SOHO SPWG Minutes



SPWG FINAL MINUTES Friday 24 October 2003

1. Boundary conditions


* SOHO is back at the nominal roll position.

* The next manoeuvre is tentatively planned for December 30. It will
  include a 180 degree roll, station keeping (SK) and momentum
  management (MM). The following manoeuvre will be during the spring
  keyhole (March 15 - April 7).

* The estimated dates for the next 2 keyhole periods are given below.
  For estimated keyhole dates through 2006 follow this link

  NOTE: The dates shown below have been changed to reflect the (slightly
  wider) scheduling windows, instead of the previous estimates.

* 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 19,2004   High Rate on 34m stations ends, TBC
* Apr 4, 2004   High Rate on 34m stations starts, TBC
* Apr 8, 2004   High Rate on 26m stations starts, TBC

  Keyhole estimates are being fine-tuned based on experiences gained
  during the past two keyholes. Changes in duration of 1 to 2 days are
  possible.

  Due to the needs of the Mars missions, we have almost no 70m
  contacts during these 2 keyholes; typically only two 34m passes of
  about 3-5 hours each per day (i.e. no recorder dumps). The first
  week of the keyhole will look like this (unmarked stations are 26m,
  "+" means 34m, "*" means 70m, D27# is hybrid 34/26m):

  Date      Time     Station(s) 
                     
  Dec 22  0710-1230   D66
  Dec 22  1915-2335   D27#   

  Dec 23  0045-0525   D46  (Expect to lose 26m capability this day) 
  Dec 23  0800-0915   D54+  
  Dec 23  1510-1830   D24+  
  Dec 23  1930-2235   D34+ 

  Dec 24  0730-1130   D65+&D66
  Dec 24  1450-1745   D14*&D27#
  Dec 24  2125-0125   D34+

  Dec 25  0805-1110   D54+
  Dec 25  2110-0215   D34+

  Dec 26  0830-1145   D63*&D66 (Expect to lose HR on 34m this day)
  Dec 26  1950-0030   D34+

  Dec 27  1005-1430   D54+
  Dec 27  2115-0115   D43*&D46

  Dec 28  1045-1415   D54+
  Dec 28  2035-2220   D34+

  The last 3 days may be considered typical for the deepest part of
  the keyhole (no HR on 34m); this period only lasts about 1 1/2 weeks.

  More details will be available later, but we would like all teams to
  start thinking about their operations for such a scenario. Note that
  NRT will be scarce (and possibly at inconvenient times), so consider
  ways of conserving uplink time.

  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.

* MDI continuous contacts

  Sep 10-Nov 23 MDI 60-Day Continuous Contact (interrupted by keyhole)

  For the second (current) part of the 60 day continuous contact MDI
  is running Full Disk Cropped Dopplergrams and Magnetograms.

  Jan 28-Feb 2 MDI Continuous Contact

  Mar 3-8 MDI Continuous Contact, TBC

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

  NOTE: EIT CalRoc date was shifted by 1 day after the meeting.

F Nov 14        Submode change to Submode 5, 15 UT (TBC)
* Dec 5         EIT CalRoc - SUBMODE 6 (change times TBD)
M Dec 8         Submode change to Submode 6, 12 UT (TBC)

* EIT Bakeout/CalRock/Shutterless/Other:

* Dec 5         EIT Calibration Rocket, ~19 UT, TBC
* Dec 10        EIT Shutterless Run #13 Segment 1, 14-16:40 UT
* Dec 14        EIT Shutterless Run #13 Segment 2, 12-14:40 UT
* Dec 18        EIT Shutterless Run #13 Backup Day, 17-19:40 UT
* Feb 18, 25	EIT Shutterless Run #14

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.

* TRACE is now in "soft" eclipse season (atmospheric absorption).
  Hard eclipses are expected to start: November 3.
  Eclipse season ends some time in February.

