[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXVIII, Issue 14

Newsletter Editor editor at igpp.ucla.edu
Sun Mar 14 21:33:53 PDT 2021


AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXVIII, Issue 14
Mar.15,2021

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Table of Contents

1. Call for AGU 2021 Session Proposals: An Opportunity to Increase Diversity and Inclusivity

2. AGU Fall Meeting 2021: What We Know and What We Don’t

3. Equitable Letters for Space Physics

4. MEETING: Heliophysics 2050 Workshop, May 3–7, 2021, Virtual

5. MEETING: Workshop on the Influence of a Global Magnetic Field on  Ion and Atmospheric Loss and Planetary Habitability

6. SESSION: “Physics of the Radiation Belts and Active Experiments in Space” Session at ICEAA/IEEE Conference

7. Survey for ML-Helio Conference

8. Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series

9. JOB OPENING: HMI Reseach Scientist & Post-Doctoral Positions @ Stanford University

10. JOB OPENING: Post-doctoral Position in Heliophysics at Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Fall 2021  (Corrected hyper-link)

11. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Research Position Available Within the University of Michigan’s Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLASP) Department

12. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Researcher Position at the University of Minnesota

13. JOB OPENING: Software Developer for Auroral Research 

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


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Call for AGU 2021 Session Proposals: An Opportunity to Increase Diversity and Inclusivity

From: Geoffrey Reeves (geoff at reevesresearch.org)

By now you have probably seen the call for AGU 2021 session proposals (https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting/Pages/Present/Proposals)  We would like to provide some background and guidance and also to introduce a new initiative to increase diversity and inclusivity among our session conveners.

While there are many experienced session conveners in SPA, there are many others who, for a variety of reasons, have never been a co-convener. We would like to give everyone who wants an opportunity to become experienced co-conveners. To help achieve that we would like teams that are convening sessions to strongly consider reaching out to students, early career scientists, and others who might be first-time conveners. 

If you are a person who would like to gain that experience but aren’t sure how to get involved, the SPA leadership team would like to help. Please email SPA.leadership.team at gmail.com  and we will try to get you matched up with a session that you can help co-convene. Let us know your name, career stage, and area(s) of interest.

We are asking session conveners to use the notes section to indicate if any of the co-conveners are students, early career, or first-time co-conveners. We would also like teams to indicate if any of the co-conveners would be willing to step aside so that a volunteer could become one of your co-conveners.

Thanks for your help in this endeavor!

Geoff Reeves - SPA president
Therese Moretto - SPA president-elect
Christina Cohen - SPA past president
Amy Keesee - Secretary Magnetospheric Physics
Romina Nikoukar - Secretary Aeronomy
Christina Lee - Secretary Solar-Heliospheric Physics
Chris Gilly - Student Representative


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AGU Fall Meeting 2021: What We Know and What We Don’t

From: Geoff Reeves (geoff at reevesresearch.org)

The call for AGU 2021 session proposals is out but what will the fall meeting look like this year? The fall meeting  is scheduled for December 13-17 in New Orleans, LA but the evolving pandemic situation in the US and around the world continues to produce a lot of uncertainty.

The all-virtual meeting this past December was put together in a hurry and I know many of you were frustrated by many aspects of the meeting and, in particular, the sometimes poor communication from AGU. This was a lively topic of discussion at the recent AGU Leadership Council meeting and I would like to let you know what was discussed and some of my speculation. Please bear in mind that plans will continue to evolve as COVID case rates, vaccinations, and restrictions on travel and gatherings evolve.

The current plan is for a “hybrid” meeting with both in-person and remote participation. However, the details of how remote participation in the in-person sessions will occur is not yet clear.

In-person sessions will run Monday-Friday from ~8 AM to ~6:30 PM central time. Union sessions, Named Lectures, etc. will kick off each morning. Then four (90-min) or five (75-min) technical session blocks (“orals”) will be held from ~11 AM to ~4:30 PM. Each day will end with a 2-hour poster hall and networking session. If the meeting cannot be held in person the program will go all virtual but with the same time structure.

Virtual sessions may occur during live meeting hours, as shoulder events, or outside of daily core meeting time/dates. Therefore, virtual sessions can potentially be held at times that are convenient for other time zones outside the US. Satellite “hubs” for in-person participation at locations outside the US are also being considered. Most details of remote or virtual participation are still TBD.

I have been told that there are NO PLANS FOR LIVE 15 MINUTE TALKS. “Oral” presentations will be pre-recorded. In person and virtual technical sessions will consist of very brief, live presentations followed by questions and discussion much like the meeting last December but, hopefully, with some of us in physical rooms together. 

AGU is currently planning for a traditional in person poster hall with posters up for a full day but a dedicated 2-hour poster block for discussion and interaction. Virtual, E-posters are also likely to be an option but details are TBD. (You can decide for yourself if an in-person poster hall is a likely possibility or not.)

