UK Solar Physics Newsletter Lyndsay Fletcher & Duncan Mackay, Editors 1st August 2008 o News, Views and Gossip o Solar Physics Topical Issue STEREO Results at Solar Minimum. o JOSO Board Elections o Change of address : Judy Karpen o New RHESSI nugget o Meetings, Conferences and Workshops o EURO MHD 2008 : registration o Voyagers in the Heliosheath Conference: Observations, models, and plasma physics o 4th El Leoncito Solar Physics School : Recent Progress in Solar Physics o Solar Activity during the Onset of Solar Cycle 24 - Napa, CA. o RAS Discussion Meeting: Magnetic Coupling in the Solar System - from the Sun to the Heliosphere; 10th October 2008 o AAS/Solar Physics Division Meeting 14-18 June 2009, Boulder CO o STEREO/SOHO WORKSHOP, April 27-May 1 2009, Bournemouth o IHY/AGU Chapman Conference on Universal Heliophysical Processes, Savannah, Georgia, 10-14 November 2008 o AGU session SH08 "Between Photosphere and Chromosphere", 15-19 December 2008 o Employment Opportunities o STFC PhD Full Studentship, Salford o Research Assistant at NWRA/CoRA o Postdoctoral Position at Big Bear Solar Observatory 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: Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi Solar Physics Topical Issue STEREO Results at Solar Minimum We solicit manuscripts on this general subject for inclusion in a Special Issue of Solar Physics, with a deadline of October 15, 2008 for submission of a statement of interest, title, and abstract, and 30 November 2008 for submission of the completed manuscript. The Special Issue (SI) will consist of completed, original research papers on this common theme, which would benefit from being published together. All of the papers will be refereed in the normal manner. To assist the Editor, Drs. Eric Christian and Terry Kucera have agreed to act as Guest Editors for this Issue. In order to respect the other contributors, we will be strict with deadlines for submission, refereeing, and proofing. To expedite the schedule, referees will be identified prior to the submission of the manuscripts on the basis of the abstracts. Papers, which are late, either because of delays in submission or protracted refereeing, will appear individually in later issues of the Journal. If you wish to participate in this Topical Issue of Solar Physics, please let us know by 15 October if you would like to be considered for inclusion by e-mail to Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi () give us a tentative title, abstract, authors, and estimated number of pages names of potential referees. submit the manuscript for refereeing by 30 November 2008. ( http://www.editorialmanager.com/sola/) Eric Christian and Terry Kucera (Guest Editors), and Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi (Editor) ************************************ From : Georgia Tsiropoula JOSO Board Elections We would like to remind all JOSO members that on Monday 8 and during the 12th European Solar Physics meeting which will be held from Sep. 8 to 12, 2008 in Freiburg, Germany, a JOSO assembly meeting will be held. During this meeting elections for the members of the new JOSO board will take place. The JOSO board consists of 4 officers: the President, two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary. We invite JOSO members to express their interest as candidates or to nominate candidates for any of these positions. The nominations should be sent by e-mail to the Secretary G. Tsiropoula (georgia at space.noa.gr) by August 31th. The JOSO Officers http://www.joso-info.org/JOSO_PROJEKT/main/index.htm ************************************* From: Judy Karpen Change of address Dear colleagues, As of July 21 my office address will be: Judy Karpen Code 674 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771 My new email address will be judy.karpen@nasa.gov (also judith.t.karpen@nasa.gov). ********************************************* From: Steven Christe Announcing a new RHESSI Science Nugget "The McClymont Jerk" by Hugh Hudson and Brian Welsch The sudden energy release of a flare in the solar atmosphere has many consequences. One of them may be the McClymont Jerk. It 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 (simply click the authors name when reading the nugget). S. Christe H. Hudson ********************************************************************* * * * Conferences, Workshops, Meetings * * * ********************************************************************* From : Yannick.Ponty@oca.eu Dear Colleagues, This is the second announcement for the EURO MHD 2008 conference. The conference will be located in Nice (France), from Thuesday the 23th of September noon, until Friday the 26th of September in the afternoon. The conference will be held in Nice at the "Maison des seminaire". The meeting aims at gathering scientists working on general MHD phenomenas, dynamo instabilities, and conducting rotating fluids. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to celebrate Pr. Andrew Soward's 65th birthday. Please note the conference website: http://www.oca.eu/euromhd2008 The registration is still opened, and the deadline for participants wishing to give a presentation is *August 1st, 2008.