[SPA] SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER, Volume XXXI, Issue 29

[Newsletter Editor]

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SPA SECTION NEWSLETTER
Volume XXXI, Issue 29
May.10,2024

***********************************************************************

Table of Contents

1. Announcement of Upcoming NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee Meeting

2. NASA LWS Program Analysis Group 2023 Executive Committee Report Now Available

3. MEETING: NOAA - NASA SWO Summit

4. MEETING: RSVP for Kletzing Celebration & Symposium

5. MEETING: Termination Shock Virtual Workshop: Looking Forward to the New Horizons Encounter (Aug. 19-20)

6. MEETING: 2024 Annual Heliophysics Technology Symposium Registration is Open

7. MEETING: The Lunar Plasma Interdisciplinary Network Workshop (September 23-27)

8. Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series

9. Cold Plasma Seminar Series

10. WSA Dashboard Available at the CCMC

11. SHIELD Seed Funding and Early Career Support

12. Call for Mentor Registration for GEMEE (GEM Encourage & Elevate) Mentoring Program by May 17, 2024

13. JOB OPENING: Scientific Manager, Solar and Space Physics Group, APL

14. JOB OPENING: Two PhD Positions in Space Physics, at University of Munich, Germany

***********************************************************************

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


1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Announcement of Upcoming NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee Meeting

From: Paul Cassak (Paul.Cassak at mail.wvu.edu)

The next meeting of the NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee (HPAC) will take place June 17-18, 2024. The purpose of HPAC is to provide community advice to leadership of the Heliophysics Division, and is governed by Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) rules. The meeting has been announced in the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/15/2024-07834/heliophysics-advisory-committee-meeting). The meetings are open to the public, and there is a brief opportunity for members of the public to speak. The WebEx link for remote participation is at the Federal Register page.  In person attendance by the public is also permitted if they have pre-submitted a visitor request; see the Federal Register link for information.

The meeting will take place from 10am-5pm on Monday, June 17, and from 9:30am-5pm on Tuesday, June 18, all in Eastern time. 

Past activities of HPAC are available at the HPAC website:
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/hpac. Please monitor the website for updates to any of the above information.

Finally, in case you did not see the recent announcements, note there are HPAC committee member positions that are in need of filling, so please consider self-nominations or encouraging others to self-nominate to give back to the community and help provide the NASA Heliophysics Division advice on its activities.

Please let me know if you have questions.


2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

NASA LWS Program Analysis Group 2023 Executive Committee Report Now Available

From: John McCormack (john.p.mccormack at nasa.gov)

The LWS Program Analysis Group (LPAG) executive committee report for 2023 is now available online at https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/docs/lpag/LPAG_2023_Final_Report.pdf. 

More information on the LPAG, including new executive committee (EC) membership, can be found at https://lwstrt.gsfc.nasa.gov/lpag. 

Many thanks to those who applied for EC membership in response to the Dear Colleague Letter earlier this year. Forty applications were received, and five new committee members were selected to replace those who rotated off the committee at the end of their terms.


3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3

MEETING: NOAA - NASA SWO Summit

From: James Spann (james.spann at noaa.gov)

Don’t miss the inaugural NOAA-NASA Space Weather Observations (SWO) Summit (https://cpaess.ucar.edu/meetings/noaa-nasa-swo-summit) on June 12 hosted by BAE Systems, Space & Mission Systems. 

This virtual event will provide the space weather community with essential insight on how SWO programs will meet NOAA operational space weather obligations. There is no fee for attending, but it is important that you register no later than May 31, 2024 using this link (https://cpaess.ucar.edu/noaa-nasa-swo-summit-public-registration).

Upon completion of the SWO Summit, attendees will have a greater understanding of the NOAA-NASA elements critical to generating and disseminating space weather data, alerts and warnings including:

(1) The new NOAA-NASA Space Weather Observations (SWO) office, which develops, deploys, and sustains NOAA’s operational space weather satellite systems

(2) The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), which develops space weather products and provides space weather data archive and public data dissemination services.

