other science meetings, but certainly higher than past DPS meetings.

The good news is that Reno, for all expenses other than registration, is a cheap place to hold a major meeting. This is why we chose Reno and these travel, room, and food costs continue to be a very attractive aspect of this meeting.
• Airfares to Reno are inexpensive compared to most other destinations.
• Room rates are $94 and $120 per room night, a significant savings from recent meetings (and a direct result of negotiation and meeting location).
• Food options at the venue offer attractive price-point meals from the $5 range to high end steakhouses and everything in between. Attendees can budget their food expenses without having to leave the venue.
• Ground transportation to and from the airport to the hotel is complementary.
• Wireless internet access is provided in all attendee lodging rooms free of charge.
• Complimentary bottled water each day in lodging rooms is provided.

I deeply regret the high registration fee, but this cost should be more than offset by the relatively low airfare, room rate, and food costs of this venue. The bottom line is we going to Reno to talk about our science and the LOC/SOC have done a great job in providing a congenial and comfortable setting for our discussions. See you in Reno!

Dan Britt,
DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
DEADLINE FOR THE 44TH DPS ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACTS COMING UP
14-19 October 2012
Reno, Nevada
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino

http://www.psi.edu/dps12/

Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 9:00 pm ET, Thursday, 19 July 2012
Regular Registration: 24 July – 3 September 2012
Late Abstract Submission Deadline: 12:00noon ET, Monday, 3 September 2012
Public Workshop Meeting Request Deadline: 3 September 2012
Late Registration: 4 – 26 September 2012
Hotel Reservations Deadline: 20 September 2012
Onsite Registration: 14 – 19 October 2012

Abstracts:
Please note that the deadline for abstract submission is Thursday, 19 July 2012, 9:00pm ET. We have an exciting Scientific Program planned, with talks and posters on topics ranging from Mercury to Exoplanets! Don’t delay, get your abstract in today! Also, the early registration deadline is 27 July, so be sure to register soon to get the reduced meeting rate.

The 44th Meeting of the DPS in Reno, NV has a great line up of Invited
talks, Workshops, and Events, and now is your chance to be a part of
it!
Full abstract instructions and submission form is available at
http://www.psi.edu/dps12/abs.shtml

Abstract correspondence originates from abstractsonline.com. Please set your spam filters to allow email from abstractsonline.com.

300-word abstracts may be submitted by uploading word processing files, cutting and pasting or typing directly into the abstract form.

Active in Education & Outreach? Submit an Abstract!

Many DPS members make valuable contributions in Education & Public Outreach in addition to research, and our annual meeting is your best chance to spread word of your important work. You are strongly encouraged to submit abstracts to the Education/Outreach sessions (oral and poster). This can be in addition to your science abstract: the one-abstract-per-member rule does not apply to education/outreach sessions. Education/Outreach professionals are also strongly encouraged to submit abstracts. These sessions will be a great way to share ideas & best practices. Any questions, please contact us:

Nick Schneider, DPS E/PO Officer, [email protected]
Lou Mayo, E/PO Subcommittee & Reno Program Committee, [email protected]

Reno Hotel Information
DPS has secured fantastic hotel room rates at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino!
Your stay at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino includes complimentary transportation to/from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Booking within the DPS room block will ensure that your daily resort fee is waived.

Grand Sierra Guestrooms: Single and Double Rooms $94
Government Rate: Single and Double Rooms $94
Luxury Summit Guestrooms: Single and Double Rooms $120

To make a reservation, call 1-800-648-5080 and reference the “DPS Annual Meeting.” You may also use the custom online DPS reservation
page at https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=3192976.
Reservations made through the Grand Sierra homepage will not guarantee you the DPS Meeting rate.

The deadline to make reservations is 20 September 2012. Booking outside of our reserved block results in significant increase in meeting costs for everyone.

