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Rubin Observatory

Tuesday 14 January, 2025

AAS TOWN HALL

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Agenda

Welcome (Zeljko Ivezic) - 5 mins
Status of construction and commissioning (Victor Krabbendam) - 20 minutes

2024 Progress
Commissioning Camera on Sky
Construction Project Schedule

On the road to operations (Bob Blum) - 10 mins

Early science
For Scientists: what to expect when

Community initiatives (Bob Blum and Beth Willman) - 10 mins
DOE & NSF Updates (Kathy Turner & Ed Ajhar) - 5 mins
Q&A - 10 mins

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Terminology: Rubin, Simonyi, LSSTCam, LSST

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The astronomical Telescope → Simonyi Survey Telescope

Project, facilities in Chile, Tucson and more → NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin)

10 year optical survey → Legacy Survey of Space and Time

DOE Funded Camera “LSSTCam”

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Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)

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Survey the Southern sky every ~3 nights for 10 years

9.6 sq. deg. field of view

Survey ~18 000 sq. deg.

Wide-field survey with a fast cadence to faint magnitudes (~24.5), in 6 filters (ugrizy)

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What to expect from Rubin and LSST

Key research areas:

Probing dark energy and dark matter
An inventory of the solar system
Exploring the transient optical sky
Mapping the Milky Way

… and much more!

Big data set! 20 TB data/night

Over the ten-year survey:

20 billion galaxies
17 billion resolved stars
6 million orbits of solar system bodies
Alerts per night ~ 10 million

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Learn more at our Seminar for Science Writers!

Thursday, January 14 | 12:45p – 1:45p

Maryland Ballroom 5/6

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Teamwork!

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Recognizing the important broader Ecosystem

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Science Collaborations (SCs): a federation of independent, worldwide communities of scientists, self-organized into groups based on research interests & expertise.

>2000 people, 2500 affiliations, 6 continents, 33 countries, 8 teams.

In-kind program members contributing to Rubin and the LSST science community in return for data rights.

43 teams, 30 countries, 153 contributions.

In-kind Commissioning program: members contributing to Rubin Commissioning with value add service and capability

And the Rubin Operations Team working along site to ensure a smooth transition

LSST Discovery Alliance: a non-profit, global alliance dedicated to Rubin LSST Science

38 institutions/consortia, 7 current programs

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Rubin Observatory’s mission is to build a well-understood system that will produce an unprecedented astronomical data set for studies of the deep and dynamic universe, make the data widely accessible to a diverse community of scientists, and engage the public to explore the Universe with us.

Credit: H. Stockebrand

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LSST Camera arrived on Summit in May 2024

One 747, dedicated to 3 containers and 47 crates (~50 tons)

San Francisco to Santiago

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Then 9 trucks make deliveries for 3 days to get LSST Camera to Summit

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LSST Camera in the summit clean room

EO Test campaign of LSSTCam in summit clean room ended on Dec. 2^nd.

Started Sept. 24^th (when CCD back bias was switched on)
Over 56,000 images were captured and ingested at USDF

Filters installed during testing

r, g, y, empty frame & pinhole

Used testing campaign for upgrading and further tuning Filter Exchange System

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Primary / Tertiary Mirror (M1M3) is home !

Cast in 2008 and polishing finished in 2014
System Test and then Shipped to Chile in 2019
Brought to Summit Facility and integrated 2024

M1M3 arrives

M1M3 after 5 yrs of storage

Lifted onto support cell

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Protected Silver Coating Quality is Excellent

3.5 m M2 coated in July 2019 and stored

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All three surfaces now coated and initial measurements exceed specifications!

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Secondary Mirror (M2) installed on Telescope

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Installing the Commissioning Camera (ComCam)!

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The M1M3 Mirror final step in its long journey

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Simonyi Naming Event

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Telescope is performing well

Relative Pointing Accuracy: <1.0 arcseconds.

Slew and settling time: Data from multiple nights, >98% are below 4s

Azimuth velocity: ±10.50°/s
Elevation velocity: ± 5.25 °/s

Tracking jitter: 92% within req <0.01 arcsec rms

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Operating software and operators were ready.

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Data systems in place to USDF through DM pipelines and quickviews...

