OPERATIONS
Science Operations
FINAL MINUTES FOR SOHO 19 December 2008 SPWG MEETING
1. Boundary conditions
a) Orbit, attitude and manoeuvres
- SOHO is upside down (180 degrees).
- manoeuvres
To the degree possible, manoeuvres take place during the last days of
34-m keyholes. Currently proposed or set manoeuvre dates are:
Feb 10 (TBC) station-keeping & momentum management
Feb 14 (TBC) roll
May 12 (TBC) station-keeping, momentum management, roll
b) Communications with the spacecraft
Graphical DSN schedule: http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/dsn/. NOTE: DSN
coverage will be less during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Keyhole dates for the next 6 months (All keyhole information is available
at or via http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/keyholes.html):
* Jan 25-Feb 21 26m Keyhole
* Feb 1-14 34m Keyhole
* Apr 28-May 16 26m Keyhole
* May 02-12 34m Keyhole
- End-of-pass handling during MDI continuous contact periods
To avoid problems with transmitter masks at the end of passes during MDI
continuous, DSN has requested we bring the carrier down 30 min before the
end of pass. As a result, the last 30 min of all MDI continuous contacts
will be TM only. For ranging passes, the spacecraft will be transitioned
to record ~1 h before the end of the pass. The station will drop the
carrier and re-sweep into receiver 2. The spacecraft will then be
transitioned back to VC2 and VC3.
- DSN 26 m antenna decommissioning and the keyholes
DSN is in the process of decommissioning its 26 m antennae --- the only
one left is DSS-46. DSS-46 is planned to be decommissioned Oct 31,
2009 (TBC). Since the current high-gain antenna (HGA) position along the
unmoved axis has been optimized for 26 m antennas, the spacecraft team is
investigating moving the HGA to a position optimized for 34 m
antennae. Such a change would shorten or remove the keyholes, but DSN
resource allocation issues and possible impacts on MDI and MDI/SDO-HMI
cross-calibration period need to be addressed. For analyses and details
see the minutes of Science Working Team meeting number 40 (available at
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SWT/Minutes/swt40.pdf, pages
38--41).
c) KNOWN submode (SM) dependent activities/submode changes:
* TOO JOP153/MMOP003 Future Major Flare Watch (SM5 if SUMER
observes target, SM6 otherwise)
* Jan 16 EIT Shutterless #34 (SM6)
* Mar 27, Apr 2 EIT Shutterless #35 (SM6)
* Apr 15-29 SUMER campaign (TBC; SM5)
* Jun 1-Jul 10 Sunrise 5-day balloon flight
SUMER campaign dates may overlap with keyholes. Such overlaps shall be
scheduled only if periods of no SUMER data between passes are acceptable.
Shutterless run #34 has changed to only one day due to DSN. Shutterless
run #35 moved to allow SUMER to support the SUMI rocket flight during the
SUMER spring observing campaign. For details see section 2a.
SUMER will observe during the Sunrise balloon flight. Note, that the
balloon launch is scheduled for Jun 1 - Jul 5.
Except for Major Flare Watches, TRACE will be doing full disk mosaics
if/when EIT is not able to do synoptic sets due to keyhole operations.
d) Instrument maintenance activities
EIT bake-out periods will be during keyholes.
e) Spacecraft maintenance activities
Reduction of PLM heaters on the upper panels aimed at
- cooling the FPSS (the temperature of which is above its qualification
level), and
- decreasing the power consumption
has been accepted and the change was implemented on Dec 9, 2008. The
original proposal is at
http://zeus.nascom.nasa.gov/~bfleck/SOHO/PLM-heaters-reduction_2008-Nov-10.pdf
and summary of the results and impacts at
http://zeus.nascom.nasa.gov/~bfleck/SOHO/PLM-heaters-reduction_2008-Dec-9.pdf.
The new thermal steady state was reached approximately 24 h after the
change.
f) Others
TRACE eclipse season began on 13 Sep 2008.
Daytime weekday passes of Mon-Wed are currently automated but
attended. Thu-Fri passes remain crewed for training and proficiency
reasons. Date of transition to unattended daytime automation remains TBD.