Calling all Volunteers!
Participate at the DPS Reno meeting as a volunteer for 16 hours, and receive complimentary registration. This is a great opportunity for undergrads, grads, postdocs, and local amateur astronomers at our meetings: to supervise sessions, help at registration, usher at events, and various other odd (but greatly appreciated) jobs. This is a great chance to meet and mingle with your peers, get up to date on the newest science, and pick up some cool freebies in the Exhibit Hall. Sign up today at http://aas.org/meetings/dps/volunteer_form

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
REMINDER: DEADLINE TO VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS APPROACHING

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE !!!
We would like to remind you that the 2012 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 30th 2012.

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 to or renewed your DPS membership recently, please take a moment to do so now. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
Heidi Hammel, AURA
Jeff Moore, NASA Ames

The Vice-Chair will become the DPS Chair in October 2012.

You should vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee:
Ross Beyer, SETI Institute
Sebastien Charnoz, AIM, Univ. Paris Diderot, France
Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis, Southern African Large Telescope
Paul Withers, Boston University

The successful candidates will serve on the committee for three years after October 2012.

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

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
2013 MEMBERSHIP ONLINE RENEWALS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

The 2013 renewal period will begin in September. More than fifty
percent of the membership renewed online during the 2012 renewal
period. We considered 2012 a success and look forward to having more
than 80 percent renew online for 2013. Renewing early saves the AAS
substantial cost and increases the funding available for our programs.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
UPCOMING MEETINGS

A planetary meeting calendar is posted at
http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.

You may also want to consult the Planetary meetings and Conferences Calendar at:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/

A) AGU 2012 PS SESSION 22: POLARIMETRY AS AN INVALUABLE TOOL TO STUDY THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND

Polarimetry is a powerful tool providing a wealth of information about astronomical objects that cannot be obtained by traditional photometric/spectroscopic observations. Recent applications include characterization of solar system objects (sun, planetary atmospheres, moon, comets, asteroids, satellites, ring systems, asteroids, dust) to the detection of exoplanets and identification of biological markers. This session is open to papers about recent spectropolarimetricobservations of solar system bodies, theoretical or experimental investigations,instrumental developments forspectropolarimeters to be included in ground-based facilities or onboard future space missions, exoplanets andcircumstellar envelopes.

Some of our speakers are: M. Mishchenko (NASA/GISS); R. West (JPL); D. Stam (SRON).

The meeting website is http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/
The registration and housing is open on July 12, 2012.
The abstract submission website is http://agu-fm12.abstractcentral.com/
Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

Conveners
Herve Lamy, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium
Padma Yanamandra-Fisher, SSI, Boulder, CO, United States
Ludmilla Kolokolova, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
Mathieu Barthelemy, IPAG, Grenoble, France.

Conact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

B) AGU FALL 2012 SPECIAL SESSION P021: PLANETARY SURFACES IN MOTION

With the advent of high spatial resolution and increasing temporal baselines, spacecraft observations have documented surface changes on planetary bodies at decadal, annual, and shorter timescales. These data provide fundamental insight into active surface changes, which vary in type, mode, and magnitude across the Solar System, and provide motivation for model, terrestrial analog, and laboratory studies that seek to better understand underlying physical mechanisms and relevant environment conditions. This session seeks abstracts focused on observations and modeling of surface processes, including fluvial, volcanic, mass wasting, aeolian and other agents that cause changes that can be monitored by spacecraft. Laboratory and field analog studies are also welcome.
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/session-search/single/planetary-surfaces…

For abstract submission policies see:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/scientific-program/abstract-submission-p…
Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

Conveners:
Serina Diniega (Jet Propulsion Laboratory; [email protected] – feel free to contact me with any questions)
Zibi Turtle (Johns Hopkins University)
Sue Smrekar (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Alfred McEwen (University of Arizona)

———————————+ 

Issue 12-15, July 8, 2012

+—————————–CONTENTS——————————–+
1) REMINDER : 44TH DPS ANNUAL MEETING
2) HARTMANN TRAVEL GRANT CALL
3) REMINDER: VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS
4) JOB OPPORTUNITIES
5) UPCOMING MEETINGS
+———————————————————————+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
REMINDER : 44TH DPS ANNUAL MEETING
14-19 October 2012
Reno, Nevada
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino

http://www.psi.edu/dps12/

The deadline for abstract submission is Thursday, 19 July 2012, 9:00pm ET.