I know that many of these changes will be hard to accept and hard to get used to. Personally, there are aspects I’m unhappy with, some I hate, and some that might be positive in the long run.  I’m happy to collect comments on either good or bad aspects of AGU’s plan. I promise to pass them along but I can’t promise that even great suggestions will get implemented at the 2021 fall meeting. 

Cheers
Geoff


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Equitable Letters for Space Physics

From: Angeline G. Burrell (angeline.burrell at nrl.navy.mil)

Dear SPA community,

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new effort, Equitable Letters for Space Physics (ELSP), to encourage merit-based recommendations and nominations in the space physics community by providing resources for letter writing and reviews of recommendation and nomination letters.  ELSP seeks to achieve this goal by:

1) Providing resources for people writing letters of recommendation and award nomination at the undergraduate level and above,
2) Provide resources for people wishing to learn about different implicit biases and lessen their manifestation, and
3) Provide reviews of recommendation and nomination letters, with the goal of lessening implicit bias in these letters.

At the moment, we are seeking volunteers to participate as reviewers in the letter submission system.  This system will function similarly to double-blind journal article reviews, with the ELSP executive director acting as editor.  If you have more questions or would like to participate, please contact us at: equitable.space.letters at gmail.com.

You can also learn more about our mission and find both letter writing and implicit bias resources at the ELSP website:https://equitableletterssp.github.io/ELSP/.

Happy Women's History Month,
Angeline G. Burrell, John Coxon, Alexa Halford, McArthur Jones Jr., and Kate Zawdie


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MEETING: Heliophysics 2050 Workshop, May 3–7, 2021, Virtual

From: Shasha Zou (shashaz at umich.edu)

The workshop will examine current scientific understanding and what near-term investigations can enable and inform future investigations. From this scientific progression, the workshop will explore fundamental connections (i.e., Science Web) that map current understanding to the next set of research investigations which will, in turn, enable next-generation studies. These investigations will cover the range of work from basic research to operational efforts and would be agnostic to their mode of execution (e.g., theory, observations, spaceflight missions). This approach will enable the next Decadal Survey to lay out a long-term science strategy: What does Heliophysics look like in 2050, and what do we do in the next decade to help us get there?

Call for Poster Abstracts:
Poster presenters and attendees are encouraged to discuss the long-term impact of the presented topics, with an eye toward collaboration in submitting white papers to the Heliophysics Decadal Survey. Solicited poster abstracts are limited to 2,500 characters, and an abstract pdf is not required.
Abstract submission deadline — April 4, 2021, 12:00 p.m. U.S. Central Daylight Time (GMT -5)

Registration:
Registration fees are not being collected for this virtual workshop, but registration is required for communication purposes including virtual access information.
Registration deadline — April 26, 2021

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/helio2050/


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MEETING: Workshop on the Influence of a Global Magnetic Field on  Ion and Atmospheric Loss and Planetary Habitability, June 15-17, 2021

From: David Brain, Bill Peterson (bill.peterson at lasp.colorado.edu)

This 3-day workshop will be held virtually on June 15-17th. Sessions will be hosted from 9am ET to 1:30pm ET, including a 30 minute break.
Topics of discussion will focus on atmospheric escape (including ion outflow) from planets and moons, and the influence of planetary magnetic fields and stellar inputs on atmospheric retention. There will be interactions between scientists representing diverse scientific disciplines (Heliophysics, Astrophysics, Astrobiology, and Planetary Science) and approaches (e.g. observations, modeling, theory). Abstracts related to the following concepts are encouraged: 

• Atmospheric escape from planets
• Ion outflow from planets
• Influence of magnetic fields on atmospheric escape
• Atmospheric / ionospheric chemistry related to atmospheric  escape
• Influence of stellar outputs and their variability on atmospheric escape
• Influence of atmospheric escape on planetary evolution
• Influence of Ionosphere-Thermosphere coupling on atmospheric escape
• Exoplanet atmospheric loss and star-planet interactions
• Future challenges and connections to other scientific fields

Note: the word atmospheric escape includes ion and neutral escape processes and rates

Abstracts will be accepted starting March 15th at
https://mach-center.org/workshop/.
Abstracts are due April 21st.
This workshop is hosted by the MACH Center, sponsored by NASA’s Heliophysics DRIVE program.


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SESSION: “Physics of the Radiation Belts and Active Experiments in Space” Session at ICEAA/IEEE Conference

From: Maria Usanova, Chris Crabtree (maria.usanova at lasp.colorado.edu)

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to encourage you to submit an abstract to the session entitled “Physics of the radiation belts and active experiments in space” at the upcoming ICEAA/IEEE conference in Honolulu, August 9-13, 2021, https://www.iceaa-offshore.org/j3/.
  
