From yeshefenner at swin.edu.au Mon Jul 25 19:04:35 2016 From: yeshefenner at swin.edu.au (Yeshe Fenner) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2016 09:04:35 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Short survey on your computing requirements In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear ASA members, You are invited to complete a short (5-10 minute) survey about the computing-related resources that you currently use, and what you will need in the future to support your work. Your feedback will be important to help Astronomy Australia Ltd (AAL) understand the Australian astronomy community's computing requirements, and plan for future investments and activities to support those needs. Note: You may respond to this survey as an individual or on behalf of a research group. If the latter, you are encouraged to consult with your research group in order to complete this survey. Heads of departments are encouraged to circulate this invitation to relevant individuals who may not be on the ASA member list. The survey will close at 5PM AEST Tuesday 2nd August 2016: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/astrocomputing Background: AAL established a Computing Infrastructure Planning Working Group in late 2015 to advise AAL on future investments in computing infrastructure, support and training. The Working Group identified a number of areas where the astronomy community's computing requirements are at risk of not being met by the available resources. These areas range from hardware (e.g., storage, compute, network infrastructure) through to software, people and skills (e.g., training and user support). In order for the Working Group and AAL to better understand the prevalence and severity of these issues, the Australian astronomy community is invited to provide feedback via this survey. Please contact me with any questions. Thanks for your feedback, Yeshe Fenner, on behalf of the Computing Infrastructure Planning Working Group ______________________________ Dr Yeshe Fenner, PhD, PMP Executive Officer Astronomy Australia Ltd T: 03 9214 5520 M: 0430 708 995 E: yeshe.fenner at astronomyaustralia.org.au W: astronomyaustralia.org.au P: P.O. Box 2100 Hawthorn VIC 3122 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From George.Heald at csiro.au Wed Jul 27 11:12:25 2016 From: George.Heald at csiro.au (George.Heald at csiro.au) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:12:25 +0000 Subject: [ASA] First Pietro Barrachi conference: pre-deadline announcement (early registration and abstract submission deadline August 1) Message-ID: <1469581945686.90781@csiro.au> The "First Pietro Baracchi Conference: Italo-Australian Radio Astronomy in the Era of the SKA" will be held in Perth, November 1 - 4, 2016. The conference website can be found at: http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/conferences/2016/Baracchi/index.html We have had an excellent registration response and have a fantastic range of Italian and Australian speakers for the conference, across a wide range of astrophysics and cosmology relevant to the Square Kilometre Array. The conference schedule will contain many fascinating talks as well as ample opportunity for discussion and informal interactions, tours of local radio astronomy institutes and facilities (i.e. Pawsey supercomputing Centre), and a full social program (at no cost to participants). This is a reminder announcement that abstract submission and early registration for the conference closes on August 1. Soon after this date, the conference schedule will be finalised. We therefore encourage anyone interested in submitting an abstract to do so before August 1. On behalf of the organising committees, George Heald Oscar Moze Steven Tingay George Heald OCE Science Leader CASS/Perth Astrophysics Team Leader CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science E george.heald at csiro.au T +61 8 6436 8758 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151, Australia www.csiro.au | www.atnf.csiro.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au Thu Jul 28 12:47:43 2016 From: Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au (Paul Francis) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 02:47:43 +0000 Subject: [ASA] SSO 2.3m Call for Proposals Message-ID: Dear Observer, The closing date for observing proposals for time on the ANU/RSAA 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in the quarter 1st NOVEMBER 2016 - 31st JANUARY 2017 is 23:59 August 15, 2016. Instruments available: Nasymth A: WiFeS Nasymth B: Imager or echelle. Observing proposals must be submitted electronically via the RSAA web pages. Full instructions are available at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/observing-rsaa. You will need the most recent versions of the template and style files which can be obtained from the web pages. *************************** PLEASE NOTE *********************************** (1) WiFeS