Rubin Digest 21 September 2021

21 September 2021

Project & Science News

It’s official, two components of Rubin Observatory have made it into Guinness World Records! The Rubin Observatory LSST Camera is the world’s highest resolution digital camera, and the camera’s L1 lens is the world’s largest lens. What other world records will Rubin Observatory achieve?

The mass simulator for the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera was shipped from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) on September 3rd, 2021, and arrived successfully on the summit of Cerro Pachón, in Chile, on September 13th. This shipment was an important test run for the delicate LSST Camera, which is scheduled to ship to Chile from SLAC next year. The entire shipment process was carefully monitored and tested to record any events that might indicate the possibility of damage to the LSST Camera. Read the details in this news item.

The u-band filter for the LSST Camera has been installed in its frame at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and it was delivered to SLAC on September 17th. This is the final filter in the full set of six, and its delivery marks the end of work in the LSST Camera Major Item of Equipment (MIE) project. 

On the summit, the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) began moving manually in azimuth and elevation on a thin film of oil in early September—for the first time since factory testing in Spain. You can see a video of this achievement on our YouTube channel. Multiple rotations have now been performed, and the hydrostatic bearing system is working within specifications. Commissioning of the oil system has now been completed and the teams from companies SKF and HydX have left the summit. They will return when the power drives of the TMA are also functioning and the oil-bearing system will be subject to further testing.

The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team is looking for astronomy educators to pilot test one of their new, interactive astronomy investigations. The deadline to apply is September 24th, and testing runs until December 17, 2021. More information is available at this link. Please help spread the word!

The deadline to submit Letters of Interest for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Community Engagement with Rubin Observatory Commissioning Effort has been extended to October 15th. Updated information is available at this link. 

Rubin Observatory swag items, including t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, and more, are available for purchase in our online store. 

Corporation News

The LSST Corporation (LSSTC) announces an upcoming call for applications for the new LSSTC Catalyst Fellowship. Starting in fall, 2022, LSSTC will support a diverse cohort of five outstanding astrophysics postdoctoral Fellows whose research is related to the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. Fellows will receive structured mentoring and leadership training and have the opportunity to work with social scientists to understand and improve the practice of astrophysics. The deadline to apply for LSSTC Catalyst Fellowships in astrophysics is November 15, 2021. Prospective applicants are also encouraged to attend the “Ideas Lab” workshop on October 8th. Fellowship details are available at this link.

Operations Updates:

Rubin Observatory seeks 12 members of the science community to serve on the Rubin Users Committee (UC). Self-nominations are encouraged! The Rubin Users Committee will solicit and aggregate community feedback, meet twice a year, and report to Rubin leadership on their recommendations for improvements to maximize scientific productivity as well as equitable access and inclusive practices. More information on how to apply can be found here; the deadline is October 15th.

Announcements & Opportunities:

The Education and Public Outreach team is looking for an experienced frontend developer to help make astronomy engaging and accessible to a large international audience. Details are available on the Rubin hiring website.

Applications are invited for a 2-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the study of Solar System small bodies in the Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) at Queen’s University Belfast. Info can be found on community.lsst.org.

Info for Project Members

A revised version of the Rubin Observatory Travel Procedure is now available in Docushare. The latest updates are noted on Page 3 of the Change Record in the document. 

If you’d like to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Victor or Steve, please fill out this form to indicate your preferred (and backup) date and time. 

There is also an anonymous “suggestion box” for anyone to offer feedback at this link. 

Upcoming Meetings with Rubin Observatory Involvement

(those with an asterisk* are LSSTC funded):

2021
September 23, 24 & 27	AURA Management Council for Rubin Observatory (AMCR) meeting, Virtual
October 4-7	Joint Status Review, Virtual
October 25-29	DESC Sprint Week, Virtual with in-person hubs at AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC), France, Princeton University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
November 16-17	LSST Survey Strategy Workshop, Virtual

Upcoming Deadlines:

2021
September 24	Apply to be a pilot tester for Rubin EPO investigations
September 30	Letters of Recommendation regarding Photometric Redshifts
September 30	Kickstarter Grant Applications
October 15	Letters of Interest to join the Rubin Commissioning Team
October 15	Active Galactic Nuclei Data Challenge
October 15	Rubin Users Committee Applications/Nominations