UK Solar Physics Newsletter Lyndsay Fletcher & Duncan Mackay, Editors 1st March 2008 o News, Views and Gossip o REMINDER - UKSP at NAM and UKSP business meeting (1st April). o Press Releases at UKSP/NAM 2008. o Publication of new UK Space Strategy. o STFC Science Board Town Meeting. o Advances in Astronomy -- Open Access Journal. o RHESSI Science Nugget - A hard wee flare observed with RHESSI and Hinode/XRT. o Change of Address - R.T. James McAteer. o Meetings, Conferences and Workshops o Conference on "Solar Activity during the Onset of Solar Cycle 24". o Joint Assembly SH07: Sun-Solar System Connection Through an Interdisciplinary Approach. o COSPAR Session E2.1 Solar Magnetic fields and activity: call for papers. o COSPAR: Coupled Large- and Small-scale Processes in Space and Solar Physics. o Call for Interdisciplinary AGU-SPD Papers. o SPD Meeting. o AGU Joint Session, 3D Reconstruction of the Heliosphere. o SH05 session at AGU 2008 'Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Sun and interplanetary space'. o Second Announcement: "Workshop on Coupling of Thunderstorms and Lightning Discharges to Near-Earth Space". o 2nd Hinode Science Meeting, 29 Sept. - 3 Oct. 2008. o Employment Opportunities o Postdoctoral Research Postion in Solar Physics. o Tenure-Track Position in Solar Astronomy. o Post Doc position at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Lund. o STEREO/SECCHI post-doctoral position at the Royal Observatory of Belgium. 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: The Editors REMINDER - UKSP at NAM The deadline for talks registration at the NAM is 29th February, and poster/wireless registration is 7th March. There are a number of solar/STP sessions of interest, and we hope that the solar community will as usual put in a strong showing! In addition to the scientific sessions, we will be having a UKSP business meeting at lunchtime on April 1st, so we encourage you to submit items for discussion. We will circulate an agenda closer to the time. Sessions which are of most direct relevance to UKSP are as follows: P30 - Solar spectroscopy and atomic data P31 - Solar seismology - from the interior to the corona P32 - Magnetic coupling in the solar atmosphere P33 - The explosive Sun P34 - Magnetic reconnection P35 - From Sun to Earth and beyond P36 - Waves and Instabilities in Space Plasmas P37 - Solar and STP missions forum Registration and other info is at http://nam2008.qub.ac.uk/ ************************************* From: The Editors Press Releases at UKSP/NAM 2008. We would like to encourage any participants of UKSP/NAM to make a press release of any interesting new results that they are presenting. Details of how to make a press release as part of NAM, through the RAS, can be found at, http://nam2008.qub.ac.uk/press/ Editors. ************************************* FROM : "Perriment Tom (Mr TE) DIUS BNSC" Dear Colleague I am pleased to attach a link to the new UK Space Strategy published today. http://192.171.198.225/content.aspx?nid=5550 Yours sincerely Tom Perriment Assistant Director (Policy) British National Space Centre Kingsgate House 66-74 Victoria Street London SW1E 6SW Tel: 00 44 203 300 8806 Fax: 00 44 207 300 8979 e-mail: tom.perriment@bnsc.gsi.gov.uk ************************************* From: Robert von Fay-Siebenburgen STFC Science Board Town Meeting Sir Peter Knight and Professor Jenny Thomas (Chair and Deputy Chair of STFC's Science Board) will make a presentation to our research communities and answer questions. They will outline the current status of the programmatic review, the next steps, and STFC's plans for community consultation. The Town Meeting will be held in the Ocean Suite at The Cumberland Hotel, Ocean Suite, Marble Arch, London W1A 4RF on the 3rd March at 14:30 hours. Places at the meeting will be allocated on a strictly first come, first served basis. To register your attendance please email S.Ketels@rl.ac.uk ************************************* >From : Tamer Khafaga Advances in Astronomy -- Open Access Journal Dear Colleagues, We would like to announce to you the launch of the peer-reviewed, open access journal "Advances in Astronomy," which aims to provide a rapid forum for the dissemination of state-of-the-art reviews and original research papers in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics. Advances in Astronomy will be published using an open access publication model, meaning that all interested readers will be able to freely access the journal online without the need for a subscription, since the journal is supported by article processing charges rather than subscription fees. The journal has a distinguished editorial board with extensive academic qualifications, ensuring that the journal will maintain high scientific standards and have a broad international coverage. A full list of editors can be found on the journal's website at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aa/editors.html Manuscripts should be submitted to the journal using the publisher's electronic Manuscript Tracking System, which is located at http://mts.hindawi.com. Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, it will undergo extensive copy editing, typesetting, and reference validation in order to provide the highest publication quality possible. Editorial Office, Advances in Astronomy http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aa/ Hindawi Publishing Corporation ************************************ From: Steven Christe Announcing a new RHESSI Science Nugget "A hard wee flare observed with RHESSI and Hinode/XRT" by Iain Hannah An intriguing microflare with simultaneous RHESSI and Hinode observations shows unusual high energy X-ray emission. 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). ************************************* From: R. T. James McAteer Dear Colleague, Please note my change of address to: R.T. James McAteer Marie Curie Research Fellow School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland Phone:+ 353 (0) 1896 3257 e-mail: james.mcateer@tcd.ie skype: rtjmca ********************************************************************* * * * Conferences, Workshops, Meetings * * * ********************************************************************* From: Hugh Hudson Conference on "Solar Activity during the Onset of Solar Cycle 24" There will be an international meeting on "Solar Activity during the Onset of Solar Cycle 24", held from December 7-12 (the week prior to the Fall AGU in San Francisco) in Napa, California. The main goals are to assess our current knowledge of solar activity to prepare for observations of the new major activity expected from the beginning of Carrington Cycle 24, and there will be special emphasis on coordinating Hinode, STEREO, SDO, SOHO and RHESSI observations. The conference will have a mix of invited and contributed talks in plenary sessions, plus focused working groups. We expect registration and abstract submission dates to be in late summer/early fall. In the meantime, please mark your calendars and see http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/RHESSI/napa2008/ for details. ********************************************* From: qiang hu Joint Assembly SH07: Sun-Solar System Connection Through an Interdisciplinary Approach The Joint Assembly provides a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from, among others, the AGU SPA and the AAS SPD sections. Recent progresses in new spacecraft missions, ground-breaking observational studies, and state-of-the-art numerical modelings, have helped break the traditional barrier between the two societies. These have provided unprecedented opportunities and allowed researchers in both communities to put together collaborative effort to advance our understanding of the Sun-Solar System Connection on a system-wide scale via an interdisciplinary approach. We solicit contributions, emphasizing an interdisciplinary theme, from a broad range of science topics. They include, but are not limited to, the morphological or topological, and quantitative comparison of solar progenitors with their interplanetary manifestations, the physical/causal connection between the Sun and the Earth, and other planets, the transient phenomena originating from Sun throughout the heliosphere, even to the outer boundary. All relevant investigations by theoretical, observational, and numerical approaches are welcome. We plan to invite renowned researchers from both disciplines of traditional solar physics and heliophysics to participate, and encourage general contributions as well. (http://www.agu.org /meetings/ja08/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=89) ********************************************* From: Paul Charbonneau COSPAR Session E2.1 Solar Magnetic fields and activity: call for papers COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Montreal, Canada , 13-20 July 2008 CALL FOR PAPERS: Symposium E2.1 : Solar magnetic fields and activity Event Description: The unifying thread of this event is the solar magnetic field, and how its spatiotemporal evolution drives the various manifestations of solar activity, as observed by ground-based and space-borne instruments, and modelled by numerical simulations. Emphasis will be placed on observational/theoretical constraints on magnetic field production, amplification and evolution. The three half-day sessions will be structured around the following three subthemes: (1) Origin and evolution of subsurface fields; (2) Emerging magnetic flux and its photospheric impacts; (3) Surface magnetism as a constraint on dynamo models and subsurface phenomena. For information on COSPAR and on-line forms for registration, accommodations and abstract submission, see http://www.cospar2008.org/> http://www.cospar-assembly.org/ PLEASE NOTE THE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 17 February 2008. Scientific Organizing Committee Paul Charbonneau (Université de Montréal) Arnab Rai Choudhuri (IIS/Bangalore) Leon Golub (CfA/Harvard) Kanya Kusano (Earth Simulator Center/JAMSTEC) Brigitte Schmieder (Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) Karel Schrijver (Lockheed Martin/Palo Alto) Dmitry Sokoloff (Moscow State University) Jean-Paul Zahn (Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) Hongqi Zhang (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Main Scientific Organizer: Deputy Organizer: Paul Charbonneau Brigitte Schmieder Département de Physique Observatoire de Paris-Meudon Université de Montréal brigitte.schmieder@obspm.fr Montréal, Qc, Canada paulchar@astro.umontreal.ca ********************************************* From: Joerg Buechner Coupled Large- and Small-scale Processes in Space and Solar Physics COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Montreal, Canada, 13-20 July 2008 