SOHO SPWG Minutes



SPWG FINAL MINUTES Friday July 25, 2003

1. Boundary conditions


* SOHO is now rolled by 180 degrees relative to solar North.

* The estimated dates for the next keyhole periods are:
  
* Sep 22        High Rate on 26m stations ends, TBC
* Sep 27        High Rate on 34m stations ends, TBC
* Oct 11        High Rate on 34m stations starts, TBC
* Oct 16        High Rate on 26m stations starts, TBC

* Dec 23        High Rate on 26m stations ends, TBC
* Dec 26        High Rate on 34m stations ends, TBC
* Jan 5, 2004   High Rate on 34m stations starts, TBC
* Jan 8, 2004   High Rate on 26m stations starts, TBC

* Mar 15, 2004  High Rate on 26m stations ends, TBC
* Mar 20,2004   High Rate on 34m stations ends, TBC
* Apr 2, 2004   High Rate on 34m stations starts, TBC
* Apr 7, 2004   High Rate on 26m stations starts, TBC

  The first keyhole period should get a fair amount of DSN coverage.
  The situation looks worse for the following two keyhole periods.

  Unless a Major Flare Watch is in progress, TRACE will be doing full
  disk mosaics if/when EIT is not able to do synoptic sets due to
  keyhole operations.

* The next manoeuvre and roll is tentatively being scheduled during
  the early stages of the next keyhole period. LASCO would like the
  roll to be performed as early as possible during the keyhole.  This
  would enable them to develop a good background subtraction model for
  the new rotated position before we get solid contact again.

* MDI continuous contacts: 

  Jul 23-28     MDI Continuous Contact
  Aug 27-Sep 1  MDI Continuous Contact
  Sep 10-Nov 23 MDI 60-Day Continuous Contact

  NOTE: Since the next keyhole period comes right in the middle of the
  planned 60-day continuous period, it is now being reconsidered with
  DSN. One possibility is to have 30 days of continuous coverage
  before the start of the keyhole, and 30 days after.

  MDI (and others) would very much like to know the status of the
  60-day CC (or two 30-day periods). MDI may want to use some days
  with good NRT just before the next keyhole to perform a tuning
  reload and/or a leg alignment (to be coordinated closer in time).

* Submodes: Submode 6 for the foreseeable future, except the following
  submode 5 periods:

  Aug 21-27     SUMER star observations, JOP169
  
  The timing of the submode changes is TBC.

  Nov 17-30     MEDOC Campaign #12 (TBC )
  Nov 24-Dec 7  Ulysses Quadrature Observations, SUMER/Ulysses, 6-16 UT

  Submode change dates/times for the Nov 17-Dec 7 period are not
  determined. As far as the SOCs can see at the moment, there are no
  spacecraft constraints for this. 

  NOTE ADDED AFTER MEETING: The EIT Shutterless #13 observations
  (which require submode 6) scheduled for November 26 and December 3
  will be postponed until after the December 10 shutterless
  segment.

* EIT Bakeout/CalRock/Shutterless/Other:

* Sep 13,17,21  EIT Shutterless #12 Segments 1, 2, Backup, TBC
* Sep 26-30     EIT Bakeout (tentative)

* Dec 10        EIT Shutterless #13, Segment 2, Backup, TBC

See NOTE ADDED AFTER MEETING above for EIT Shutterless #13.

NOTE: All shutterless and bakeout dates are obviously TBD with keyhole
operations. Presumably, bakeouts will be scheduled preferentially
during periods with poor DSN coverage.

TRACE will support the EIT bakeout with full disk mosaics, and will
also support the shutterless runs. 

* Commanding outlook: See AOB section.

* Long-term DSN outlook: November 1, 2003 - March 1, 2004 is a very
  heavily subscribed time for DSN. We may see less contact time
  than we are used to.

* No atmospheric absorption expected for TRACE at this time until October.

2. Priorities for the coming month & more


a) Joint observing plans and campaigns

* Jul, Aug      JOP146 Fine Temperature and Density Structure of 
                  Coronal Loops in a Bipolar Active Region, 
                  CDS/EIT/TRACE, POC: Stein Haugan 

This has been requested by Joan Schmelz as a target of opportunity
JOP. TRACE and CDS have agreed to support it for an as yet
undetermined number of runs.