users are requested to indicate on the proposal form whether they will be present at the telescope or observe remotely. Remote observing is available only to experienced WiFeS observers but can now be carried out from Australian sites other than Mt Stromlo subject to technical feasibility. (2) Proposals for use of the 2.3m will only be considered if the PI is from the ANU or from another institution that contributes financially or has contributed financially and directly to the building and/or operations of the 2.3m telescope and its commissioned instruments. These institutions include those that collaborated on the successful ARC LIEF bid to fund the Blue Arm of the WiFeS spectrograph and the successful ARC LIEF bid for the WiFeS upgrade. All such proposals will be judged on their scientific merit alone. There will be no quotas placed on the amount of time available for qualifying institutions. These policies will remain in place for the present. Currently eligible (non-ANU) institutions are the AAO, UQld, UNSW and USyd as well as Swinburne, Monash and Macquarie. (3) Macquarie, Swinburne and Monash proposals have a certain amount of guaranteed time. All proposals wishing to claim this should state explicitly in the abstract how much of this time they wish to claim. (4) Limited first night support at the telescope is provided to new observers. Nevertheless new observers are strongly encouraged to be present at the telescope at least one night before their observing run to familiarise themselves with the telescope and instrument operating systems. The latest information on using the telescope and its instruments can be found at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/obsering-rsaa. (5) Proposers are reminded to limit their scientific case to TWO pages, including figures and references. *************************************************************************** If you have technical problems in using the web-based submission process, please email tacinfo at mso.anu.edu.au. Paul Francis Chair, ANU TAC ============================= A/Prof. Paul Francis Astrophysicist Mt Stromlo Observatory, and the Physics Education Centre College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Building 38a, Tel 02 6125 2824 or 8031 The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia paul.francis at anu.edu.au http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~pfrancis/ CRICOS Provider #00120C -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Thu Jul 28 13:22:26 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:22:26 +1000 Subject: [ASA] =?windows-1252?q?_GMT_Community_Science_Meeting=3A_Septembe?= =?windows-1252?q?r_26=9628=2C_2016__=2819_August_is_abstract_deadline=29?= Message-ID: Dear All: Please see the announcement below regarding the 4th Annual GMT Community Science Meeting. The meeting is an area where many of the ASA community are active and it provides an excellent opportunity to present results and hear the latest on GMT?s progress. Plus there is no registration fee and the meeting is being held at a very nice location on the Monterey peninsula in Northern California. I will also add that funding is available through GMT for students and postdocs (up to full trip costs!). Best regards, Andy Sheinis, AAL GMT SAC Rep and Martin Asplund, ANU GMT SAC Rep > http://www.gmtconference.org/ > > Fourth Annual > GMT Community Science Meeting > > Sponsored by the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization > > September 26?28, 2016 > Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA > > New observing techniques, instrumentation, and theoretical understanding have fueled the recent dramatic growth in exoplanet observations and theory. > > Scientists from around the world will gather on California?s Monterey Peninsula to discuss the current and future status of research on exoplanet detection techniques, characterization, system dynamics, and formation mechanisms and time scales, with a view towards the roles of future observatories and instrumentation in these areas. The conference will include a gala banquet held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium > OVERVIEW > > > Fourth Annual GMT Community Science Meeting > > In 1988 the first exoplanet was discovered orbiting Gamma Cephei A, although it was not until 2002 that the discovery was confirmed. The 1995 discovery of 51 Peg b, through Doppler velocity techniques, ushered in a new era of radial velocity discovery. The observation of the transit of HD 209458 b across the face of its parent star in 2000 foreshadowed the results of the Kepler mission, which has, since 2009, discovered thousands of exoplanets. The first images of an exoplanet in 2004 (2M1207b) and a family of exoplanets in 2008 (HR 8799) demonstrated the powerful ability of adaptive optics on large ground-based telescopes to spot massive exoplanets. > > In parallel astronomers have developed techniques and