[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXVIII, Issue 54

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXVIII, Issue 54
Nov.07,2021

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Table of Contents

1. Help Nominate Your Deserving but Overlooked Colleagues for AGU Honors and Awards

2. Call for New GEM Focus Groups Proposals – Deadline December 1, 2021

3. MIT Haystack's 22nd Annual Michael J. Buonsanto Memorial Lecture - Thursday, 22 Nov 2021 @ 15:00 EST / 20:00 UTC

4. Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series

5. JOB OPENING: NSF/AGS Division Director Search

6. JOB OPENING: NCAR HAO & ASP: Postdoc Positions, Application Deadline December 10, 2021

7. JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Positions in Outer Heliosphere Science at Los Alamos National Laboratory

8. JOB OPENING: Postdoc on Machine Learning for Space Weather - University of Colorado

9. JOB OPENING: Instrument Scientist Position at Big Bear Solar Observatory

10. RHESSI Nuggets in October 2021

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


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Help Nominate Your Deserving but Overlooked Colleagues for AGU Honors and Awards

From: Seth Claudepierre (seth.claudepierre at ucla.edu)

The AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Nomination Task Force (NTF) is about to begin its 5th year of work. The NTF was formed in 2017 to nominate our deserving but overlooked SPA colleagues and put their work in front of awards and honors committees. Simply put, we believe that diversity is the foundation from which good science flourishes. Unfortunately, there are many barriers that prevent scientists in historically marginalized groups from being considered for awards and honors at an equitable level across STEM fields. We emphasize that the goal of the NTF is not to change the criteria for selection of AGU Fellows and other honors and awards; it is to increase the nomination rate of scientists from historically marginalized groups to a level that is more representative of the SPA membership.

Are you interested in helping out? If so, please join our mailing list to receive updates and telecon information: https://forms.gle/8n1Znbbvq3MrZWZU8. Our next Zoom telecon will be held Monday, November 15th at 3p Eastern time. 

More information on the NTF, including an FAQ, can be found at our website: https://connect.agu.org/spa/committees/ntf.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Seth Claudepierre (he/him)
NTF Chair, 2021-2022


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Call for New GEM Focus Groups Proposals – Deadline December 1, 2021

From: Vania Jordanova (vania at lanl.gov) on behalf of the GEM Steering Committee

The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) Steering Committee (SC) is now accepting proposals for new Focus Groups (FGs), which are due by Wednesday, December 1, 2021. The official guidelines are given in the GEM by-laws:  https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/GEM_Bylaws, and a more informal description is given in: https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/pdf/GEM_ForFocusGroupLeaders.pdf

Proposals should be no more than 4 pages in length and must include: 

1) An abstract of the Focus Group proposal.
2) A description of the topic.
3) A statement on the timeliness of the FG idea.
4) A description of how the FG would relate to existing FGs.
5) A specific goal that includes a deliverable. Deliverables can be GGCM modules, empirical relations that lead to modules, solutions to specific science problems, challenges, data sets for validation and metrics, or paper collections.
6) The names of the proposed co-chairs.  (Voting members of the SC and graduate students are not permitted to be co-chairs.)
7) The Research Area with which it will be associated.
8) The length of the term, not more than 4 years, and a justification for the term length. 
9) Expected activities, for example, topics of WG sessions or challenges and approaches to encourage an interactive “GEM-Style” focus group.

Information about the currently active FGs is available at:  https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/GEM_Focus_Groups.  Note that it is desirable to have active FGs operating under the umbrella of each Research Area, but there is no upper limit to the number within a research area. If you have questions, please contact the SC Chair or the specific Research Area Coordinator for your topic, as listed at: https://gem.epss.ucla.edu/mediawiki/index.php/Organization_and_People.  The SC will select which FGs to implement; the GEM by-laws contain a list of typical selection criteria.

