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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