PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 5, Number 31 (July 10, 2011) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Melissa Lane Co-Editors: Susan Benecchi, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. The White House is Soliciting Comments for Revisions to the OMB Circular A-21 2. GSA Annual Meeting 2011 Session T214: Exploring Mercury by Spacecraft - First MESSENGER Results from Orbit 3. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P28. Plasma Interactions with Airless Bodies 4. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P29. Polarimetry as an Invaluable Tool to Study the Solar System and Beyond 5. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P30. Preparing for the Science of Mars Sample Return 6. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P32. Science Enabled by the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) - Progress and Future Directions 7. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P33. Titan - An Earth-Like World 8. AGU Fall 2011 Session: P36. Volcanism Associated with Impact Basins in the Solar System 9. AGU Fall 2011 Session: C11. Earth and Planetary Catastrophic Ice-Fluid Interactions 10. Job Announcement: Canada Research Chair (CRC) Tier II in Planetary Materials at the University of Western Ontario 11. [NASA] Planetary Data System (PDS) Odyssey Data Release #36 12. Second Meeting of the International Primitive Body Exploration Working Group (IPEWG 2011) 13. The NASA Postdoctoral Program Welcomes Applications for the November Cycle 14. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter Available 15. 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 THE WHITE HOUSE IS SOLICITING COMMENTS FOR REVISIONS TO THE OMB CIRCULAR A-21 The White House is soliciting comments for revisions to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21, the document that defines how grantees may spend grant money and how it must be handled and reported by their host institutions. One might expect parallel changes in the parallel documents covering different types of grantee institutions. The goal is to reduce the burdens of managing and spending Federal grants, and it applies to grants from all agencies. Comments are due 28 July. Please see: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/06/29/feedback-circular-21-invited 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 GSA ANNUAL MEETING 2011 SESSION T214: EXPLORING BY SPACECRAFT - FIRST MESSENGER RESULTS FROM ORBIT We invite abstracts for the following topical session, co-sponsored by the GSA Planetary Geology Division, GSA Geophysics Division, GSA Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology Division, and the GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division After three successful flybys of Mercury, NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft entered orbit about the innermost planet in March 2011. The orbital phase of the mission will enable the first global perspective on the planet's geology, surface composition, topography, and gravity and magnetic fields. The first six months of MESSENGER's year-long mission corresponds to one solar day on Mercury, so the entire surface will have been viewed in sunlight during that period. This session will highlight the latest results on Mercury's volcanic, tectonic, and impact cratering history. Conveners: Sean C. Solomon, Carnegie Institution of Washington Louise M. Prockter, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory David T. Blewett, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory The GSA Annual meeting will be held in Minneapolis from October 9-12, 2011. Abstract deadline: July 26, 2011 To submit an abstract, please go to this website: http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2011/ 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P28. PLASMA INTERACTIONS WITH AIRLESS BODIES Conveners: Jasper Halekas, Zoltan Sternovsky, Xu Wang, Matt Fillingim We invite contributions on plasma interactions with airless bodies, including linkages to surfaces, magnetic fields, exospheres, impact processes, dust dynamics, and dusty plasmas. These universal processes operate at the Moon, Mercury, moons of Mars and outer planets, and small bodies. Recent years have seen new observations from an international fleet of lunar probes, Mars Express, Earth-based assets, etc. The Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) and others have led corresponding advances in laboratory experiments, theory, and modeling. In the coming years, we expect more exciting new data from ARTEMIS, MESSENGER, LADEE, etc. This session is open to observational, theoretical, and laboratory topics, including comparative and predictive studies. Invited Speakers: Vassilis Angelopoulos, Geraint Jones, Mihaly Horanyi, Ralf Srama 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P29. POLARIMETRY AS AN INVALUABLE TOOL TO STUDY THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND Dear Colleagues, We kindly invite you to submit an abstract to the session P29: "Polarimetry as an Invaluable Tool to Study the Solar System and Beyond" of AGU Fall Meeting 2011, which will take place in San Francisco, CA, 5-8 December. Abstracts are due 04 August 2011. Polarimetry is a powerful tool providing a wealth of information about astronomical objects that cannot be obtained by traditional photometric/spectroscopic observations. In the solar system polarimetry has been widely used e.g. to characterize the surface of atmosphereless bodies and in solar physics to explore the magnetism of the solar atmosphere. This session is open to papers about recent spectropolarimetric observations of solar system bodies (including comets), theoretical or experimental investigations and instrumental developments for spectropolarimeters to be included in ground-based facilities or onboard future space missions. Presentations about polarimetry of exoplanets and circumstellar envelopes are also welcome. More information: Session P29 "Polarimetry as an Invaluable Tool to Study the Solar System and Beyond" http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/scientific-program/session-search/663 Deadline for abstract submission: 04 August 2011 http://agu-fm11.abstractcentral.com/ Conveners: Herve Lamy, Mathieu Barthelemy, Javier Trujillo-Bueno, Cyril Simon Wedlund 