ExoPAG Overview

1. ExoPAG 28 Meeting Will Take Place At 55th DPS Meeting in San Antonio in October 2023

The ExoPAG Executive Committee has decided to schedule the next ExoPAG meeting (ExoPAG 28) at the 55th Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) Meeting.

The 55th DPS Meeting will take place October 1-6, 2023 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio.

The exact date and venue for ExoPAG 28 is still TBD, but will likely take place immediately before, during, or shortly after the DPS Meeting. As usual, the ExoPAG meeting will be hybrid.

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2. ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series (Anjali Piette & Pa Chia Thao; March 17, 2023; 2-3pm ET, 11am-12pm PT)

"Hi all-

The ExoExplorer Science Seminar Series presents talks by cohort members Anjali Piette (Carnegie EPL) & Pa Chia Thao (U of North Carolina Chapel Hill) on March 17, 2023, from 11 AM - 12 PM Pacific / 2 PM - 3 PM Eastern.

Speaker: Anjali Piette (Carnegie EPL)
Title: The Observability of Low-Density Lava World Atmospheres: A Window into Super-Earth Interior Compositions

Speaker: Pa Chia Thao (U of North Carolina Chapel Hill)
Title: Hazy with a Chance of Star Spots: Constraining the Atmosphere of the Young Planet, K2-33b

Meeting link: https://jpl.webex.com/jpl/j.php?MTID=mfef6ccd479c846a38d9db0920ec38a5c
Meeting number: 2763 643 6746
Password: 4EWa6DPPv37

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

And future talks 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"

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3. 2023 Sagan Exoplanet Summer Hybrid Workshop (July 24-28, 2023; Travel Support Applications and Letters due March 23, 2023)

2023 Sagan Exoplanet Summer Hybrid Workshop
Characterizing Exoplanet Atmospheres: The Next Twenty Years
July 24-28, 2023
Hosted by The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

*** Important Note: Deadline for Travel Support Applications is coming up soon (March 23, 2023) and in-person slots for the Sagan Workshop are filling fast ***

From NExScI:

"We are pleased to announce that in-person and online registration to attend the 2023 Sagan Summer Workshop is now available! The workshop will take place online and on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA from July 24-28, 2023. There is no registration fee for the workshop.

The 2023 Sagan Workshop will be followed by an optional half-day workshop on EXCALIBUR, a new tool for comparative planetology. You can indicate your interest in the EXCALIBUR workshop as part of the registration process.

In-person attendees can apply for limited financial assistance to cover local costs. Each application must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation. Travel support applications and letters are due by March 23 and awards will be announced by April 14.

The registration, financial support application, and recommendation letter submission site are all available on the main workshop website."

Sagan Workshop (July 24-28, 2023):
website: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2023/
registration: https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2023/index.shtml#reg

EXoplanet CALIbration and Bayesian Unified Retrieval (EXCALIBUR) workshop
Saturday morning, July 29, 2023 on the Caltech campus
https://nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2023/excalibur.shtml

Questions? Sagan_Workshop@ipac.caltech.edu

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4. Program Scientist Positions in NASA’s Planetary Science Division (Application deadline April 28, 2023)

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has an immediate need for one or more scientists with expertise in planetary science to serve as Program Scientists in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. NASA Program Scientists tackle a wide variety of challenges including: developing, operating, and maintaining Research & Analysis grants programs, serving as the Headquarters scientific lead for one or more Planetary Science missions, and helping implement and communicate the Planetary Science Division’s strategic goals. Program scientists can have substantial influence on strategic planning and can help shape the long-term scientific direction of missions and programs that they oversee.

Positions are available from June 2023, though the start date is flexible. For IPA/Detail positions, applicants should email a curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single PDF file by April 28, 2023 to Stephen.A.Rinehart@nasa.gov.

For more information see https://science.nasa.gov/about-us/job-opportunities.

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5. NOIRLab Call for Proposals for Semester 2023B, including NN-EXPLORE Proposals Invited for the WIYN 3.5m, the CTIO 1.5m with CHIRON, and MINERVA-Australis (Deadline March 31, 2023)

NOIRLab Proposal Call:
https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

NN-EXPLORE Proposals Invited for the WIYN 3.5m, the CTIO 1.5m with CHIRON, and MINERVA-Australis in 2023B:
https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/nn-explore/

"Dear Colleague:
This is a reminder that the NSF’s NOIRLab has issued a Call for Proposals (CfP) for Semester 2023B, with proposals due by 31 MARCH 2023 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time (MST). The 2023B CfP can be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

Please read the CfP23B carefully, as some observatories or facilities continue to have their observing protocols and procedures impacted by COVID-19. Also, the impact on road access to the Kitt Peak summit caused by the Contreras wildfire may continue.