tools for measuring the atmospheres and other characteristics of exoplanets, often using primary or secondary transits as an opportunity for differential spectrophotometry. > > Theory can now be confronted with data, and the development of models and interpretation of the data have developed at a rapid pace in recent years. > > With the ongoing introduction of new instruments, techniques and theoretical models, and the upcoming addition of extremely large telescopes like the GMT, the TMT, and the E-ELT, and new space missions like TESS, we can expect this boom in the enterprise of studying exoplanets to continue at a rapid pace, leading to a better understanding of our own place in the Universe. At the conference we will explore the following questions: > > ? What unique roles will ELTs play in precision radial velocity and direct imaging? > ? What are the frontiers in determining the diversity of exoplanet atmospheric properties? > ? What observable consequences are there of the interior properties of exoplanets? > ? How can circumstellar disk observations provide clues to the properties of exoplanetary systems? > ? How will planet formation theory benefit from ELT observations? > ? What do we need to know or what can we observe about stars to understand exoplanets? > ? What unique challenges and opportunities do ELTs present for future instrumentation for exoplanet characterization? > Speakers > > > (those in italics are not confirmed) > > Rebecca Bernstein, GMTO > > Jayne Birkby, Harvard > > Alan Boss, Carnegie Inst. Of Washington > > Ian Crossfield, Univ. of Arizona > > Roubing Dong, U. C. Berkeley > > Kate Follette, Stanford Univ. > > Jonathan Fortney, U. C. Santa Cruz > > Olivier Guyon, Univ. of Arizona/Subaru Telescope > > Raphaelle Haywood, Harvard Univ. > > Nikole Lewis, Space Telescope Science Institute > > Collete Salyk, Vassar College > > Evgenya Shkolnik, Arizona State Univ. > > Andy Skemer, U. C. Santa Cruz > ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Fri Jul 29 09:15:36 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:15:36 +1000 Subject: [ASA] GMT Metric Documents available for review References: <347C530B-9653-4CB6-9943-DCE92FD7C964@noao.edu> Message-ID: <28590803-6492-4B9C-A15F-B19A7E52A92F@aao.gov.au> Hi All, The GMT Metrics document is available for review/comment. The goal of this document is to identify the minimum set of metrics to be tracked to ensure the reliable, efficient, and productive operation of GMT. This document identifies (potential) metrics that will allow monitoring of operational and scientific performance. Each metric will be defined so as to identify what operational or scientific aspect or parameter is being measured, how it will be captured and with what frequency, and how it will be used. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ec9txr2u8j0sgkt/GMT_Metrics_SAC-D1-public.docx?dl=0 Please send questions and comments to me, and I will inform the GMT SAC. cheers -Andy Sheinis, GMT SAC Rep for AAL ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Helen.Woods at aao.gov.au Fri Jul 29 10:34:00 2016 From: Helen.Woods at aao.gov.au (Helen Woods) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:34:00 +1000 Subject: [ASA] ***Vacancy on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC)*** Message-ID: <579AA478.8090203@aao.gov.au> ***Vacancy on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC)*** Suitably experienced members of the Australian astronomical community are invited to nominate for a vacant position on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC). ATAC is the committee that allocates time on the AAT. It also allocates Australian telescope time to other overseas telescopes. It meets in North Ryde twice a year, the next meeting being in November 2016. The term of an ATAC member is generally for 3 years, but may need to be staggered to ensure smooth turnover in membership. You can find the current membership of ATAC and their terms of office at: http://www.aao.gov.au/science/observing/ATAC In reviewing nominations for ATAC membership, the AAO Director and Advisory Committee will consider the range of specialisations and seniorities required for the committee?s effective operation, and will not normally have more than one representative from any given institution. They will then submit their recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Industry Science & Innovation who, if necessary will appoint a Chair from among the Committee members. The Director will then appoint a Deputy Chair. If you wish to be considered for membership of ATAC, please send your name and a brief summary (less than 50 words) of your specialisations to the Secretary of ATAC, Ms Helen Woods (hmw at aao.gov.au) by COB Wednesday 10 August 2016. Helen Woods Helen Woods ATAC Secretary Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde, NSW, 1670 Tel: +61 2 9372 4812 From matthew.colless at anu.edu.au Fri Jul 29 14:09:05 