[GEM] THE GEM MESSENGER, Volume 28, Number 62

[Newsletter Editor]

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     THE GEM MESSENGER
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Volume 28, Number 62
Dec.17,2018

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

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Table of Contents

1. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 (Mid-scale RI-2)

2. Whole Heliosphere & Planetary Interactions (2019)

3. EGU 2019 Session: ST2.2 Solar wind, foreshock, bow shock, and magnetosheath transient phenomena and their effects

4. EGU 2019 Session: ST2.3 Magnetic reconnection and associated multi-scale coupling in the collisionless environments

5. (CORRECTION) JOB OPENING: Post Doctoral Fellow – Magnetospheric Physics at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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1. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 (Mid-scale RI-2)
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From: Michael Wiltberger (mwiltber at nsf.gov)

The NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 Program (Mid-scale RI-2) supports implementation of projects that comprise any combination of equipment, instrumentation, computational hardware and software, and the necessary commissioning and human capital in support of implementation of the same. The total cost for Mid-scale RI-2 projects ranges from $20 million to below the minimum award funded by the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Program, currently $70 million. Mid-scale RI-2 projects will directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF, including STEM education. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure.

Full program description available at

HTML: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19542/nsf19542.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click
PDF: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19542/nsf19542.pdf?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click


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2. Whole Heliosphere & Planetary Interactions (2019)
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From: Sarah Gibson (sgibson at ucar.edu)

It’s solar minimum. In the tradition of Whole Sun Month (1996) and Whole Heliosphere Interval (2008), it’s time for Whole Heliosphere & Planetary Interactions (2019) - WHPI!

Goal? A coordinated observing and modeling effort to characterize the three-dimensional interconnected solar-heliospheric-planetary system. By focussing on specific solar rotations near solar minimum, structures and activity can be unambiguously traced throughout the heliosphere and into planetary space environments.

When? 3 target intervals:
 Jul 2019 - Solar eclipse
 Sep 2019 - Parker Solar Probe at perihelion
 Dec 2019 - Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby

Who? Everyone is welcome - it’s a grassroots effort.  Sign up - we will have telecons and workshops to coordinate analyses. 

See https://whpi.hao.ucar.edu for further details.


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3. EGU 2019 Session: ST2.2 Solar wind, foreshock, bow shock, and magnetosheath transient phenomena and their effects
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From: Ferdinand Plaschke (Ferdinand.Plaschke at oeaw.ac.at)

ST2.2 Solar wind, foreshock, bow shock, and magnetosheath transient phenomena and their effects

Convener: Ferdinand Plaschke

Co-conveners: Xochitl Blanco-Cano, De-sheng Han, Heli Hietala, Lucile Turc

Transient solar wind phenomena and processes in the foreshock, at the bow shock, and in the magnetosheath are all drivers of significant downstream effects at the magnetopause, inside the magnetosphere, in the ionosphere, and on ground. These phenomena encompass, but are not restricted to, interplanetary magnetic field discontinuities and related hot flow anomalies or foreshock bubbles, foreshock cavities, cavitons and related spontaneous hot flow anomalies, as well as SLAMS and magnetosheath jets. The local effects of these phenomena may include severe changes in local plasma parameters, e.g., heating, compression or expansion, and deflection of plasma. Further downstream, they may be associated with significant magnetopause dynamics including magnetic reconnection, inner-magnetospheric waves and changes in the radiation belt electron populations, geomagnetic variations, ionospheric flow enhancements, particle precipitation, and auroral forms.

 We invite contributions focusing on these upstream phenomena, their (downstream) effects, and the coupling between them, i.e., the transport of mass, momentum, and energy, across and between the bow shock and magnetopause boundaries, not only at Earth but also at other planets and solar system bodies. We encourage the presentation of latest results based on in-situ measurements (including the Geotail, Cluster, THEMIS/ARTEMIS, MMS, and Van Allen Probes), on ground-based observations (e.g., magnetometers, radars, riometers, and all-sky imagers), as well as on numerical simulations and theoretical modelling. Presentations of studies using any combination of the above approaches are particularly welcome.
The abstract submission deadline is 10 January 2019, 13:00 CET. 

Click here to submit an abstract to this session:
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/session/31923


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4. EGU 2019 Session: ST2.3 Magnetic reconnection and associated multi-scale coupling in the collisionless environments
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From: rongsheng Wang (wrshhh at gmail.com)

Dear Colleagues,

We would like invite you to submit an abstract and participate in the session, “ST2.3 Magnetic reconnection and associated multi-scale coupling in the collisionless environments”  at the EGU General Assembly 2019 in Vienna, 7-12 April 2019.

