Lyndsay Fletcher & Duncan Mackay, Editors October 2007 o News, Views and Gossip o New route for promoting public outreach o Change of address - Mitchell Berger o Book announcement - Mathematical Aspects of Natural Dynamos o New RHESSI Science Nuggets o Solar physics and the Space Exploration Working Group report o SPECIAL ISSUE of Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics o SPECIAL ISSUE A+A Letters for Hinode o SPECIAL ISSUE IEEE Image Processing o Report of the Solar Sentinels/Solar Orbiter Joint Definition Team o Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Coronagraph/Polarimeter (C/P) Data Available Online o British-Polish Travel Grants for Young Scientists o Hinode/XRT CCD Contamination o Meetings, Conferences and Workshops o STFC 'Town Meeting' on Public Engagement o Meeting - Magnetic Fields in the Universe II; Cozumel, Mexico o UKSP 2008 in Belfast - First announcement o RAS Discussion meeting on Hinode & STEREO - First Announcement o Employment Opportunities o Software Development Officer for Space Physics Research o Positions Available at ROB, Brussels o Assistant Professor in Space Physics, Augsburg College o Research Associate Positions in Solar EUV, NOAA o FACULTY POSITION IN ASTROPHYSICS o Astrophysicist Position at the Naval Research Laboratory o Staff Scientist Position in Space Weather Research. Dear Colleague, Here are a few items which have come to our attention since the last Newsletter. You can find this newsletter also at the UKSP website: http://www.uksolphys.org Lyndsay (lyndsay@astro.gla.ac.uk) Duncan (duncan@mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk) ********************************************************************* * * * News, Views and Gossip * * * ********************************************************************* From: John C Brown If anyone has outreach URLs and other solar promotion material they would like to distribute through a new route feel free to send me the URL to put on the Website I just launched. www.johncbrown.org This is substantially personal but has considerable outreach material and I am keen to use it as a conduit to promote astronomy in general (solar in particular). Any comments on this site are welcome - picked up some typos and such already. Best to all John ******************************************************* From: Berger, Mitchell >From 1 October 2007 my new contact details will be, Mitchell Berger School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics University of Exeter Exeter EX4 4QE m.berger@exeter.ac.uk Best Wishes Mitch ******************************************************* From: Emmanuel Dorny Dear Colleague, It is our pleasure to inform you that the book Mathematical Aspects of Natural Dynamos Edited by E. Dormy and A.M. Soward has now been published. You will find a brief presentation of the book below. Though the publishers have not been able to lower the price of the book, they are instead offering the book at 25% discount to researchers in the field, as identified by recipients of this message. To obtain this discount, the book should be ordered on: www.crcpress.com and the following promotional code should be used: 326FH Kind regards, E. Dormy and A.M. Soward. Mathematical Aspects of Natural Dynamos Edited by E. Dormy and A.M. Soward For centuries it has been known that astrophysical bodies, ranging from planets to stars and galaxies, generate magnetic fields. Indeed the very existence of the Earth's magnetic field has enabled travelers and explorers to determine their direction by using a compass. Despite our long familiarity with the Earth's magnetic field, its origin, together with that of other celestial bodies, remains a very challenging problem. What is now known, however, is that these magnetic fields are generated and maintained by the motion of electrically conducting fluids. The study of magnetic field generation is called "dynamo theory", which itself forms the special branch of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Mathematical Aspects of Natural Dynamos is directed at researchers and graduate students who may use the text as an introduction to the subject area and as a reference source. Contributions from some of the world's leading experts are gathered together to provide broad coverage of the central issues in this rapidly developing research field. Though a solid background in mathematics and fluid mechanics is assumed of the reader, prior knowledge of MHD, dynamo theory, geophysics, and astrophysics is not required. Much recent progress has been achieved through the combined use of numerical, experimental, analytical, and observational techniques. While this book is focused largely on the fundamental analytical background that forms the basis of a detailed understanding of the subject, it also presents reviews concerning the state of the art in computing, experiments, and observations. ******************************************************* From: Steven Christe Announcing new RHESSI Science Nuggets "Magnetic fields in active regions" by Hugh Hudson and Lyndsay Fletcher In this Nugget we discuss some of the basic properties of the solar corona as background information, in particular the coronal magnetic field and the Alfven speed. "Annihilation of Positrons" by Ron Murphy