ExoPAG Overview

1. ExoPAG 30 Agenda & Slack (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)

A reminder that ExoPAG 30 is this Sunday at AbSciCon (and virtual). The overarching topic is the search for life in the Solar System and beyond/identification of overlapping science gaps and cross-divisional opportunities for progress with the Exoplanet and Astrobiology science communities.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/

In-person ExoPAG 30 attendees do NOT need to register for AbSciCon (https://www.agu.org/abscicon).

Agenda: The agenda is posted at the website https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-program/ and please note the lively Interdisciplinary Exchange discussions and opportunity for early career lightning talks.

In person attendees: Please share your topics of interest and background for the brain date discussions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RHBY0zcBAPVJhYrdnhNnMyRNopDV1BUJK6gn0qHctJ8/edit

Slack: The ExoPAG Slack space is open as well, join the discussion via this invite link: https://bit.ly/exopag30slackinvite

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2. Announcement of a New Technosignature Study Analysis Group: SAG-25

Announcement of a new Technosignature Study Analysis Group: SAG-25

Background: The rise of astrobiology as an acknowledged frontier in astronomy is best represented by the Astro2020 decadal survey’s recommendation for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) as a flagship mission. The HWO, and more near-term observational platforms, will search for life via the identification of spectral imprints (signatures) in exoplanet atmospheres. Biosignature science has also gone beyond merely identifying potential biogenic atmospheric compounds (as well as surface features). Over the last decade, the field has matured by attempting to characterize false positives, explicitly treat the limitations of sparse datasets and move towards more agnostic approaches that do not rely on Earth’s specific biogeochemical history. Given the effort in developing a mature science of biosignatures, the time is ripe for developing a similar level of sophistication for signs of life which deploy technology i.e. technosignatures.

The field of technosignatures (also known as SETI) has seen rapid growth in recent years. Expanding beyond radio SETI, considerable work has begun to focus on other ways technology may be detected such as atmospheric features in exoplanetary spectra. Importantly, many of the same techniques currently used for biosignature studies, including atmospheric modeling and retrieval and standards for life detection, can also be applied to technosignature searches. As such, there are strong and growing connections between technosignature studies and the fields of exoplanetary research and astrobiology. Given that there is no a priori reason to expect either biosignatures or technosignatures to be more pervasive or unambiguous in their detection, the development of a robust portfolio of research in both domains of astrobiology is now warranted.

Call for Participation: It is now essential for the community to develop a detailed understanding of what efforts are required to develop a mature and robust technosignature science. For this reason, a new SAG has been convened to investigate and survey the field.

The scope of the SAG will be searches for technosignatures beyond Earth and its atmosphere, including the solar system and beyond, especially via means familiar to astronomers and planetary scientists. This SAG will produce analysis and findings on how NASA’s efforts in astrobiology, exoplanetary astrophysics, and other areas can better serve the search for technosignatures, consistent with NASA’s goals to understand the prevalence of life in the universe.

Specifically, the SAG seeks community involvement from both established technosignature researchers as well as those not involved in the field as it takes on the following tasks:

1. Investigate which technosignature investigations should play a role in NASA’s exoplanet and planetary science portfolios.
2. Identify the most promising technosignature investigations to prioritize for funding and mission development.
3. Identify science and technology gaps relevant to technosignature searches.
4. Identify existing NASA programs most relevant to technosignature searches, especially those in exoplanets and planetary science, and determine how they can be more responsive to and supportive of technosignature searches.
5. Identify best practices for NASA program officers to select and provide guidance for review panelists to grade and discuss technosignature proposals in XRP and other programs.
6. Identify potential new initiatives to build community and intercommunications with other astrobiology efforts.

We note that questions associated with phenomena occurring within Earth’s atmosphere (i.e. UAPs) fall explicitly outside the interests of this SAG. In alignment with NASA’s core value of inclusion, the SAG will be committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all participants and will invite candidates from all backgrounds to contribute fully, including in SAG-wide leadership roles. Applications to the SAG are easy and quick, and we encourage applications from community members at all career stages.

If interested, please fill out the form at this website (https://forms.gle/mZ8CiDV648gvCbor5) by May 31st, 2024. Questions may be addressed to the ExoPAG EC Chair (Ilaria Pascucci: pascucci@arizona.edu) and the SAG-25 lead (Sofia Sheikh: ssheikh@berkeley.edu).

