Recent News Summary

General News/UKSP Business

Nuggets

Meetings/Workshops/Summer Schools

Jobs/Studentships

General News/UKSP Business

  • UKRI Infrastructure Fund Wave 3 – Preliminary Activities Call

    Dear Colleagues,

    The third round of the UKRI Infrastructure fund (https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/creating-world-class-research-and-innovation-infrastructure/) will take place this Autumn. A list of previously funded projects is available at https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/creating-world-class-research-and-innovation-infrastructure/funded-infrastructure-projects/ .

    Please note that it is not possible to submit applications directly to the fund, these must come from the research councils.  The STFC Advisory Panels have been asked to facilitate the process of identifying potential projects for submission as Preliminary Activities to the Infrastructure Fund.  Each Advisory Panel will be able to support a maximum of three proposals.

    In order to ensure that the proposals reflect the activity of the Solar System community in the UK, we are seeking community submissions for proposals. The deadline for submission of proposals to SSAP is 2nd September 2022.  This will allow time for SSAP to consider the proposals and provide advice to Science Board by 16 September 2022.

    If you are intending to submit to this call, please do contact SSAP and STFC as soon as possible (ahead of the 2nd Sep deadline) to discuss the proposal and its alignment with UK Solar System priorities. If the research spans the remit of more than one Advisory Panel, please co-ordinate the submission with all relevant Panels.

    It is intended that this call for preliminary proposals will be repeated annually so if time is too short for you or your team just now, there should be further opportunities!

    Kind regards,

    Solar System Advisory Panel

  • UKSA Space Exploration Technology Roadmap: an invitation to contribute
    Dear Colleagues, You may be aware that the UK Space Agency is intending to generate a Space Exploration Technology Roadmap (ETR) this year. To ensure we relate to UK space sector capabilities and viewpoints, we would like to hear from yourselves on which technologies you think should feature in the ETR. To that end, the Space Exploration team has developed a questionnaire for UK based organisations to submit details on the technologies they think are important to UK space exploration ambitions. We are not seeking commercially sensitive information. The questionnaire can be found using this link https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=BXCsy8EC60O0l-ZJLRst2EQP7AG0iyNFpNkO4zGk4PxUNzFTSTMzT01YSEpITjBZM1FVOUIzRUhWUi4u and is now open for submittals. I advise you draft your answers separately, copying the information into the form when you come to complete it as I unfortunately cannot guarantee information entered will be saved if you do not complete in one sitting. The questionnaire will close on 31st August 2022. You may forward on this email to respective UK based colleagues and stakeholders that may have an interest in contributing information to the ETR. Kind regards, Conor Hagan Exploration Technology Officer
  • DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee 15th Call for Proposals
    The DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee 15th Call for Proposals is now open.  The UK theory and modelling communities in Astronomy and Cosmology, Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics are invited to apply for computational resources on the STFC DiRAC HPC Facility. The deadline for proposal submissions to the 15th Call is Tuesday 4th October 2022 at 16:00 UK time.  The following documents should be sent direct to STFC via email DiRACRAC@stfc.ac.uk
    1. Scientific application form
    2. Scientific case for support
    3. Project Management and Data Management Plan
    4. Relevant publications (annex)
    5. References (annex)
    6. Any letters of verification (non-mandatory, maximum of 3, if the work proposed is dependent on other scientific results or being part of a large collaboration)
    7. Technical application form
    8. RSE application form – if applicable
    STFC recommends that applicants send their documents via secure email. Please note that all applicants must submit a technical case (technical application form) otherwise a full proposal submission will not be accepted. Successful awards will be scheduled to begin on 1st April 2023. All proposal types will be accepted, including Research Software Engineering Support.  Seedcorn proposals can be submitted at any time https://dirac.ac.uk/seedcorn/ The application forms and guidance notes, plus descriptions of the DiRAC services are available at https://dirac.ac.uk/callforproposals/   STFC welcomes applications from Early Career Researchers. Please note that no single application can request more than 80% of the availability of a DiRAC machine within a given year (availability figures are provided in the guidance notes at annex 1). There have been some changes to the guidance for RAC15 which are summarized in section 1.2 of the guidance notes.  Applicants are strongly advised to read the RAC Guidance Documentation for the 15th Call. Enquiries: Enquiries should be directed as follows:
  • Heliophysics Decadal Survey – due date for white papers: August 24, 2022 (extended deadline)
    As you may know, every 10 years NASA works with the National Science Foundation (USA) and the National Academy of Sciences (USA) to conduct the Heliophysics Decadal Survey (https://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics/2024_decadal_survey ). This Decadal Survey is a key strategy document that sets the priorities for NASA Heliophysics in the decade to come. The Survey is now open and the deadline is 24th August 2022 = https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/decadal-survey-for-solar-and-space-physics-heliophysics-2024-2033#sl-three-columns-cf7d1eab-89aa-437f-9460-3546679139d2 These white papers can discuss a wide range of topics including science, instrumentation, mission concepts, and community efforts. This white paper call is an excellent opportunity for us to highlight science that we believe to be important for NASA Heliophysics, which in turn affects the global scientific ecosystem. The latest edition of SolarNews highlighted there exists a Spreadsheet for Community Coordination on the Decadal Survey – White Papers  (which links to http://tinyurl.com/HelioWP)
  • Pre-announcement: DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee 15th Call for Proposals
    The DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee 15th Call for Proposals will be opening soon.  The UK theory and modelling communities in Astronomy and Cosmology, Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics will be invited to apply for computational resources on the STFC DiRAC High Performance Computing Facility. The deadline for proposal submissions to the 15th Call will be Tuesday 4th October 2022 16:00 UK time.  The following documents should be sent direct to STFC (via email: DiRACRAC@stfc.ac.uk) by the deadline:
    • Full scientific proposal – scientific application form and case for support
    • Technical application form   
    • RSE Support proposals (if RSE support is requested)
    Please note that all applicants must submit a technical case otherwise a full proposal submission will not be accepted.  The technical case does not need to be submitted in advance and should be sent direct to STFC along with the full scientific proposal, by the closing date. Successful awards will be scheduled to begin on 1st April 2023. All proposal types will be accepted at this call, including Research Software Engineering Support. Seedcorn proposals can be submitted at any time https://dirac.ac.uk/seedcorn/ The application forms and guidance notes, plus descriptions of the DiRAC services will be available at https://dirac.ac.uk/callforproposals/ soon. Enquiries: Enquiries should be directed as follows:

