CEDAR email: MSIS83; Helio books to use; AGU Prize nominations; SWSC papers invited; Post-docs in Canada and China; Boulder visualization job

Tue May 7 17:44:43 MDT 2013

This is a generic mailing to the CEDAR community sent 07 May 2013.
Meetings and jobs are listed at http://cedarweb.hao.ucar.edu under
'Community' as 'Calendar of Meetings' and 'CEDAR related opportunities'.
CEDAR email messages are under 'Community' as 'CEDAR email Newsletters'.
All are in 'Quick Links' on the main page.
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(1) Source code for MSIS 1983 desired for Air Force study.
 From james.jones at offutt.af.mil.

(2) Have you used the Heliophysics Textbooks I, II and/or III? Please take
the 5-min survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W76SKT3 by Friday May 10
to assist the Heliophysics Summer School at http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/Heliophysics/ .
 From Susanne Demaree (sdemaree at ucar.edu).

(3) Announcing the AGU Joint Prize for Space Weather and Nonlinear Waves and 
Processes Prize due 15 June.
 From Bob McCoy (rpmccoy at alaska.edu).
See also http://www.agu.org/honorsprogram/section_fg/awardnom_sfg.shtml#joint_prize

(4) Special issue on "Solar variability, solar forcing and coupling mechanisms
in the terrestrial atmosphere" in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
(SWSC) by 31 May (intent) and 15 September (submission) to 
http://www.swsc-journal.org .
 From Thierry Dudok de Wit <ddwit at cnrs-orleans.fr>.

(5) Postdoc, Graduate Student, and Undergrad Opportunities with Canadian
Arctic Atmospheric Research with PEARL and CREATE at 5 Universities.
Applications reviewed starting 15 May via applications at candac.ca .
 From alan.manson at usask.ca.
See also http://www.candac.ca and http://www.candac.ca/create/

(6) Post-doctoral scientist positions available at the Institute
of Space Sciences, Shandong University, China.
Applications considered from 1 May onwards.
 From Yao Chen <yaochen at sdu.edu.cn>.

(7) Funding for a postdoc/student (or whoever) to help with ionosphere educational
visualization/animation to be finished by the end of July in Boulder, Colorado.
 From Randy Russell <rrussell at ucar.edu>.
See also http://eo.ucar.edu/staff/rrussell/sun/ionosphere_layered.html

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(1) Source code for MSIS 1983 desired for Air Force study.
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 From james.jones at offutt.af.mil.

If anyone in the CEDAR community has a source copy of the MSIS 1983 model,
please contact Jim Jones at james.jones at offutt.af.mil.  He is trying to
revise the USAF models which rely on MSIS 1983 with something more recent.

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(2) Have you used the Heliophysics Textbooks I, II and/or III? Please take
the 5-min survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W76SKT3 by Friday May 10
to assist the Heliophysics Summer School at http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/Heliophysics/ .
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 From Susanne Demaree (sdemaree at ucar.edu).

In 2009 and 2010, Cambridge University Press published three volumes in the
series “Heliophysics” discussing the many faces of the connection between the
planets and their central star. The three books are subtitled 'Plasma physics
of the local cosmos', 'Space storms and radiation: causes and effects', and
'Evolving solar activity and the climates of space and Earth'.

The sub-disciplines within heliophysics have a rich variety of available textbooks,
but no textbooks existed prior to these three volumes that present the diverse
materials from their common physical principles. The volumes aim to help teachers
well-versed in one discipline to teach the directly related areas within other
disciplines, to aid students with introductory overviews in all disciplines, and
to assist researchers to understand physical similarities and differences as the
volumes point them to more in-depth materials.

The UCAR website (www.vsp.ucar.edu/Heliophysics/) contains information on the
School, the books, and offers supporting information, lecture materials, recorded
presentations, and problem sets that continue to be developed.

The Heliophysics Summer School continues and we are considering 4th and 5th volumes
to complement the series to cover topics that could not be included in the first
volumes.

We would like to know what you think of the Heliophysics textbooks.Please take this
5 minute short survey and tell us how you have used the books in the past three
years and what would be the optimal form for any future books to take
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W76SKT3.  We'd like your input by Friday, May 10.

