OCTOBER 2009 - TOPICS

Short News The 9th Hellenic Astronomical Conference The 27th General Assembly of Hel.A.S. Greece and ESO October Activities for the IYA2009 PhD Studentship or Postdoctoral Position at NOA Fulbright Scholarships to the US PhD Positions at IMPRS in Garching/Munich PhD Positions at IMPRS in Heidelberg PhD Positions at IMPRS in Bonn and Cologne Nominations for the 2010 Tycho Brahe Prize About this Newsletter

1. SHORT NEWS

Most members of the Society who attended the 9th Conference of Hel.A.S. had the possibility to pay their past membership dues on site. Members who did not attend the Conference and/or have not yet payed their membership for the years 2009 and/or 2008 are kindly requested to do so before the end of October 2009, or contact the Treasurer Prof. Mastichiadis (phone: +30 210 7276909, e-mail: treasurer@helas.gr).

2. THE 9th HELLENIC ASTRONOMICAL CONFERENCE

Those of us who had the chance to attend the 9th Conference of Hel.A.S., which took place in Athens last week, enjoyed an event which was both scientifically stimulating and very well organized. The conference was the national meeting with the highest attendance so far, with many of the participants coming not only from institutes in Greece but also from abroad. A summary of the Conference activities (in greek) prepared by the Conference Chair Prof. Tsinganos is available here. The proceedings of the Conference will be published by PASP. For more information visit the dedicated Conference web page. On the morning of the last day of the Conference a special presentation on ESA and the PRODEX Program was made by representatives of ESA and GSRT. A PDF file of the presentation is available here. The Governing Council of Hel.A.S. would like to thank the local organizing committee who made this conference as success, as well as all participants who came to Athens in order to share their latest scientific results and interact with old friends and colleagues. We all look forward to another successful meeting in 2011.

3. THE 27th GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF HEL.A.S.

The 27th General Assembly (GA) of Hel.A.S. took place on September 22, 2009 during the 9th Conference of the Society. Even though the minutes of the GA will become available soon, we provide here a brief presentation of the key points of the GA. The President of the Society K. Tsinganos summarized the activities of Hel.A.S. during the last years while the Treasurer, A. Mastichiadis, presented a detailed account of the finances. The Secretary, V. Charmandaris, introduced to the GA the applications of the individuals who had requested to become members of the Society, as well as the changes in membership status of some members. These were: Applicants for Ordinary Membership (6): Koushiappas Savvas, (PhD Ohio State Univ., USA), Assistant Professor, Brown Univ., USA Livadiotis George, (PhD, Univ. of Athens), Research Associate, South West Research Institute, USA Paschalidis Vasileios, (PhD Univ. of Chicago, USA), Research Associate, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Reig Pablo, (PhD, Univ. of Valencia, Spain), Researcher B, FORTH/IESL Sandberg Ingmar, (PhD, Univ. of Uppsalla, Sweden), Research Associate, NOA/ISARS Sergis Nikolaos, (PhD, Univ. of Athens), Research Associate, Academy of Athens Applicants for Junior Membership (15): Anastasiou George, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Andriopoulou Maria, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Dionatos Odysseas, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Giannaropoulou Elisavet, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Katsanikas Mathaios, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Koumpia Eygenia, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Lazaridis Kosmas, Graduate Student at Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie, Germany Nikoloudakis Nikolaos, Graduate Student at Durham Univ., UK Papailiou Christina-Maria, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Papaioannou Athanasios, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Petropoulou Maria, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Polychroni Danae, Graduate Student at Liverpool John Moores Univ., UK Tremou Evangelia, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Cologne, Germany Tsigaridi Eliana, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Athens Vassiliadis Euthymios, Graduate Student at the Univ. of Thrace In addition 6 members changed membership status. These were: From Junior to Ordinary Membership (3): Koulouridis Elias, (PhD 2009), University of Patras Magdis George, (PhD 2009), Oxford University, UK Matsakos Titos, (PhD 2009), University of Torino, Italy From Junior to Associate Membership (1): Tsantilas Sotirios, Univ. of Athens From Associate to Ordinary Membership (1): Metallinou Anastasia-Fiori, (PhD 2009), Univ. of Thessaloniki From Associate to Junior Membership (1): Markakis Konstantinos, Univ. of Athens The GA unanimously approved all applications and changes of membership status. As a result Hel.A.S. now numbers 242 members. Detailed membership statistics are available as usual at: http://www.helas.gr/stats.php