NRT during automated passes (both weekend and weekday) is currently
paused (briefly) regularly for resets of software anomalies. NRT schedule
(which includes the pauses) for all automated passes can be found at
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/nighttime_nrt.txt.
FOT is currently developing and testing a software anomaly detection
system, which would pause NRT only when needed instead of the current
regular pauses. Due to problems in development the approach of regular
pauses remains the operational approach until TBD time.
2. Priorities for the coming month and more
a) Joint observing plans and campaigns
Continuing campaigns:
* 2002/02/25-- JOP136 Default RHESSI Collaborations (#6850),
POC: Tero Siili
* 2003/05/13-- Default CDS Co-observations with TRACE (#6950)
* 2005/09/20-- JOP153/MMOP003 Future Major Flare Watch (#8008)
* 2007/03/20-- Default CDS/Hinode-EIS co-observations (#7200)
Campaign #6850 is for "individual instrument studies" selecting an active
region target [partially] influenced by the Max Millennium target
selection to maximise chances of serendipitous co-observations.
EIT supports all with half/full-res 195 A CME watch in submode 5/6. It is
clear that STEREO-EUVI provides adequate "context" information for RHESSI
flare observations. Routine EIT submode and resolution switches are
probably no longer needed.
* Jan 16 EIT shutterless #34, EIT/CDS/MDI/TRACE/STEREO,
POC: Susanna Parenti
DSS-65 09:55-17:40, run-time 12:00-14:50 UT
MDI will support with full disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams.
* Jan 15-19 MDI Continuous Contact
Note "End-of-pass handling during MDI continuous contact periods" in
section 1b.
Default observation program is full-disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams.
* Jan 23 HERSCHEL sounding rocket launch, EIT/LASCO/UVCS/STEREO/TRACE
POC: Dan Moses, Lucia Abbo
The rocket payload consists of a suite of 3 instruments:
SCORE/Ultraviolet Coronagraph Imager (UVCI), Herschel EIT (HEIT) and
Helium Coronagraph (HeCor). The HERSCHEL Sun-Earth Sub-Orbital Program
is a sounding-rocket payload designed to investigate Helium coronal
abundance and solar wind acceleration from a range of solar source
structures by obtaining simultaneous observations of the electron, proton
and Helium Solar coronae. HERSCHEL will provide the first measurements of
the coronal He abundance in source regions of the solar wind, thus
bringing key elements to our understanding of the Sun-Earth connections.
Timing and supporting SOHO instruments are TBC. The HERSCHEL teams has
requested 23 Jan 2009 at local solar noon as the launch time. Any day
that week from the 20th to the 23rd is free from science and programmatic
objections. HERSCHEL launch has to wait until January due to unexpected
number of higher-priority missions from White Sands Missile Range.
Current consensus is that HERSCHEL will get its first choice on the week
of Jan 19.
LASCO will support with (3) polarized image sets in 60, 0, and -60
degrees at launch time.
CDS will participate, taking on-disk He I and 2nd order He II
observations. Request to add CDS planner to the mailing list.
See also section 2b (intercalibration activities) for proposed
SOHO/STEREO/TRACE/HERSCHEL cross-calibration.
* Mar 8 Daylight Savings Time begins in the USA,
change in GSFC at 07 UT
* Mar 25-30 MDI Continuous Contact (TBC)
Note "End-of-pass handling during MDI continuous contact periods" in
section 1b.
Default observation program is full-disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams.
* Mar 27 EIT shutterless #35 run 1, EIT/CDS/MDI/TRACE/STEREO,
POC: Susanna Parenti
DSS-27 15:20-23:25 (MDI continuous)
Run 2 is planned for Apr 2.
MDI will support with full disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams.
* Mar 29 Daylight Savings Time begins in European Union at 01 UT
* Apr 2 EIT shutterless #35 run 2, EIT/CDS/MDI/TRACE/STEREO,
POC: Susanna Parenti
DSS-27 18:55-0535
DSS-46 23:35-0535
MDI will support with full disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams.
* Apr 15-29 SUMER Campaign, TBC
The following JOPs have currently been proposed for the campaign. SUMER
will also support the SUMI sounding rocket launch, tentatively set to Apr
16, but timing remains TBC.