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3. ExEP Technology Colloquium Series Talk: The Coronagraph Design Survey (May 20, 2024, 1pm EDT/10am PDT)​

In January 2023, the Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) kicked off the Coronagraph Design Survey, chartered to collect and document a broad range of coronagraph designs that may be applicable for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The working group that conducted the Survey, led by Rus Belikov (ARC) and Chris Stark (GSFC), cast a very wide net capturing known and never-heard-of-before novel coronagraph designs. They have completed their 17-month study and will be delivering a final report to the HWO Technical Assessment Group (TAG). Come hear their public briefing of what they learned, and how the results of their survey help point the way to future direct imaging of Earth-like planets.

Webex link: https://jpl.webex.com/jpl/j.php?MTID=m2b7e1eec21dba70cc3eb22f67957f6c5

About the ExEP Technology Colloquium series: The intention of these web seminars is to provide a forum for sharing key technology advances and results that enable or enhance the direct imaging and characterization of exoplanets. Topics may include recent coronagraph and starshade demonstration results, advances in detector technology, deformable mirrors, LOWFS/C, telescope stability, polarization, RV, starshade tutorials, etc. Our target audience is the engineers and scientists working on technology for Habitable Worlds Observatory, but all are welcome to attend. The presentation slides will be publicly archived so that they can be viewed at later dates.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/technology/tech_colloquium/

Upcoming talks:

• Deformable Mirror Technology Roadmap Study
  June 7, 2024 9:30 am PDT
  Speakers: Duncan Liu (NASA/JPL), Tyler Groff (NASA/GSFC)
• Coronagraphy Technology Roadmap Study
  June 11, 2024 10:00 am PDT
  Speakers: Pin Chen (NASA/JPL), Lauent Pueyo (STScI)

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4. NASA Astrophysics Technology Update 2024​

https://apd440.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/tech/2024_ATU_Revision_040324B.pdf

This first Astrophysics Technology Update (ATU) highlights 12 examples of developments in technology maturation projects, from early 2022 to date, funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Division. These and dozens more technology projects are funded through multiple programs: Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT), Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA), Internal Scientist Funding Model (ISFM), Segmented Mirror Technology Program (SMTP), and others (e.g., one of the highlighted projects, NEID, was funded in collaboration with the National Science Foundation). These ATUs will appear in between issues of the Astrophysics Biennial Technology Report (ABTR). The coming ABTR will be published this September and the next ATU should come out in September 2025.

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5. Notice of Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning​

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission invites the astronomy community's input on science cases that should be prioritized in future extended missions. The format is short 1-2 paragraph science pitches. The call for community input can be viewed here.

Submit your science pitch here by June 14, 2024: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZCXVEhuzt62fp5IC-Pio2-f2kPkD8SGevzbODYDSp82OGGg/viewform

TESS science spans many areas of astrophysics and solar system science. As such, researchers from around the world, across all career stages, positions, and types of institutions are encouraged to submit their ideas. Please contact tesshelp@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov with any questions.

Call for input: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/tess/docs/call-for-community-input.pdf

TESS website: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/tess/

Please direct questions to tesshelp@bigbang.gsfc.nasa.gov

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6. Interdisciplinary Book and Workshop -- Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution (August 17-18, 2024, Chicago)

Many experts in their field have come together to create the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RiMG) volume, “Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution.” These chapters are primers, focused on understanding/learning about other disciplines and are catered to non-expert scientists. Below are the titles and arXiv links to each respective chapter. Also if you're hyped up about all of this great content (and you know you are), there will be a workshop at Goldschmidt2024 in support of this book, where the chapter authors are the speakers -- info at the bottom.

1. Host Stars and How Their Compositions Influence Exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15422
2. Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15423
3. Planet formation - observational constraints, physical processes, and compositional patterns: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15555
4. Meteorites and Planet Formation: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15424
5. The evolution and delivery of rocky extra-solar materials to white dwarfs: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.08767
6. The chemistry of extra-solar materials from white dwarf planetary systems: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15425
7. Exoplanet Mineralogy: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15426
8. From stars to diverse mantles, melts, crusts and atmospheres of rocky exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15427
9. Some Tectonic Concepts Relevant to the Study of Rocky Exoplanets: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15428
10. Global Cycling of Volatile Elements on Exoplanets: will be released soon
11. Exoplanet Magnetic Fields: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15429
12. Transiting Exoplanet Atmospheres in the Era of JWST: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15430
13. An Overview of Exoplanet Biosignatures: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15431
14. The early Earth as an analogue for exoplanetary biogeochemistry: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15432
15. Exoplanet Geology: What can we learn from current and future observations? https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15433

Workshop information: https://tinyurl.com/Goldschmidt24Exoplanets

Dates: August 17-18, 2024 in Chicago, right before Goldschmidt2024

Registration: Cost is $260 (reg) / $210 (students). Includes lunch and coffee for both days, as well as a copy of the RiMG!

