[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXV, Issue 41

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXV, Issue 41
Jul.08,2018

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Table of Contents

1. NASA Mesospheric Rockets Requirements Solicitation

2. VarSITI Newsletter Vol.18

3. Combining MMS 2D Distribution Slices with Tplot Windows

4. JOB OPENING: Rotator Position for Aeronomy Program Director at NSF

5. JOB OPENING: Faculty Position in Space-Based Instrumentation at the University of Iowa

6. JOB OPENING: PostDoctoral Position at KULeuven (Belgium) with the H2020 Project AIDA

7. PhD Position in Ionospheric Physics at University of Oulu, Finland

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Announcement Submission Website: http://goo.gl/forms/qjcm4dDr4g


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NASA Mesospheric Rockets Requirements Solicitation

From: Gerald Lehmacher (glehmac at clemson.edu)

As follow up to last week's CEDAR workshop

http://cedarweb.vsp.ucar.edu/wiki/index.php/2018_Workshop:Developing_small_rockets

and on behalf of the NASA Sounding Rocket Working Group we kindly request your input.  The NASA Sounding Rocket Program Office has designed a questionnaire to solicit interest and requirements regarding small rocket capabilities. Comments regarding launch sites, campaign requirements, are also invited.  More background information is included and linked on the workshop website. 

The questionnaire (as fillable Word document) can be downloaded from the workshop website (under Presentation Resources).  Please send the document with your responses to Nathan Empson (nathan.k.empson at nasa.gov) or Gerald Lehmacher (glehmac at clemson.edu).

Workshop conveners: Gerald Lehmacher (Clemson University), Aroh Barjatya (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)


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VarSITI Newsletter Vol.18

From: Kazuo Shiokawa (shiokawa at nagoya-u.jp)

SCOSTEP's VarSITI (Variability of the Sun and Its Terrestrial Impact, 2014-2018)

VarSITI Newsletter volume 18 has now been published.  The PDF file is available at 
http://newserver.stil.bas.bg/varsiti/newsL/VarSITI_Newsletter_Vol18.pdf
Below are the contents of this volume.  

Contents of VarSITI Newsletter Volume 18

Articles
1. EISCAT_3D Radar for Studies of the Polar Ionosphere and Magnetosphere
2. Solar Wind Research with Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe: Data Tools, Models and Strategies
3. Towards Trusted Data Services: World Data System & Certification
4. An Introduction on ISEST (International Study of Earth-Affecting Solar Transients) Working Group on Solar Energetic Particles

Highlights on Young Scientists
1. Gunter Stober/ Germany, Canada
2. Sneha Yadav/ India
3. Ashley Greeley/ USA

Meeting Reports
1. The 8th Workshop on VLF/ELF Remote Sensing of Ionospheres and Magnetospheres (VERSIM)
2. 41st Annual Seminar “Physics of the Auroral Phenomena”
3. 4th International ANGWIN Workshop: Exploration of the High-latitude Upper Atmosphere Wave Dynamics
4. 10th Workshop on Long-term Changes and Trends in the Atmosphere
5. Tenth Workshop “Solar Influences on the Magnetosphere, Ionosphere and Atmosphere”
6. VI International Conference "Atmosphere, Ionosphere, Safety" (AIS-2018)
7. DKIST Critical Science Plan Workshop 5

Upcoming Meetings


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Combining MMS 2D Distribution Slices with Tplot Windows

From: Eric Grimes (egrimes at igpp.ucla.edu), Jim Lewis, Vassilis Angelopoulos and the SPEDAS team

Combining MMS 2D Distribution Slices with Tplot Windows

The SPEDAS development team invites you to a webinar we'll be holding on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 where we'll showcase a new set of tools for combining MMS 2D distribution slices with tplot windows to create flipbook-style figures and movies. 

