June 2015
Issue 68
Meetings
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting,
AGU-2105, San-Francisco, December 14-19, 2015 http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2015/
Deadline for abstract
submission: 5 August 2015, 11:59 P.M. EDT
Session 8664, Polarimetry as a tool to study the Earth, Solar
System and Beyond
Conveners: P. A. Yanamandra-Fisher,
L. Kolokolova, A.-Ch. Levasseur-Regourd, H. Lamy
Polarimetry is a powerful tool
providing a wealth of information about various solar system objects (e.g.,
planetary atmospheres; atmosphereless objects,
comets, dust, asteroids, ring systems) and terrestrial phenomena, including
habitability. Polarimetric techniques, combined with imaging and spectroscopic
methods, are used to explore the microphysics of terrestrial clouds; magnetic
fields; biological activity of molecules and properties of regoliths
on planetary satellites. The session is open to invited and contributed oral
and poster papers about recent observational results; advances in vector
radiative transfer theory (including non-sphericity
effects on single scattering); laboratory measurements; instrumental
developments for imaging and spectropolarimeters to
be included in ground-based facilities and space missions in planetary and
earth sciences.
Session 8230, The Underappreciated Aerosol
Coarse Mode
Conveners: E. Kassianov,
W. Arnott, J. Barnard, A. McComiskey
Many areas of the world show an
aerosol volume distribution with a significant coarse mode and sometimes a
dominant coarse mode. The large coarse mode is usually due to dust, but other
aerosols can also play an important role. This mode tends to be ignored because
it is difficult to measure, and the perception that it does not exert a large
effect on aerosol forcing or chemistry. However, coarse mode aerosols can have
a significant effect on radiative forcing, both in the
shortwave and longwave spectrum, and these forcings
must be accounted for in atmospheric models. Forcings
based only on fine mode aerosols have the potential to be misleading, as
demonstrated in recent studies. We seek papers regarding: coarse mode aerosol
generation mechanisms, transport and deposition, chemical composition and
interaction with fine mode aerosols, visible and thermal IR refractive
radiative properties, coarse mode effects on forcing, and specific
instrumentation needs.
------------------------------------------------------------
New book
POLARIMETRY
OF STARS AND PLANETARY SYSTEMS
edited by Ludmilla Kolokolova, James
Hough and Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd
Cambridge University
Press, www.cambridge.org/9781107043909
Summarizing
the striking advances of the last two decades, this reliable introduction to
modern astronomical polarimetry provides a comprehensive review of
state-of-the-art techniques, models and research methods. Focusing on optical
and near-infrared wavelengths, each detailed, up-to-date chapter addresses a
different facet of recent innovations, including new instrumentation,
techniques and theories; new methods based on laboratory studies, enabling the
modelling of polarimetric characteristics for a wide variety of astronomical
objects; emerging fields of polarimetric exploration, including proto-planetary
and debris discs, icy satellites, transneptunian
objects, exoplanets, and the search for extraterrestrial life; and unique
results produced by space telescopes, and polarimeters
aboard exploratory spacecraft. With contributions from an international team of
accomplished researchers, this is an ideal resource for astronomers and
researchers working in astrophysics, earth sciences, and remote sensing keen to
learn more about this valuable diagnostic tool. The book is dedicated to the
memory of renowned polarimetrist Tom Gehrels.
See http://www.astro.umd.edu/~elsnews/PSPS_book_flyer.pdf
for more details and 20% discount
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Position Open
Postodoctoral Research Associate in Experimental Optics
The Electromagnetic Scattering group
lead by Prof. Matthew Berg in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at
Mississippi State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research
Associate position beginning in August 2016. The initial appointment will be
for one year and is renewable for up to two additional years. The successful
candidate will conduct experimental research to image coarse-mode aerosol
particles with digital holography. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in a physics or
engineering discipline and have experience in laboratory optics. United States
citizenship is not required. Interested candidates should contact Prof. Berg
(below) via email and provide a complete curriculum vitae and a description of
research experience and interests.
Matthew J. Berg
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39759 USA
Email: mberg81@gmail.com
See recently indexed and summarized papers
on the optics of particles and dispersions in TPDSci: http://www.tpdsci.com/Sv_.phplist=SvPdo
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