Heliosphere News – April 25,
2023
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: Jamie Rankin (jsrankin at princeton.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 Jamie. Posts are limited to ascii text.
Newsletters are archived on the following website:
http://heliospherenews.unh.edu/.
******************* Announcements *******************
1. JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Postdoctoral and Research Scientist positions in Heliophysics Research and Space Plasma Instrumentation
at Los Alamos National Laboratory
2. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Tenure-track assistant professor position at the Department of Space Science of the University
of Alabama in Huntsville
3. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Position in Heliospheric Physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville
4. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Space Research at Southwest Research Institute, San
Antonio, Texas
5. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Research Associate and/or Senior Research Positions in Space Physics at Princeton
University
6. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Position in the Heliophysics Research Group, University of New Hampshire, Institute
for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS), Space Science Center
7. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Associate - Space Sciences Laboratory - UC Berkeley
8. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Researcher in the Solar-Heliospheric Physics Research Group at the University of
California Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory (UCB/SSL)
9. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Fellow Position in Inner Heliospheric Physics at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, USA
10. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral position in heliophysics (Space Plasma) at FIT
11. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Term-limit Civil Servant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
12. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Solar Wind 16
13. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics and Kappa Distributions In Space Plasma Physics and
Complexity Science Workshop (W10), July 10-14, 2023 in Chania, Crete, Greece
*******************
1. JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Postdoctoral and Research Scientist positions in Heliophysics Research and Space Plasma Instrumentation
at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory seeks candidates for postdoctoral and early- to mid-career research scientist positions
in space plasma instrumentation for heliospheric and/or magnetospheric missions with the Space Science and Applications Group (ISR-1). The candidates chosen for these positions will be expected to support the development and calibration of current and next
generation space plasma and energetic neutral atom (ENA) instrumentation. It is also expected that candidates carry out original research addressing the structure and evolution of the
heliosphere and/or dynamics of the magnetosphere, through analysis of data from ongoing
NASA and/or national security missions. Additional opportunities exist to conduct laboratory-based research to investigate plasma measurement techniques. The selected candidates will have the opportunity to interact with Laboratory staff engaged in a broad
range of observational, computational, and theoretical research in heliophysics. Our scientists lead or have led experiments on many NASA missions such as IBEX, Van Allen Probes, ACE, Ulysses, TWINS, Mars Odyssey, Cassini, and IMAGE. ISR-1 is currently leading
the development of two instruments, IMAP-Hi and SWE, for the upcoming NASA IMAP mission to understand the Sun’s interaction with the interstellar medium.
Applicants should have a doctoral degree in Space Physics, Physics, Astronomy, Engineering, or appropriate similar
fields. Interested postdoctoral candidates should send their applications electronically (https://lanl.jobs/, posting IRC117467) including a CV, a publication list, and statement of research
interests. Interested research scientist candidates should directly contact dreisenfeld at lanl.gov for further information.
*******************
2. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Tenure-track assistant professor position at the Department of Space Science of the University
of Alabama in Huntsville
The Department of Space Science of the University of Alabama in Huntsville is seeking an outstanding scientist and
teacher to fill a tenure-track assistant professor position in the field of heliophysics. Areas of particular interest include solar and interplanetary physics, especially research that supports the new Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, IMAP, and HelioSwarm
missions in which the Department is engaged, particularly in the areas of coronal and solar wind physics. The ideal candidate will complement existing strengths within the Department while expanding significantly research capabilities and competencies. We
are seeking someone who uses theory, and/or modeling, and observations to address these areas of interest. The successful candidate will teach in accordance with a typical teaching load in the Department, develop at least two new advanced graduate level courses
reflecting their research expertise, and will support and mentor graduate students pursuing MSc and PhD degrees and undergraduate students in summer programs. The successful candidate will have a PhD or equivalent degree in a field appropriate to the job description
above and will have and pursue independent research funding.