and Gerry Share A description of the uses and analysis of the mysterious 511 keV line produced by the annihilation of positrons with electrons. These can be found on http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/nuggets/ We publish these at roughly two week intervals. Please send any questions regarding the RHESSI science nuggets to rhessi.nuggets@gmail.com or directly to the nugget authors. S. Christe H. Hudson ******************************************************* From: Mike Hapgood Solar physics and the Space Exploration Working Group report The report of the UK Space Exploration Working Group was published on Thursday 13 September (see http://www.stfc.ac.uk/PMC/PRel/STFC/UKSEWG.aspx). I'd like to highlight that this contains items of potential interest to the UK solar physics and solar-terrestrial communities (if you look beyond the media's natural focus on human spaceflight). The science section of the report includes a discussion of the solar, heliospheric and magnetospheric studies that could be done on the Moon, if a human base were established there as part of a broader strategy of space exploration. It notes the importance of observing the Earth to understand the Sun-Earth connection. The technology section considers the hazards posed by solar energetic particle events ("solar radiation storms") and notes that it is important to sustain existing warning systems and to increase the warning times that they provide. ******************************************************* From: Mick Denton --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL ISSUE of Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (JASTP) Deadline for Submissions : 1st December 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (JASTP)* *SPECIAL ISSUE* "High Speed Solar Wind Streams and Geospace Interactions (HSS-GI)" Submissions to the above special issue of JASTP can now be made at http://ees.elsevier.com/atp/ Manuscripts which address the following questions are encouraged: 1. What goes on in the magnetosphere when driving persists for many days? 2. Do stream events cause the loss and/or acceleration of relativistic electrons, and if so, how? 3. What is the response of the ring current during high speed streams? 4. Do high speed streams initiate a response from the atmosphere? 5. What is the generation mechanism for PC5 waves during high speed streams? 6. What is the response of the ionosphere and plasmasphere during high speed stream events? 7. How are ionospheric conductivity and plasmaspheric morphology affected when driving persists for many days? 8. Are different magnetospheric modes more likely during high speed streams? 9. What are the important factors for Solar Wind - Magnetosphere coupling during high speed streams? 10. Do SW pressure, magnetic fluctuations, etc. alter the coupling efficiency, and if so, how? *Deadline for submissions is 1st December* (The special issue is prompted by the recent HSS-GI meeting in Ambleside, UK. Contributions are encouraged from all researchers working on the above questions) Guest editor for this issue is Mick Denton. ******************************************************* From: Louise Harra (forwarded from Luis Bellot Rubio) Dear Hinode SWG members and observers, I would like to inform you that the A&A Editors have approved a special issue of A&A Letters for Hinode (they call it "special Letters feature"). The submission deadline is November 8, 2007. Below you will find the announcement prepared for SolarNews. Please feel free to circulate it among interested parties. This is a good opportunity to publish a large number of Hinode papers in a major journal. Of course, the A&A Editors expect manuscripts not only from Europe, but also from Japan and the US. Best regards, Luis Astronomy & Astrophysics solicits manuscripts for a special Letters feature devoted to Hinode. The intended date of publication is March 2008, one and a half years after the launch of the satellite. All papers will go through the regular referee process and will be handled by the A&A Editors as any other Letter. Papers based on Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope, EUV Imaging Spectrometer, and X-ray Telescope observations are welcome, as well as manuscripts addressing more theoretical aspects of Hinode's science. The submission deadline is November 8, 2007. Papers submitted after that date will receive full consideration, but may be published later if they are not ready for inclusion in a March 2008 issue. Luis Bellot Rubio (IAA-CSIC, ESA representative to Hinode SWG) and Hardi Peter (A&A Editor) ******************************************************* From: Nicolas Labrosse Call for Papers IEEE Signal Processing Society IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing Special Issue on Signal Processing for Astronomical and Space Research Applications Space research presents some of the most demanding applications for advanced signal and image processing. Examples include the use of array processing techniques for signal detection, instrument self-calibration, interference mitigation, and interferometric image synthesis in radio astronomy; detection of anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB); image enhancement, restoration, and adaptive optics techniques for optical