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| − | The first workshop on Gaia Science Alerts, was held in June 2010 in | + | The second Gaia Science Alerts workshop will be held in Cambridge between June 29th and 1st July 2011. |
| − | Cambridge. We introduced the Science Alerts concept to a broad group
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| − | of scientists from the international astronomical community. During
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| − | the workshop key areas of interest were defined, and potential Gaia
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| − | contributions to these fields were discussed in detail.
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| − | The Gaia Science Alerts stream will be the first Gaia data released to
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| − | the community, so it is extremely important to produce reliable and
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| − | robust alerts. To ensure that the released alerts are accurately
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| − | classified, low in contaminants and contain interesting transient
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| − | events, the complex data processing pipeline has to be thoroughly
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| − | tested. The first alerts will need to be verified with an extensive
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| − | programme of dedicated follow-up observations. These comprise:
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| − | * imaging to confirm the presence and brightness of an alerting source,
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| − | * continuous photometric monitoring to obtain a detailed light-curve to help fine-tune the classification
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| − | * high/intermediate resolution spectroscopy to investigate the real nature of an event.
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| − | The verification programme is scheduled to take place in the first
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| − | three months of operation of the Gaia Science Alert system. To
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| − | classify as many alerts as possible requires a dedicated network of
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| − | telescopes and a well-organised team. Now, with the Gaia launch so
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| − | close, we are approaching a crucial point in time. We need to organise
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| − | our teams, choose instruments and telescopes, construct observing
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| − | proposals, and prepare the community for the influx of Gaia alerts. A
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| − | meeting scheduled for next summer is the best way to achieve our
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| − | primary goals:
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| − | * Familiarisation of potential observers and research groups with Gaia and its alerting system, and the specific requirements of verification.
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| − | * A plan of the detailed scope of the alerts verification phase, including how long it should last
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| − | * Selection of likely telescopes and instruments
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| − | * Identification of key people who will assist with verification
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| − | * Confirmation of the scientific requirementss for the follow-up of Gaia alerts, e.g. in the area of supernovae or cataclysmic variables
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| − | * Discussion of technical issues related with alert dissemination and follow-up feedback
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| − | During the interactive workshop we plan to bring together:
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| − | * Experts on the Gaia mission, including Gaia Science Alerts
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| − | * People responsible for telescopes around the globe
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| − | * Astronomers experienced with observations of transient phenomena
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| − | * Scientists and experts active in studying transient phenomena
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| − | * Scientists involved in the distribution of alerts, e.g. from skyalert.org
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| − | * Individuals interested in the outreach possibilities of Gaia Science Alerts
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