Please send FG proposals to the GEM SC Chair Vania Jordanova (vania(at)lanl.gov) and Chair-Elect Adam Kellerman (akellerman(at)epss.ucla.edu). All proposals received before the submission deadline will be forwarded to the GEM SC for consideration. A special GEM session will be held to allow proposers to present their proposals (~5-10 minutes) and answer questions from the SC and the community; more details about the organization of this session will be announced in forthcoming GEM newsletters (subscribe at: http://eepurl.com/gOKyGv). 


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MIT Haystack's 22nd Annual Michael J. Buonsanto Memorial Lecture - Thursday, 22 Nov 2021 @ 15:00 EST / 20:00 UTC

From: Phil Erickson (pje at haystack.mit.edu)

On behalf of MIT Haystack Observatory, we are pleased to announce the 22nd Annual Michael J. Buonsanto Memorial Lecture.  This event will be broadcast online via Zoom, and the link will be posted to the lecture series page before the event.  In-person attendance is extremely limited this year; please RSVP to heidij at mit.edu if you plan to attend at Haystack.

  Buonsanto Memorial Lecture Series home page:

https://www.haystack.mit.edu/buonsanto

  This year's lecture is presented by

Jan J. Sojka
Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences
Department of Physics
Utah State University

Lecture Date/Time: 
Thursday, 22 November 2021
3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (20:00 UTC)

Title:
Would a present-day ionospheric servo model improve on Michael’s 1986 ionospheric servo study? 

Abstract:
 Michael Buonsanto’s 1986 ionospheric servo study provides an excellent starting point to appreciate Michael’s unique aeronomy insights and ability to harness “tools” to advance our knowledge in space science. These tools included Rishbeth’s servo equation, Hedin’s MSIS, conjugate ionosonde observations, and of course FORTRAN. Michael’s study was ambitious, involving seasonal dependences, solar cycle dependences, and conjugate hemisphere dependences of the midlatitude wind fields. On these conjugate field-lines, the issue of topside fluxes was also of key importance. His clear description of how the aeronomy processes are interdependent and hence constrained his ionospheric servo model are noteworthy. A feature all too often missing from today’s studies is his careful error analysis.

Today these aeronomy processes are still the foundation of our understanding; however, 35 years onwards, our observational databases are hugely improved. The presentation will focus on the total electron content (TEC) database of the MIT Haystack Madrigal data repository—an archive I’m sure Michael would have had great satisfaction exploring with his servo concepts and models.

This difference in data coverage and cadence restricted Michael and other researchers from probing the ionosphere-thermosphere drivers beyond a climatology level. Using the Madrigal TEC, an ionospheric servo will be tested to better understand how difficult it still is to extract knowledge about the ionospheric drivers. These are, in fact, the same drivers Michael was targeting with his servo analysis. This modern servo is shown to have challenges similar to those Michael faced in 1986.

  The Buonsanto Lecture's frontier science topic is directly relevant to anyone interested in Earth's atmosphere, whether neutral or ionized.  Students, professors, and researchers from the international atmospheric science community are encouraged to attend.  

 The lecture will be live-streamed beginning at 3 pm EST (20 UTC) at the Zoom link found by visiting the Buonsanto Lecture series web page above.


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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.

* NOTE: Daylight savings time ends over the weekend (on November 7), so we will be going from EDT (UTC−04:00) to EST (UTC−05:00)!

On Monday November 8, Ying Zou will give a presentation on Unsteady Magnetopause Reconnection Under Quasi-Steady Solar Wind Driving.

The following week on November 15, Frederick Wilder is scheduled to present on The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability at Earth: Reconnection, Turbulence and Ion Acoustic Waves.

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

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: NSF/AGS Division Director Search

From: Alan Liu (zhualiu at nsf.gov)

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to raise your attention to an excellent opportunity to serve the atmospheric and geospace science communities as Division Director for the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS). The AGS Division Director serves as a critical member of the Directorate for Geosciences leadership team and as the Directorate’s principal spokesperson in atmospheric and geospace sciences research. The incumbent is responsible for the overall planning, management and commitment of budgeted funds for the Division, and overseeing and managing the effective use of division staff and resources in meeting organizational goals and objectives.