2016 From: matthew.colless at anu.edu.au (Matthew Colless) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 04:09:05 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Australia-Subaru instrumentation workshop Message-ID: <4EF3B69E-0225-449A-9B85-6E66B2C4CED5@anu.edu.au> Australia-Subaru instrumentation workshop 10 August 2016, Mount Stromlo Representatives of the Subaru Observatory are visiting Australia for the AAL Board meeting on 11 August in order to discuss the potential for Australian partnership in Subaru. As part of the discussions on that topic, the Subaru representatives would like to explore the ways in which Australia could engage with the Subaru instrumentation program. AAL is therefore organising a half-day workshop where Australian instrument scientists can meet with Prof. Nobuo Arimoto (Director, Subaru Telescope), Dr Ikuru Iwata (Associate Director, Subaru Telescope), and Dr Yosuke Minowa (Subaru Telescope AO scientist). The workshop will be held at Mount Stromlo (in the Common Room) on Wednesday, 10 August. The exact time of the meeting and a proper agenda will be circulated early next week, but an initial indication of topics is as follows: * The Subaru instrumentation program (Iwata) * Brief summaries of Australian instrumentation capabilities * Open discussions on specific instruments/technologies of interest, such as: * Subaru PFS (Prime Focus Spectrograph) * Subaru ULTIMATE (next-gen wide-field AO-fed NIR MOS) * Subaru GLAO and LTAO systems * Wide-field and IFU spectrographs * Fibre positioning systems * Adaptive optics systems * Optical and infrared detectors * Software for instrument control and data analysis The goals of the workshop are: 1. to identify areas where Australia could potentially make significant in-kind contributions to Subaru instrumentation as part of a possible partnership arrangement; 2. to identify specific small developments that Australia and Subaru could immediately initiate in order to develop the potential in-kind contributions and increase mutual confidence in working together. In order to keep the workshop focussed, numbers will be limited. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please email Director.RSAA at anu.edu.au by Wednesday, 3 August. Mark McAuley Warrick Couch Matthew Colless -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Sat Jul 30 07:12:56 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 07:12:56 +1000 Subject: [ASA] GMT Data archive document for review References: <75a6f681-0822-ea26-4c49-78185e9a24ab@austin.utexas.edu> Message-ID: Hi All, The GMT Data Archive document is available for review/comment. The GMTO science archive will be a data center from which archive users will be able to access raw data (as delivered directly from the instrument), as well as processed data. The archive will serve as a data delivery mechanism for new scientific data as it is produced by the instruments and undergoes preliminary processing. All GMT data need to be captured and archived independent of PI or other program?s disposition of (their) data. Queue observing requires proper distribution of data to various PIs; an automated method of doing this through the archive is a cost- effective solution. Time-sensitive observations such as transients might best be handled through the archive. The archive will also provide long-term curation of data. Having an observatory-supplied and supported means for keeping this valuable resource available for current and future scientists is important.Finally, providing a structured method of querying science data can be important for instrument and telescope troubleshooting. https://www.dropbox.com/home/GMT%20SAC/Public%20SAC%20Working%20Group%20Docs?preview=GMT-Science_Archive.pdf Please send questions and comments to me, and I will inform the GMT SAC. cheers -Andy Sheinis, GMT SAC Rep for AAL ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* Begin forwarded message: > From: Anita Cochran > Subject: Data archive document > Date: 30 July 2016 6:11:42 AM AEST > To: "gmtsac at gmto.org" , Rebecca Bernstein , Alan Dressler > Cc: > > The data archive document is now on the shared web site. The link (I think - I am not good dropbox) is > > https://www.dropbox.com/home/GMT%20SAC/Public%20SAC%20Working%20Group%20Docs?preview=GMT-Science_Archive.pdf > > I add (in red) three questions on the cover page of the document. We would like to get general feedback but particularly would love the get feedback on these questions. > > Anita > > -- > Anita Cochran, Assistant Director, McDonald Observatory > The University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory > 1 University Station C1402, Austin TX 78712-0259 > EMAIL: anita at astro.as.utexas.edu PHONE: 512-471-1471 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From yeshefenner at swin.edu.au Mon Jul 25 19:04:35 2016 From: yeshefenner at swin.edu.au (Yeshe Fenner) Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2016 