The 2021 meeting will be hybrid, combining in-person and online sessions. In addition to the radiation belts session, there will be two other sessions organized by the URSI commission H which might also be of interest to you:
H.2 Natural and stimulated emissions in the ionosphere and magnetosphere,
H.3 Simulation of space plasma-wave interactions in laboratory.
More information can be found here: https://www.iceaa-offshore.org/j3/images/documenti/Flyer_ICEAA_2021.pdf

The abstract deadline is April 3, 2021. 

Best regards,
Maria Usanova
Chris Crabtree


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Survey for ML-Helio Conference

From: Enrico Camporeale (enrico.camporeale at noaa.gov)

The organizing committee of the Machine Learning in Heliophysics conference (https://ml-helio.github.io/) has decided that ML-Helio will not be a fully-virtual conference.

The University of Colorado will shortly announce the COVID policy and restrictions for the Fall semester. If permitted, we will explore possibilities to hold a hybrid meeting (in-person/virtual) in Boulder (CO, USA) on 30 August - 3 September, 2021.

We kindly ask the community to fill a short survey to help us understand if we have a critical mass of attendees that are willing to travel and comfortable with attending in-person. Of course, all the COVID-restrictions put in place will be strictly followed.

The survey is here, and it takes 2 minutes:
https://forms.gle/PjAwVmpCwntzoiJ28

Thanks for your help!
The SOC of ML-Helio


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Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series

From: Jason Shuster (magnetosphere.seminars at gmail.com)

We invite you to join us every Monday at 12pm (ET) for the weekly Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series.

On Monday, March 15, Justin Kasper will present on "Faraday Cup Plasma Instruments". A link to join the seminar via Zoom or YouTube can be found on our home page:
https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/
The password to join the Zoom seminar is: Mag at 1

Note the time change: daylight savings time ends on March 14, so "12pm" Eastern Time will feel like one hour earlier than usual for this week. 

On March 22, Gina DiBraccio will discuss "Fluxgate Magnetometers for Space Exploration".

You can view the current 2021 schedule here:
https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/schedule.html

Add your name to our mailing list here:
https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/mail-list.html

Read about previous talks here:
https://msolss.github.io/MagSeminars/blog.html


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JOB OPENING: HMI Reseach Scientist & Post-Doctoral Positions @ Stanford University

From: Todd Hoeksema (todd at sun.stanford.edu)

The Solar Observatories Group at Stanford University invites applications for postdoctoral and research positions at the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory. Research will focus on analysis of observations made by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), including magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and vector magnetic field, as well as data from other solar instruments. Modelers whose research supports such data analysis or data improvements are also welcome to apply. You will work with HMI science-team members to investigate the structure and dynamics of the Sun’s magnetic field, the Sun’s interior structure, and flow fields in support of the goals of the NASA-sponsored SDO/HMI investigation. Information about the HMI project can be found at http://hmi.stanford.edu.

These will be 3-year fixed-term positions with a possibility for extension based on performance and the availability of funding. Applications received by May 15, 2021 will be given immediate consideration.

Link for Post-doctoral position application:
    https://postdocs.stanford.edu/prospective/opportunities/open-postdoctoral-position-faculty-mentor-phil-scherrer
Link for Research Scientist position:
    https://careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/as-r-physical-science-research-scientist-11696


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JOB OPENING: Post-doctoral Position in Heliophysics at Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Fall 2021  (Corrected hyper-link)

From: Paulett Liewer, Marco Velli, Neal Turner (paulett.c.liewer at jpl.nasa.gov)

The JPL SoloHI Team will have an opening for a post-doctoral researcher in heliophysics starting this fall. 

Information on the opening and application procedure can be found
https://citjpl.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Jobs/job/JPL-Campus/Postdoctoral-Researcher-in-Heliophysics_2021-12885

or contact Marco Velli (mvelli at ucla.edu) or myself (paulett.liewer at jpl.nasa.gov).

Here is the description of the post-doctoral position:
Responsibilities

The selected candidate will conduct independent research in heliophysics connected with ESA's Solar Orbiter mission and its NASA-supported instrument, the Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI). SoloHI images the solar wind over a wide field of view in visible sunlight scattered from solar wind electrons, with time series recording both the quasi-steady flow and transient disturbances. The measurements are uniquely useful for tracing the evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Dr. Neal Turner in JPL's Astrophysics and Space Sciences section will serve as the JPL postdoctoral advisor. The appointee's research will be guided by Dr. Paulett Liewer, also in JPL's Astrophysics and Space Sciences section, and Prof. Marco Velli, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who also holds a JPL appointment. All three mentors will help ensure the research results in publications in the open literature. The appointee will also be encouraged to present their findings at professional meetings.