* Oct 26        Daylight Saving Time ends at 6 UT (US) and 1 UT (Europe),
                  GSFC local = UT-5 hours = Central Europe-6 hours

* Nov 18	Leonids Meteor Shower - No special precautions will be taken


2. Priorities for the coming month & more


a) Joint observing plans and campaigns

* Oct 20-29     JOP157 Bright Points in Active Regions, 8-18 UT,
                  CDS/EIT/RHESSI/TRACE(8-17 UT after Oct 23)/MDI/THEMIS,
                  POC: Brigitte Schmieder (brigitte.schmieder@obspm.fr)

  TRACE: Request for JOP157 came after the request for JOP155, so
  JOP155 has precedence during the overlap days, October 20-23. TRACE
  prefers targets for at least a full day, so we hope JOPs 155 and 157
  will communicate to remove the overlap from our schedule.

  MDI: Supports JOP157 with Full Disk Magnetograms and Dopplergrams.

  EIT: CME watch in 195 Å unless otherwise requested, after October
  23. Prior to October 23, EIT is committed to JOP155 and will be
  doing CME watch in 304 ? for every other day, except as
  necessitated by the Major Flare Watch (i.e. 195 Å every day)..

  CDS: Will support, but hope that full 10 hours/day is not needed.

* Nov 1-17      Coronal Micro-Events (TBC), RHESSI/TRACE/CDS/EIT/MDI,
                  POC: Karel Schrijver (schryver@lmsal.com)

* Nov 17-30     MEDOC Campaign #12

MEDOC calendar entries under week 1 with no specific dates are listed
here with dates "Nov 17-23(M1)". Number of runs unknown.


* Nov 17-23(M1) JOP158 The Fast Solar Wind from 1.05 to 4 Ro. 
                  SUMER/UVCS/LASCO/EIT/CDS, SUMER X=TBD,
                  POC: E. Antonucci (antonucci@t.astro.it) and
                       A. Gabriel (gabriel@ias.u-psud.fr)

  EIT supports with half-resolution 195 Å CME watch on days when JOP124 is not
  being run.

  UVCS observations for E. Antonucci are scheduled from Nov 9, 16 UT,
  to Nov 23, 16 UT (with synoptics) which overlap with the first week
  of the MEDOC Campaign.


* Nov 17-23(M1) JOP124 Eruptive prominence in Active Region,
                  CDS/SUMER/EIT/CORONAS, SUMER X=West limb,
                  POC: karine.bocchialini@medoc-ias.u-psud.fr

  EIT supports with half-resolution 304 Å CME watch on days when JOP158 is not
  being run.

  NOTE: EIT will run all day in either 304 Å or 195 Å, but will not
  switch between them in a given day.


* Nov 17-23(M1) JOP171 Solar Network Variability and Dynamics,
                  CDS/EIT/MDI, POC: Peter Gomory (gomory@astro.sk)

  CDS: Notes that it requires 8 hrs/day

  MDI: During MEDOC 12, before Nov 24, MDI will support with Full Disk Cropped
  Magnetograms and Dopplergrams.  After Nov 24, MDI could support with HR
  Magnetograms, Dopplergrams and Filtergrams, DSN permitting and depending on
  what Craig DeForest asks for (see below).

  EIT supports with 4-times-daily synoptics, but can only support with
  half-res 195 Å CME watch on days when JOP 124 is not being run.

  TRACE will not be coordinating with this JOP during this run. There is
  talk of repeating it some time after eclipse season.



* Nov 17-30     Polar coronal hole, SUMER/EIT/CORONAS, SUMER X=TBD,
                  POC: laurent.dolla@medoc-ias.u-psud.fr

   EIT: Hope synoptics / half-res CME watch will suffice, because
   that's all we have the leeway to do.


* Nov 24-Dec 7  Ulysses Quadrature Observations, 00-09 UT,
                  POC: Giannina Poletto (poletto@arcetri.astro.it),
                  UVCS/CDS /SUMER/Ulysses/TRACE(TBC)

  The conflicts between this and JOP170 (below) seem to have been
  resolved, except for TRACE pointing policy (do not like to switch
  targets back and forth).

  UVCS starts Ulysses Quadrature observations November 23,
  but the first two days will be shared with star observations.
  UVCS will observe between 0 UT and 10 UT.


* Nov 26 -30    JOP170 AR Magnetic Field Temporal Changes, 09-17 UT,
                  CDS/MDI/EIT/TRACE(TBC)/THEMIS,
                  POC: brigitte.schmieder@obspm.fr/jean-marie.malherbe@obspm.fr

  EIT will support with half-res 195 Å CME watch on days when JOP124
  is not being run.