astronomy; deconvolution and self-calibration of images; and the detection of various very weak signals. Although many of these processing tools have been used for years, a next generation of very large and sensitive instruments is now emerging which will critically depend on development of new, strong signal processing techniques. Among these are the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), the Planck mission for measuring anisotropy of the CMB, and several large adaptive optics telescopes. These instruments will undoubtedly be the most sensitive receivers and the largest antenna arrays on Earth. Extremely weak signals, the presence of very strong undesired signals, instrument and measurement imperfections, and perturbation by near-Earth atmospheric effects are only a partial list of the major problems facing designers. Signal processing techniques are expected to play a crucial role in solving these problems. Some topics of importance are the development of algorithms for calibration of the instruments, computationally efficient architectures for large arrays, image self-calibration, efficient and scalable RFI mitigation techniques, high dynamic range and adaptive optics imaging, detection of extremely weak signals, component separation from WMAP microwave radiation maps and detection of non-Gaussianity in the CMB. Original papers, previously unpublished and not currently under review by another journal, are solicited that cover one or more of the following topics: ¥Signal processing algorithms and architectures for large radio telescopes ¥Imaging techniques for radio telescope arrays ¥Calibration and RFI mitigation techniques for radio astronomy ¥ Signal processing for analyzing CMB and other cosmological data analysis ¥ Signal processing and digital image restoration for optical and IR astronomy (including blind, non-blind, single frame, image sequence, and speckle methods) ¥Signal processing to control adaptive optics in large telescopes ¥Source separation in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology ¥ nverse problems in astrophysics ¥Imaging and detection in gamma-ray radio astronomy ¥ Processing for antenna array feeds used with large single-dish radio telescopes Submission procedures: Prospective authors can find submission information at http://www.ece.byu.edu/jstsp, and are advised to follow the Authors Guide for the formats of manuscripts detailed at http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/sps/tsp/. The manuscripts will undergo a standard peer review process. Submitted papers should specifically address relevance to the signal processing aspects of astronomy and space research. Manuscript submissions due: February 1, 2008 First review completed: May 1, 2008 Revised manuscripts due: June 15, 2008 Second review completed: August 1, 2008 Final manuscript due: September 1, 2008 Lead guest editor: Amir Leshem, School of Engineering, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel, leshem@ieee.org Guest editors: Brian Jeffs, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, bjeffs@ee.byu.edu Julian Christou, National Science Foundation, USA, jchristo@nsf.gov Ercan E. Kuruoglu, Inst. di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione, CNR, Pisa, Italy, ercan.kuruoglu@isti.cnr.it Alle-Jan van der Veen, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, allejan@cas.et.tudelft.nl ******************************************************* From: The Report of the Joint Science and Technology Definition Team (JSTDT) of NASAÕs (LWS/Solar Sentinels) and ESAÕs (Solar Orbiter) is now available. The final report of the JSTDT (Joint Science & Technology Definition Team) capturing the key science goals of the joint missions, the need for multi-spacecraft measurements from different vantage points, strawman instrument payload and possible implementation approaches is now available at: http://sentinels.gsfc.nasa.gov ******************************************************* From: Joan Burkepile Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) Coronagraph/Polarimeter (C/P) data are now available from the SMM C/P web site at: http://smm.hao.ucar.edu These same data are also available from the Mauna Loa web page: http://mlso.hao.ucar.edu The Virtual Solar-Terrestrial Observatory: http://vsto.hao.ucar.edu and will soon be available at the Virtual Solar Observatory: http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/vso The SMM Coronagraph obtained images of the corona in white light and halpha from March through September of 1980 before suffering an electronics failure that rendered it inoperative. The instrument was repaired by the Challenger Space Shuttle (STS-41C) in April 1984 and obtained images between June 1984 and November 1989 when it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. The SMM coronagraph obtained ~240,000 images of the corona during its operation. The SMM C/P recorded quadrants of the sun (north-east-south-west) in a square field-of-view extending around the entire corona between 1.6 and 4.1 solar radii and out to 6.0 solar radii along the diagonals (corresponding to the solar equator). Images were obtained at a spatial resolution of 12 arcseconds in the wideband 'green' filter (500 to 535 nm). Three polaroid filters were used