Progam
Meeting will take place in Jadwin Hall, Room 400 (Physics Building) On Tuesday, March 10th, 2009, 2 - 4:15 pm
2 - 2:45pm: Welcome and introduction: Neta Bahcall
Decadal Survey Update: Scott Tremaine (25 min)
Survey Panel: Bahcall, Burrows, Draine, Spergel, Tremaine
Questions/Discussion
2:45 - 3:45pm: Presentations by Town-Hall participants (10 min each):
Michael Strauss (PU; Surveys)
Inese Ivans (PU; Galaxies)
Hantao Ji (PPPL; Plasma Astrophysics)
Dale Gary (NJIT; Solar Radio Project)
Jim Gunn (PU; Spectroscopic Surveys)
3:45 - 4:15pm: Open Discussion
All visitors are welcome to join us for the science colloquia at Princeton that day, as well as for the John Bahcall lunch at the IAS:
i. 11am - 12pm: IAS Astrophysics Colloquium: "Mach's Principle: Is Space-Time Created by Its Energy Content?" (Donald Lynden-Bell)
ii. 12:30 - 1:30pm: IAS Bahcall Lunch
iii. 2 - 4:15pm: Astro2010 Town-Hall meeting (above) (Princeton University)
iv. 4:30 - 5:30pm: Princeton Astronomy Colloquium: "Using Intracluster Light to Probe Galaxy Clusters" (Chris Mihos)
We will have a full nice day of Astronomy!
The Survey Committee recommendation for the Town-Hall discussions:
"With regard to the format of such meetings, we suggest that they should avoid focusing on any one particular project or set of projects. There will be other opportunities for projects to provide technical and scientific input to the program prioritization process. Of more interest to the survey committee is to hear from the community their concerns about the current status and future of the Astronomy and Astrophysics enterprise in the United States and beyond. Also important will be to hear where colleagues think the greatest potential lies in federally-supported research programs in astronomy and astrophysics given likely budgetary constraints. We are particularly keen to hear from younger members of the community and those not affiliated with large institutions." (see also below)
You can find relevant information about the 2010 Decadal Survey on their website at
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bpa/Astro2010.html
Suggestions for topics to discuss at the town-hall meetings are at
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bpa/Astro2010_Town_Halls.html
* Please check these helpful websites in preparation for the meeting.
Hope to see you all at the Town Hall meeting and the other events on March 10th. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Best, Neta
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From the Town-Hall website:
"Suggested Questions and Topics for Discussion
- What do you think are the most important criteria for making choices about activities?
- Within the coming decade, what balance of resources should be devoted to short term opportunities -- those that can be realized in less than a few years -- versus longer term, larger, and generally more expensive ventures?
- What is the role of work such as technology development, theory, data analysis, and laboratory astrophysics? Relative to pushing forward on the decade's recommended starts, what balance of resources should be devoted to these efforts for next decade's missions/telescopes, projects, and science?
- Part of the charge to the survey committee is to recommend how the agencies should rebalance programs in the light of changes in assumptions, scientific progress, or fiscal constraints. If you were writing the survey report, how would you address the inevitable changes in circumstances that can occur during the decade covered by the survey?
- How can we generate maximal support for the survey process and maintain community solidarity behind the recommended program when it is completed?
- Can you suggest some ideas on how astronomy and astrophysics can argue effectively for more funds when there are many other pressing scientific and other national needs?
-Do you have any further advice on how the Astro2010 committee can go about its business and improve communications?
- So that we can improve letting the community know how the survey is proceeding and how the community can be involved, do you have any suggestions regarding: 1) the information flow outward from the survey committee via the Astro2010 web site plus chair's bulletins on the one hand, and 2) the written input opportunities plus town hall meetings such as this one, on the other?
- The survey structure, which includes a first-stage study period on science and on the state of the profession, followed by a second- stage activity prioritization process, is different from previous surveys. Do you have advice for the committee regarding how the process is carried out, e.g. comments on how much separation vs interfacing there should be between the two stages? "
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