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P30. PREPARING FOR THE SCIENCE OF MARS SAMPLE RETURN We would like to draw your attention to a Fall AGU session on "Preparing for the Science of Mars Sample Return." We encourage you to see this as an opportunity to contribute to a discussion on what we hope to learn when Mars samples are returned to Earth. We welcome submissions from a range of disciplines with a friendly reminder that submissions this year are due on August 4, 2011. Returned samples may unlock wide-ranging questions about the geology, surface processes, and habitability of Mars that cannot be answered by study of meteorites or current mission data. The 2013-2022 NRC Decadal Survey has thus named its #1 Flagship priority as MAX-C, the first of a three-mission, multi-decadal effort to return samples from Mars. Continued support by the scientific community will be critical to the campaign's success. This session will highlight the large-scale implications of existing datasets with an eye toward what may be learned when samples are returned. Topics will span planetary science including high- and low-T geochemistry, igneous and sedimentary petrology, mineral spectroscopy, and astrobiology. http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/scientific-program/session-search/664 Conveners: Mariek Schmidt (mschmidt2@brocku.ca), Justin Filiberto (Justin.Filiberto@rice.edu), James Day (jmdday@ucsd.edu), Charles Budney (charles.j.budney@jpl.nasa.gov) 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P32. SCIENCE ENABLED BY THE NASA LUNAR SCIENCE INSTITUTE (NLSI) - PROGRESS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS We are soliciting contributed submissions on all aspects of lunar science, including, but not limited to, research enabled by the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI). The past three years have witnessed a renaissance in lunar science, demonstrated by five major lunar missions, the establishment of NLSI and a growing NextGen community. We seek presentations on topics ranging from geology/geochemistry, impact cratering, lunar formation and solar system dynamics, space plasma/exosphere and surface interactions, volatile characterization as well as the unique astronomy enabled by the radio-quiet far side of the Moon. Invited Speakers: Dr. Carle Pieters, Brown University Dr. Bill Farrell, NASA GSFC Dr. Bill Bottke, Southwest Research Institute Dr. Maria Zuber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Abstract deadline: August 4, 2011 http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/scientific-program/session-search/666 The Conveners: Dr. Yvonne Pendleton, Director, NASA Lunar Science Institute Dr. David Morrison, Senior Scientist, NASA Lunar Science Institute Dr. Mihaly Horanyi, Professor, University of Colorado 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P33. TITAN - AN EARTH-LIKE WORLD Description: Titan is a unique satellite in the solar system because of its substantial atmosphere, resulting in surface-atmospheric interactions similar to those on Earth. As the timescale of observations has increased, seasonal changes have been observed, including shifts in weather patterns and surface changes probably due to rainfall and evaporation or infiltration. This session will focus on the latest Cassini and ground-based results regarding Titan and the interactions between its different systems (atmosphere, surface, interior, etc.). Theoretical and modeling results explaining recent observations are also encouraged. Abstract deadline is August 4. Conveners: Rosaly Lopes, JPL Elizabeth Turtle, APL Robert Nelson, JPL 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: P36. VOLCANISM ASSOCIATED WITH IMPACT BASINS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM Please consider submitting an abstract to Session P36: Volcanism Associated with Impact Basins in the Solar System. Impact basins are often associated with volcanism, both in their interiors and, as increasingly recognized, on their margins. This session will explore aspects of melt generation, ascent, intrusion, and eruption, to explain the observed geology, petrology, and geophysics of volcanic units and their basin settings. Key questions include "To what extent does the impact process influence the subsequent regional magmatic history?" and "What accounts for observed timing offsets between impact and volcanism?" Insights from sample analysis and remote sensing, including imaging, spectroscopy, topography, and gravity data are solicited. Results exploiting new datasets from ongoing missions to the Moon and Mercury are particularly welcome. Sponsor: Planetary Sciences (P). Co-Sponsor: Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology (V). For more information, the session description and links to Fall Meeting pages can be found at: http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/scientific-program/session-search/670 Please keep in mind that abstracts are due earlier than usual this year: August 4, 2011. Sincerely, the Conveners: Pat McGovern (mcgovern@lpi.usra.edu), Caleb Fassett, Georgiana Kramer, Aileen Yingst 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 AGU FALL 2011 SESSION: C11. EARTH AND PLANETARY CATASTROPHIC ICE-FLUID INTERACTIONS Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to the following session at the AGU Fall Meeting 2011 in San Francisco, California, USA (December 5th-9th, 2011). Abstract submission is now open at: http://agu-fm11.abstractcentral.com/ and the deadline for submissions is 4 August 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT. C11: Earth and Planetary Catastrophic Ice-Fluid Interactions Conveners: Jason Amundson, Dorian Abbot, Britney Schmidt, and Wendy Zhang This session explores possible connections between mechanical failure in disordered particulate systems and catastrophic ice-fluid interactions, which occur during the break-up of river and sea ice, in ice-melange-filled fjords, ice shelf collapse, and possibly, the formation of the chaos terrains on Europa. Whenever glaciological flows involve rapid acceleration, the mechanical resistance can be dominated by contribution from the surface debris layer, and can be modeled as a two-dimensional assembly of densely-packed particles. In ice collapse and disruption events, fluid-ice interactions can produce debris, such