UK Solar Physics Newsletter Lyndsay Fletcher & Duncan Mackay, Editors September 15th 2008 o News, Views and Gossip o Nominations for the new STFC advisory panels - deadline 30th September o International Year of Astronomy newsletter and deadline for second round of grants. o STFC Science in Society Awards - announcement o Royal Society 2009 summer exhibition o New RHESSI Science nugget o Meetings, Conferences and Workshops o Second announcement - solar image processing workshop IV o RAS Discussion meeting on magnetic coupling - October 10th o Solar Wind 12 International Conference o Announcement of Fall AGU Session SH03 o NG03: Nonlinear and Self Organization Processes in Driven Space and Astrophysical Plasmas o SH05:Turbulence in Solar Wind and Heliospheric Plasmas: Observations, Simulations, and Theory o Employment Opportunities o ESA Postdoctoral Fellowships in Space Science o Traineeships for students in Utrecht-Stockholm-Oslo o 1 PhD Student Fellowships on Space Physics o Postgraduate position within the Solaire network. o Postdoctoral Research Associate 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 Call for nominations for advisory panels to STFC's Science committee We would like to call your attention to the call for nominations to the new STFC advisory structure. This structure replaces the old Advisory Panels (such as the Solar System Advisory Panel, which previously represented our area) and it is vital that our discipline has a strong voice in the new advisory system. The deadline for making your nominations is 30th September 2008. Information about the panel structure, and nomination instructions can be found at http://www.scitech.ac.uk/PMC/PRel/STFC/PPANCallAP.aspx ********************************************** From: The Editors Sign up for the International Year of Astronomy Newsletter here http://www.astronomy2009.co.uk/index.php/newsletter-mainmenu-63 and find out how to apply to the RAS for small grants for your IYA solar activities here http://www.astronomy2009.co.uk/index.php/funding-mainmenu-65 Deadline for grant applications is 15th October 2008 ********************************************** From: Melanie Illsley STFC FUNDING SCHEMES FOR PUBLIC AND SCHOOLS ENGAGEMENT WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STFC announces the latest round of its Science in Society Award Schemes. The following schemes are appropriate for researchers, academic institutions and science festivals: Small Awards: Funds from ??500 to ??15,000 are available. There are two award rounds per year in spring and autumn. Closing date for the latest round is 17 October 2008 Large Awards: For significant projects with potentially large regional or national impact. Funds from ??15,000 to ??100,000 are available. This scheme has one round each year. Closing date for the latest round is 14 November 2008 For full details on how to apply and examples of previous awards visit: http://www.stfc.ac.uk/PandS/Fund/All/Funds.aspx Please note that all STFC Science in Society Awards o must relate to STFC science and technology which includes: STFC research facilities in the UK, at the Harwell and Daresbury Campuses and the Royal observatory Edinburgh, and overseas; nuclear physics and particle physics; space; ionospheric; planetary and solar science; astronomy; astrophysics and cosmology o must target our key audiences of young people aged 11-18 and their teachers; science inclined public; opinion formers; and audiences not previously engaged with science We encourage projects that relate to current science and technology projects (e.g. the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, International Year of Astronomy 2009) and involve partnerships (e.g. between researchers, educationists, mass media etc.) Other STFC Public Engagement support programmes: We offer access to media and science communication training courses, publications, advice and opportunities for in-depth schools and public work through Researchers in Residence and fellowships. For further information please visit http://www.stfc.ac.uk/PandS/Contents.aspx or contact Chris Woolford at chris.woolford@stfc.ac.uk or tel. 01793442098 Science in Society Team Science and Technology Facilities Council Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon Wiltshire SN2 1SZ ************************************ From: Melanie Illsley The Royal Society is now inviting proposals for the 2009 Summer Science Exhibition. The Exhibition is the Society??? most prestigious event of the year. It attracts a great deal of media interest and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase research to the public, post-16 and potential university students, scientists, policy makers, MPs, captains of industry, teachers and the wider scientific community. It??? a chance to really put your research in the scientific spotlight. Typically, over 4,000 visitors attend the exhibition each year. Many more visit the exhibition online at our website www.summerscience.org.uk, in 2008 there were over 14,000 visitors to the exhibition web pages. The Royal Society??? Summer Science Exhibition Committee, chaired by Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell CBE FRS selects around 24 teams for the exhibition to share the excitement of their research with a wider audience. The Exhibition makes a significant contribution to the Society??? work in encouraging public engagement with science and promoting science education. The