(3) The NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the Nation's official source of space weather alerts and warnings.


4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4

MEETING: RSVP for Kletzing Celebration & Symposium

From: Allison Jaynes (allison-n-jaynes at uiowa.edu)

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are requesting RSVPs for the celebration of Craig's life and career. Please submit your intent to attend by Monday, June 3. 

https://physics.uiowa.edu/about/craig-kletzing-symposium

The event will take place on Saturday, June 15th at the University of Iowa for a symposium and evening reception at Old Brick here in Iowa City. We hope to see many of you there. Please reach out with any questions. 


5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5

MEETING: Termination Shock Virtual Workshop: Looking Forward to the New Horizons Encounter (Aug. 19-20)

From: Nick Gross (gross at bu.edu)

Termination Shock Virtual Workshop: Looking Forward to the New Horizons Encounter
August 19th (10 am - 1 pm) and 20th (10 am - 3 pm)

New Horizons is currently 58 AU from the Sun, near the solar equatorial plane,  and close to the same longitude as Voyager 2, which crossed the Termination Shock at 84 AU. Depending on the shape and solar wind pressure,  New Horizons could cross the Termination Shock in 5-8 years. Energetic particles streaming in from the Termination Shock could give a few years warning of the crossing.  In preparation for this crossing, this virtual workshop will discuss previous Termination Shock data and models. Discussions will also focus on New Horizons observations which will help us to understand the Termination Shock physics and the heliosheath beyond it. Scene-setting talks will be followed by open discussion. All are invited!

Registration Link: https://bostonu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuc-qgrDwsGtCu0YBk_XEqiP_dPJeKBRsF


6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6

MEETING: 2024 Annual Heliophysics Technology Symposium Registration is Open

From: Kyle McAllen, Steven Christe, Eliad Peretz (steven.christe at nasa.gov)

The Heliophysics Strategic Technology Office (HESTO) is pleased to announce that it will host its 2024 Annual Heliophysics Technology Symposium. The symposium will take place on September 18th and 19th, with an optional tour on September 20th. The symposium will be a hybrid meeting hosted at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. In-person attendance is encouraged but space may be limited. In-person registration will close on August 1st 2024. Abstract submission will close on July 1st 2024. Please monitor https://hesto.smce.nasa.gov/community-events/ for the latest information. 

Registration link: https://forms.gle/kerMazNCJiBEqJcY6 


7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7

MEETING: The Lunar Plasma Interdisciplinary Network Workshop (September 23-27)

From: Yoshifumi Futaana (futaana at irf.se)

Lunar Plasma Interdisciplinary Network (LuPIN), 2nd workshop in Storforsen, Norrbotten, Sweden, Sept 23-27, 2024

The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) in Kiruna, Sweden, is organizing a workshop on the topic of the plasma–exosphere–surface–dust coupling at the Moon with the goal to establish Lunar Plasma Interdisciplinary Network (LuPIN). https://conference.irf.se/lupin/2

Recent years, almost all space agencies are active in preparing lunar exploration. However, the science of Moon-environment interaction, particularly complex but fascinating coupling between the solar wind/magnetospheric plasma-energetic particles-exosphere-dust-solid surface-mini-magnetosphere, has been under-represented. With this situation behind us, we at Swedish Institute of Space Physics organize a weekly workshop on 23-27 September 2024 in Storforsen, Norrbotten, Sweden, by the biggest unregulated rapids in Europe, to discuss the science of the space environment on the Moon.

Please register for participation at your earliest convenience! Due to limited number of participants, registration is only possible on the first-come-first-serve basis. 
https://conference.irf.se/lupin/2/registration/

If you have any further questions, please send a message to the organizer (lupin-loc at irf.se).


8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8

Magnetosphere Online Seminar Series

From: Kyle Murphy (kylemurphy.spacephys at gmail.com)

On Monday May 13 Sean Elvidge will discuss Inconvenient and Extreme Space Weather: Impacts on the Upper Atmosphere.

