[GEM] THE GEM MESSENGER, Volume 28, Number 60

[Newsletter Editor]

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     THE GEM MESSENGER
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Volume 28, Number 60
Dec.06,2018

Announcement submission website: http://aten.igpp.ucla.edu/gem/messenger_form/

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Table of Contents

1. Mini GEM 2018: MIT Coupling Session Schedule

2. Mini GEM 2018: Validation Sessions

3. AGU Fall 2018 Session SM022: The Application Usability Level (AUL) Framework: A Standard Measure of Progress to Benefit Heliophysics Research, and the Needs of our Society. 

4. JOB OPENING: Post-Doctoral Associate at New Jersey Institute of Technology

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1. Mini GEM 2018: MIT Coupling Session Schedule
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From: Hyunju Connor (hkconnor at alaska.edu)

Dear GEM scientists,

I would like to invite you to participate in the mini-GEM sessions titled “3D ionospheric electrodynamics and its impact on the magnetosphere - ionosphere - thermosphere (MIT) coupled system”. They will be held between 12:00 - 5:00pm on December 9 at the Hilton Old Town Alexandria in Alexandria, Virginia.

Here is a tentative schedule for our MIT sessions. Please check the updated schedule at the following website.
http://aten.igpp.ucla.edu/gemwiki/index.php/FG:_3D_Ionospheric_Electrodynamics_and_Its_Impact_on_the_Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere_Coupled_System.

* Session 1 - 12:00-13:30 in Jefferson Room
1. Kevin Pham - CMIT modeling
2. Dogacan Ozturk - the effects of small-scale electric fields on the MIT coupling
3. Cheng Sheng - Ionospheric Conductance from COSMIC observations and RCM-GITM coupling
4. Qingyu Zhu - Boundary-oriented convection and particle precipitation patterns for IMF Bz southward dominant conditions and their impacts on Joule heating: Preliminary results
5. Andrew Kiene - Observations of ion-neutral coupling and Joule heating driven by energy input from the magnetosphere
6. Denny Oliveira - Neutral Mass Density Response to Extreme Geomagnetic Storms: Current and Future Perspectives

* Session 2 - 13:50-15:20 in Jefferson Room
1. Xiaozia Zhang - Diffuse aurora precipitation pattern deduced from the Electron-Cyclotron-Harmonics waves in the inner magnetosphere
2. Qianli Ma - Plasma sheet electron scattering and diffuse aurora precipitation by whistler mode chorus waves
3. Jonathan Krall - the effect of oxygen on the limiting H+ flux in the topside ionosphere
4. Lindsay Goodwin - Cluster-ground conjunctions associated with polar cap density structures
5. Alex Chartier - The cause of the puzzling annual variability of polar cap patches
6. Jiaen Ren - Statistical Characteristics of Polar Cap Patches Observed by RISRC

* Session 3 - 15:30 - 17:00 in Salon A&B room
Ionospheric conductance challenge session jointed with Modeling Methods & Validation (MMV) focus group. 
We will discuss observations and model results of the following storms:
1. 2016 Oct 13-15
2. 2013 March 17
3. 2015 Jun 21-24
4. 2012 March 9
Speakers are as follows.
1. Rob Redmon
2. Steve Kaeppler
3. Bob Robinson
4. Gang Lu - presented by Hyunju Connor
5. Margaret Chen
6. Agnit Mukhopadhyay - presented by Mike Liemohn
7. Dan Weimer

Thank you very much,
Hyunju Connor


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2. Mini GEM 2018: Validation Sessions
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From: Katherine Garcia-Sage, Mike Liemohn, Lutz Rastaetter, Rob Redmon (katherine.garcia-sage at nasa.gov)

The Modeling Methods and Validation Focus Group has two sessions at mini-GEM on Sunday: 1:50-3:20 and 3:30-5:00 in Salon A&B at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town.

For the 1:50-3:20 session, our focus is on 3 validation topics of broad interest to the GEM community. We’ll start with a discussion of proposed changes to the way validation efforts are carried out at GEM. In brief, we’re proposing to replace the MM&V Focus Group with a Methods and Validation Resource Group. Read more in our proposal here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KByPvuOP-bfvOP50nksm-JzNjjbYWzju6b_H-OD98WA/edit?usp=sharing And please join us for a discussion on the pros and cons of an approach like this and how best to enable GEM validation! This proposal is going to the GEM steering committee, but regardless of whether the SC decides to change the structure of the validation group, we want to hear input on how to better serve the validation needs of the GEM community. Feel free to email katherine.garcia-sage at nasa.gov with comments if you can’t make the discussion.

After this discussion, Adam Kellerman and I will lead a discussion on Application Usability Levels for communicating applications of space physics models for science and operations (with a focus on science - because it’s GEM!) See here for more details: http://spacewx.weebly.com/auls.html

We’ll end the 1:50-3:20 session with a tutorial from Lutz Rastaetter on new geospace tools available at the CCMC.

The 3:30-5:00 session is joint with the 3D Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Electrodynamics Focus Group and will focus on the Conductance Challenge, with an emphasis on the following 4 events:

2016 Oct 13-15
2013 March 17
2015 Jun 21-24
2012 March 9

Current speaker list:
Rob Redmon
Steve Kaeppler
Bob Robinson
Gang Lu - presented by Hyunju Connor
Margaret Chen
Agnit Mukhopadhyay - presented by Mike Liemohn
Dan Weimer
Cheng Sheng

We hope to see you all there!