for polarization analysis of the observed radiation. Between 1980 and December 1986, many of the orbital data sequences included images taken in the neutral line of hydrogen known as halpha (654.3 to 658.3 nm). The SMM home page provides all SMM Coronagraph images in fits and jpeg formats, along with daily movies, synoptic maps, CME catalogues, calibration information and a few IDL tools for using the data. This work was completed through NASA grant LWS03-0161-0051. If you would like additional information about these data please contact: mlso_data_requests@ucar.edu ******************************************************* From: Nicolas Labrosse MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION BRITISH-POLISH YOUNG SCIENTISTS PROGRAMME 2008 About the programme The British-Polish Young Scientists Programme (YSP) was established to support joint scientific research and in particular to provide young scientists from Poland and the United Kingdom with enhanced study and research opportunities. The programme enables participants to make one or more research visits to a partner institution(s) in the UK (for Polish participants) or to a Polish institution(s) (for UK participants). Who is eligible? Applications can be considered from young researchers in pure, applied and social sciences. Applicants should be PhD students or researchers who have completed their PhD within five years prior to the date of submission. How is it financed? The Programme is jointly financed and managed in Poland by the British Council and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyszego-MNiSW). Grants are offered as contributions towards travel and living costs only. The British Council contributes GBP funds towards the international travel costs of British researchers travelling to Poland and the subsistence costs of Polish researchers whilst they are in the UK. The participants' home institutions contribute PLN funds towards the international travel costs of Polish researchers and the subsistence costs of British researchers whilst they are in Poland. Deadline The closing date for submissions for projects commencing in 2008 is 30 November 2007. The Evaluation Panel of British and Polish scientists will convene in March 2008 and its decisions will be announced as soon as possible thereafter. More information and application forms Mariola Ambroziak e-mail:mariola.ambroziak@britishcouncil.pl http://www.britishcouncil.pl Junona Nowak-Roguska e-mail: junona.nowak-roguska@mnisw.gov.pl http://www.mnisw.gov.pl ******************************************************* >From :Ed DeLuca Hinode/XRT CCD Contamination The XRT CCD has experienced some degradation due to contamination that appeared after a short CCD bake-out in July. The contamination is manifest by small (~5 pixel diameter) spots on the detector. The spots cover somewhat less than 4% of the CCD area.They are seen in G-band images and in the thinner x-ray filters (Al_mesh, Al_poly, Ti_poly, C_poly and Be_thin, with decreasing effect in the order listed). The origin of the contamination is not understood at this time. The XRT team is modifying the software in the SSWIDL tree to give scientists two ways of analyzing XRT data taken after the contamination event: (1) a "touch-up" program that will replace the affected pixels with an average signal from near-by unaffected pixels. (2) a "bad-pixel" map that allows scientists to avoid using the affected pixels in their analysis. The touch-up program is applied to the quick-look images that are being distributed to web-pages and should be used when constructing movies and studying morphological changes. This same program will be available as a switch to the XRT_PREP code that converts level 0 data to level 1 data. The XRT team is working to develop a cleaning program that will preserve the photometric information available below the spots. This programs will be distributed to the XRT user community through the SSWIDL distribution. In addition the XRT team will develop programs that correct for the decrease in "filter-dependent" transmission between Nov-2006 and July-2007 caused by the accumulation of contaminants on the CCD. These corrections are particularly important for scientists using XRT data to estimate temperatures (e.g. via filter ratios). The XRT team has setup an email distribution for users of XRT data. To subscribe to this list send an email to: xrt_users-request@head.cfa.harvard.edu To reduce the amount of spam on this list, users are accepted by positive confirmation at SAO. Please include your signature file when requesting admission to this list. The XRT team will use the list to keep the community up-to-date on the latest analysis tools and developments. Users may use this list to ask questions about analysis, report bugs and discuss analysis techniques with other users. Email to this list will be archived at: http://xrt.cfa.harvard.edu/community/xrt_users ********************************************************************** * * * Conferences, Workshops, Meetings * * * ********************************************************************** From: Tina Henderson Dear Colleagues, First Announcement - date for diaries STFC are holding a 'Town' meeting for researchers and communicators interested in outreach and public engagement