1 r. d. gehrz sofia science steering committee, palmdale, ca, february 18, 2010 recent activities of...

1 Sofia Science Steering Committee, Palmdale, CA, February 18, 2010 R. D. Gehrz

Recent Activities of the SOFIA Community Task

Force (SCTF): Outreach to the Science Community

R. D. Gehrz

Lead, SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF)Department of Astronomy, University of Minnesota


Outline

• The SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF)

• Mission and Recent Activities of the SCTF

• Increasing Community Involvement in SCTF Activities –

Asking for input from the SSSC

• Summary


Description of the SOFIA Community Task Force

The SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF) is a group of astronomers charged with providing outreach to the community of researchers and with collecting ideas about potential observing programs to help the SOFIA Science Center develop its program. These outreach activities are intended to inform and engage the community about the observing opportunities provided by the observatory.


The SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF) – Members*B-G Andersson: USRA, Science Operations Manager

Dana Backman: SETI, SOFIA Outreach Manager

David Black: Lunar and Planetary Institute

Eric Becklin: USRA, Chief Science Advisor

Ed Erickson: SOFIA

Bob Gehrz: University of Minnesota, SCTF Lead

Matt Greenhouse: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Helen Hall: USRA, SOFIA Program Manager

Paul Hertz: NASA Headquarters, Chief Scientist

Bob Joseph: University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy

Dan Lester: University of Texas

Pamela Marcum: NASA ARC, SOFIA Project Scientist

Tom Roellig: NASA ARC, Deputy SOFIA Project Scientist

Goran Sandell: USRA, Senior Scientist

Erick Young: USRA, Science Mission Operations Director

USRA/NASA SMOC Scientists and Project Personnel

SI PI’s/designated representatives

* Outside members denoted in red type


The Mission of the SCTFThe objectives of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Community Task Force (SCTF) are to:

• Inform and engage the astronomical community in planning for the SOFIA General Investigator (GI) science program

• Contribute to the development of a long-range science plan that will realize the potential of SOFIA as a premier observatory and as a platform for developing forefront technology


SCTF Activities

• The SCTF holds weekly hour-long SCTF telecons

• The SCTF maintains and updates a library of SOFIA presentations, publications, animations, and visual materials at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/speakers/index.html

• The SCTF Speakers Bureau arranges for SOFIA presentations and workshops at science meetings, universities, and technology venues world-wide to reach audiences of potential users and collaborators


• Talks and papers presented at universities and space science related venues in the United States and abroad to inform the user community about the status of the SOFIA Project can be viewed and downloaded at:

http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/speakers/index.html

• White paper from Caltech Workshop on “SOFIA’s 2020 Vision” http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/07Dec_SOFIA_Vision/SOFIA_2020Vision_white_paper_final.pdf

• White paper from AAS : “Early Science Opportunities with SOFIA” http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/speakers/Early-Science_Opportunities_with_SOFIA_v6.0.doc

• SOFIA Design Reference Mission papers http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/science_cases/index.html

• SOFIA’s New Science Vision: “The Scientific Vision for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy” discusses both early and long-range science capabilities. Copies are available at the SOFIA Booth and can be downloaded at:

http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/docs/SofiaScienceVision051809-1.pdf

SCTF Activities to Raise SOFIA’s Scientific Visibility


SCTF Telecons

• The SCTF holds weekly hour-plus long SCTF telecons

• An agenda is developed for each telecon and communicated several days before hand

• A summary and a list of resulting action items is distributed after each telecon

• Action items are tracked by the leader between telecons

• Topical speakers are invited to share their SOFIA Vision


Topical Presentations at SCTF TeleconsRecent guest speaker presentations:

1. January 21, 2009: Chris Walker, “Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO) and SOFIA”

2. February 18, 2009: Jim Elliot et al., “Occultations with SOFIA”

3. May 6, 2009: Mark Swain, “Observing Exoplanet Transits with SOFIA”

4. July 22, 2009: Scott Sandford, “Astrochemistry with SOFIA

5. August 9, 2009: Tom Green, “JWST MIRI and Observations of Exoplanets with SOFIA”

6. October 14, 2009: Mike Werner and Tom Soifer, “SOFIA and the Spitzer Legacy”

7. October 21, 2009: Terry Herter, “The SOFIA FORECAST Science Program”

8. November 4, 2009: Alan Tokunaga, “IRTF SOFIA Synergy”

9. November 17, 2009: Takashi Onaka, “AKARI and SOFIA”

10. November 18, 2009: Joan Najita and John Carr, “T Tauri Stars and SOFIA”

11. December 9, 2009: Doug Whittet, “Interstellar Dust and Ices with SOFIA”

12. December 16, 2009: Giles Novak and Darren Dowell, “Polarimetry with SOFIA”

13. December 23, 2009: Matt Greenhouse, “JWST Overview and Implications for SOFIA”

14. January 20, 2010: Therese Encrenaz, “Perspectives with SOFIA EXES based on TEXES”

15. January 27, 2010: Bob Benjamin, “Spitzer GLIMPSE and SOFIA”

16. February 17, 2010: Mike Mumma, “SOFIA and Mars Methane”Presentation slides can be viewed and downloaded at:

http://homepages.spa.umn.edu/~gehrz/SOFIA_Community_Task_Force/Presentations_to_the_SCTF/