Applicants must submit a complete CV, a list of publications, a list of awarded research grants, a research statement,
a teaching statement, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent by email to
pittsa@uah.edu with the header Faculty Space Physics Search Committee 2023. Applications will remain open until position is filled. More detailed information can be found at
https://www.uah.edu/hr/careers/faculty-careers#COS
Inquiries about the position can be directed to Prof. Gary Zank and Ms Antonia Pitts, respectively.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer of minorities/females/veterans/disabled.
*******************
3. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Position in Heliospheric Physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville
This opportunity is for a NASA Funded Postdoctoral Position in Heliospheric Physics at the University of Alabama in
Huntsville as part of the SHIELD DRIVE Center.
The NASA funded SHIELD DRIVE Science Center (https://shielddrivecenter.com/)
is a five-year multi-institution effort to define, quantify, and implement all relevant physical processes needed to develop and validate a "digital twin" of the
heliosphere. SHIELD is a multi institution collaboration with researchers at BU, UAH, SWRI,
Univ. of Michigan, JHU/APL, Univ. of Maryland, Univ. of Arizona, as well as international partners. The SHIELD institutions regularly collaborate and the team meets at an annual workshop in person as well as regularly via zoom.. Emerging and early career team
members have significant opportunities to network with collaborators from other institutions, collaborate with diverse research efforts and observational missions (IBEX/IMAP, Voyager, New Horizons), and interact with NASA management. The postdoctoral researcher
will develop and execute computational tools, under the umbrella of a multi-institutional research center, to model the physical processes in the solar system and beyond. He or she will use these tools to model the transport of energetic particles, including
Pickup Ions (PUI's) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR's), and their interaction with the Interstellar Medium (ISM) in and around the
heliosphere, to assess its effectiveness in protecting the Earth and planetary environment
from galactic radiation and to better understand the connection between the Sun and its surroundings. The successful candidate for this position will work with the "Heliosphere
Interaction with the LISM" Research Thrust Team at both UAH and JHU Applied Physics Lab to model the Pick Up Ions (PUI's) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR's) in the Interstellar Medium (ISM). They will also collaborate with the broader team, including the "Code
Coupling" team at University of Michigan to integrate these computer models with the Global
Heliosphere model. As a team member, the successful candidate will gain insight into the
entire field of the outer heliosphere, while contributing to our understanding of this
importan t region of the Sun's influence. Significant funding is available for conference travel and for travel to meet with collaborators.
Minimum requirements include a Ph.D. in Physics, Astrophysics, Space Science, Plasma Physics, or a related field,
intermediate level knowledge of plasma physics and familiarity with computational methods for physical sciences. Experience with object-oriented programming languages is also required. Knowledge of computational methods for fluid dynamics, plasma kinetics,
stochastic processes, or similar subjects, expertise in the C/C++ programming familiarity with Unix/Linux OS, and experience with high performance computing are desirable.
Interested candidates should apply here:
https://careers.uah.edu/cw/en-us/job/497980/postdoctoral-research-assistant-iii-step-1. For additional information, please contact Vladimir Florinski at vaf0001 at uah.edu. The SHIELD team will have a significant presence
at AGU and would be happy to speak with you about this opportunity.
********************
4. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Space Research at Southwest Research Institute, San
Antonio, Texas
The Department of Space Research at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas is seeking applications
for a postdoctoral scientist position to participate in and carry out original research in experimental space physics and supporting laboratory experiments. SwRI is involved in the development of current missions such as the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration
Probe (IMAP), TRACERS, PUNCH, Europa Clipper, JUICE, and CuSP. SwRI also leads or contributes to currently operating missions such as Juno, MMS, PSP, New Horizons, and IBEX.
The successful candidate is expected to support the development, testing, and calibration of energetic neutral atom
and plasma instruments to be flown on upcoming heliophysics or planetary missions. The candidate is expected to publish original research and results in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and present results at scientific meetings, workshops, and conferences.
The research will involve interactions with Institute Staff engaged in a broad range of experimental, observational, and computational research.
The candidate should have a PhD degree in space physics, experimental physics, or directly related physics degree
with a GPA of 3.0 or greater. The candidate should have work experience in related experimental physics. The candidate should have demonstrated the ability to program and utilize software tools such as Simion and Lua, LabView, TRIM, Geant4, IDL, C, Python,
or MATLAB.
