Glossary: AAS American Astronomical Society AURA Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

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1 USVOA Meeting: FM01 Thursday, January 07, PT Notes: JE Original: 09Jan15, 23Jan15 Present: Pepi Fabbiano PF SAO/Chandra Bruce Berriman BB IPAC Janet Evans JE SAO/Chandra Ian Evans IE SAO/Chandra W.S. Smith WS Aura R. Van Der Marel RM STScI Ethan Schreier ES AUI Arnold Rots AR SAO/CXC Steve Myers SM NRAO J. Gallagher JG U. Wisconsin-Madison Mike Fitzpatrick MF NOAO Betty Stobie BF NOAO Alberto Accomazzi AA CfA George Djorgovski GD Caltech Mark Dickinson MD NOAO & TMT Joe Mazzarella JM NED (IPAC) Harry Teplitz HT IRSA (IPAC) Gus Muench GM AAS Brandon Lawton BL STScI/OPO Alyssa Goodman AG CfA Curtis Wong CW MSR Frossie Economou FE LLST Steve Groom SG IRSA (IPAC) Jonathan Fay JF MSR Tom Donaldson TD STScI Glossary: AAS American Astronomical Society AURA Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy AUI Associated Universities, Inc. Caltech California Institute of Technology CfA Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics IPAC Infrared Processing and Analysis Center NOAO National Optical Astronomy Observatory NRAO National Radio Astronomy Observatory NED NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database

2 TMT Thirty Meter telescope IRSA NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive LSST Large Synoptic Survey Telescope MSR Microsoft Research SAO Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory STScI Space Telescope Science Institute University of Wisconsin-Madison Agenda: 1. Introduction, history, mandate (10 min) Pepi Fabbiano 2. WGAS and SIGs (USVAO) (10min) Frossie Economou 3. NASA Archives VO landscape and coordination (10min) Bruce Berriman 4. What we want to achieve - Pepi chairing discussion (1hr) o Constitution of USVOA exec o First USVOA representation to IVOA: legacy partners and new participation o USVOA rules and regulations - to be discussed later by exec and presented to members o Benefits to and commitment from participants o Date of follow-up telecon 1. Introduction, history, mandate This first meeting of the USVOA is supported by the CXC. Future meetings will be supported by AURA and AUI in turn. We anticipate 1 face-on meeting in conjunction with the winter AAS, and coordination telecons and during the year. PF highlighted that the IVOA was founded in 2002 for the purpose of developing standards for data discovery and access. The overall coordination is by the Exec committee with 1 member from each of 19 countries currently participating in the IVOA. The US is recognized as a big founding member and has 3 exec members. Over the years, the US IVOA participation has been in the Working groups and Interest groups and has included many lead roles. Membership in the IVOA requires the presence of a national project. The USVOA, with its endorsement by the AAS Exec, will fulfill this role and allow full US representation in the IVOA. USVOA was proposed to the AAS council as a coordination group recognized by the AAS. Endorsed as a WGAS Interest group. The purpose of the meeting is to get the USVOA started! There is voluntary participation and support. The following decisions need to be made: USVOA Exec members IVOA representation and participation Relation and representation in the WGAS USVOA collaboration meetings, telecons, working groups? A Logo Presented slides in Appendix A below 2. WGAS and SIGS (USVOA) FE noted that WGAS is meant to focus people working in astronomical software.

3 The ultimate goal is to become a division of the AAS. WGAS is an umbrella to collect interest groups. Yesterday a session covered software citations; today with the USVOA we are covering standards and protocols. A Special Interest Group is affiliated to a SIG. A SIG has rules: 1) Come up with an action plan 2) Action plan needs a concrete outcome 3) Provides a communication platform 3. NASA Archives VO landscape and coordination BB presented an overview of the NASA Archive VO landscape and current coordination role. NASA Archives (HEASARC, IPAC, MAST) are maintaining crucial infrastructure components developed by the VAO. The U.S has had leadership roles in the IVOA. We wish to sustain this impressive legacy. BB serves as the IVOA liaison to ensure representation of NASA interested in the IVOA. He asked the question: How should the IVOA liaison coordinate with the USVOA? He noted there are opportunities within the IVOA in WGs. There is opportunity to suggest new science initiatives and focused projects to drive and inform protocols by getting involved with the Committee for Science Priorities (CSP). At a recent IVOA Exec telecon, there was discussion on further outreach to the community to participate in the CSP. Presented slides in Appendix B below 4. What we want to achieve - discussion Highlights taken from the discussion: The IVOA needs a 3 rd member to the IVOA Exec. Currently Pepi Fabbiano (SAO), Bruce Berriman (NASA Archive Centers) are on the committee; Joe Lazio (NASA) has rotated out. PF encouraged a Ground Based member as the 3 rd representative: o Bill Smith (AURA) and Ethan Schreier (AUI) have taken the action to appoint this person; it is understood that full participation in IVOA activities will be required. It was noted the USVOA needs a well defined mandate (e.g., 1. Taking care of data 2. Discovery of data) The IVOA has done well with the first. The USVOA should work to embrace the younger/scientific community represented by groups like.astronomy. AG noted that.astronomy is not currently very well connected and outreach is needed to pull them in. A related point was that.astronomy, Industry, IVOA each need a feedback loop. If services were available, then they could try them, provide feedback that an advocate could bring back to the IVOA. Communication is key to connect the pieces together. If we care we need to be present. The Plastic migration to SAMP is a good project example. Plastic was quick and dirty. They realized standards were needed. SAMP came out of it and