Following this we will take a short break for the long weekends and CEDAR/GEM. The seminars will continue in July. If you are interested in giving a seminar please contact us.

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. 

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

And see previous talks here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNlOK9mCmI3V111EHQRCuEQ


9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9

Cold Plasma Seminar Series

From: Justin Holmes, Gian Luca Delzanno, Pedro Resendiz (jcholmes at lanl.gov)

Please join us for the Cold-Plasma Seminar Series taking place on Wednesday, May 15th, 2024. The seminar will be hybrid format: in-person at Los Alamos National Laboratory and online via Webex.

The Webex link will be made available prior each seminar on our website at:
https://www.lanl.gov/org/ddste/aldsc/theoretical/applied-mathematics-plasma-physics/cold-plasma-seminars.php

You can also join the distribution mailing list by contacting Gian Luca Delzanno (delzanno at lanl.gov).

Speaker: Eric Donovan, University of Calgary:
Date: May 15th, 2024
Time: 10 AM Mountain time, 12 PM - 1 PM Eastern Time, 4-5 PM Universal Time Coordinated, 6-7 PM Central European Summer Time.


10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10

WSA Dashboard Available at the CCMC

From: J. Landeros, D. da Silva, C. N. Arge, S. Jones, C. Didigu,  L. Mays, T. Tsui (daniel.e.dasilva at nasa.gov)

A dashboard presenting real-time forecasts of the corona configuration and solar wind has been made publicly available at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC). It displays real-time predictions generated by the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model for solar wind speed, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) polarity, and magnetic connectivity of solar wind at Earth, Mars, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, and STEREO and their sources back at the Sun. It also forecasts the locations, structure, and polarities of the Sun’s coronal holes. Global photospheric magnetic field maps are used to drive the coronal portion of the WSA model, which consists of two coupled potential field type models: the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) and Schatten Current Sheet (SCS) models. Solar wind forecasts on the dashboard are produced using an empirical model that specifies solar wind speed close to the Sun and then a 1-D, quasi-ballistic propagation model that transports solar wind parcels from the outer boundary of the WSA coronal model (5 Rs) to the target location.

https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/wsa-dashboard/


11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11

SHIELD Seed Funding and Early Career Support

From: Nick Gross (gross at bu.edu)

The SHIELD Team requests science proposals for SHIELD Seed funding and Early Career support.  The SHIELD NASA DRIVE Center (https://shielddrivecenter.com) is an international collaboration involving researchers from over half a dozen institutions, and led by Merav Opher from the Astronomy Department at Boston University.  SHIELD’s goals are to: (1) determine the global nature of the heliosphere; (2) determine how pickup ions evolve from ‘cradle to grave’ and affect heliospheric processes; (3) establish how the heliosphere interacts with and influences the LISM; and (4) understand how cosmic rays are filtered by and transported through the heliosphere.

Seed Funding supports ideas that, although related to the proposed SHIELD work, represent a departure because they are innovative, emergent, and possibly high-risk. 

Early career funding supports undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs working on SHIELD-related projects. 

The proposal instructions are on the SHIELD web site (https://shielddrivecenter.com/shield-seed-funding/). 
Due date is July 31, 2024.
Contacts:  Merav Opher (mopher at bu.edu) and John Richardson (jdr at space.mit.edu)


12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12

Call for Mentor Registration for GEMEE (GEM Encourage & Elevate) Mentoring Program by May 17, 2024

From: Muhammad Fraz Bashir (frazbashir at epss.ucla.edu)

The GEM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is searching for representatives within our community who want to develop effective communication skills, connect with early-career scientists, advance their leadership skills, and gain a broader understanding of their field by electing to serve as a mentor in the GEMEE (GEM Encourage & Elevate) Mentoring Program for the upcoming GEM meeting. For more information about GEMEE program visit the link https://gemworkshop.org/gemee/

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please register via the following link, https://forms.gle/55TexgkRsijbRfZE6 , no later than May 17, 2024. Mentors are expected to have at least two one-to-one meetings with their mentees: ~1 hour prior to GEM and ~1 hour during or within a month after the meeting. Also, mentors are encouraged to join an optional luncheon session for discussing several career agendas with mentors and mentees in a group setting.  