Interested candidates should apply online at
https://resapp.swri.org/ResApp/Job_Details.aspx?JOB_CD=15-01533&JOB_TITLE=POSTDOCTORAL%20RESEARCHER%20-%20SPACECRAFT%20INSTRUMENTATION
********************
5. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Research Associate and/or Senior Research Positions in Space Physics at Princeton
University
The Space Physics Group (see
https://spacephysics.princeton.edu/) in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, anticipates offering one or more postdoctoral or
more senior research positions in the observational study of Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) and Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs).
The Space Physics Group researches many aspects of space physics (aka Heliophysics), with a strong emphasis on experimental
and observational space plasma physics. The Group currently leads NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (ISOIS) energetic particle instrument suite, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission and the Interstellar
Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission, which will launch in 2025 to explore the details of particle acceleration and the Sun's interaction with the local interstellar medium.
The successful candidate(s) will play a significant role in the analysis and publication of SEP observations from
ISOIS and/or ENA observations from IBEX and must have both significant prior experiences analyzing at least one of these type(s) of particle data, as well as the proven ability to lead and participate in the rapid development and publication of numerous excellent
research articles. A Ph.D. is required in physics, astrophysics, space science, or a closely related field.
Interested persons must apply online at
https://puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/apply/application.xhtml?listingId=26909 selecting Space Physics as the position you are interested in.
For further inquiries, contact spacephysics at princeton.edu
********************
6. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Position in the Heliophysics Research Group, University of New Hampshire, Institute
for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS), Space Science Center
The Heliophysics research group in the Space Science Center at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is seeking an
exceptional candidate to fill a Postdoctoral position under the general supervision of Prof. Nathan Schwadron. Working on NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Mission, and in collaboration with associated project personnel, the PostDoc will develop
new data products for IBEX, study the effects of global heliosphere on the inflow of interstellar
neutral atoms and study the changing radiation environment of the global
heliosphere.
The University of New Hampshire is a major research institution, providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate
and graduate programs (https://www.unh.edu/). UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast, and is convenient to New Hampshire's
lakes and mountains. The Department of Physics confers both undergraduate (B.A., B.S.) and graduate (M.S., Ph.D.) degrees and currently includes 26 faculty members. EOS is the largest research institute at UNH, with more than 275 faculty, staff and students.
********************
7. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Associate - Space Sciences Laboratory - UC Berkeley
The Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applicants for Postdoctoral Associate
positions to support NASA Heliophysics and/or Planetary missions via planetary and heliophysics research and/or hardware development. The specific projects that are hiring include ICON, MAVEN, PADRE, Parker Solar Probe (PSP), HERMES, LuSEE, THEMIS, MMS, Van
Allen Probes, Wind and others. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to data analysis, space plasma or planetary atmosphere research, simulations/software development, and spaceflight hardware systems development, including instruments, power and
communications.
For more information about the position, including required qualifications, application materials, and deadlines,
and to apply, please go to https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03423. The positions will remain open until filled. For questions, please email Dr. Chadi Salem at salem at
ssl.berkeley.edu. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
********************
8. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Researcher in the Solar-Heliospheric Physics Research Group at the University of
California Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory (UCB/SSL)
The Solar and Heliospheric Physics Research Group at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory is seeking a candidate
to fill one full-time (100%) Postdoctoral position under the general supervision of Dr. Christina Lee. The successful candidate will collaborate with Dr. Lee and the project team members to investigate the role of magnetic connectivity to interplanetary shocks
(e.g., driven by coronal mass ejections, CMEs) in determining the large longitudinal extents of solar energetic particle (SEPs) events observed from multiple vantage points throughout the inner
heliosphere. A combination of analysis of existing in-situ data sets and remote observations
and data-driven modeling will be used to carry out the investigation.
The ideal candidate will have skills and/or experience with
- multi-spacecraft data analysis of quiescent solar wind, CME, SIR, and SEP event intervals from in-situ observations
(e.g., ACE, GOES, STEREO-A, ACE, PSP, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, MAVEN, etc.)