EIT support is likely to be limited to CME watch, but might add a
couple of synoptic sets if LASCO schedule allows.

* Jul 27-Aug 2  Coordinated Observations with CORONAS (#6968),
                  UVCS/SPIRIT/EIT, POC: Silvano Fineschi

Silvano Fineschi is planning to write a JOP for this observation and
will do it when he arrives on the 28th.

* Jul 28-Aug 28 Observations of Superior Conjunction of Venus,
                  LASCO/GBO's, POC: Kevin Schenk

No new details at this time; short exposure high cadence campaign
likely, probably using color filters. UVCS cannot do the Venus
observations (outside their field of view range). They will instead
do a VLA collaboration starting August 16 (see below).

* Aug 12[15,16] TIMED SEE Calibration Rocket Launch, 18:27-18:31 UT, 
                  VIRGO/TIMED/TRACE/CDS(TBC), 
                  POC: Tom Woods, tom.woods@lasp.colorado.edu

NOTE: August 15 and 16 are backup days for the launch.

* Aug 16-19     Coordinated Observations Using the Radio Source 3C228, 
                  UVCS/VLA, POC: Steve Cranmer & Michael Uzzo

* Aug 25-31     JOP169 Evolving Active Region Loops, POC: Harry Warren,
                  CDS(TBC)/SUMER/TRACE(TBC)

SUMER support is possible from Aug 22 to 27 around the Leo stars. Fine
planning to be discussed with P. Lemaire.

* Sep 7-27      JOP165 High Cadence Active Region Oscillations: Center to 
                  limb variation (TBC), CDS/MDI/EIT/TRACE/SPIRIT, 
                  POC: Dipankar Banerjee (dipu@wis.kuleuven.ac.be)

* Sep 13,17,21  EIT Shutterless #12 Segments 1, 2, Backup, TBC

* Sep 18-30     Moving Magnetic Features Around Sunspots, MDI/TRACE/Sac Peak,
                  POC: Mandy Hagenaar (hagenaar@lmsal.com), Ted Tarbell

NOTE: Next keyhole period starts approximately September 22 (26m
stations) and September 27 (loss of high rate on 34m stations). JOP165
is tied to the EIT shutterless, it runs up to 10 days before and after
the middle date.

NOTE: An EIT bakeout may be in conflict w/JOP165 - see note under
EIT/LASCO individual observations.

NOTE: Mandy Hagenaar and Dipankar Banerjee are communicating in order
to minimise the conflict between JOP165 and Mandy's study, by selecting
same targets and harmonising the observation sequences.

MDI cannot make a firm commitment to JOP165 or Mandy's study.  They
will be doing a full disk magnetic/doppler campaign for the first 30
days of CC, however, when those 30 days will occur is TBD.  Again,
they can coordinate a little better closer in time to the August/Sept
CC periods once we better understand their timing.

CDS will support JOP165 and EIT shutterless.

TRACE is supporting JOP165 Sep 7-17, then supporting Mandy's study.

* Late Nov      EIT Calibration Rocket (TBC), POC: Jeff Newmark

Since TRACE will be in eclipse season in November, they ask that the
rocket flight happen during TRACE daylight. TRACE has a 90-minute
orbit; predictions for eclipse times will be available about 2-3 weeks
ahead of time.

Continuing campaigns:

*               JOP159 CME's in Lyman-alpha (#6870), SWAN/LASCO/EIT/UVCS,
                  POC: Chris St Cyr, Eric Quemerais

Targets of opportunity for the whole period:

*               JOP136/MMOP009 Default RHESSI collaboration (#6850)
*               JOP153/MMOP003 Major Flare Watch (#6970)

Campaign number 6850 is for "individual instrument studies" selecting
an AR target [partially] influenced by the Max Millennium target.
This target will be observed by a significant number of ground based
observatories, so chances for serendipitous co-observations are good.

b) Intercalibration activities

Last Intercal 1: July 23

* Week 33/34    ICAL01, CDS/EIT, POC: CDS Planner

EIT will let CDS make the call.


c) Individual instrument plans

MDI:

See section 1 (boundary conditions) for MDI continuous contact periods.  