The Dual Anonymous Review Process (DARP) for all observing proposals submitted to NOIRLab (including proposals submitted for time on the Gemini telescopes and Survey proposals) continues in Semester 2023B. This process requires that the abstract, science justification, and experimental and technical design sections in all observing proposals (as well as Data Management and Data Release sections in Surveys) must be anonymized. In the second stage of the process, additional non-anonymized information relevant to the proposal will be revealed to the review panel in order to obtain a final ranking.

Detailed anonymization instructions for PIs can be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/anonymization-instructions , while a document of FAQ can also be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/faq.pdf .

Time requests for 2023B may be made for Gemini North and South, as well as Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (including SOAR and SMARTS), and Kitt Peak National Observatory on the WIYN 3.5m. Time is also available on the automated global telescope network of Las Cumbres Observatory (LCOGT), as well as the CHARA interferometer, the Keck I and Keck II telescopes, and the Magellan I (Baade) and Magellan II (Clay) telescopes. Nights are also available on the Subaru telescope through a time-exchange agreement with Gemini.

We point out a few highlights:

• 5 nights in total are available on the Magellan I & II (Baade and Clay) telescopes in 2023B
• the NN-EXPLORE program, which offers time on the WIYN 3.5m telescope (approximately 35 nights), the CTIO/SMARTS 1.5m telescope with the CHIRON precision radial-velocity spectrometer (300 hours), as well as 300 hours on the precision radial-velocity spectrometer at the MINERVA-Australis exoplanet observatory, operated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in Queensland, Australia.

NN-EXPLORE Proposals: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/nn-explore/

• nights continue to be available on the Keck telescopes, with 2 nights on Keck I and 3 nights on Keck II.
• CHARA has 45 nights available in Semester 2023B.
• AEON time is available on SOAR, Gemini, and LCO.

Questions about the proposal form or the proposal process may be directed to proposal-help@noirlab.edu.

Gemini related questions may be sent to proposal-help@noirlab.edu or through the Gemini Helpdesk at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/helpdesk/submit-general-helpdesk-request "

Note: On February 27, NN-EXPLORE hosted an information session describing the instruments available within the program, as well as their performance. Presentations from that informational session are available at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/nn-explore-2023B-info/

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6. Call for Proposals for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (Deadline April 3, 2023)

2023B NASA IRTF Call for Proposals

The call for NASA Infrared Telescope Facility semester 2023B observing proposals has been released. Proposal Deadline for Semester 2023B (August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024) is Monday, April 3, 2023, 5PM Hawaii Standard Time. Available instruments are listed at:http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/instruments/. Remote observing is offered from any location with broadband Internet access for any project that utilizes IRTF facility instruments. See http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/computer/ for information about IRTF Computer and Remote Observing Information. Please see the announcement for available instruments and for further information. Please review the information and use our Online Application Form at: http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.php.

Released: March 1, 2023
Proposal Due: April 3, 2023
Other Documents: IRTF Home Page http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/
Questions may be directed to Miranda Hawarden-Ogata (hawarden@hawaii.edu)

1. Towards Starlight Suppression for the Habitable Worlds Observatory Workshop (August 8-10, 2023; Pasadena, hybrid)

Towards Starlight Suppression for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
Hybrid workshop to be held on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA with remote attendance capability
August 8-10, 2023
Chairs: Brendan Crill (NASA ExEP) and Laura Coyle (Ball Aerospace)

Description:

NASA has begun planning for an ambitious program to develop the Habitable Worlds Observatory – the first in a panchromatic suite of observatories recommended by the Astro2020 Decadal Survey. The high-level science goals of the mission are to directly image ~25 potentially Earth-like planets and spectroscopically characterize them for signs of life, as well as perform exquisite general astrophysics. This observatory will leverage key technologies from NASA's last two flagships - the segmented primary mirror architecture of JWST and an internal coronagraph from the Roman Space Telescope. It is also intended to be serviceable, paving the way towards a multi-decade lifetime with new instruments to take advantage of future discoveries and technologies.