as chaos terrain matrix. We invite contributions that examine both idealized systems and examples from nature. For more information, please contact Britney Schmidt britneys@ig.utexas.edu Best regards, Britney Schmidt, Jason Amundson, Dorian Abbot, and Wendy Zhang Co-sponsors: Cryosphere Planetary Sciences Earth and Planetary Surface Processes 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR (CRC) TIER II IN PLANETARY MATERIALS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO The Department of Earth Sciences and the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration at The University of Western Ontario, Canada, invite applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the area of Planetary Materials. Appointment to a faculty position will be conditional on the selected candidate being awarded a Canada Research Chair. It is anticipated that the Chair nomination will be submitted to the CRC Secretariat in April 2012. The appointment will be made at the rank of assistant or associate professor (probationary (tenure-track) or tenure), with a starting date for the appointment of January 1, 2013, or later. Planetary Materials is a major interdisciplinary research theme at The University of Western Ontario, led by the inter-faculty Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (http://cpsx.uwo.ca). Full details of the announcement can be found here: https://www.uwo.ca/earth/pdf/Planetary%20Materials%20CRC%20Final.pdf Dr. Gordon "Oz" Osinski NSERC/MDA/CSA Industrial Research Chair in Planetary Geology Depts. of Earth Sciences, Physics & Astronomy Deputy Director, Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration University of Western Ontario 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 [NASA] PLANETARY DATA SYSTEM (PDS) ODYSSEY DATA RELEASE #36 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery of Odyssey Data, Release 36, for the following instruments: GRS, THEMIS, RADIO SCIENCE (Releases 106-108), and SPICE. The gamma sensor component of the GRS instrument suite will no longer return data. The HEND and neutron spectrometer components continue to operate. To access the above data, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20110701.html To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit the following link: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 SECOND MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRIMITIVE BODY EXPLORATION WORKING GROUP (IPEWG 2011) The second meeting of the International Primitive Body Exploration Working Group (IPEWG 2011) will be held August 22-24 in Pasadena, CA. Discussions held at this meeting are expected to open new international collaboration opportunities for primitive body space exploration. In conjunction with the invited talks, posters related to primitive body exploration are welcomed for the Tuesday night poster session. Registration and abstract submission are now open at: http://ipewg.caltech.edu You may contact Keith Grogan, IPEWG 2011 LOC Chair (keith.grogan@jpl.nasa.gov), or Andy Klesh (andrew.t.klesh@jpl.nasa.gov) with any questions. The fifth meeting of the NASA Small Body Assessment Group (SBAG) will also take place in Pasadena directly following IPEWG 2011, on August 25-26. 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 THE NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM WELCOMES APPLICATIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER CYCLE The next deadline to apply for a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellowship is November 1, 2011. These competitive one- to three-year fellowship appointments advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. 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 and foreign nationals who hold Lawful Permanent Resident status or who are eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply. An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable because the NPP is not an employment program. Stipend rates for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $50,000 per year, with small supplements for high cost-of-living areas. Funds are available for relocation expenses, up to a specified limit. Fellows also receive $8,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings, and other activities that directly support their research. Applications for the NASA Postdoctoral Program are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. For further information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions regarding this opportunity may be submitted by e-mail to nasapostdoc@orau.org 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE Dear Members of the Mars Community, On behalf of Dave Des Marais, the MEPAG Chair, Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Charles Budney of the Mars Program Science Office, the July 2011 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Regards, Joyce Pulliam 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html August 23, 2011 Building Bridges: Cooperation of UK and Iranian Astronomers http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/iran Keele, United Kingdom October 10-12, 2011 Orbital Couples : 'Pas de Deux' in the Solar System and the Milky Way http://wwwhip.obspm.fr/PasDeDeux Paris, France March 12-16, 2012 STFC Graduate Course: Exoplanets and Their Host Stars http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/EAHS12/home.html Oxford, United Kingdom March 12-16, 2012 New Quests in Stellar Astrophysics. III: A Panchromatic View of Solar-Like Stars, With and Without Planets Puerto Vallarta, Mexico March 20-23, 2012 From Atoms to Pebbles: Herschel's View of Star and Planet Formation http://www.herschel2012.com/information/ Grenoble, France CORRECTION: April 15-18, 2012 Earth and Space Conference http://content.asce.org/conferences/earthspace2012/index.html Pasadena, CA [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop that you think your colleagues should be aware of, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.] *********************************************************************** * 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, or * send a request to pen_editor at psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor at psi.edu * * 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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