PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 9, Number 29 (July 19, 2015) 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. 2nd Announcement for the First Landing Site/Exploration Zone Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars 2. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 3. Postdoctoral Fellow, Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute 4. [NASA] ROSES-15 WFIRST Science Investigation Teams and Adjutant Scientists 5. GSA 2015 Session T132. Mineralogy of Diagenesis on Earth and Mars: In Honor of Nicolas J. Tosca, 2015 MSA Awardee 6. AGU 2015 Session 8104. Evolutions, Interactions and Origins of Outer Planet Satellites 7. AGU 2015 Session 8234. Mercury After MESSENGER 8. AGU 2015 Session 8371. Era of Citizen Science and Big Data: Intersection of Outreach, Crowd-Sourced Data and Scientific Research 9. AGU 2015 Session 8664. Polarimetry as a Tool to Study the Earth, Solar System and Beyond 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 2ND ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FIRST LANDING SITE/EXPLORATION ZONE WORKSHOP FOR HUMAN MISSIONS TO THE SURFACE OF MARS This announcement provides the details on how to participate in the workshop. The workshop will be held October 27 to 30, 2015, at the Lunar Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, TX. The purpose of this workshop is to identify and discuss candidate locations where humans could land, live and work on the martian surface. NASA hopes to engage scientists, technologists and experts in human exploration during the conference, fostering collaboration among the teams that will enable humans to explore Mars in the coming decades. Potential "Exploration Zones" will need to offer compelling science research while also providing resources that our astronauts can take advantage of during their pioneering of the Red Planet. First explorers will be limited to about 60 miles (100 km) of travel from their landing site due to life support and exploration technology requirements. For More Information: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/second-landing- site-announcement.pdf http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/explorationzone2015/ 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 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. A sample research opportunity is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17736 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/1UA7aHs For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 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 FELLOW, HOPKINS EXTREME MATERIALS INSTITUTE A postdoctoral fellow position is available within the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute at Johns Hopkins University, in the area of experiments and modeling of dynamic failure of geological materials under impact loading conditions. The postdoc will: (a) assist in the development of theoretical and computational models for dynamic failure of geological materials, (b) closely interact with experts in x-ray phase contrast imaging to characterize dynamic damage using synchrotron sources, and (c) help design experimental techniques. The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. K.T. Ramesh and Prof. Nitin Daphalapurkar. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in planetary science, engineering or physical sciences disciplines, and background in mechanics and numerical methods. The University is committed to building a diverse environment; women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates should send an email to bess@jhu.edu with a single PDF file containing curriculum vitae, names of at least two references, and a brief description of your experience and background. Review of applications will begin August 15. The Johns Hopkins University is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. 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] ROSES-15 WFIRST SCIENCE INVESTIGATION TEAMS AND ADJUTANT SCIENTISTS Program element D.11 of ROSES-2015 solicits proposals for Science Investigation Teams and Adjutant Scientists for the Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), which will result in the formation of a Formulation Science Working Group (FSWG) for the mission. Selected teams will be funded by contract and shall be responsible for the following tasks in support of the proposed scientific investigations with WFIRST: * Development of scientific performance requirements; * Design of notional observing program(s); * Development of science data analysis techniques; and * Development of simulations and data challenges to validate the above items. The selected individuals for the Adjutant Scientist positions will be responsible for: * Coordinating performance requirements and observing program activities; * Acting as a liaison between scientists and the instrument team; * Balancing the use of the relevant instrument to achieve all WFIRST science; and * Communication with the astronomical community. Required Notices Of Intent (NOI) due: August 17, 2015 Proposal submission due date: October 15, 2015 Announcement #: NNH15ZDA001N Posted at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and RSS feed: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations /roses-2015 Questions: Dominic Benford at Dominic.Benford@nasa.gov [Edited for length.] 