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uc:uc20240806_august_6_2024 [2024/08/06 17:46]
nchanove 		uc:uc20240806_august_6_2024 [2024/08/06 19:17] (current)
nchanove
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-Attending: Nancy Chanover (NMSU), Derek Buzasi (FGCU), Adam Kowalski (CU), Misty Bentz (GSU), Russet McMillan (APO), Joanne Hughes (Seattle U), Sarah Tuttle (UW), Bill Ketzeback (APO), Kevin Schlaufman (JHU), Aleksandr Mosenkov (BYU), Eric Bellm (UW), Ben Williams (UW), Shane Thomas (APO),+Attending: Nancy Chanover (NMSU), Derek Buzasi (FGCU), Adam Kowalski (CU), Misty Bentz (GSU), Russet McMillan (APO), Joanne Hughes (Seattle U), Sarah Tuttle (UW), Bill Ketzeback (APO), Kevin Schlaufman (JHU), Aleksandr Mosenkov (BYU), Eric Bellm (UW), Ben Williams (UW), Shane Thomas (APO)
  
  
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   * UVa - nothing to report (by email)   * UVa - nothing to report (by email)
   * Seattle - nothing to report   * Seattle - nothing to report
-  * FGCU - nothing to report other than they had a night of good observing recently +  * FGCU - nothing to report other than Derek had a night of good observing recently 
-  * Oklahoma - nothing to report (by email)+  * Oklahoma - nothing to report (by email); OU expects to have new Users Committee rep this fall
   * NMSU - nothing to report   * NMSU - nothing to report
   * NAPG - no report   * NAPG - no report
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 === Additional site, telescope and instrument discussion ===  === Additional site, telescope and instrument discussion === 
  
-There was a fire approximately 2 miles from the observatory yesterday (to the north, right before Cathey Canyon parking lot). The fire was spotted by one of the APO staff members as they were driving to work, and it was put out by the Sunspot Volunteer Fire Department. It was likely caused by lightning.+There was a fire approximately 2 miles from the observatory yesterday (to the north, right before the Cathey Canyon parking lot). The fire was spotted by one of the APO staff members as they were driving to work, and it was put out by the Sunspot Volunteer Fire Department. It was likely caused by lightning.
  
-The telescope is behaving nominally. There are several items of note pertaining to the instruments; +The telescope is behaving nominally. There are several items of note pertaining to the instruments: 
-  * Agile is hopefully going to be repaired; we are still waiting for an evaluation. The problem has been isolated to the camera itself, not control unit. +  * Agile is hopefully going to be repaired; we are still waiting for an evaluation. The problem has been isolated to the camera itself, not the control unit. 
-  * ARCES had an inadvertent partial warmup recently when a fill sensor for the CCD reservoir failed. The issue was caught a few hours after the sensor failed and manual fills were initiated. The replacement sensor was quickly replaced and there seem to no adverse effects to the instrument or the resulting data.+  * ARCES had an inadvertent partial warmup recently when a fill sensor for the CCD reservoir failed. The issue was caught a few hours after the sensor failed and manual fills were initiated. The replacement sensor was quickly replaced and there seems to be no adverse effects to the instrument or the resulting data.
   * NICFPS recently had a failure of its vacuum system, either a failed ion pump or the vacuum went soft. Bill had already planned to do a vacuum servicing of NICFPS during the summer shutdown so they warmed the instrument and took it offline in preparation for that.   * NICFPS recently had a failure of its vacuum system, either a failed ion pump or the vacuum went soft. Bill had already planned to do a vacuum servicing of NICFPS during the summer shutdown so they warmed the instrument and took it offline in preparation for that.
   * DIS recently showed an increase in contamination. It is still useable but with a lower performance.   * DIS recently showed an increase in contamination. It is still useable but with a lower performance.
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 Jamey recently hosted a Dark Skies group at the observatory and gave a tour to a number of business leaders from the Permian Basin (their activities contribute to some of the light pollution we experience at APO). They loved the tour. Jamey recently hosted a Dark Skies group at the observatory and gave a tour to a number of business leaders from the Permian Basin (their activities contribute to some of the light pollution we experience at APO). They loved the tour.
  
