28 March 2024 - Mission Day: 10345 - DOY: 088
OPERATIONS
 
Science Operations
 
 

FINAL MINUTES FOR SOHO 23 Jan 2009 SPWG MEETING

1. Boundary conditions

a) Orbit, attitude and manoeuvres


- SOHO is upside down (180 degrees).

- manoeuvres

  To the degree possible, manoeuvres take place during the last days of
  34-m keyholes.  Currently proposed or set manoeuvre dates are:

  Feb 12  station-keeping & momentum management
  Feb 14  roll

  May 12 (TBC)  station-keeping, momentum management, roll



b) Communications with the spacecraft


  Graphical DSN schedule: http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/dsn/

  Keyhole dates for the next 6 months (All keyhole information is available
  at or via http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/keyholes.html):

* Jan 25-Feb 21 26m Keyhole
* Feb 1-14      34m Keyhole

* Apr 28-May 16 26m Keyhole 
* May 02-12     34m Keyhole


- End-of-pass handling during MDI continuous contact periods

  To avoid problems with transmitter masks at the end of passes during MDI
  continuous, DSN has requested we bring the carrier down 30 min before the
  end of pass.  As a result, the last 30 min of all MDI continuous contacts
  will be TM only.  For ranging passes, the spacecraft will be transitioned
  to record ~1 h before the end of the pass.  The station will drop the
  carrier and re-sweep into receiver 2.  The spacecraft will then be
  transitioned back to VC2 and VC3.


- DSN 26 m antenna decommissioning and the keyholes

  DSN is in the process of decommissioning its 26 m antennae --- the only
  one left is DSS-46. DSS-46 is planned to be decommissioned Oct 31,
  2009 (TBC). Since the current high-gain antenna (HGA) position along the
  unmoved axis has been optimized for 26 m antennas, the spacecraft team is
  investigating moving the HGA to a position optimized for 34 m
  antennae. Such a change would shorten or remove the keyholes, but DSN
  resource allocation issues and possible impacts on MDI and MDI/SDO-HMI
  cross-calibration period need to be addressed. For analyses and details
  see the minutes of Science Working Team meeting number 40 (available at
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SWT/Minutes/swt40.pdf, pages
  38--41).



c) KNOWN submode (SM) dependent activities/submode changes:


* TOO           JOP153/MMOP003 Future Major Flare Watch (SM5 if SUMER
                observes target, SM6 otherwise)
* Mar 27, Apr 2 EIT Shutterless #35 (SM6)
* Apr 15-29     SUMER campaign (SM5)
* Jun 1-Jul 10  Sunrise 5-day balloon flight

  SUMER campaign dates may overlap with keyholes. Such overlaps shall be
  scheduled only if periods of no SUMER data between passes are acceptable.

  Shutterless run #35 moved to allow SUMER to support the SUMI rocket flight
  during the SUMER spring observing campaign. For details see section 2a.

  SUMER will observe during the Sunrise balloon flight. Note, that the
  balloon launch is scheduled for Jun 1 - Jul 5 and the duration is
  expected to be 5 days.

  Except for Major Flare Watches, TRACE will be doing full disk mosaics
  if/when EIT is not able to do synoptic sets due to keyhole operations.



d) Instrument maintenance activities

  EIT bake-out periods will be during keyholes. The bake-out period during
  the Feb 2009 keyhole will be as follows:
  
  2009/02/07 EIT CCD bake begins ~05:00 UT
  2009/02/13 EIT bake ends from plan 20:00 UT, recovers 2009/02/14 ~15:00 UT.



e) Spacecraft maintenance activities

  Reduction of PLM heaters was successfully completed.



f) Others

  TRACE eclipse season began on 13 Sep 2008 and will be ongoing, except for
  the following predicted non-eclipse periods in 2009:

  Mar 7 -- Apr 29
  Jul 28 -- Sep 9

  Daytime weekday passes of Mon-Wed are currently automated but
  attended. Thu-Fri passes remain crewed for training and proficiency
  reasons. Date of transition to unattended daytime automation remains TBD.

  NRT during automated passes (both weekend and weekday) is currently
  paused (briefly) regularly for resets of software anomalies. NRT schedule
  (which includes the pauses) for all automated passes can be found at
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/nighttime_nrt.txt.

  The development of a software anomaly detection system (which would pause
  NRT only when needed instead of the current regular pauses) has been put
  on hold due to problems in development.