* Apr 15-29 JOP 210 Checking the possible drives of solar wind origin
in the coronal hole,
SUMER/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/Hinode-XRT (all TBC),
POC: Hui Tian.
Timing TBD.
* Apr 15-29 JOP 211 How does the solar wind originate from the
quiet-Sun region,
SUMER/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/Hinode-XRT (all TBC),
POC: Hui Tian.
Timing TBD.
* Apr 15-29 JOP 212 Connection between UV explosive event and
magnetic cancellation,
SUMER/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/Hinode-XRT,
POC: Hui Tian.
Timing TBD.
* Apr 15-29 JOP 214 Quiescent prominence structure and dynamics with Hinode and
La Palma,
SUMER/UVCS/Hinode-EIS/Hinode-SOT/Hinode-XRT/STEREO/TRACE,
TBC.
POC: Tom Berger
TRACE has not received any requests from JOP 214 & awaits date and
program information.
CDS requests to be added to the mailing list to receive information
(including pointing coordinates) for all JOPs.
* Apr 16 SUMI sounding rocket launch, SUMER, TBC
POC: John Davis (TBC)
* May 17-Jul 21 MDI 60-day continuous contact
Timing TBC. The continuous contact period will be a 60-day period within
the dates listed above.
MDI will only do full disk, 1-min cadence Magnetograms and dopplergrams.
* Jun 1-Jul 10 Sunrise 5-day balloon flight, MDI/SUMER/TRACE,
POC: Davina Innes
In June or July 2009 a balloon borne solar observatory called 'Sunrise'
is planned to be launched and SoHO (at least MDI and SUMER) as well as
TRACE supports have been requested. The launch date will be sometime
between Jun 1 and Jul 5, 2009 and the flight lasts 5 days. Coordinated
observations with SoHO would therefore be for five days sometime between
1 June to 10 July 2009.
A short description of SUNRISE is given in
http://star.mpae.gwdg.de/Sunrise/project/publicat/SPIE_2004.pdf
MDI can support with full-disk, 1-min cadence magnetograms and
dopplergrams if there is high rate at the time.
Need for SOHO to be in record at any point for this balloon flight will
be investigated.
* Jul 22 Total Solar eclipse (around 0236 UT)
Request for DSN coverage has been submitted.
b) Intercalibration activities
Last ICAL was: Dec 04
ICALs are normally performed monthly. Below is a SOC proposal for ICAL
weeks for the next six months. Baseline will be to schedule it for
Thursday during contact.
* Jan 5-9 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
* Jan 23 ICAL14 SOHO-STEREO-TRACE-HERSCHEL radiometric
cross-calibration (TBC), EIT/LASCO/UVCS/STEREO/TRACE/HERSCHEL,
POC: Lucia Abbo
A radiometric cross-calibration between SOHO, STEREO, TRACE and the
HERSCHEL sounding rocket has been proposed. A preliminary draft of the
ICAL proposal can be found at
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/JOPs/ical014-draft.pdf.
* Jan 26-30 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
26-m keyhole begins on Jan 26 and 34-m keyhole begins on Feb 1. ICAL
might still be possible during this period.
* Mar 2-6 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
* Apr 6-10 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
* May 11-22 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
* Jun 15-19 ICAL01 (#7113), CDS/EIT/STEREO/Hinode-EIS(TBD)/Hinode-SOT(TBD)
The Sunrise balloon flight period may need to be taken into account in
scheduling.
Proposed compiled ICAL scheduling criteria, constraints and guidelines
(see also campaign #7113):
1) EIT/CDS are the primary participating instruments
2) STEREO-EUVI observations are included when possible. ICALs are
attempted to be scheduled not to coincide with STEREO manoeuvres or
other interruptions in observations (see
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/plans.shtml).
3) EIT: ICALs OK at all other times except the weeks of shutterless
4) Dates, details and confirmation will be determined by the planners
with support from the SOHO SOCs.
5) Neither Hinode-SOT nor Hinode-XRT have current interest in
participating in ICALs. Hinode-EIT will from time-to-time perform its
sensitivity calibration exercise, but has no need to perform this
regularly as part of the SOHO ICAL. When it is convenient for
Hinode-EIS (given Hinode's constraints), SOHO will be informed ahead
of time of when the sensitivity calibration is to be performed. It
will then be up to SOHO whether to follow Hinode-EIS' pointing and
timing.
