PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 1, Number 15 (August 19, 2007) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Nic Richmond Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Matt Balme Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] New Planetary R&A Opportunity 2. [NASA] Call for NASA Keck Time Proposals 3. [NASA] 2008 Spitzer Fellowship Guidelines 4. [NASA PDS] Odyssey Radio Science Data Release 63 5. [NASA PDS] Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Release 1 of SHARAD Data 6. Submillimeter Array Call for Proposals 7. Gas Hydrates: Global and Planetary Reservoirs for Water and Carbon 8. Saucer-Shaped Sills, Injected Sands and Related Structures: Formation Mechanisms, Examples, and Extra-Terrestrial Analogues 9. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions o---------------------------------------------------------------------o 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 [NASA] NEW PLANETARY R&A OPPORTUNITY From: James L. Green, Director, Planetary Science Division, NASA SMD I would like to call your attention to a new opportunity, joint with Heliophysics, which has recently been released within the ROSES-2007 NASA Research Announcement. The new R&A opportunity is in appendix B.7 (LWS TR&T) section f and is entitled: Joint Focus Topics with Planetary Science: Extreme Space Weather Events in the Solar System. The quest to understand extreme space weather events and their effects throughout the solar system presents a broad range of challenges in heliophysics and the planetary sciences. This new program seeks broadly interdisciplinary, first-cut modeling efforts that can contribute toward initiating future more detailed research in this area. It is anticipated that these studies will lead to a better understanding for the potential for life elsewhere in the solar system and the hazards and resources present as humans explore space. Both are key objectives in NASA's Planetary Science program. Notices of Intent to propose are due September 19, 2007 and proposals are due October 19, 2007. 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 [NASA] CALL FOR NASA KECK TIME PROPOSALS Due: 24 September 2007 NASA is soliciting proposals using the Keck Telescopes for the entire 2008 observing year (Feb 2008 - Jan 2009). The majority of the NASA Keck time will be dedicated to a Key Science project to study exo-zodiacal emission around main sequence stars. Thus the time allocated through the usual TAC process is greatly reduced this year. This call includes proposals for the Key Science as well as proposals in the following discipline areas: detection of extrasolar planets, origin and nature of planetary systems, investigation of our own solar system and mission critical support. The proposal process is being handled by the Michelson Science Center at Caltech and all proposals are due on 24 September 2007 at 5pm PDT. Please see the website at http://msc.caltech.edu for further information on both the Key Science and single telescope proposals. 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 [NASA] 2008 SPITZER FELLOWSHIP GUIDELINES Deadline: 1 November 2007 On behalf of NASA and the Spitzer Space Telescope Project, the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) at Caltech is pleased to announce the release of the 2008 Spitzer Space Telescope Fellowship guidelines. Fellowship applications are due 1 November 2007. The Spitzer Space Telescope Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for highly qualified recent postdoctoral scientists to conduct independent research with the goal of enhancing the overall scientific return from the Spitzer mission. This can be accomplished through a proposal to conduct new observations with Spitzer, through exploitation of Spitzer archival databases, or through research that aids in the interpretation of Spitzer results, including theoretical investigations and laboratory astrophysics. Research must be conducted at a U.S.-based Host Institution chosen by the Fellow. Fellows will start their three-year research appointments in Autumn 2008. The SSC anticipates naming up to five new fellows. The complete application guidelines are available at http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/geninfo/fellows/. 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 [NASA PDS] ODYSSEY RADIO SCIENCE DATA RELEASE 63 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery of Odyssey data for the RSS instrument. To access the RSS data, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20070813.html To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html All available PDS data may be downloaded from: http://starbrite.jpl.nasa.gov/pds/index.jsp For further information, see the PDS Home Page: http://pds.nasa.gov/ Mailto: pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov Phone: (818) 393-7165. 