Please don’t hesitate to contact Muhammad Fraz Bashir (frazbashir at epss.ucla.edu) with any further questions.

For more information about the GEMEE mentoring program, please check a tentative mentor guideline at the following link: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1blqm0mV87v_lyllt2MIPM_iCvIz88Xry/edit

Mentee registration will be open right after Mentor registration deadline (May 17, 2024), stay tuned!!


13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13

JOB OPENING: Scientific Manager, Solar and Space Physics Group, APL

From: Dana Hurley (dana.hurley at jhuapl.edu)

The Solar and Space Physics group at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a Scientific Manager in the position Group Supervisor (GS). The GS will be the leader of ~50 full- and part-time professional staff and postdoctoral researchers. Our staff conduct original scientific research, provide scientific leadership of instruments that measure space physics phenomena, lead national heliophysics initiatives, bridge research to operations to research (R2O2R) for space weather and national security applications, and support the design, implementation, and operation of a variety of spaceflight missions including Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP). The team operates in close conjunction with the Atmospheres and Ionospheres Group, bringing together scientific expertise across all realms of space physics. We also take pride in our extensive involvement in instrument development and mission concept formulation. 

This position is a fantastic opportunity to have an impact on the future of heliophysics at a key space science and mission implementation institution. Responsibilities include developing and supporting a team of high-performing staff members and future leaders, providing a vision and technical leadership for future directions, maintaining core capabilities through hiring and training of staff, and managing facilities and budgets that support the group’s work. 

Interested parties should apply using APL’s careers webpage, https://careers.jhuapl.edu/jobs/55179?lang=en-us  
Please contact Dana Hurley (dana.hurley at jhuapl.edu) for more information. The application deadline is 15 June 2024.


14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14

JOB OPENING: Two PhD Positions in Space Physics, at University of Munich, Germany

From: Elena Kronberg (elena.kronberg at lmu.de)

The positions are part of the Research Unit funded by the German Science Foundation with overarching science objective to better understand how the magnetosphere, ionosphere, plasmasphere, and thermosphere are coupled to each other. The complexity of this system requires an interdisciplinary team with specialists in different domains, expertise in modeling and observations, as well as established collaborative ties to the international community.

Two projects will be focusing on the investigation of charged particle populations in the terrestrial magnetotail using satellite observations and modeling. The results from the data analysis and simulations will be utilized to study the influence of the magnetotail plasma populations on the ionosphere and thermosphere.

The candidates shall possess a relevant Master degree is required. A background in space plasmas, experience in data analysis, machine learning and/or simulations would be helpful. Candidates must be able to develop software independently. Proficiency in Python is an advantage. Proficiency in the English language is essential.

 Your workplace is centrally located in Munich. The position is available from now on and will be for 4 years. More details can be found here: https://www.geophysik.uni-muenchen.de/~kronberg/jobs.html

Please send applications with a motivation letter, CV and 2 recommendations to PD Dr. Elena Kronberg (elena.kronberg at lmu.de). Deadline is June 15, 2024.


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

The AGU Space Physics and Aeronomy (SPA) Section Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. Back issues are available at:
http://lists.igpp.ucla.edu/pipermail/spa/

To request announcements for distribution by the newsletter, please use the online submission form at:
http://goo.gl/forms/qjcm4dDr4g

To subscribe to the newsletter, please go to the web page at:
http://lists.igpp.ucla.edu/mailman/listinfo/spa
(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 Newsletter Editorial Team: Peter Chi (Editor), Guan Le (Co-Editor), Marjorie Sowmendran, and Kevin Addison

AGU SPA Web Site: https://connect.agu.org/spa/home

SPA Leadership Team E-mail: spa.leadership.team at gmail.com

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