Nuggets

  • RHESSI Nuggets in July 2022
    No. 432, “Undetected Minority-polarity Flux, Moss, and Coronal Heating,” by Yi-Ming WANG. There’s plenty of room in “unipolar” active regions for both polarities, and there is good evidence for them. No. 433, “Fast Prograde Flows in Solar Active Regions,” by Hugh HUDSON. Unexpected, unpredicted, and not modeled yet – weird flows in hot active-region loops. We welcome contributions to the RHESSI Nuggets, and the topics may wander some distance away from specifically RHESSI results if they are generally interesting. See http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/wiki/index.php/RHESSI_Science_Nuggets for these and others. Comments about specific flares can often be found by searching for their SOLyyyy-mm-dd identifier from this home page.
  • Four new RHESSI Science Nuggets
    http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/wiki/index.php/RHESSI_Science_Nuggets No. 428, “Solar Hard X-rays with Insight,” by Wei WANG and Ping ZHANG. A spectacular limb flare introduces Insight/HXMT, a new high-energy observational resource. No. 429, “Carl Størmer,” by Hugh HUDSON and Lyndsay FLETCHER. Størmer and the theory of particle trapping in magnetic loops. No. 430, “Sun-as-a-star spectroscopic observations of the line-of-sight velocity of the solar eruption SOL2021-10-28T15:35,” by Yu XU and Hui TIAN. The observation of the full 3D velocity of a CME, for a RHESSI anniversary event. No. 431, “Thermal/non-thermal with MinXSS and RHESSI,” by Shunsaku NAGASAWA. Time-domain studies of improved X-ray spectra reveal a “super-hot” component. We welcome contributions to the RHESSI Nuggets, and the topics may wander some distance away from specifically RHESSI results if they are generally interesting. See http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~tohban/wiki/index.php/RHESSI_Science_Nuggets for these and others. Comments about specific flares can often be found by searching for their SOLyyyy-mm-dd identifier from this home page.
  • New UKSP Nugget #123
    123. Transverse Oscillations of Spicules and Estimating Their Energy Flux by William Bate (QUB) High cadence observations show a possible contribution to atmospheric heating. https://www.uksolphys.org/?p=20701 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UKSP Nuggets are published on a monthly basis highlighting solar physics research led from the UK. https://www.uksolphys.org/uksp-nuggets/ Iain Hannah and Lyndsay Fletcher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • Solar radio science nuggets
    Two recent solar radio science nuggets are available online: Langmuir-Slow Extraordinary Mode Magnetic Signature Observations with Parker Solar Probe by A. Larosa et al https://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/users/eduard/cesra/?p=3267 LOFAR size and shape measurements of solar metric radio burst sources by Gordovskyy et al https://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/users/eduard/cesra/?p=3260 —— CESRA Highlights of Solar Radio Physics, aka CESRA Nuggets, are short communications written in language accessible to a non-expert in the specific area and designed to keep solar and heliophysics communities informed and up-to-date about current research. The highlights can be followed, discussed, commented and shared via http://www.facebook.com/solarcesra/ and http://twitter.com/CESRA_community.
  • New UKSP Nugget #122
    122. Direct evidence that twisted flux tube emergence creates solar active regions by David MacTaggart (Glasgow), Chris Prior, Breno Raphaldini (Durham), and Paolo Romano, Salvo Guglielmino (INAF Catania) A new way of measuring twist is applied to magnetic flux emergence. https://www.uksolphys.org/?p=20314 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UKSP Nuggets are published on a monthly basis highlighting solar physics research led from the UK. https://www.uksolphys.org/uksp-nuggets/ Iain Hannah and Lyndsay Fletcher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meetings/Workshops/Summer Schools

