ABSTRACT SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Abstract Deadline — Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 5:00 p.m. U.S. Central Standard Time (GMT -6)

No late abstracts will be accepted, regardless of the reason.
Abstracts sent by e-mail will NOT be considered.
Abstracts are limited to two pages.
All abstracts must be submitted in PDF format.
All abstracts must be submitted in U.S. letter size format (8.5" × 11"); A4 submissions will be rejected by the system.
Abstract file sizes must be no larger than 1.0 MB; larger files will be automatically rejected by the system.

Authors are encouraged to start the submission process early so the USRA staff will have time to provide assistance in the event of technical problems. For technical assistance, contact Linda Tanner (281-486-2142) or Renée Dotson (281-486-2188), or send an e-mail message to [email protected].

Unable to Produce PDF Files? Authors who are unable to produce a PDF file may send their source files (must be in Word or PostScript format) to USRA no later than January 3, 2012. A PDF file will be created and returned to the author, but it is the author’s responsibility to submit that PDF file by the time of the abstract deadline. Source files should be sent to [email protected].

Topics

The topic selections emphasize planetary processes, rather than planetary bodies. As you select the appropriate topic for your abstract, keep in mind an important objective of the conference: fresh, interesting, and informative sessions. Also note that some topics are limited to poster presentation requests only.

NEW THIS YEAR — Authors will be required to pick a primary AND secondary topic in order to give the program committee additional information when constructing the sessions. Authors are encouraged to choose two different topics to maximize the program committee’s ability to arrive at compelling topical session themes. (Example: If the abstract discusses impact craters on the Moon, “Moon” could be selected as the primary topic, and “Impacts” could be the secondary topic, or vice versa.)

Topics available on this year’s submission form are:

Planetary Atmospheres
Impacts
Planetary Dynamics and Tectonics
Igneous Processes
Planetary Differentiation
Exobiology
Cosmochemical Origins (disk evolution including accretion)
Early Solar System Chronology
Presolar Grains and Interplanetary Dust Particles (including Stardust)
Small Bodies (including comets, asteroids, near-Earth objects)
Outer Planets/Satellites/Rings
Differentiated Meteorites and Bodies
Chondrites and Their Components: Solar Nebular and Asteroidal Processes
Mars Geomorphology
Martian Geochemistry and Petrology
Moon
Venus
Mercury
Education/Public Outreach
Material Analogs (including both physical and chemical): Posters Only
Environment Analogs (including terrestrial operational analogs): Posters Only
Planetary Mission Concepts: Posters Only
Instruments and Payload Concepts: Posters Only
Special Session: MESSENGER at Mercury: Orbital Observations
Special Session: Dawn at Vesta
Special Session: A Season in the Saturn System: New Discoveries and Seasonal Changes
Special Session: Planetary Hydrology: Earth, Mars, Titan, and Beyond
Other

Note that the “Other” category should only be used for unusual cases for which NONE of the other categories seem to be appropriate. All abstracts must be categorized in order to be reviewed for placement in a session, so if you don’t pick a specific topic, someone else will pick one for you.

Abstract Submission Policies

First authors are limited to TWO abstracts for oral or poster presentation requests. Authors may request any combination of two — but no more than two — oral and poster presentation formats (i.e., two orals, two posters, or one oral and one poster).

The only exception to this rule is for invited abstracts. If one of your abstracts is for an invited presentation, put a note to that effect in the comments box.

All authors requesting oral presentation must indicate their second choice for presentation mode (poster or print only).

Authors submitting two abstracts for oral presentation will be asked to rank them in order of preference.

Authors requesting a print-only abstract cannot submit an abstract for an oral or a poster presentation, and are limited to ONE print-only request. Print-only abstracts are allowed only under the following conditions: (1) from members of the community who will not be able to attend the meeting or (2) from authors who are NOT submitting an abstract for oral or poster presentation.

Use of Meteorite Names: All meteorites that are cited in abstracts must have official names approved by the Nomenclature Committee. Authors can use the meteoritical database to check the status of a meteorite name. New meteorites not yet approved by the Nomenclature Committee must be submitted by December 1 in order to be considered in time for the abstract submission deadline. The instructions for submitting new meteorites names can be found on the Meteoritical Society website.

The full names of meteorites should be used in titles, subheadings, and at first mention in the text. Abbreviations, including those published in the Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter and the Meteoritical Bulletin, may be used in tables and elsewhere. Note that in the abbreviated form, there should be a space between the place name and the number. In addition, Antarctic meteorites recovered prior to 1981 may have an A after the blank space. Please, see the list of standard abbreviations and examples of their proper usage.

A representative of the Meteorite Nomenclature Committee will be reviewing the LPSC abstracts to make certain that all authors are in compliance with these policies. The program committee reserves the right to reject any abstract found to be in violation of these rules.

Preparation and Submission of Abstracts

Step 1: Download the appropriate template

Step 2: Write the abstract (no more than two pages) using the format shown in the template

Step 3: Create a PDF file (no larger than 1 MB)

Step 4: Fill out the electronic abstract submission form and upload the abstract file