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(3) Announcing the AGU Joint Prize for Space Weather and Nonlinear Waves and 
Processes Prize due 15 June.
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 From Bob McCoy (rpmccoy at alaska.edu).

* Deadline: 15 June 2013

* The prize consists of a $10,000 monetary prize, an announcement in Eos, and
an award plaque presented at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco during the
award presentation year.  The prize is made possible through the generosity of
AGU members, Bruce T. Tsurutani and Olga P. Verkhoglyadova.

In 2013, the award recognizes an individual for their scientific contribution
to the field of space weather (the 2015 award will recognize an individual for
their scientific contributions to nonlinear waves and processes); the contribution
can take the form of a single significant and cutting-edge project or a lifetime
of achievement

* Eligible nominees must be current AGU members working in the field of space 
weather

* For more information and eligibility requirements see:
http://www.agu.org/honorsprogram/section_fg/awardnom_sfg.shtml#joint_prize

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(4) Special issue on "Solar variability, solar forcing and coupling mechanisms
in the terrestrial atmosphere" in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
(SWSC) by 31 May (intent) and 15 September (submission) to 
http://www.swsc-journal.org .
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 From Thierry Dudok de Wit <ddwit at cnrs-orleans.fr>.

At the recent general assembly of the EGU, several sessions were addressing
solar variability, its impact on the Earth's climate and coupling mechanisms
in the terrestrial atmosphere. We invite conference participants, but also
scientists who did not attend the EGU, to submit their work for publication
in a special issue on these topics in the Journal of Space Weather and Space
Climate (SWSC). SWSC is a peer-reviewed and open-access journal that was created
two years ago by our community, see http://www.swsc-journal.org

Each paper will go through a regular blind review process. Declarations of i
ntent, with preliminary title & list of authors, should be sent before
31 May 2013 to Thierry Dudok de Wit (ddwit at cnrs-orleans.fr). Your final
manuscript should be submitted directly to the journal before 15 September 2013.

G. Cessateur, M. Kretzschmar, T. Dudok de Wit

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(5) Postdoc, Graduate Student, and Undergrad Opportunities with Canadian
Arctic Atmospheric Research with PEARL and CREATE at 5 Universities.
Applications reviewed starting 15 May via applications at candac.ca .
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 From alan.manson at usask.ca.

The High Arctic is changing rapidly and these changes are important, both within 
the region and as
their influence propagates out to lower latitudes. Using measurements from the 
Polar Environment
Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) at Eureka, Nunavut and measurements from 
other sites
around the Arctic and the rest of the globe, the Probing the Atmosphere of the 
High Arctic (PAHA)
project will investigate the atmosphere of the Canadian High Arctic. This 
project operates in
association with the NSERC CREATE Training Program in Arctic Atmospheric Science 
(CREATEAAS).
More details about PEARL and the CREATE-AAS projects can be found at at
http://www.candac.ca and http://www.candac.ca/create/

<b>Post-Doctoral Fellows are needed for the following projects and institutions:</b>

(1) Composition Measurements - University of Toronto – Measurements of 
atmospheric composition,
made with UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared spectrometers at PEARL, are 
being used to
investigate biomass burning and continental influence on the Arctic, greenhouse 
gases related to the
carbon cycle, and ozone and related species. This PDF position will involve 
instrument operations; the
collection, retrieval, numerical analysis of data; and interpretation of the 
measurements to address
scientific questions related to long-range transport in the Arctic, the carbon 
cycle, and ozone depletion
and recovery.

(2) Clouds and Aerosols – Université de Sherbrooke / Dalhousie University – 
Active / passive remote
sensing measurements from ground-based and satellite sensors will be employed to 
better understand
the bulk and per-particle tropospheric and stratospheric properties of clouds 
and aerosols over the
Arctic. This PDF position will involve the collection, validation, source 
determination and analysis of
cloud and aerosol properties as well as associated precipitation dynamics in 
order to better understand
the variability of aerosol-induced, Arctic cloud formation and the radiative 
forcing impacts of this
variability.

