[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXVI, Issue 72

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXVI, Issue 72
Dec.12,2019

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Table of Contents

1. Solar Sail Technology Demonstration Mission

2. JOB OPENING: Assistant Professor at Montana State University -- Space Physics Experimentalist

3. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Position at Imperial College London in Magnetospheric Physics

4. SCOSTEP/PRESTO Newsletter Vol.21

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


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Solar Sail Technology Demonstration Mission

From: Les Johnson (les.johnson at nasa.gov)

The Solar Cruiser solar sail technology demonstration mission concept is one of two proposals selected by NASA's Heliophysics Division for study and possible launch as a secondary payload with NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft in October 2024 - pending a downselect decision following the Phase A Concept Definition Study and Phase 1 proposal. 

The Solar Cruiser would demonstrate two technologies: 1) A nearly 18,000-square-foot solar sail propulsion system, demonstrating its capability for future solar-observing missions to access previously-inaccessible orbits such as nearly-indefinite sub-L1 station-keeping and high-solar-inclination solar science up to and including a Solar Polar Orbiter. 2) An imaging instrument that would enable simultaneous measurements of the Sun’s magnetic field structure and velocity of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs.

Solar sail propulsion is considered an enabling technology for some future missions of interest to the Heliophysics community (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13060/solar-and-space-physics-a-science-for-a-technological-society). You may learn more about the Solar Cruiser (formerly, "Kon-Tiki") sailcraft here: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20190032323.pdf.

Questions about the mission scenarios enabled by the Solar Cruiser propulsion system and interest its application to specific science missions can be directed to les.johnson at nasa.gov.


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JOB OPENING: Assistant Professor at Montana State University -- Space Physics Experimentalist

From: John Sample, David Klumpar (john.sample2 at montana.edu)

Brief Position Overview:
Teach Physics at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Maintain a strong research program in the area of space science. Mentor both graduate and undergraduate students. Publish results of research projects in professional journals and present findings at professional conferences.

The Department of Physics at Montana State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the field of Space Sciences, with an emphasis on experimentalists, to start in the fall of 2020. The first five years of this position will be funded through the NSF FDSS program. Candidates will hold a Ph.D. in physics, or a discipline related to space sciences and will have demonstrated the potential to conduct a vigorous and significant experimental space physics research program as evidenced by previous involvement in space-based instrumentation development and by their publication record. Duties include teaching physics, both undergraduate and graduate courses, and involving students in formal multidisciplinary experiential training activities.

We seek individuals who work professionally and effectively with diverse individuals, possess effective interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and have the ability to contribute positively to the academic success of the students and the mission of Montana State University.

Required Qualifications:
1. A Ph.D. in physics or closely related field.
2. Demonstrated research experience in experimental space science, as evidenced by a record of publication.
3. Demonstrated ability or potential to teach both undergraduate and graduate physics courses and to involve students from other academic disciplines in formal multidisciplinary experiential training activities.
4. Demonstrated ability or potential for excellence in advising of graduate and undergraduate students through research experiences.

Candidates with expertise in any area of experimental space sciences are encouraged to apply. This includes, but is not limited to: solar, magnetospheric, ionospheric, and planetary physics, utilizing space-based or near-space platforms. 

For complete job announcement and application procedures, go to:
http://jobs.montana.edu/postings/19122

Information about the Department of Physics may be found at:
http://www.physics.montana.edu/
(Montana State is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled)


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JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Position at Imperial College London in Magnetospheric Physics

From: Jonathan Eastwood (jonathan.eastwood at imperial.ac.uk)

Post-doctoral Research Assistant/Associate in Magnetospheric Physics at Imperial College London, Closing date 7-January-2020.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/description/NAT00621/research-associate-space-physics

Applications are invited for a Post-doctoral Research Assistant/Associate position in magnetospheric physics within the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group of the Department of Physics at Imperial College London. The overarching aim of this work is to better understand the behaviour of the solar wind - magnetosphere interaction during space weather events. More specifically, the work will focus on the magnetospheric and ionospheric conditions associated with strong geomagnetically induced currents on the surface of the Earth, with the goal of understanding the physical mechanisms responsible for their production. The work will make use of Imperial’s global magnetospheric simulations; the post-holder will be guided to perform numerical experiments ascertaining the effect of the solar wind and internal field changes on the intensity and occurrence of geomagnetically induced currents. The post-holder will further compare the output of the simulations with spacecraft and ground-based observations, to verify the output. The work will be performed in the context of a UKRI/NERC-funded consortium led by the British Geological Survey (SWIGS http://swigs.bgs.ac.uk/) whose goal is to radically improve our understanding of how space weather affects ground-based technology through the production of geomagnetically induced currents.

For questions or queries please contact the project PI jonathan.eastwood at imperial.ac.uk


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SCOSTEP/PRESTO Newsletter Vol.21

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

SCOSTEP/PRESTO Newsletter volume 21 has now been published.  The PDF file is available at 
https:/www.bc.edu/scostep
Below are the contents of this volume.  

Contents of SCOSTEP/PRESTO Newsletter Volume 21

Articles
1. SCOSTEP Executives and Bureau Members
2. Message from the Newly Elected SCOSTEP President
3. Transition of the Office of the Scientific Secretary
4. Bureau Meeting Report
5. SCOSTEP Mailing Lists
6. SCOSTEP Visiting Scholarship (SVS) Program

Meeting Report
1. Capacity Building and Outreach Activities
2. The International Space Weather Initiative Workshop (ISWI)
3. The VarSITI Completion General Symposium 2019
4. 4th Edition of the School of Space Weather IMAO, Senegal, Africa
5. International Beacon Satellite Symposium, Olsztyn, Poland
6. VarSITI Summarizing Workshop

Upcoming Meetings

Announcement
1. SCOSTEP’s 15th Quadrennial Solar-Terrestrial Physics Symposium (STP-15), Alibag, India February 21-25, 2022
2. Predictability of the Variable Solar-Terrestrial Coupling (PRESTO)
3. 2020 SCOSTEP Distinguished Scientist and Service Awards


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