with STFC science and technology areas. It will be on 30 November 2007 at 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ, with likely timing 10am-5pm. The aims are - formative: part of the process of building a public engagement programme around STFC science and technology, including use of the mass media and modern electronic methods - consultation: presenting a draft programme plan for comments, hearing from University and STFC Laboratory researchers and technologists of needs - awareness raising and encouragement: for all to engage in such work, and how the Council can help - partnership building: developing links with organisations such as the IoP, RAS, Science Learning Centres, science centres, etc - networking for all those interested in public engagement, sharing ideas and best practice etc More programme detail will be given in the 2nd announcement. Participants are welcome to suggest oral or poster contributions. We particularly welcome participation by early-career researchers. STFC can pay up to £150 for reasonable actual travel & subsistence costs for STFC-funded PhD students, PDRAs and Postdoctoral Fellows to attend. To register or for further information please contact Mrs Jane Butt, STFC Science in Society team, STFC Swindon Office, email Jane.Butt@stfc.ac.uk, Tel 01793 442030. Robin Clegg Head of STFC Science in Society Programme ******************************************************* From: Nicolas Labrosse "MAGNETIC FIELDS IN THE UNIVERSE II: from Laboratory and Stars to the Primordial Universe", which will be held in Cozumel, Mexico from January 28th to February 1st, 2008. More info in: http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/congresos/mfu2 In view of the success of the meeting "Magnetic Fields in the Universe: from Laboratory and Stars to Primordial Structures", held in Angra dos Reis (Brazil) in December 2004. (http://proceedings.aip.org/proceedings/confproceed/784.jsp). A second edition is being organized, this time on the Mexican Caribbean, in the island of Cozumel, from January 28th to February 1st, 2008. SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE The scientific aim of the conference is to provide a natural continuation to the first edition, putting forward the most recent advances of theoretical and numerical studies, as well as new evidence gathered from observations. The main topics of the meeting will be: * Space plasmas * Solar and stellar plasmas * Magnetic Fields in star formation and stellar structure and evolution * Magnetized Interstellar Medium * Magnetic fields in compact objects and accretion disks * Magnetized jets, outflows and winds * Galactic magnetic field * Magnetic field effects in galaxies and active galactic nuclei * Magnetic fields in clusters of galaxies * Intergalactic magnetic fields * Magnetic fields in the early universe * MHD instabilities in astrophysical sources * Basic plasma processes * Turbulence, Magnetic Reconnection, Dynamo Processes PROGRAM: The conference will consist in invited talks on themes of general interest, a limited number of selected contributed oral presentations, and poster sessions on more specific topics. Poster contributions will be exhibited for the entire duration of the conference with two special sessions devoted to them, preceded by a invited review to give highlights and promote discussion. SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: J.Franco (chair), E. M. de Gouveia Dal Pino, A. Lazarian, G. Garc^Òa Segura, R. Beck, S. Prager, A. Raga ,S. Lizano, F. Moreno Insertis, F. Shu, C. McKee, R. Schlickeiser, K. Shibata, D. Crutcher, E. Vishniac, B. Gaensler, J. Stone, K. Heiles LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Xchitl Blanco, Alejandro Esquivel, Guillermo Garcia Segura, Liliana Hernandez, Primoz Kadjic, William Lee, Veronica Lora, Lila Perillat, Ary Rodriguez, Javier Sanchez, Alfredo Santillon ******************************************************* From: Mihalis Mathioudakis UK Solar Physics 2008 The next meeting of UKSP will be held jointly with NAM and MIST in Belfast from March 31st to April 4th 2008. The venue for the conference will be the Queens University Belfast. A more detailed announcement will be distributed with the next newsletter. Mark your calendars! ********************************************************* From: Richard Harrison Hinode-STEREO Meeting - November 9. There is an RAS Discussion meeting on November 9 2007, from 10:30 to 15:30 entitled "A year of Observations with Hinode and STEREO: Solar Magnetic Energy and Its Influence on the Near-Earth Environment". The organisers are Len Culhane and Richard Harrison. The meeting will be held at the Geological Society Lecture Theatre, Burlington House, London. Given the wonderful early observations from these new missions and the key UK involvement, it is timely to report to the community on mission progress and performance, on the new scientific results, and to discuss access to the observations and data. The meeting will include key presentations from the two PI groups. Anyone wishing to give a presentation should contact one of the organisers. Richard Harrison (r.harrison@rl.ac.uk), Len Culhane (jlc@mssl.ucl.ac.uk). *********************************************************************** * * * Positions Vacant * * * *********************************************************************** From: Steve Schwartz Software Development Officer for Space Physics Research Space and Atmospheric Physics Group Department of Physics Imperial College London Imperial College London is the Project Scientist institute for the Cluster Science Centre of the European Space Agency's Cluster satellite mission to study the spatial and temporal structure of key regions of the Earth's magnetosphere. Amongst other activities, the Cluster Science Centre has developed a sophisticated data analysis and visualisation tool, QSAS, that is currently in widespread international use. (see http://www.