Other important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 9:00 pm ET, Thursday, 19 July 2012
Regular Registration: 24 July – 3 September 2012
Late Abstract Submission Deadline: 12:00noon ET, Monday, 3 September 2012
Public Workshop Meeting Request Deadline: 3 September 2012
Late Registration: 4 – 26 September 2012
Hotel Reservations Deadline: 20 September 2012
Onsite Registration: 14 – 19 October 2012

The 44th Meeting of the DPS in Reno, NV has a great line up of Invited
talks, Workshops, and Events, and now is your chance to be a part of
it!
Full abstract instructions and submission form is available at
http://www.psi.edu/dps12/abs.shtml

Abstract correspondence originates from abstractsonline.com. Please set your spam filters to allow email from abstractsonline.com.

300-word abstracts may be submitted by uploading word processing files, cutting and pasting or typing directly into the abstract form.

Reno Hotel Information
DPS has secured fantastic hotel room rates at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino!
Your stay at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino includes complimentary transportation to/from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Booking within the DPS room block will ensure that your daily resort fee is waived.

Grand Sierra Guestrooms: Single and Double Rooms $94
Government Rate: Single and Double Rooms $94
Luxury Summit Guestrooms: Single and Double Rooms $120

To make a reservation, call 1-800-648-5080 and reference the “DPS Annual Meeting.” You may also use the custom online DPS reservation
page at https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=3192976.
Reservations made through the Grand Sierra homepage will not guarantee you the DPS Meeting rate.

The deadline to make reservations is 20 September 2012. Booking outside of our reserved block results in significant increase in meeting costs for everyone.

Calling all Volunteers!
Participate at the DPS Reno meeting as a volunteer for 16 hours, and receive complimentary registration. This is a great opportunity for undergrads, grads, postdocs, and local amateur astronomers at our meetings: to supervise sessions, help at registration, usher at events, and various other odd (but greatly appreciated) jobs. This is a great chance to meet and mingle with your peers, get up to date on the newest science, and pick up some cool freebies in the Exhibit Hall. Sign up today at http://aas.org/meetings/dps/volunteer_form

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2
HARTMANN TRAVEL GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE DPS MEETING IN RENO
Starting with a generous contribution from William K. Hartmann, followed by member contributions and matching funds from the DPS Committee, a limited number of student travel grants are made available to assist toward participating at the annual DPS meeting. Travel grants are primarily intended for students, but post-doctoral scientists without other means of support will also be considered. Travel grants for the Reno meeting will be typically no more than approximately five hundred dollars and are intended to provide a supplement that makes the difference on whether or not a student is able to attend the annual meeting. In some cases the travel grant may be requested to cover the meeting registration fee. Preference is given to students who have not received a Travel Grant in the past.

The deadline for applications will be will be 9:00 PM PDT, Monday July 9, 2012. Late applications cannot be accepted. All notifications will be made on or before July 22, 2012.

Please see the Hartmann Travel Grant page at the DPS web site (meetings/travel_grant_application) for detailed information on submittal and format.

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3
REMINDER: VOTE AT THE DPS ELECTIONS

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE !!!
We would like to remind you that the 2012 election for DPS Vice-Chair and Committee is now open, and will close on July 30th 2012.

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 to or renewed your DPS membership recently, please take a moment to do so now. This will allow you to vote and benefit from all membership advantages.

You should vote for one of the two candidates for Vice-Chair:
Heidi Hammel, AURA
Jeff Moore, NASA Ames

The Vice-Chair will become the DPS Chair in October 2012.

You should vote for two of the four candidates for DPS Committee:
Ross Beyer, SETI Institute
Sebastien Charnoz, AIM, Univ. Paris Diderot, France
Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis, Southern African Large Telescope
Paul Withers, Boston University

The successful candidates will serve on the committee for three years after October 2012.

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

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4
JOB OPPORTUNITIES

A) 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 2013. 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.

ESA fellows are enrolled in ESA’s Social Security Scheme, which covers
medical expenses, invalidity and death benefits. A monthly deduction
covers these short-term and long-term risks.

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2012.

