VLASS News:
- Observing and data processing status: Amy Kimball and Mark Lacy
- Epoch 3.2: just one tile left to observe in B config
- Processing:
- Image Headers: (Juergen Ott: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FKaxODvwuhfMQiwUAiI3xzTtn2jfylohJjbREgkdQ-o/edit)
- Dillon: image area keyword suggested
- Definitions: one page memo?
- Science highlights:
- z=7 blazar in VLASS (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024arXiv240707236B/abstract) (ML)
Events/Outreach:
- List of outreach idea here
- IAU highlights: https://science.nrao.edu/enews/17.8/images/iau2024/public/
- Mark Lacy’s Talk: https://www.youtube.com/live/3RLaEOUuAPA?feature=shared&t=12959
- Conference updates?
- IAU
- Mark gave a talk
- VLASS fliers were distributed to a new audience
- ADASS 2024 Submissions:https://www.um.edu.mt/events/adass2024/
- Winter 2025 AAS
- Session about high-res radio surveys discussed previously
- Splinter meeting proposals due Sept 12th
- HEACOSS 2024 (Yerevan).
Dillon Transient Update
- Dillon has been working on transient pipeline, polarized sources
- ~1300 “real-time” transient sources detected
- ~65K square degree imaged in Stokes V
- Request for people to find a place for calibrated MS file storage permanently.
CANDIAPL/CIRADA Update
- CANDIAPL was funded and has signed its Inter-Agency Agreements with all universities. Money should start flowing soon.
- CIRADA quicklook is being maintained currently and GRS is looking to transfer it to CADC for long-term support.
- GRS has funding support through ~Nov 15 for the developer to do this.
- Talk: “VLASS Polarimetry Analysis Update” - Lerato Sebokolodi
- GRS Comment for now:
- The VLASS sub-tile table list for a given connected source-region could be created on the fly using astroquery.CADC using a small radius centred on a source.
- GRS Minor question for now:
- Regarding division by I, will there be some storage of the I used for 3-D/2-D. I imagine this would require including a Stokes I image as an HDU,
- GRS: Minor question for off-line:
- Have you considered smoothing the image before computing a connected source region? With the “right” smoothing radius, you might be able to reduce the number of non-connected regions that way.
Discussion
Future of CIRADANotes
- Comments from the SSG
- Questions:
- Is the scientific case for a 4th epoch strong enough to justify the VLA time/staff resources?
- Is the data processing plan realistic?
- Will VLASS remain competitive with other surveys/future instruments?
- Could VLASS observing and data processing for Epoch 4 be optimized?
- Timeline:
- Sept 3: Draft outlines Epoch 4 review talks due to SSG
- Sept 10: Epoch 4 review talks due to Tony Beasley
- Sept 17: VLASS Epoch 4 review
- Charge to the committee
Future meetings: (subject to change; check your email/Slack for updates)
- September 9 at 1pm EDT / 11am MDT / 17:00 UTC
- October 7 at 1pm EDT / 11am MDT / 17:00 UTC
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Reference material:
- Terms of reference document: pdf
- VLASS Slack workspace and SSG channel (contact Bryan Gaensler)
- Confluence page