1. ExoPAG 30 Agenda, Slack, and Last Call for Lightning Talks (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon, hybrid)

Reminder that ExoPAG 30 is less than 1 month away! The overarching topic is the search for life in the Solar System and beyond/identification of overlapping science gaps and cross-divisional opportunities for progress with the Exoplanet and Astrobiology science communities.

No-cost meeting registration is requested whether attending in person or remote at https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-registration/, and a reminder that in-person ExoPAG 30 attendees do NOT need to register for AbSciCon.

The agenda has been added to the website, note the lively brain date discussions and an opportunity for early career lightning talks: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-program/.

In person attendees: Please share your topics of interest and background for the brain date discussions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RHBY0zcBAPVJhYrdnhNnMyRNopDV1BUJK6gn0qHctJ8/edit

The ExoPAG Slack space is open as well, join the discussion via this invite link: https://bit.ly/exopag30slackinvite

Early Career applications for in-person lightning talks will close April 16th at 6pm PDT. Submit yours here: https://forms.gle/J5exsHYthc83nJhR7

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2. Welcome New ExoPAG Executive Committee Members

"Dear All,

We are very pleased to announce the new members of the ExoPAG Executive Committee (EC) for 2024:

• Thomas Beatty (U. Wisconsin)
• Chuanfei Dong (Boston University)
• Julien Girard (STScI)
• Sarah Peacock (U. Maryland Baltimore County/NASA/GSFC)

They bring new expertise and diverse perspectives to the ExoPAG Executive Committee. Please join me in welcoming Thomas, Chuanfei, Julien, and Sarah. We are grateful that they have accepted the invitation to join the EC and contribute for their three-year terms.

We are also grateful for the significant contributions of departing Executive Committee members:

• Ofer Cohen (U. Massachusetts Lowell)
• Knicole Colón (NASA/GSFC)
• Michael Bottom (U. Hawaii)
• Natalie Hinkel (Louisiana State U.)

Please join me in thanking them for their service over the years.

Sincerely,
Hannah Jang-Condell
ExoPAG Executive Secretary at NASA HQ
Deputy Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist"

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3. NASA Astrophysics Technology Gap List Webinar (May 14, 2024, 2pm EDT/11am PDT)​

From Brendan Crill (Deputy Program Chief Technologist, NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program):

"The NASA Astrophysics Technology Gap List update in 2024 is underway and we are seeking input from the community to help NASA identify gaps between today’s state-of-the-art technologies and what will be needed for future strategic astrophysics missions. Please join technologists from the three NASA Astrophysics thematic Program Offices - Cosmic Origins (COR), Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP), and Physics of the Cosmos (PhysCOS) - on May 14, 2024 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern for a 60-minute public webinar that will provide an overview of the technology gap process. There will be time for Q&A.

Link to the webinar is here: https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m0314443bad740fa5bcadc5752472945a

As a reminder, submissions of new technology gaps are welcome before 3 June 2024 – please see the technology gap submission form at https://apd440.gsfc.nasa.gov/tech_gap_priorities.html for instructions."

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4. Challenging Theory with Roman: From Planet Formation to Cosmology (July 9-12, 2024; Abstract deadline April 12, 2024)

Dear colleague,

We are pleased to announce that registration is now officially open for the conference, "Challenging Theory with Roman: From Planet Formation to Cosmology," to be held July 9–12, 2024, on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA, and online. You can register for the conference at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/page/registration. Registration for both in-person and virtual attendance is free. We are committed to facilitating a meeting that is productive and enjoyable for everyone. In support of this, all participants are expected to review in advance and acknowledge the conference code of conduct when registering. All attendees are expected to adhere to the code and will be held accountable to its stated principles. The deadline for registration is June 25, 2024.