More information on the ESA Research Fellowship programme in Space
Science, on the conditions and eligibility, as well as the application
form can be found on the world-wide web at this address:
http://www.rssd.esa.int/fellowship

Questions on the scientific aspects of the ESA Fellowship in Space Science
not answered in the above pages can be sent by e-mail to the fellowship
coordinator, Dr. Guido De Marchi, at the address [email protected]

b) SEVERAL JOB OFFERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE, BELGIUM

1) The PPP/Palaeobiogeology Group, at the Department of Geology of the University of Liège searches for collaborators (PhDs and Postdocs) for its activities in the frame of the Interuniversity Attraction Pole « PLANET TOPERS »
(Planets: Tracing the Transfer, Origin, Preservation, and Evolution of their ReservoirS)
The positions are offered in the frame of an Interuniversity Attraction Pole « PLANET TOPERS ». http://iuap-planet-topers.oma.be provides a description of this research initiative and the partners.
The PhD contracts will be for two years renewable up to 4 years.

Send your CV with a cover letter and the names of two or three references (all in PDF format) by August 1st, 2012 to Emmanuelle Javaux ([email protected]) with copy to [email protected], Head of Operational Direction ‘Reference Systems and Planetology’ at ROB. Assessment of applications will start in early August 2012. Commencement of employment is on October 1st, 2012 or later.

2) The PPP/Palaeobiogeology Group, at the Department of Geology of the University of Liège searches for collaborators (3 PhDs, 2 Postdocs, 1 spectroscopist) for its activities in the frame of the ERC PROJECT “ELiTE”: Early Life Traces, Evolution, and Implications for Astrobiology
Thanks to major funding from the FP7 European Research Council for the period 2012-2017, scientific positions are available, starting from January 2013, to work on the early biosphere evolution, in particular early life traces and the emergence and rise of biological complexity (cyanobacteria, eukaryotes) in the Precambrian.
The PhD contracts will be for 4 years, the postdoctoral positions will be 2 years, and a (micro-FTIR & Raman) spectroscopist position for 5 years. Several starting dates are possible.

Send your CV with a cover letter and the names and contact information of two or three references (all in PDF format) by October 1st, 2012 to Emmanuelle Javaux ([email protected])

c) SEVEN PROFESSORS POSITIONS AT AALTO UNVIERSITY, FINLAND
Aalto University invites applications for seven professor (tenure track) positions in the School of Electrical Engineering.
For more information:
http://www.aalto.fi/en/current/jobs/professors/seven_tenure_track_profes…

and/or

www.elec.aalto.fi/tenuretrack

Forwarded by :
Dr. Antti Räisänen, Professor
Aalto University
Dept. of Radio Science and Engineering
SMARAD Center of Excellence and MilliLab
PO Box 13000, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland

d) VOLCANO-LITHOSPHERE INTERACTIONS ON THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP: LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE
The Universities Space Research Association – Houston invites
applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in geophysical studies of
the growth/evolution of large volcanic edifices and provinces on the
terrestrial planets.

The candidate will work with Dr. Patrick McGovern exploring mechanical
interactions between intrusive and extrusive volcanic edifice growth,
lithospheric flexural response, and magma ascent, using numerical
modeling techniques, including Finite Element (FEM) and Distinct
Element (DEM) Methods. Research will also entail analysis of imagery,
topography, gravity, and spectral datasets for large planetary
volcanoes in order to constrain the modeling efforts. Potential
bodies of interest include Venus, Io, the Moon, Earth, and Mars.

Requirements are a recent Ph.D. in geophysics or geology. Experience
quantitative modeling of geophysical, geological, or magmatic processes
with advanced codes as COMSOL Multiphysics (FEM) and PFC (DEM).
Programming languages, MATLAB or FORTRAN 95 desirable. The position
is two years with a possible extension to three years.

Send letter of interest, curriculum vita with a list of relevant
publications, brief statement of research interests, and three
references to [email protected]. Further information may be found
at:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu

The Universities Space Research Association is an Equal Opportunity
Employer.

e) PLANETARY GEOPHYSICS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
The Universities Space Research Association’s Lunar and Planetary
Institute (LPI), in Houston Texas, invites applications for a post-
doctoral fellowship in planetary geophysics.

