Sci IPT Telecon 19 Nov 2008

Testi, Richer, Nikolic, Hills, Peck, Wootten, Emerson, Wilson, T. Wilson, Biggas, Breuck, Swaan, others. Morita. Hogerheijde.

Board topics--schedule and power. Power is difficult. Schedule difficult also but we are living it. Control Board set up. Alternative LO development approved by Board, now resources for that. The alternative version will be delivered by Feb of 2010 for high site testing.

Science milestone--Board asked to go to ASAC first. 850 GHz mentioned--this should be just Band 10. What is the actual schedule? Last two months produced the 17 Oct version. See IPS version attached to the agenda. Start of commissioning now Feb 2010. That is very depressing and pushes back early science to Aug/Sep 2011. We are now trying to recover by examining the things which cause delay very closely. Joe McM has a program which might get us to start of commissioning by Nov 2009. This included merger between AIV and CSV. Only antennas at the high site gets pushed to Nov 2009. We are doing things which are really commissioning now of course. We do not want the time from a viable interferometer to early science to be compressed. We need to resist that.

If followed ASAC recommendation the throughput would be reduced to 15% of chips. Without that recommendation, this is a second order effect. It was agreed to fall back from this. The warm optics is now specified as 2 K. The 4K measurement could be incorrect. We need to understand that.

ATF: Testing going on but mostly for software testing. Lucas has been testing TelCal for instance. There is one more month of time left for the facility. Then there will be a six month gap until OSF interferometry could begin.

OSF: FE No 1 has decent noise temp but 15K stage is only at 30 K. 4K stage is at its correct temperature. Pressure measurements suggest a solution.

Calibration issue. Need progress on the loads, have not heard developments on that front. Suggest Testi ask Pavel on the next step in the plan.

WVR work questions? Stability review coming up. Boyan and Testi going, Laing to discuss beforehand but Hills and Laing cannot come. Wild will be there, Whyborn by telecon.

eSSR: Nyman: just went through the new setup. Next telecon would be in middle of AAER. Issue of requirements and testing of software are also being examined by current review.

DRSP: Got pulsar project. Cleanup finished. Solar projects number two. Chromosphere and also a new one being checked. Hills: Spec on solar filter. Assumes we have looked at sun. AI: Pass around information on solar flares. Current Information on Observing Flares Calibration of Solar Observations

Thijs wants review of overall system requirements. It is said we need to update the science requirements. We have not converged that into a definite plan of action. This will have to go through ASAC, which meets end of Jan. Board may move later than March. Could delay ASAC but Hills not keen to move it. There are some fairly major issues--CSV plans, ARC review, final version of development panel report. The latter is a difficult goal.

Board in general pleased with plan, but wanted more scientific excitement and less detail on the equipment. The plan is still a first look at the big picture to be delivered to Board. Driver is the NA decadal review. Also need to have support for money set aside in Ops budget.

Regional discussions are planned after the 'first look.' We need additional antenna data soon. That decision needs to be taken at April Board meeting. Also need work on filling in missing receiver bands. These cannot wait.

-- AlWootten - 21 Nov 2008
Topic revision: r2 - 2008-12-08, AlisonPeck
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