Heliosphere News - June 2, 2020
http://heliospherenews.unh.edu/
A newsletter devoted to Heliospheric Science.
Editor: Nathan Schwadron (nschwadron at unh.edu) Co-Editor: Mihir Desai (mdesai at swri.edu)
Co-Editor: Eric Zirnstein (ejz at princeton.edu) Co-Editor: Matina Gkioulidou
(matina.gkioulidou at jhuapl.edu) Co-Editor: Nick Pogorelov (np0002 at uah.edu)
Coordinator: Liz Wilber (Elizabeth.Wilber at unh.edu)
Web site editor: Ken Fairchild (Ken.Fairchild at unh.edu)
If you are interested in being added to the list, being removed from the list, or posting
an announcement, please send information to Nathan, Mihir, Eric, Matina, or Nick. Posts are
limited to ascii text. Newsletters are archived on the following website:
http://heliospherenews.unh.edu/.
******************* Announcements *******************
1. SPA Bowie Lecture Nominations deadline June 1
2. Call for Community Input to LWS Focused Science Topics (Due 3 July)
3. INVITATION TO SUBMIT: Participate in Frontiers Research Topic
"New Challenges in Space Plasma Physics" (Abstract due 21 June)
4. MEETING: Heliophysics 2050 Workshop Community Announcement
5. 3rd Annual Interstellar Probe Exploration Workshop, November 17–19, 2020, Silver Spring, Maryland
6. POSTPONEMENT of Workshop on space plasma physics and complexity (distributions,
turbulence, plasma processes, etc.), within the tri-annual general conference
in statistical physics Sigma-Phi-2020
7. POSTPONEMENT of Workshop: Observatory for the Outer Heliosphere, Heliosheath, and
Interstellar Space will be held in Boulder, Colorado.
8. MEETING: COSPAR Scientific Assembly, NEW DATES: 28 January - 4 February,
2021
9. MEETING: MUAN 2020: Upper Atmospheres and Ionospheres in the Inner Solar
System, September 9-11, 2020, New York, New York
10. MEETING: 16th European Solar Physics Meeting (ESPM-16), Turin (Italy),
postponed till September 2021
11. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Anticipated NASA Job Announcement - Heliophysics Program Scientist(s)
12. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral, Early-Career Staff, and Mid-Career Staff
Positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory
13. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Research Position in Space Physics at
Florida Institute of Technology
14. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Civil Servant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center
*******************
1. SPA Bowie Lecture Nominations deadline June 1
Dear Colleagues,
The deadline for submitting nominations for this year's SPA Bowie lectures is June 1.
At the 2020 Fall Meeting, the Van Allen lecture and the Nicolet lecture will be given which
honor Space Scientists who have made significant contributions in the fields of Magnetospheric
science and Aeronomy, respectively.
Please draft a one page (or less) nomination letter supporting a deserving colleague, briefly
describing their accomplishments, contributions to our community and why they would deliver an
exciting lecture to the broad SPA audience.
The letter should be sent to either Christina Cohen (cohen at srl.caltech.edu) or Geoff Reeves
(geoff at reevesresearch.org) by Monday, June 1, 2020.
Thank you for your contributions,
Christina and Geoff
*******************
2. Call for Community Input to LWS Focused Science Topics
Release Date: May 14, 2020
Due Date: July 3, 2020
From: Sabrina Savage (sabrina.savage at nasa.gov) and Anthea Coster (ajc at haystack.mit.edu)
The 2020 executive committee of the NASA Living with a Star (LWS) Program Analysis Group (LPAG)
is beginning to develop the next round of input for LWS Focused Science Topics (FSTs) for ROSES 2021
and beyond. It is vital for the success of the LWS Science program that there be active community
engagement in the development of FSTs. We are therefore asking the Heliophysics community to provide
input by July 3, 2020 for these topics.
Suggested science topics should be organized around achieving the goals set out in the recently revised
Strategic Science Areas (SSAs; https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/strategic-science-areas-ssas). See Key
Resources below for more information.
Enter FST suggestions by using the following link (on or before July 3, 2020):
https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/communityinput/input/.
View Input and Comment on FST community input in response to this call (on or before July 3, 2020)
at: https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/communityinput/viewinput/2020/.