CDS OK. If Hinode-EIS can suggest convenient date & time, CDS can usually
accommodate.
c) Individual instrument plans
MDI:
See section 2a for MDI continuous contact periods.
MDI may reduce the ALT cadence during Keyholes to be less than 15 ALT
magnetograms per day if the lack of high rate telemetry is such that we
will lose all or almost all of the 15 ALT Magnetograms each day. The ALT
cadence will be decided on an individual Keyhole basis and even a daily
basis during each Keyhole depending on the 70 m antenna availability at
the time. MDI may also down-link select magnetograms in the 5 kbps
telemetry if no 70 m passes are available at least every 2 days for Mag
dump in the 160 kbps telemetry.
All requests for MDI support need to be made several months ahead of time
and sent to mdi-ops(at)mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov. Even outside keyholes,
MDI can only do 1-minute cadence observations when we have contact and
there is no recorder dump in progress.
MDI's REQUEST page is at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/coordination.txt
NOTE: Listing of a study on that page means *only* that a request has
been received, not that it will necessarily be supported.
A description of MDI Observing Modes most used for JOPs and campaigns (FD
vs. HR) can be found at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/Collaborate.
Anyone requesting MDI observations is encouraged to read this page in
order to have a better idea of what observing modes would be best suited
for a particular study. More detailed information about how MDI
operates, observational constraints and telemetry information can be
found at http://mdisas.nascom.nasa.gov/MDI_Collaboration_Details.
MDI has switched to Focus 5 (best focus for full-disk observing) on Oct
23, 2008.
MDI will have a lot of "engineering" (calibrations, a tuning update and
possibly a leg alignment) to complete before the 3-day continuous contact
period starts 15 Jan 2009. This constraint is due to the HERSCHEL launch
on 16 Jan 2009 (which could slip into the week of 19 Jan 2009),
President's Day, Inauguration Day and the Feb 2009 keyhole (as of 25 Jan
2009).
MDI will do Full Disk Velocity observations for March and September 2009.
UVCS:
For weekly plans, see the SOHO calendar and the UVCS planning page:
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/uvcs/observations/obst.html.
CDS:
For details see http://solar.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/scientificops/request.shtml.
EIT/LASCO:
EIT: 195 A CME watch plus synoptics at 6-hour cadence, as usual. Full-res
CME watch whenever we're in submode 6. Hope never to change until the
Bogart mission.
SUMER:
See section 2a for details.
TRACE:
NOTE that TRACE in general reserves the right to withdraw support from
agreed, existing collaborations if a sufficiently "good active region" is
called by the Max Millennium group.
For TRACE summer eclipse season see section 1f.
3. Any other business
* Tentative SPWG meeting times for next six months (only the next one will be decided in this meeting). Meetings take place as a baseline on Fridays after the daily and weekly meetings. Jan 23 Feb 20 Mar 27 Apr 24 May 29 Jun 26 The rest are FYI items: * In the future SOHO's DSN contacts will grow shorter as we lose 26-m antenna support and other, new missions get higher priority. The instrument teams are therefore requested to look at the NRT commanding that is done (especially for emergencies and recoveries) and see what can be converted into TSTOLs that the FOT can run (even without explicit instrument or SOC direction). * MDI high-rate support requests: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html * DSN support requests: preferably at least 6 months in advance. Keep this in mind for: ground-based collaborations that require MDI support, stellar/shutterless observations that require NRT, etc. * Future Mercury and Venus transits: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html * Hinode operational and planning information and guidelines: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html and http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/soc/JOPs/jop-submit.html * STEREO operational and planning information: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html * The SOHO JOP/ICAL database and the web pages are now the Solar JOP/ICAL database and web pages. This is due to anticipated increased contributions by and collaborations as well as intercalibrations with STEREO and Hinode. * New JOP vs. modified existing JOP rules-of-thumb: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html * SOHO calendar email notifications: no change, see URL http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/operations/SPWG/spwg-20080118.html
