VLASS News:
Data processing: Mark and Amy
- 96% QL processing done
- SE imaging in the north in progress
- New timeline under development
- gridding is a big bottleneck - investigation into approach using gridded visibilities
- “Re-phasing” to reduce number of w-terms
- “Core” processing to be done in 3 years
- No Epoch 1.1 SE products
- Confluence page has details (link?)
- New tools and services to support access to historical surveys (NVSS, FIRST)
- Computing resources are being investigated
- Key challenge: SECI pipeline requires a lot of memory per job; inconsistent with how HPC resources are set-up
- Question by Dillon: why not break-up imaging into smaller patches with less demanding memory requirements?
- Comments by Chenoa:
- Science highlights:
- Kristina's undergrad found spiral host galaxy of VLASS variable source, presenting at AAS.
Events/Outreach:
- List of outreach idea here
- Conference updates?
- Winter AAS (National Harbor)
- Mark - general VLASS abstract
- Charlotte’s student will present a poster
- Dillon’s student will present on Stokes V imaging
- Kristina + students will present posters on AGN science involving VLASS
- Abstract deadline was Sept 26
- Transients from Space - March 11-13, 2025 at STScI in Baltimore, MD
- Radio Transients - 28 July–1 August 2025 at the University of Sydney, Australia
- UK SKAO Science Committee Early Career Researcher Group are hosting a Careers webinar for early career researchers in radio astronomy, from 10-11am on Monday 11th November. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-radio-astronomy-careers[…]yAzN5Ee2IYkHC47MzQqqpD2nKYWZsQeiBuSiwrfWnttmLlO74TH97gt1M5a8$
Paper update: Kristina
- Targeted high-level data product processing (“phase 1”): Steve
- NRAO will solicit feedback from the SSG
- Plan will be finalized by end of 2024
- Notes from previous discussions:
- 5-10k sq degrees, at least one epoch of full products . . .
- Limitations on declination/algorithm requirements (need to be above -4 deg dec to avoid need for awproject)
- Ideally, field(s) should be appropriate for polarization validation
- Suggestions
- Stripe 82 (VLASS + POSSUM collaboration?)
- LOTSS DR2
- Galactic center
- Validation fields
- CDFS
- Steve's suggestion: 4 → +4 Dec, (T10,T11), 0-24 RA (2900 deg^2)
- Action Item: Lerato and Jennifer asked to share fields for POSSUM validation with NRAO
Dillon’s new tools
- New VLASS cutout server API that prioritize speed/efficiency
- Prototype available: https://vlasscutouts.ngrok.io/cutout?ra=358.9545833&dec=30.7633750&epoch=2&size=61&outputpix=250&plow=1&pmax=100
- Not ready for primetime yet due to data transfer/securuty issues. Dillon is happy to share the code e.g. with CIRADA, who are moving their cutout server to CADC.
- Mosaicking would be nice but doesn’t scale well right now (needs Montage)
New Polarimetry data products now available (Lerato)
- Details on Slack
- Link: tbd
- Would be good to have more people checking out results. Best to limit to SNR>8 for reliable RMs.
Future topics (upcoming meetings)
Transient Update
CANDIAPL/CIRADA Update
- Jan 2026 AAS Special session on high resolution radio surveys
- VLASS science highlights
- Synergy with other radio surveys
- What is the next VLA survey going to look like?
- Deadline for special sessions is ~spring or summer before
- Call for white papers?
- Meeting goals:
- Start planning in early 2025 (after AAS)
Future meetings: (subject to change; check your email/Slack for updates)
- Dec 2 at 1pm EST / 11am MST / 18:00 UTC
######################################################################
Reference material:
- Terms of reference document: pdf
- VLASS Slack workspace and SSG channel (contact Bryan Gaensler)
- Confluence page