4. OCTOBER ACTIVITIES FOR THE IYA2009

In this news-item we present all activities related to the International Year of Astronomy which, to our knowledge, are scheduled in Greece this coming month. If you wish to have your IYA2009 planned activities included in this mailing please inform the Editor of the e-newsletter. For October 2009 the following events are planned: 2 & 3 October - Event on "Herschel Space Observatory: Discovering the Cold Universe", Thessaloniki More details about the events mentioned above, as well as all upcoming activities for the IYA 2009 which will take place in Greece under the auspices of Hel.A.S., are available at: http://www.helas.gr/gr/iya2009.php

5. GREECE AND ESO

During the 9th Conference of Hel.A.S. a special Session was devoted to the prospects of Greece joining ESO. To better move towards making this a reality, the President of the Society proposed the formation of a working group which will prepare a report presenting the scientific and technological advantages the country will benefit if it becomes an associated ESO member state. This report will be given to the President of Hel.A.S. as well as to the President of the Greek National Committee for Astronomy who will forward it to the relevant government officials. This proposal was accepted by the GA. All individuals who are interested in contributing their time to this working group should contact the Secretary of Hel.A.S. Prof. V. Charmandaris who is coordinating the work.

6. PHD STUDENTSHIP OR POSTDOCTORAL POSITION AT NOA

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD position or a 2 year postdoctoral research position on the study of the most massive stars in the local Universe. The project involves measuring fundamental parameters (masses & radii) for stars with masses >30 Mo with the goal of testing stellar formation and evolution models, which currently remain unconstrained. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Dr Alceste Bonanos at the National Observatory of Athens - IAA. A master's degree in (astro)physics or astronomy is a prerequisite for the PhD project, while a PhD in (astro)physics or astronomy is required for the postdoctoral position. The position is funded by a Marie Curie international reintegration grant. Applications should include a curriculum vitae, a brief statement of research interests (in english) and two names of researchers willing to write letters of reference. Consideration of applications will begin on October 31, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled. A starting date in December 2009 is anticipated. Submission and Inquires should be addressed to Dr Alceste Bonanos (e-mail: bonanos@astro.noa.gr, tel.: +30 210 8109166, fax: +30 210 8040453)

7. FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE US

The Fulbright Foundation in Greece will award 15 to 20 partial grants to graduate students for a Master's or Ph.D. degree, beginning September 2010, at universities in the United States. Award is open to graduate students in all fields of study except medicine, dentistry and veterinary science or those who wish to enter residency training programs. Candidates should have already applied to U.S. universities when they submit their Fulbright application. Admission to a U.S. University is not required at the time of application but is mandatory for the award of the grant. Grantees are selected on the basis of academic excellence, professional experience (if applicable), career potential and personal character. The application deadline is 11 January 2010. Furthermore, five to seven grants for 2-3 month visits to the US are available for University faculty and researchers who have more than 5 years of research experience past their PhD. The application deadline is 13 November 2009. For additional information you may contact the Fulbright fellowship advisor either by e-mail (at greekprogram@fulbright.gr) or by phone in Athens at +30-210-7241811 (extension 3), or in Thessaloniki at +30-2310-242904, during weekly working hours (except on Wednesdays) . You may also check the "Scholarship" section of the Foundation web site at: http://www.fulbright.gr/

