[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXII, Issue 66

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXII, Issue 66
December 1, 2015

Editor: Peter Chi
Co-Editor: Guan Le
Distribution Support: Sharon Uy, Todd King, Kevin Addison
Email: editor at igpp.ucla.edu       

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Table of Contents

1. SCOSTEP Awards Announcement 
2. LWS TR&T Town Hall Meeting, 14 December 2015 6:45-8:30 pm, Location: Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnum St., San Francisco, CA 94102
3. Call for Papers for the JGR-Space Physics special sections of Measurement Techniques in Solar and Space Physics
4. MEETING: Second announcement: SHIELDS Workshop, April 4-8, 2016, Santa Fe, NM, USA
5. MEETING: Chapman Conference on Currents in Geospace and Beyond, Dubrovnik, Croatia, May 22–27, 2016
6. MEETING: Conference on Partially Ionised Plasmas in Astrophysics (Early Announcement), Tenerife, Spain, August 29 - September 1, 2016
7. Opportunities for Young Scientists at EGU General Assembly 2016
8. Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships Summer 2016
9. JOB OPENING: Faculty Position in Atmospheric and Space Electricity, University of New Hampshire, Department of Physics & Space Science Center (EOS)
10. JOB OPENING: Tenure-track Faculty Positions, University of Arizona, Department of Planetary Sciences

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SCOSTEP Awards Announcement 

From: Janet Luhmann (jgluhman at ssl.berkeley.edu)

Recognizing the societal importance of studies in the field of solar-terrestrial physics and willing to give credit to scientists who contribute significantly to these studies and to SCOSTEP activities, the SCOSTEP Bureau decided to institute the following awards: 

SCOSTEP Distinguished Science Award 
The award is given to recognize an outstanding contribution of a scientist to solar-terrestrial physics; 

Distinguished Young Scientist Award 
The award is given to young scientists who achieved considerable success in solar-terrestrial physics and took an active part in SCOSTEP-related activities; 

SCOSTEP Distinguished Service Award 
The award is given to recognize a unique contribution to SCOSTEP-related activities, to realization of its programs and events. 

The SCOSTEP awards are given biennially. The first SCOSTEP Service Award was given in November 2013 during the SCOSTEP CAWSES-II International Symposium at Nagoya, Japan (November 18 − 22, 2013). The first Science Award and the first Young Scientist Award were given in 2014 at the 13th STP Symposium in Xi’an, China (October 12 – 17, 2014). 

The Award Statute and Procedure are placed on the SCOSTEP web site section “Awards” (http://www.yorku.ca/scostep/?page_id=1356). 

Award nomination packages (nomination letter and nominee’s curriculum vitae) for the Science and Young Scientist Awards should be submitted to the SCOSTEP secretariat (mshepher at yorku.ca) by no later than February 29, 2016, as a single pdf file. The currently serving SCOSTEP Executive Officers and Bureau Members are not eligible for nomination. The award decision will be made by the SCOSTEP Awards Committee (SAC) and communicated to the Bureau after considering submissions.


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LWS TR&T Town Hall Meeting, 14 December 2015 6:45-8:30 pm, Location: Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnum St., San Francisco, CA 94102

From: Lika Guhathakurta, Bob Leamon (Heliophysics/LWS), Mark Linton & Eftyhia Zesta LWS TR&T Steering Committee Co-Chairs

As has become customary, there will be a Town Hall meeting for the LWS TR&T program at the Fall AGU meeting. You are invited to attend and hear brief summaries on the program status and some of the existing TR&T Group and individual efforts, and to participate in open discussion of the program logistics, philosophy, and topics for the new ROSES-16 Announcement of Opportunity as well as a discussion on the recently published “Living With a Star Enabling Science, Technology and Exploration to Advance Society 10 Year Vision Beyond 2015” (http://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/pdf/LWS_10YrVision_Oct2015_Final.pdf).


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Call for Papers for the JGR-Space Physics special sections of Measurement Techniques in Solar and Space Physics 

From: Tom Moore (thomas.e.moore at nasa.gov)

Four special sections in JGR-Space Physics have been approved – submission information is given below. Each of the sections will provide a broad survey of new advancements and innovative technologies enabling the next generation in four focused areas in solar and space physics: Fields, Particles, Photons, and Optical & Ground-Based measurements. Particular attention will be given to those techniques and technologies that support significant advancement in measurements; thereby enabling the highest priority science advances for future missions and investments. A broad survey of the current technologies will serve as reference material and as a basis from which advanced and innovative ideas are identified and investment strategies are developed. This includes instrumentation and techniques to observe the solar environment from its interior to its outer atmosphere, the heliosphere out to the interstellar boundary regions, as well as geospace and planetary magnetospheres and atmospheres. A complete survey of the techniques and technologies available for future use by the practitioners of solar and space physics is solicited. Manuscripts providing an original contribution to the state-of-the-art in instrumentation, including a clear demonstration of their applicability to advancing understanding of solar and space physics, are highly encouraged. In addition to the electronic access to the four sections, four hard-cover volumes will be published. These are intended to update similar publications that came out of the 1996 conference in Santa Fe (AGU monographs 102 and 103 particles and fields), expanded to include photons and ground-based instrumentation.