(3) The Polar Vortex – University of Saskatchewan – The Polar Vortex theme 
focuses upon hemispheric
linkages with ENSO, QBO, solar activity and oceans. Candidates are expected to 
have a rich graduate
or post-graduate background in atmospheric sciences [0-90km] especially 
dynamics, which includes
winds and waves [planetary, tidal and gravity waves]. Data from archives 
[radars, satellites, GCMassimilation]
are to be used, requiring sophisticated analyses e.g. complex correlations, 
‘remotesensing’
techniques, wavelets, frequency /wave-number spectra, vortex characterization,
teleconnections, and EP flux.

(4) Mesospheric Observations – University of New Brunswick - PEARL is home to a 
number of upper
atmosphere instruments and these are linked to a broader network of 
instrumentation covering the Polar
Cap. This PDF position would require expertise in statistical analyses of 
spatial/temporal time series
and the sampling associated with satellites and ground based instruments with 
the objective of the
diagnosis of tides and gravity and Rossby waves.

(5) Lidar Measurements – Dalhousie University – There are several lidar 
instruments at PEARL measuring
clouds, aerosols, water vapour, ozone and other atmospheric properties. The 
continued development
and analysis of data from these lidars is a requirement for several of the PAHA 
projects. The PDF
position will involve the technical aspects of the lidar systems including 
upgrading, operating and
developing analysis software. On the scientific side the lidars will be operated 
in concert, in part to
investigate stratosphere-troposphere coupling. System upgrades will include 
installing new counting
electronics and upgrading the data acquisition software.

(6) Satellite Validation – University of Toronto – Satellite validation 
establishes the accuracy and reliability
of satellite measurements through comparisons with well-characterized data sets. 
We are using the
PEARL data set for validating current satellite missions focusing on trace gases 
and aerosol properties.
This PDF position will involve conducting statistical comparisons between PEARL 
and satellite data
sets (initially ACE, GOSAT and OSIRIS); employing innovative comparison methods; and
collaborating with satellite science teams and other ground-based measurement sites.

Depending upon the development and interests of the candidates and the PAHA 
project, there may be
opportunity for field work at PEARL. This would entail working in the High 
Arctic in remote
conditions far from medical and technical resources. Depending upon the season, 
temperatures can
vary from -55C to +20C and PEARL is deep inside the Arctic Circle with long 
period of 24-hour
darkness in the winter and 24-hour daylight in the summer.
Applicants should submit a resume and a statement indicating how they would 
expect to contribute to
one or more of the above projects. Applicants should also arrange for two 
academic references to be
submitted. Applications and references should be sent by e-mail in either PDF or 
DOC format to
applications at candac.ca

Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2013. Decisions will be made before 
June 15, 2013.

Appointments under this program will be limited to a maximum of two years. Other 
conditions will be
those of the university of residence for the PDF.

<b>Graduate Students:</b>
There are also opportunities for graduate students at both the M.Sc and Ph.D. 
Level for projects
broadly similar to the ones discussed above for the PDFs at several Canadian 
universities starting on or
after September 2013. Interested students are invited to access the web-sites 
listed in the introduction
and contact potential supervisors directly. Alternatively send an e-mail to 
applications at candac.ca
giving an outline of your qualifications and interests and we will direct it as 
appropriate. Most graduate
students associated with these projects have the opportunity to work at PEARL 
and to participate in
outreach activities in the Arctic and Southern Canada in addition to their 
regular programs.

<b>Undergraduate Summer Internships:</b>
The CREATE-AAS program has an undergraduate summer internship program for Arctic 
Atmospheric
Research. More details can be found at http://www.candac.ca/create/ and it is 
not too early to be
thinking about summer 2014!!

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. All the universities involves 
are Employment
Equity/Affirmative Action employers. They encourage applications from qualified 
Aboriginal people,
persons with a disability, visible minority group members and women.

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(6) Post-doctoral scientist positions available at the Institute
of Space Sciences, Shandong University, China.
Applications considered from 1 May onwards.
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 From Yao Chen <yaochen at sdu.edu.cn>.

