PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 10, Number 24 (June 5, 2016) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Karen R. Stockstill-Cahill Co-Editors: Susan Benecchi, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. Visiting Assistant Professor Position, Department of Geology and Planetary Science at the University of Pittsburgh 2. NExSS Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop Without Walls and Pre-Workshop Online Activities 3. Frontiers in Theoretical and Applied Physics - UAE 2017 (FTAPS 2017) 4. Planetary Geomorphology 'Image of the Month' 5. Martian Gullies Workshop Poster Abstract Deadline Monday June 6 6. Small Bodies Assessment Group 15th Meeting: Registration and Logistics 7. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Data Release 37 8. Postdoctoral Position in Mars Science 9. Postdoc in Ionospheric Radio Occultations 10. Comets: A new vision after Rosetta/Philae and Rosetta SWT 2016 11. Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter for June 2016 12. White Paper on the Value of Participating Science programs to NASA Planetary Missions 13. Evolution of Chemical Complexity: From Simple Interstellar Molecules to Terrestrial Biopolymers 14. 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 VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR POSITION, DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH The Department of Geology and Planetary Science at the University of Pittsburgh is currently advertising for a visiting (non-tenure track) assistant professor position with specialties in one or more of the following: planetary science, volcanology, igneous petrology and/or tectonics. Due to a recent departure of a faculty member, this new hire would ideally start in the Fall. Therefore, this is being treated as a rapid hire/turn-around. You can find the details of the position and the application procedure here: http://www.geology.pitt.edu/news/visiting-assistant-professor Please feel free to contact me or the Chair of the Search committee (gpsgrad@pitt.edu) if you have further questions. Cheers, Michael Ramsey, Professor 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 NEXUS FOR EXOPLANET SYSTEM SCIENCE (NExSS) EXOPLANET BIOSIGNATURES WORKSHOP WITHOUT WALLS AND PRE-WORKSHOP ONLINE ACTIVITIES Pre-workshop online activities to review the State of the Science of remotely detectable biosignatures will commence June 13, 2016 and continue through July 15, 2016. These will be a series of three pairs of videoconference sessions to cover the science since the review by DesMarais et al. (2002) Astrobiology 2(2):153-181. Sessions will be devoted to atmospheric biosignatures, surface biosignatures, and observational technologies. Participants will contribute to compiling an up-to-date review in preparation for a white paper and the 3-day meeting in Seattle, July 27-29, 2016. Please see detailed schedule and RSVP form at: https://nexss.info/events/details/18 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 FRONTIERS IN THEORETICAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS - UAE 2017 (FTAPS 2017) The conference will be held from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25, 2017 at the beautiful campus of the American University of Sharjah. The conference is organized in partnership with the Emirates Mars Mission and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai and endorsed by the American Physical Society (APS), Materials Research Society (MRS), and the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the UK. The conference program will include parallel focused sessions on Astrophysics, Planetary and Space Physics, AMO and Laser physics, Condensed Matter, Material Science and Nanophysics. It will also include five keynote lectures delivered by renowned scientists, and fifty invited talks by leading experts in those fields. Papers contributed to the conference will be published in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) after going through a review process. Authors of selected contributions will be invited to submit extended articles toward a focus issue in Physica Scripta associated with FTAPS2017. For more information about the conference scientific and social programs, please visit the conference website: www.aus.edu/ftaps2017 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 PLANETARY GEOMORPHOLOGY 'IMAGE OF THE MONTH' The June 'Image of the Month' is now available at the IAG's Planetary Geomorphology web page: http://planetarygeomorphology.wordpress.com/ This month's topic is "The Surface Expression of Intrusive Volcanic Activity on Mars". Contributed by Peter Fawdon, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK. You can follow IAG Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PlanetaryGeomorphology or Twitter @PlanetGeomorpho Susan Conway (Chair, IAG Planetary Geomorphology working group) 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 MARTIAN GULLIES WORKSHOP POSTER ABSTRACT DEADLINE MONDAY JUNE 6 We encourage both established Mars-researchers and those new to the field to attend. The meeting concentrates on Earth analogues and we also have contributions on experimental, numerical modeling and, of course, remote sensing studies. Highlights include our invited speakers: Bill Dietrich (Berkeley), Alfred McEwen (UofA, HiRISE PI) and Anne Mangeney (IPGP). The workshop is focussed on gullies but encompasses contributions on associated landforms, such as recurring slope lineae (RSL), glacier-like forms, "solifluction" lobes, patterned ground, impact craters, dunes, etc. For more details on the conference, please see the website! There are limited places available for (A0 portrait) posters, so please send your abstracts by Monday for the second international workshop on martian gullies: "Martian Gullies and their Earth Analogues" to be held on 20-21 June 2016, hosted by the Geological Society, Burlington House, London, UK. Registration is open, so please register for the meeting now to secure your place! https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/martiangullies 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 SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP 15TH MEETING: REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS The 15th meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) will be held June 28 to midday June 30, 2016, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. Registration for the meeting is now available: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/ The SBAG website contains logistics information and the agenda, as well as the link to register. Registration is free but is important for planning and to document community interest in having future support for SBAG meetings. Please register for the upcoming meeting if you plan to attend. Nancy Chabot SBAG Chair Nancy.Chabot@jhuapl.edu 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 MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER DATA RELEASE 37 The Planetary Data System (PDS) is pleased to announce a new delivery of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data for the following instruments: CRISM CTX HiRISE MARCI MCS RSS SHARAD* SPICE *SHARAD data in this release includes only derived data. In general, MRO Release 37 includes data collected from August 9, 