Time: Wednesday, July 18, 10:00am-12:00pm Pacific
URL: https://uclaigpp.webex.com/uclaigpp
Meeting name = Combining MMS 2D Distribution Slices with Tplot Windows
Password = MMS-flipbook-1
Phone to use: 510-643-3817
Conference ID/pass = none; first person hears the ring, second starts the telecon

Tentative agenda:
1) Basic examples for FPI and HPCA
2) Change interpolation method
3) Change rotations of slices
4) Limit the time range to a subset of the tplot window
5) Subtract FPI distribution error, bulk velocity from slices prior to adding them to the window
6) Export to high quality postscript files instead of PNGs
7) Export to video files
8) Include 1-D cuts through the 2-D distributions


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JOB OPENING: Rotator Position for Aeronomy Program Director at NSF

From: Michael Wiltberger (mwiltber at nsf.gov)

Ruth Liberman’s outstanding service as Program Director for the Aeronomy Program in the Geospace Section of NSF’s Division of Atmopsheric and Geospace Sciences will be coming to end in August when she moves onto a new position at NASA/GSFC. We are looking for an experienced upper atmosphere scientist with a flair for scientific leadership and an interest in community service, who is excited about the opportunity to work with us to maintain an excellent aeronomy research program and shape the investment in geospace science at NSF.  In return, the position offers a unique chance to experience the inner workings of federal research programs and to influence the future development of Geospace science at NSF.  A starting date around September 1, 2018 would be ideal but a later date can also be arranged. Rotator assignments are typically of 2-3 years duration. 

Rotator positions can be either Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment (IPA) or Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) assignments. For more information regarding rotator assignments and eligibility, visit our website at https://www.nsf.gov/careers/rotator/ .

Consideration of interested applicants will begin August 1, 2018, and will continue until selection is made. Individuals interested in applying for this position should send a current CV and letter of interest by email to:

Michael Wiltberger
Geospace Section Head
National Science Foundation
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Email: mwiltber at nsf.gov
Phone: 703-292-8519 

Questions about the positions can be directed to the above or any of the Geospace program directors:

Irfan Azeem Space Weather sazeem at nsf.gov. 
Carrie Black, Geospace Facilities cblack at nsf.gov 
Ruth Liberman, Aeronomy rliberman at nsf.gov
Ilia Roussev, Solar-Terrestrial Research iroussev nsf.gov

NSF is an Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Employing a Highly Qualified Staff that Reflects the Diversity of Our Nation.


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JOB OPENING: Faculty Position in Space-Based Instrumentation at the University of Iowa

From: Jasper Halekas (jasper-halekas at uiowa.edu)

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa is seeking an outstanding researcher active in experimental space-based research to fill a tenure-track faculty position beginning Fall 2019. Candidates in all areas of space-based astronomy, heliophysics, and planetary science are encouraged to apply. The position may be filled at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. To apply, please go to the Jobs at UIowa website (https://jobs.uiowa.edu/faculty/view/73018). Applications should arrive prior to October 15, 2018 to receive full consideration.


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JOB OPENING: PostDoctoral Position at KULeuven (Belgium) with the H2020 Project AIDA

From: Giovanni Lapenta (giovanni.lapenta at kuleuven.be)

The Department of Mathematics of the KULeuven is looking for an expert in solar physics and/or machine learning at the postdoctoral level. 

The researcher will have participate in a stimulating research environment within the Mathematics Department of KULeuven and within the network of team forming the Horizon 2002 project AIDA (www.aida-space.eu) funded by the European commission. Partners include: KU Leuven in Belgium; CWI in The Netherlands; University of Calabria, University of Pisa and CINECA in Italy; CNRS in France; IRIDA in Greece and Space Consulting in USA. 

The researchers will be employed by KU Leuven, but collaborations with other teams within
the project and more generally within the scientific and industrial community focusing on space science and artificial intelligence is highly encouraged. 

AIDA aims at bringing the analysis of heliophysics data to a new level. We plan to develop a Python-based tool to retrieve and analyze data from a variety of missions, using the most modern techniques of statistical analysis, machine learning. The project also includes the use of observational data in the mathematical modeling of solar and magnetospheric processes on high performance supercomputers.

KULeuven is aspiring to become a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) as the very recent construction of the Genius supercomputer with a dedicated partition proves. KULeuven has also several groups leaders in AI and we will encourage interdisciplinary collaborations with computer scientist and engineers.

The work place is Leuven, a historic university town (our university is one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1425) located just 20 minutes from the center of Brussels and 15 minutes from Brussels international airport, making it easily reachable for international travelers.
Leuven is an international city located in the Flemish (Dutch speaking) part of Belgium, where English is spoken routinely in all places (from University and public offices to shops and entertainment venues). The distance from Brussel and from other French speaking parts of the country is so small that it is perfectly possible to commute.