2. Priorities for the coming month and more

a) Joint observing plans and campaigns


Continuing campaigns:

* 2002/02/25--  JOP136 Default RHESSI Collaborations (#6850),
                POC: Tero Siili
* 2003/05/13--  Default CDS Co-observations with TRACE (#6950)
* 2005/09/20--  JOP153/MMOP003 Future Major Flare Watch (#8008)
* 2007/03/20--  Default CDS/Hinode-EIS co-observations (#7200)

  Campaign #6850 is for "individual instrument studies" selecting an active
  region target [partially] influenced by the Max Millennium target
  selection to maximise chances of serendipitous co-observations.

  EIT supports all with half/full-res 195 A CME watch in submode 5/6. It is
  clear that STEREO-EUVI provides adequate "context" information for RHESSI
  flare observations. Routine EIT submode and resolution switches are
  probably no longer needed.


* Feb 12-15     JOP NNN, EIT/Hinode-SOT/STEREO-SECCHI
                  POC: Scott McIntosh

  EIT running at the cadence it runs when LASCO doors are closed for
  maneuvers. Title, other details and exact timing TBD.


* Mar 8         Daylight Savings Time begins in the USA,
                  change in GSFC at 07 UT


* Mar 9 (TBC)   HERSCHEL sounding rocket launch, 
                  CDS/EIT/LASCO/UVCS/STEREO/TRACE
                  POC: Dan Moses, Lucia Abbo

  The rocket payload consists of a suite of 3 instruments:
  SCORE/Ultraviolet Coronagraph Imager (UVCI), Herschel EIT (HEIT) and
  Helium Coronagraph (HeCor).  The HERSCHEL Sun-Earth Sub-Orbital Program
  is a sounding-rocket payload designed to investigate Helium coronal
  abundance and solar wind acceleration from a range of solar source
  structures by obtaining simultaneous observations of the electron, proton
  and Helium Solar coronae. HERSCHEL will provide the first measurements of
  the coronal He abundance in source regions of the solar wind, thus
  bringing key elements to our understanding of the Sun-Earth connections.

  Timing and supporting SOHO instruments remain TBC. Since the previous
  SPWG the launch date has moved to the second week of March 2009.

  LASCO will support with (3) polarized image sets in 60, 0, and -60
  degrees at launch time.

  CDS will participate, taking on-disk He I and 2nd order He II
  observations.  Request to add CDS planner to the mailing list.

  See also section 2b (intercalibration activities) for proposed
  SOHO/STEREO/TRACE/HERSCHEL cross-calibration.


* Mar 25-30     MDI Continuous Contact (TBC)

  Note "End-of-pass handling during MDI continuous contact periods" in
  section 1b.

  Default observation program is full-disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
  dopplergrams.


* Mar 27        EIT shutterless #35 run 1, EIT/CDS/MDI/TRACE/STEREO,
                  POC: Susanna Parenti

  DSS-27 15:20-23:25 (MDI continuous). Exact times TBD.

  Run 2 is planned for Apr 2.

  MDI will support with full disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
  dopplergrams.


* Mar 29        Daylight Savings Time begins in European Union at 01 UT


* Apr 2         EIT shutterless #35 run 2, EIT/CDS/MDI/TRACE/STEREO,
                  POC: Susanna Parenti

  DSS-27 18:55-0535
  DSS-46 23:35-0535

  Exact times TBD.

  MDI will support with full disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
  dopplergrams.


* Apr 15-29     SUMER Campaign, TBC

  The campaign dates have been confirmed by the Hinode Science Schedule
  Coordinators.  A preliminary plan is available under the planning web
  site:

  http://www.mps.mpg.de/services/campaignplanner/planning/campaign-200904/index.cgi?print=no
  (click on schedule - observer)

  The number of HOPs/JOPs can not increase anymore, since the campaign time
  is almost fully booked. Given the interest in the community to
  participate in campaigns such as this one, SUMER may consider to expand
  the June activities (see below) or to consider a third campaign in
  November 2009.

  TRACE has not received any requests from JOP 214 & awaits date and
  program information.

  CDS requests to be added to the mailing list to receive information
  (including pointing coordinates) for all JOPs.