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/csc-web/QSAS/qsas_welcome.html). QSAS will be employed for the recently launched NASA mission THEMIS, and has been selected for use by the Magnetospheric Multi-scale Mission (MMS). Although QSAS was written to be multi-mission in its capabilities, and has reached a high level of maturity, there are new challenges brought about by increases in data resolution and complexity. Additionally, space plasma studies usually entail the development and use of new, tailored analysis algorithms and accompanying visualisation paradigms. The successful applicant will join the QSAS team at Imperial and participate in the continued and growing success of the software through a blend of basic maintenance and software support through to the design and implementation of novel and powerful analysis capabilities. Other software and data format designs are supported by Cluster Science Centre staff. The post includes both software and science innovation aspects in a balance that depends on the skills, background, and interests of the successful candidate. You will preferably have an undergraduate degree (or higher) in physics, mathematics, computer science, or other numerate discipline. You will have experience in software design in a procedural language within a Unix-like environment. Additionally, you will have experience in some or all of the following areas: C++ or equivalent object-oriented language, space/magnetospheric physics, and time series data analysis. You will need to be able to work as a member of a team, to communicate effectively to colleagues and the wider user community both written and orally, and to organise your own independent work. The post is available from 1 November 2007, for two years in the first instance with a possibility for extension, subject to funding. The Salary will be in the range 28,820 - 35,800 GBP per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. The post could be available on a part-time basis (at least 21 hours per week). A job description and an application form can be obtained from http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/employment/professional/ns2007187nt Alternatively, please contact Ms Bianca Thurston Email: space.sec@imperial.ac.uk. Completed application forms including a CV, list of publications and the names of two referees should be sent to Ms Bianca Thurston, Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK. Closing date: 15 October 2007 Valuing diversity and committed to equality of opportunity ******************************************************* From: Ronald van der Linden The Royal Observatory of Belgium is the leading partner in a new scientific project that will start soon (autumn 2007). The project aims at the creation of an international expert center (working title Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence, STCE) and the valorization of Solar and Solar-Terrestrial research and services. Therefore we are looking to strengthen our current solar team by hiring: A General Coordinator for the STCE Public outreach and science communicators Solar Physicists conductingindependent research A solar radio physicist Context The ROB (http://www.observatory.be) is a Belgian Federal institute and is located, together with its neighbouring institutes, the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RM IB) and the Belgian Institute of Space Aeronomy (BISA), in the southern green outskirts of Brussels. These three institutes will contribute their solar-terrestrial activities in a joint expert center, the STCE, which has been granted additional, recurrent funding by the Belgian Ministerial Council at a significant level. The ROB is the leading partner in the STCE. The current job announcement concerns vacancies for the overarching management of the STCE as well as specific solar vacancies at the Solar Physics Department of the ROB,the SIDC (http://sidc.be), which will form one of the building blocks of the STCE. Details of the above-announced vacancies are to be found on the website http://www.observatory.be/EN/info/jobs.php. Additional information can be requested at the e-mail address specified below. More vacancies for technical experts will become available in the coming months. Modalities There are no restrictions on nationality or sex. At the office, English is the most commonly used language,but speaking one of the national languages (Dutch, French) is an obvious advantage. Initial contracts will be for one year,which can be extended with one or more contracts of fixed duration and finally a contract of indeterminate duration following