We remind you as well that abstracts are still currently being accepted at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/abstracts/, for contributed talks (in-person or virtual) and posters (in-person only).

The deadline for abstract submission is coming up soon, on April 12, 2024.

To submit an abstract and to register for the conference, you will first need to sign in; or, if you have never attended an IPAC-hosted conference before, sign up, create a profile, and then sign in.

We also encourage you to subscribe to our conference mailing list at https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/subscriber, to receive future announcements about the conference.

This conference is being organized and hosted by the Roman Science Support Center at IPAC. The goal of this 4-day conference is to bring members of the community together to discuss how observations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will challenge theories, from exoplanets to the edge of the Universe. The conference will focus mainly on Roman surveys with the Wide Field Instrument, as well as on the Coronagraph Instrument. This conference, to take place on the Caltech campus and online, will be an active and exciting confluence of both observers and theorists to outline the potential breakthroughs that could be made possible by the Roman mission.

Invited speakers (confirmed):

• John Debes (STScI) --- circumstellar disks, exoplanet observations
• Yicheng Guo (U. Missouri) --- dwarf galaxies, joint data processing
• Chang Hoon Hahn (Princeton) --- large-scale structure, cosmology surveys
• Eve Lee (McGill Univ.) --- planet formation and populations
• Julie McEnery (NASA GSFC) --- Roman project status
• Zachary Slepian (U. Florida) --- dark energy, galaxy surveys
• Tjitske Starkenburg (Northwestern/CIERA) --- galaxy populations, stellar streams
• Tommaso Treu (UCLA) --- galaxies and dark matter
• Jennifer Yee (Harvard CfA) --- microlensing and planet demographics

Conference website: https://conference.ipac.caltech.edu/roman2024/.

If you have any questions or encounter any difficulties with the abstract submission or registration process, please email us at romanssc@ipac.caltech.edu.

Best regards,

SOC: Etienne Bachelet (Caltech/IPAC, co-chair), Takahiro Morishita (Caltech/IPAC, co-chair), Lee Armus (Caltech/IPAC), Sebastian Gomez (STScI), Claudia Scarlata (U. Minn.), Hee-Jong Seo (Ohio U.), Adam Smercina (U. Wash.), Aaron Smith (U. Texas), Takahiro Sumi (Osaka U.), Maria Vincenzi (Duke U.), Schuyler Wolff (U. Arizona)

LOC: Frank Aragon, Etienne Bachelet, Alexandra Greenbaum, Seppo Laine, Wanggi Lim, Teresa Molano, Takahiro Morishita, Schuyler Van Dyk

1. REMINDER: ExoPAG 30 (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon)​

The Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group is organizing its 30th meeting on May 5th, 2024 in Providence, RI as a splinter session of AbSciCon at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

The ExoPAG 30 meeting will focus on the search for life in the Solar System and beyond and include presentations from various Program Analysis Groups and cross divisional research networks.

Do not miss our 'brain dates' to identify cross-divisional science gaps and opportunities.

Let us know your background and top two interests by April 15, 2024 at the registration page.

An interactive business meeting will also be held.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/ (agenda will be posted soon!)

Attendees (whether remote or in-person) are urged to please register via the ExoPAG website for logistics and planning purposes https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-registration/. This is extremely helpful to the organizers.

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2. ExoPAG 30: Call for Early Career Lightning Talks (May 5, 2024; Providence RI @ AbSciCon; The EXTENDED deadline is now April 16th at 6pm PT = 9pm ET. )

Early Career Scientists: Whether you are investigating Mars, icy moons, or distant exoplanets, ExoPAG30 invites you to share your work on the search for life in the Solar System and Beyond through our 3-Minute Lightning Talks. The meeting will be held in conjunction with AbSciCon in Providence, RI on May 5th, 2024. Ten in-person talks will be selected, with an opportunity for others to post their work to the ExoPAG 30 Slack where participants can interact virtually.

Please complete the online application (Google sign on required) and attach one, 1 page engaging pdf file summarizing your results for review. The EXTENDED deadline is now April 16th at 6pm PT = 9pm ET. As a reminder, the ten lightning talk speakers must attend ExoPAG 30 in person. Selections will be announced in mid-April.

Please contact exopag-info@jpl.nasa.gov with any questions you may have.

Thank you!