* (the deadline for participation without presentations is the *20th of August 2008*). For a talk : talk registration : http://www.oca.eu/euromhd2008/Registration.html For all registrate : Pre-payement : http://www.oca.eu/euromhd2008/azur-colloque.html Fill the form, you fill received an email soon, to finalize the payment. Please note that there are only 60 bedrooms in the "maison des seminaire". Rooms will be given on a "first come, first served" basis (alternative hotels are also proposed on http://www.oca.eu/euromhd2008/Hotel.html) There is a incompressible fee for all participants of 150 euros. This fee includes all lunches (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) Y. Ponty. On behalf of the organizers: Y.Ponty, E. Dormy, H. Politano. ********************************************* From: Qiang Hu Voyagers in the Heliosheath Conference: Observations, models, and plasma physics Voyagers in the Heliosheath: Observations, models, and plasma physics. January 9-14, 2009 Sheraton Kauai, Hawaii The Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) announces the Voyagers in the Heliosheath conference. Topics of discussion include observations, models, and plasmas physics. It is to be held at the Sheraton Kauai Resort, Kauai, Hawaii, during January 9-14, 2009. Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have achieved historic milestones in crossing the heliospheric termination shock. Not surprisingly, observations returned by both spacecraft are raising significant challenges to our expectations and suggest that more sophisticated theories and models are needed. Some of these challenges relate to the energization of anomalous cosmic rays, the structure and properties of the termination shock, the character of waves and turbulence in the heliosheath, the large-scale structure of the heliosphere, the role of neutral interstellar hydrogen and energetic neutral atoms, and local interstellar medium characteristics. Further, the recent launch of IBEX with its ability to provide a global tomographic perspective combined with the in situ observations of Voyager will provide an excellent opportunity to relate detailed plasma physics to heliospheric structure. This meeting will provide the space physics and astrophysics communities the opportunity to confront the latest observational developments with the most recent theoretical modeling. We encourage participation from anyone interested in the global structure and physics of the outer heliosphere and the local interstellar medium. Please feel free to contact any program committee members listed below, and check the conference website http://www.icnsmeetings.com/conference/voyager2008 /index.html for most recent updates. Program Committee: Qiang Hu, Gary P Zank qianghu@alum.dartmouth.org Jacob Heerikhuisen Vladimir Florinski Nikolai Pogorelov ********************************************** From: Stella Malaroda 4th El Leoncito Solar Physics School : Recent Progress in Solar Physics The web page of the meeting is: http://www.casleo.gov.ar/solar ********************************************* From: Hugh Hudson Solar Activity During the Onset of Solar Cycle 24 This is the second announcement of an international conference entitled "Solar Activity During the Onset of Solar Cycle 24," a workshop-style meeting in Napa Valley, California, the week of December 7-12, 2008. The main goals are to assess our current knowledge of solar activity and to prepare for observations during the onset of Carrington Cycle 24. There will be special emphasis on coordinating ACE, Hinode, RHESSI, SOHO, STEREO TRACE/SDO, and Wind observations, among other space- and ground-based observatories. The conference will have a mixture of invited and contributed talks in plenary sessions, plus significant time devoted to focused working groups in the SHINE style: (a) Slow wind and active regions, (b) Fast wind and plumes, (c) Magnetic field evolution, (d) Global flare energetics, (e) Flares, (f) CMEs, (g) Microflares and nanoflares, (h) Chromosphere, (i) Active-region loops, and (j) Filaments and Prominences. Please mark your calendars now and see the conference Web pages at http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu:80/RHESSI/napa2008 where "manifestos" of the different working groups can be found. We encourage early sign-up for specific working groups along with brief descriptions of topics of interest (or abstracts for talks or posters) so that we can establish key topics and develop a detailed program. We ask for this input by 29 August. The early-bird registration ends October 27, but early registration and hotel booking is encouraged because of space limitations at the conference site. Important dates: Earlybird Abstracts: 29 August 2008 Earlybird registration: 27 October 2008 Registration: 10 November 2008 Meeting: 7-12 December 2008 ************************************ From: Sarah Matthews RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting: Magnetic Coupling in the Solar System - from the Sun to the Heliosphere 10th October 2008, RAS Lecture Theatre, Burlington House Aims of the meeting: At the heart of our solar system lies the Sun, an active star whose varying outputs (solar wind, eruptive phenomena such as flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs)) influence the environment in the heliosphere. Understanding the origins and evolution of the solar magnetic field and how it couples with other magnetized plasma environments within our solar system is at the crux of understanding how the Sun effects the Earth and other planets. The Hinode and STEREO missions are uniquely placed to address these questions by combining highly detailed observations of the Sun and heliosphere with a wide view of its impacts therein. This meeting will focus on the recent advances made by these two missions, related datasets, and modeling. Note that attendance is free for RAS members and 15 pounds for non-members (5 pounds for students). To submit an abstract for an oral or poster contribution to this meeting, please send the following information to Sarah Matthews (sam@mssl.ucl.ac.uk) by 29 August (contributed talks) or 5 September (posters). ********************************************* From: Don Hassler SPD Meeting June 14-18, 2009 in Boulder, CO Dear Members of the Solar Physics Community, We are happy to announce that next year's Solar Physics Division meeting will be held June 14-18, 2009 in Boulder, CO. Please reserve this date and stay tuned for future announcements. Sincerely, Don Hassler, LOC Chair ************************************ From: Richard Harrison FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT STEREO-3/SOHO-22 Workshop: Three Eyes on the Sun - Multi-spacecraft studies of the corona and impacts on the heliosphere Date: April 27 - May 1 2009 Location: The De Vere Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset, England The hugely successful SOHO Workshops are being combined with the up-coming international STEREO Workshops next Spring with the first STEREO/SOHO Workshop, to be hosted by the UK in the week of April 27 2009. This combined workshop promises to be a major celebration of the continuing scientific achievements of these two missions. The scientific structure of the meeting is yet to be confirmed but the STEREO/SOHO combination leads to a natural focus on issues such as: - Multi-spacecraft studies of solar phenomena - 3D imaging of the corona and solar ejecta - combined in-situ and remote sensing studies of solar ejecta and the heliosphere - Tracking ejecta from the Sun to Earth, and Solar System impacts of solar ejecta - Linking the Heliosphere to the Sun The meeting is to be held at the De Vere Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth, England, and is formally hosted by the Solar Group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory - the PI institute for the two HI instruments aboard STEREO and the CDS instrument aboard SOHO. The hotel offers superb accommodation and meeting facilities - it is described as a grand Victorian hotel with panoramic views across the Channel. It is located on the cliff top overlooking Bournemouth beach, right in the heart of this seaside resort. There are many facilities nearby, including a range of hotels and restaurants to suit every budget. Naturally, we are planning an excursion to Stonehenge as part of the meeting - that has to be a major target for such a large group of solar physicists meeting in southern England! The Scientific Organising Committee includes the following: Richard Harrison (Chair, RAL), Mike Kaiser (NASA STEREO Project Scientist ), Bernhard Fleck (ESA SOHO Project Scientist), Frederic Auchere (Orsay), David Berghmans (Brussels), Chris Davis (RAL), Andrzej Fludra (RAL), Berndt Heber (Kiel)*, Bernd Inhester (Lindau)*, Janet Luhmann (Berkeley), Simon Plunkett (NRL), Giannina Poletto (Arcetri), Mark Popecki (New Hampshire), Chris St Cyr (NASA GSFC), Dave Webb (Hanscom AFB) [* To be confirmed] The Local Organising Committee consists of the local SOHO and STEREO team and STFC/RAL staff, including: Danielle Bewsher, Chris Davis, Richard Harrison (Chair), Jenny Dallimore, Natalie Bealing, Sarah Smart So, please make a note in your diary and look out for the second announcement which will be sent out in the Autumn. Meanwhile, for your interest, some useful links for the meeting: - The De Vere Royal Bath Hotel - http://www.devere-hotels.com/our-hotels/royal-bath/the-hotel. - The local area - Bournemouth http://www.bournemouth.co.uk/, Stonehenge http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.16465, the New Forest http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/) and Poole Harbour http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Poole_Harbour. We look forward to welcoming you to the Royal Bath hotel. On behalf of the organising committee. Richard Professor Richard A Harrison Head of Space Physics Division Head of Solar Group SSTD Chief Scientist Space Science and Technology Department Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Chilton, Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0QX United Kingdom [r.harrison@rl.ac.uk; tel. (44) 1235 44 6884] ******************************************** From: Nancy Crooker IHY-AGU Chapman Conference on Universal Heliophysical Processes Where: Mulberry Inn, Savannah, Georgia (USA) When: 10-14 November 2008 Why: To foster the IHY science theme of establishing physical laws that govern magnetically organized matter and its interaction with gravitationally organized matter, independent of location and initial conditions Format: Focus will be on extended discussion following a limited number of invited papers; contributed papers will be poster papers Abstract submission and pre-registration now open at the conference website: http://www.agu.org/meetings/chapman/2008/gcall Deadline: 12 September Conveners Nancy Crooker, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Marina Galand, Imperial College, London, UK Program Committee Terry Forbes, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA Joe Giacalone, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Wing Ip, National Central University, Jhongli City, Taiwan Chris Owen , University College London, Surrey, England, UK George Siscoe, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Roger Smith, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Jan-Erik Wahlund, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden Gary Zank, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, USA ******************************************** From: Karel Schrijver AGU session SH08: "Between photosphere and corona; new views of a critical interface" The domain between the solar surface and corona presents a challenging interface region in which steep gradients in density, pressure, plasma beta, and transparency lead to a complex, dynamic