PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 7, Number 15 (April 7, 2013) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Mark V. Sykes, Melissa Lane Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. [NASA] PDS Odyssey Data Release 43 2. MRP Graduate Research Award 3. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter - April 2013 4. First Laboratory Astrophysics Division 5. Third Announcement of the First Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) Meeting 6. Cosmochemistry and Planet Formation Theme at Goldschmidt 2013 Meeting 7. [NASA] PDS Cassini Data Release 33 8. Icarus Special Issue - Dark and Bright Materials on Vesta 9. Planetary Atmospheres Researcher (GSFC/CRESST/University of Maryland) 10. Student Opportunity: Soffen Travel Grants 11. Research & Instrument Analyst 12. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 13. Postdoc Available Researching Pluto's Extended Atmosphere 14. First Scientific Session on the Chelyabinsk Bolide 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 [NASA] PDS ODYSSEY DATA RELEASE 43 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery of Odyssey Data, Release 43, for the following instruments: GRS THEMIS RADIO SCIENCE (Releases 127-129) 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: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20130401.html To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html All available PDS data may be found at: http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/data-search/ For further information, see the PDS Home Page: http://pds.nasa.gov/ 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 MRP GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD Established in 1990, the Mineral and Rock Physics Graduate Research Award (formerly Mineral and Rock Physics Outstanding Student Research Award) recognizes one or more promising young scientists for outstanding contributions achieved during their Ph.D. research. Eligibility is restricted to current Ph.D. students and those who have completed the requirements for a Ph.D. degree up to 12 months prior to the nomination deadline. Nominees may be members of any AGU section or focus group. They should be engaged in experimental and/or theoretical studies of Earth and planetary materials with the purpose of unraveling the physics and chemistry that govern their origin and physical properties. The award consists of a $500 monetary prize; a certificate; public recognition at the annual Mineral and Rock Physics Focus Group Business Meeting/Reception at the AGU Fall Meeting; and an Eos announcement. Contributions from AGU Mineral and Rock Physics focus group members finance this award. Nominations should include: A nomination letter; The candidate's curriculum vitae; Two (2) supporting letters; and Up to three (3) reprints or preprints of the nominee's work. Nominations must be submitted by deadline in electronic form (preferred as one combined PDF file) to Razvan Caracas (razvan.caracas@ens-lyon.fr). DEADLINE: 1 May 2013 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 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2013 Dear Members of the Mars Community, On behalf of Lisa Pratt (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Charles Budney of the Mars Program Science Office, the April 2013 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Regards, Joyce N. Pulliam 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 FIRST LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION Dear Planetary Sciences Community, The Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) of AAS will be holding its first meeting in June 2013 (see details below). The LAD represents interests of both astrophysics and planetary sciences communities focusing on laboratory studies relevant to both these branches of space sciences. I would like to ask the planetary sciences colleagues to get engaged in the LAD activities and strengthen the interests of planetary sciences in this division. Best Regards Murthy Gudipati 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 THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FIRST LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION (LAD) MEETING ** Late Abstracts are accepted until 18 April 2012, 9:00pm ET ** The first LAD meeting will be held jointly with the AAS summer meeting from June 2-6, 2013, in Indianapolis, IN. The meeting will feature an AAS/LAD joint plenary talk by Profs. Robert Rosner and Fausto Cattaneo from the University of Chicago; LAD sessions devoted to atoms, molecules, dust and ices, plasmas, planetary science, nuclear, and particles; and an LAD poster session to run the duration of the meeting. Each session will feature two invited 30 minute talks and two contributed 15 minute talks. Additional information can be found at: http://aas.org/meetings/aas222/lad Important Dates: Late Abstract Deadline: 18 April 2012, 9:00pm ET Regular Registration: 14 February - 11 April 2013 Late Registration: 12 April - 16 May 2013 Registration with On-site Fees: 17 May 2013 - 6 June 2013 Hotel Reservation Deadline: 10 May 2013 For submission instructions and guidelines visit: http://aas.org/aas-222nd-meeting/abstract-information The meeting website is: aas.org/meetings/aas222 For up-to-date information, we encourage you to regularly consult the LAD web pages at: http://lad.aas.org 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 COSMOCHEMISTRY AND PLANET FORMATION THEME AT GOLDSCHMIDT 2013 MEETING The abstract deadline is this Friday: April 12, 2013 Goldschmidt 2013 will be held August 25-30 in Florence, Italy, and feature a Cosmochemistry and Planet Formation Theme, with the following special sessions: - Refractory Grains, Volatiles, and Organic Molecules Inherited from the Interstellar Medium - Martian Evolution; Ancient Messengers and Modern Measurements - Planet Formation and Bombardment - Comparative Planetology of Crust Formation - Accretion and Differentiation of Primitive Parent Bodies - Chronology of Molecular Cloud Collapse, First Solids Formation, and Earliest Accretion - Origins of Life: Environments, Mineral Surfaces, and Prebiotic - Dynamics and Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks - The Volatile Inventory of the Moon and Mercury - In Situ, High Spatial Resolution Isotopic Measurements Applied to Extraterrestrial Materials Additional details available at: http://goldschmidt.info/2013/program/programViewThemes#theme02 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 [NASA] PDS CASSINI DATA RELEASE 33 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery of Cassini data, Release 33, April to June 2012, for all instruments: CAPS CDA CIRS HRD INMS ISS MAG MIMI RADAR RPWS RSS SPICE UVIS VIMS