  Some relevant JOP proposals (descriptions will be on the Solar JOPs web
  page http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/JOPs/ in early Feb):

  Connection between photospheric vortex flows and transition region and
  coronal heating [Planning web site identifier 1 (DI DC-OD-H)],
  MDI/SUMER/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/TRACE,
  POC: Davina Innes-Markiewicz

  Connection between the magnetic canopy and chromospheric/lower
  TR dynamics [Planning web site identifier 7 (AP QS-OD)], SUMER/MDI/VTT,
  POC: Anna Pietarila-Graham

  Dynamics and structure of the solar atmosphere from SUMER and VTT
  observations, [Planning web site identifier 20 (LT QS-OD)],
  SUMER/MDI/TRACE/VTT, 
  POC: Luca Teriaca

  Velocity fields at the base of polar coronal holes, 
  [Planning web site identifier 19 (LT CH-OD-H)],
  SUMER/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/Hinode-XRT/STEREO-SECCHI/TRACE,
  POC: Luca Teriaca


* Apr 16        SUMI sounding rocket launch, CDS/MDI/SUMER, TBC
                  POC: John Davis (TBC)


* May 17-Jul 21 MDI 60-day continuous contact

  Timing TBC. The continuous contact period will be a 60-day period within
  the dates listed above.

  MDI will only do full disk, 1-min cadence Magnetograms and dopplergrams.

  CDS is interested in supporting.


* Jun 1-Jul 10  Sunrise 5-day balloon flight, MDI/SUMER/TRACE,
                  POC: Davina Innes

  In June or July 2009 a balloon borne solar observatory called 'Sunrise'
  is planned to be launched and SoHO (at least MDI and SUMER) as well as
  TRACE supports have been requested. The launch date will be sometime
  between Jun 1 and Jul 5, 2009 and the flight lasts 5 days. Coordinated
  observations with SoHO would therefore be for five days sometime between
  1 June to 10 July 2009.

  A short description of SUNRISE is given in
  http://star.mpae.gwdg.de/Sunrise/project/publicat/SPIE_2004.pdf

  A tentative timeline of the flight is below:

  Major milestones (x = moment of tether cutting):

  x - 3 weeks: Hardware arrives at lauch facilty
  x - 3 days : Launch readiness review
  x - 3 days : SUMER opens aperture door (remotely)
  x -24 hours: Next day launch announcement
  x + 1 hour : Launch confirmed
  x + 6 hours: Ascent completed
  x + 6 hours: Switch-on sequence and initial tests
  x +12 hours: SUNRISE operational
  x +12 hours: SOHO submode switch
  x + 5 days : Science operations completed

  Submode change 6 -> 5 is proposed to take place during the next working
  shift after SUNRISE is launched. CDS has been consulted about this plan
  and concurs from operational point of view. Since the change will impact
  science, PI confirmation is awaited.

  MDI can support with full-disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
  dopplergrams if there is high rate at the time.

  Need for SOHO to be in record at any point for this balloon flight will
  be investigated.


* Jul 22        Total Solar eclipse (around 0236 UT)

  Request for DSN coverage has been submitted.



b) Intercalibration activities

  Last ICAL was: Jan 08

  ICALs are normally performed monthly. Below is a SOC proposal for ICAL
  weeks for the next six months. Baseline will be to schedule it for
  Thursday during contact.

* Jan 27        ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
  
  Start time 14:00 UT.

* Mar 2-6       ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)

* Mar 9 (TBC)   ICAL14 SOHO-STEREO-TRACE-HERSCHEL radiometric 
                  cross-calibration (TBC), EIT/LASCO/UVCS/STEREO/TRACE/HERSCHEL,
		  POC: Lucia Abbo

  A radiometric cross-calibration between SOHO, STEREO, TRACE and the
  HERSCHEL sounding rocket has been proposed. A preliminary draft of the
  ICAL proposal can be found at
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/JOPs/ical014-draft.pdf.
  
* Apr 6-10      ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)

* May 11-22     ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)

* Jun 15-19     ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)

  The Sunrise balloon flight period may need to be taken into account in
  scheduling.

* Jul 13-17     ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)

  Proposed compiled ICAL scheduling criteria, constraints and guidelines
  (see also campaign #7113):

  1) EIT/CDS are the primary participating instruments

  2) STEREO-EUVI observations are included when possible. ICALs are
     attempted to be scheduled not to coincide with STEREO manoeuvres or
     other interruptions in observations (see
     http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/plans.shtml).

  3) EIT: ICALs OK at all other times except the weeks of shutterless

  4) Dates, details and confirmation will be determined by the planners
     with support from the SOHO SOCs.