Publication Contributions

A submission portal with the four new sections is available. Potential authors are to directed to select their desired special section as they submit to: 

http://jgr-spacephysics-submit.agu.org/cgi-bin/main.plex

Submission due dates 

February 21, 2016 - Measurement Technics in Solar and Space Physics: Fields

February 21, 2016 - Measurement Technics in Solar and Space Physics: Particles

February 28, 2016 - Measurement Technics in Solar and Space Physics: Photons

February 28, 2016 - Measurement Technics in Solar and Space Physics: Optical & Ground-Based

For more information on paper submissions see https://mtssp.msfc.nasa.gov

Submitted by Tom Moore and Jim Spann on behalf of the MTSSP editorial committee: Steven Christe, Jim Clemmons, Joe Davila, Phil Erickson, Rob Pfaff, Sabrina Savage, Eftyhia Zesta.


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MEETING: Second announcement: SHIELDS Workshop, April 4-8, 2016, Santa Fe, NM, USA

From: Vania Jordanova (vania at lanl.gov)

We cordially invite you to participate in the 2016 SHIELDS Workshop "Shielding Society from Space Weather" to be held in Santa Fe, NM, USA, from 4-8 April 2016. The workshop aims at bringing together international leaders in various areas of space weather and discuss the most recent advances and urgent needs for the field.

The workshop will be organized around the following main themes:
(1) Physics of geomagnetic storms and substorms
(2) Coupling of microscopic and macroscopic scales
(3) Space weather modeling approaches
(4) Applications (spacecraft charging, ground-induced currents, ...)

Important Dates:
31 January 2016: Deadline for abstract submission
15 February 2016: Deadline for pre-registration
4 March 2016: Deadline for hotel reservation

Further information about this workshop is available at:
http://www.cvent.com/events/2016-shields-workshop-shielding-society-from-space-weather/event-summary-9cc907a581054f58a1ab211cd5384a13.aspx

We hope to see you in sunny and beautiful Santa Fe!

The organizing committee:
Gian Luca Delzanno
Vania K. Jordanova
Michael G. Henderson


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MEETING: Chapman Conference on Currents in Geospace and Beyond, Dubrovnik, Croatia, May 22–27, 2016

From: Andreas Keiling (keiling at ssl.berkeley.edu), Octav Marghitu (marghitu at gpsm.spacescience.ro), Michael Wheatland (michael.wheatland at sydney.edu.au)

Abstract submission opened: 16 November 2015
Abstract submission closing: 18 January 2016

Electric currents are fundamental to the structure and dynamics of space plasmas, such as our near-Earth space environment (also called “geospace”). This recognition is one of the great achievements in space research, going back to the beginning of the last century. In the last decade, significant advances have been made in our understanding of fundamental processes related to such currents. To build up a comprehensive picture, this international Chapman Conference will address electric currents in various space plasmas, including:

•	Earth’s magnetosphere & ionosphere
•	Planetary magnetospheres & ionospheres (other than Earth)
•	Solar atmosphere and solar wind

The conference will provide a forum in which various space science communities can come together to discuss recent achievements of observational, theoretical, and modeling studies. The emphasis will be on cross-disciplinary science sessions, covering topics such as:

•	Ring currents (e.g., at Earth and at the giant planets, influence of planet–moon interaction, etc.)
•	Current sheets (e.g., magnetotail current sheets, coronal current sheets, heliospheric current sheet)
•	Field-aligned currents (incl. M-I coupling at Earth and other planets, corona-photosphere coupling)
•	Small-scale / filamentary currents (e.g., on auroral field lines, in turbulent regions, etc.)
•	Energetics of currents (incl. dynamos, Poynting flux, and dissipation)
•	Current measurement and data analysis techniques
•	Current modeling and simulation techniques

With the upcoming 150th and 100th anniversaries of Kristian Birkeland’s birth and death years (1867-1917), a special session with several invited keynote speakers is planned on pioneers of electric currents in space and on next generation spacecraft missions.