The SOFIA Speakers Bureau

• We maintain and update a library of SOFIA presentations, publications, and visual materials at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/speakers/index.html

• We arrange for SOFIA presentations at major science meetings and technology venues world-wide to reach audiences of potential users and collaborators

• A recent emphasis has been to develop a list of universities and scientific institutions that should receive SOFIA talks

• Programmatic slides, animations, and a list of FAQ&A have been added


Recent SOFIA SCTF Publications

• "The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)." R. D. Gehrz and E. E. Becklin, Proceedings of the SPIE 7012, 70121R- 70121R-15 (2008).

• “A New Window on the Cosmos: The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).” R.D. Gehrz, E.E. Becklin, I. de Pater, D.F. Lester, T.L. Roellig, and C.E. Woodward, Advances in Space Research, 44, 413 (2009).

• “Infrared and submillimeter spectroscopic studies of stellar evolution with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA),” R. D. Gehrz, E. E. Becklin, and T. L. Roellig, “Proc. of the XXVII General Assembly of the IAU,” in Press (2010)

• “SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy,” E. E. Becklin and R. D. Gehrz, in "Submillimeter Astrophysics and Technology: A Symposium in Honor of Thomas G. Phillips,” editors: D. Lis, J. Vaillancourt, J. Zmuidzinas, N. Scoville, and P.Goldsmith, ASP Conference Series, in press (2010)

• “SOFIA: On the Pathway toward Habitable Worlds” R. D. Gehrz et al., Proceeding of Barcelona meeting on “Pathways toward Habitable Planets” (2010)

• Caltech Workshop Whitepaper “The 20/20 Vision of SOFIA: Scientific and Technical Opportunities in the next 20 years” and AAS Workshop Whitepaper “Early Science Opportunities with SOFIA” at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Science/workshops/index.html


2010 SOFIA Speakers Bureau Presentations• March 15-23, 2010: Five invited SOFIA presentations in the UK by R. D. Gehrz (Keele, Nottingham, ROE, Manchester, Oxford “21st International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology).

• April 7-10, 2010, Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida, "From Stars to Galaxies - Connecting our understanding of star and galaxy formation" - J. de Buizer to speak.

• June 21-25, 2010, Columbus, OH "International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy" - R. D. Gehrz will invite himself to speak

• July 18-25, 2010 Bremen, Germany: 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly - R. D. Gehrz will give an invited talk

• June 27 – July 2, 2010 SPIE Photonics in San Diego. H. Hall organizing a SOFIA session with many speakers.

• September, 13-17, 2010, Townsville, Australia, "Great Barriers in High Mass Star Formation," - invited talk by J. de Buizer


Priority One Universities and Scientific Institutions that Should Receive SOFIA Talks


Priority two SCTF Speakers Bureau List


Recent and Upcoming SOFIA AAS Workshops

• “Early Science Opportunities with SOFIA V” at the 215th

AAS Meeting in Washington, DC on 01/04/10. It featured a project update and presentation of plans for SOFIA pipeline data reduction, the SOFIA data archive architecture, and the plans for community support. Community comment and feedback were solicited.

• June 6-8, 2010 - Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CA, "Scientific Opportunities For new Instrumentation, Asilomar 2010" - SOFIA Project sponsored workshop.


Community Participation in the SCTF: Concerns

• SCTF Telecons are increasingly attended only by insiders

• Official outside members seldom participate in the SCTF Telecon

• Very few US SI Team members participate in SCTF activities; the German teams never participate

• The list of Speakers Bureau volunteers is small

• Guest speakers do not follow through on invitations to continue to participate


Community Participation in the SCTF: Suggestions

• Extend invitations to new official members and rotate old (or non- participating) members off the SCTF

• Have separate SOFIA Science telecons featuring guest speakers widely advertised (with abstracts) to the community and conducted as SOFIA “Community Colloquia” – in this model, SCTF “business” would be conducted on a separate set SCTF of telecons

• Set an SCTF Telecon time more favorable for joint US/German attendance

• Webcast or Webex SCTF science presentations and workshops to a broad audience

• Advertise SCTF Telecon times and access codes to the entire community

• Offer funded SCTF RFIs (Requests for Information) for science input

• Forge alliances with observatories and data centers like STScI, IPAC, GEMINI, Chandra, NOAO, etc. who might have have mutual interests


Community Participation in the SCTF: Suggestions

We now solicit input from the SSSC


Summary

• Publications

• SOFIA talks and papers are being presented through the SOFIA Speakers Bureau at space science venues world-wide to publicize the SOFIA Project

• SOFIA talks are being arranged through the SOFIA Speakers Bureau at important Universities and Scientific Institutions

• Topical science presentations to the SCTF by guest speakers

• We are seeking ways to increase community participation

SCTF activities to raise SOFIA’s scientific visibility:

1 r. d. gehrz sofia science steering committee, palmdale, ca, february 18, 2010 recent activities of...

Documents