- remote sensing data analysis of multiwavelength solar disk and coronagraph data
- 3D MHD simulations of solar wind and CME propagation using coupled solar corona-solar wind models (e.g., Wang-Sheeley-Arge
(WSA) + ENLIL, EUFORIA, Gamera, etc.)
- modeling transport of solar energetic particles
- programming and utilizing software tools in IDL, Matlab, or Python
For more information about the position, including required qualifications, application materials, and deadlines,
go to https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03705.
The position will remain open until filled. For questions, please email Dr. Christina Lee at clee (at) ssl.berkeley.edu.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.
********************
9. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral Fellow Position in Inner Heliospheric Physics at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, USA
The JHU/APL Space and Solar Physics Group (SRP) is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to conduct basic scientific research
in the field of Solar and Space Physics with an emphasis on inner-heliospheric physics and the analysis of particle data from the ISOIS/EPI-Lo instrument of the Parker Solar Probe mission. The successful candidate will work in an exciting environment, interfacing
with experts in comprehensive data analysis and instrument development for a multitude of Solar and Space Physics missions as well as state-of-the-art modeling of geospace and other space environment systems. The SRP group has a broad and active basic research
program that includes data analysis, theory and modeling studies of Earth's magnetosphere and Sun-Earth connections, planetary magnetospheres throughout the solar system, and heliospheric and solar physics. It also has a significant and long-running history
of developing space instrumentation hardware and mission concepts. Current science and instrument participation in active missions includes ACE, Geotail, Juno, MMS, New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, STEREO, and Voyager. Future missions in development
include Europa Clipper, EZIE, JUICE, and IMAP. In addition, the Group is playing the leading role in the multi-institutional, cross-disciplinary Center for Geospace Storms, and partners with Our Heliospheric Shield (SHIELD), two of the three NASA DRIVE Science
Centers recently selected for Phase II.
The research position focuses on inner-heliospheric physics and the analysis of suprathermal and energetic data from
the ISOIS/EPI-Lo instrument of the Parker Solar Probe Mission. The successful candidate would be expected to publish original research in peer-reviewed journals and team with SRP and other APL Space Exploration Sector staff to pursue external support for continued
research and instrument development work. Duties will include: conducting original inner-heliospheric research and analysis of the ISOIS/EPI-Lo particle data; authoring papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals; preparing for and participating in scientific
conferences; and developing innovative scientific research and instrument development efforts and proposing to competed solicitations. The required qualifications include the following: a PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering or in a related technical field,
or the demonstrated equivalent experience, an in-depth knowledge of space plasma physics, experience in analysis and scientific interpretation of space physics data, proficiency with advanced technical computing using languages such as Python, IDL, Matlab,
or another comparable programming language, and a record of published first author scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Although not required, it is desirable that a candidate has demonstrated understanding of the workings of space particle instruments,
and the ability to analyze their performances with computer algorithms and other tools or previous experience with spaceflight hardware and/or space mission projects.
Please contact Matt Hill for additional information about the exciting science or other aspects of this position (matt.hill
at jhuapl.edu). The complete job posting, including more information about why APL is a great place to work, Equal Opportunity Employment information, and a link for submitting an online application can be found at
https://careers.jhuapl.edu/jobs/51892.
*******************
10. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Postdoctoral position in heliophysics (Space Plasma) at FIT:
The department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences (APSS) at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) is looking
to fill a postdoctoral research position in space plasma physics. The successful candidate will conduct research at the frontier of solar wind turbulence using theory and/or data analysis, including Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, and/or high-performance
numerical simulations. The initial appointment will be for one year renewable for one more year subject to satisfactory performance. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to actively participate in future proposal submissions to secure extramural
funding, which could result in an extension of their appointment beyond the second year. Required qualifications: (1) PhD in Physics or closely related area, (2) research experience in the analysis of spacecraft data from the Heliophysics System Observatory
(HSO), (3) Basic knowledge of the plasma theory and numerical simulations, (4) familiarity with Python and/or IDL and other programing languages, and (5) strong written and oral communication skills, and ability to prepare scientific documents to be submitted
to peer reviewed journals. Strong familiarity with Linux and other Unix-like platforms and environments commonly present in most supercomputer facilities is also desirable.