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Systems Ready for First end-to-end Engineering Test

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Night #1

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First Engineering Image with ComCam

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First Engineering Image detail (ignore the watermark)

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For 7 weeks the Test Campaign Achieved our Goals

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Active Optics: Wavefront Sensing, Force Balance, Alignment, closed loop control

Image Quality: Multiple filters, consistency

Data Pipelines: ISR, Fast look, Data flow timing…

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Testing and Commissioning Hardware and Software

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Throughput: Quantitative measures of throughput

Photometric Calibration: Repeatability, illumination, Airmass,

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Incredible 7 week Campaign to prepare for LSSTCam!

Weekly on Sky Commissioning summaries on Community.org

ComCam on-sky campaign Interim report is available (sitcomtn-149)

The campaign produced incredible data for engineering and system commissioning but it also is the data set for Data Preview 1

An amazing accomplishment made possible by efforts from every single team member!!!!

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The Schedule:

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Today

DP1 Data Release

LSST Start

DP1 Preparation

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What to Expect in 2025

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1 March

4 June

Full Transition to Operations in Late 2025

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On the road and close to Operations …

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Education and Public Outreach

Rubinobservatory.org

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Citizen Science

Formal Education Investigations and teacher trainings

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Simonyi Survey Telescope

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Follow us on Social Media!

@VRubinObs

@rubin_observatory

@RubinObservatory

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Early Science with DP1

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ComCam data taking and processing exceeded expectations. An interesting data set for early science analysis preparation will be available to the community.

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Early Science with DP1, DP2 and Alert Production

RTN-011 update is in progress following a highly successful ComCam campaign

DP1: Expect coadded images.

Stretch goals: Forced source

Catalogs, all Difference Image

Analysis (DIA) data products

DP2: Baseline is 100

sq deg to 10 yr depth in ugrizy

plus a 1000 sq deg pilot survey

to 1 year depth in griz

Alerts to begin in SV phase

at low latency, and then ramp up on

latency and sky coverage through Year 1. PVIs + catalogs available in year 1 of survey before DP2.

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Data coming soon for our community!

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“For Scientists” webpages: what to expect, and when

Data and resources available now.

Visit the new “For Scientists” webpages: rubinobservatory.org/for-scientists

Get an account in the Rubin Science Platform (RSP): rsp.lsst.io

Access the “Data Preview 0” simulations via the RSP: dp0.lsst.io

Ask questions in the Rubin Community Forum: community.lsst.org

Learning opportunities with Data Preview 0.

Work through DP0 tutorials at your own pace.

Extragalactic & Galactic science: dp0-2.lsst.io
Solar System science: dp0-3.lsst.io

Attend weekly Rubin Science Assemblies, Thursdays 9am Pacific.

Alternating weeks of guided tutorials and drop-in ‘office hour’ Q&A sessions.
rubinobservatory.org/for-scientists/events-deadlines

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For Scientists: what to expect, and when

New data and resources to be added this year.

“Data Preview 1” based on Commissioning Camera data.

expected release between June & July 2025 concurrent with a Data Academy (see below)
access will be via the Rubin Science Platform
data products will include processed visit images and source catalogs and coadded images

locations of targeted fields: community.lsst.org/t/9609

DP1 resources will include documentation, tutorials, and a virtual seminar series

Alerts and Prompt Products from LSST Science Camera data.

expected to begin between September & November 2025
Prompt Products Database (PPDB) access will be via the Rubin Science Platform
alerts access will be via participating brokers

resources will include documentation, tutorials, and virtual seminars
Community Alert Filters with the ANTARES Broker: rtn-090.lsst.io

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For Scientists: what to expect, and when

Opportunities for learning and networking in 2025.

Weekly Rubin Science Assemblies, Thursdays 9am Pacific (virtual).

Alternating weeks of guided tutorials and drop-in ‘office hour’ Q&A sessions.
rubinobservatory.org/for-scientists/events-deadlines
Thu Jan 23: “Data Preview 0 Review: Thank You Delegates!”
Thu Feb 6: “Looking forward to Data Preview 1”
Mar - May will feature DP1 prep sessions targeted for each of the LSST Science Collaborations.

Rubin Data Academy, June 2025 (virtual)

One-week intensive virtual course on Rubin data access and analysis.
Students are particularly encouraged to participate.
Our Goal is to have DP1 available for this academy. To be confirmed.

Data Preview 1 Orientation & Onboarding Sessions (virtual)

Quickstart sessions will coincide with the release of DP1.