COSPAR Commission D (Space Plasmas in the Solar System) and Commission E (Research in Astrophysics from Space) invite you to participate in their Joint Scientific Event D21-E31 on "Coupled Large- and Small-scale Processes in Space and Solar Physics" Scientific Programme: Recent (CLUSTER, THEMIS) and future (MMS, CROSS-SCALE) missions, investigating small scale space plasma processes as well as inter-scale coupled phenomena in situ and recent (SOHO, TRACE, RHESSI, Hinode) and future solar missions (SDO, Solar Orbiter), remotely investigating the solar coronal plasma have provided and will provide in the future even more information about space plasma phenomena which at different scales and about the coupling of small (kinetic) and large scale space processes. Since the underlying physical processes are usually highly non-linear appropriate theories are still under development and numerical simulations are carried out. This session aims at the evaluation of the results of the ongoing missions and theoretical investigations including numerical simulation as well at the plans for future observations and their relevance for a better understanding of the cross-scale coupled space plasma phenomena. Scientific Organizing Committee V. Angelopulus (UCLA, USA), X. Deng (Wuhan University, China), L. Fletcher (Univ. of Glasgow, UK), M. Fujimoto (ISAS/JAXA, Japan), M. Hesse (Goddard Space Flight Center, USA), M. Hoshino (University of Tokyo, Japan), W. Liu (Canadian Space Agency, Canada), H. Peter (Kiepenheuer Inst. for Solar Research, Freiburg, Germany), S. Schwartz (Imperial College, London, UK), L.M. Zelenyi (Space Research Institute, Moscow, Russia), H. Zhang (NAO, China), The abstract deadline is 17 February 2008, the exact dates of this session will be determined by the COSPAR Program Committee in early spring. Information about COSPAR and forms for registration, accommodations may be found at http://www.cospar2008.org/ and http://www.cospar-assembly.org/ Abstracts should be submitted electronically via http://www.cospar-assembly.org/user/mypapers.php?log=1 oerg Buechner (Main Scientific Organizer) MPI f. Sonnensystemforschung Max-Planck-Str. 2 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau Germany Tel: 49 5556 979 295 Fax: 49 5556 979 6295 E-Mail: buechner-AT-mps.mpg.de Richard Sydora (Deputy Organizer) University of Alberta T6G2J1 Edmonton, AB Canada Tel: 1 780 492 3624 Fax: 1 780 492 0714 E-Mail: rsydora-AT-phys.ualberta.ca ********************************************** From: Nancy Crooker Call for Interdisciplinary AGU-SPD Papers For the AGU Joint Assembly with SPD in May, we strongly encourage submission of papers to session SH08 that address both solar and heliospheric aspects of "Solar to Global Heliospheric Evolution." The description of the session on the AGU website is quite general (http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/?content =search), but preference will be given to interdisciplinary papers. The abstract deadline is 5 March, 23:59 Universal Time. Nathan Schwadron, Karel Schrijver, and Nancy Crooker Convenors ********************************************** >From : James Klimchuk SPD Meeting This year's SPD meeting will be held jointly with the AGU in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on May 27-30. Special events include the Hale and Harvey Prize Lectures given by Hugh Hudson and Mark Linton, respectively, and a half-day session honoring Gene Parker's fundamental contributions to solar and heliospheric physics, in particular his prediction 50 years ago of the solar wind. There will be an evening social event with our friends in the Space Physics and Aeronomy Section of the AGU. Abstracts should be submitted electronically at http://www.agu.org/meetings /ja08/ before the March 5 deadline. For most SPD abstracts, the appropriate session is SP01 (Solar Physics Division-AAS General Contributions). A program will be built from these abstracts after they are received. In some cases, an abstract is better suited to one of the SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics special sessions. Please note, session SH01 (SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics General Contributions) is probably NOT appropriate. See you in Florida! ********************************************** From: Alex Antunes AGU Joint Session, 3D Reconstruction of the Heliosphere "3D Reconstruction of the Heliosphere" at the Spring AGU/SPD 2008 Joint Assembly, 27-30 May 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Abstracts are due March 5, at http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/?content=program With the 2006 launch the STEREO spacecraft and the continued operation of such spacecraft as Ulysses, SOHO, ACE, and Wind we now have a wealth of imaging, in-situ, and radio data for the determination of the 3D structure of the heliosphere. This session solicits papers on the 3D reconstruction of the heliosphere. We are specifically interested in addressing topics such as: What are the 3D structures of CMEs, the solar wind, and coronal features including streamers, plumes and loops? How do they evolve over time? How do we relate remote sensing and in-situ observations? How do we use models to help interpret the 3D data? ********************************************** From: Valentina Zharkova SH05 session at AGU 2008 'Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Sun and