PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 9, Number 1 (January 4, 2015) 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. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Lunar & Asteroid Exploration Science - Petrology and Geochemistry 2. Postdoctoral Associate Position at Stony Brook University I 3. Postdoctoral Associate Position at Stony Brook University II 4. User Workshop for Mars ChemCam/LIBS Data at the LPSC 5. Jovian Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere Postdoctoral Researcher (NASA-GSFC/CRESST/University of Maryland) 6. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 7. SBAG 12 Meeting - January 6-7 - Remote Participation Information 8. Call for Support for Castalia: A Mission to a Main Belt Comet 9. Midwest Astrochemistry Meeting 10. 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 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN LUNAR & ASTEROID EXPLORATION SCIENCE - PETROLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY The Universities Space Research Association’s Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in lunar and asteroid exploration science for a full-time exempt position in the Houston, Texas area. The successful candidate will join Dr. David A. Kring and over two dozen other scientists in the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration, which is one of nine national centers of excellence supported by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. The main goals of the Center’s activities are to address NASA’s highest lunar and asteroid exploration science objectives, including activities in preparation of robotic and crewed landings. Applications from those with recent Ph.D.s in the fields of petrology and geochemistry are encouraged to apply. Previous experience with lunar samples, chondritic meteorites, and/or impact lithologies will be advantageous, but is not required. Interested applicants should apply to the posting at: https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ and must submit a curriculum vita with list of publications, a two to three page statement of research interests, and a list of three references. Additional details are available at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration/ USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled 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 POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE POSITION AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY I Required Qualifications: PhD, or the equivalent degree from a foreign university, in Geosciences, Chemistry, Geochemistry, Materials Science or a related field. Successfully defended dissertation prior to the start date. Course work or research experience in Chemistry, Geochemistry, Mineralogy, or Materials Science. Preferred Qualifications: Research experience in materials characterization, collecting and analyzing X-ray or neutron scattering data, structure modeling and/or measuring and analyzing infrared spectral data. Effective written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated outstanding research ability, with an emphasis on critical thinking skills and high productivity. Duties: The Postdoctoral Research Associate will conduct research in Chemistry/Geochemistry/Mineralogy, with an emphasis on understanding the formation and properties of amorphous materials. The successful incumbent will be responsible for the following: * Conduct research related to characterization of poorly crystalline and amorphous materials, possibly including material synthesis, synchrotron X-ray studies, and infrared spectroscopy, depending on the incumbent's specific expertise and interests. * Summarize findings in conference presentations and publications. * Read & synthesize information from relevant scientific literature to inform geochemical interpretations. Full time. For a complete description and instructions on "how to apply", see: http://www.stonybrook.edu/jobs/ and select the reference # WC-R-9331-14-11-S. Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. [Edited for length.] 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 POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE POSITION AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY II Required Qualifications: Ph.D. or equivalent degree from a foreign university. Applicant must have successfully defended their thesis prior to the start date. Course work or research experience in Geosciences. Experience with laboratory mid-IR spectroscopy, visible/ near-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and/or remote sensing data sets. Preferred Qualifications: Ph.D. in Geosciences, Physics or related field. Experience with Matlab, IDL, Fortran, or other scientific computing languages. Research experience related to characterization of minerals or meteorites and experience in measuring and analyzing infrared or Raman spectral data. Effective writing and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated outstanding research ability, with an emphasis on critical thinking skills and high productivity. Duties: The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct research in mineral spectroscopy under the supervision of Professor Timothy Glotch. Application Procedure: Submit a Research Foundation Employment Application, cover letter and resume. Applications for this position must be received, as specified in the Application Procedure Section, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on 01/11/2015, unless specifically noted otherwise in the Special Notes Section. Online submissions are preferred. For a complete description and instructions, visit: http://www.stonybrook.edu/jobs/ and select reference # WC-R-9396-14-12-S. Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. [Edited for length.] 