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 GSA 2015 SESSION T132. MINERALOGY OF DIAGENESIS ON EARTH AND MARS: IN HONOR OF NICOLAS J. TOSCA, 2015 MSA AWARDEE This session will be held at the GSA Annual Meeting, taking place in Baltimore, MD on November 1-4, 2015. It is in honor of Nick Tosca, winner of the 2015 MSA Award, and will be devoted to recent experimental, theoretical, and observational advances in characterizing and interpreting the mineralogical relationships developed during aqueous diagenesis on both Earth and Mars. Abstract deadline: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 Abstract Submission Website: http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2015/sessions/topical.asp Conveners: Scott McLennan, Stony Brook University Darby Dyar, Mount Holyoke College Andy Knoll, Harvard University 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 2015 SESSION 8104. EVOLUTIONS, INTERACTIONS AND ORIGINS OF OUTER PLANET SATELLITES This session explores current and past planetary processes that lead to unique present day conditions on outer planet satellites. The session will consist of invited and contributed talks that highlight geological and geophysical modeling and interpretation of both remote-sensed and in-situ data. Presentations on interaction of planetary field and plasma with the surfaces and interiors of the moons and theoretical models of the origin and evolution of surfaces and interiors of the moons are also welcome. Contributions that investigate processes on multiple moons to uncover underlying trends are especially welcome. Conveners: Amanda R Hendrix and Krishan K. Khurana 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 2015 SESSION 8234. MERCURY AFTER MESSENGER We are pleased to announce a session on Mercury at the 2015 AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA, December 14-18, 2015. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft completed more than four years of orbital operations at Mercury in April 2015. The mission returned unprecedented measurements of Mercury's surface, interior, exosphere, and magnetosphere that collectively have revolutionized our understanding of the innermost planet. This session will highlight results from the most recent, highest-resolution observations returned by MESSENGER, as well as results from analysis of the six years of flyby and orbital data from this highly successful mission, to understand Mercury's geological evolution, the planet's geophysical and geochemical characteristics, and the interaction of the planet's exosphere and magnetosphere with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. We also welcome contributed papers on complementary ground-based observations, laboratory measurements, theoretical developments relevant to planetary processes at Mercury, and future mission opportunities. Please consider submitting an abstract for this session. For more information,visit: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm15/preliminaryview.cgi/Session8234 The submission deadline is August 5, 2015. Conveners: Paul Byrne (Lunar and Planetary Institute) Larry Nittler (Carnegie Institution of Washington) Sean Solomon (Columbia University) We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco. 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 2015 SESSION 8371. ERA OF CITIZEN SCIENCE AND BIG DATA: INTERSECTION OF OUTREACH, CROWD-SOURCED DATA AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Abstracts due 5 August 2015. The traditional method of outreach to formal, informal, science and non-science audiences has undergone a fundamental change with recent advances in technology, social media and crowd-sourced data, giving way to citizen science with many applications. With increasing "Big Data" projects, active partnerships between professional, amateur and data scientist communities are necessary. Innovative design, sustainability and evaluation of these projects is as important as the citizen science they generate. This session invites papers from scientists, educators and as well as those who design, facilitate, evaluate or fund such programs. Topics may include methodology, applications of citizen science to enhancing outreach, transformative approaches to science education, lessons learned, and the future of citizen science. Presentations are invited from all scientific disciplines: astronomy, planetary and space science, geology and geophysics, seismology, biogeoscience, atmosphere and ocean sciences. Primary Convener: Padma A Yanamandra-Fisher Space Science Institute Rancho Cucamonga, CA Convener: Constance E Walker National Optical Astronomy Observatory Tucson, AZ 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 2015 SESSION 8664. POLARIMETRY AS A TOOL TO STUDY THE EARTH, SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND Abstracts due 5 August 2015. Polarimetry is a powerful tool providing a wealth of information about various solar system objects (e.g., planetary atmospheres; atmosphereless objects, comets, dust, asteroids, ring systems) and terrestrial phenomena, including habitability. Polarimetric techniques, combined with imaging and spectroscopic methods, are used to explore the microphysics of terrestrial clouds; magnetic fields; biological activity of molecules and properties of regoliths on planetary satellites. The session is open to invited and contributed oral and poster papers about recent observational results; advances in vector radiative transfer theory (including non-sphericity effects on single scattering); laboratory measurements; instrumental developments for imaging and spectropolarimeters to be included in ground-based facilities and space missions in planetary and earth sciences. Primary Convener: Padma A Yanamandra-Fisher Space Science Institute Rancho Cucamonga, CA Conveners: Ludmilla Kolokolova University of Maryland College Park, MD Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris VI, Paris, France Herve Lamy Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy Brussels, Belgium 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 Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html April 12-15, 2016 Water in the Universe: From Clouds to Oceans http://www.congrexprojects.com/2016-events/16a06 Noordwijk, The Netherlands [Editor Note: 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.] *********************************************************************** * 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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