interplanetary space' We would like to invite your contributions for submission by the 5th March 23:59 UT to the session SH05 'Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Sun and interplanetary space': http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=84 (conveners S. Krucker, V.Zharkova, N. Vilmer and P. Petkaki) for the Joint Assembly, 27-30 May 2008, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida http://www.agu.org /meetings/ja08/?content=program . The aim of this session is to provide an update of our current understanding of particle acceleration processes in the Sun and their energy transport as to the solar photosphere so to the interplanetary space. The differences between the signatures of accelerated particles in the interplanetary space and in the solar active events are expected to be compared by considering various acceleration mechanisms: by electric field at magnetic reconnection with simple and complicated topologies, by shocks and stochastic acceleration by plasma waves. We also propose to compare the forward and inverse modelling of various processes related to active events with observations by focusing, in particular, on the results from recent space missions - RHESSI, Hinode, STEREO and Clusters. Valentina Zharkova on behalf of the session conveners Sam Krucker, Nicole Vilmer and Panagiota Petkaki ********************************************** >From : Norma B. Crosby Second Announcement: "Workshop on Coupling of Thunderstorms and Lightning Discharges to Near-Earth Space" We are delighted to announce that a workshop on Coupling of Thunderstorms and Lightning Discharges to Near-Earth Space is to be held during the time period 23-27 June 2008 at the University of Corsica, Corte, France. Transient Luminous Events and Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes are newly discovered processes that couple the troposphere to the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space. The aim of the workshop is to better understand and identify the various physical processes that couple thunderstorms to the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and the effects of thunderstorm processes on the atmospheric composition and dynamics. There will be a registration fee of 300 EURO. This will cover transportation to/from Bastia airport, welcome reception, coffee/tea breaks, five lunches, gala dinner, half-day field trip and conference proceedings. Limited funds may be available to provide partial travel support to those who otherwise would be unable to attend the workshop. More information will be available in the next couple of months. Important Dates: * First Announcement. December 2007. * Second Announcement. Beginning of February 2008. * Abstract Submission. March 15, 2008. * Authors informed of the acceptance of their abstract. March 20, 2008. * Deadline for pre-registration (for hotel blocking). March 31, 2008. * Deadline for registration fee. April 15, 2008. Please see the workshop website for more details concerning the topics to be covered during the workshop and the logistics: http://www.oma.be/TLE2008Workshop / If you have any question, please contact Norma Crosby (norma.crosby at oma.be) or Tai-Yin Huang (tuh4 at psu.edu). Norma Crosby, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium (co-coordinator ). Tai-Yin Huang, Penn State Lehigh Valley, U.S.A. (co-coordinator). ********************************************** >From : Bruce Lites 2nd Hinode Science Meeting, 29 Sept. - 3 Oct. 2008 First Announcement: Second Hinode Science Meeting, Boulder, Colorado USA, 29 September 3 October 2008 Details of the meeting are found at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/hinode/conference-2008/index.html Meeting Objectives: The Second Hinode Science Meeting will be held at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado USA during 29 September 3 October 2008. This meeting is intended to build upon the highly successful first meeting in Dublin in August 2007, which provided a showcase for many of the initial results of the Hinode mission. The Second Meeting will occur two years into the mission, and will highlight more comprehensive analyses of the Hinode observations, as well as observational programs coordinated among the Hinode instruments and other ground- and space-based observatories. Participation in this meeting is encouraged from all who have interest in science topics related to Hinode science regardless of direct involvement with Hinode data. Especially important to the success of the meeting, and to the Hinode mission, is the integration of theory and numerical simulations with the dramatic new observational results from Hinode. The organizers of the meeting therefore invite participation from the broader solar physics community, and also from other disciplines that have direct relevance to solar physics. Venue: The meeting will be held at the Center Green facility of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research the parent organization of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The Center Green site has new meeting facilities that regularly host meetings of the size of the Hinode Science Meeting, or larger. It is also the home of the High Altitude Observatory division of NCAR. Scientific Program: The Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC) of the Second Hinode Science Meeting is now preparing the