Here are the minutes of our meeting the day before yesterday -- please just reply with or let me know any corrections -- thanks!:
Phoning in: Cordell Grant (Toronto SFL), Arnold Gaertner (NRC-INMS), Max Fagin (Dartmouth/Harvard), Keith Vanderlinde (McGill), Susana Deustua (STScI)
Max gave the report on preparations for the next flight, which is looking (weather-wise) like it will be a night flight this weekend, both to test the tracking of the LX200 telescope and, most importantly, to try to observe the source in flight at night for the first time. The main preparation activities are, of course in addition to the usual pre-flight activities and checklist: 1) making sure the LX200 tracking software is up to date and working with the motorized mount, and 2) adding a remotely-switchable LED beacon to the bottom of the gondola to make sure that we do observe _something_, if it somehow turns out that we can't detect the real source. (Max then had to take off to take his GREs, on which we're sure he did very well!)
If we do happen to detect and observe the source in flight at night this weekend, and obtain qualitative but sensible measurements, the next planned steps in principle involve a trip to Mt. Hopkins. There is, however, not much time between this weekend and Christmas -- and after Christmas, Yorke's teaching schedule resumes until late March. So, in that case, we'll need to discuss with NIST whether we should do the week before Christmas (the 15th - 22nd) -- we could try that -- or to just wait until late March (and do other flights in NH in the interim). Either could work. (Hopefully we will be faced with this dilemma after this weekend! -- it would be a nice dilemma to face!)
We are currently waiting for quotes for new, brighter optical light sources from World Star Tech (Toronto) and US Lasers (California). Two other companies (Diode Laser Concepts and Prophotonix) declined to make a bid. We should also be receiving the two new custom integrating spheres from Labsphere as early as late next week. We will then send or bring one of the spheres up to Ottawa so that Arnold and colleagues can have a look at it.
For the nanosat design, Cordell is currently in the process of developing an ICD (interface control document, for the non-engineers here). He will post information on that shortly, and we should all have a look at it just as soon as that is available.
Regarding website, two new undergraduates here, Spencer Bialek and James Hartwick, will be able to help out to get our Instrumentation and About Altair pages, etc., filled out. James will be working on this in late December and early January (and hopefully beyond that), and Spencer will start in early January. Nina and Will (Dartmouth undergrads) will also help out on this as their time permits, and especially with other sections (e.g. Photos). As usual, please just let me or Chris Tooley (ctooley@uvic.ca) know if you encounter any problems with the site or with Hypernews. Also note that everyone is welcome to update any part of the website at any time yourself if you like (instructions are posted below and have all been sent to you earlier) -- and please absolutely just update things yourself, and add useful things!
On the upcoming grant applications, we are talking with folks at Southwest Research Institute and Aerostar about Canadian companies that they might like to work together with, to satisfy the DND-NSERC grant requirement of applying jointly with a Canadian company -- we'll then talk with any companies that they happen to recommend.
In other business -- we'll submit a late abstract for the AAS meeting in Long Beach in January as per Susana's recommendation, and hopefully we'll get a poster there. Also, the Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics has a number of fully-funded workshops that they sponsor per year. Unfortunately, the deadline for submitting an application for a 2014 workshop has passed (Nov. 15) -- we might possibly talk with the organizers about the possibility of submitting a late proposal, or else we could just wait for next year's proposals and submit one for 2015.
That's all I remember -- please send things I forgot!
cheers, justin
On Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:49:16 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi, > > Telecon tomorrow (Tuesday Nov. 27) at our regular time of 12:00 noon > Eastern time (9 am Pacific, 18.00 European). Discussion items include: > preparation for the next flight (tracking test, and then a night flight > to observe the source in real conditions for the first time), the next > light sources, goniometric calibration, nanosat design requirements, the > website, and flights beyond the upcoming flights. A reminder of the CSA > project timeline is attached. > > Here's the dial-in info: If you are calling in from Canada or U.S.: > 1. Dial Toll-Free Number: 866-740-1260 (U.S. & Canada) > 2. Enter 7-digit access code: 5082741 followed by the # > > If you are calling in from elsewhere: > 1. To locate International Toll-Free Numbers go to > http://www.readytalk.com/intl (enter 7-digit access code 5082741) > 2. Dial toll free number from web link > 3. Enter Passcode: Enter 7-digit ACCESS CODE: 5082741 followed by the # > > Here's the tentative agenda: > I) Flights > A) (Last minute) preparation for next flights -- weather forecasts, etc > B) New light sources, and goniometric calibrations > C) Mt. Hopkins (& beyond) > II) Nanosat design requirements > III) Computing & website > IV) Upcoming grant applications > V) AOB > > Talk to you all tomorrow! > justin > > Attachment: > http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2012/11/12/18.02-43361-Schedule-20120702_hqp.pdf >