Transcript Your Workpackage Monthly Status Report

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
1
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Outline
• The SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF)
• Mission and Activities of the SCTF
• SOFIA Speaker’s Bureau
• SOFIA Workshops
• Upgrading the Science Case for SOFIA – Guest Speakers
• Summary
2
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
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.
3
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
The SOFIA Community Task Force (SCTF) – Members*
B-G Andersson: USRA SOFIA
Dana Backman: SOFIA/SETI Institute
David Black: Lunar and Planetary Institute
Eric Becklin: USRA SOFIA, University of California Los Angeles:
Ed Erickson: SOFIA
Bob Gehrz (Leader): University of Minnesota
Matt Greenhouse: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Hertz: NASA Headquarters
Bob Joseph: University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy
Dan Lester: University of Texas
Margaret Meixner: Space Telescope Science Institute
Pamela Marcum: NASA Ames Research Center
Tom Roellig: NASA Ames Research Center
Gran Sandell: SOFIA
SI PI’s/designated representatives
Numerous USRA/NASA Project Personnel
* Outside members denoted in red type
4
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Charge to the SCTF
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
Community Task Force (SCTF) is charged with:
• Informing and engaging the astronomical community in
planning for the SOFIA General Observer (GO) science
program
• Contributing to a long-range science plan that will realize
the potential of SOFIA as a premier observatory and as a
platform for developing forefront technology
5
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
SCTF Telecons
• The SCTF holds weekly hour-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
6
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
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
7
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
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
8
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Partial List of Major Meeting Venues for SOFIA Speakers Bureau
Presentations during June – November 2009
• June 22-26, 2009, Columbus, OH "International Symposium on Molecular
Spectroscopy" - two invited talks by R. D. Gehrz
• August 3-14, 2009, IAU General Assembly Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Invited talk by
R. D. Gehrz in Special Session on "IR and Sub-mm Spectroscopy,” SOFIA
Booth run by Darlene Mendoza
• August 10-14, 2009, San Diego, CA: "SPIE Optics and Photonics" – invited
talk by E. E. Becklin
• September 14-18, 2009, Barcelona, Spain, International Scientific Conference on
“Pathways Toward Habitable Planets” -invited talk by R. D. Gehrz
• October 4-9, 2009, San Juan, Puerto Rico: 41st Annual Meeting of the AAS
DPS, – D. Backman will attend with the SOFIA booth.
• November 3-6 2009, Garching, Germany: ESO-MPE-MPA-USM workshop on
"The study of circumstellar disks and the formation of planetary systems" G. Sandell to attend
9
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Upcoming Major Meeting Venues for SOFIA
Speakers Bureau Presentations During 2010
• 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 attend and investigate SOFIA participation.
• 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: Deadline for
abstracts if December 14, 2009
• September, 13-17, 2010, Townsville, Australia, "Great Barriers in High
Mass Star Formation," invited talk by J. de Buizer
10
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Priority One Universities and Scientific Institutions
that Should Receive SOFIA Talks
11
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Priority two SCTF Speakers Bureau List
12
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
SOFIA AAS Workshops
• Third “SOFIA Community Task Force Workshop and SOFIA
Tour” held at the 213th AAS Meeting in Long Beach, CA on
January 4, 2009. Chaired by R. Gehrz
• Fourth “SOFIA Community Task Force Workshop and SOFIA
Tour” held at the 214th AAS Meeting in Pasadena, CA on
June 7, 2009. Chaired by R. D. Gehrz
• The fifth “SOFIA Community Task Force Workshop” will be held at
the 215th AAS Meeting in Washington, DC on
Monday night, January 4, 2010. It is being organized by R. D. Gehrz
and T. L. Roellig. Suggestions from the SSSC for the format are welcome
13
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Topical Presentations at SCTF Telecons
Recent and pending guest speaker presentations:
• January 21, 2009: Chris Walker, “Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO)
• February 18, 2009: Jim Elliot et al., “Occultations with SOFIA”
• May 6, 2009: Mark Swain, “Observing Exoplanet Transits”
• July 22, 2009: Scott Sandford, “Astrochemistry with SOFIA
• August 9, 2009: Tom Green, “JWST MIRI and Observations of Exoplanets”
• October 14, 2009: Mike Werner and Tom Soifer, “SOFIA and the Spitzer Legacy”
• October 21, 2009: Terry Herter, “The FORECAST Science Program”
• December 16, 2009: Doug Whittet, “Interstellar Dust”
• TBD: Mark Clampin, “Exoplanet Observations with JWST”
• TBD: Lucy Ziuirys, “Observing Molecular lines with SOFIA”
• TBD: Rolf Geusten, “The GREAT Science Program”
• TBD: Alan Tokunaga, “IRTF SOFIA Synergy”
Presentation slides can be viewed and downloaded at:
http://homepages.spa.umn.edu/~gehrz/SOFIA_Community_Task_Force/Presentations_to_the_SCTF/
14
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz
Summary
SCTF activities to raise SOFIA’s scientific visibility:
• 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
• January 2010 AAS Workshop is being organized
•
15
Topical science presentations to the SCTF by guest speakers
Sofia Science Steering Committee, NASA ARC, Moffet Field, CA, September 29, 2009
R. D. Gehrz