  • 2022 SWIMMR Symposium
    Dear Colleagues, The 2022 SWIMMR Symposium will take place in three weeks’ time, from September 6th to 8th 2022. As you probably already know, SWIMMR is a cross-council programme, delivered jointly by STFC and NERC, supported by the Strategic Priorities Fund of UKRI. It aims to deliver an ongoing legacy of new UK models and data-producing instruments to enhance the UK’s capabilities for space weather monitoring and prediction, which will go toward augmenting the forecasts and services offered by the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC). As before, the 2022 SWIMMR Symposium is a hybrid meeting, the physical element of which will take place at the Met Office in Exeter. Virtual attendance at the meeting is possible (and encouraged!) using the same HopIn platform that we used last year. There is no registration fee. Virtual attendees are welcomed for whichever parts of the meeting they might wish to attend, and can register for the meeting at: https://hopin.com/events/the-2022-swimmr-symposium This site also contains the meeting schedule and some information on the current SWIMMR projects. If you are not currently working on the SWIMMR programme, but are interested in coming to Exeter to be part of the physical meeting, please let me know. Physical numbers are limited, but we should be able to accommodate some more attendees within the constraints of the meeting room etc. There is no charge for physical attendance, but if you are coming to Exeter in person you will need to take care of your own travel and accommodation arrangements. Please let me know if you have any questions. Kind regards Ian McCrea
  • SOLARNET Public Engagement Workshop 10th – 11th October 2022
    To support the European Solar Physics community’s outreach and engagement efforts, we’re organising our second training event with our partners at NUSTEM. This autumn we are inviting you to join us at Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK on 10th & 11th October 2022. This two-day event will develop the outreach and engagement skills of the community through a series of workshops and activities. It is free to attend. The workshop, aimed at solar scientist who are new to science communication will explore: the rational for communicating science, methods and examples of practice form the field of science communications. They will then explore their own science and begin to develop outreach ideas based upon their own work. Over the two days participants will meet a variety of other solar scientists, discussion their work in the context of science communication and meet experts from within the science communication community who will share their expertise and support the development of new ideas from the European Solar Physics community. Financial support is being offered to help with attendees travel and accommodation. Please note, the deadline for registration is 1st October. You can register at: https://forms.gle/SEGgSGRpM9rquxwh7 In the near future, details on the schedule and timings please see: https://solarnet-project.eu/Public-Engagement-Training-Workshop-2 Any questions can be sent to Richard Morton (richard.morton@northumbria.ac.uk).
  • Simons Observatory:UK Community Meeting – Second Announcement
    Simons Observatory:UK Community Meeting – Second Announcement Location: Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, London Dates: 6 — 8 September 2022 Website: https://sites.google.com/view/souk-community-meeting/ We invite all members of the UK astrophysics, cosmology, and particle astrophysics communities to explore the scientific opportunities afforded through a major UK role in Simons Observatory (SO). The meeting will take place at the Royal Astronomical Society’s main lecture room (Burlington House) in central London on the afternoons of the 6th, 7th and 8th September 2022. (The mornings of each day will be left for breakout meetings and/or free time.) Remote participation will also be possible. Planning for a major UK role in SO is well advanced and the UK collaboration (SO:UK) has recently been awarded significant funding for the project. The UK contribution includes a UK-based data centre and a program of data processing algorithm development. A