To achieve the ambitious goal of directly observing habitable planets with high-contrast imaging, the starlight suppression capability of the Habitable Worlds Observatory will have to achieve contrast performance exceeding all that have come before. This will require significant advances both in coronagraphy and telescope stability. To inform future architecture trades, and the engineers and scientists who will conduct them, we will need a comprehensive survey of key technologies and approaches for combining them in an ultra-stable architecture. These will include the technologies identified in the LUVOIR and HabEx reports, and the advancements since those reports were published, as well as new/emerging technologies.

To bring the community to a common foundation of knowledge in preparation for architecture trades, NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program is planning a hybrid workshop on August 8-10, 2023 at the Caltech campus in Pasadena, CA entitled:

Towards Starlight Suppression for the Habitable Worlds Observatory

The purpose of this workshop is to:

• Discuss current best understanding of required starlight suppression performance levels
• Present the best performances to-date of key technologies and approaches (lab demonstrations, modeling, hardware)
• Discuss the suppression/stability trade space for the observatory and the coronagraph (note: this will not include performing trades, only mapping out the space).
• Discuss remaining technical gaps and potential future efforts for maturation/risk reduction

This workshop will be open to all and will provide a valuable foundation for those interested in contributing to the Habitable Worlds Observatory, from students new to the field to experts with decades of experience. In keeping with NASA and the community’s commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA), those with diverse and/or under-represented backgrounds are especially encouraged to attend. To maintain accessibility of the material to a broad audience, no level of previous knowledge is expected beyond basic operations of an IR/O/UV telescope.

The organizing committee will be soliciting summary talks from experts in relevant areas and provide ample time for open debate and discussion. The purpose is to gain common understanding of the current state of potential technologies and where advancement is needed. At the completion of the workshop, attendees will be knowledgeable in the technical basis of coronagraph performance needs, current capabilities, and remaining gaps/risks as well as the overall coronagraph-observatory stability trade space.

Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, please feel free to indicate interest and sign up to receive future announcements by contacting Jennifer Gregory at jgregory@jpl.nasa.gov.

Brendan Crill (NASA ExEP) and Laura Coyle (Ball Aerospace) on behalf of the Workshop organizing committees

Scientific Organizing Committee:
Nick Siegler (NASA ExEP), Michael McElwain (NASA GSFC), Laura Coyle (Ball Aerospace), Brendan Crill (NASA ExEP), Chris Stark (NASA GSFC), Garreth Ruane (JPL), Roser Juanola Parramon (NASA GSFC), John Ziemer (JPL), Laurent Pueyo (STScI), Dimitri Mawet (Caltech), Rus Belikov (NASA ARC), Lee Feinberg (NASA GSFC), Alison Nordt (Lockheed Martin)

Local Organizing Committee:
Jennifer Gregory (NASA ExEP), Nick Siegler (NASA ExEP), Brendan Crill (NASA ExEP), Dimitri Mawet (Caltech)

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2. Spring APAC Meeting (March 29-30, 2023; Virtual)

The spring Astrophysics Advisory Committee (APAC) has been scheduled for March 29th and 30th, 2023.

The agenda is posted at: https://science.nasa.gov/science-pink/s3fs-public/atoms/files/APAC%20Agenda%20March%202023%20Draftv3.pdf

https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/nac/science-advisory-committees/apac

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3. NOIRLab Call for Proposals for Semester 2023B, including NN-EXPLORE Proposals Invited for the WIYN 3.5m, the CTIO 1.5m with CHIRON, and MINERVA-Australis (Deadline March 31, 2023)

NOIRLab Proposal Call:
https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

NN-EXPLORE Proposals Invited for the WIYN 3.5m, the CTIO 1.5m with CHIRON, and MINERVA-Australis in 2023B:
https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/nn-explore/

"Dear Colleague:

This is a reminder that the NSF’s NOIRLab has issued a Call for Proposals (CfP) for Semester 2023B, with proposals due by 31 MARCH 2023 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time (MST). The 2023B CfP can be found at: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/call-for-proposals/

Please read the CfP23B carefully, as some observatories or facilities continue to have their observing protocols and procedures impacted by COVID-19. Also, the impact on road access to the Kitt Peak summit caused by the Contreras wildfire may continue.