Rubin Community Workshop, July 28 - Aug 1 2025 (Tucson AZ; hybrid)

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LSST Science is for Everyone!

Research inclusion remains a priority.

Rubin S3P: Supporting Science at SUIs Program

SUI = Small/Underserved Institute
One-on-one interviews available for faculty, to quickstart Rubin research.
Custom virtual tutorials are available for research groups (students welcome!).
Contact Gloria Fonseca Alvarez or Melissa Graham* to get started.

Users Committee Listening Sessions

The UC solicits feedback and recommends improvements to the LSST data products, tools, and services.
Their biannual meetings always start with a user listening session; the next one is Mon Apr 28, 8am Pacific.
rubinobservatory.org/for-scientists/committees-teams/users-committee

Accessibility Initiatives

Ensuring resources are accessible by neurodivergent and hearing- and vision-impaired astronomers.
Pursuing external consultants on universal design and accessibility.
Enabling Spanish-language translations for science resources (documentation, tutorials).

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*mlg3k@uw.edu

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www.lsstdiscoveryalliance.org

A 501(c)(3) non-profit closely coordinating with the Rubin Observatory team; The aim is to ensure that any scientist with a great question for LSST has access to the resources needed to answer it.

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Cross-Disciplinary Innovation

LINCC Frameworks - State-of-the-art software and analysis development

Project Dovetail - Novel way to join astronomers with data and software engineers (exploratory phase)

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Cross-Disciplinary Training

Catalyst Fellowship Program - Postdoctoral initiative for social scientists and astrophysicists

Data Science Fellowship Program - Intensive training for graduate students

Summer Student Program - Undergrad engagement at Rubin annual meeting

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Collaborative Network Development

Inclusive Collaboration Initiatives - Building global, inclusive, collaborative networks�
Science Catalyzing Grants - Small grants for meetings and kick-starting new projects

Special Session:

The Power of Collaborative Networks in the Era of Big Data

Thursday, 10 - 11:30 am, Chesapeake 4-5

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Learn More

Join

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The DOE Office of Science (SC) mission is to deliver the scientific discoveries & major scientific tools that transform our understanding of nature & advance our energy, economic, & national security

Office of High Energy Physics (HEP) mission is the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space & time.

DOE supports ~ 85% of the U.S. HEP effort (in $) at Universities + National Labs

Scientific Areas are intertwined: High Energy/Particle Physics, Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Astronomy.

HEP’s Cosmic Frontier: uses naturally occurring data to study Dark Energy, Inflation using the CMB, search for Dark Matter particles and the Dark Ages.

Come and visit the DOE Office of Science Booth in the Exhibit Hall to learn more!

Energy.gov/science

Template Instructions: Please insert your name and title. You can also pull in information from the event you are attending – the organization's logo, etc. Doing so is inclusive.

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NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory�HEP/Cosmic Frontier roles

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Construction has resumed on the site

The NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory is the flagship project for the DOE/HEP Cosmic Frontier.

Primary roles 🡪

Construction phase: LSST Camera – shipped from SLAC to Chile in May 2024; will be mounted on Simonyi telescope in Feb.2025
Operation’s phase: U.S. Data Facility at SLAC

Energy.gov/science

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), which will conduct a vast astronomical survey for unprecedented discovery of the deep and dynamic Universe, will now be named the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin Observatory for short).

DOE Camera MIE Project ($168M); completes when the 3.2 G-pixel Camera is integrated and tested at SLAC; Commissioning in Chile is lined up to complete with MREFC. France/IN2P3 contributions.

Full 3.2 Gigapixel image on camera focal plane (thru pinhole projection)

Interactive viewer: https://www.slac.stanford.edu/~tonyj/osd/public/vera_rubin-2.html

Project:

March:TMA substantial Completion!! Marks full switch to System Integration

Since January:

Telescope Mount Assembly – Vendor (UTE) contract now Substantially Complete
Optical Integration – M1M3 cell/surrogate installed on TMA (also reported in SIT-Com)
Coating Plant – In preparation for M1M3 coating, troubleshooting 1 magnetron
Active Optical System – Progress by UW and Rubin, upcoming workshop
Hexapods – Modifications in progress and testing (also reported in SIT-Com)
Dome – Cladding complete, Aperture shutters under automated operation
T&S Software – TMA control nearing completion; progress on LOVE, dome, optics, HVAC
Summit Electrical – New backup generator being installed for improved reliability

