[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXIII, Issue 8

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXII, Issue 8
February 15, 2016

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. SPA Section Secretaries and Bowie Lectures at the Fall AGU
2. COSPAR Abstract Deadline Extended to February 19
3. MEETING: Exploring the Geospace Frontier: New Directions (Quo Vadis)
4. JOB OPENING: Lectureship in Magnetohydrodynamics / Solar Physics at the University of Dundee (UK)

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SPA Section Secretaries and Bowie Lectures at the Fall AGU

From: David Sibeck (david.g.sibeck at nasa.gov)

I hereby wish to invite members of the SPA community to:

1. Volunteer themselves to serve as Section Secretaries, participating in SPA section leadership decisions and organizing the program for the Fall AGU meeting.  We are currently seeking replacements for Robyn Millan (SM) and Anja Stromme (SA), whose terms are expiring.  We are not seeking a replacement for Todd Hoeksema (SH), who has kindly agreed to continue for a further two years to ensure continuity. See http://spa.agu.org/leadership/

If you wish to be considered as a candidate for these positions, please contact Robyn, Anja, or Todd to understand what the position entails and if interested then submit your name and a sentence or two (not more) outlining your interest in the position.  According to AGU rules, the current leadership of the SPA Section will then select two candidates to run in the AGU-run elections from the list of names submitted.

2.  Nominate leading scientists to give the Nicolet (SA) and Parker (SH) lectures at the Fall AGU.  See http://spa.agu.org/awards/spa-section-awards-honors/

Here again, the current leadership will select the lecturers from the list of names received.

You can email your suggestions to me

david.g.sibeck at nasa.gov

But you must do so by March 15, 2016.

thank you in advance for your help.

David Sibeck
SPA Section President

PS.  I would like to note that the SPA section donates at a much higher rate to the AGU than almost any other section.  Congratulations and thanks to all of you.


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COSPAR Abstract Deadline Extended to February 19

From: COSPAR Secretariat (cosparcom at cosparhq.cnes.fr)

We are happy to announce that comparing submissions one week before the abstract deadline, we have for COSPAR 2016  (Istanbul, Turkey, 30 July - 7 August) the third highest number of submissions ever, a welcome sign of the will of the COSPAR community to pursue our essential goal of enhancing and encouraging international cooperation in space research.   Istanbul may set records, and we look forward to seeing a great many COSPAR Associates in this vibrant city with superb congress centers conveniently located within a short walking distance of a large number of hotels and where many conferences and meetings are organized each year, including in 2016 the World Humanitarian Summit with about 3000 people and the World Congress of Energy with about 4000 attendees.
 
Due to the continuing flow of submissions, several COSPAR 2016 meeting organizers and participants have requested an extension of the deadline for submission of abstracts for the 41st Scientific Assembly.  If you plan to attend the Assembly and wish to submit an abstract but have not already done so, please attend to this matter at your earliest convenience and no later than 19 February.  All information concerning the scientific program and abstract submission may be found at:
 
http://www.cospar-assembly.org
 
Please note that this extension does not apply to any other Assembly deadlines.


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MEETING: Exploring the Geospace Frontier: New Directions (Quo Vadis)

From: David Hysell (dlh37 at cornell.edu)

A workshop is being organized to help shape the direction of research in geospace system science. The workshop will focus on the experimental infrastructure required for discovery research in the 21st century, with consideration for both basic and applied research driven by cutting edge observations of the system.  We will develop strategies that can integrate geospace research across outmoded disciplinary boundaries and better align with activities carried out by different federal and international agencies.

Initiatives to be considered during the workshop will span the Sun-Earth connection. Examples of unique geospace capabilities for the future to be discussed at the workshop would include the construction of a low-frequency, multi-static radar system capable of receiving echoes from the middle atmosphere through the ionosphere, plasmasphere, magnetosphere, and the Sun. This facility would also include advanced, high-power lidar systems as described by the "OASIS - Exploring the Interaction of the Earth's Atmosphere with Space" document. Another research-driving facility could be the COSMO suite of instrumentation to describe the multidimensional magneto-thermal environment of the solar atmosphere at the heart of the space weather enterprise.

The workshop will take place in the context of contemporary community strategic documents and also other major experimental initiatives in geospace including EISCAT_3D and current and planned NASA missions, and natural synergies and overlaps will be considered. We expect the workshop to culminate in an action plan for pursuing an NSF MREFC (Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction) project to enable discovery science across the Geospace community.

The workshop will be sponsored by NSF and HAO/NCAR and is tentatively scheduled to take place in Boulder from May 25--27, 2016. A website for the workshop is available at

https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/events/GeospaceFrontier2016

People interested in participating and/or contributing a presentation should contact one of the  co-organizers listed below for more information.

David Hysell, Cornell University, david.hysell at cornell.edu
Scott McIntosh, High Altitude Observatory, mscott at uar.edu
Jeff Thayer, University of Colorado at Boulder, jeffrey.thayer at colorado.edu


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JOB OPENING: Lectureship in Magnetohydrodynamics / Solar Physics at the University of Dundee (UK)

From: David Pontin (d.i.pontin at dundee.ac.uk)

The University of Dundee is seeking an exceptional candidate to join our Magnetohydrodynamics research group in Applied Mathematics, based within the School of Science and Engineering.

Mathematics at Dundee was ranked 8th (of 53) in the UK and 1st in Scotland in the national Research Excellence Framework assessment in 2014 – a major contributor to this success was the internationally-recognised research of the Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) group. The MHD group carries out fundamental research into the structure and dynamics of magnetic fields and plasmas, using a combination of numerical simulations (HPC) and mathematical analysis based on dynamical systems theory, braid theory and differential geometry. The main areas of application are astrophysical plasmas, particularly solar plasmas. Group members also work on applications to laboratory plasmas and other fluid dynamical systems (for more details see http://www.maths.dundee.ac.uk/mhd/ ).

The successful candidate will be expected to perform internationally leading research in an area that complements that of the MHD group. We interpret the research area in its broadest sense and welcome applications in all areas of theory, modelling and observations of plasmas and fluids. The successful candidate should also have a commitment to excellence in teaching. Mathematics as a discipline has been placed in the top 10 in the UK in all major subject league tables in 2016, and offers a range of undergraduate and MSc degrees.

The School holds Athena Swan Bronze Awards in all of its discipline areas, recognising its commitment and success in developing practices to support the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) in academia.

For a full job description and details of how to apply, see http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AUC547/lecturer-in-applied-mathematics-teaching-and-research/

Appointment will be at grade 7 - 8 Lecturer (£34,576 - £46,414)

Closing Date: 6 March 2016

Informal inquires may be made to Prof Gunnar Hornig g.hornig at dundee.ac.uk  or Dr David Pontin d.i.pontin at dundee.ac.uk

The University of Dundee is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC015096


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