All requests for MDI support need to be made several months ahead of
time and sent to mdi-ops@mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov.

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.

MDI expressed a desire to have a heads up (24 hours or more) on
e.g. HGA testing, or other unusual SVM activities, including an idea
of what is being contemplated in terms of testing for longer time
scales.

SOC comment: We have already (since shortly after the Warm Startup)
asked the engineers to always keep us informed of any specific plans
to do testing, whenever possible, with an as long heads-up time as
possible. We generally tried to keep instruments informed of
everything that directly impacts instruments, and as much as possible
(given manpower constraints) to keep them informed about the status
and plans for testing, and the results. However, with the rapid
evolution of the problem we have been facing (and the increased
workload as a result), the latter part has not been entirely
successful.

No tests are currently scheduled or outlined.  However, the HGA
mechanism failure mode is not determined, so new tests may be
performed at a later stage. For testing during normal working hours
(and SVM reserved time in particular), we will not ask to have a test
postponed even if we get a short notice (unless direct impacts to
instruments can be expected, of course).

UVCS:
  See their planning page (below) and the SOHO calendar for weekly plans.
  http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/uvcs/observations/obst.html

CDS:
  See their request diary for details
    (http://solg2.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/scientificops/request.shtml)

LASCO/EIT:

See section 1 (boundary conditions) for EIT bakeouts/shutterless and
other special items.

LASCO has been requested to support IPS measurements of slow solar wind 
between September 26-October 5. An EIT bakeout has been sheduled for
September 26- 30, giving LASCO higher cadence.

NOTE: There's a potential conflict with JOP165 (and possibly the Moving
Magnetic Features study, if regular EIT observations were expected).

From IPS lead observer:

The dates of our campaign as we see them at the moment are 5th September
to 5th October, with a break (for an EISCAT common program) currently
scheduled for 22nd to 26th September.  Between 27th September and 5th
October we have a good radio source lying within the LASCO C3 field of
view and so would like C3 in high cadence mode for at least some of this
time if at all possible.

SUMER:

August 21-27  Alpha-Leo and rho-Leo observations, JOP169

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.

TRACE will do a 2 week tracking of an AR or coronal hole in 171/WL
with 195/284 in context from 28 Jul - 11 Aug

3. AOB


* Next SPWG: Friday August 22, right after weekly meeting in the EOF.

* Commanding issues: NRT versus background queue.

  With the "new" CMS system, background queue commanding is no longer
  such a big problem in terms of processing time and load on the
  system (as proven during MDI's recovery in February 2002). Since a
  number of 34m and 70m stations needed for keyhole operations are
  downlink only, commanding time may become much more scarce than
  before. During the last keyhole, 26m stations were available most of
  the time for uplink. However, it may give our scheduler more
  leverage if 26 meter time can be traded away to get 34m/70m support,
  when applicable.

  Background queue commanding is up to 8 times faster than regular
  NRT, since it sends groups of 8 commands at a time at the same
  cadence as single commands are sent with NRT.

  We would therefore urge all teams using NRT on a daily basis to
  investigate the possibility of shifting their commanding to the
  background queue.

MDI has very good experiences with big loads on the background queue.

* DSN support should be requested 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.

* If anyone has projects that require high-cadence MDI support, now is
  a good time to ask! If you need MDI data, make sure you request it
  specifically. There is no significant change in the shutter
  performance over the last 10 months; monitoring continues, but no
  immediate changes in operations are planned.

* Commanding outlook

These times are subject to change. More details are available if
wanted

Week 31 - Jul 28 - Aug 03: Morning gaps all week. D27 all day Monday
                           through Thursday.

Week 32 - Aug 04 - Aug 10: Daily gaps and D27 on Monday, Tuesday,
                           and Thursday.

Week 33 - Aug 11 - Aug 17: D27 in the afternoons on Monday through
                           Wednesday. Gaps Thursday through Sunday.

Week 34 - Aug 18 - Aug 24: Morning gaps on Monday, Thursday, Friday
                           and Saturday. D27 in the afternoons on
                           Monday and Wednesday.

Week 35 - Aug 25 - Aug 31: Morning gaps on Tuesday, Friday and
                           Saturday.  D27 in the afternoons on Monday
                           and Wednesday.