Applicants should e-mail curriculum vitae, list of publications, and contact information for three references to
Prof. Sofiane Bourouaine at sbourouaine@fit.edu.
The position will remain open until filled, however, priority consideration will be given to applications received
by March 1st, 2023.
********************
11. JOB OPPORTUNITY: Term-limit Civil Servant Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
The Energetic Particle Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has an opening for an early-career scientist
interested in the origin of energetic particles in space and with experience in designing, building, and analyzing data from instruments that measure ionized and neutral high-energy particles in the
heliosphere and magnetosphere. The opening is for a GS-12 6-year Term-limit Civil Servant
position with the potential for conversion to permanent Civil Servant after the six years. The Energetic Particle Laboratory currently has instruments in development for the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission (launch in 2025), several
cubesats for Low-Earth Orbit and interplanetary space, and the Lunar Gateway, as well as data from existing instruments on ACE, STEREO, IBEX, Van Allen Probes and Parker Solar Probe. The laboratory is in the Heliospheric Science Laboratory (Code 672) of Goddard's
Heliophysics Science Division. Because this is a US Government Civil Servant position, applicants are required to be US citizens, and are expected to have applicable experience. A PhD in Space or Earth Science is highly desirable. Applications are currently
being accepted through the usajobs.gov website and will remain open until April 10. The link to the vacancy is
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/714742900 . Questions can be emailed to Adam Szabo (adam.szabo at nasa.gov), Code 672 Lab Chief, and Eric Christian (eric.r.christian at nasa.gov),
Code 672 Associate Lab Chief and head of the Energetic Particle Laboratory.
*******************
12. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Solar Wind 16
Registration is open for the Solar Wind 16 meeting, to be held June 12-16, 2023 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds
on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Asilomar was the site of the Solar Wind 2 and
3 meetings, in 1971 and 1974 respectively, and is especially well-suited to informal discussion.
The meeting will be organized around a group of 'scene-setting' talks which will describe the state-of-the-art in
topics of solar wind heating and acceleration mechanisms, solar wind sources, transients, interaction with planets, and the relationship to broader problems in astrophysics.
Contributed talks and posters will be organized around these scene-setting talks and there will be plenty of time
for open discussion.
A goal of the meeting is to come away from the week with some consensus as the state of the field and ideas about
where to go next. The new measurements from DKIST, Solar Orbiter, and Parker Solar Probe will frame these discussions and make this Solar Wind meeting especially timely. This meeting will also take the 2023 place of the annual 'Parker' series.
A meeting website is here:
https://solarwind16.ssl.berkeley.edu/
******************
13. MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics and Kappa Distributions In Space Plasma Physics and
Complexity Science Workshop (W10), July 10-14, 2023 in Chania, Crete, Greece
The Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics and Kappa Distributions In Space Plasma Physics and Complexity Science Workshop
(W10) at the International Conference on Statistical Physics from July 10-14, 2023 in Chania, Crete, Greece is seeking abstracts until April 13, 2023.
This workshop focuses on understanding the statistical origin of particle distributions throughout geophysical, space,
and astrophysical plasmas, from the solar wind and the planetary magnetospheres to the outer
heliosphere, the inner heliosheath, and beyond. Additionally, we seek abstracts using statistical
techniques to process the growing volume of measurements, and analysis of faint signals where the statistical nature of the measurements and noise sources is important.
Link for Conference and Abstracts (on left):
http://www.sigmaphi.polito.it/
Workshop Description:
https://sites.google.com/view/workshop-kappa-distributions-2/
Primary Convener:
George Livadiotis, Princeton University, USA,
glivadiotis@princeton.edu
Co-Conveners:
Manfred Leubner, University of Innsbruck, Austria;
Peter Yoon, University of Maryland, USA;
Heather Elliott, Southwest Research Institute, USA,
helliott@swri.edu;
Konstantinos Dialynas, Academy of Athens, Greece
******************
All the best,
Jamie Rankin