November 3, 2003 from: C. Carilli to: ISAC re: Minutes from Telecon Thursday October 30, 20:00 UT cc: Schilizzi, Tarter Minutes are attached. See you in Leiden. Chris Carilli Socorro NM USA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Agenda for telecon: 1. Leiden retreat: program, funding, response Carilli/Schilizzi 2. Level 0 science: summary and plans Gaensler 3. SKA revised specs: status D. Jones 4. Final Matrix report (if time allows) Rawlings ------------------------------------------------------------------- Minutes: Attending -- Carilli, D. Jones, Gaensler, Feretti, Briggs, Rawlings, Dickey, Schilizzi 1. Carilli reviewed the program for the Leiden symposium. The emphasis remains making progress on the science chapters. The turnout for the meeting is good -- most chapters are represented. Funding is available for most participants at varying levels (see note from Lorentz Center, October). Hotels have been arranged. A number of talks have been arranged, centered on the proposed Level 0 science goals. Each day will start and finish with 1 hr of presentations. The first day will begin with a summary of the meeting goals and format by Schilizzi and Carilli, then a review of the revised SKA Specs by D. Jones, then a summary of the results of the Level 0 voting by Gaensler. Carilli will send out a latex template chapter prior to the meeting. Problem is that the publisher remains to be determined. Carilli and Rawlings have explored a number of options: i. just SKA web page, ii. NRAO or ASTRON, iii. official publisher. The clear consensus was to try to find a real publisher, to get the required circulation etc... with caveat that the publisher must agree to the web presentation on the SKA home page of the material. Carilli has an inquiry into EDP science, and Rawlings is exploring New Astronomy Reviews. An informal meeting of WG chairs and level 0 subcommittee may be arranged for sunday evening (18:00) at one of the hotels in Leiden. Action items: i. Carilli, Rawlings - find publisher (note -- since telecon, New Astro. Reviews has responded favorably to the proposed book, and will likely be the publisher.) ii. Carilli - send template chapter iii. Carilli - circulate current chapter list to all authors iv. Carilli - organize sunday meeting? v. Room allocation - Carilli will communicate with Johnston. (done) ---- 2. Level 0 report (Gaensler) - proposals have been submitted, reviewed by the subcommittee, and revised. A list of 17 has been distributed to ISAC for vote (see note by Gaensler Oct 2003). It might be possible to group some projects into 'themes' but the subcommittee disfavored this approach, emphasizing focused astrophysics projects or experiments. The book chapters certainly can be arranged in a thematic way. Voting will terminate Nov. 5. In Leiden Gaensler will present the results of the voting on Monday. Formal and informal presentation and debate will ensue during the week, culminating in a plenary session friday where proposers will be allowed a final 'defense' of their position, if desired. If a consensus can be reached on Friday, then the list will be finalized. If not, then a second (final) vote will be taken in the following week. One potential problem with finalizing the list in Leiden is that the full ISAC is not present. This issue will be considered in Leiden. Note that only ISAC members are allowed to vote. The question was raised as to what should be sent to the ISSC - a ranked (full) list, or just the final programs? Schilizzi said that the final report should state clearly the recommended level 0 science goals and the reasons, with an appendix showing the full list and describing process. The report might also contain the design requirements driven by the level 0 goals. --- 3. SKA specs - D. Jones D. Jones presented the revised SKA specifications. these will be presented in Leiden, and have been fairly widely distributed and commented on (input from about 2 dozen people). Key questions remain - core array size, longest baselines, frequency coverage. These may become clearly after level 0 debate is finalized. --- 4. ISAC report on white papers and new matrix -- Rawlings Rawlings has submitted the report to the ISSC. Schilizzi says that this process is done for now. The next step entails concrete tests and demonstrators for the proposers, and level 0 debate and science case completion etc... for the ISAC. --- 5. AOB Schilizzi reviewed the plans for the Capetown meeting in January. Besides the standard ISSC meeting, there will be an EMT meeting, a design hybrid/convergence meeting, an 'industry day', and a site visit. Rawlings will represent ISAC. Schilizzi also discussed plans for Penticton. The ISAC expressed desire to present the results of the work on the science book, which should be completed by then. ---