4 WebSAMP then evolved. The standards weren t so heavily laden that the web layer couldn t be added easily. Several other points in the meeting discussion are noted below: o Standards need a feedback loop from a wide user base of the community to be successful. o VO processes need to be science driven. o VO processes need to speed up. o USVOA needs a Facebook page and an list. In conclusion, PF noted that USVOA needs good members to help organize the group. Nominate yourselves to the USVOA Exec committee. Appendix A Pepi s slides USVOA - Background & Future G Fabbiano Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) The IVOA was founded in June 2002 World-wide Astronomy data discovery and access Interoperability Prepare for the data deluge Founding members included: US, UK, CDS, Japan Membership is now 19 VO projects and countries Purpose of the IVOA is to develop standards for the astronomical community IVOA Structure and Operations Overall coordination by Exec (representatives of the 19 projects) Working Groups Interest Groups Other Committees Technical Coordination Group Liaison Committee Standing Committee on Science priorities Standing Committee on Standards and Processes 2 plenary meeting per year (Interop) Newsletter IVOA WG and IG Working Groups Applications Data Access Layer Data Model Grid & Web Services Registry Semantics Interest Groups Astronomical Grid Data Curation & Preservation Education Knowledge Discovery in Databases Theory Time Domain

5 US Participation & Representation US VO funded projects: NVO, VAO US participation and leadership in WG and IG US delegation in the Exec Each international VO project has 1 formal representative US recognized as big participant, with 3 Exec members End of VAO funding Restricted standards activities to NASA Archives Perceived by IVOA Exec as lack of nation-wide US collaborative representation USVOA will allow full representation in the IVOA Benefit US astronomy by providing VO requirements and direction US Virtual Observatory Alliance Proposed to the AAS Council as a coordination group recognized by the AAS Sent in prior to June 2014 AAS meeting Proposers G. Fabbiano and J. Gallagher, with input from R. Hanisch and endorsement by E. Schreier (AUI) and W. Smith (AURA) Endorsed by the Executive Committee of the AAS as a WGAS Special Interest Group 14 Oct 2014 The proposal was ed to the group meeting today Purpose of This Meeting Let s get the USVOA started Data and interoperability VO standards to serve NASA Ground-based astronomy The whole wavelength range Theory and simulation Present and upcoming data-intensive surveys Future large telescopes Governance and Operations of the USVOA Voluntary participation and support To discuss later in this meeting USVOA Exec IVOA representation and participation Relation to the WGAS and representation in the WGAS Meetings, communications and outreach Discussion: USVOA Exec Initial membership Initial Chair Terms of office Representative to WGAS Delegation to IVOA IVOA Participation Delegation to IVOA Exec Legacy is important..also wider representation Terms of office / rotation Other IVOA opportunities WG, IG, Committee on Science Require participation in IVOA work and meeting Will shape standards process to represent US needs

6 USVOA Collaboration Meetings Telecons Working groups? Appendix B: Bruce s Slides NASA archives VO LANDSCAPE AND COORDINATION G. Bruce Berriman NASA Archives IVOA Liaison USVOA Kick-off Meeting, 225 th AAS Meeting, January 2015 History of the NASA Archives VO Plan In August 2013, NASA solicited a proposal from the NASA archives to sustain the crucial infrastructure components developed by the VAO. Proposal led by HEASARC submitted to NASA on November 8, Review panel report received February 10, Technical response submitted April 4, The Coordinated NASA Archives Virtual Observatory Implementation (CONVOI) began operations October 1, Sustained Core Infrastructure Provide access to data resources at archives through center-planned VO interfaces coordinated through consensus. ALL Enable publication and discovery of NASA and non-nasa VO resources through the VAO/MAST registry. MAST Establish a liaison to ensure representation of NASA interests in IVOA. IPAC (3- year rotation) Operational QA monitoring and validation of all registered VO sites and services. HEASARC Maintain VAO Web site. IPAC U.S. Leadership in the IVOA The U.S. has provided leadership in the IVOA since its inception. Chaired the Executive Committee (twice), and chaired the Technical Coordination Group (twice). Chairs or vice-chairs of working groups on 21 occasions. Editors or co-authors of 35 IVOA standards or documents. We wish to sustain this impressive legacy. Responsibilities of the IVOA Liaison Primary point-of-contact between NASA Archives and IVOA Member of IVOA Executive Council. Promote leadership within the IVOA. Represents the interests of the NASA archives to the IVOA Provides input to the Annual IVOA Road Map. Shepherds U.S. sponsored protocols through IVOA review and approval process. Ensure archives and centers are informed of new proposed protocols and amendments to existing protocols. Ensure that US responses to new and updated protocols are deliberated by IVOA. Informs archives of developments within the IVOA, such as new science initiatives, seek nominations for leadership positions in IVOA. How should the liaison coordinate with the USVOA?

7 Opportunities Within the IVOA Eight chair or vice-chair positions in IVOA working groups are expiring. The IVOA is seeking new science initiatives and focused projects to drive and inform protocols. e,g. Initiative to provide support for multi-dimensional data sets (April 2013 September 2014) was led by the U.S. Review of role and constitution of the Committee for Science Priorities (CSP) in Spring 2015 Broader community involvement