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3. AGU Fall 2018 Session SM022: The Application Usability Level (AUL) Framework: A Standard Measure of Progress to Benefit Heliophysics Research, and the Needs of our Society. 
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From: Adam, Alexa, and Jeff (akellerman at igpp.ucla.edu)

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to join us for a lively discussion at our special-format panel session titled “The Application Usability Level (AUL) framework: A standard measure of progress to benefit heliophysics research, and the needs of our society”. 

Friday, 14 December 2018  10:20 - 12:20 Walter E Washington Convention Center - 201

We have 7 panelists, representing atmospheric, ionospheric, magnetospheric, and solar research and applications, and a session devoted to bringing the research and user communities together. Building on efforts over the past 18 months, the session will provide the community with a forum to learn about and discuss some of the exciting research and applications efforts currently underway in heliophysics. Join us to engage with experts working on these projects, which are at all stages of transition from research to applications, and to learn about how AUL’s can help with communication, and transition of our research to the needs of another researcher or end user. The panelists and titles are as follows:

Katherine Garcia-Sage
SM52B-01 Broadening the Impact of Our Field Through Validation Efforts of the Geospace Environment Modeling Workshop -

M. Leila Mays
SM52B-02 Tracking Progress Along CCMC's Model On-boarding Pipeline

Daniel T Welling
SM52B-03 The Application Usability Levels and the Operational Space Weather Modeling Framework

Janet C Green
SM52B-04 Developing Applications for Satellite Anomaly Analysis

Julie Louise Currie
SM52B-05 Predicting Equatorial Plasma Bubbles: The Rear-View Mirror on the AUL Highway

James Parker McCollough II
SM52B-06 The Air Force Research Laboratory and Space Weather R2O

Lawrence Friedl
SM52B-07 Earth Science Applications: Perspectives on AULs

Alternate Session Format: Panel Format 

Session Description:
This session will report on the ongoing efforts from the International Forum for Space Weather Capabilities Assessment and other groups, as well as bring research communities together to discuss current efforts, successful approaches, and lessons learned in building and applying validations and metrics. We invite papers which utilize the recently developed Application Usability Level (AUL) framework to measure a project’s progress towards specific applications, including metrics, and verification processes implemented, and how they address the needs of the identified user. A panel session will be held to showcase examples of projects utilizing the AUL framework, followed by a discussion the importance of communication and having the effort directed by an user’s needs. The session will highlight efforts in research to operation and operation to research, and demonstrate how this is a two-way street which advances knowledge for research and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts to directly benefit society.

Cross-Listed: IN - Earth and Space Science Informatics, SA - SPA-Aeronomy, SH - SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics


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4. JOB OPENING: Post-Doctoral Associate at New Jersey Institute of Technology
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From: Hyomin Kim (hmkim at njit.edu)

Position Summary:

The Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR) of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) invites applications for a postdoctoral position in data analysis for magnetospheric and ionospheric studies. The successful candidate will make use of various data sets including, but not limited to,  spacecraft data such as Van Allen Probes, MMS, THEMIS, and Cluster, and ground-based instruments such as magnetometers, auroral imagers, riometer, GPS and incoherent scatter radars to investigate solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling processes. CSTR operates ground-based geospace science instruments at high latitudes. Thus, experience in science instrument development, testing and installation is highly desired. Occasional domestic or international travel for instrument installation and service may be expected. 

The successful applicant will be expected to perform the duties of a post-doctoral fellow, including the publication of original research, submission of proposals, and the support of CSTR projects. Applicants should have obtained by the starting date a PhD in plasma physics, space physics, geophysics, or related field. The start date of the appointment is flexible, however, earlier dates are preferred. The appointment is for one year, with a possible renewal for two more years based on successful applicant performance. Benefits are competitive and salary will be commensurate with applicant experience. 

The successful applicant will work primarily with Dr. Hyomin Kim, Assistant Professor of NJIT as well as the other CSTR faculty members including Drs. Andrew Gerrard, Louis Lanzerotti, Rualdo Soto-Chavez and Nathaniel Frissell. 

Candidates will need to submit a curriculum vitae, a list of publications, a brief statement of research interests, and the names of three professional references. Questions may be directed to Dr. Hyomin Kim (hmkim at njit.edu). Use the following website for application. 

https://njit.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=972

The Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR) of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, in Newark, NJ, is a worldwide leading institution in solar and space physics. CSTR is a PI organization in the NASA Van Allen Probes mission, manages the Polar Engineering Development Center, and operates the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) in California. For more information visit http://centers.njit.edu/cstr/

To build a diverse workforce, NJIT encourages applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women. EEO employer.

Essential Functions:
- Data analysis utilizing programming languages such as Python and/or IDL.  
- Presentation of results at professional meetings.
- Presentation of result via peer-review journal papers.
- Occasional domestic/international travel for instrument installation/service

Prerequisite Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Space Physics or related field.
- Background in magnetospheric/ionospheric physics.
- Experience in data analysis using programming languages.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in electronics lab experiment and field work is highly desired.


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The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) program is sponsored by the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

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