All FSTs suggested by the community prior to and during 2018 that were not selected by NASA for the
ROSES 2019 and 2020 LWS science calls will also be reviewed by the LPAG executive committee.
Community input regarding updates to those topics is welcome through the same View Input and
Comment page above.
For reference, the full list of topics that were developed from the last set of community input on FSTs by
the previous LPAG committee in 2018 are available in the final report of that committee at:
https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/docs/lpag/2018_LPAG_EC_Report_Final_11_30.pdf
And the original community input and comments at:
https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/communityinput/viewinput/2018/.
We greatly look forward to your input and to continuing on the path of innovation and scientific
exploration in the LWS program.
LPAG Executive Committee Members: Anthea Coster (Co-Chair), Sabrina Savage (Co-Chair), Joe
Borovsky, Richard Collins, Seebany Datta-Barua, Chuanfei Dong, Heather Elliott, Matina Gkioulidou,
Fan Guo, Angelos Vourlidas, Brian Walsh, Shasha Zou, LPAG Ex Officio Members: Jeff Morrill, Lika
Guhathakurta, Simon Plunkett, Shing Kung
Key Resources:
LPAG, https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/lpag
The current LWS SSA descriptions are provided here:
https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/strategic-science-areas-ssas
********************
3. INVITATION TO SUBMIT: Participate in Frontiers Research Topic "New Challenges in Space Plasma Physics"
From: Daniel Verscharen (d.verscharen@ucl.ac.uk)
Dear Colleagues,
We would like to draw your attention to the new Research Topic "New Challenges in Space
Plasma Physics: Open Questions and Future Mission Concepts” in the journals Frontiers
in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
(website: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/13935/new-challenges-in-space-plasma-physics-open-questions-and-future-mission-concepts).
We would greatly appreciate if you would consider submitting an article to this series.
Our Research Topic is designed to capture the state of space plasma physics, both in
terms of the important open questions and the mission concepts that are being considered
to address those questions. So far, several authors of white papers submitted to ESA's
Voyage 2050 strategic planning exercise have expressed their interest in participating,
and our aim is to make this Research Topic broad to cover the full international community.
Our hope is to have a collection of articles that show our field as a vibrant and active
area of physics with an exciting future ahead.
As you may know, Frontiers is a community-driven, fully open-access, online journal with
an emphasis on responsible collaborative peer-review, accountability, and editorial
independence. The journal is relatively new in our field, but growing well. Articles are
in principle subject to a publication fee, but a discount/waiver can be applied for if
you do not have access to sufficient funds for this type of publication.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 21 June 2020, and the deadline for the
manuscript submission is 19 October 2020.
If you have any questions about the Research Topic, please contact the editors.
Best wishes,
—Daniel
on behalf of the topic editors: Luca Sorriso-Valvo (lucasorriso@gmail.com),
Alessandro Retinò (alessandro.retino@lpp.polytechnique.fr),
Christopher Chen (christopher.chen@qmul.ac.uk),
Daniel Verscharen (d.verscharen@ucl.ac.uk)
********************
4. Heliophysics 2050 Workshop Community Announcement
NASA, NSF, and NOAA are pleased to announce the Heliophysics 2050 Workshop.
This workshop will be an agency-enabled, community-driven event to examine
long-term goals as well as helping the community prepare for the next Solar
and Space Physics Decadal Survey.
The workshop is being planned for an in-person venue, with on-line
participation options, the week of August 3, 2020. Due to the current
situation and travel restrictions, secondary options of an all-virtual
workshop and a meeting delay are also being considered.
This workshop will focus on discussing a strategic, multi-decadal science
framework for solar and space physics. It is anticipated that conference
proceedings will be published for community members to leverage in framing
their own white papers to the Decadal Survey process. The community will
create a cohesive science strategy that will enable the ability to:
1. Identify essential science investigations necessary for major
advancements in solar and space physics.
2. Use the desired investigations to identify the research and capability
development needed to meet the requirements of these missions.
3. Recognize research needed in the next decade to prepare for the
long-term research goals.
4. Recognize work needed to ensure a pipeline from basic research to
pre-application research and then into operational needs, including the
operations-to-research loop that strengthens forecasting and other
predictive capabilities.
A Science Organizing Committee (SOC) will be formed from community members
to help manage the workshop. The SOC will help organize the workshop
schedule, including planning the sessions, sorting the abstracts, and
managing the workshop discussions. These individuals will also serve as
editors for the proceedings document resulting from the workshop.
