Date:

Time: 13:00 ET 

Link to Video recording

Passcode: e!VnE#6q

  1. Observing and data processing status: Amy Kimball and Mark Lacy
    • Action item from last meeting: SSG member (Greg Sivakoff) will submit help desk ticket (select VLASS as topic), and NRAO (Amy/Mark) will track tile definitions and survey status document.
      • UPDATE: Dillon dong has a new metadata file on Github that addresses this!  The SSG has suggested that NRAO update their document.


  • Events:
    • VLASS Splinter Session at the 242nd AAS
      • Summary:
        • 20 people in-person, about 30 online
        • Nice opportunity to get people together in the same room
        • Data analysis demonstrations/tutorials given by several speakers (see links at the bottom the splinter session webpage here)
        • LSST representative was in attendance
      • Additional feedback from the community?
      • Action Item: Post the recordings of the splinter session online (Steve is working on this)
    • Any upcoming events to highlight?


  • Updates from working groups (please send by email/Slack or add here directly):
    • Extragalactic - Kate Alexander, Heinz Andernach
      • New version of paper on “Hunting for DRAGNs with the VLA Sky Survey” on the arXiv!
    • Galactic - Laurant Loinard, Adam Ginsburg
    • Transients - Gregg Hallinan, Greg Sivakoff
    • Polarization - Bryan Gaensler, Jennifer West
    • Commensal - Wendy Peters, Chenoa Tremblay
      • COSMIC:
        • We are operating fully now along with VLASS.  We have all 27 antennas only when they are operational.
        • The COSMIC system description paper, referencing VLASS, is almost complete and we hope to submit before the end of the month.
    • Data Products - Dillon Dong, Erik Rosolowsky
    • Science communication - Brian Kent, Eric Murphy
      • AAS Photos - VLASS and Exhibit
      • Brian Kent’s machine learning resources on Github presented at the VLASS splinter session
    • EPO - Jacob Noel-Storr, Summer Ash
    • Other topics?


  • Science presentation:
    • Community Impact of VLASS and Lessons Learned from the Splinter Session at AAS 242 - Mark Lacy
      • Word is getting out about the survey!
        • ~100 papers per year, AGN/transient science have been the most productive
      • Semi-automated Quality Assurance
        • 80% of Quick Look images pass w/o human inspection
        • 2 data analysts only needed now per image (was 5 in the past)
        • Question (Chenoa): what is the origin of most issues in VLASS data?
          • Mark: RFI
          • Discussion on opportunities for VLASS + commensal collaboration on troubleshooting (Chenoa):
            • VCSS, COSMIC separate from WIDAR, possible opportunity to identify other observing issues (e.g. weather) - use VLASS Slack or contact Paul Demorest
            • FYI - ea23 had issues last weekend!
      • VLASS SE imaging to re-start in Fall 2023
        • Revisit SE imaging prioritization google form?
      • VLASS source counts
        • Be cautious at high-resolution that source counts aren’t affected by surface brightness sensitivity effects - see Amy Kimball’s thesis


  • Additional discussion topics:
    • VLASS Epoch 4!
      • Science pitch write-up by Mark Lacy: here
      • Overleaf draft of SSG's white paper on VLASS Epoch 4 - Kristina Nyland
        • Action item from last meeting: Kristina will incorporate text from science pitch/Dillon’s presentation into white paper draft for next meeting - OVERDUE; KN will complete this ASAP
      • White paper plan: have working group chairs lead and organize input on their respective topics
      • New opportunities for commensality? (Chenoa)
        • Process other data products through COSMIC (REALFAST, VLITE-FAST)
        • There will be a dedicated VLASS Epoch 4 white paper section on commensal observing/plug-in opportunities for new instruments
      • How to engage the community and solicit broader feedback? (Juergen)
        • NRAO eNews article (needs to be sent before the fall to allow enough time for input)
        • Other ideas:
          • Social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. - individual SSG members would need to spearhead this; NRAO EPO does not solicit science content on social media)
          • Zoom webinar on new VLASS opportunities?
          • ?????
        • Action Item: follow-up on this at next meeting
    • SE Image prioritization
      • Input on request form?


  • Future meetings:
  • Monday, July 10, at 1pm EST / 11am MST / 17:00 UTC
  • Wanted: SSG co-chair to help run meetings from July-October





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Reference material:

  • Terms of reference document: pdf 
  • VLASS Slack workspace and SSG channel (contact Bryan Gaensler)
  • Confluence page
  • Next meeting: Monday, May 22nd at 1pm EST / 11am MST / 18:00 UTC
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