  MDI's observing program (high res or full disk) for this period will be
  entirely up to what Craig DeForest wants for the High-time-resolution
  Magnetograph Test (see below).  It is unknown at this time what his target
  will be (AR or QS), but hopefully they will coincide.

  CDS observing programme needs to be clarified.

  TRACE program is also not defined.


* Nov 24-Dec 1  High-time-resolution Magnetograph Test, MDI/NSO,
                  Early UT afternoon, POC: Craig DeForest

  MDI has so far been asked for, and are planning to run, High Resolution
  Dopplergrams, Magnetograms and Filtergrams.


* Dec 4         EIT Calibration Rocket (TBC), EIT/CalRoc/TRACE, ~17 UT,
                  POC: Jeff Newmark

  We will ask to have the SSR in record during the EIT observations
  for the CalRoc, regardless of contacts. Launch time estimated based
  on launch near noon local. Launch time will not be flexible to
  adjust for TRACE eclipse times, except small changes.

  TRACE will support unless flight happens during hard eclipse.


Continuing campaigns:

*               JOP159 CMEs 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 #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: October 9 (Week 41)

* Week 45/46 Intercal 1, CDS/EIT

CDS suggests week 45, Tuesday-Thursday.



c) Individual instrument plans

MDI:

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


MDI will work on getting down magnetograms in the 5k data stream during
the winter and spring keyholes.

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.


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

  The following are listed because of NRT requirements or as candidates
  for collaboration (with e.g. CDS):

* Oct 24-Nov 2  UVCS Observations of the South Coronal Hole and the Equatorial
                  Coronal Hole
* Nov 3-8       UVCS Streamer Study
* Nov 9-22      UVCS Observations of Polar Coronal Holes at High Spectral 
                  Resolution
* Nov 23- 25     UVCS Del Sco Star Observations


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

  CDS may join the UVCS streamer study and the first coronal hole
  study (above).


LASCO/EIT:

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

EIT would like to know when SUMER next plans to operate (after the
MEDOC campaign), for our planning purposes.

NOTE: SOCs would also like to know as early as possible, to plan
submode changes.

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.

Will be entering hard eclipses starting November 3, and will
likely not agree to participate in JOPs during eclipse season other
than those already agreed to.


3. AOB


* Next SPWG: Friday November 21, right after weekly meeting in the EOF.

* The OBT correction procedure prior to OBT distribution (after a Warm
  Startup) has not been formally approved. However, it would be
  applied if approval is given by the Program Office before the OBT is
  distributed.

* The new ECS software for correct updates of the Time Correlation
  File is now operational (though still considered to be in testing).
  The backlog of changes to the TCF file has been eliminated.

* 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

Week 44 - Oct 27 - Nov 02: Continuous contact all week except 19:05-19:15 UT
                           Sunday. Downlink-only stations Monday
                           11:15-15:30 UT, Tuesday 8-13:45 UT, Wednesday very
                           early, Thursday 11:35-13:50 UT, and Friday
                           17:15-20 UT.  DSS-27 every day except Sunday.

Week 45 - Nov 03 - Nov 09: Continuous contact all week except for gaps on
                           Wednesday at 12:35-13:05 UT and 15:25-19:20 UT.
                           One downlink-only station Sunday 22:55-00:40 UT.
                           DSS-27 on Monday-Wednesday and Saturday.

Week 46 - Nov 10 - Nov 16: Continuous contact all week except 05:30-05:40 UT
                           on Monday and 05:25-05:50 UT on Tuesday.
                           Downlink-only stations very early on Tuesday and
                           Wednesday and at 17:55-21:00 UT Friday.

Week 47 - Nov 17 - Nov 23: Downlink-only stations during commanding times on
                           Monday, Friday and Sunday.  Gaps before 13 UT on
                           Tuesday and Wednesday.  Gap 17:50-19:20 UT Thursday.
                           Saturday has continuous contact all day.  Gap
                           19:20-21:45 UT Sunday.

Week 48 - Nov 24 - Nov 30: Commanding late on Monday. DSS-27 all day Tuesday,
                           Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Gap 17:15-18:40 UT
                           on Saturday.