limited funding of events using iota stations paul d. maley (iota), bill merline and brian enke...

LIMITED FUNDING OF EVENTS USING IOTA

STATIONS

PAUL D. MALEY (IOTA), BILL MERLINE AND BRIAN ENKE (SwRI) IOTA ANNUAL MEETING

LAS VEGAS NVOCTOBER 20, 201210/18/12 version

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SWRI GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS• OBTAIN THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VIDEO

CHORDS SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE ASTEROID AND BEYOND WITH THE EXPENDITURE OF FEWEST AMOUNT OF DOLLARS.

• ONLY VIDEO STATION CHORDS TO BE FUNDED.• CONTINUING WITH SWRI COLLABORATION

FROM 2011 (ANTIOPE), SWRI SEEKS TO FUND ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE HIGH QUALITY OCCULTATION DATA

• FURTHER PROGRESS MADE ON METHODOLOGY TO PRIORITIZE FUNDABLE EVENTS. SWRI WANTS TO MORE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE FUNDING NEXT YEAR.

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CANDIDATE EXPENSES FOR FUNDS ALLOCATION

• TRANSPORTATION COULD BE BY CAR, TRAIN (OR AIR)

• LODGING• MEALS (not covered due to potential

accounting issues with observer/SWRI)• SHIPPING (might be covered)

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• DECISIONS ON SUPPORT MADE 2 MONTHS BEFORE ON DOMESTIC TRAVEL, 3 MONTHS FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL

• APPLICATION TEMPLATE BEING CONSTRUCTED (MAY BE ONLINE)

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ALLOCATION OF FUNDS• SWRI WILL DECIDE WHICH OBSERVER(S) GETS

FUNDED• IF FEWER DOLLARS THAN OBSERVERS, SWRI WILL

MAKE THE FINAL DETERMINATION• IOTA OFFICERS NOTIFY PROSPECTIVE OBSERVERS• OBSERVER(S) NEED TO MAKE A COMMITMENT

ONCE NOTIFIED. IF THE CONTACTED OBSERVER REFUSES, THE NEXT OBSERVER IN SEQUENCE WILL BE NOTIFIED.

• FUNDING LEVELS / METHODS FOR OBSERVER SELECTION WILL EVOLVE

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KNOWN RISKS TO RECEIVING FUNDING

• WEATHER/UNEXPECTED FACTORS COULD CAUSE EVENT CANCELLATION

• EXPENSES MAY NOT BE REIMBURSED IF OBSERVER MAKES UNREASONABLE DECISIONS OR IS NOT SET UP IN PROPER TIME

• OBSERVERS USE OWN FUNDS INITIALLY• REIMBURSEMENT OCCURS AFTER THE EVENT• RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING ARE MANDATORY!

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OBSERVER CONSIDERATION• OBSERVER(S) WILL HAVE TO MAKE PRUDENT

DECISION ON WHETHER TO START TRAVEL PRIOR TO THE EVENT

• IF WEATHER PROBABILITIES FOR SUCCESS ARE DEEEMED LOW, TRAVEL SHOULD BE ABORTED

• FAILURE TO EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT MAY RESULT IN NO REIMBURSEMENT. IN THAT EVENT OBSERVER MUST AGREE TO COVER OWN EXPENSES.

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MAIN OBJECTIVES

• PRIORITIZE ASTEROID TARGETS THAT ARE OF MOST SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY (SWRI and others)

• EVENTS WHERE THE MOST RESOURCES CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR FOR THE LEAST COST YIELDING MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RESULTS WITH LEAST OVERALL RISK

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PROCESS-1• SCREEN 788 EVENTS FROM END OF 2012 TO

END OF 2013• FILTER FOR THOSE WHERE MINOR PLANET

SHAPE MODELS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED

• FILTER FOR THOSE WHICH HAVE KNOWN SATELLITES

• FILTER FOR THOSE WHICH HAVE EXISTING LIGHT CURVE, ADAPTIVE OPTICS, OCCULTATION DATA

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PROCESS-2

• FILTER FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE OBSERVATIONS AT A RESOLVABLE SIZE/MAGNITUDE

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EVENT FILTER CRITERIA FOR PRIORITY (not in order) FOR MASS DEPLOYS