-As a final reminder, summer shutdown is scheduled for Aug 12-26, with a return to science on Aug 27A.+As a final reminder, summer shutdown is scheduled for August 12-26, with a return to science on Aug 27A.
  
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 === 2024 Q3 3.5m scheduling === === 2024 Q3 3.5m scheduling ===
  
-We have a some unassigned OPEN and DD time remaining in Q3 (Aug 27B, several in September). Lok at the schedule. Users should follow the usual channels for requesting any of this time (i.e. email Russet, Amanda, Ben, Nancy and their institutional scheduler when submitting requests, and provide a proposal cover page if you don't already have a program scheduled for the current quarter).+We have a some unassigned OPEN and DD time remaining in Q3 (Aug 27B, several in September). Users should look at the schedule and follow the usual channels for requesting any of this time (i.e. email Russet, Amanda, Ben, Nancy and their institutional scheduler when submitting requests, and provide a proposal cover page if you don't already have a program scheduled for the current quarter).
  
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 === 2024 Q4 3.5m scheduling === === 2024 Q4 3.5m scheduling ===
  
-Scheduling emails went out end of last week, proposals due Aug 26.+The Q4 allocation emails went out at the end of last week, and all Q4 proposals are due by Aug 26.
  
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 === Website Modernization Effort === === Website Modernization Effort ===
  
-A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to develop a new APO web site. All users are encouraged to review the new web site and confirm that the information you frequently wish to access is there and easily findable for you. We are not seeking comments on the look-and-feel or style (yet). The current version is considered to be in the "alpha state" so it is still fairly preliminary. Once we receive and address the first round of feedback then we will go to a beta version and then deploy it, likely in a tiered fashion. The new web site is going to be mobile friendly, though it may not work well on all pages yet. **UC reps: ask your users to review the new web site (https://newapo.apo.nmsu.edu/) and provide any feedback on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XTGF1ekWatAW-T2xl71rIZgVlEBhtLVWJrkX8cSh8Nw/edit?usp=sharing. May not do switch over during summer shutdown. Will use shutdown for testing of back end work that has to be done before flipping the switch.+A lot of work is going on behind the scenes to develop a new APO web site. All users are encouraged to review the new web site and confirm that the information you frequently wish to access is there and easily findable for you. The current version of the new site is considered to be in the "alpha state" so it is still fairly preliminary. Once we receive and address the first round of feedback then we will go to a beta version and then deploy it, likely in a tiered fashion. The new web site is going to be mobile friendly, though it may not work well on all pages yet. **UC reps: ask your users to review the new web site (https://newapo.apo.nmsu.edu/) and provide any feedback on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XTGF1ekWatAW-T2xl71rIZgVlEBhtLVWJrkX8cSh8Nw/edit?usp=sharing.** Shane will use the summer shutdown for testing out various bits of work that have to be done on the back end before making the switch to the new site, and we hope to deploy the new site at the end of (or shortly after) summer shutdown.
  
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 === Time Domain Astronomy Opportunity === === Time Domain Astronomy Opportunity ===
  
-discussion wi +Nancy, Sarah, Ben and Eric Bellm recently had a discussion with Shri Kulkarni about the possibility of putting a robotic spectrograph for fast transient classification on the 3.5m. The first version of this instrument, developed for ZTF as an R ~ 100 spectrograph for supernova classification spectroscopy, has been on the 60" telescope at Palomar and it is the leading classifier of transients. In addition to being an IFU spectrograph there is an EMCCD that can used in imaging mode or photon-counting mode (but it has a small FOV and an occultation in the center of the frame due to a pickoff mirror). It has been used for stellar science, AGN, and other science, but transient classification is really its main goal. We want to understand from the 3.5m user community whether there is an appetite for devoting some telescope time to this kind of science. This topic raised some great questions and comments: 
-SEDM developed for ZTF - R ~ 100 Sn classification spectorsopy -v1 on palomar is leading classifier of transient classifications. Has been used for stellar science, AGN, transient classification is sweet spot, the idea is intended to be survey followup - putting on 3.5m would gain in collecting power but tradeoff with science that users want to do - is there an appetite for devoting 10-20% of time to follow up in LSST era. In addition to IFU spec there is EMCCD that can used in imaging mode but small FOV and pickoff occultation. +  * Bill: who would be doing the observing for this kind of project? Nancy/Eric: that's really up to us to decide, but we don't have an expectation that this would fall on the shoulders of the observing specialists. 
-Bill K - 10% is substantial amount of time - who would be doing the observing? +  * Bill: from a technical standpoint, if the instrument were to be mounted on Agile's port, that would require a rotator, which could be an expensive addition. 
-need someone to do it - could imagine pan ARC consortium with users doing the observing +  * Adam: would users be able to propose to use the instrument for their own programs or would it be used only for transient observations? Nancy: We would want our users to be able to use it for other science.  
-from Tech point of view, given integrated imaging capability that would require rotator at other port - could be expensive - integrating would be likely expensive manpower item for observator given the lost specialization of axis controllers+  * Adam: what is its primary advantage over KOSMOS given the wavelength coverage? Nancy: it has lower spectral resolution (which some but not all users would want) and the data are reduced and posted very rapidly (~ 15 minutes from data acquisition to posting online). 
 +  * Ben: when the Time Domain Astronomy Working Group (TDAWG) was active several years ago there was interest in the possibility of cross-institutional collaboration to use a portion of the available time for this kind of work.
  