  5) Neither Hinode-SOT nor Hinode-XRT have current interest in
     participating in ICALs. Hinode-EIT will from time-to-time perform its
     sensitivity calibration exercise, but has no need to perform this
     regularly as part of the SOHO ICAL. When it is convenient for
     Hinode-EIS (given Hinode's constraints), SOHO will be informed ahead
     of time of when the sensitivity calibration is to be performed. It
     will then be up to SOHO whether to follow Hinode-EIS' pointing and
     timing.

  CDS OK. If Hinode-EIS can suggest convenient date & time, CDS can usually
  accommodate.



c) Individual instrument plans


MDI:

  See section 2a for MDI continuous contact periods.

  MDI may reduce the ALT cadence during Keyholes to be less than 15 ALT
  magnetograms per day if the lack of high rate telemetry is such that we
  will lose all or almost all of the 15 ALT Magnetograms each day.  The ALT
  cadence will be decided on an individual Keyhole basis and even a daily
  basis during each Keyhole depending on the 70 m antenna availability at
  the time.  MDI may also down-link select magnetograms in the 5 kbps
  telemetry if no 70 m passes are available at least every 2 days for Mag
  dump in the 160 kbps telemetry.

  All requests for MDI support need to be made several months ahead of time
  and sent to mdi-ops(at)mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov.  Even outside keyholes,
  MDI can only do 1-minute cadence observations when we have contact and
  there is no recorder dump in progress.

  MDI's REQUEST page is at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/coordination.txt
  NOTE: Listing of a study on that page means *only* that a request has
  been received, not that it will necessarily be supported.

  A description of MDI Observing Modes most used for JOPs and campaigns (FD
  vs. HR) can be found at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/Collaborate.
  Anyone requesting MDI observations is encouraged to read this page in
  order to have a better idea of what observing modes would be best suited
  for a particular study.  More detailed information about how MDI
  operates, observational constraints and telemetry information can be
  found at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/MDI_Collaboration_Details.

  MDI has switched to Focus 5 (best focus for full-disk observing) on Oct
  23, 2008.

  MDI has completed all necessary engineering activities required before
  the Jan/Feb 2009 Keyhole.

  MDI will do Full Disk Velocity observations for March and September 2009.


UVCS:

  For weekly plans, see the SOHO calendar and the UVCS planning page:
  http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/uvcs/observations/obst.html.


CDS:

  For details see http://solar.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/scientificops/request.shtml.


EIT/LASCO:

  EIT: 195 A CME watch plus synoptics at 6-hour cadence, as usual. Full-res
  CME watch whenever we're in submode 6. Hope never to change until the
  Bogart mission.


SUMER:

  See section 2a for details.


TRACE:

  NOTE that TRACE in general reserves the right to withdraw support from
  agreed, existing collaborations if a sufficiently "good active region" is
  called by the Max Millennium group.

  For TRACE summer eclipse season see section 1f.

3. Any other business

* Tentative SPWG meeting times for next six months (only the next one will
  be decided in this meeting). Meetings take place as a baseline on Fridays
  after the daily and weekly meetings.

  Feb 20
  Mar 27
  Apr 24
  May 29
  Jun 26
  Jul 24

The rest are FYI items:

* In the future SOHO's DSN contacts will grow shorter as we lose 26-m
  antenna support and other, new missions get higher priority. The
  instrument teams are therefore requested to look at the NRT commanding
  that is done (especially for emergencies and recoveries) and see what can
  be converted into TSTOLs that the FOT can run (even without explicit
  instrument or SOC direction).

* MDI high-rate support requests: no change, see URL
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html

* DSN support requests: preferably at least 6 months in advance.  Keep this
  in mind for: ground-based collaborations that require MDI support,
  stellar/shutterless observations that require NRT, etc.

* Future Mercury and Venus transits: no change, see URL
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html

* Hinode operational and planning information and guidelines: no change,
  see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html
  and http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/JOPs/jop-submit.html

* STEREO operational and planning information: no change, see URL
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html

* The SOHO JOP/ICAL database and the web pages are now the Solar JOP/ICAL
  database and web pages. This is due to anticipated increased
  contributions by and collaborations as well as intercalibrations with
  STEREO and Hinode.

* New JOP vs. modified existing JOP rules-of-thumb: no change, see URL
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html

* SOHO calendar email notifications: no change, see URL
  http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html
 
 

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