Phase B Preparation Workshop

Owned by Bob Mann
Aug 19, 2024
4 min read

Introduction | Logistics | Preparation | Programme | Upload slides

Introduction

We are planning to hold a workshop in late April to kick-start the preparation of the science cases for Level 3 development effort in the Phase B proposal. As you know, Phase B is due to run from April 2019 to March 2023, thereby spanning LSST Commissioning and the start of survey operations. The DEV side of the Phase B proposal should, therefore, focus on what we could do (R&D tasks, not exploitation) with the commissioning data and what is needed for early science with LSST. The intention is that this workshop should inform the development of those cases by providing a more detailed description of what we can expect from the Project - in terms of data products, software and computing infrastructure - and comparing that with the requirements for some of our high priority science cases, thereby yielding a better idea of what we must provide ourselves, funded through the Phase B award. 

From initial discussion with Mario Juric and Andy Connolly in the LSST Project team, we have come up with the following initial plan.

Logistics

Registration: Please add your name and details on the Phase B Prep W/shop Participants page to help us coordinate catering, venue, etc.

Dates: 26th—28th April 2017

Location: Royal Observatory Edinburgh

Accommodation: Accommodation options in the vicinity of the Royal Observatory are listed on the ROE website. Of particular note, the Travel Lodge at Cameron Toll is conveniently located on major public transport links to/ from city, around a 15-minutes walk from the observatory.

Social events: We have not arranged any group dinners, to enable you to explore Edinburgh a little, but here are some suggested restaurants.

Pre-meeting preparation

Final Programme:

Slides from talks are (will be) available from here, as well as being linked from the programme below. 

Day One: What to expect from the LSST Project

  • 09.30: Session 1 (1.5hr): Level 1 (Eric Bellm)
    • Difference Image Analysis pipeline data products
    • Alert stream and Level 1 database: what to do with which and how
    • Brokers - what will the Project deliver? What are the constraints on developments by others (e.g. LSST:UK)?
  • 11.00: coffee
  • 11.30: Session 2 (1.5 hr): Level 2 (Robert Lupton)
    • Outline of direct imaging pipeline, highlighting key algorithms
    • Specification of direct imaging data products
    • Availability of data products (policies and practicalities) - e.g. which images and how soon?
    • Data Release production and Data Access Centre capabilities
  • 13.00: lunch
  • 14.00: Session 3 (1.5 hr): Level 3 (Mario Juric and Simon Krughoff)
  • 15.30: tea
  • 16.00: Session 4 (1 hr): LSST Simulations (Lynne Jones, remotely) 

    • Introduction to scope and aims of different packages - PhoSim, CatSim, AlertSim, OpSim, MAF, GalSim. 

    • More detailed descriptions of use of some: i.e. MAF, GalSim/PhoSim, CatSim (possibly also AlertSim?)
  • 17.00: Session 5 (0.5 hr): LSSTC and Science Collaborations (Pat Eliason, remotely, with slides from Lucianne Walkowicz)
    • Role of LSSTC in operations and before - e.g. supporting scientific activities
    • Science Collaborations: roles
  • 17.30: close

Day Two: Requirements from high-priority UK science cases

This will be a walk-through of a number of high-priority UK science cases, describing the requirements on data (quality and quantity), software and hardware, so that we could contrast those with what had been described on Day One. The cases should be drawn from a range of science areas, so as to span the range of dependencies on the Project deliverables. Since the goal is identifying gaps for development in Phase B, the focus should be on “early science”, but it will be left to each speaker to decide whether that means use of commissioning data, first year survey data, etc

The format for these will be as follows*:

  1. 20 min talk: 
    • What is the science? 
    • What data is required? 
    • What is the computational scale of the analysis? - e.g. workstation v small cluster v supercomputer/grid
  2. 10 min discussion:
    • Feedback from Project staff: what will and will not be available
    • Identification of gaps - what might be developed into a case for the Phase B proposal?

     *N.B. the stellar talks have a different timing, but the same split between talk and discussion.

Day Three: Requirements for high-priority UK science cases (cont'd) and hands-on sessions

Before participating in this tutorial, you need to install a copy of the LSST pipeline software on your laptop.


Attendance (deprecated, see Participant page)

  • Likely to attend: Bob Mann, Sugata Kaviraj, Mark Sullivan, Benjamin Joachimi, Wes Fraser, David Bacon, Stephen Smartt, Aprajita Verma, Carole Mundell Manda Banerji, Tim Naylor, Vicky Scowcroft, Philip Lucas, Graham Smith, Nicholas Walton, WIll Hartley, Aleks Scholz, Ben Burningham, Andy Lawrence Richard McMahon, Isobel Hook
  • Unlikely to attend: John Veitch (timing conflict), Jon Loveday (teaching), Annette Ferguson (away)


If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the LSST:UK Project Managers lusc_pm@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk or phone +44 131 651 3577