positive evaluation. Salary,social security and pension scheme are according to Belgian civil servant rules. ROB labour regulation foresees a 38-hour working week with flexible schedule and refunding of commuting expenses (public transport & bike). Applicants should send a complete CV, including a list of publications, together with their letter of motivation,to the Director General of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ronald Van der Linden,Ringlaan 3, 1180 Brussels, Belgium, or by email to Ronald.vanderlinden@oma.be Applications are invited in first instance before the end of October 2007, but the posts will remain open until suitable candidates are found. ******************************************************* From: Judi Green JOB OPENING: Assistant Professor in Space Physics, Augsburg College Augsburg College's Department of Physics invites applications for two FT tenure-track, Assistant Professor positions: one in Biophysics and one in Space Physics. We seek individuals who will be a good fit in a department that values excellence in teaching, wide ranging intellectual interests, and undergraduate research. Preference will be given to applicants with promise of developing a program of publishable research that involves advanced undergraduates. Augsburg College is a private co-educational college of the liberal and professional arts and sciences, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and located in Minneapolis, close to the University of Minnesota. The College is committed to diversity and the education of students in a global perspective. Candidates with experience and/or interest in working with a diverse student population are especially encouraged to apply. The Physics Department has strong undergraduate research programs and a tradition of excellence in disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching. The College offers BA and BS degrees as well as a BS w/concentration in space physics. A high percentage of physics majors pursue graduate study in physics and related fields. Send cover letter that includes statements of teaching qualifications, interests, and description of research plans (including relevant publications), CV, 1-page description of professional goals, undergraduate/graduate transcripts, and 3 letters of reference by Nov. 9, 2007 to: Office of the Dean, c/o Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., CB 136, Minneapolis, MN 55454, Attn.: Judi Green. www.augsburg.edu/physics/EOE. ******************************************************* From: Steven Hill Research Associate Positions in Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging and Irradiance at NOAA. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) invites applications to fill two research associate positions to support space weather efforts at the NOAA Space Environment Center (SEC) in the areas of Solar Ultraviolet Imaging and Solar X-Ray and EUV irradiance and the impacts of solar irradiance on the terrestrial atmosphere. These positions will evaluate observational requirements, develop products and algorithms and establish calibration and validation schemes for the new sensors to be flown on NOAA satellites. SEC is embarking on a program to prepare for generating data products derived from the 'R' series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R). The GOES-R satellites will continue the GOES heritage in space weather by carrying instruments to sense the local in situ environment (magnetometer and particle sensors) as well as the Sun (X- ray sensor, EUV sensor, and EUV imager). The successful candidates will have completed Ph.D. programs in related fields. Desired experience includes at least 3 years experience in scientific research developing requirements, algorithms, documentation, and software for processing data. While full funding is anticipated, it is possible that some externally funded, independent research could be undertaken in support of the product and algorithm development. Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently are essential. Evaluation of applications will begin 6 weeks after this publication date. Further information is available at: http://cires.colorado.edu/jobs/ ******************************************************* >From : Debi Prasad Choudhary (1 Aug 2007) FACULTY POSITION IN ASTROPHYSICS CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE The Department of Physics and Astronomy at California State University Northridge (CSUN), invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in astrophysics. The appointment is at the Assistant Professor level and begins in the Fall 2008 semester. Areas of interest include stellar, solar, or solar-stellar connections but other fields of astrophysics will be considered. Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree in Physics, Astronomy or other closely related disciplines. Postdoctoral experience and a record of research accomplishments are preferred. Candidates must give evidence of effective communication skills and commitment to excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and also demonstrate a commitment to working with an ethnically and culturally diverse student population. We seek candidates who can establish and maintain a vigorous independent research program, with potential for external funding. Research activities in astrophysics include the photometric and infrared observational program at the solar San Fernando Observatory (SFO), the development of an Adaptive Optics system for high resolution imaging, study of origins of solar irradiance variations and space weather. The normal teaching load is 12 contact hours per week during a nine-month academic year. It is anticipated that the University will provide reduced first-year teaching assignments. Release time from teaching is normally available to faculty members who carry out research with significant external support. The campus is located in Northridge, a suburb of Los Angeles, in close proximity to other Universities and major research centers. The SFO is located 9 miles NE of the main campus. Applicants should submit a (1) cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae including list of publications, (3) summary of research and teaching interests, and (4) arrange to have three letters of recommendation submitted to: Chair, Astrophysics Search Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8268. For full consideration, completed applications should be received by December 17, 2008. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Filling the position is subject to budgetary considerations. At time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration. Services to work in the United States. California State University, Northridge is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. For more information please contact: Gary Chapman, gary.chapman@csun.edu Debi Prasad Choudhary, debiprasad.choudhary@csun.edu ********************************************** >From : George Doschek Astrophysicist Position at the Naval Research Laboratory Astrophysicist Solar-Terrestrial Relationships Branch Space Science Division Naval Research Laboratory The Naval Research Laboratory at Washington, DC seeks a qualified applicant for an Astrophysicist position in the Solar-Terrestrial Relationships Branch of the Space Science Division. Research activities of the Branch include observational, data analysis, and theoretical investigations of a wide range of solar-terrestrial phenomena, including solar magnetic fields, UV-X-ray emission from the solar atmosphere, solar flares, coronal streamers and mass ejections, the solar wind, solar variability, the sunspot cycle, and their effects on the heliosphere and Earth. This opportunity emphasizes the analysis and physical interpretation of observations obtained with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and HINODE spacecraft. The successful applicant should have knowledge of magnetic fields and plasmas, and skill in using computers and numerical techniques (including the interactive data language (IDL) in a linux/unix environment) to solve solar-terrestrial problems. The successful applicant should have demonstrated skill in writing scientific papers and proposals for research support. The annual salary is expected to range from $52,192 to $103,409 depending on the qualifications of the candidate. NRL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Interested applicants should submit an electronic CV to Dr. George A Doschek, george.doschek@nrl.navy.mil, who can also be contacted with any questions about the position. All applications received by 1 November 2007 will be given full consideration, but we will accept applications until the position is filled. ************************************************* >From : Dennis Socker Staff Scientist Position in Space Weather Research The Solar Physics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory Space Science Division expects to announce a staff scientist position vacancy in the fall of 2007. Staff scientists are responsible for conducting a broad program of scientific analysis, instrument development and data reduction. The position to be announced is for a Science and Engineering Professional, Career Level III, with a Space Scientist specialization. A Ph.D. and ability to obtain a security clearance will be required. The position will emphasize the analysis of space weather impacts onoperational communication and navigation systems. The primary task is to develop an empiral model of coronal mass ejections (CME) suitable for use as a predictor of CME driven geomagneticstorm onset time and severity. The analysis will utilize data obtained from the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) on the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission and other space sensors. The successful applicant shall have: (1) knowledge of the physics of the ionosphere, plasmasphere and magnetosphere, (2) knowledge of radio wave propagation, (3) knowledge of the techniques used for scientific digital image analysis and interpretation, (4) ability to calibrate instrumentation such as laboratory experiments or space flight sensors, (5) ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to scientific and technical audiences. Interested parties should address resumes and questions to: Dr. Dennis Socker Solar Physics Branch Head Code 7660 Space Sciences Division Naval Research Laboratory 4555 Overlook Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20375-5320 Telephone: 202-767-2093