major UK role in the observatory infrastructure/instrumentation has also been proposed, and is currently undergoing final review. Both the data centre and algorithm development aspects are focussed on the production and delivery of the Science-Ready Data Products (SRDPs) arising from the SO observations. The SO:UK program will thus leverage a key role for the UK within SO and will position the wider UK community well for subsequent science exploitation of the SO data. The purpose of this open meeting is to advertise the SO project, and the UK’s role within it, and to invite UK-based scientists to consider how the forthcoming SO survey data can help advance their own areas of scientific interest. The meeting will take the form of a series of invited talks and associated discussion sessions. Each day will also include a fireslide session providing an opportunity for participants to advertise their SO-related research. For further details, please see the meeting website. To register for the meeting (either in-person or remote attendance), please complete the short registration form. Organising Committee: David Alonso (University of Oxford) Michael Brown (University of Manchester, chair) Erminia Calabrese (Cardiff University) Anthony Challinor (University of Cambridge) Dave Clements (Imperial College London) Antony Lewis (Sussex University)
  • Fall AGU 2022 – SH020: Pathways to the Future of Space Weather as Seen by Early Career Members of the Community
    Dear Colleagues. This year, the hybrid Fall AGU annual meeting will take place in Chicago, IL, USA, and online – 12-16 December 2022. We hope you will consider submitting an abstract to our session “SH020: Pathways to the Future of Space Weather as Seen by Early Career Members of the Community”, especially if you are within the first ~12 years of your career – please can you pass on to your early-career colleagues that may not be on these mailing lists. The session details are below. To submit an abstract to our session, please go to: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/prelim.cgi/Session/161707 (you will need to log in) and click on the “Submit an Abstract to this Session” link near the top. Deadline for submissions is: 03 August 2022 23:59 EDT – 04 August 2022 03:59 GMT/UT We look forward to seeing you either in person or virtually in and from Chicago in December, Mario and Antti. SH020: Pathways to the Future of Space Weather as Seen by Early Career Members of the Community (SH and SM co-convened, SA, P, and NH cross-listed) We have an ever-increasing vulnerability to potential space-weather (SW) impacts due to Society’s continuously-growing reliance on advanced/novel technologies. To better-mitigate and/or forecast SW effects on critical infrastructures, we must evaluate what has been achieved in the past, what critical elements are needing to be worked on now, and where things need to go in the immediate/near-mid future (1-10 years horizons). In this year’s session, the eighth incarnation since 2015, the panel and contributed talks will focus on early-career views about the future of SW. What has been achieved thus far, where are the commonalities/cross-collaboration opportunities, and where unified pathways to the future can be developed. For this session, we welcome early-career planning-for-the-future contributions on all aspects of SW including observations/measurements and theory/modelling as well as direct engineering considerations for SW impacts. Primary Convenor: Mario M. Bisi (UKRI STFC RAL Space, UK) Co-Convenor: Antti A. Pulkkinen (NASA/GSFC, USA)
  • STFC Introduction to Solar and Solar-Terrestrial Physics – 22nd July registration deadline
    Dear All A reminder that the Summer School will be held at Northumbria University in just over a month – 21-26 August! http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/stfcsummerschool Please register at the above address by the end of the week if you are interested in attending and I will send out details to all students on Monday so please do ask that all that are interested attend. Also as a more topical reminder that “up North” it happens to be 5-6 degrees cooler with a lovely breeze! Thanks for your support! sincerely Jonny.

Jobs/Studentships