The purpose of the Solar Physics Division (SPD) is the advancement of the study of the Sun and the coordination of such research with other branches of science. The SPD holds annual scientific meetings, awards several different prizes, and supports students in various ways.

NEW

2022 Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Awards – Call for Applications from Meeting Organizers

Posted by Maria D. Kazachenko | November 15, 2021 | General

The Solar Physics Division (SPD) hereby announces the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Award Program for 2022. The Thomas Metcalf Travel Fund was established in 2007 with generous contributions from his family and many others to help early-career scientists attend meetings relevant to solar physics. For this year, two or three meetings will be selected by the Metcalf Travel Award Committee (MTAC) on the basis of brief applications from Meeting Organizers. The total amount available this year is expected to be about $10,000. See the Thomas Metcalf SPD Travel Award page for more details.

Zoom info for SPD Graduate Student Opportunity Fair

https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/91580888639

Passcode: SPDgrad

Meeting ID: 915 8088 8639

The AAS/SPD will host a virtual graduate student recruitment fair on Friday, 22 October 2021, 1:00–4:00 pm ET (5:00–8:00 pm UTC), to introduce prospective students to US-based graduate programs that offer training in solar physics, followed by a virtual postdoc fair, 4:00–6:00 pm ET (8:00–10:00pm UTC), to introduce current graduate students (and prospective undergraduate students) to postdoctoral employment opportunities.

We are excited to organize this event in which representatives of graduate programs in solar physics can showcase the research and training opportunities available through their programs. Solar physics lies at the core of astrophysical research and intersects with multiple disciplines of physics to uncover the secrets of our nearest star and to understand the causes of space weather. Understanding better the workings of our star has a direct societal impact, as it plays a role in the safety and resilience of astronauts, space assets, and our increasingly technological civilization.

The graduate recruitment fair is aimed at current physics and astronomy undergraduate students in their junior or senior year who are interested in exploring opportunities in solar and space physics. The postdoc fair is tailored to current graduate students who will be graduating in the next 12–24 months. The Solar Physics Division values diversity and inclusion and we strongly encourage students who are women and underrepresented minorities to attend.

• Facilitator: Solar Physics Division, American Astronomical Society.
• Registration: Not needed; this is an open event. RSVP is required: https://forms.gle/2GqkdwM2DWRS9bfTA
• Agenda and schedule are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eXn5lNH3-CjtbqBl7WP9ez_HvJO-xkD3O-xjGe0v-JE/edit?usp=sharing (please check before the fair for possible last-minute updates and for information on how to join the event via Zoom). 

In addition, we would like to inform the entire AAS community (and any interested students) that the SPD offers free membership to students.

If your institution has solar and space physics opportunities for grad students, but is not listed at the above link, please email gchintzo@lmsal.com to add your institution to the program.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation in passing this information to your students,

The Solar Physics Division Committee

Nominations for the SPD Hale and Harvey Prizes

It is time for the submission of nominations for the SPD Hale and Harvey prizes. The deadline for submission of nominations is November 15, 2021. Starting from this year, nominations will be submitted through the AAS portal. Please read carefully the following instructions and note the changes of the nomination procedure. Questions regarding nominations should be addressed to Jiong Qiu (qiu@montana.edu). Technical issues about the web submissions should be addressed to Neelab Yousafzai (Neelab.Yousafzai@aas.org).

Winner of the SPD Popular Media Awards, 2021

The SPD is pleased to announce the winners of the SPD Popular Media Awards 2021, including the new student category award.

• Journalist: Monica Young: To Touch the Sun: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is on a record-breaking journey to study our nearest star Sky and Telescope, November 2020. Terri Dube is also recognized for graphical design and layout of the article.
• Scientist: Monica Bobra: Crossing the Edge of Our Solar System Sky & Telescope, September 2020. Nicholle Fuller is also recognized for realization of the visualization.
• Student: Cosima Breu: You Spin Me Right Round: A Magnetic Avalanche in the Solar Corona Astrobites, 2020 March 30.

Sky and Telescope have a nice writeup on the what when into creating the articles by the two Monicas!