Our division, the Center for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics (CmPA, wis.kuleuven.be/CmPA), is a leading center in the study of space science. Our team is formed of four professors (plus one active emeritus) and about 40 experts, scientists, postdocs and students working on different aspects of simulation and data analysis applied to solar and space science, astrophysics and other plasma processes (nuclear fusion energy, industrial, space propulsion).
http://www.aida-space.eu

Profile - Responsibilities

At least one, preferably more, of the following items should be very familiar to the selected candidate:
 Machine Learning, Deep Neural Networks, Bayesian Methods,
 Solar, Magnetospheric and Solar wind data analysis,
 Expertise on computer programming with Python, C, C++ or Fortran,
 Plasma physics, astrophysics or space physics,
 Numerical methods for fluid dynamics, MHD and kinetic physics particle in cell methods.

Context on the AIDA project 

AIDA brings a transformational innovation to the analysis of heliophysics data in four steps.

First, AIDA will develop a new open source software called AIDApp written in Python (a free language) and capable of collecting, combining and correlating data from different space missions. AIDApp wants to replace mission-specific tools
written for costly languages (such as IDL) that exclude many scientists, students and amateur space enthusiasts from exploring the data, with a much-needed single platform where methods are shared and continuously improved by the whole
community.

Second, AIDA will introduce modern data assimilation, statistical methods and machine learning (ML) to heliophysics data processing. Unlike traditional methods based on human expertise, these methods rely on statistics and information theory to extract features that are hidden in the data.

Third, AIDA will combine real data from space missions with synthetic data from simulations developing a virtual satellite component for AIDApp. This feature will be demonstrated in the comparison with existing mission data and in the planning of new missions.

Fourth, AIDA will deploy in AIDApp methods of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse data flows from heliophysics missions. This task requires bridging together competences in computer science and in heliophysics and pushes well beyond the current state of the art in space data analysis, connecting space researchers with AI, one of the fastest growing trends in modern science and industrial development.

AIDA will use the new AIDApp in selecting key heliophysics problems to produce a database (AIDAdb) of new high-level data products that include catalogs of features and events detected by ML and AI algorithms. Moreover, many of the AI
methods developed in AIDA will themselves represent higher-level data products, for instance in the form of trained neural networks that can be stored and reused as a database of coefficients.

These tasks will be the collective responsibility of the whole consortium and certainly not of any single person. The selected candidate will work on aspects of the project best suited to her or his abilities and interests. Research freedom will be highly valued, under the guidance of the need to reach some projects goals. Reaching the goals is a task that can be done in many ways and research is finding out how to reach them. The candidate will be supported by a team of experts at KULeuven including both senior and junior research experts. The plan is to have a stimulating collaborative environment that puts all in the position to do best what the research they like the most.

Offer

For more information of the conditions of employment of aPostDoc at KULeuven, please go to: https://www.kuleuven.be/english/research/postdoc

Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Giovanni Lapenta or Dr. Jorge Amaya, by email to: coordinator.aida at kuleuven.be

You can apply for this job no later than August 31, 2018 via the online application tool :https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/54649709?hl=en&lang=en

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at diversiteit.HR at kuleuven.be.


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PhD Position in Ionospheric Physics at University of Oulu, Finland

From: Heikki Vanhamäki (heikki.vanhamaki at oulu.fi)

Applications are invited for a four-year, full-time doctoral student position. The successful candidate will study of space weather effects on the high-latitude ionospheric current systems and magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. The project will utilize data from the Swarm satellites and ground-based magnetometers (e.g. SuperMAG and IMAGE), together with other satellite and ground-based measurements. The position will be placed in the Ionospheric Physics research unit at the Faculty of Science, University of Oulu. In the unit the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system is studied by utilizing data from different satellite missions (e.g. Swarm and Cluster) and from versatile ground-based instruments, including the EISCAT incoherent scatter radars. We are looking for candidates with MSc degree in Physics, Space Physics, Computational Physics or a closely related field. Experience in programming and earlier studies in Space Physics are an advantage.

To apply, please see the full job description and use the electronic application form in https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&jc=1&id=00005928&lang=en. Further information can be obtained from Dr. Heikki Vanhamäki (heikki.vanhamaki(at)oulu.fi) or Prof. Anita Aikio (anita.aikio(at)oulu.fi).


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