As part of workshop preparation, short community white papers will be
solicited. Those white papers will be used by the SOC to plan the workshop
sessions and focus those discussions.
Further information will be released via community announcements over the
next few weeks.
Please contact Jared Leisner (jared.s.leisner at nasa.gov) with any questions.
*******************
5. 3rd Annual Interstellar Probe Exploration Workshop
November 17–19, 2020
Silver Spring, Maryland
The 3rd Annual Interstellar Probe Exploration Workshop is scheduled for November 17–19, 2020 at the Tommy Douglas Conference Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The workshop is being organized for heliophysicists, planetary scientists, astrophysicists, and engineers from all over the world.
The purpose of the workshop is to gather together and discuss the objectives, design, and operations for a near-term, pragmatic interstellar probe mission.
The workshop is organized by a team at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory studying such a mission for the Heliophysics Division in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
Visit the JHU APL Interstellar Probe website for detailed information about the ongoing study.
IMPORTANT: To be added to the mailing list to receive pertinent information about this workshop and to indicate your interest in participating, please submit an Indication of Interest.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/interstellarprobe2020/
#interstellarprobe2020
For more information, contact:
Meeting and Publication Services
USRA/Lunar and Planetary Institute
meetinginfo@hou.usra.edu
*******************
6. POSTPONEMENT of Workshop on space plasma physics and complexity (distributions,
turbulence, plasma processes, etc.), within the tri-annual general conference
in statistical physics Sigma-Phi-2020
Workshop Organizers: G. Livadiotis, M. Leubner, H. Elliott, K. Dialynas:
Kappa Distributions and nonextensive Statistical Mechanics
Theory and Applications in Space Plasma Physics & Complexity Science
The meeting has been postponed until Jul 12-16, 2021, and will still be held
in Crete, Greece. Please mark your calendars, updated information will be
provided closer to the meeting date.
*******************
7. POSTPONEMENT of Workshop: Observatory for the Outer Heliosphere, Heliosheath, and
Interstellar Space
Outer Heliosphere Workshop - Boulder
We are glad you are interested in our Observatory for the Outer Heliosphere,
Heliosheath, and Interstellar Space Workshop; we are as well.
We believe it is important to hold this workshop in person to make discussion
easier and the meeting more productive. Discussion online is very challenging.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic we will reschedule this workshop for a later date,
when it is clear that it is safe to travel. We will keep registrants on our
mailing list and get back to you with more details about holding this meeting later.
Organizers: Heather Elliott (helliott@swri.edu) and Ralph McNutt (Ralph.McNutt@jhuapl.edu)
Host: Fran Bagenal (bagenal@lasp.colorado.edu)
*******************
8. MEETING: COSPAR Scientific Assembly, NEW DATES: 28 January - 4 February, 2021.
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly will take place on 28 January - 4 February
at the International Convention Center in Sydney, Australia.
The 2021 Assembly will combine the latest in space research findings with
activities designed to enrich the global space research community -
including helping equip our future leaders, and workshopping with space
industry - and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. You
will have the opportunity of a lifetime to interact directly with everything
that Australia has to offer - our science and innovation, our people, our
heritage, and our beautiful environment. The Assembly website is
https://www.cospar2020.org.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES:
Early Bird Registration Deadline 31 October 2020
Speaker Registration Deadline 31 October 2020
Accommodation Booking Deadline 15 December 2020
*******************
9. MEETING: MUAN 2020: Upper Atmospheres and Ionospheres in the Inner Solar
System, September 9-11, 2020, New York, New York
This three-day workshop will bring together scientists interested in the
general dynamics of, and coupling between, ionized and neutral atmospheric
constituents of three key inner Solar System planets: Mars, Earth, and
Venus. Other bodies, such as comets and moons are also welcome. The
objective is to embrace comparative studies between different planetary
bodies in addition to the usual Mars aeronomy and plasma physics
discussions, as this will lead to a better understanding of the role of
upper atmospheres on planetary evolution and habitability at Mars and in the
Solar System.
The main topics for discussion are:
- Planetary aeronomy - past, present and future.
- Thermosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere-exosphere (TIME) coupling.
- Lower-upper atmosphere connections.
