PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 15, Number 39 (September 19, 2021) PEN Website: https://planetarynews.org Editor: Alex Morgan Co-Editors: Georgiana Kramer, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor@psi.edu Twitter: @pen2tweets o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Fall 2021 Soffen Student Travel Grant 2. Call For Papers: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences - Applications of Statistical Methods and Machine Learning in the Space Sciences 3. Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Study of Solar System Small Bodies 4. Planet Formation: From Dust Coagulation to Final Orbit Assembly 5. Call for Sessions: International Mineralogical Association Meeting 2022 6. [NASA] PDS: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Data Release 47 7. Webinar for Early Career Scientists 8. Postdoctoral Researcher Position at Stony Brook University 9. Tenure-track Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis 10. Ph.D. Position in Aeolian Geoscience at UCLA 11. ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting Session: Ocean Science for Ocean Worlds 12. Research Associate Position in Space Plasmas at the University of Colorado Boulder 13. Abstract Deadline for Venera-D: Venus Cloud Habitability System Workshop 14. Open Rank Faculty Position in Space Physics at UCLA 15. 13th Virtual MEPAG Meeting (VM13) 16. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions 17. Planetary Science Journal - New Papers 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 FALL 2021 SOFFEN STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT The Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the Fall 2021 Travel Grant application opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies in fields of space science and engineering. The Travel Grants enable student recipients to attend professional conferences to present their research. Recipients may use the Grant for either virtual or in-person conferences. The Soffen Fund will award up to $1000 in total, with no individual award greater than $500, to cover expenses related to presenting research at either a virtual or in-person conference. The number of awards will depend on applicants' needs. The Fall 2021 Travel Grant application deadline is October 11, 2021. 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: https://SoffenFund.org Questions regarding the application or application process may be sent to: help@SoffenFund.org 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 CALL FOR PAPERS: FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES - APPLICATIONS OF STATISTICAL METHODS AND MACHINE LEARNING IN THE SPACE SCIENCES A special issue on "Applications of Statistical Methods and Machine Learning in the Space Sciences" is opening. We are inviting contributions from presenters at the virtual conference of the same name held during May 17-21, 2021: https://spacescience.org/workshops/mlconference2021.php We also invite the broader scientific community to contribute original research articles, reviews/mini-reviews, brief reports and commentaries on the present scenario and scope of statistical methods, machine learning, and data science in the space sciences and relevant to the topics covered in the virtual conference: solar physics, magnetospheric studies and aeronomy, planetary sciences, exoplanets, galaxies. Please visit the website for more information: https://bit.ly/3nNHDRi Please submit abstracts by October 1, 2021. Manuscripts for the special issue are due by December 17, 2021. We look forward to seeing your manuscripts, Bala Poduval, Karly Pitman, Olga Verkhoglyadova (Associate Guest Editors) 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 RESEARCH FELLOW IN THE STUDY OF SOLAR SYSTEM SMALL BODIES Applications are invited for a 2-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) at Queen's University Belfast. The successful applicant will work with Dr. Meg Schwamb to develop and exploit next-generation tools for analysing and interpreting future Solar System moving object detections from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Rubin Observatory science operations are planned to begin around mid-2024, with the survey expected to discover millions of asteroids and tens of thousands of distant Solar System planetesimals. This post will focus on developing software pipelines and utilities for LSST Solar System science and applying these techniques to present-day LSST-precursor datasets, including the development of a pipeline to discover distant Solar System bodies beyond ~100 au that are not expected to be discoverable by the main Rubin Observatory Solar System Processing pipeline. To read the full details and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/3tQJLJf Application Deadline: October 13, 2021 ARC website: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/astrophysics-research-centre/ 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 PLANET FORMATION: FROM DUST COAGULATION TO FINAL ORBIT ASSEMBLY Dear Colleagues, It gives us great pleasure to announce the 2022 Planet Formation program at the Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics (MIAPP). This program aims to bring together experts in observation and theory in planetary astronomy to