large number of post-16 students attending the Exhibition also gives exhibitors a unique opportunity to influence and enthuse potential university students about careers in science. The Royal Society events team provides support at each step of the way for exhibitors, beginning with an initial planning day with advice on finding funding, building your exhibit, interactivity and much more. On this day you get to meet previous exhibitors and gain helpful tips for the event. We also provide a free Royal Society exhibition communication skills course to help prepare your team. Our press office will work alongside your institution to gain maximum exposure for your research and the exhibition. Please forward this email to whoever may be interested. More information, including a proposal form, is available at royalsociety.org/exhibition2009. Proposals must be returned to the Society by Monday 20 October 2008. Should you have any queries about the Exhibition or selection process, please do not hesitate to contact me. Emma Skelton Events Officer, Science Communication tel: +44 (0)20 7451 2244 fax: +44 (0)20 7930 2170 web: royalsociety.org The Royal Society 6-9 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AG Registered Charity No 207043 The Royal Society - excellence in science ************************************* From: Hugh Hudson Announcing a new RHESSI Science Nugget: "Hard X-rays from a jet?" by Hazel Miller Bain and Lyndsay Fletcher (http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/nuggets/) Observations during the rise phase of a M5.4 flare suggests that hard X-rays may be associated with a jet observed by TRACE. We publish these Nuggets at roughly two-week intervals. Please send any questions regarding the RHESSI Science Nuggets to rhessi.nuggets_at_gmail.com or directly to the Nugget authors (simply click the author's name when reading the Nugget). S. Christe H. Hudson ********************************************************************* * * * Conferences, Workshops, Meetings * * * ********************************************************************* From: Jack Ireland Second Announcement Solar Image Processing Workshop IV - Algorithm comparison and effective implementation Dates: October 26 - 30, 2008 Location: Pier 5 Hotel, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD, USA Web: http://www.sipwork.org/?q=meetings/sipworkiv Dear All, Registration, abstract submission and hotel booking is now open for the fourth Solar Image Processing Workshop. Please go to http://www.sipwork.org/?q=meetings/sipworkiv for complete details and forms. We invite members of the community to present their solar image processing algorithms and to compare their results. We will also discuss the implementation of existing algorithms as reliable and robust tools usable by the community. Suggestions for oral sessions are also welcome (talks on image processing methods, software, visualization tools, SDO and STEREO are solicited). A poster session will run continuously through the meeting. The meeting will also be relatively small, with a maximum of 85 participants. Very limited funding is available to help students attend this meeting - please contact us for more details. As in previous workshops, the meeting will be relatively short (3.25days), with conference talks taking up the first half of each day, and more targeted Working Groups (WG) in the afternoons. Four working groups are planned, and are outlined below (as in previous years, there is some flexibility in the working group topics, dependent on the contributions received and any comments passed to us by the community). All groups will discuss algorithm implementation and what derived quantities should be made available online to the community. WG1: Eruptive Events This group will study aspects of the detection and classification of all parts of eruptive events such as prominences, filaments, filament channels, eruptions, CMEs and coronal cavities. WG2: Solar Disk Features This group will compare algorithms for the automated detection and classification of features on the solar disk such as coronal holes, active regions, sunspots, flares and quiet Sun. WG3: Oscillations in the solar corona This group will compare algorithms for the automated detection and classification of coronal oscillations on loops and EIT waves. WG4: Solar Physics from multiple viewpoints This group will discuss progress in STEREO 3d reconstruction problems on features such as loops and coronal mass ejections in the COR and HI instruments. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore! Jack Ireland (SOC, Chair) Jack.Ireland@nasa.gov C. A. Young (LOC, Chair) c.alex.young@nasa.gov ********************************************** From: Sarah Matthews RAS Discussion Meeting: Magnetic Coupling in the Solar System: from the Sun into the Heliosphere 10th October 2008 Full details of this meeting, including the final programme can now be found at: http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/~sam/ras_oct08.html Thanks to many excellent submissions it looks like it will be a very interesting meeting - we hope to see you there! Sarah, Danielle and Chris. ********************************************* From : Milan Maksimovic Solar Wind 12 International Conference First announcement for the Solar Wind 12 International Conference Saint-Malo, France June 21 to 26 2009 The Twelfth International Conference on the Solar Wind, organized by the Space Sciences Laboratory (LESIA) of the Paris Observatory, will be held at the Palais du Grand Large in Saint-Malo, France, from June 21 to 26 2009. The meeting, covering all aspects of solar wind physics, will comprise both invited and contributed papers. Proceedings will be published and all contributions will be subject to peer review. Check out the program sessions and website at http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/SW12 The Solar Wind 12 Science Organizing Committee: M. Maksimovic (Chair), E. Antonucci, S.D. Bale, J.