#bombardment3
Final Announcement — December 2014
Meeting Location and Date
The Workshop on Early Solar System Impact Bombardment III will be held February 4–5, 2015, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), located in the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) building, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston TX 77058.
Introduction
One of the legacies of the Apollo program is the concept of late heavy bombardment or a lunar cataclysm that may have resurfaced the Moon and thermally metamorphosed its crust. Several recent studies have continued to test that concept and explore the implications any bombardment may have for our understanding of lunar evolution and for the origin and early evolution of life on Earth. That lunar record has also recently been expanded to include studies of asteroids and other solar system bodies.
Another legacy of the Apollo era is the giant impact model, in which the Moon forms as a result of an oblique impact between the early Earth and another planet-sized body. Computer simulations have established that such an impact can produce an appropriately massive and iron-poor disk around the Earth. However, uncertainty remains as to how best reconcile the impact theory with key observed properties of the Moon. These include the Moon’s close compositional similarity to the Earth’s mantle, the lunar depletion in volatile elements, and a potentially water-rich lunar interior.
Purpose and Scope
Recognizing the community’s interest in these topics, the LPI and partners within the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Institute (SSERVI) have organized a workshop to explore them. The workshop will provide an opportunity to integrate several diverse components of the above topics. Example topics relevant to the lunar cratering record include an assessment of the geologic record of impact cratering throughout the solar system, cosmochemical constraints on any early bombardment, and dynamical models that might explain the flux of debris and potential changes in the flux of debris. Example topics relevant to lunar origin include cosmochemical and geophysical constraints on lunar formation; giant impact simulations; the chemical, thermal, and/or dynamical evolution of the protolunar disk; and the accretion and early evolution of the Moon.
The goal is to investigate the range of collisional events from the late stages of terrestrial planet accretion to the end of the basin-forming epoch on the Moon. Although the Moon will be a central component of the workshop, the discussion will include observations elsewhere, such as Mercury, Mars, the asteroid belt, and outer solar system moons.
Meeting Format
The workshop will be dominated by contributed oral and poster presentations, although a small number of invited presentations will frame the issues to be explored. These are designed to set the stage for the workshop and identify broad issues. Contributed talks and posters that then follow will add detail and new information that helps resolve the broad issues.
For more information, view the detailed program and abstracts.
Information For Presenters
Oral Presentations —
A PC laptop, LCD projector, and speaker remote will be available for presentation of oral presentations during the scientific sessions. In order to facilitate a smooth transition between speakers, all presentations will be preloaded and tested in advance. To aid the preloading process, create a folder on your flash drive/CD called “Bombardment 2015” and place your PowerPoint presentation in that folder. Please include your last name in the naming of your presentation file. An IT technician will be available each morning from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. and each afternoon from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. to assist in loading your talk.
Hardware and Software Specifications —
The plenary room will be equipped with the following minimum hardware and software:
| PC Hardware: | PC Software: |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Core i5 2520M/2.5 GHz |
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 32-bit |
| Memory: 4 GB RAM | Microsoft Office 2010 (including PowerPoint 2010) |
| Video: 1600 × 900 | Internet Explorer 10, Windows Media Player 12, QuickTime 7, Adobe Acrobat Reader XI, FireFox 32 |
Poster Presentations —
All posters will be available for viewing throughout the workshop; posters not removed by the close of the workshop on Thursday, February 5, will be discarded.
| Poster Setup: | Wednesday, February 4, 7:30 am |
| Poster Removal: | Thursday, February 5, by close of workshop |
| Poster Size: | 44" × 44"(110 cm × 110 cm) |
| Materials Provided: | Pushpins |
Registration
| Through January 5, 2015 | January 6–29, 2015 | Onsite | |
| Professionals | $250.00 | $300.00 | $400.00 |
| Students | $150.00 | $200.00 | $300.00 |
Credit card registrations: Participants registering by credit card MUST use the secure electronic registration form.
Other methods of payment: Those registering using any other method of payment (check, money order, traveler’s check, or wire transfer) must contact the USRA Meeting Registrar for detailed instructions.
Third-Party Payments: Participants required to register using a third party (e.g., SATERN for NASA civil servants) should still register in advance using the electronic registration form. The confirmation e-mail you receive after registering will include payment instructions to submit to the third party. Please be aware, however, that your registration will not be considered complete until the funds have been received.
Cancellations: Requests for cancellation with a fee refund (less a 10% processing fee) will only be accepted through January 21, 2015. Those who fail to attend and do not notify USRA prior to the January 21 deadline will forfeit their full fee.
Check-in: The workshop registration desk at the LPI will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day of the workshop.
Accommodations
We have obtained a block of rooms at the Candlewood Suites– Clear Lake (2737 Bay Area Blvd. Houston TX 77058) for a rate of $89 per night plus taxes. To make your reservation, please contact the hotel directly at 281-461-3060. Our group code is SSW.
The deadline to reserve your room with this rate is January 26, 2015.
Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements and hotel reservations. For a list of hotels in the area, refer to Bay Area Houston Hotel Information. The location of the hotels in relation to the USRA building is shown on the area map.
Parking and Transportation
Parking for the workshop will be available at the University Baptist Church Clear Lake located at 16106 Middlebrook Drive, Houston, TX 77059. A shuttle will be available throughout the workshop to and from the USRA building.
Directions from Bay Area Boulevard: Turn left on Middlebrook Drive and continue 0.4 miles. The UBC parking lot will be on the right, just past Glenshannon Drive. There are plenty of parking spaces available for workshop participants, and signs will be posted at the shuttle pickup and drop off location at the north side of the lot.
Contacts
For further information regarding the scientific content of the meeting:
Dr. David Kring
Lunar and Planetary Institute
E-mail: [email protected]
For further information regarding meeting details or registration:
Kira Honnoll
Meeting and Publication Services
USRA Houston
Phone: 281-244-2011
E-mail: [email protected]
Schedule
| Early Registration Deadline | January 5, 2015 |
| Deadline for hotel reservations at Candlewood Suites | January 26, 2015 |
| Workshop on Early Solar System Impact Bombardment III | February 4–5, 2015 |