The Dual Anonymous Review Process (DARP) for all observing proposals submitted to NOIRLab (including proposals submitted for time on the Gemini telescopes and Survey proposals) continues in Semester 2023B. This process requires that the abstract, science justification, and experimental and technical design sections in all observing proposals (as well as Data Management and Data Release sections in Surveys) must be anonymized. In the second stage of the process, additional non-anonymized information relevant to the proposal will be revealed to the review panel in order to obtain a final ranking

Detailed anonymization instructions for PIs can be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/anonymization-instructions , while a document of FAQ can also be found at https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/faq.pdf .

Time requests for 2023B may be made for Gemini North and South, as well as Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (including SOAR and SMARTS), and Kitt Peak National Observatory on the WIYN 3.5m. Time is also available on the automated global telescope network of Las Cumbres Observatory (LCOGT), as well as the CHARA interferometer, the Keck I and Keck II telescopes, and the Magellan I (Baade) and Magellan II (Clay) telescopes. Nights are also available on the Subaru telescope through a time-exchange agreement with Gemini.

We point out a few highlights:

• 5 nights in total are available on the Magellan I & II (Baade and Clay) telescopes in 2023B
• the NN-EXPLORE program, which offers time on the WIYN 3.5m telescope (approximately 35 nights), the CTIO/SMARTS 1.5m telescope with the CHIRON precision radial-velocity spectrometer (300 hours), as well as 300 hours on the precision radial-velocity spectrometer at the MINERVA-Australis exoplanet observatory, operated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in Queensland, Australia.

NN-EXPLORE Proposals: https://noirlab.edu/science/observing-noirlab/proposals/nn-explore/

• nights continue to be available on the Keck telescopes, with 2 nights on Keck I and 3 nights on Keck II.
• CHARA has 45 nights available in Semester 2023B.
• AEON time is available on SOAR, Gemini, and LCO.

Questions about the proposal form or the proposal process may be directed to proposal-help@noirlab.edu.

Gemini related questions may be sent to proposal-help@noirlab.edu or through the Gemini Helpdesk at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/helpdesk/submit-general-helpdesk-request "

Note: On February 27, NN-EXPLORE hosted an information session describing the instruments available within the program, as well as their performance. Presentations from that informational session will be made available in the coming days at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/nn-explore-2023B-info/

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4. Call for Proposals for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (Deadline April 3, 2023)

2023B NASA IRTF Call for Proposals

The call for NASA Infrared Telescope Facility semester 2023B observing proposals has been released. Proposal Deadline for Semester 2023B (August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024) is Monday, April 3, 2023, 5PM Hawaii Standard Time. Available instruments are listed at:http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/instruments/. Remote observing is offered from any location with broadband Internet access for any project that utilizes IRTF facility instruments. See http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/computer/ for information about IRTF Computer and Remote Observing Information. Please see the announcement for available instruments and for further information. Please review the information and use our Online Application Form at: http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/observing/applicationForms.php.

Released: March 1, 2023
Proposal Due: April 3, 2023
Other Documents: IRTF Home Page http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/
Questions may be directed to Miranda Hawarden-Ogata (hawarden@hawaii.edu)

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5. PRIMA Science Community Workshop (March 21-22, 2023)

"Dear Colleagues:

We are pleased to announce the Second PRIMA Community Workshop on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 21-22, 2023. It will be held virtually, 11am-3pm Eastern Time, 16-20h CET, both days.

PRIMA is a concept for a space telescope mission in the far infrared (25-260 µm), to be submitted later this year to the NASA Announcement of Opportunity for an Astrophysics Probe Explorer (APEX) mission. In overall observing time allocation, PRIMA will be primarily a General Observer mission, and we welcome all astronomers interested in science enabled by far-infrared observations to participate.

We invite you to join us! You will have an opportunity to present your science case by showing a couple of slides in a breakout session. Following the workshop, we invite you to expand it into a brief (2-3 pages) contribution with a due date in June. Your contribution, and others from the community, will be assembled into a PRIMA Science Book to be published on astro-ph arXiv in the fall, with authorship credit for each science case. The goal is to highlight the rich diversity of research topics that the PRIMA GO Program will enable.

Detailed information and a link for registration are available on the Workshop page on the PRIMA website. Be sure to register to receive the Zoom connection information and further details. If you can’t attend the Workshop but would like to contribute to the Science Book, please register anyway to receive these details.