-L. Bougeret, S. Cranmer, M. Fujimoto, K. Issautier, V. Izmodenov, R. Jokipii, J. Kasper, J. Luhman, E. Marsch, N. Meyer-Vernet, M. Moncuquet, F. Pantellini, M. Velli, A. Vourlidas, R. Wimmer-Schweingruber, G. Zank ********************************************* From : O. C. St. Cyr Announcement of Fall AGU Session SH03 We want to draw your attention to an exciting Fall AGU session described below. Please consider contributing recent relevant results -- remember that the deadline for submitting abstracts to the AGU Fall Meeting is 10 SEPTEMBER, 2359 Universal Time. Detailed information about the cut-off time in your location, the First Author policy, and instructions may be found here: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm08/index.php/Program/HomePage SH03: The Sun's Corona and Interplanetary Medium: New Results From Observations and Models Convenors: O.C. St. Cyr, J.M. Davila, and R.A. Howard Over the past few years innovative instrumentation and observing techniques have given us a new understanding of the corona and inner heliosphere. New instruments have been deployed at total eclipses, at groundbased observatories, and on spacebased platforms. Examples include the high spatial resolution images of the Sun's corona during eclipses that have challenged modelers to replicate the intricate fine structure evident in the open and closed magnetic field lines. Also, the extension of techniques used at eclipses and groundbased coronagraphs have revealed plasma and magnetic field diagnostics that were not conceivable a decade ago. Coronagraphic observations from SOHO, HINODE and STEREO continue to provide new insight into CME initiation; and STEREO HI and SMEI have given us new views of the solar wind itself, corotating interacting regions, as well as the interaction of comets with their environment. We solicit recent observations and modeling efforts that broaden our scientific understanding of this critical boundary between the Sun and the inner heliosphere. ********************************************** From: Dastgeer Shaikh NG03: Nonlinear and Self Organization Processes in Driven Space and Astrophysical Plasmas Self-organization of plasma through nonlinear relaxation of complex interaction is ubiquitous in a number of space and astrophysical plasma systems. Common to all is a tendency of the system to evolve towards a preferred quasi- stationary state that leads predominantly to the generation of large scale structures that co-exist with background flows or fluctuations. Despite a large body of literature in this subject, our understanding of many physical processes manifesting the self-organization of space or astrophysical plasmas need to be reviewed fundamentally. It is often conjectured that the process of self-organization might be operative in many nonlinear processes observed in astrophysical and laboratory plasma . Most of the system exhibiting self-organization in nature are intrinsically nonlinear and often are not isolated, they are driven by some external forces that may be random or coherent. Such examples are abundant in nature. For instance, evolution of large scale magnetic fields out of small scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in astrophysical objects like the sun, stars formation led particularly by the evolution of magnetic field in molecular clouds, generation of extended magnetized jets at a wide variety of scales in astrophysical disk structures, occurrence of organized large scale structures in certain laboratory magnetofluids, evolution of coronal magnetic field, solar wind plasma turbulence relaxation and others. Of particular important is the exploration of self-organization and the associated nonlinear processes in such systems driven by various large-scale perturbations, intrinsic instabilities or inhomogeneities. We invite contributions from various Space Plasma Physicists to contribute their theories, simulations, spacecrafts data, data analyst and laboratory observations/simulations to this session to unravel the dynamics of self-organization by investigating the underlying nonlinear processes that give rise to physical effects; specifically the evolution of solar wind/coronal magnetic field, plasma fluctuations, selective decay processes in heliospheric plasmas and formation of nonlinear structures in driven, dissipative plasmas. Convener: B. Dasgupta IGPP 900 Univ Ave University of California Riverside Riverside, CA, USA 92521 dasgupta@ucr.edu Dastgeer Shaikh CSPAR, Univ of Alabama, Huntsville dastgeer@cspar.uah.edu Q. Hu IGPP 900 Univ Ave University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA, USA 92521 qiang.hu@ucr.edu A. Ram MIT USA abhay@psfc.mit.edu ********************************************** From : Dastgeer Shaikh SH05:Turbulence in Solar Wind and Heliospheric Plasmas: Observations, Simulations, and Theory The solar wind is a unique laboratory for