-Adam - would users be able to propose to use the instrument for their own programs or on;y for transient triggers +**Nancy will draft a synopsis of this discussion and send it to the Users Committee reps. The reps will then send it to their users and solicit their feedback in time for the next meeting.** Meanwhile, Nancy will continue to discuss the technical aspects with the observatory staff to determine whether this is a viable option.
-main advantage over Kosmos, lower R, pipeline can spit out data quickly  +
-Sarah - discovery engine, Yes ppl could ask for time, but if collection of users were interested in small to medium survey. Eric B - my experience in similar contexts - get group of interested folks with different science but share time so if you don't have target tonight someone else can use it - natural apportioning of time. We would want it to be open to general proposal. Ben W - when we did TDAWG there was interest in possibility of cross-institutional collaboration to use a portion of their time. Eric: that could and should emerge from TAC process. Opportunity that people could take advantage of.+
  
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 Open action items from previous meetings: Open action items from previous meetings:
-  * Nancy: get ROM costs for new KOSMOS grisms. STATUS: OPEN. Working with few different vendors, weird material issues. KOSMOS gratings were made in an unusual way - assembled in Tucson. One or two of the glasses are no longer available, trying to work with vendors, still have two but having similar issues with glass. Something about the design is making people uncomfortable so trying to shake that out. Several venires no longer doing that for astronomy.+  * Nancy: get ROM costs for new KOSMOS grisms. Sarah reported that she is still working with few different vendors due to some weird materials issues. Apparently the KOSMOS gratings were made in an unusual way and now one or two of the glasses are no longer available. She is trying to understand what about the design is making vendors uncomfortable and several of them are no longer doing this work for astronomy. STATUS: OPEN.
   * UC reps: ask your users to review the alpha version of the new web site to determine whether the content they are used to finding on the web site is still there and easy to find. All feedback should be provided through the Google sheet given above. STATUS: OPEN.   * UC reps: ask your users to review the alpha version of the new web site to determine whether the content they are used to finding on the web site is still there and easy to find. All feedback should be provided through the Google sheet given above. STATUS: OPEN.
-  * Nancy: Ensure that a short description of the impact of satellites be posted on the APO website somewhere and updated every 6 months or so. STATUS: OPEN.+  * Nancy: Ensure that a short description of the impact of satellites be posted on the APO website somewhere and updated every 6 months or so. STATUS: OPEN. Waiting for new web site deployment may not be the best approach. Nancy will get examples of this issue from Anne Verbiscer and get something added to the current web site before the next meeting.
  
 Open action items from this meeting:  Open action items from this meeting: 
-  * xxx+  * UC reps: remind your users to review the Q3 schedule and request OPEN/DD time if they can make a good case for it. 
 +  * Nancy: send UC reps a summary of the time domain discussion and request to users. 
 +  * UC reps: send Nancy's time domain discussion summary and solicit user comments and interest levels by next meeting.
  
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uc/uc20240806_august_6_2024.1722966417.txt.gz · Last modified: 2024/08/06 17:46 by nchanove

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