The conveners are: 
Andreas Keiling (UC Berkeley, USA)
Octav Marghitu (Institute for Space Sciences, Romania)
Michael Wheatland (University of Sydney, Australia)
Olaf Amm (1967–2014) (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland)

The program committee includes: 
Chris Arridge (Lancaster University, UK)
Fran Bagenal (University of Colorado, USA)
Iannis Dandouras (IRAP, France)
Eduard Dubinin (Max-Planck-Institute, Germany)
Malcolm Dunlop (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK)
Catherine Johnson (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Kanya Kusano (STELab, Nagoya University, Japan)
Michael Liemohn (University of Michigan, USA)
Hermann Lühr (Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Germany)
Brigitte Schmieder (Observatoire de Paris/Meudon, France)
Igor Veselovsky (Moscow State University, Russia)
Masatoshi Yamauchi (Swedish Institute of Space Physics/Kiruna, Sweden)
Akimasa Yoshikawa (Kyushu University, Japan)

Further information about the conference theme and the venue can be found on the conference website: http://chapman.agu.org/spacecurrents/. Also, the conference organizers are actively seeking funding for travel support; if funding becomes available, an online application will be available at the website.


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MEETING: Conference on Partially Ionised Plasmas in Astrophysics (Early Announcement), Tenerife, Spain, August 29 - September 1, 2016

From: Istvan Ballai (i.ballai at sheffield.ac.uk)

A 2nd meeting on “Partial Ionized Plasmas in Astrophysics” will be organised in Tenerife (Spain) in the period 29th August to 1st September 2016. The meeting is going to be held in the framework of two projects: “Instabilities in partially ionized plasmas” funded by The Leverhulme Trust (UK); and “Magnetic connectivity through the Solar Partially Ionized Atmosphere” funded by the ERC (EU).

In recent years, there is a growing evidence showing the importance of the effects of plasma partial ionisation in different astrophysical environments, such as the solar chromosphere, interstellar medium, protostellar discs, planetary magnetospheres and ionospheres, etc. The meeting aims to review the progress in the field, to broaden and strengthen the collaboration of scientists working in partially ionised plasmas in astrophysics and space science, and to develop common scientific interest that could enhance cross-collaborations between the different fields. The meeting will focus on (but not be limited to) the following topics:

- Partially ionised plasmas in the solar atmosphere
- Electrodynamics of planetary magnetospheres
- Astrophysical partially ionised plasmas

More information about the conference themes, the program and the venue will be available soon at the conference website.

Elena Khomenko and Istvan Ballai (organisers)


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Opportunities for Young Scientists at EGU General Assembly 2016

From: Cassandra Bolduc (Cassandra.Bolduc at pmodwrc.ch)

Dear Colleagues,

There are several opportunities for students and young scientists planning to participate in EGU General Assembly 2016, 17 - 22 April, Vienna, Austria:

OUTSTANDING STUDENT POSTER (OSP) AWARD PROGRAM. 
The Solar-Terrestrial Sciences (ST) Program Group takes part in the OSP program, whereby undergraduate and PhD students can register to have their posters take part. Abstract Submission Deadline: 13 January 2016. Full information on eligibility is at: 
https://www.egu.eu/awards-medals/union-osp-award/

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS. 
Support Application Deadline: 1 December 2015. Full information on eligibility is at:
http://egu2016.eu/support_and_destinction.html

MORE FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS.
Our ST Young Scientist (YS) Representative, Beate K. Humberset, is there to make the link between the EGU and the young scientist community. Get involved with your ST Division or with the Union & sessions,short courses and meetings of special interest at the Assembly, to follow at:
http://www.egu.eu/young-scientists/at-the-assembly/sessions/

All the best,

Cassandra Bolduc
(OSP coordinator ST)

Margit Haberreiter
(Division President ST)

Solar-Terrestrial Sciences Division: http://www.egu.eu/st/
EGU2016 Meeting Web Site: http://egu2016.eu/
EGU2016 ST programme: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2016/sessionprogramme/ST


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Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships Summer 2016

From: David Smith (DSmith at nas.edu)

The goal of the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internship is to provide promising students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation's capital, under the aegis of the Space Science Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.  The summer 2016 program is only open to undergraduates.  The deadline for applications is February 5, 2016.  Candidate(s) selected for will be contacted no later than March 4.  Additional information about the program, including application procedure, can be found at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/ssb_052239 .


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JOB OPENING: Faculty Position in Atmospheric and Space Electricity, University of New Hampshire, Department of Physics & Space Science Center (EOS)

From: Joseph Dwyer (Joseph.Dwyer at unh.edu)

The Department of Physics and the Space Science Center in the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space (EOS) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are seeking an exceptional candidate to fill a tenure-track faculty position beginning in August 2016.  The successful candidate will be expected to conduct research in the physics and effects of thunderstorms and lightning, atmospheric and space electricity, discharge physics, or ionospheric physics, or related topics, and will be expected to teach at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, establish and maintain a highly productive research program that includes both undergraduate and graduate students, routinely publish results of scholarly work, compete successfully for external funding, and participate in department, college and university service activities.  Candidates should have a PhD in physics or a related field.  Although the search is primarily targeting candidates at the assistant professor level, higher ranks will be considered for highly qualified individuals.

