Difference between revisions of "Verification phase"

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m (details of the available telescopes at the Konkoly Observatory)
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Main aim of the Verification Phase is to verify the robustness of the issued alerts and confirm them with the dedicated set of follow-up telescopes available for ''Target of Opportunity'' (ToO) mode. This should reveal all necessary adjustments to be done in the detection algorithm to assure the best and the most robust performance later on.
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The main aim of the Science Alerts Verification Phase (SAVP) is to verify the robustness of the issued alerts and confirm them with the dedicated network of follow-up telescopes operating in the ''Target of Opportunity'' (ToO) mode. The verification observations should be carried both photometrically (imaging) and spectroscopically in order to, e.g. confirm the presence of the detected new object, or to confirm or fine-tune the classification of the alert. Verification Phase should reveal all necessary adjustments which has to be done to the detection and classification algorithms to assure the best and the most robust performance later on.
 
   
 
   
Verification Phase will last for 2-3 months and is planned to take place as early in the mission as possible, as soon as the alerting system is ready to perform.  
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Verification Phase could last for about 3 months and is planned to take place after around 3-6 months after receiving the first Gaia data to assure there is enough historical data available for most of the objects. Some areas (close to the nodes of the scanning pattern) will have enough observations accumulated to allow for early start of the alerting pipeline.
Currently, it seems it will happen only after the first cycle (half a year, i.e. late 2012/early 2013), as the accumulated data ("baseline flux") will not be available before.
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In principle, some pre-launch preparations could take place in the areas of very dense Gaia observations. It includes gathering all useful information about the objects in these regions both from existing catalogues and with new observations. The information includes, among the others, variability classification and spectral type classification.  
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The Science Alerts Verification Phase will be conducted mainly under umbrella of GBOG (Ground Based Observations for Gaia), however we encourage other groups of astronomers to join this effort as early as possible. Early involvement in the alerts observations can result in establishing a good connection with Gaia alerts stream when they become fully public.  
  
 
== Preliminary list of telescopes and people involved ==
 
== Preliminary list of telescopes and people involved ==

Revision as of 10:55, 12 November 2010

The main aim of the Science Alerts Verification Phase (SAVP) is to verify the robustness of the issued alerts and confirm them with the dedicated network of follow-up telescopes operating in the Target of Opportunity (ToO) mode. The verification observations should be carried both photometrically (imaging) and spectroscopically in order to, e.g. confirm the presence of the detected new object, or to confirm or fine-tune the classification of the alert. Verification Phase should reveal all necessary adjustments which has to be done to the detection and classification algorithms to assure the best and the most robust performance later on.

Verification Phase could last for about 3 months and is planned to take place after around 3-6 months after receiving the first Gaia data to assure there is enough historical data available for most of the objects. Some areas (close to the nodes of the scanning pattern) will have enough observations accumulated to allow for early start of the alerting pipeline. In principle, some pre-launch preparations could take place in the areas of very dense Gaia observations. It includes gathering all useful information about the objects in these regions both from existing catalogues and with new observations. The information includes, among the others, variability classification and spectral type classification.

The Science Alerts Verification Phase will be conducted mainly under umbrella of GBOG (Ground Based Observations for Gaia), however we encourage other groups of astronomers to join this effort as early as possible. Early involvement in the alerts observations can result in establishing a good connection with Gaia alerts stream when they become fully public.

Preliminary list of telescopes and people involved

Telescope/Observatory Contact person (with email) Details
Swiss Euler Laurent Eyer (laurent.eyer@unige.ch) 1.2m, La Silla, Chile
Belgian Mecatore Laurent Eyer 1.2m, La Palma (Swiss Time)
Loiano Gisella Clementini (gisella.clementini@oabo.inaf.it) 1.5m, Bologna, Italy
Konkoly Laszlo Szabados (szabados@konkoly.hu) 1m RCC, 60/90/180 cm Schmidt, 50 cm Cassegrain, Piszkesteto Mountain Station of the Konkoly Obs., Hungary