The successful candidate will work with Dr. Walter Kiefer on a NASA-
funded project studying the nature of mantle convection on Mars and
its effects on the thermal evolution and volcanic history of the
planet. The candidate will also have the opportunity to conduct
research in planetary geophysics of his or her own choosing.

The position requires a Ph.D. in Planetary Science or Geophysics with
experience in computer programming and numerical modeling methods,
particularly finite elements. Experience with parallel computing in a
Linux environment will be an asset. The position will be offered for an
initial period of two years with a possible extension to a maximum of
three years.

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vita listing
relevant publications, a brief (maximum three pages) statement of
research interests, and a list of three references to:
[email protected].

Review of candidates will begin on March 15, 2012, with a hiring
decision as soon as possible thereafter. Further information about LPI
can be found at www.lpi.usra.edu.

USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5
UPCOMING MEETINGS

A planetary meeting calendar is posted at
http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html
If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.

You may also want to consult the Planetary meetings and Conferences Calendar at:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/

A) BIOASTRONOMY EVENTS AT THE IAU GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN BEIJING IN AUGUST; CNCC IS CHINA NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER:
Commission 51business meeting, Monday August 27, 18:30-19:30 @ National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC; virtually across the street from the CNCC conference center); introduce new officers, members and Organizing Committee; report on last Bioastronomy/ISSOL conference = Origins 2011; report on next meeting =Origins 2014 in Nara, Japan
Commission 51 Science Session, Wednesday, August 29, 8:30-10:00 @ VIP4-4 in CNCC
Sue Madden, France: “Dust and PAHs in low metallicity galaxies”

Peter Jenniskens, USA: “Preliminary results from a new CM2 carbonaceous chondrite fall at Sutter’s Mill in California”
Sun Kwok, China: “Organic matter in the universe”
Nader Haghighipour, USA: “Habitable extrasolar planets”

IAU Symposium 293, Formation, Detection & Characterization of Extrasolar Habitable Planets
August 27-31 @ CNCC ; see www.ifa.hawaii.edu/iau293

IAU Special Session 16, Unexplained Spectral Phenomena in the Interstellar Medium
August 27-28 @ CNCC; see http://www.scifac.hku.hk/SpS16

b) EXOPAG MEETING IN RENO
The next ExoPAG meeting (ExoPAG-6) in conjunction with the 44th Annual DPS Meeting next October in Reno, NV (meetings). The plan is to hold the meeting on Saturday/Sunday, October 13/14, the weekend in advance of the DPS meeting. Details and the agenda for ExoPAG-6 will be posted on the ExoPAG web site (http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exopag/) as they become available.

c) AGU FALL 2012 SPECIAL SESSION: P007 EYES ON ENCELADUS
Enceladus appears to have all the requirements for life: energy, liquid water, organic material, nitrogen and other essential elements, making investigation of this body especially promising and urgent. In this session, we will focus on the most recent observational, theoretical and modeling results on the chemistry, state and dynamics of Enceladus’ jets and plumes, the moon’s thermal and interior state, geologic activity, as well as its astrobiological potential. New results from the recent Cassini flybys of Enceladus should be submitted to this session.

Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

For abstract submission policies see:

http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/scientific-program/abstract-submission-p…

Conveners: Chris McKay, NASA, Moffett Field, CA, United States.
Carolyn Porco, CICLOPS, SSI, Boulder, CO, United States.

d) AGU FALL 2012 SPECIAL SESSION: ON INTERNAL STRUCTURE & COMPOSITION OF SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES
Julie Castillo-Rogez & Franck Marchis are organizing a session for the AGU Fall conference entitled “Internal Structure & Composition of Small Solar System Bodies” session scheduled for the AGU Fall Conference, San Francisco, CA (Dec 3-7 2012).
The composition and physical properties of Small Solar System Bodies (SSSBs), remnants of the formation of planets, are key to better understand our solar system. Increased knowledge of their surface properties and their potential as resources are also necessary to prepare for robotic and human exploration. Hints about the internal structure and composition of SSSBs have been acquired recently thanks to flyby/rendezvous data from space missions, study of multiple asteroid systems, or close encounter between asteroids. This session welcomes abstracts on the internal structure and composition of SSSBs based on space and ground-based data, numerical models, and instrument/mission concepts for future exploration.