the study of high magnetic Reynolds number flows with long term, in situ spacecraft observations that provide fluctuation measurements that span several orders of magnitudes in frequencies. These reveal an approximately 5/3 power law spectrum of magnetic fluctuations, which, along with the behaviour of the fluctuation PDFs suggest interpretation in terms of an inertial range of MHD turbulence. At higher time resolution, these observations identify a spectral break marking a transition to a high frequency regime which cannot be explained by MHD, a collisionless dissipation /dispersion range. On much longer timescales there is a like power spectral signature suggested to be of coronal origin, and the solar wind can be characterized from the point of view of both intermittent turbulence and nonlinear coherent structures. Both our theoretical and observational understanding of these phenomena are far from complete. Problems include (i) anisotropy and compressibility (ii) the nature of dissipation range turbulence (iii) the formation of coherent structures (iv) the interplay between evolving turbulence and embedded structure originating from the corona and (v) obtaining an unambiguous quantitative characterization of the data, given issues of time stationarity and finite sample effects. The focus of this session will be the nonlinear dynamics of turbulent processes associated with solar wind and heliospheric plasma flows and magnetic fields. We invite related contributions addressing current theories, simulations, and analysis of spacecraft data. Dastgeer Shaikh IGPP, UCR USA dastgeer@ucr.edu Sandra Catherine Chapman University of Warwick CFSA, Physics Dept., Univ. of Warwick, Coventry, GBR CV4 7AL S.C.Chapman@warwick.ac.uk Nicholas Wynn Watkins British Antarctic Survey GBR nww@bas.ac.uk S. Peter Gary Los Alamos National Laboratory USA pgary@lanl.gov Alain Noullez Observatoire de Nice FRA anz@obs-nice.fr A. Lazarian Univ of Wisconsin USA alazarian@facstaff.wisc.edu G. P. Zank IGPP, UCR USA zank@ucr.edu *********************************************************************** * * * Positions Vacant * * * *********************************************************************** From : Daniel Mueller ESA Postdoctoral Fellowships in Space Science The European Space Agency awards several postdoctoral fellowships each year. The aim of these fellowships is to provide young scientists, holding a PhD or the equivalent degree, with the means of performing space science research in fields related to the ESA Science Programme. Areas of research include planetary science, astronomy and astrophysics, solar and solar-terrestrial science, plasma physics and fundamental physics. The fellowships are tenable at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands, or at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villafranca del Castillo, near Madrid, Spain. Applications are now solicited for fellowships in space science to begin in the summer or fall of 2009. Preference will be given to applications submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD. Candidates not holding a PhD yet are encouraged to apply, but they must provide evidence of receiving their degree before starting the fellowship. The deadline for applications is 1 October 2008. More information on the ESA Research Fellowship programme in Space Science, on the conditions and eligibility, as well as the application form can be found on the world-wide web at this address: http://www.rssd.esa.int/fellowship Questions on the scientific aspects of the ESA Fellowship Programme in Space Science not answered in the above pages can be sent by e-mail to the fellowship coordinator, Guido De Marchi, at the address fellowship@rssd.esa.int ******************************************** From : Dan Kiselman Traineeships for students in Utrecht-Stockholm-Oslo The USO-SP International Graduate School for Solar Physics will fill its last Marie Curie traineeships of typically 3-6 months duration as soon as suitable candidates appear. We seek students who want to broaden their experience before embarking on a PhD or those who have already working on their PhD and would like to draw from the expertise of another institute. Projects in observational and theoretical solar physics as well as instrumentation are offered in Utrecht, Stockholm, or Oslo. No nationality constraints. See http://www.solarphysics.kva.se/uso-est/ or contact Dan Kiselman ( dan@astro.su.se) directly. ******************************************** From : Giovanni Lapenta 1 PhD Student Fellowships on Space Physics Salary 20,000-25,000 net salary in Euro One funded PhD positions is available starting at the earliest on 1 October 2008, or as soon as possible thereafter, in the Centre for Plasma Astrophysics (CPA). The PhD program at the CPA will enable the students to acquire expertise in space and solar physics, in astrophysics, in kinetic theory, in advanced analytical and numerical methods for applied mathematics and in high performance computing. The selected candidates will have access to a large parallel computer. A collaboration with University of Colorado in Boulder and with the Los Alamos National Laboratory will further enrich the experience. The fellowship will allow a large degree of freedom to the selected student who will be able to select the research project in any topic relevant to space, astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. However, a special focus is encouraged with regards to the upcoming NASA mission MMS (http://stp.