This opportunity has been posted at: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/618420700.  The closing date for this opportunity is November 29, 2021.

If you are interested in this position and would like additional information, please contact Dr. Alexandra Isern via email (aisern at nsf.gov).

Alan Liu, PhD
Acting Section Head, Geospace
Program Director, Aeronomy
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences 
National Science Foundation


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JOB OPENING: NCAR HAO & ASP: Postdoc Positions, Application Deadline December 10, 2021

From: Matthias Rempel (rempel at ucar.edu)

The High Altitude Observatory (HAO) at The National Center for Atmospheric Research
offers postdoctoral fellowships to early career Ph.D. scientists interested in theoretical, experimental and observational studies of the Sun, the Earth’s upper atmosphere and the coupled solar and terrestrial system. Successful applicants will pursue research, in collaboration with members of the HAO scientific staff, on a wide range of topics, including studies of the Earth’s mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere; observations and simulations of coronal mass ejections; spectropolarimetric observations and interpretation using HAO instrumentation and data inversion tools; probing solar magnetism through observations and modeling; and instrument development. 

See https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/visitor-program/postdoctoral-fellows for further detail, or contact Caitlyn Quinn Erdesz (cquinn at ucar.edu) or Matthias Rempel (rempel at ucar.edu) for further information.

The HAO postdoc program is closely coordinated with the postdoc program of NCAR’s Advanced Study Program (ASP) and prospective applicants should apply through ASP and specify HAO as their host laboratory. ASP invites applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships in areas broadly related to NCAR strategic priorities (https://ncar.ucar.edu/who-we-are/strategic-plan), including Earth system science and actionable science. Candidates should have completed their Ph.D. or should expect to complete their degree requirements by October 2022. Applications from all related fields are welcomed.

Fellowships are for 2 years and carry an annual salary of $70,270, travel budget of $3500 annually, in addition to a relocation allowance and full health and retirement benefits. The deadline for applications is December 10, 2021.

Prior to submitting your application, please review application instructions here: https://asp.ucar.edu/postdocs/prospective-applicants


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JOB OPENING: Postdoctoral Positions in Outer Heliosphere Science at Los Alamos National Laboratory

From: Dan Reisenfeld, Fan Guo (dreisenfeld at lanl.gov)

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) seeks candidates for two postdoctoral positions in data analysis and numerical modeling in the area of outer heliosphere science with ISR and T divisions, respectively. LANL leads the IBEX-Hi instrument on the ongoing Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission and is leading two instruments for the upcoming Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission. Our team is currently developing innovative statistical imaging methods, and using them to carry out data analysis and numerical modeling initiatives to understand energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations by IBEX and outer heliospheric processes. The successful applicants will interact and collaborate with a team that consists of experts in heliospheric science and ENA data analysis, theoretical and computational plasma physics, and statistical and data science. 

Candidates should have experience in observational data analysis and/or theory and numerical simulations of space and heliospheric physics. They should hold a PhD in Space Physics, Physics, Astronomy or a related field, completed within the past five years or soon to be completed. They should also supply contact information for three references. 

Applicants should send their applications electronically, including a CV, a publication list, and a concise research statement (1-2 pages) describing past achievements and future plans.  Interested persons should apply online at https://lanl.jobs for position posting IRC86344 for the data analysis position or IRC90540 for the numerical modeling position. Applicants are encouraged to contact Dan Reisenfeld (dreisenfeld at lanl.gov) and Fan Guo (guofan at lanl.gov) regarding the expectations of the positions, possible research topics, and other questions related to the application. The initial appointment is for two years, with a possible third year extension. The review of applications will start on November 30th and be on-going until offers are accepted.


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JOB OPENING: Postdoc on Machine Learning for Space Weather - University of Colorado

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

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado, Boulder encourages applications for a full-time Post-Doctoral Researcher to work on the development and validation of space weather models using machine learning. The position contributes to a NASA-funded project within the 'Space Weather Operations to Research’ program. The main objectives will be:
1) Deliver probabilistic space weather forecasts for geomagnetic indexes (such as Dst).
2) Include the new models into the operational pipeline of Space Environment Technologies (SET). 

