Science Planning Workshop (Jan 2014)

Date/Time: Sunday, 5 January 2014, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Location: Annapolis 1 (Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center)
Organizer: Mark T. Adams
Chair(s): Stefi Alison Baum, Steven T. Myers

It has been 20 years since the initial observations were made for the NRAO Very Large Array Sky Survey (NVSS) and the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST). These pioneering programs have defined the state-of-the-art in centimeter radio sky surveys and produced a steady stream of excellent science. Given the enhanced capabilities of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), now is an appropriate time to discuss the scientific potential of new centimeter-wavelength sky surveys. High priority science goals of the 2010 decadal survey New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics can be addressed by a new VLA sky survey, and many scientists have expressed their keen interest in employing the VLA to conduct new, wide-area synoptic surveys in support of multi-wavelength sky surveys using existing and future facilities, such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Thus, we are launching a NRAO VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) initiative that will explore the science and technical opportunities of a new centimeter-wavelength survey. A community-led Science Survey Group (SSG) will define the science program and key components of VLASS, and NRAO will support its technical definition and implementation. All VLASS data will be available immediately to the astronomical community.  In this workshop at the January 2014 American Astronomical Society meeting at National Harbor, MD, all are welcome to attend, learn about the VLA and its survey capabilities, participate in discussion of survey science priorities, and provide input on survey planning. This workshop will also be a forum for the presentation and discussion of the white papers, and a prelude to the establishment of the SSG.

No registration is required to attend the Workshop. All interested community members are welcome to attend; bring collaborators, students, and colleagues from across the multi-wavelength spectrum! A number of white papers and abstracts have already been received and are posted covering diverse topics ranging from transients to lensing to polarization, covering our Galaxy to the far reaches of the Universe and everything in between. These will provide critical input to the SSG and NRAO regarding survey science goals, techniques, technical and software development, and design.

The VLASS Workshop will be an exciting opportunity to learn about the power of large surveys with the Jansky Very Large Array, to consider how they fit into the broader multi-wavelength astronomical survey framework, and to help shape (and name) the future Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Sky Survey.

Also, at the AAS meeting at National Harbor, Steve Myers gave a talk (236.01) on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Sky Survey in the Surveys and Large Programs II Session on Tuesday, 7 January at 2:00 p.m., in Maryland Ballroom D. The talk is available at this location.

Workshop SOC:

The Science Organizing Committee (SOC) for this workshop include: Stefi Baum (RIT, Chair), Shami Chatterjee (Cornell), Tracy Clarke (NRL), Jim Condon (NRAO), Jackie Hodge (NRAO), Karl Menten (MPIfR), Eric Murphy (IPAC), Steve Myers (NRAO, ex-officio), Aneta Siemiginowska (CXC/SAO), Vernesa Smolcic (U. Zagreb), Alicia Soderberg (Harvard), Michael Strauss (Princeton), and Rick White (STScI).

Final Agenda (last updated 14 January 2014):

There is a printable version of the agenda here.

There is a tarball of all the talks available here.

Note (2014-01-14): The talks from the workshop are now posted to this page. I think I got the names of the presenters right for the SMASH session.