Your recent work on the study of SSSBs fits into the theme of this session, so we encourage you to submit an abstract keeping in mind that the deadline is on August 8 2012. Please feel free to forward this email.

e) SH017: SUN-GRAZING COMETS AS SOLAR PROBES: WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE OCCULTER DISK?
On December 16, 2011, comet C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) became instantly famous when it not only survived perihelion but had its journey through the corona and around the Sun observed by a large array of solar and astrophysical missions. We have now seen two comets traversing the solar corona, within 100,000 km of the surface of the Sun. However, much remains to be learned about comets and the Sun from observing the Kreutz sun-grazing family. This session solicits papers on the properties of sun-grazing comets and what their perihelion passage reveals about the Sun. Topics include observations of sun-grazing comets, the accurate determination of their orbital elements, models of the comet nucleus, coma, and tail as they pass through perihelion, the fate of the comet material in the solar corona, and the response of the coronal plasma and magnetic field.

Abstract deadline: August 8, 2012, 23:59ET/3:59+1 GMT

For abstract submission policies see:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/scientific-program/abstract-submission-p…

Conveners:
W. Dean Pesnell, NASA/GSF ([email protected])
Carey Lisse, JHU-APL ([email protected])
Matthew Knight, Lowell Observatory ([email protected])

f) THE PLUTO SYSTEM ON THE EVE OF EXPLORATION BY NEW HORIZONS: PERSPECTIVES AND PREDICTIONS
22–26 July 2013
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, USA

In mid-2015, NASA’s New Horizons mission will conduct the first spacecraft reconnaissance of the Pluto system.
In preparation for that flyby, the New Horizons project team will hold a scientific conference at The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory 22–26 July 2013. The conference objectives are:

– To integrate information about this planet, its satellites, and their context in the Kuiper Belt.

– To encourage groundbased and spacebased proposals to provide additional context alongside the New Horizons encounter.

– To inform about the 6-month-long New Horizons encounter for those interested in proposing to the Pluto System Data Analysis Program.

The meeting’s program, invited talks, logistical information, and opportunities for contributed talks and posters and more information can be found at:

https://dnnpro.outer.jhuapl.edu/plutoscience/Home.aspx

To sign up for the meeting listserv:

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/conference/eform/conf_info_form.php

g) IAU SYMPOSIUM 299 “EXPLORING THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETARY SYSTEMS”,
2-7 June 2013 Victoria, British Columbia

URL: www.iaus299.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/376085279113847/
Email: [email protected]

Topics will include:
– Observations of protoplanetary discs, debris discs and exoplanets
– Planetesimal and planet formation
– Exoplanet atmospheres and interior structure
– Dynamics in planetary systems: migration, multiplicity and planet-disc interactions

Pre-Registration
Registration will open on 1 September 2012, but those interested in attending the meeting are welcome to submit their names to our pre-registration list. To pre-register and be placed on the mailing list, just send an email indicating your interest to the conference email: [email protected].

Financial Assistance
In keeping with the spirit of the IAU Symposia, the costs of the meeting will be kept as low as possible. In addition, financial assistance in the form of IAU Support Grants is available for those needing financial assistance to attend. All student attendees who register in the Early Registration period (1 Sept – 7 Dec 2012) will receive financial support. The deadline for submission of grant applications to the Science Organizing Committee is 7 December 2012; forms and directions are available on the symposium website, www.iaus299.org.

Key Dates
1 Sept 2012: Early Registration Opens
7 Dec 2012: Deadline for Early Registration
7 Dec 2012: Deadline for Application for IAU Support Grants
31 March 2013: Deadline for Registration
31 March 2013: Deadline for Abstract Submission
2 June 2013: Evening Reception/Symposium Begins
3-7 June 2013: Conference

Brenda Matthews
LOC Chair, on behalf of the LOC and SOC