A significant part of the workshop will be devoted to brainstorming and
opportunities to discuss different science aspects, and to help establish
fruitful collaborations.
Our workshop will be hosted by Columbia University in New York City, with
opportunities to present posters or talks. The workshop will be limited to
100 attendees, so to aid us in planning, we encourage all those interested
to please indicate your interest here: https://bit.ly/37Obwp9
SOC:
Beatriz Sanchez-Cano (University of Leicester)
David Andrews (Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
Mark Lester (University of Leicester)
Robert Lillis (UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory)
Hermann Opgenoorth (Umea University)
Dmitri Titov (ESA)
Michael J. Way (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies)
Olivier Witasse (ESA)
Email inquiries about this meeting can be directed to Linda Sohl (LOC) at
linda.sohl at columbia.edu.
*******************
10. MEETING: 16th European Solar Physics Meeting (ESPM-16), Turin (Italy),
POSTPONED till September, 2021
The scientific program of ESPM-16 includes the following sessions:
Session 1 - Solar Interior, Dynamo, Large-Scale Flows and the Solar Cycle
Session 2 - The Solar Atmosphere: Heating, Dynamics and Coupling
Session 3 - Fundamental Plasma Processes in the Solar Atmosphere: Magnetic Reconnection,
Waves, Emission, Particle Acceleration
Session 4 - From Radio to Gamma Rays: Near-Sun Manifestations and Triggering of Solar
Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections
Session 5 - Solar-Terrestrial Relations, Solar Wind, Space Weather and Space Climate
The ESPM-16 website can be found at https://indico.ict.inaf.it/e/ESPM-16.
We look forward to welcoming you to Turin.
The ESPM-16 LOC.
*******************
11. JOB OPENING: Anticipated NASA Job Announcement - Heliophysics Program Scientist(s)
From: Mona Kessel, Kate Petersen, Chris Caisse, Karen Fox (mona.kessel at nasa.gov)
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate anticipates releasing a USAJOBS announcement to fill multiple Program Scientist
positions across the directorate at Headquarters in Washington, D.C., including within the Heliophysics Division.
The anticipated release of the openings is June 2020. The Heliophysics Program Scientist(s) will work as part of a
diverse and agile team whose core values include excellence, integrity, transparency, teamwork and a growth mindset
toward stewarding the nation’s Heliophysics program.
Responsibilities
The strategic objective of NASA’s Heliophysics Division is to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth,
the Solar System and the interstellar medium, including space weather. Heliophysics incorporates studies of the
interconnected elements in a single system that produces dynamic space weather and that evolves in response to solar,
planetary, and interstellar conditions. Studying this system allows us to discover the fundamental physics governing
how the universe works, and also helps protect our technology and astronauts in space. The study of the coupled Solar-Terrestrial
system can also teach us more about the habitability of planets in other stellar systems throughout the universe.
SMD Program Scientists have broad responsibility for advancing NASA’s science portfolio. Program Scientists have substantial
influence over high-level Heliophysics strategic planning, as well as leading the long-term scientific direction of missions
and programs that they oversee.
Specifically, a Program Scientist within the Heliophysics Division:
- Plans, directs, and leads the integration of cross-functional scientific programs in various technical disciplines.
- Implements balanced programs across the breadth of a science portfolio within technological, scientific, budgetary, and programmatic constraints.
- Oversees and manages flight projects across the breadth of a science portfolio to enable scientific mission success within budgetary and programmatic constraints.
- Oversees research and analysis programs, including
developing proposal solicitations;
implementing the review of submitted proposals;
developing recommendations to management for selections that integrate proposal review and programmatic considerations; and
initiating and monitoring research contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements.
- Provides innovative and implementable solutions that are strategic and tactical, and in alignment with the priorities of NASA and the nation.
- Communicates, engages, and builds consensus with multiple stakeholders, including the scientific community, external advisory committees, senior NASA leaders, interagency and international partners, and
programs and projects at NASA Centers.
- Manages multiple and competing responsibilities using effective time management and organizational skills.
- Actively promotes diversity and inclusiveness, within NASA appointed teams and committees, and within the science community.
NASA recognizes that candidates with non-traditional career paths, or individuals who are at earlier stages of their careers
may have demonstrated experience in different ways. NASA encourages applications from such individuals.