09:04:35 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Short survey on your computing requirements In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Dear ASA members, You are invited to complete a short (5-10 minute) survey about the computing-related resources that you currently use, and what you will need in the future to support your work. Your feedback will be important to help Astronomy Australia Ltd (AAL) understand the Australian astronomy community's computing requirements, and plan for future investments and activities to support those needs. Note: You may respond to this survey as an individual or on behalf of a research group. If the latter, you are encouraged to consult with your research group in order to complete this survey. Heads of departments are encouraged to circulate this invitation to relevant individuals who may not be on the ASA member list. The survey will close at 5PM AEST Tuesday 2nd August 2016: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/astrocomputing Background: AAL established a Computing Infrastructure Planning Working Group in late 2015 to advise AAL on future investments in computing infrastructure, support and training. The Working Group identified a number of areas where the astronomy community's computing requirements are at risk of not being met by the available resources. These areas range from hardware (e.g., storage, compute, network infrastructure) through to software, people and skills (e.g., training and user support). In order for the Working Group and AAL to better understand the prevalence and severity of these issues, the Australian astronomy community is invited to provide feedback via this survey. Please contact me with any questions. Thanks for your feedback, Yeshe Fenner, on behalf of the Computing Infrastructure Planning Working Group ______________________________ Dr Yeshe Fenner, PhD, PMP Executive Officer Astronomy Australia Ltd T: 03 9214 5520 M: 0430 708 995 E: yeshe.fenner at astronomyaustralia.org.au W: astronomyaustralia.org.au P: P.O. Box 2100 Hawthorn VIC 3122 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From George.Heald at csiro.au Wed Jul 27 11:12:25 2016 From: George.Heald at csiro.au (George.Heald at csiro.au) Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2016 01:12:25 +0000 Subject: [ASA] First Pietro Barrachi conference: pre-deadline announcement (early registration and abstract submission deadline August 1) Message-ID: <1469581945686.90781@csiro.au> The "First Pietro Baracchi Conference: Italo-Australian Radio Astronomy in the Era of the SKA" will be held in Perth, November 1 - 4, 2016. The conference website can be found at: http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/conferences/2016/Baracchi/index.html We have had an excellent registration response and have a fantastic range of Italian and Australian speakers for the conference, across a wide range of astrophysics and cosmology relevant to the Square Kilometre Array. The conference schedule will contain many fascinating talks as well as ample opportunity for discussion and informal interactions, tours of local radio astronomy institutes and facilities (i.e. Pawsey supercomputing Centre), and a full social program (at no cost to participants). This is a reminder announcement that abstract submission and early registration for the conference closes on August 1. Soon after this date, the conference schedule will be finalised. We therefore encourage anyone interested in submitting an abstract to do so before August 1. On behalf of the organising committees, George Heald Oscar Moze Steven Tingay George Heald OCE Science Leader CASS/Perth Astrophysics Team Leader CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science E george.heald at csiro.au T +61 8 6436 8758 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151, Australia www.csiro.au | www.atnf.csiro.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au Thu Jul 28 12:47:43 2016 From: Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au (Paul Francis) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 02:47:43 +0000 Subject: [ASA] SSO 2.3m Call for Proposals Message-ID: Dear Observer, The closing date for observing proposals for time on the ANU/RSAA 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in the quarter 1st NOVEMBER 2016 - 31st JANUARY 2017 is 23:59 August 15, 2016. Instruments available: Nasymth A: WiFeS Nasymth B: Imager or echelle. Observing proposals must be submitted electronically via the RSAA web pages. Full instructions are available at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/observing-rsaa. You will need the most recent versions of the template and style files which can be obtained from the web pages. *************************** PLEASE NOTE *********************************** (1) WiFeS users are requested to indicate on the proposal form whether they will be present at the telescope or observe remotely. Remote observing