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5 [NASA PDS] MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER RELEASE 1 OF SHARAD DATA The Planetary Data System announces the first release of data from the SHARAD (Shallow Radar) instrument on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This release covers data acquired between December 6, 2006, and January 6, 2007. SHARAD data can be accessed from the PDS Geosciences Node web site: http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mro/sharad.htm and from the main PDS home page: http://pds.nasa.gov. For direct email announcements of future MRO releases from PDS, interested users must sign up via the Subscription Manager on the PDS home page. The next release of all MRO data sets is scheduled for September 7, 2007, with subsequent releases every three months. 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6 SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY CALL FOR PROPOSALS Deadline: 6 September 2007 The Submillimeter Array (SMA), the radio interferometer on Mauna Kea built by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, makes available a fraction of the observing time to principal investigators from the astronomical community (worldwide). The proposal deadline is 6 September 2007 for the observing semester 1 November 2007 through 30 April 2008. SMA comprises of eight 6-m antennas operating at 230 GHz, 345 GHz, 420GHz and 690 GHz bands. More information, technical details, and instructions and tools for proposal preparation and submission can be found at the SMA Observer Center web site: http://sma1.sma.hawaii.edu Questions or comments regarding the Call for Proposals can also be addressed to proposals@sma.hawaii.edu 7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7 GAS HYDRATES: GLOBAL AND PLANETARY RESERVOIRS FOR WATER AND CARBON Abstract submissions investigating gas hydrates in planetary systems are invited for this session of the AGU meeting in San Francisco, December 10-14, 2007. This session will examine the role of hydrates in global-scale processes on Earth and throughout the Solar System, including biogeochemical cycles, nutrient fluxes, and climate change. Deadline: September 6. Go to http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/ Gas hydrates are potentially the largest terrestrial reservoir for hydrocarbon gases, forming within seafloor and permafrost sediments at elevated pressures and low temperatures. Gas hydrates may also be major reservoirs for water and carbon on terrestrial and icy bodies throughout the solar system. This session will focus on gas hydrates at the global scale and their impact on global or planetary cycles and processes. Topics include the role of gas hydrates in carbon and water cycles, including distribution and fluxes; climate change; and the potential for hydrates to act as sources or traps for biogenic gases throughout the Solar System. Session number GC06, cosponsored by Global Environmental Change, Biogeosciences, Cryosphere, Ocean Sciences, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, Planetary Sciences Conveners: Megan Elwood Madden (University of Oklahoma) and Patricia Taboado Serrano (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) 8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8 SAUCER-SHAPED SILLS, INJECTED SANDS AND RELATED STRUCTURES: FORMATION MECHANISMS, EXAMPLES, AND EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL ANALOGUES We would like to draw your attention to the special session V14 described below for the next AGU fall meeting in San Francisco the 10-14th December 2007 (http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/). Deadline: September 6. Submissions: http://submissions3.agu.org/submission/entrance.asp Magma and fluidized sand can develop bowl- or saucer-shaped structures that are increasingly recognized by field observations and by detailed seismic imaging in petroleum provinces (Nevada, California, Greenland, Siberia, Svalbard, South Africa, Norwegian and North Sea Basins). The intrusions can affect organic matter maturation, oil migration pathways, the plumbing systems of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and they may also form aquifers. The aim of this session is to investigate the origin of saucer-shaped intrusions and genetically related structures in terms of properties of the crust and injected liquid, water and volatile contents, and depth of emplacement of individual intrusions. We invite contributions on saucer-shaped intrusions, either magmatic or fluidized sand in origin, with their associated settings, deformation, peripheral structures and physical processes controlling their final geometry. Contributions on potential extra-terrestrial analogues are welcome. Conveners: Stephane Polteau (polteau@fys.uio.no), Joe A. Cartwright (joe@ocean.cf.ac.uk) and Richard E. Ernst (Richard.Ernst@ErnstGeosciences.com). 9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html Sep 18-20, 2007 NASA Astrobiology Institute Field Workshop: Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks (BAR) Sudbury, Canada http://psarc.geosc.psu.edu/RESEARCH/New_Conference/Ontario_new.htm Oct 1-5, 2007 From Planets to Dark Energy: the Modern Radio Universe Manchester, United Kingdom http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/mru2007/ *********************************************************************** * * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at * * http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html * * To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. 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