assess the current status of planet formation theories, highlight problems, and explore the possibility of developing comprehensive models. Please see the program website for more details: https://www.munich-iapp.de/final-orbit-assembly22 The structure of the program is informal. The main goal is to create an environment that will facilitate collaborations and new initiatives. There will be daily gathering for discussing specific topics, new results, and brainstorming. The meeting will be held: June 7 - July 1, 2022 MIAPP, Garching, Germany To attend, please apply using the following link: https://www.munich-iapp.de/2022-registration-planet-formation Please also note that MIAPP requires attendance for at least two weeks. Financial support is available at the rate of EUR 80 per day for accommodation and local expenses. Additional financial support for attendees with family and children and for graduate students are also available. Please see the details at: https://www.munich-iapp.de/for-visitors/financial-support Looking forward to receiving your applications. Man Hoi Lee, Nader Haghighipour, and Soko Matsumura 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 CALL FOR SESSIONS: INTERNATIONAL MINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION MEETING 2022 The 23rd International Mineralogical Association (IMA) General Meeting will be held in Lyon, France, July 18-22 2022. The aim of this meeting is to paint mineralogy with the colors of space exploration at the light of recent results of missions such as Hayabusa or Mars 2020. IMA2022 welcomes session proposals within but not limited to the main themes of the conference: - Mineral systematics: new minerals and classification of minerals - Physics and chemistry of minerals: physical and chemical properties of minerals and of rocks, various spectroscopies, and methods of investigation - Ores and ore mineralogy: mineral or ore deposits of economic interest - Mineralogy and petrology: mineralogy and its relation to petrological studies - Planetary mineralogy: minerals on other bodies of the Solar System and beyond, planetary exploration, and space missions - Planetary interiors: the constituents of planets, and behaviour of minerals at extreme conditions of pressures and temperature - The dynamical world of minerals: mineral reactions, and mineral evolution. Each session proposal must include a concise description of the scientific topic that presents enough arguments to show its timeliness and relevance to the field of mineralogy. Submit the session no later than October 31, 2021: https://www.ima2022.fr//add-a-submission [Edited for length] 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] PDS: LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DATA RELEASE 47 The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 47 of data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. This release contains raw and calibrated data products covering the nominal time period from March 15, 2021, through June 14, 2021. Some instrument teams are delivering more recent data. The data are archived at various PDS nodes. - CRaTER at the PPI Node - Diviner at the Geosciences Node - LAMP at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node - LEND at the Geosciences Node - LOLA at the Geosciences Node - LROC at the LROC Data Node - Mini-RF at the Geosciences Node - Radio Science at the Geosciences Node - SPICE at the NAIF Node The data may be accessed from: https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/lro/ To access the data by dataset: https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscription-service/SS-20210915.shtml LRO releases occur every three months. The next release is scheduled for December 15, 2021. 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 WEBINAR FOR EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS Early Career Scientists (ECS) of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) hold a monthly webinar across various research fields of atmospheric sciences. The topic of this month is planetary atmospheres. Tuesday September 21 at 15:00-16:00 UTC Speaker: Dr. Xi Zhang, UCSC, USA Title: Diverse Clouds and Hazes in Planetary Atmospheres We welcome your attendance. Details can be found in the link below: https://bit.ly/3Cr3277 We would like to also inform you that the International Commission on Planetary Atmospheres and Evolution (ICPAE), which is one of 10 commissions of IAMAS. You can find more information about ICPAE from this link: https://www.iamas.org/icpae/ 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 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITION AT STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY There is an open postdoctoral researcher position in the Stony Brook University Department of Geosciences to work with Prof. Tim Glotch on two projects funded by NASA and DOE. The work involves fundamental infrared spectroscopy and modeling of minerals and mineral mixtures. The job posting can be found at: https://bit.ly/3nKjyLd 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 TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS The Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor faculty position specializing in the study of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. Areas of