It is expected that the outcome of this project will immediately improve the operational density model run by the US Space Force and will contribute to a more reliable conjunction analysis capability for NASA, DoD, and commercial satellite owners. The position will involve close collaboration with other post-docs within Dr. Camporeale’s group at CIRES. Institutional collaborators for this project are the Space Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center (SWx-TREC) at CU Boulder, and Space Environment Technologies (SET). 

The job is primarily based in Boulder (CO), but a remote working arrangement within the U.S can be considered. 
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The full job announcement can be found at: 
https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=34609

Application will be reviewed starting on 22 November, 2022.
Informal inquiries can be made to enrico.camporeale at noaa.gov


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JOB OPENING: Instrument Scientist Position at Big Bear Solar Observatory

From: Wenda Cao (wcao.cao at njit.edu)

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is seeking an instrument scientist for the development of next-generation imaging spectrometer and polarimeter at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The BBSO operates the 1.6-meter Goode Solar Telescope (GST) with a diverse suite of instrumentation. The GST with its state-of-the-art adaptive optics, imaging spectrometers and polarimeters, is a world-class facility for high spatial and temporal resolution solar astronomy in the optical/infrared. The BBSO is operated as a remote laboratory of NJIT's Center for Solar Terrestrial Research (CSTR). The position is anticipated to start in early 2022. 

Applicants should have a Ph.D. or M.S. in Astronomy, Physics, Astrophysics, Space Physics, or closely related areas, with an ability to work and live at an elevation of 2000 meters. The ideal candidate will have experience of astronomical optical instrumentation with preferred working knowledge of 
•	Solar polarization measurements, data processing and inversion. 
•	Polarization calibration for telescope and instrumentation.
•	Fabry-Pérot interferometer imaging system. 
•	High-resolution imaging spectroscopy and polarimetry data processing and analysis.
•	Observations with ground-based solar telescopes.

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2021. Please submit all documents online at https://njit.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/3455?c=njit including: (1) a cover letter, (2) a current version of your curriculum vitae, and (3) names of two references. Inquiries should be addressed to BBSO Director, Prof. Wenda Cao (wenda.cao at njit.edu).

New Jersey Institute of Technology is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.


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RHESSI Nuggets in October 2021

From: Hugh Hudson (hugh.hudson at glasgow.ac.uk)

No. 418 , “A Non-PFSS Global Coronal Model,” by Oliver RICE and Anthony YEATES. Modeling as convenient as PFSS but much more realistic

No. 419, “Thomson scattering near sunspots,” by Pascal SAINT-HILAIRE et al.: Completing the modeling of  low-coronal Thomson polarimetry - 91 years after Minnaert

We welcome contributions to the RHESSI Nuggets, and the topics may wander some distance away from specifically RHESSI results if they are generally interesting. See http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/wiki/index.php/RHESSI_Science_Nuggets for these and others. Comments about specific flares can often be found by searching for their SOLyyyy-mm-dd identifier from this home page.


***** SUBSCRIPTION AND ANNOUNCEMENT REQUESTS *****

The AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Section Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. Back issues are available at:
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To request announcements for distribution by the newsletter, please use the online submission form at:
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(Do not use this web page to post announcements.)

NOTE: Due to the large number of SPA-related sessions at major conferences, the SPA Newsletter can no longer accept announcement requests for individual sessions at AGU, AOGS, COSPAR, EGU, or IAGA Meetings. Titles and web links (if available) of these sessions will be distributed in a special issue of the Newsletter before the abstract deadline.

SPA Web Site: http://spa.agu.org/

SPA Newsletter Editorial Team: Peter Chi (Editor), Guan Le (Co-Editor), Sharon Uy, Marjorie Sowmendran, and Kevin Addison

*************** END OF NEWSLETTER ****************