• MAGNITUDE DROP• MAGNITUDE OF STAR• PATH ERROR• MOON PHASE/ELONGATION• GEOGRAPHIC ACCESS• PROXIMITY TO SUNSET/SUNRISE TO ALLOW

FOR MULTISTATION SETUP• OVERALL ODDS OF SUCCESS FOR A MULTI

STATION EXPEDITION11

• VALUE TO SCIENCE (MODELING EFFORTS)• WEATHER IMPACT• DURATION• PRESENCE OF DOUBLE STAR OR PROPER

MOTION ISSUES• ELEVATION OF STAR • POSITION OF STAR WITH RESPECT TO

DEPRESSED SUN ELEVATION AZIMUTH AND ELONGATION

• EVENT ON A WEEKEND!

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OBSERVER FUNDING FACTORS

• PROXIMITY OF OBSERVER TO EVENT PATH DICTATES AMOUNT POTENTIAL FUNDING

• NUMBER OF STATIONS THE OBSERVER CAN EFFECTIVELY MUSTER

• ABILITY OF OBSERVER TO HAVE/EXECUTE(D) MULTISTATION DEPLOY

• FINANCIAL NEED FOR FUNDS BY OBSERVER(S)• PROVEN TRACK RECORD

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#STATIONS

IOTA MULTI-STATION RESOURCES (10/22/2012)

T.Redding - 4 to 8 S.Conard – 2 E.Iverson -5T.George - 3 R.Nugent - 3T.Swift - 2 P.Maley – 8 to 10R.Venable -6 S.Messner(b) - 3T.Campbell(a) – 4 B.Sandy (b) - 2S.Degenhardt – 11 C.Ellington(b) - 2 D.Dunham – 12 S.Preston - 3(a) Restricted to Florida(b) Equipment not for air transport

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KNOWN CONCERNS

• NOT CLEAR HOW MANY OBSERVERS COULD TRAVEL WITH ALL EQUIPMENT ON AIRCRAFT

• SOME MULTI-STATION OWNERS HAVE NOT YET DEPLOYED SUCCESSFULLY

• MOST EVENTS MUST BE EXCLUDED FROM MASS DEPLOYS DUE TO BEING IN THE 10.5-12 MAGNITUDE RANGE unless enough maxi telescopes can be obtained

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ASTEROIDS WITH LOWEST PRIORITY

• THOSE WHICH HAVE LITTLE EXISTING PAST LIGHT CURVE, ADAPTIVE OPTICS & OCCULTATION DATA

• THOSE WHICH HAVE NO KNOWN SATELLITES• THOSE FOR WHICH LITTLE RESOURCES CAN BE

BROUGHT TO BEAR• THOSE FOR WHICH TRAVEL / OPERATIONAL

COSTS WOULD BE EXCESSIVE

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SwRI SCIENCE PRIORITY LISTwithout filtering for best events

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PROVISIONAL SWRI PRIORITY LISTWITH FILTERING FOR BEST EVENTS

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0-3 rating

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BUIE EDUCATIONAL OCCULTATION NETWORK COORDINATION

• TRACKS OF FUNDED OCCULTATIONS MAY BENEFIT FROM BUIE NETWORK LOCATIONS

• NETWORK IS FIXED WITH LARGE APERTURE INSTRUMENTS

• IOTA ROLE IS TBD. SEE BUIE PRESENTATION!• EFFORT IS SEPARATE FROM SWRI MOBILE

STATION FUNDING

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PROPOSED FUNDING LEVELS (TBD)• DOMESTIC TRIP AVERAGE ESTIMATED COST $600 =

AIR, HOTEL, CAR

FOREIGN TRIP AVERAGE ESTIMATED COST $1900 = AIR, HOTEL, CAR

SWRI SUPPORT COULD BE UP TO 40 SINGLE OBSERVER DOMESTIC EXPEDITIONS + SEVERAL FOREIGN EXPEDITIONS OVER 2012-2014 (TBD)

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THE END

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