Application Process
This will be a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) announcement through https://www.USAJOBS.gov/, so it will only be open for 5 days.
The short period that the announcement is open is due to the type of hiring authority, which streamlines the hiring process and
assists with rapidly filling competitive positions. In order to apply for this position, you will only need to submit your resume
and answer the screening questions and supplemental information through USAJOBS.
Given the short period the announcement is open, it is a good idea to log into USAJOBS before and update your username, password, resume, etc.,
to facilitate the timely submission of an application.
Further Information
Candidates interested in this opportunity are encouraged to contact NASA well in advance so they can make a well informed decision
on submitting an application during the very short (5 day) window when the job opportunity will be open for applications.
Questions about these anticipated openings for a Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters may be directed to Simon Plunkett,
Program Scientist, Heliophysics at simon.p.plunkett@nasa.gov.
*******************
12. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral, Early-Career Staff, and Mid-Career Staff
Positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory
The Space Science and Applications (ISR-1) Group at Los Alamos National
Laboratory is hiring postdocs and staff scientists at the early- and
mid-career level to support our research programs in magnetospheric and
heliospheric science and our national security mission focused on
space-based verification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty.
Positions are available for candidates with expertise in modeling &
simulation, data analysis, and/or instrumentation. We particularly seek
strong candidates with expertise in our core research areas including inner
magnetospheres, natural and man-made radiation belts, space weather, and
plasma, energetic particle, and neutral particle sensors. Candidates are
also sought who can contribute to developing topic areas including
ionospheric physics and magnetosphere-ionospheric coupling, GICs, EMP, and
heliospheric and planetary science.
For the staff scientist positions, candidates are sought who have the
flexibility and interest in contributing to both basic science research and
our national security mission. Staff scientist positions require the ability
to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires U.S. citizenship.
For the postdoc positions, candidates are expected to contribute to our
basic science research. Postdoc positions are open to all citizenships. The
ability to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires U.S. citizenship,
is desirable but not required.
Los Alamos has been named a "Top 10" small town to live in, with its
abundant outdoor recreation, highly ranked public school system, and
available community facilities and activities.
Two-body problem? Maybe we can help! LANL has recently launched an
aggressive hiring campaign to meet future staffing needs across many
disciplines, including a new system to promote dual-career hires into
strategic areas.
Interested candidates should contact Daniel Reisenfeld or Vania Jordanova.
More about the ISR Division and the ISR-1 group can be found at . The ISR-1
postdoc and staff scientist (Scientist 2, 3, and 4) job ads can be found by
clicking on "Space Science and Applications" on the right menu.
*******************
13. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Research Position in Space Physics at
Florida Institute of Technology
The Space Physics Group in the Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space
Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, is offering one or more
postdoctoral positions in space physics. Department website is
https://www.fit.edu/engineering-and-science/academics-and-learning/aerospace
-physics-and-space-sciences/research/. The Space Physics Group researches in
several areas of heliospheric physics. These positions focus on studying
cosmic rays and solar energetic particle radiation for space weather
forecasts. Preferred qualifications of the candidate include having prior
experience in numerical computer modeling, machine learning, and analyzing
plasma, particle, and magnetic field data from spacecraft. The applicant
should have a Ph.D. degree in space physics or closely related disciplines.
Send application to mzhang at fit.edu in a single PDF file along with names
and contact information for recommendation letters.
*******************
14. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Civil Servant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center
The Energetic Particle Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is looking
to hire a scientist with experience in designing, building and analyzing data from
instruments that measure ionized and neutral high-energy particles in the heliosphere
and magnetosphere. The laboratory currently has instruments in development for
the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission (launch in 2024),
several cubesats for Low-Earth Orbit and interplanetary space, and the Lunar Gateway.
The Energetic Particle Laboratory is in the Heliospheric Science Laboratory (Code 672)
of Goddard's Heliophysics Science Division. This is a US Government Civil Servant
position, therefore applicants are required to be either US citizens or currently
holding a green card and are expected to have a PhD in a related field and several
years of experience beyond completion of their PhD. Interested individuals should
send a current CV to Adam Szabo (adam.szabo@nasa.gov), Code 672 Lab Chief, and Eric
Christian (eric.r.christian@nasa.gov), Code 672 Associate Lab Chief and head of the
Energetic Particle Laboratory.
********************