is available only to experienced WiFeS observers but can now be carried out from Australian sites other than Mt Stromlo subject to technical feasibility. (2) Proposals for use of the 2.3m will only be considered if the PI is from the ANU or from another institution that contributes financially or has contributed financially and directly to the building and/or operations of the 2.3m telescope and its commissioned instruments. These institutions include those that collaborated on the successful ARC LIEF bid to fund the Blue Arm of the WiFeS spectrograph and the successful ARC LIEF bid for the WiFeS upgrade. All such proposals will be judged on their scientific merit alone. There will be no quotas placed on the amount of time available for qualifying institutions. These policies will remain in place for the present. Currently eligible (non-ANU) institutions are the AAO, UQld, UNSW and USyd as well as Swinburne, Monash and Macquarie. (3) Macquarie, Swinburne and Monash proposals have a certain amount of guaranteed time. All proposals wishing to claim this should state explicitly in the abstract how much of this time they wish to claim. (4) Limited first night support at the telescope is provided to new observers. Nevertheless new observers are strongly encouraged to be present at the telescope at least one night before their observing run to familiarise themselves with the telescope and instrument operating systems. The latest information on using the telescope and its instruments can be found at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/obsering-rsaa. (5) Proposers are reminded to limit their scientific case to TWO pages, including figures and references. *************************************************************************** If you have technical problems in using the web-based submission process, please email tacinfo at mso.anu.edu.au. Paul Francis Chair, ANU TAC ============================= A/Prof. Paul Francis Astrophysicist Mt Stromlo Observatory, and the Physics Education Centre College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Building 38a, Tel 02 6125 2824 or 8031 The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia paul.francis at anu.edu.au http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~pfrancis/ CRICOS Provider #00120C -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Thu Jul 28 13:22:26 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:22:26 +1000 Subject: [ASA] =?windows-1252?q?_GMT_Community_Science_Meeting=3A_Septembe?= =?windows-1252?q?r_26=9628=2C_2016__=2819_August_is_abstract_deadline=29?= Message-ID: Dear All: Please see the announcement below regarding the 4th Annual GMT Community Science Meeting. The meeting is an area where many of the ASA community are active and it provides an excellent opportunity to present results and hear the latest on GMT?s progress. Plus there is no registration fee and the meeting is being held at a very nice location on the Monterey peninsula in Northern California. I will also add that funding is available through GMT for students and postdocs (up to full trip costs!). Best regards, Andy Sheinis, AAL GMT SAC Rep and Martin Asplund, ANU GMT SAC Rep > http://www.gmtconference.org/ > > Fourth Annual > GMT Community Science Meeting > > Sponsored by the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization > > September 26?28, 2016 > Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA > > New observing techniques, instrumentation, and theoretical understanding have fueled the recent dramatic growth in exoplanet observations and theory. > > Scientists from around the world will gather on California?s Monterey Peninsula to discuss the current and future status of research on exoplanet detection techniques, characterization, system dynamics, and formation mechanisms and time scales, with a view towards the roles of future observatories and instrumentation in these areas. The conference will include a gala banquet held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium > OVERVIEW > > > Fourth Annual GMT Community Science Meeting > > In 1988 the first exoplanet was discovered orbiting Gamma Cephei A, although it was not until 2002 that the discovery was confirmed. The 1995 discovery of 51 Peg b, through Doppler velocity techniques, ushered in a new era of radial velocity discovery. The observation of the transit of HD 209458 b across the face of its parent star in 2000 foreshadowed the results of the Kepler mission, which has, since 2009, discovered thousands of exoplanets. The first images of an exoplanet in 2004 (2M1207b) and a family of exoplanets in 2008 (HR 8799) demonstrated the powerful ability of adaptive optics on large ground-based telescopes to spot massive exoplanets. > > In parallel astronomers have developed techniques and tools for measuring the atmospheres and other characteristics of exoplanets, often using primary or secondary transits as an opportunity for differential