structure. This is the domain where all but a few percent of the Sun's non-radiative energy is transformed into heat and radiation, through which coronal and heliospheric plasma and magnetic field are filtered as they rise from below, and in which much more energy and mass are processed than in the overlying corona and heliosphere combined. Our ability to study this important domain in the solar atmosphere has seen dramatic advances in just a few years, both in the observational and numerical arenas. Please join us in this session, which brings together observers and modelers to discuss the recent advances in our understanding of this domain of contrasts, and to look forward to future developments. The abstract deadline is September 10, 2008, 23:59UT. The meeting is scheduled for 15-19 December, 2008, in San Francisco: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm08/ *********************************************************************** * * * Positions Vacant * * * *********************************************************************** From: David Tsiklauri STFC PhD Full Studentship Space and Solar Plasma Physics University of Salford Applications are invited for a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) PhD Studentship within the Space and Solar Plasma Physics Group, Institute for Materials Research, University of Salford. The project involves numerical modelling and analytical investigation of wave dynamics and magnetic reconnection in space plasmas in broad, inter-disciplinary context. Project would also involve Solar Active Region modelling in the context of the main unsolved problem in Space Physics the Coronal Heating Problem (http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/mysteries_l1/corona.html) Applicants should have a good Honours degree in Physics or Applied Mathematics (at least 2:1 or equivalent) or a lower second class plus a Master's (MPhys) qualification. Programming experience in any high level language is highly desirable. Candidates should be UK residents and will receive full fees and stipend of 12,600+ per annum for 3.5 years. For details and eligibility, see http://www.stfc.ac.uk/Grants/Studs/Contents.aspx EU students qualify for the "fees only" award. Please send your CV, completed PhD application form, which is available from the Postgraduate Office of the University (Web site: http://www.pg.salford.ac.uk/pdfs/PGR-app.pdf), and two letters of recommendation directly to: Dr. David Tsiklauri Physics Discipline Newton Building University of Salford Greater Manchester, England M5 4WT The deadline for applications is the 1st September 2008. Starting Date is 1 October 2008. ******************************************** From: K D Leka Research Assistant at NWRA/CoRA NorthWest Research Associates has an opening for a research assistant starting Autumn 2008 in its Boulder, Colorado CoRA division. NWRA is a small company with research activities including solar and heliospheric physics, oceanography, meteorology and upper atmospheric research (http://www.nwra.com ). This position is to work with Dr. K. D. Leka reducing archive data from the Imaging Vector Magnetograph and developing web-based access for these data and accompanying analysis tools. Additional duties may include data-base preparation to support studies of solar coronal mass ejection initiation and solar flares. While the emphasis of this position is on data archiving, the successful applicant will also have a prime opportunity to participate in original scientific research under the guidance of Dr. Leka. The position is preferably full time; applicants must have or be completing a Bachelor's Degree in computer science, physics, applied math or a related field, with demonstrated knowledge of Linux and experience in a scientific programming language. Experience with SQL database and web programming (PHP, Ruby/Rails, Python) is a significant plus. Applications should include a curriculum vita or resume, a copy of the most recent transcript, a code sample or site URL for which the applicant had primary responsibility, and names of two professional or academic references whom we may contact; consideration will begin Monday 18 August 2008 with a starting date in early autumn 2008. Salaries and benefits at NWRA are very competitive, and the work environment is flexible, similar to an academic institution. For further questions, please contact Dr. Leka at leka"at"cora.nwra.com. Applications should be sent by email or by post to Dr. K. D. Leka, NWRA/CoRA Div., 3380 Mitchell Ln., Boulder, CO 80301 (no phone calls please). NWRA encourages applications from women and minorities, and is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D. ********************************************* From : Phil Goode Postdoctoral Position at Big Bear Solar Observatory Big Bear Solar Observatory is bringing on line its 1.6 m clear aperture solar telescope this summer, and high resolution, adaptive optically corrected photometric and polarimetric data will begin to flow. We seek a Postodoctoral Associate who will be able to take advantage of the unique scientific opportunities that these data will allow. Research may be done in collaboration with scientists in Big Bear. Please send applications to Phil Goode (pgoode@bbso.njit.edu). Search will begin August 2008 and continue until position is filled. BBSO/NJIT is committed to equal opportunity through affirmative action in employment and we are especially eager to identify minority persons and women with appropriate qualifications. _______________________________________________ uksp mailing list uksp@physics.gla.ac.uk http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/uksp