Facility Operations: 50/50 DOE & NSF split; Planning underway

DOE responsible primarily for camera maintenance & operations, US Data Facility

USDF has a multi-site processing model; hardware and initial services at SLAC; will have a hybrid model with Rubin Science Platform (user access) in cloud
Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) data is being used: Data Preview 0 uses DESC simulated data, DP0.1 served DESC data products (2021); DP0.2 (2022) simulated raw DESC data reprocessed with Rubin pipelines to generate LSST-like data products served on RSP in cloud

International in-kind contributions

- in exchange for early access to data

Agreements are being drafted

In-kinds

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10CtuA5AtZY4cOQZN-QSMYFQYdrr1a7xNmJnOmIZ7N9U/edit?pli=1&gid=559801451#gid=559801451

AURA overseeing 26 programs in 18 countries with a total of 85 in-kind contributions worth $101.3M.

Sept. 2024 – 1 has been signed.

SLAC overseeing 16 programs in 12 countries making a total of 42 in-kind contributions work $44.76M.

Sept. 2024 – 2 have been signed

DOE is overseeing 2 programs in 2 countries making a total of 17 in-kind contributions worth $230.4M

Sept. 2024 – 0 signed

Data releases planned:

Data Preview 1 (a small example dataset): 2 to 3 months after First Light

Data Preview 2 (science-quality data from commissioning): 9 to 12 months after First Light

Data Release 1: 12 to 14 months after LSST start (which is 4 to 7 months after First Light)

Status, Schedule:

May 2024: LSST Camera shipped to Chile
Aug 2024: ComCam installed.
Early Oct 2024: M1/M3 was mounted, followed by a ceremony to name the telescope the Simonyi Survey Telescope
Oct 24^th, 2024 Using the Commissioning Camera (ComCam), Rubin successfully captured and transferred the first on-sky data from Chile to the US Data Facility at SLAC - first end-to-end engineering test 🡪 an historic moment!
Dec.2024 – ComCam removed
Feb. 2025: LSSTCam will be installed
June 2025: Rubin First Look (May 2025)
~4-7 mo later, the LSST data-taking starts

ComCam mounted Aug.2022-2023; Nov.2023-May.2024; Aug.2024-Dec.2024

US Data Access Center: (Cloud + USDF back-end) Scoped to enable the

Rubin data-rights community to access images from the two most recent data releases.

Not scoped to serve data to the general community (after 2-year proprietary period)
Not scoped to enable individual users to do large computing jobs like reanalyzing or reprocessing the entire data set or large subsets; envision they will support bulk data export to other data access and analysis facilities

Preparing for multi-site processing using HSC and simulated data

Using LHC tools for workflow (PanDA) and data mgmt (Rucio)

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Funding 🡺 Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for research efforts at: https://science.osti.gov/grants/FOAs/Open

Office of Science “Open Call” and “Early Career”: research grants

-- Check for specific High Energy Physics focus areas and for due dates

FAIR: (Funding for Accelerated and Inclusive Research ) – for undergraduate students and faculty

https://science.osti.gov/Initiatives/fair

Workforce Development Programs

see https://science.osti.gov/wdts - workforce development

Work at a DOE lab: Community College Internships (CCI); Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI); SC Graduate Student Research fellowships (SCSGR); Visiting Faculty Program; Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Program (K-12)
DOE Scholars Program https://orise.orau.gov/doescholars/ - work at DOE or a lab

Support for Broadening Participation

RENEW (Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce) - opportunities for historically underrepresented groups in STEM; internships, training programs, and mentor opportunities. https://science.osti.gov/Initiatives/RENEW

We are so excited watching Rubin come together…and ready to start data-taking this year!

Energy.gov/science

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NSF Funding Opportunities for Rubin/LSST

Primary Grants Programs

CAREER
Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships Program (AAPF)
Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants Program (AAG)

Simonyi-NSF Scholar Awards - 50/50 split: Simonyi donation / NSF

Support proposals from early-career scientists with focus on Rubin science, including theoretical work and simulations
Now, supporting 14 Simonyi-NSF Scholars with $6 million (FY 2023 and 2024)
For FY 2025, $2 million available for support
For FY 2026, expect funding to continue

Rubin Operations support at about $75 million/year total, split roughly equally between NSF and DOE.

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