spectrophotometry. > > Theory can now be confronted with data, and the development of models and interpretation of the data have developed at a rapid pace in recent years. > > With the ongoing introduction of new instruments, techniques and theoretical models, and the upcoming addition of extremely large telescopes like the GMT, the TMT, and the E-ELT, and new space missions like TESS, we can expect this boom in the enterprise of studying exoplanets to continue at a rapid pace, leading to a better understanding of our own place in the Universe. At the conference we will explore the following questions: > > ? What unique roles will ELTs play in precision radial velocity and direct imaging? > ? What are the frontiers in determining the diversity of exoplanet atmospheric properties? > ? What observable consequences are there of the interior properties of exoplanets? > ? How can circumstellar disk observations provide clues to the properties of exoplanetary systems? > ? How will planet formation theory benefit from ELT observations? > ? What do we need to know or what can we observe about stars to understand exoplanets? > ? What unique challenges and opportunities do ELTs present for future instrumentation for exoplanet characterization? > Speakers > > > (those in italics are not confirmed) > > Rebecca Bernstein, GMTO > > Jayne Birkby, Harvard > > Alan Boss, Carnegie Inst. Of Washington > > Ian Crossfield, Univ. of Arizona > > Roubing Dong, U. C. Berkeley > > Kate Follette, Stanford Univ. > > Jonathan Fortney, U. C. Santa Cruz > > Olivier Guyon, Univ. of Arizona/Subaru Telescope > > Raphaelle Haywood, Harvard Univ. > > Nikole Lewis, Space Telescope Science Institute > > Collete Salyk, Vassar College > > Evgenya Shkolnik, Arizona State Univ. > > Andy Skemer, U. C. Santa Cruz > ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Fri Jul 29 09:15:36 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:15:36 +1000 Subject: [ASA] GMT Metric Documents available for review References: <347C530B-9653-4CB6-9943-DCE92FD7C964@noao.edu> Message-ID: <28590803-6492-4B9C-A15F-B19A7E52A92F@aao.gov.au> Hi All, The GMT Metrics document is available for review/comment. The goal of this document is to identify the minimum set of metrics to be tracked to ensure the reliable, efficient, and productive operation of GMT. This document identifies (potential) metrics that will allow monitoring of operational and scientific performance. Each metric will be defined so as to identify what operational or scientific aspect or parameter is being measured, how it will be captured and with what frequency, and how it will be used. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ec9txr2u8j0sgkt/GMT_Metrics_SAC-D1-public.docx?dl=0 Please send questions and comments to me, and I will inform the GMT SAC. cheers -Andy Sheinis, GMT SAC Rep for AAL ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Helen.Woods at aao.gov.au Fri Jul 29 10:34:00 2016 From: Helen.Woods at aao.gov.au (Helen Woods) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:34:00 +1000 Subject: [ASA] ***Vacancy on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC)*** Message-ID: <579AA478.8090203@aao.gov.au> ***Vacancy on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC)*** Suitably experienced members of the Australian astronomical community are invited to nominate for a vacant position on the Australian Time Allocation Committee (ATAC). ATAC is the committee that allocates time on the AAT. It also allocates Australian telescope time to other overseas telescopes. It meets in North Ryde twice a year, the next meeting being in November 2016. The term of an ATAC member is generally for 3 years, but may need to be staggered to ensure smooth turnover in membership. You can find the current membership of ATAC and their terms of office at: http://www.aao.gov.au/science/observing/ATAC In reviewing nominations for ATAC membership, the AAO Director and Advisory Committee will consider the range of specialisations and seniorities required for the committee?s effective operation, and will not normally have more than one representative from any given institution. They will then submit their recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Industry Science & Innovation who, if necessary will appoint a Chair from among the Committee members. The Director will then appoint a Deputy Chair. If you wish to be considered for membership of ATAC, please send your name and a brief summary (less than 50 words) of your specialisations to the Secretary of ATAC, Ms Helen Woods (hmw at aao.gov.au) by COB Wednesday 10 August 2016. Helen Woods Helen Woods ATAC Secretary Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde, NSW, 1670 Tel: +61 2 9372 4812 From matthew.colless at anu.edu.au Fri Jul 29 14:09:05 2016 From: matthew.colless at anu.edu.au (Matthew Colless) Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2016 04:09:05 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Australia-Subaru