interest include observation and analysis of planetary systems from ground and space-based observatories or the investigation of astromaterials to study the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The appointment is supported by the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences (MCSS) and will begin in Fall 2022. Information about our department is at: https://physics.wustl.edu/ and information about the MCSS is at: https://mcss.wustl.edu/. To see full details and to apply online go to: https://apply.interfolio.com/94448 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 PH.D. POSITION IN AEOLIAN GEOSCIENCE AT UCLA A graduate student (Ph.D.) position in aeolian geoscience is available in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA for students starting Fall 2022. The selected student will work on projects related to aeolian geoscience, including, but not limited to, a field-heavy study of modern dunes in the American Southwest. The selected student may also pursue projects related to aeolian geology and geomorphology on other planets (Mars, Venus, etc), projects involving numerical modeling of dunes, or experimental projects using UCLA's sediment transport wind tunnel. Demonstrated field experience/competence is a strict requirement. Students interested in completing a Ph.D. in either Geology or Planetary Science are welcome to apply. This project is supported by a funded NSF grant and graduate students in EPSS at UCLA are generally guaranteed funding support for the 5 years of their academic degree. Interested prospective students should send a resume/CV to Professor Mackenzie Day at: daym@epss.ucla.edu More information about Professor Day and the Geomorphology and Aeolian Landscape Evolution (GALE) lab can be found here: https://faculty.epss.ucla.edu/~mday/ 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 ASLO OCEAN SCIENCES MEETING SESSION: OCEAN SCIENCE FOR OCEAN WORLDS Over the last two decades, discoveries have revealed that ice-covered oceans exist as extreme environments in not only Earth's polar regions, but also in icy worlds in the outer Solar System. At Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus, those oceans are composed of salty water tens to ~100 kilometers deep, underlain by rocky seafloors with potential hydrothermal activity. These conditions may give rise to habitable environments and, perhaps, life. This session will bring together ocean scientists, planetary scientists, and engineers who study extreme environments, ranging from ice-covered polar oceans to the deep sea, with the overall goal of communicating what we should expect and prepare for in the future exploration of oceans beyond Earth, including any life they might host. We welcome abstract contributions including observational, experimental, model- based and technology-based approaches that study the oceans and the ice-ocean or seafloor-ocean interfaces in Earth and ocean worlds to explore structure, circulation, biogeochemical processes, requirements for habitability, and life. https://www.aslo.org/osm2022/ Abstract deadline: September 29, 2021 Early career scientists (within 10 yrs of Ph.D.), are encouraged to present in this session - those interested in attending in person, contact Kathryn Pietro at kpietro@whoi.edu ASAP! 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITION IN SPACE PLASMAS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER The Space Plasma Group at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado, Boulder (CU) invites applications for research scientists in Space Physics at a ranking of research scientist I or II (RS-I, RS-2). The research project is focused on Mars data analysis with a primary focus on Langmuir Probe and Waves electron density and temperature data from the MAVEN mission. Responsibilities will also include instrument operations, data processing, and verification of data products. The candidate will work with MAVEN mission/instrument software written in IDL. The candidate must hold Ph.D. in Physics or similar Scientific or Engineering discipline. The candidate should indicate their research interests, and how they could enhance and benefit the research project above. Demonstration of skills in in-situ data analysis of space plasmas is highly desirable. Application Materials Required: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, Contact information for professional references, Unofficial transcript (if graduated within the last 3 years) via the link: https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/MAVEN-Research-Scientist/33165 For more information, please contact: marcin.pilinski at lasp.colorado.edu 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 ABSTRACT DEADLINE FOR VENERA-D: VENUS CLOUD HABITABILITY SYSTEM WORKSHOP Abstracts for the Venera-D: Venus Cloud Habitability System Workshop are due September 30 at 5 PM CDT! The workshop's purpose is to discuss the formation and stability of Venus clouds over time and their role in potential habitability. This workshop will discuss what is understood about past and present habitability, the best measurements and methods needed to address these questions, and how future missions will contribute to understanding the cloud habitability system. We welcome all abstracts with a focus on any one of these four topics: 1. cloud layer habitability 2. inputs (interior, surface, exogenous) to and outputs from the cloud layer over time 3. measurements and instruments necessary to investigate the Venus cloud region 4. open questions or any additional investigations pertaining to the habitability of Venus clouds. More details, including submission instructions, can be found at: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/venera_d2021/abstracts/ In addition, following the workshop and the normal review process, the journal Astrobiology will consider papers with potentially high impact for publication in a special collection (like the one being released in the October 2021 issue). Jim Garvin, Oleg Kotsyurbenko, and Sanjay Limaye will be guest co-editors for the collection. 