The abstract submission deadline is 10 January 2019, 13:00 CET. 

Click here to submit an abstract to this session:
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/session/31922

Session Description: 

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in space, astrophysics and laboratory plasmas, by which magnetic energy was converted into plasma energy in an explosive manner. It plays a key role for many explosive events in space, the coupling between the solar wind and the terrestrial as well as other planets’ magnetospheres, and the interaction between the solar wind and the atmosphere/ionosphere of the planets without global magnetic field. Thanks to recent spacecraft missions, e.g, Cluster, THEMIS, MMS, Maven, Cassini, MESSENGER, etc, and the development of the computing simulations, fruitful new findings have been achieved in the last several years. Furthermore, many major issues on reconnection remain. For example, How the reconnection is triggered in space, how the energy is distributed,   microphysics in the electron diffusion region and the separatrix region, and so on. This session invites presentations on all of the aspects associated with magnetic reconnection from the spacecraft measurements, the simulations, laboratory experiments and the theoretical analysis.  

We are looking forward to receiving your abstracts and participation.

Best regards,

Conveners:
Rongsheng Wang, Rumi Nakamura, Yuri Khotyaintsev, and C. T. Russell 


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5. (CORRECTION) JOB OPENING: Post Doctoral Fellow – Magnetospheric Physics at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
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From: Ian Cohen (Ian.Cohen at jhuapl.edu)

The Space Physics Group (SRP) of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Space Exploration Sector is conducting a search for a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Particles & Planetary Section. The Particles & Planetary Section research aims to understand the dynamics of planetary magnetospheres through novel instrument development, advanced modeling, and innovative data analysis methods. To this end, the Section conducts cutting-edge research in magnetospheric physics, with particular expertise in the dynamics of charged particles and energetic neutrals. The Section members possess considerable experience in advanced data analytics, modeling, instrument development, systems engineering, and project management. The Section scientists play science leadership roles in several ongoing and future space missions, including MMS, Juno, Cassini, JUICE, Europa Clipper, and IMAP.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be involved in research of magnetospheric energetic particle dynamics using data primarily from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, presenting and publishing the research findings at international conferences and in the peer-reviewed journals, as well as participating and leading NASA and NSF grant proposals.

For further details please contact Ian Cohen (Ian.Cohen at jhuapl.edu) or Barry Mauk (Barry.Mauk at jhuapl.edu). Interested applicants can submit their applications online at the following link:

https://jhuapl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=18704

Job Summary:
The research position focuses on data analysis to investigate energetic particle dynamics in planetary magnetospheres, potentially including acceleration and transport processes, particle response to dipolarization and injections, and energetic particle escape. The candidate will work primarily with data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission in partnership with staff in the group with expertise energetic particle dynamics and data analysis. The successful candidate would be expected to publish original research in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences, as well as team with SRP staff to pursue external support for continued research relating to past, ongoing, and future missions.

Expected Duties:
1. Analyze and interpret data regarding the physics of planetary magnetospheres using particle and other data from orbiting spacecraft, present findings at scientific conferences and write scientific articles. Initially the focus will be on data from the MMS mission at Earth. (80%)
2. Participate in particle instrument operations during the science phases of spacecraft missions in the area of science planning, science planning trade studies, data processing oversight, and data display and tool development. Initially, the focus will be on the MMS mission. (10%)
3. Lead and/or assist with grant and project proposals to NASA and other funding agencies. (5%)
4. Participate with the development of space physics instrumentation (with an initial preference for those that measure charged particles) and eventually take the lead on developments of his/her own. (5%)  

Required Qualifications:
• PhD in Physics (or a related field) with research background applicable to space physics; or the demonstrated equivalent experience
• The applicant must have published first author scientific papers in a peer-reviewed journal and contributed to other scientific articles, must have a demonstrated ability to give quality scientific presentations, and demonstrated the skills necessary to write quality papers and grant proposals.

Desired Qualifications:
• The applicant should have in-depth knowledge of space plasma physics including acceleration transport and loss mechanisms of energetic and suprathermal particles in planetary magnetospheres.  
• The applicant should have a working knowledge of data display and analysis packages comparable to IDL (preferred), Python, Matlab, or equivalent. 
• Demonstrated understanding of the workings of space particle instruments, and ability to analyze their performances with computer algorithms and other tools.

Special Working Conditions: Travel to mission project meetings and to scientific meetings is required.

Benefits: APL offers a comprehensive benefits package including a liberal vacation plan, a matching retirement program, significant educational assistance, a scholarship tuition program for staff with dependents, and competitive salaries commensurate with skills and experience. For more information about our organization, please visit our web site at www.jhuapl.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments Acts of 1972, as well as other applicable laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status.


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