8. PHD POSITIONS AT IMPRS IN GARCHING/MUNICH

The International Max-Planck Research School on Astrophysics (IMPRS) is soliciting applications for its PhD program. Located in the beautiful Munich-Garching area in southern Bavaria (Germany), the school offers a unique environment for graduate students due to the presence of four internationally renowned institutes which form the school: * The Max-Planck Institute for extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) * The Observatory of the University of Munich (LMU/USM) * The Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) * The European Southern Observatory (ESO) In addition, Astro-particle physics groups at the Technical University of Munich are participating as associated partners. Applications for the program are open to students from all countries. More details on the IMPRS program and the admission requirements can be found at the IMPRS website: http://www.imprs-astro.mpg.de/ The closing date for applications for the program starting in September 2010 is December 1, 2009. Applications forms are available online at: http://www.imprs-astro.mpg.de/admission.html

9. PHD POSITIONS AT IMPRS IN HEIDELBERG

Applications are invited for the doctoral program of the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Astronomy & Cosmic Physics at the University of Heidelberg. The scientific environment in Heidelberg provides outstanding research facilities and training programs covering a wide range of research topics with access to ground-based and space telescopes as well as high- performance computers. The following institutions of the Max Planck Society and Heidelberg University take part in IMPRS Heidelberg: * The Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy * Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics * Astronomisches Rechen-Institut * Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics * Landessternwarte Koenigstuh Applications for the program are open to students from all countries. More details on the IMPRS program and the admission requirements can be found at the IMPRS website http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/imprs-hd The closing date for applications for the program starting in September 2010 is December 13, 2009. Applications forms are available online at: http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de/imprs-hd

10. PHD POSITIONS AT IMPRS IN BONN & COLOGNE

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, funded by the German Max Planck Society, invites applications for its doctoral program. It is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR), the Argelander-Institut für Astronomie (AIfA) of the University of Bonn and the I. Physikalisches Institut at the University of Cologne. The official and working language of the school is English. IMPRS offers PhD courses both in observational and theoretical astrophysics, covering a wide range of topics ranging from observational radio interferometry to theoretical cosmology, such as: Structure and Kinematics of AGN Jets * Galactic Masers: Nature and Application to Astrophysics * Intra-Day Variability * Infra-Red Interferometry of Disks and Jets of Young Stars * Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Development * Interstellar Matter in Galaxies * Infra-Red Interferometry of AGN * Strong and Weak Gravitational Lensing * Galactic and Extragalactic Magnetic Fields * High Precision Astrometry * Envelopes of Evolved Stars * Radiative Transfer Modeling * Star Formation in the Milky Way and Other Galaxies * Astroparticle Physics * Supermassive Binary Black Holes in AGN * Observational Cosmology * Stellar Populations * Star Clusters * Satellite Galaxies * Galactic Dynamics * Binary Pulsars * Neutron Stars * Experimental tests of gravity * Transient Radio Sky. A list of suggested PhD projects can be found here. The call for applications is open until November 15, 2009. Encouraged to apply are students from all countries with an M.Sc. degree or diploma (preferably including a thesis) in Physics or closely related subjects. Solid astrophysical background is highly favored. More details on the IMPRS program and the admission requirements and process can be found at the IMPRS website: http://www.mpifr.de/english/IMPRS

11. NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2010 TYCHO BRAHE PRIZE

[News provided by the EAS] The Council of the European Astronomical Society (EAS) invites nominations for the 2010 Tycho Brahe Prize. Starting in 2008, the Tycho Brahe Prize has been awarded annually in recognition of the development or exploitation of European instruments, or major discoveries based largely on such instruments. Previous winners of the Prize are Prof. Dr. Goran Scharmer and Prof. Dr. Françoise Combes. The nomination deadline is October 31, 2009. Full details, including nomination form can be found on the EAS webpages at: http://eas.unige.ch/tycho_brahe_prize.jsp

12. ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

This Newsletter was sent to all members of Hel.A.S. who have e-mail access. The next edition of the Newsletter will be mailed around November 1st 2009. Please send your announcements (e.g. appointments/departures, job openings, research opportunities, awards, conferences in Greece) or comments before October 25, 2009. If you do not wish to receive future issues of this Newsletter or the e-mail address to which it was sent is not your preferred one, please inform the Secretary of Hel.A.S.