We cordially invite 5 highly-motivated postdoctoral scientists from outside
China who obtained their PhD degrees within 3 years prior to employment in
plasma physics, space physics/space weather studies, solar physics,
computational fluid dynamics, and space instrumentations. The successful
applicants are expected to have demonstrated skills in both conducting
independent research and publishing in refereed journals.

The core mission of the newly-established Institute of Space Sciences at
Shandong University (ISS-SDU) is to conduct and support world-class
researches in the fields of space physics, planetary science, astronomy and
astrophysics. ISS has the ambition to make itself a leading institute not
just in China, but also on a bigger stage. This is made possible by the
generous financial support from both the University and national funding
agencies. A 20,000-square-meter facility with a splendid view of mountains,
sandy beaches and the Yellow sea will be ready for use by ISS at the end of
this August. ISS is also equipped with quality high-performance computing
facilities, and has assembled a team of efficient technical and supporting
staff.

The applicants are expected to work with,

(1) Prof. Yao Chen (yaochen at sdu.edu.cn) on physical processes associated with
solar eruptions. Of primary interests are coronal mass ejections, flares, and
relevant processes including shocks, magnetic reconnection, particle
acceleration, radio bursts, etc.

(2) Prof. Bo Li (BBL at sdu.edu.cn) on observational and modeling studies of the
solar corona and solar wind. He expects to work with a scientist with
expertise that can find applications to the broad topic of coronal heating.
Plasma waves and turbulence are of particular interest.

(3) Prof. Li-dong Xia (XLD at sdu.edu.cn) on multi-wavelength observational
studies of the fundamental processes in the solar atmosphere. Of particular
interests are the physics of the solar transition region, and the origin of
the solar wind.

(4) Prof. Quanqi Shi (sqq at sdu.edu.cn) on solar wind–magnetosphere interaction.
Of primary interests are the solar wind plasma and energy transport
throughout the magnetosphere together with the ground magnetic field and
aurora response.

The posts are available for a fixed term of two years with a possible 2-year
extension depending on funding availability and performance, and can start as
early as 1 September 2013. The annual salary is 25,000 to 30,000 US dollars,
depending on qualification and experience. Each employed scientist will
receive support to attend up to 3 international conferences during this two-
year term. Accommodation will be provided free of charge (worth an additional
5000-US dollar value), which is fully-furnished and in easy reach of shopping
plazas, the university campus, and the Weihai International Beach. The ISS is
located in the scenic coastal city of Weihai, which with its considerably low
living cost (~400 - 800 US dollars per month) and wonderful beaches is
regarded as one of the nation’s most desirable cities.

Applications will be considered from 1 May 2013 onwards. We will continue to
accept applications until the positions are filled. Candidates should submit
electronically a CV, a cover letter describing their research experience and
interests, and two letters of reference, to one of the four prospective
collaborators (please also copy to yaochen.sdu at gmail.com).

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(7) Funding for a postdoc/student (or whoever) to help with ionosphere educational
visualization/animation to be finished by the end of July in Boulder, Colorado.
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 From Randy Russell <rrussell at ucar.edu>.

The UCAR Science Education group 'Spark' has a bit of funding that they can use
towards a project that involves a visualization of the ionosphere for educational
uses.  We are looking for someone local (probably a student or postdoc?) who 
could use
a bit of support and could help us with this effort who could generate a series
of images something like this:

http://eo.ucar.edu/staff/rrussell/sun/ionosphere_electrons_globe.jpg

... to be used in a couple of animations that will compare an "Earth as you
would see it" view with a "view of the ionosphere" look.  Here is a sample of
the kind of side-by-side view we intend to generate:

http://eo.ucar.edu/staff/rrussell/sun/ionosphere_electrons_visible_earth_globe.jpg

Here's a slightly more detailed "proof-of-concept" rough draft version of where 
we're headed with these animations (requires QuickTime and Flash plugins to view):

http://eo.ucar.edu/staff/rrussell/sun/ionosphere_layered.html

We need to spend out this money by the end of July.  We have a few thousand dollars
to put towards someone's salary if we can find someone to generate visuals such as
these. Please contact Randy Russell at <rrussell at ucar.edu> if you are interested,
and especially if you live in or near Boulder, Colorado, since locals will be
preferred.

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