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 USER WORKSHOP FOR MARS CHEMCAM/LIBS DATA AT LPSC Location: The Woodlands, TX ChemCam on Curiosity provides a large and varied geochemical dataset available for the planetary community including laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), passive VIS reflectance spectra, and the highest resolution remote micro-images (RMI) from the rover. More than 200,000 spectra and over 3,000 images from ChemCam available at the Planetary Data System (PDS). More than 30 submitted papers have included results from this data. A LIBS instrument is also being developed for the Mars 2020 mission. A 2-1/2-hour workshop will be held during the week of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (March 15-20, The Woodlands, TX) for community members interested in using this dataset. In the workshop we will describe the LIBS technique as used on ChemCam and data processing for the levels 1 and 2 provided in the PDS, and will provide updates on the latest calibration data. We are targeting Wednesday evening at 6 pm, subject to conference scheduling. Please see the ChemCam website for updates: http://msl-chemcam.com The contact is Roger Wiens (rwiens@lanl.gov). The ChemCam data can be found at: http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/chemcam.htm Presentation materials will also be posted on the PDS. 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 JOVIAN MAGNETIC FIELD AND MAGNETOSPHERE POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER (NASA-GSFC/CRESST/UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND) Applications are now being accepted for a Postdoctoral Research Associate, funded through the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) and the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), to work in the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in the area of Jupiter’s magnetic field and magnetosphere, using data from the Juno (New Frontier) mission. Additional details are available at: http://www.astro.umd.edu/employment/index.html#Juno Candidates for this position should have a Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline with prior experience conducting scientific research. Experience with magnetometer instrumentation and data, disciplined programming skills (primarily Fortran and IDL), and scientific writing experience are desired. The University of Maryland is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. 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 NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for scientists and engineers to conduct research largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research opportunities posted on the NPP Web site. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in Earth science, heliophysics, astrophysics, planetary science, astrobiology, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and operations, and space technology. An example of one of the research opportunities in planetary science is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17903 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. The latest NPP Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1tI5M9x For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 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 SBAG 12 MEETING - JANUARY 6-7 - REMOTE PARTICIPATION INFORMATION The 12th NASA SBAG (Small Bodies Assessment Group) meeting will be held January 6-7, 2015, in Tempe, AZ. Information to participate remotely via WebEx and a call-in phone number are now posted at the SBAG website at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/ We are looking forward to a productive meeting! 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 CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR CASTALIA: A MISSION TO A MAIN BELT COMET Main Belt Comets (MBCs) constitute a newly identified class of solar system objects. They have asteroid-like orbits and some exhibit a recurrent comet-like appearance. It is believed that MBCs’ ice sublimation-driven activity began recently. Water ice is the only volatile expected to survive under an insulating surface. Impacts can expose this ice and trigger activity. A mission proposal, Castalia, will be submitted to ESA by January 15th. Its specific goals are to: 1. Characterize a new Solar System family, the MBCs, by in-situ investigation 2. Understand the physics of MBC activity 3. Directly sample water in the asteroid belt and test if MBCs are a viable source for Earth's water 4. Use the observed structure of an MBC as a tracer of planetary system formation and evolution These goals can be achieved by a spacecraft orbiting an MBC, sampling the released gas and dust. These observations will be particularly important in light of recent Rosetta results at Comet 67P. The primary target is 133P/Elst-Pizarro. Castalia's international proposing team would welcome indications of support via: http://bit.ly/joincastalia Additional information on Castalia is available at the same site. 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 MIDWEST ASTROCHEMISTRY MEETING March 6-7, 2015, University of Northern Iowa The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Midwest Astrochemistry Consortium are pleased to announce the 2015 Midwest Astrochemistry Meeting (MWAM) that will be held on March 6-7, 2015 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Abstract submission and registration are now open. Abstracts should be emailed to joshua.sebree@uni.edu and are due by Feb. 20th 2015. Please use one of the following as a subject line: MWAM15 abstract: PREFER TALK MWAM15 abstract: PREFER POSTER For complete submission details please see the meetings web page at: http://www.chem.uni.edu/MW%20Astrochemistry.htm Registration will be done through regular mail using the form located at: http://www.chem.uni.edu/MW%20Astrochemistry%20Reg%20Form.pdf The fee is $35 per person if paid by February 27th, or $40 thereafter. In order to encourage graduate and undergraduate student attendance, we are excited to offer several travel grants to offset travel expenses. In order to benefit the most students possible, both individual and group travel grants will be awarded. If you are interested in more information, please inquire at joshua.sebree@uni.edu. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS March 5-7, 2015 Icy Grain Chemistry for Formation of Complex Organic Molecules: From Molecular Clouds to Protoplanetary Disks, Comets and Meteorites http://www.geo.titech.ac.jp/lab/nomura/grain_chem/index.html Tokyo, Japan July 13-17, 2015 Pathways Towards Habitable Planets http://pathways2015.sciencesconf.org Bern, Switzerland [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which you think your colleagues should be aware, 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.php, 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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