UNH is committed to creating an educational environment that fosters diversity, inclusion and quality engagement for all.  The Department of Physics is seeking an individual who will strengthenour abilityto reachour individualand collective potentialand toprovide bettersupport forour diverse student population.

Candidates will be evaluated on (i) their academic credentials; (ii) their research record; (iii) their commitment to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level; and (iv) their potential for meeting the UNH goal of creating an educational environment that fosters diversity, inclusion and quality engagement for all.  Demonstrated commitment to achieving ethnic, gender and cultural diversity will be valued.

Review of complete applications will commence on January 1, 2016 and will continue until the position is filled. Inquiries about the position should be addressed to Prof. Joseph R. Dwyer at Joseph.Dwyer at unh.edu.  Applicants should submit their application electronically as a single PDF document in the following order – cover letter, CV, research plans, teaching experience and interests, and the names and contact information of at least three references – to physics.search at unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire is a major research institution, providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs (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 has 24 academic (tenure track) faculty and 11 research faculty.  EOS is the largest research institute at UNH, with more than 275 faculty, staff and students.  The Space Science Center fosters research and graduate education in all of the space sciences with studies ranging from the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere, the local solar system, and out to the farthest reaches of the universe.

The University of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution. The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators, faculty, staff, and students. The university prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented groups is encouraged.


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JOB OPENING: Tenure-track Faculty Positions, University of Arizona, Department of Planetary Sciences

From: Joe Giacalone (giacalon at lpl.arizona.edu)

Faculty Position - Heliophysics

The Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) at the University of Arizona seeks to fill a tenure-track faculty position in the area of Solar and Heliospheric Physics, defined broadly. Theorists, numerical modelers, data analysts, and instrumentalists are all encouraged to apply. The initial appointment will preferably be at the level of untenured Assistant Professor. Present departmental faculty and research staff are engaged in many aspects of planetary science, including planetary surfaces, interiors, atmospheres, ionospheres, magnetospheres, the Sun and heliosphere, exoplanetary systems, comparative planetary studies, origins of planetary systems, and orbital dynamics. They employ tools such as theoretical studies and data analysis, laboratory and field investigations, telescopic observations, remote sensing, and spacecraft development, operations, and instrumentation. The departmental faculty, research staff, and graduate student body are drawn from the diverse backgrounds of planetary science, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, and engineering. More information about this and other positions is available at https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/faculty-jobs. Additional information concerning the Department/Laboratory is available at http://www.lpl.arizona.edu.

Review of applications will begin on January 11, and will continue until the position is filled. The starting date for the appointment is anticipated to August 2016. Applicants must complete the online application and upload required documents (including a cover letter, reference details, a CV with publication list, statement of research interests, and statement of teaching philosophy) at uacareers.com (search for Posting #20286). Three letters of reference must be uploaded with application before initial review of applications; information for applicant and letter writers is included in the online application. For further information, contact:  Professor Timothy D. Swindle, Head and Director, Department of Planetary Sciences / Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona / 1629 E. University Blvd.,Tucson, Arizona 85721-0092, (520) 621-4128, tswindle at lpl.arizona.edu
The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA employer - M/W/D/V.

Faculty Position - Planetary Science

The Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) at the University of Arizona seeks to fill a tenure-track faculty position. Candidates in all areas of planetary science are encouraged to apply. The faculty, research staff, and graduate student body draw from multiple sub-disciplines in planetary science including geology, physics, chemistry, engineering, and astronomy. Ongoing research at LPL includes multi-scale studies of the solar system, planetary formation, exoplanets, and ionospheres and magnetospheres, and employs a diverse set of tools including theoretical modeling, field investigation, and ground- and space-based observations. In addition, LPL is involved in both active and planned missions, as well as instrument development. These research activities are enabled by advanced computing resources, internal engineering support, space-qualified laboratory space, and access to a global network of world-class telescopes. More information about this and other positions is available at https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/faculty-jobs. Additional information concerning the Department/Laboratory is available at http://www.lpl.arizona.edu. 

Review of applications will begin on January 11, and will continue until the position is filled. The starting date for the appointment is anticipated to August 2016. Applicants must complete the online application and upload required documents (including a cover letter, reference details, a CV with publication list, statement of research interests, and statement of teaching philosophy) at uacareers.com (search for Posting #20285). Three letters of reference must be uploaded with application before initial review of applications; information for applicant and letter writers is included in the online application. For further information, contact: Professor Timothy D. Swindle, Head and Director, Department of Planetary Sciences / Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona / 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85721-0092 (520) 621-4128; tswindle at lpl.arizona.edu. The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA employer - M/W/D/V.

(Edited for length)


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