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 OPEN RANK FACULTY POSITION IN SPACE PHYSICS AT UCLA The UCLA Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences (EPSS) invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured faculty position in Space Physics at any rank/level. We encourage applicants from all sub-disciplines of space physics to apply, but we are particularly interested in candidates in the area of experimental space physics pertaining to the interaction of small Solar System bodies, moons, or planets with solar winds or flowing plasmas (e.g., at asteroids, Mars, Uranus, or Galilean satellites). We welcome applicants whose experience in research, teaching, and community/collegial service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to excellence and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Candidates are expected to hold a Ph.D. in Physics or a related field by the date of hire, July 1, 2022. More information on the position can be obtained at: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF06572 Applications are now being accepted. Reviews will commence on November 1, 2021 and will continue until the position is filled. Target start date is July 1, 2022. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. 15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15 13TH VIRTUAL MEPAG MEETING (VM13) Members of the Mars community, I cordially invite you to participate in the next virtual meeting (VM13) of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), scheduled on Monday, September 27, 2021, from 1 - 5 PM EDT, 10 AM - 2 PM PDT. Agenda items are expected to include updates about the following: - MEPAG - MEP Status, including update on Ice Mapper study - MSR Science Planning Group 2 reports regarding analysis of returned MSR samples - Updates from Perseverance, Curiosity and InSight - Future activities The VM13 agenda and 2nd Information Circular will be shared next week through this mailing list and on the MEPAG meeting website: https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meetings.cfm Sincerely, Dr. R. Aileen Yingst MEPAG Chair WebEx connectivity information: https://jpl.webex.com/jpl/j.php?MTID=m3f32ec5c7d2946753ad79a13e3e7c48f - Meeting number (access code): 199 833 1441 - Meeting password: mepag This meeting is open to all members of the Mars science community including our international colleagues, and I look forward to your participation. If you have a comment or question about the meeting, please email mepagmeetingqs@jpl.nasa.gov. [Edited for length] 16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16-16 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Note: Most face-to-face meetings going forward will have online components. Check their websites for details. Posted at https://planetarynews.org/meetings.html February 27 - March 4, 2022 ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting https://www.aslo.org/osm2022/ Honolulu, HI May 17-21, 2022 Applications of Statistical Methods and Machine Learning in the Space Sciences https://spacescience.org/workshops/mlconference2021.php Online June 7 - July 1, 2022 Planet Formation: From Dust Coagulation to Final Orbit Assembly https://www.munich-iapp.de/final-orbit-assembly22 Garching, Germany July 18-22, 2022 22nd International Mineralogical Association Meeting https://www.ima2022.fr/ Lyon, France [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@psi.edu.] 17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17-17 PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL - NEW PAPERS Editor, Faith Vilas https://psj.aas.org No new papers. *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at https://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to https://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html, or * send a request to pen_editor@psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor@psi.edu * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor@psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. All PEN * submissions will be tweeted @pen2tweets. Please submit a 234 (or * fewer) character tweet to accommodate the PEN tag. Alternatively, * the editorial staff will create one for you. Go to * https://planetarynews.org/submission.html for complete submission * directions. * * PEN is a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute * (https://www.psi.edu) using no NASA funds. All editorial work is * volunteer. **********************************************************************