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions/mms/mms.htm). The selected student will have the opportunity to work with the mission planning and with the centres involved in the NASA mission (primarily with University of Colorado but also with all other centres involved). The bulk of the work will be conducted in Leuven, a 20 minutes ride from the centre of Brussel. But periods of research in Boulder (a top mountain destination 30 minutes from Denver, Colorado, USA) will also be encouraged. The CPA has four permanent staff members (Profs. Goossens, Keppens, Lapenta and Poedts), eight Research Fellows and several PhD students. The CPA is part of the Mathematics Department of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven). KU Leuven is one of the oldest universities in Europe, founded in 1425 and is located in the Flemish region of Belgium at approximately 20 minutes from the centre of Brussels. The official language is Dutch but applicants familiar with the English language will be welcomed and will be able to integrate fully in the university environment and in the city life. Leuven is an international city where English and French are spoken routinely in all places (from Univeristy and public offices to shops and entertainment venues). The CPA's website address is http://wis.kuleuven.be /cpa/index.php. The KU Leuven is committed to equality of opportunity. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Prof. Giovanni Lapenta, tel: 0032 16 327965, email: giovanni.lapenta@wis.kuleuven.be. To apply formally, please, send an e-mail to the address above and follow the link below: http://phd.kuleuven.be/set/voorstellen_departement?departement=50000430#detail Closing Date: 30 September 2008 An application should include: a cover letter expressing the candidate research interests, a curriculum vitae detailing personal information, degrees earned and major research achievement, three names of contact persons willing to provide a recommendation letter, a complete list of publications listing clearly and separately peer-reviewed publications and other types of scientific communications. ******************************************** From : Aake Nordlund Postgraduate position within the Solaire network. The Solaire Network is offering a postgraduate position for a student to do research leading to a doctoral (PhD) thesis on the topic "basic properties of the fast energy release processes in magnetic reconnection scenarios,using numerical 3D Particle-In-Cell techniques". The appointing institutions are the Niels Bohr Institute and the Ruhr Universit?Á?t Bochum. The successful candidate will do research within the collaborative packages of the network. The review of applications will start September 1st, 2008 and will continue -- considering also applications sent after Sept. 1st -- until the position is filled. For further information (description of the positions, application procedure, address for submission, salary and benefits, etc) visit the Solaire web page: http://www.solairenetwork.eu or write an email to aake (at) nbi.dk ************************************************* From : National Optical Astronomy Observatory Human Resources Office Postdoctoral Research Associate The National Solar Observatory (NSO) has a postdoctoral research position starting January 2009 to investigate solar photospheric vector and chromospheric longitudinal magnetic fields using the SOLIS vector spectromagnetograph. The researcher will be part of a team working to characterize the magnetic field within a broad framework of scientific interests. The position is for two years and is renewable thereafter contingent upon performance and continued funding. Areas of interest within the current team include: the improvement of data reduction and calibration methods, a search for magnetic changes during flares, the dynamics of polar plumes and their magnetic footpoints, optimization of spectro-polarimetric inversion codes, methods to measure non-potential magnetic energy and magnetic helicity fluxes, development of solar activity forecasting algorithms and a general characterization of the properties of solar vector fields. Collaborative research with Hinode, STEREO and HMI data is anticipated. A PhD in astrophysics, physics, applied mathematics, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience is required. Experience using Unix, C, IDL or similar operating systems and data-handling programs is essential. Experience with large scientific data processing systems and with team-oriented working environments is desirable. To apply, please submit an electronic CV and three professional letters of reference by October 15, 2008 to hrnoao@noao.edu (In the subject line, please reference Research Associate, Job 914), or mail to: Human Resources Office NSO & NOAO Attn: Research Associate, Job 914 P.O. Box 26732 Tucson, AZ 85726-6732 Hiring preference will be given to qualified Native Americans living on or near the Tohono O'Odham reservation. NOAO/NSO foster a diverse research environment. Women and candidates from under represented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. We are an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Employer _______________________________________________ uksp mailing list uksp@physics.gla.ac.uk http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/uksp