instrumentation workshop Message-ID: <4EF3B69E-0225-449A-9B85-6E66B2C4CED5@anu.edu.au> Australia-Subaru instrumentation workshop 10 August 2016, Mount Stromlo Representatives of the Subaru Observatory are visiting Australia for the AAL Board meeting on 11 August in order to discuss the potential for Australian partnership in Subaru. As part of the discussions on that topic, the Subaru representatives would like to explore the ways in which Australia could engage with the Subaru instrumentation program. AAL is therefore organising a half-day workshop where Australian instrument scientists can meet with Prof. Nobuo Arimoto (Director, Subaru Telescope), Dr Ikuru Iwata (Associate Director, Subaru Telescope), and Dr Yosuke Minowa (Subaru Telescope AO scientist). The workshop will be held at Mount Stromlo (in the Common Room) on Wednesday, 10 August. The exact time of the meeting and a proper agenda will be circulated early next week, but an initial indication of topics is as follows: * The Subaru instrumentation program (Iwata) * Brief summaries of Australian instrumentation capabilities * Open discussions on specific instruments/technologies of interest, such as: * Subaru PFS (Prime Focus Spectrograph) * Subaru ULTIMATE (next-gen wide-field AO-fed NIR MOS) * Subaru GLAO and LTAO systems * Wide-field and IFU spectrographs * Fibre positioning systems * Adaptive optics systems * Optical and infrared detectors * Software for instrument control and data analysis The goals of the workshop are: 1. to identify areas where Australia could potentially make significant in-kind contributions to Subaru instrumentation as part of a possible partnership arrangement; 2. to identify specific small developments that Australia and Subaru could immediately initiate in order to develop the potential in-kind contributions and increase mutual confidence in working together. In order to keep the workshop focussed, numbers will be limited. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please email Director.RSAA at anu.edu.au by Wednesday, 3 August. Mark McAuley Warrick Couch Matthew Colless -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From asheinis at aao.gov.au Sat Jul 30 07:12:56 2016 From: asheinis at aao.gov.au (Andrew Sheinis) Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 07:12:56 +1000 Subject: [ASA] GMT Data archive document for review References: <75a6f681-0822-ea26-4c49-78185e9a24ab@austin.utexas.edu> Message-ID: Hi All, The GMT Data Archive document is available for review/comment. The GMTO science archive will be a data center from which archive users will be able to access raw data (as delivered directly from the instrument), as well as processed data. The archive will serve as a data delivery mechanism for new scientific data as it is produced by the instruments and undergoes preliminary processing. All GMT data need to be captured and archived independent of PI or other program?s disposition of (their) data. Queue observing requires proper distribution of data to various PIs; an automated method of doing this through the archive is a cost- effective solution. Time-sensitive observations such as transients might best be handled through the archive. The archive will also provide long-term curation of data. Having an observatory-supplied and supported means for keeping this valuable resource available for current and future scientists is important.Finally, providing a structured method of querying science data can be important for instrument and telescope troubleshooting. https://www.dropbox.com/home/GMT%20SAC/Public%20SAC%20Working%20Group%20Docs?preview=GMT-Science_Archive.pdf Please send questions and comments to me, and I will inform the GMT SAC. cheers -Andy Sheinis, GMT SAC Rep for AAL ************************************************* Assoc. Prof. Andrew Sheinis, Head of Instrumentation, Australian Astronomical Observatory PO Box 915 North Ryde NSW 1670 ph: +61 2 9372 4821 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 ************************************************* Begin forwarded message: > From: Anita Cochran > Subject: Data archive document > Date: 30 July 2016 6:11:42 AM AEST > To: "gmtsac at gmto.org" , Rebecca Bernstein , Alan Dressler > Cc: > > The data archive document is now on the shared web site. The link (I think - I am not good dropbox) is > > https://www.dropbox.com/home/GMT%20SAC/Public%20SAC%20Working%20Group%20Docs?preview=GMT-Science_Archive.pdf > > I add (in red) three questions on the cover page of the document. We would like to get general feedback but particularly would love the get feedback on these questions. > > Anita > > -- > Anita Cochran, Assistant Director, McDonald Observatory > The University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory > 1 University Station C1402, Austin TX 78712-0259 > EMAIL: anita at astro.as.utexas.edu PHONE: 512-471-1471 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: