• LIF-Free Embryonic Stem Cell Culture in Simulated Microgravity, PLoS One
• Detrimental Effects of Microgravity on Mouse Preimplantation Development In Vitro, PLoS One
• Gravity Governs the Gecko's Strong Grip, Washington Post

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The Lifetime of Protoplanetary Disks in a Low-Metallicity Environment, astro-ph
• Water, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide Present in the Dayside Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 209458b, astro-ph
• Dust in brown dwarfs and extra-solar planets II. Cloud formation for cosmologically evolving abundances, astro-ph
• Sensitivity of rocky planet structures to the equation of state, astro-ph
• The spin-orbit angle of CoRoT-1: evidence for a strongly misaligned hot Jupiter, astro-ph
• A new raytracer for modeling AU-scale imaging of lines from protoplanetary disks, astro-ph

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

• Sensitivity of rocky planet structures to the equation of state, astro-ph
• Formation, Dynamical Evolution, and Habitability of Planets in Binary Star Systems, astro-ph
• The spin-orbit angle of CoRoT-1: evidence for a strongly misaligned hot Jupiter, astro-ph
• A new raytracer for modeling AU-scale imaging of lines from protoplanetary disks, astro-ph

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• AMASE 2009: Journal Entries by Adrienne Kish 13-17 August 2009
• AMASE blog 2009: Science Operation Work Group: How To Do Science With a Rover on Mars
• 2009-2010 Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space
• A Look Into The Hellish Cradles of Suns and Solar Systems

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• A Stellar Flare during the Transit of the Extrasolar Planet OGLE-TR-10b, astro-ph
• Short-lived spots in solar-like stars as observed by CoRoT, astro-ph
• Simulations of Winds of Weak-Lined T Tauri Stars: The Magnetic Field Geometry and The Influence of the Wind on Giant Planet Migration, astro-ph
• The Greenhouse Gas That Saved The World, University of Copenhagen

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Dust-Dust Collisional Charging and Lightning in Protoplanetary Discs, astro-ph
• Five planets and an independent confirmation of HD 196885Ab from Lick Observatory, astro-ph
• Two Exoplanets Discovered at Keck Observatory, astro-ph
• Accretion Rates of Planetesimals by Protoplanets Embedded in Nebular Gas, astro-ph
• HAT-P-7: A Retrograde or Polar Orbit, and a Second Planet, astro-ph
• First Evidence of a Retrograde Orbit of Transiting Exoplanet HAT-P-7b, astro-ph
• The Inner Rim Structures of Protoplanetary Discs, astro-ph
• Refined stellar, orbital and planetary parameters of the eccentric HAT-P-2 planetary system, astro-ph
• Planetary companions around the K giant stars 11 UMi and HD 32518, astro-ph

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• AMASE blog 2009: SLIce: Searching for Signatures of Life in Ice
• AMASE Blog 2009: Flying to Bockfjorden
• AMASE blog - August 9: Lance arriving
• AMASE blog - August 8: Science in NyAlesund
• AMASE blog - August 6: Athena (FIDO) rocks!
• AMASE 2009: Day 1: Arrival At Svalbard
• AMASE 2009 Expedition Takes Off in the Arctic

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The CORALIE survey for southern extrasolar planets. XVI. Discovery of a planetary system around HD 147018 and of two long period and massive planets orbiting HD 171238 and HD 204313, astro-ph
• WASP-17b: an ultra-low density planet in a probable retrograde orbit, astro-ph
• Telescopes Peer Into Storm Clouds on Saturn and Titan
• Ground-based telescope captures first visual images of storm clouds over the tropics of Saturn's largest moon
• Huge New Planet Tells of Game of Planetary Billiards

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The M dwarf planet search programme at the ESO VLT + UVES. A search for terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of M dwarfs, astro-ph
• Discovery of a close substellar companion to the hot subdwarf star HD 149382 - The decisive influence of substellar objects on late stellar evolution, astro-ph
• AMASE blog - August 6: Athena (FIDO) rocks!, AMASE
• AMASE blog - August 8: Science in NyAlesund , AMASE
• AMASE blog - August 9: Lance arriving , AMASE
• Violent Stellar Youth Steers The Course of Life's Genesis, ESO
• Mars, Methane, and Mysteries, ESA

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• The Pulsar Planets: A Test Case of Terrestrial Planet Assembly, astro-ph
• Formation of the Terrestrial Planets from a Narrow Annulus, astro-ph
• Saturn's Titan: A strict test for life's cosmic ubiquity, astro-ph
• On the eccentricity of self-gravitating circumstellar disks in eccentric binary systems, astro-ph
• Spitzer Observations of Spacecraft Target 162173 (1999 JU3), astro-ph

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Astrobiology Community member,

The Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is soliciting nominations for the Executive Committee of a newly established Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG).

The inaugural ExoPAG Chair will be Jim Kasting, a long-time member of the astrobiology community and the NAI.  The ExoPAG will be responsible for soliciting and coordinating community input into the development and execution of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program.  Additional information and a link to a website with detailed information are provided in the attachment.  

I am writing to encourage interested members of the astrobiology community to nominate colleagues or themselves to serve on the ExoPAG Executive Committee. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Sept. 4, 2009.  See the attachment and website for nomination requirements and procedures.

With best wishes,
Carl

Carl B. Pilcher, Director
NASA Astrobiology Institute
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035

To: Astrophysics and Exoplanetary Science Community

From: Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

Date: 22 July 2009

Subject: Establishment of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

Dear Colleagues:

The Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate is pleased to announce the
establishment an Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group, or ExoPAG. The ExoPAG
will be an open, interdisciplinary forum for gathering community input into NASA's Exoplanet
Exploration Program (ExEP), and for conducting analyses in support of ExEP science objectives
and their implications for planning and prioritization of Program activities. The ExoPAG will
communicate its findings and the results of its analyses to NASA through the Agency's formal
advisory structure in the form of reports to the Astrophysics Subcommittee of the NAC (NASA
Advisory Council) Science Committee.

To carry out its role, the ExoPAG will:

• Articulate the key scientific drivers for exoplanet research;
• Evaluate the expected capabilities of potential ExEP missions for achieving the science goals of the Program;
• Regularly evaluate ExEP goals, objectives, investigations and required measurements on the basis of the widest possible community outreach;
• Articulate focus areas for needed mission technologies; and
• Identify related activities that enhance the ExEP mission portfolio such as ground-based observing, theory and modeling programs, and community engagement.

Further information about the structure and function of the ExoPAG can be found on the Web at
http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exep_exoPAG.cfm. The purpose of this open letter to the scientific
community is to solicit nominations for membership on the ExoPAG Executive Committee.

The ExoPAG will be led by a Chairperson drawn from the membership of the Astrophysics
Subcommittee. The inaugural ExoPAG Chair will be Prof. James F. Kasting of Penn State
University. Prof. Kasting will be supported in this role by an Executive Committee representing
the broad exoplanetary science community. Together, the ExoPAG Chair and Executive
Committee will be responsible for capturing and organizing community input, overseeing
ExoPAG analyses, reporting ExoPAG findings and inputs to the Astrophysics Subcommittee,
and keeping the scientific community apprised of ongoing activities and opportunities within
NASA's ExEP. The ExoPAG Executive Committee will be selected to achieve a functional
balance among observers, theoreticians, instrumentation experts, and technologists, as well as a
scientific balance across the disciplines of astrophysics, exoplanetary and planetary science, and
astrobiology.

Nominations for the ExoPAG Executive Committee should be submitted via email to the
address: HQ-ExoPAG@nasa.gov. Nominations must include both a cover letter and a one-page
CV summarizing the nominee's relevant background. The cover letter should provide a
description of the nominee's area of expertise and qualifications for service on the ExoPAG
Executive Committee. Self-nominations are welcome. The deadline for receipt of nominations
is 4 September 2009, with announcement of selections anticipated for early October 2009.
The first ExoPAG meeting is planned to be held in conjunction with the 215th AAS Meeting in
Washington, DC, January 2010. Travel and lodging expenses for the ExoPAG Chair and
Executive Committee members (only) will be paid by the ExEP, in accordance with NASA
regulations. Further details about the inaugural ExoPAG meeting will be posted on the ExoPAG
web site as the information becomes available.

We look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to develop a robust and compelling
Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sincerely,

Douglas Hudgins, NASA HQ
Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist

Lia LaPiana, NASA HQ
ExoPlanet Exploration Program Executive

Jon Morse
Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA HQ

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear members and friends of ASGSB,

Make plans to join with your colleagues and friends in Raleigh, North Carolina, from November 5-8, 2009, for the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. The scientific committee is very excited about the program, which will include symposia on Habitation Science (chaired by Cary Mitchell), Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biology (chaired by Marshall Porterfield) and The ISS as a National Laboratory (chaired by Ken Souza). We will also have posters, oral sessions, committee meetings, and plenty of time for networking.

Conveniently located near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina. Our venue, the Raleigh Marriott City Center (http://marriott.com/rdumc) is the newest hotel in the thriving downtown and is within walking distance of dozens of restaurants, museums, and other attractions. Room rates of $139 for students and $149 for non-students will be available. Located within 3 miles is North Carolina State University, within 20 miles is Duke University, and within 25 miles is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Stay tuned to the ASGSB website for updated information on travel assistance and other important meeting developments.

The deadline for early registration (reduced fees) is October 2; please use the attached form to register for the meeting. If you haven't renewed your membership yet, you can use the attached membership dues form to qualify for the "member" registration fee.

