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The Newsletter - Volume 8, Issue 3 17Th January 2011

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UCL – DEPARTMENT OF SPACE AND CLIMATE PHYSICS MULLARD SPACE SCIENCE LABORATORY The Newsletter - Volume 8, Issue 3 17th January 2011 Covers events between 1st September 2010 and 30th November 2010 List of Contents General .................................................................................................................................................................. - 1 - MSSL Open Day...................................................................................................................................................... - 1 - Visitors ................................................................................................................................................................... - 2 - Prizes and Awards .................................................................................................................................................. - 2 - Appointments ........................................................................................................................................................ - 2 - Proposals Submitted .............................................................................................................................................. - 2 - Telescope/Satellite Time Awards/Proposals ......................................................................................................... - 3 - Mission Status and Developments ........................................................................................................................ - 3 - News from the Imaging Group .............................................................................................................................. - 3 - Publications – Refereed ......................................................................................................................................... - 4 - Publications - Non-refereed .................................................................................................................................. - 5 - Media Broadcasts and Features ............................................................................................................................ - 7 - Press Releases ........................................................................................................................................................ - 7 - PhDs awarded ........................................................................................................................................................ - 7 - Outreach ................................................................................................................................................................ - 7 - Other News ............................................................................................................................................................ - 8 - Next Issue .............................................................................................................................................................. - 8 - and an “Astronomer‟s Question Time” which General allowed people to quiz MSSL‟s scientists about Congratulations to Santiago and Laura Vargas on outer space. the arrival of Baby Jimena on 27 November. Astronomy items on show included a 3D model of the Sun, a working model of a Mars rover vehicle MSSL Open Day and its Lego counterpart, the Magic Planet and The MSSL annual open day took place on 4 GeoWall, which allowed the surface of Mars to be September. The aims this year were for more of a explored in 3D. The Herschel roadshow was again community event, and although guided by a team a big hit with the public, particularly the IR camera. from MSSL lead by Sheila Kanani, it was shaped There was a Treasure Planet Hunt, paint a planet, by local residents and businesses. Practical build a space tower and a competition for junior demonstrations were held, such as comet making journalists to have their account of the day on a and the MSSL‟s Got Talent event with MSSLians newspaper website. Entrepid space explorers competing for audience votes. There were talks could feel what it was like to walk on the Moon, or - 1 - another place with less gravity on the bouncy happens below the Sun's surface to what is castle. Guildford Astronomical Society provided happening above. tours of their telescope and views of the Sun Geraint Jones and Anne Wellbrock were awarded through a solar telescope, Cranleigh Lions had a travel and subsistence funds by the conference fairground style stall and we had help on the day organizers of the 5th Alfven Conference on Plasma from London and Surrey STEM ambassadors. Interaction with Non-magnetized Planets/Moons (These are volunteers who actively encourage and its Influence on Planetary Evolution. young people to enjoy Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, Sheila Kanani was awarded an all expenses paid and inform them about the unique career trip to the NASA Astrobiology winter school taking opportunities that are available to them). place in Hawaii in January 2011. The day-time event was attended by over 450 Appointments people and ended with a bang when a rocket was launched by a member of the audience who won Chris Brockley-Blatt has been appointed to the the chance to push the button. The fun didn't end Equality and Diversity Steering Group of the there! Nearly 100 people enjoyed a wonderful Institution of Mechanical Engineers to advise on evening event, "Space Rocks!" comprising space the Institution's policy on Equality and Diversity comedy, a BBQ, a barn dance and “smoking” within engineering. She has also been asked to welcome drinks! serve as the IMechE's liasion officer with the Movie footage was taken throughout the day and Insitution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on their Space and Satellite Systems Network played on the UCL Youtube channel and three Committee. newspaper articles about the Open Day appeared. Andrew Coates is UK national adherent to Sheila Kanani would like to thank everyone who contributed to the day‟s great success. SCOSTEP (Scientific Committee on Solar- Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP) from Sept 2010. Visitors Proposals Submitted The Space Plasma Physics group hosted a PLUMB (PLasma interaction with UnMagnetized meeting of the Alfvén-MICE proposal team on 9/10 Bodies), submitted to EU FP7 Space Call, Andrew Nov. Coates coordinator. Prizes and Awards MSSL staff led or were contributers in the submission of several ESA M3 proposals: Lucie Green was named one of the top 10 UK scientists under 40 in Eureka, The Times' monthly The Planetary Science Group led: science magazine. The Eureka 100 list celebrates the publication's first anniversary and is a guide to Caroline (main belt comet mission led by the most influential contemporary scientific figures Geraint Jones), in Britain. The list was compiled by a specialist Uranus Pathfinder (led by Chris Arridge). panel, including academics and science journalists. and contributed to AXIOM (magnetosphere imaging led by Graziella Branduardi-Raymont), On November 19 the MSSL prize-giving ceremony LunarNet (led by Alan Smith), EVE (Venus was held. The winners were: balloon), MarcoPolo-R (asteroid sample return). Santiago Vargas Domínguez - Robert Boyd The Space Plasma Physics group led: Award for outstanding scientific achievement; Sheila Kanani - Elizabeth Puchnarewicz Award Alfven-MICE (led by Prof. Andrew Fazakerley for outstanding contribution to outreach; and Dr. Matthieu Berthomier [LPP, France]) Samantha Oates – Alan Johnstone Award for IMPALAS (led by Prof. Chris Owen). outstanding achievement by a research and is involved in the AXIOM (Planet-X), Uranus student; Pathfinder and Ravens proposals. Chris Owen, Berend Winter – the John Raymont Award for Lucie Green and Geraint Jones represented MSSL outstanding commitment to MSSL‟s technology at the ESTEC briefing meeting on 29 Sept. programme. The Solar Group led: Louise Harra was awarded a Leverhulme International Network award. This will be used to SPARK (Solar Particle Acceleration, Radiation run a series of workshops whose aim is to link what and Kinetics): (Lead: Sarah Matthews); - 2 - and contributed to SolmeX (Solar Magnetism ExoMars - EXOC meeting attended by Craig Leff Explorer): Sarah Matthews (Lead: Hardi Peter, and Barry Hancock, 28 Oct. Hardware meeting at MPS-Lindau); SAGE: Stellar and Galactic DLR, 23/24 Nov attended by several people from Environment Survey: Sarah Matthews (Lead: MSSL. Martin Barstow, Leicester); HiRISE (High Solar Orbiter - Chris Owen, Chris Brockley-Blatt Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer): and Barry Hancock represented the SWA PI group Colin Forsyth, Lucie Green, Louise Harra, Sarah at the NASA Science Requirements Review and Matthews, David Williams & Sergei Zharkov, Lead: Systems Definition Review at NASA/GSFC during Luc Dame; Solar-C/LEMUR (Large European the week of Sept 13. The team passed the review Module for Solar Ultraviolet Research): Len without problem. Culhane, George Doschek, Lucie Green, Louise Harra, Bernhard Kliem, (Lead: Luca Teriaca, MPS- There was a full team meeting of the SWA Lindau) consortium at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, 16-18 Nov, led by the MSSL PI Within the European Commission 7th Framework group. Andrew Fazakerley, Dhiren Kataria and Programme (FP7) a proposal was submitted Chris Owen also attended a meeting of the Solar answering "Space Call 4" FP7-SPACE-2011-1. Orbiter In Situ Working Group on the 19 Nov. The proposed
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