For the PRIMA Development Team and Science Team,
Steve Unwin

Dr. Stephen C. Unwin
Principal Scientist, Project Systems Engineering and Formulation Section 312
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 301-170S, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109
stephen.c.unwin at jpl.nasa.gov Work 818-354-5066 Cell 818-667-2972"

1. NN-EXPLORE Informational Session for 2023B Observing Proposals (February 27, 2023; 5-6pm EST / 2-3pm PST)

From NN-EXPLORE Manager David Ardila:

"NN-EXPLORE Informational Session:

In preparation for the upcoming NOIRLab request for 2023B observing proposals, the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research (NN-EXPLORE - https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/) program will host a remote informational session on observing opportunities available to the US community. This session will be useful to observational astronomers interested in exoplanet research and associated with US institutions.

NN-EXPLORE opportunities include access to the NEID high resolution spectrometer at the WIYN telescope in Kitt Peak, High Resolution Speckle imaging at WIYN, Gemini-North and Gemini-South, and access to radial velocity facilities in the Southern Hemisphere (SMARTS-1.5m/CHIRON and MINERVA-Australis).

The session will describe the resources available to users preparing proposals, the performance of the instruments, and types of observations that benefit most of these instruments.

The session will take place Monday, February 27th, 2023, 2-3 pm (PST) at https://jpl.webex.com/meet/ardila. If you have any questions, please contact the NN-EXPLORE manager: David R. Ardila (david.r.ardila@jpl.nasa.gov)."

Agenda:

The NN-EXPLORE Program	David Ardila (JPL) / 10 min
High Resolution Imaging	Steve Howell (Ames Research Center) / 10 min
The NEID spectrometer	Sarah Logsdon (NOIRLab) / 10 min
The SMARTS/CHIRON spectrometer	Todd Henry (RECONS) / 10 min
The MINERVA-Australis spectrometer	Rob Wittenmyer (USQ Australia) / 10 min
Additional Discussion	All / 10 min

For more information see: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/nn-explore-2023B-info/

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2. NASA ExEP Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (2023) and Community Webinar (March 1, 2023; 2-3pm EST / 11am-12pm PST)

The document "NASA ExEP Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (2023)" is now posted at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2645_NASA_ExEP_Target_List_HWO_Documentation_2023.pdf

The accompanying Excel table of the stars and stellar parameters is posted at: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/internal_resources/2646_NASA_ExEP_Target_List_HWO_Table.xlsx

A community webinar discussing the NASA ExEP Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory will be held Wednesday, March 1, 2023 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm EST / 11:00am to 12:00pm PST via webex: https://jpl.webex.com/meet/mamajek

For further information, contact Eric Mamajek (mamajek@jpl.nasa.gov) or Karl Stapelfeldt (karl.r.stapelfeldt@jpl.nasa.gov).

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3. 2023B NASA Keck Call for Proposals (deadline March 16, 2023)

2023B Call for Proposals for NASA-Allocated Observing Time on the Keck Telescopes
Proposals are due Thursday, March 16, 2023 by 4pm PDT)

Call for proposals:
https://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/gen-info.shtml

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute is soliciting proposals to use NASA's portion of time on the Keck Telescopes for the 2023B observing semester (August 1, 2023 - January 31, 2024). Proposals are due by Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 4 pm Pacific.

NASA intends the use of the Keck telescopes to be highly strategic in support of on-going space missions and/or high priority, long-term science goals. Proposals are sought to support science goals and missions in all of the following discipline areas:

• Our Own Solar System
• Exoplanet Exploration
• Physics of the Cosmos
• Cosmic Origins
• Mission Support Proposals in any of these areas are also encouraged

Please read the Call for Proposals for complete information, semester highlights, and application guidelines. Important information on instrument availability can be found at https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/observing/instavail.html.

The opportunity to propose as a Principal Investigator for NASA time on the Keck Telescopes is open to all U.S.-based astronomers (i.e. who have their principal affiliation at a U.S. institution). Investigators from institutions outside of the U.S. may participate as Co-Investigators.

Questions: KeckCFP@ipac.caltech.edu

Note: Keck Planet Finder (KPF) will be available for regular use throughout the 2023B semester. We anticipate quarter night requests for KPF observations throughout the semester and encourage all other Keck I PIs to consider proposing for 0.75 time allocations if this is feasible for their target visibility.
https://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/realpublic/inst/kpf/

Note: Daylight Saving Time Starts for Pacific Time Zone March 12, 2023 (PST -> PDT).
Proposal deadline is 4pm PDT March 16, 2023. PDT is UTC-7h.