Minutes for Telecon for Jan 29, 2002

Present: Churchwell, Whitney, Watson, Meade, Marston,
Indebetouw, Wolfire, Babler, Mathis, Wolff, Kobulnicky

Next telecon: Tuesday Feb 12, 2002, 11 am CST, 608-265-1000 #4112
 
March meeting - Tom Bania, Sara Seager & Susan Stolovy won't be able
to come to the March team meeting in Madison.  

Summary of LSWG telecon--Tony

 - There was a report about the instrument, launch & telescope status
  - Estimate for how long the cryogen will last - 3 years and hope to be nearer
    to 5 years
  - Wiring issues are being dealt with
  - Flight software and real AOR's were tested and mostly successful
  - Launch date set for January 9, 2003 - next crucial stage (for a possible launch slip)
    will be in May for the "long form 1" test

 - New timetables - 6.2 software will be released 31 August.  6.0 software
   released 14 April, including a new version of SPOT

 - Budget numbers mentioned in Nov. still OK

 - Validation observation
   - Criteria will be sent out in late March/early April
   - Submission of our validation AORs will be in June

 - Survey Observations
   - April-June: all Legacy teams can modify our AOR's and submit new ones to SSC
   - Using the new version of SPOT (6.0) we will get about 10% more time or
     about 40 extra hours!!!! Slew times are faster.
   - GTOs are still picking up targets- they can update until April- new targets
     won't be embargoed though.  So far there doesn't look like there are any
     overlaps with our survey region.

Progress with simulations & Pipeline status--Remy, Barb, Brian, Marilyn, Mark
 
   We have the SSC PSE and Brian has just started comparing it with DAOPHOT.
   We will use DAOPHOT and the SSC PSE to compare the results to the truth image
   (input to the simulator). Coordinates still aren't quite right coming out of
   the simulator.  Remy is looking into this.

   Mark has a new version of the QLVT.  He has added bad pixel, saturated pixel and banding
   masks to the display.  One can also display the 2MASS & MSX fields for both IRAC
   fields of view.

   Marilyn has been working on Level B programs, creating one "levb" mask file from the
   many input mask files from the SSC (and possibly a "leva" mask from the SLVT).

   Barb reports we have the SSC mosiacer and have just started working with it.
   Can use to see if our overlaps between frames (currently 12 pixels) is enough.

Science breakpoints document

   Barb & Ed have been working on a document for the SEDs.  Simulations have been run.
   There are a large number of CMDs which can be done.  It's important to establish
   acceptance criteria.

Validation Observation Program - 10 hours observing time

   Sources to observe--Ed

     Ed sent pictures of 5 sources in our survey region as possibilities
     for the validation observation field.  In the southern sky, RCW57_I & II gives
     wide dynamic range, it's compact.  at the outer edge of our survey.
     G333.6-0.2 is a giant HII region, bright, in a crowded field.  NGC6334 is outside
     of our survey region.  In the northern sky M17 is good but embargoed?  W51
     looks to be an excellent choice.
     Is it visible with current launch date?  yes.  The validation observations will
     be 90-110 days after launch which would be April 9-April 29, 2003.

   Criteria for success

     We need to develop criteria for success for our validation observation.
     banding, other instrumental effects, photometric accuracy, completeness, 
     flux limits need to be addressed. For low mass star forming regions, we are
     at the limit of detectability at 1-2 KPC.

   Backup Observing Plan
 
     If validation observation comes up with serious problems -- we might need 
     multiple visits at different times (to deal with banding) or dithering
     (for efficiency, robustness)

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