• ExoPAG 30: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exopag30/exopag30-overview/
• AbSciCon: https://www.agu.org/abscicon
• ExoPAG 30 Lightning Talk Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMpjsGfCGYwilwe4gR6_1zNDWxicdfq-TC1wlOOJuXQiKgVw/viewform

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3. ExoExplorer Science Series: Daniel Yaholomi (Columbia) and James Mang (UT Austin) (April 12, 2024, 2pm-3pm EDT/11am-12pm PDT)

"Hi all-

The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Daniel Yahalomi (Columbia) & James Mang (UT Austin) on Friday April 12, 2024, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

"From Wobbles to Worlds: Exploring the Orbital Landscape of Exoplanet TTVs"
Daniel Yahalomi (Columbia)
and
"Modeling Water Clouds in Substellar Atmospheres in the Era of JWST"
James Mang (UT Austin)

Full connection information and abstracts are at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/events/498/exoexplorer-science-series-daniel-yahalomi-columbia-james-mang-ut-austin/

For more information about the ExoExplorers program, please visit our website here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-welcome/

And future talks are posted here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/exoexplorers/exoexplorers-events/

Please share this talk announcement at your local institution!

This the way,
Rob Zellem, on behalf of the ExoExplorer Organizing Committee"

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Weekly: https://caltech.zoom.us/meeting/tZ0oceyppjsqGNS-CBVTMJlJjeO5JmI44_Yu/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGhqz0vG9yVsBuHRpx5GY_oZ-vxiGJfjY1u0TzHNRR-SA_cPOdtZ5hyOYyE

Join Zoom Meeting
https://caltech.zoom.us/j/89565180020

Meeting ID: 895 6518 0020

One tap mobile
+12133388477,,89565180020# US (Los Angeles)
+16699006833,,89565180020# US (San Jose)

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4. ExoPAG SAG 26: Exoplanet Reflectance Spectroscopy for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (Indicate your interest by April 12, 2024)

The Exoplanet Reflectance Spectroscopy Study Analysis Group (SAG 26) seeks new members.

Background: The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a flagship mission recommended by the Astro2020 decadal survey, would deliver transformative science capabilities for direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of terrestrial exoplanets, expanding the horizons of human exploration to potentially habitable planets around Sun-like stars. As HWO would push the frontier of exoplanet observations, the determination of its measurement requirements must be based upon the simulation of anticipated planetary spectra and statistical inference of planetary parameters from the spectra, i.e., the spectral retrieval. The notional specification of the wavelength coverage and spectral resolution of earlier mission concepts such as LUVOIR and HabEx were derived from a spectral retrieval exercise based on modern Earth’s spectrum as a template. Multiple groups in the country and abroad have now built spectral simulation and retrieval tools, and substantial progress has been made recently on the potential need for a wide spectral coverage for habitable exoplanets beyond modern Earth analogs.

In this context, it is essential to have a common understanding between different research groups and models about exoplanet reflectance spectroscopy, and this would be best achieved by community intercomparisons and a data challenge that focuses on spectral retrievals, under the auspices of SAG 26. We thus propose a community study to compare and converge on the practices of the simulation and retrieval of the exoplanet reflectance spectra, with a focus on terrestrial exoplanets relevant to HWO. We will aim to:

• compare and cross-validate spectral retrieval tools, including elements as central as opacities,radiative transfer routines, and statistical evaluation algorithms;
• compare and converge on appropriate levels of model complexities (such as the treatment of clouds and radiative transfer model sophistication) based on the expected data characteristics (e.g., wavelength, resolution, SNR);
• organize a blind retrieval challenge open to the entire community and focusing on reflectance spectroscopy of terrestrial exoplanets;
• achieve common understanding of how the wavelength range, spectral resolution, and prior constraints on the planetary mass impact the characterization of different types of terrestrial exoplanets;
• identify key areas of disagreement that could adversely impact HWO science and design; and
• identify the best practices for deriving atmospheric constraints from exoplanet reflectance spectra.

The SAG will provide useful tools and scientific inputs to HWO’s Science, Technology, Architecture Review Team (START), who will study specific science cases for the mission.

The SAG’s terms of reference has been reviewed and approved by the Astrophysics Advisory Committee. Anticipating formal approval by the NASA Astrophysics Division Director, the SAG co-chairs are now ready to solicit membership from the broad astronomy, Earth and planetary science, data science, and other relevant communities.