Application closing date: April 30, 2021

Qualifications
Candidates should have a recent PhD in Astrophysics or Physics with a strong background in solar and heliospheric physics. Applicants with demonstrated skills in areas such as numerical modeling of plasmas and image data analysis will be given particular attention.


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JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Research Position Available Within the University of Michigan’s Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLASP) Department

From: Natalia Ganushkina (ganuna at umich.edu)

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position in space physics (Earth’s inner magnetosphere and near-Earth’s plasma sheet) at the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (https://clasp.engin.umich.edu), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA (https://umich.edu) to begin later in 2021. The research includes (1) analysis of magnetospheric data (particles and fields) from current and past missions (GOES, THEMIS, Van Allen Probes, MMS); and/or (2) development of empirical data-based and kinetic models for particle transport in the Earth’s magnetosphere.

The successful candidate will be involved in national and international collaborations and will also be expected to present the results at national and international conferences as well as publish the results in leading journals. Expertise in the analysis of multi-point space plasma measurements is highly beneficial. In addition, experience in relevant numerical modelling will be an advantage.

The initial appointment will be for two years and the salary commensurate with experience. CLASP, the College and the University have postdoctoral mentoring and professional development programs that support research fellows for careers in research, academia, and other allied fields. To apply, go to https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/194914/research_fellow and follow the instructions. For additional information, please contact Natalia Ganushkina (ganuna at umich.edu).

Complete applications ask for a cover letter stating research interests and experience, a CV, and the names and addresses of two references. Review of materials begins immediately and continues until the position is filled. The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.


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JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Researcher Position at the University of Minnesota

From: Lindsay Glesener (glesener at umn.edu)

The Space Physics group at the University of Minnesota has an immediate opening for a postdoctoral researcher to work on analysis and/or instrumentation for high-energy solar astrophysics.  This researcher will play a leading role in the analysis of high-energy solar flare data.  Suggested analysis topics include the following, though candidates are encouraged to suggest other topics according to their own experience and interests: solar flare particle acceleration; the formation and evolution of flare-related jets and/or coronal mass ejections; diagnostics of solar coronal heating; or solar-stellar flare comparisons.

Experience in the analysis of high-energy solar astrophysical data, including soft X-rays, hard X-rays, and/or gamma rays will be considered a plus, as well as experience in analyzing solar microwave or radio data.  The researcher will have the opportunity to contribute to hardware projects, including the FOXSI-4 sounding rocket payload and solar hard X-ray CubeSats.  FOXSI-4 will launch as part of NASA’s first-ever sounding rocket solar flare campaign, offering a unique opportunity to be involved in the planning of the campaign.  Prior hardware experience is a plus but is not a prerequisite.

Required qualifications:  Ph.D. in physics, astrophysics, or space physics by beginning date of appointment.
Preferred qualifications:  Experience in the analysis of solar astrophysical data.

More information on the position can be found here: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/339603.  Questions about the position can be directed to Lindsay Glesener at glesener at umn.edu 


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JOB OPENING: Software Developer for Auroral Research 

From: Tima Sergienko  (tima at irf.se)

Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is a governmental research institute that conducts postgraduate education and research in space physics, atmospheric physics and space technology. Many of IRF's projects are run as large international projects in collaboration with other research institutes and space agencies. IRF has about one hundred employees and offices in Kiruna (headquarters), Umeå, Uppsala and Lund. www.irf.se

Software developer for auroral research

The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is looking for a person interested in developing advanced tools for analysing data from a unique scientific auroral imaging system.

Job description
ALIS_4D is a state-of-the-art ground-based optical system for the measurement of the aurora, high-altitude clouds, and other optical atmospheric signatures at high latitude. ALIS_4D is composed of a grid of remote stations in regular unmanned operation. One of the major scientific objectives of ALIS_4D is to retrieve three-dimensional distributions of the auroral emissions with the aid of tomographic inversion techniques.

As a software developer, you will work in the ALIS_4D project upgrading existing software and developing advanced tools for scientific image analysis such as modern image processing and tomography algorithms. You will get to collaborate closely with ALIS_4D scientific staff and be involved in the research process.

Qualifications 
We think that you have a university degree in computer science, physics or other competence that the employer considers equivalent. This position could also be of interest to someone with a recent doctoral degree in a suitable field such as space physics or computer engineering.

The software for data handling and analysis is written predominantly in MATLAB and Scilab. You need to be able to read such code. Good knowledge of Python and version control tools such as git is a requirement. Experience in other languages such as C, FORTRAN, php, etc. is an advantage. All software development is done in a Linux environment.

The position, placed in Kiruna, is limited to 2 years with possibility of extension. The start of the position is in the fall 2021 or according to agreement. 

Contact: Dr Tima Sergienko, +46-980-790 71, tima at irf.se

Closing date: 30 April 2021.

More information: https://www.irf.se/en/news/2021/03/10/software-developer-for-auroral-research-dnr-2-2-1-73-21/


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