Please note that while the data products from this release are available online now through the links below, they may not be immediately accessible through PDS web services such as the Planetary Image Data Atlas. Large data sets may take as long as a few days beyond the formal release date to be incorporated into these services. Check each service's web site to see the status of the latest release. To access the above data, please visit: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-20130403.html To access the latest PDS Data Releases, please visit: http://pds.nasa.gov/subscription_service/SS-Release.html All available PDS data may be found at: http://pds.nasa.gov/tools/data-search/ For further information, see the PDS Home Page: http://pds.nasa.gov/ The PDS Team pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov (818)393-7165 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 ICARUS SPECIAL ISSUE - DARK AND BRIGHT MATERIALS ON VESTA The Dawn mission discovered bright and dark regions on Vesta. Preliminary analysis leads to a simple hypothesis that the bright material is perhaps the original crustal material of Vesta, while the dark material represents non-native, OH-rich material originated from elsewhere in the asteroid belt. The diverse albedo observed on Vesta appears to be due to varying amounts of the dark material mixed with the original surface. The method of emplacement, origin, and role of dark material in providing Vesta with volatiles are all unknown. Coordinating with the Dawn Science Team, Icarus is soliciting submissions of papers to a special issue on this topic. These papers will be focused on the most detailed, follow-up studies of the dark and bright materials on Vesta. The topics include, but are NOT limited to: * Characterizations of dark and bright materials on Vesta * Composition, origin, and evolution of dark and bright material * Process of transportation of dark material and mixing process in the regolith * Laboratory analysis of HEDs and other meteoritic analogues such as carbonaceous chondrites and exogenous clasts, as well as possible terrestrial analogues Submission Deadline: May 15, 2013 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 ATMOSPHERES RESEARCHER (GSFC/CRESST/UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND) The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Planetary Environments Laboratory, in conjunction with the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), is soliciting applications for a researcher in the field of Planetary Atmospheres to support Mars upper atmosphere investigations with the MAVEN mission. Additional details are available at: http://www.astro.umd.edu/employment/ Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline with a strong and demonstrated interest in and understanding of upper atmospheric physics. IDL skills and experience in acquisition and analysis of data from space flight instruments are highly desirable. The University of Maryland is an equal opportunity employer. All applications received by Monday, April 29, 2013 will receive full consideration. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 STUDENT OPPORTUNITY: SOFFEN TRAVEL GRANTS Dear Colleague: The Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the first of two 2013 Travel Grant application opportunities 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 first 2013 Travel Grant application deadline is April 15, 2013. 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 info@SoffenFund.org. 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 RESEARCH & INSTRUMENT ANALYST The Space Telescope Science Institute has openings for Research and Instrument Analysts (RIA) in our Instruments Division. RIAs will assist Instrument Scientists in the reduction and analysis of Hubble Space Telescope calibration data. Analysts will also assist in the development and testing of the scientific instruments for the James Webb Space Telescope. They will provide User Support to HST General Observers and Archival Researchers in various aspects of observation planning and data reduction. Additionally, the RIA may also provide research support for scientific programs of staff scientists. Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree in Astronomy, Physics, Astrophysics, Planetary Science, or related fields as well as experience with astronomical research, familiarity with scientific computing, expertise in data analysis, knowledge of IRAF and/or IDL, or other software packages, and programming ability. Applications received by May 31, 2013 will receive full consideration. STScI sees the diversity of our staff as a strategic priority in our desire to create a first-rate scientific community. We reflect that deep commitment in strongly encouraging women, minorities, veterans and disabled individuals to apply for these opportunities. Interested candidates are requested to complete an on-line application by going to: http://www.stsci.edu/institute/employment 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 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 nasapostdoc@orau.org 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 POSTDOC AVAILABLE RESEARCHING PLUTO'S EXTENDED ATMOSPHERE The University of Texas Center for Aeromechanics Research has a postdoc position available to develop a three dimensional DSMC simulation of Pluto's extended atmosphere. A researcher in the field of planetary atmospheres with a strong background in programming, especially on parallel architectures, is desired. Knowledge of the direct simulation Monte Carlo method or related molecular-based modeling would be very helpful. Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant discipline and a strong interest in upper atmospheric physics. Position is available immediately. To apply, please contact David Goldstein at david(at)ices.utexas.edu. 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 FIRST SCIENTIFIC SESSION ON THE CHELYABINSK BOLIDE A special session on the Chelyabinsk event of February 15 will be held Sunday, April 14 (1900-2130), at the beginning of the Planetary Defense Conference in Flagstaff, AZ, April 14-19. In view of wide public and press interest in this unique meteor strike, this special session is open to the public as well as those registered at the Conference. It will be the first scientific analysis of what happened on February 15, and the implications for planetary defense generally. Organizers of the session are David Morrison, Mark Boslough, Clark Chapman, and Alan Harris. The program is held at the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff. 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 No new meetings. 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