2015 through November 8, 2015. The release includes HiRISE data from January 25, 2016, to May 4, 2016. To access the above data: https://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-20160601.shtml To access the latest PDS Data Releases: https://pds.nasa.gov/tools/subscription_service/SS-Release.shtml 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 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 POSITION IN MARS SCIENCE The Department of Planetology and Habitability at the Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB) invites applications for a postdoctoral position to support investigations on the nature of the early Mars environments. The successful candidate will work with Dr. Alberto Fairen in the ERC-funded Project "icyMARS": https://erc.europa.eu/projects-and-results/erc-funded-projects/icymars Applicants should have a recent Ph.D. in the field of Planetary Science or related discipline, and a background in Mars research. Expertise in Geochemistry or Microbiology would be helpful, but not required. The position, placed in Madrid, would be for two years, with possible extension to a third year contingent upon funding availability and satisfactory performance. Benefits include working in a young enthusiastic team at one of the leading Planetary Sciences institutions in Europe, full social benefits according to the Spanish social care system, and a very competitive salary. Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum with a list of publications, a brief (maximum two pages) statement of research interests, and a list of three references, no later than July 1, 2016, to: Alberto Fairen agfairen@cab.inta-csic.es The starting date is negotiable, but should be no later than Jan. 1, 2017. 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 POSTDOC IN IONOSPHERIC RADIO OCCULTATIONS The Center for Space Physics at Boston University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position supervised by Professor Paul Withers. The research will involve the analysis of radio occultation observations of the ionospheres of Saturn, Titan, and Mars. Candidates should possess a PhD degree in a relevant field. Experience conducting research on planetary ionospheres is desirable. The salary offered will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Funding is available for two years with the possibility of extension. The appointment is expected to begin as soon as possible after 1 September 2016. Please contact Paul Withers (withers@bu.edu) for further information. Applications should be sent by email to Paul Withers (withers@bu.edu). The application should be submitted in PDF format and contain a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and contact information for three referees. Review of applications will begin on 1 July 2016. Women and underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. Boston University is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 COMETS: A NEW VISION AFTER ROSETTA/PHILAE AND ROSETTA SWT 2016 November 14 to 18, 2016 Toulouse, France Don't forget! Important dates: Abstract deadline: July 4, 2016 Early bird registration deadline: October 1, 2016 For more information about the conference, visit: http://comets2016toulouse.com If you have questions or need assistance during the registration process, please send an email to: contact@comets2016toulouse.com and reference Comets 2016 in the subject. 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 MARS EXPLORATION SCIENCE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR JUNE 2016 To the Mars Community, On behalf of Jeff Johnson (MEPAG Chair), Dave Beaty, Rich Zurek, and Serina Diniega of the Mars Program Science Office, the June 2016 edition of the Mars Exploration Science Monthly Newsletter can be found on the web at: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov Please send your Mars community announcements and calendar items for inclusion in the newsletter to Meredith at: Meredith.A.Cosby@jpl.nasa.gov 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 WHITE PAPER ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING SCIENCE PROGRAMS ON NASA PLANETARY MISSIONS Dear colleagues, On behalf of the Assessment/Advisory Groups (OPAG, MEPAG, VEXAG, SBAG, LEAG and CAPTEM), we are preparing a white paper about the value of Participating Science programs on NASA planetary missions, and how the usefulness of such programs might be maximized. This white paper will be delivered to NASA and made available to the scientific community. To help with the study, we have prepared a survey to gather opinions and perceptions about Participating Scientist programs and experiences. (Please note, we consider Guest Investigators and Interdisciplinary Scientists to also be a type of Participating Scientist). Please consider responding to this survey whether or not you have been a Participating scientist on a NASA mission. We will be contacting mission Principle Investigators and Project Scientists separately about their experiences, but all are welcome to fill out this survey; please answer as many or as few questions as you wish. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/ 1S-QzqQX6hgdl709VL5MMEBZbjHzti4Z8dHbvpLPLwOk/viewform If you have any questions about the survey or the white paper, please contact Louise Prokter at: Louise.Prockter@jhuapl.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 EVOLUTION OF CHEMICAL COMPLEXITY: FROM SIMPLE INTERSTELLAR MOLECULES TO TERRESTRIAL BIOPOLYMERS Liblice Castle, Czech Republic, 13-15 September 2016 The meeting will try to map the chemical evolution of the molecular building blocks of life from their possible sources in the interstellar medium, the atmospheres of planets and on their surfaces. It also aims to serve to engage the astrochemistry and systems chemistry communities into a dialogue. The meeting venue is Liblice Castle, an 18th century castle in a wonderful park offers 4 star hotel accommodation, excellent meeting facilities in Baroque settings and excellent meals. http://www.chateau-liblice.com/ The venue is situated only a 30 minutes drive from Vaclav Havel airport in Prague. A shuttle service will be provided on the arrival and departure days. Please note: Bursaries are available for scientists and Ph. D. students from countries participating in the European Union COST Action "Origins and Evolution of Life on Earth and in the Universe". A list of these countries can be inspected at: http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/tdp/TD1308?parties Deadline for registration and abstract submission is 15 July 2016. For further infos check the website: https://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/tchem/cost2016/ We are looking forward to meeting you in Liblice. Best wishes, Wolf Geppert (Edited for length.) 14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS September 13-15, 2016 Evolution of Chemical Complexity: From Simple Interstellar Molecules to Terrestr ial Biopolymers https://www.jh-inst.cas.cz/tchem/cost2016/ Liblice, Czech Republic February 22-24, 2017 Frontiers in Theoretical and Applied Physics - UAE 2017 (FTAPS 2017) http://www.aus.edu/ftaps2017 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates [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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