See ya'll there, Chris Brown cbrown@ncsu.edu and Ken Souza kenneth.a.souza@nasa.gov ASGSB 2009 Meeting Program Co-Chairs

P.S. If you have any questions about your membership status or about meeting registration, please reply to this message; replies to this e-mail will go to Susan Dakin, ASGSB Executive Secretary.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Sub-Saturn Planet MOA-2008-BLG-310Lb: Likely To Be In The Galactic Bulge, astro-ph
• AMASE 2009: Day 1: Arrival At Svalbard
• Reconciling Methane Variations on Mars, ESA
• AMASE 2009 expedition takes off in the Arctic

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Exoplanetary Transit Constraints Based Upon Secondary Eclipse Observations, astro-ph
• A primordial origin for the atmospheric methane of Saturn's moon Titan, astro-ph
• LCROSS Looks Back at Earth

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• A binary engine fuelling HD87643' s complex circumstellar environment, using AMBER/VLTI
• Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first Super-Earth with measured radius
• WASP-16b: A new Jupiter-like planet transiting a southern solar analog

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

• Extreme Magnification Microlensing Event OGLE-2008-BLG-279: Strong Limits on Planetary Companions to the Lens Star, astro-ph
• NASA Announces Briefing About Kepler's Early Science Results, NASA
• Nickel isotope may be methane producing microbe biomarker, Pennsylvania State University
• New microchip Technology Performs 1,000 Chemical Reactions at Once, UCLA

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences offers education and research concerning the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere. With a population of 2,200 students (BSc and MSc) and 575 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty is organised in four Departments: Innovation and Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, and Human Geography and Urban and Regional Planning.

Currently, we are looking to fill the following position within the Geochemistry group at the Department of Earth Sciences: PhD researcher in Biogeochemical Ocean Modeling

The PhD-researcher will be employed in a project on: Modeling Ocean Biogeochemistry in the mid-Cretaceous: reconstructing the nutrient-biosphere-climate link

Massive amounts of organic matter were buried in ocean sediments during mid-Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). As yet, a quantitative understanding of the mechanisms and feedbacks responsible for the perturbation of the oxygen, carbon and nutrient cycles around OAEs is still lacking. In this project, general circulation modeling for the global ocean will be used to elucidate the triggers for global ocean anoxia during the Cenomanian/Turonian (C/T) boundary event (~94 Myrs BP). In particular, the role of changes in riverine inputs and upwelling intensity in determining nutrient availability and oxygen conditions in the Atlantic ocean will be addressed. Proxy and burial data from a companion project will be used to define model scenarios and to evaluate model results. The results of this study will greatly improve our ability to predict the consequences of current global warming on biogeochemical dynamics and the feedbacks on the biosphere and climate in the modern ocean.

Project partners include researchers at the Faculty of Biology and the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (IMAU) in Utrecht and the University of Bergen, Norway. Funding is provided by the Focus and Mass program of the Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University.

Qualifications

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with an MSc or equivalent degree in Geosciences, Oceanography, Environmental Sciences or a related field. Experience, or a strong interest in biogeochemistry and modeling is desirable. He/she should communicate easily in English, both verbally and in writing.

For more information: http://www.uu.nl/EN/faculties/geowetenschappen/facultystructure/vacancies/Pages/default.aspx

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marine Methane Oxidation Without Sulfur

A new study in Science from NAI's Penn State Team shows that the anaerobic oxidation of methane is not solely a sulfate-dependent process. Microbes cultured from marine methane seeps in California's Eel River Basin have demonstrated capability of using manganese and iron to oxidize methane to carbon dioxide. These same compounds may have been key to methane oxidation in the early, oxygen-less days of Earth's atmosphere.

Nickel: The New Biomarker

Members of NAI's team at Penn State and their colleagues have a new paper in PNAS exploring the viability of using isotopes of the element nickel as biomarkers. Nickel is an important trace nutrient for methanogens, which preferentially use one isotope of nickel over another in their metabolic processes. Nickel, unlike iron, doesn't seem to go through significant redox changes without a biological tie, therefore considering it as a biomarker is less complicated and potentially more reliable. Testing ancient sediments and observing nickel isotopic fractionation could pinpoint where and when methanogens arose.

Increasing the Lifespan of Life on Earth

According to a new study from NAI's Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team and colleagues at Cal Tech, the lifespan of Earth's biosphere could be prolonged, even as the Sun's luminosity increases and threatens to wipe out all life on Earth. Published in PNAS, the study points to the substantial reduction of the total pressure of Earth's atmosphere, achieved by removing massive amounts of nitrogen from it. This would regulate the surface temperatures, allow carbon dioxide to remain in the atmosphere to support life, and could tack an additional 1.3 billion years onto Earth's expected lifespan.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weary of catching planes, burning up fossil fuels, and spending lots of time and money to attend meetings? Take heart! Virtual worlds are shaping up as possible venues for online meetings--and astrobiology graduate students are leading the way in exploring their potential. On July 17-18, 2009, early-career astrobiologists met at the University of Washington in Seattle for the 6th annual Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon), and simultaneously in the virtual world Second Life. Students presented talks that were streamed live into Second Life and participated in a real-world and virtual world "mixed reality" poster session. Social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were also used for sharing information before, during and after the conference. MORE

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)