In alignment with NASA’s core value of inclusion, the SAG will be committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all participants and will invite candidates from all backgrounds to contribute fully, including in SAG-wide leadership roles. Applications to the SAG are easy and quick, and we encourage applications from community members at all career stages.

If interested, please fill out the form at this website (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI8Yx0PaRNvaIGEfY-WKyMAG8mzMi2TkvlaEXrxZYPXTmXRA/viewform) by April 12. Questions may be addressed to the ExoPAG EC Chair (Ilaria Pascucci: pascucci@arizona.edu) and the SAG co-chairs Renyu Hu: renyu.hu@jpl.nasa.gov and Tyler Robinson: tdrobin@arizona.edu.

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5. The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) 2024 (June 10-14, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline April 5, 2024)

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference 2024
Hosted at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Proposal Writing Retreat (PWR): June 7th - 10th, 2024, Adirondacks
Conference: June 10th - 14th, 2024
abgradcon.org

Applications are now open until April 5th!

The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is organized by graduate students for early career scientists who study the complex and diverse topics that astrobiology encompasses. For over two decades, this conference has been an integral part of the astrobiology community of graduate students and postdocs by fostering small group discussions, scientific presentations, and social activities that promote long-term professional relationships. AbGradCon seeks to build community, provide practical training for early career scientists, and be the catalyst for a more interdisciplinary and inclusive astrobiology community.

This year's conference will be held at Cornell University, located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The conference will consist of 2.5 days of scientific and collaborative sessions, a public outreach event dedicated to engaging with the general public, and an educational field trip. An intensive proposal writing retreat will be held the weekend before the conference at a lodge in the Adirondack Mountains for a group of 15 graduate students.

There is no registration fee and funding is available for graduate students. We encourage all graduate students and postdocs interested in astrobiology to apply. To learn more about the conference and submit an abstract, visit abgradcon.org!

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6. Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium IX (ERES IX; July 10-12, 2024, Ithaca, NY; Application Deadline and Abstract Submission Deadline April 12, 2024)​

Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium IX
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
2024 July 10-12
Registration and abstract submission open through April 12.
https://eres-planets.github.io/

About ERES:

The ninth Emerging Researchers in Exoplanet Science Symposium (ERES IX) will take place 2024 July 10-12 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

ERES is an annual conference by and for early-career scientists (e.g. graduate students, postdocs, postbacs, advanced undergraduates) working in planetary astronomy, Earth sciences, the search for life in the cosmos, and related fields. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for these researchers to present their research to an interested audience and network with peers, as well as to stimulate collaborations among exoplanet, Solar System, and Earth science researchers.

ERES has been held annually on a rotating basis between partner institutions since 2015. The current partner institutions are Cornell, Penn State, Princeton, and Yale.

ERES IX Organizers: Chris O’Connor (Cornell; LOC chair), An Foster (Cornell; SOC chair), Jonas Biren (Cornell), Lígia F. Coelho (Cornell), Trevor Foote (Cornell), Veronica Hegelein (Cornell), Maura Lally (Cornell), Adam Langeveld (Cornell), JT Laune (Cornell), Garrett Levine (Yale; past LOC chair), Rixin Li (UC Berkeley), Darryl Seligman (Cornell), Yubo Su (Princeton)

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7. Interdisciplinary Exoplanet Workshop Ahead of Goldschmidt 2024 (August 17-18, 2024; Chicago)​

Exoplanets! Formation! Evolution! And you! Participate in a great interdisciplinary workshop that will feature talks+discussions from experts in astronomy and geology to help bridge the gap in exoplanet characterization. Because the study of exoplanets lies at the boundary of geology and astronomy, our goal is to expand communications between geologists – especially mineralogists and petrologists, planetary scientists, and astronomers. The hope for our workshop is to spur conversations and initiate collaborations, as well as explain the current state of the field and teach one another about our respective fields.

Dates: August 17-18, 2024 in Chicago, right before Goldschmidt2024

Registration: Cost is $260 (reg) / $210 (students). Includes lunch and coffee for both days, as well as copy of a Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry book on “Exoplanets: Compositions, Mineralogy, Evolution” written by the speakers and edited by Natalie Hinkel, Keith Putirka, and Siyi Xu!

Direct link to workshop information: https://tinyurl.com/Goldschmidt24Exoplanets

If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalie Hinkel at natalie.hinkel@gmail.com.