program. There will be invited talks, and contributed oral and poster presentations. Registrants should specify if they prefer a poster or contributed oral presentation. The SOC will determine those contributed presentations to be given orally. There will be no limit on the number of poster presentations. The session titles are as follows: 1. Bringing Modeling and Observations Together 2. Past, Present, and Future Collaborative Observational/Theory Programs 3. Sunspot Structure and Dynamics 4. Hinode Perspectives on Coronal/Chromospheric Heating 5. Flare Physics 6. Source of the Solar Wind/CME 7. Solar Magnetic Activity 8. Local Helioseismology with Hinode 9. New Perspectives on the Physics of Coronal Loops Participation: Abstracts may be submitted online now at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/forms/abstracts.html Starting 10 March 2008, participants may register and pay registration fees on-line at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/hinode/conference-2008/ reg.html Information on transportation to Boulder is found at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/hinode/conference-2008/transportation.html Accommodation arrangements are summarized at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/hinode/conference-2008/accommodation.html Details on accommodation and discounts will be available 10 March 2008. Schedule: The meeting will begin with welcome reception on Monday 29 September and will end at noon on 3 October. There will be a meeting of the Hinode Science Working Group all day Monday, 29 September at the UCAR Center Green facility. The agenda for the science meeting will be updated regularly at: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/partnerships/hinode/conference-2008/program.html VISAS for Travel to the USA: Foreign visitors to the USA must either be citizens of a country participating in the Visa Waver Program (http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without _1990.html#countries) or must obtain a visa for entry to the USA. If you need to acquire a visa, plan to apply for your visa at least 3-4 months before beginning travel to the meeting. *********************************************************************** * * * Positions Vacant * * * *********************************************************************** >From : Wolfgang Finsterle Postdoctoral Research Postion in Solar Physics The Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos and World Radiation Center (PMOD/WRC) invites applications for a two-year research position on the post-doc level. The successful applicant will work on a project that links wave phenomena in the solar chromosphere to the variability of solar UV emission, particularly in the Lyman-alpha line. Knowledge in helioseismology, radiative transfer, and/or MHD simulations are desirable. PMOD/WRC is a small institute located in the town of Davos in the Swiss alps. PMOD/WRC currently operates joint projects with ETH Zurich, Zurich University and other Swiss institutions and is invloved with many international collaborations. The position is subject to funding and will start in April, 2008 or upon agreement. For further information please contact Wolfgang Finsterle (wolfgang@pmodwrc.ch). Applications should be sent in electronic form to the same address. ******************************************** >From : Bernard McNamara Tenure-Track Position in Solar Astronomy The New Mexico State University (NMSU) Department of Astronomy invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Solar Astrophysics beginning August 2008. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in solar physics, astronomy, astrophysics, or a closely related field. The successful applicant will demonstrate a currently active solar observation/theory/ modeling program and the ability to participate in ongoing solar science studies at the national and international levels, including use of the in-development ATST and its science emphases (multi-layer polarimetry, magneto-convective processes,etc.). The successful candidate will ideally provide evidence of the ability to deliver high quality instruction at the graduate and undergraduate levels, the ability to secure sustained external research funding, and the ability to serve as a research advisor to MS and PhD students. The Department hosts a wide range of astronomical investigations, which benefit from membership in the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) and its Apache Point Observatory (APO) 3.5-meter telescope. The Department also operates its own 1-meter telescope at APO and is a member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II project. Additional Department information can be found at http://astronomy.nmsu.edu. NMSU serves a diverse undergraduate and graduate population of 16,00 students. Located in Las Cruces (the state's second largest city), NMSU is within driving distance of: the National Solar Observatory, the NRAO Very Large Array, and Kitt Peak National Observatory. To be considered for this position, send a cover letter, brief statements of research interests & plans (including any additional research expertise and interests) and teaching experience & philosophy, and a curriculum vitae to: Chair, Faculty Search Committee Department of Astronomy New Mexico State University, MSC 4500 1320 Frenger St. Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 Applicants should arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation to be sent to the same address. Review of completed applications will begin February 1st, 2008 and will continue until the position is filled or closed. Questions can be addressed to: astfaculty@astronomy.nmsu.edu or (575) 646 -4438. New Mexico State University is an EEO/AA Employer. Offer of employment contingent upon verification of individual's eligibility for employment in the United States. ******************************************** >From : Henrik Lundstedt Post Doc position at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Lund Solar Magnetic Activity: Topology and Predictions The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Institutet for rymdfysik, IRF) is a governmental research institute with 110 employees. It primarily carries out basic research, education and associated observatory activities in space physics, space technology and atmospheric physics. IRF has employees in Kiruna, Umea, Uppsala and Lund, with the main office located in Kiruna. The Lund office is pleased to announce the opportunity for a post doctoral position for studies of solar magnetic fields, LOS and Vector Magnetic Field Maps. For this position, topological methods are expected to be used for understanding the solar magnetic activity and dynamics. The understanding will then be used for developing predictions and operational forecasts. Data used are observed with SOHO/Hinode and 2009 with SDO. We will participate in the HMI/SDO Science team and collaborate with Stanford University. The Center for Mathematical Sciences at Lund University has a wide competence in topology and in applications of topological methods to dynamical problems. IRF Lund operates the Regional Warning Center Sweden of the International Space Environment Center (ISES). We have extensive experience in using neural networks for operational space weather forecasts and have participated in several ESA space weather projects. Lund is situated in the middle of the expansive Oresund region, with a total population of 3.5 million people. In 15 minutes you will be in Malmo, the third largest city in Sweden, Copenhagen is 45 minutes away and it is a 1-2 hours flight to ESA/ESTEC, London, Berlin and Paris. IRF Lund is located in the high tech Ideon research park with close connections to Lund University, the biggest university in Scandinavia with 40 000 students, founded in 1666. This medieval city has positioned itself as a leading innovative center for groundbreaking research and industry. The research climate offers a unique opportunity for individual vision, in a supportive and flexible team. The position is funded by a grant from the Swedish National Space Board for a one-year period, with a possible extension pending on available funding. More information on the Solar Terrestrial Physics Research Programme can be found at www.irf.se/program/STP/. Enquiries about this position can be made to Dr Henrik Lundstedt (henrik.lundstedt@irf.se, tel +46 46 2862120 ). Applications should include a CV, list of publications, names and contact information for two professional references. Applications should be sent to the Registrator, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, 981 28 Kiruna, Sweden (registrator@irf.se). Please refer to "Dnr 35-40/08 Post doc - Solar Magnetic Activity". Closing date for applications is 31 March 2008. ******************************************** >From : Andrei Zhukov STEREO/SECCHI post-doctoral position at the Royal Observatory of Belgium Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position at the Solar Influences Data analysis Center (SIDC) at the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB). The successful candidate will study the structure and dynamics of the solar corona via analysis of data obtained by the SECCHI instrument suite onboard the NASA STEREO mission.

The selected candidate will work in close collaboration with researchers at the SIDC and newly established Solar-Terrestrial Center of Excellence (STCE) at the ROB. The ROB is a Belgian federal institute in the southern green outskirts of Brussels. The SIDC (http://sidc.be) is a team of about 30 researchers and technicians from different countries. English is the baseline language spoken within the team. Salary, social security and pension scheme are set according to Belgian civil servant rules.

Applicants must have a PhD in solar physics or in a related field of physics or astronomy. Research experience related to solar coronal activity and familiarity with solar data processing using IDL is an advantage.

The position is opened in the framework of an ESA/PRODEX research grant and is available immediately. The initial contract is for one year, with a possibility of prolongation until the end of 2010 depending on the performance. The position will stay open until it is filled. Interested candidates should send an application containing CV and list of publications, together with e-mail addresses of two contact persons who can provide a recommendation.

Applications and/or questions should be sent to:
Andrei Zhukov
(Andrei dot Zhukov at sidc dot be)
and Jean-Francois Hochedez
(hochedez at sidc dot be). ******************************************** -- Dr Duncan H Mackay Mathematical Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS, Scotland. Tel 01334 463760 Fax 01334 463748