CARA Telecon Minutes Date: July 16, 2001 Time: 1:00 PM Attendance: BU: Cornell: G. Stacey CMU: J. Peterson Northwestern: G. Novak R.I.T: S.A.O.: W. Walsh. S. Kim South Pole: C. Martin, C. Kaminski Chicago: J. Carlstrom, S. Meyer, N. Odalen, J. Bausch UCB: W. Holzapfel UCSB: J. Ruhl Approval of previous minutes: Minutes from June 25, 2001 approved. Agenda Items News from the Pole: C. Martin: AST/RO is working well; weather has not been good. 350-micron tipper died in the middle of the night, as did the FTS. It took 6 hours to fix them, but both are running. One of the hatch doors on the DASI shield blew off. This event was associated with the 35-knot winds at Pole. The hatch door is back on. Viper working on again/off again. Right now they are just about ready to observe again. M. Newcomb was looking at Mars last night. Tau was about 1.5 last night. AASTO - nothing new to report. Everything working fine (except TEG is out of propane). DASI - J. Carlstrom reported that the analysis being done looks better than last year due to ground shield. DASI and Acbar are still looking for a winter over for the next season. ACBAR - Viper elevation drive was sticking but working now. ACBAR will spend a few more days on clusters and then onto CMB field and finish up with that for the season. M. Newcomb is doing a great job. As are C. Kaminski, C. Martin and B. Reddall!! Liquid Helium: Reported by C. Kaminski - 1 fill accomplished of one 250 and one 100 liter dewar. We are getting ready to take all the helium out of the 3000 gas USAP transport dewar by next week. Unable to fill all dewars as previously discussed because of weather & wind problems and the 500 and 250 dewar were in cold storage. When the weather cleared the CATs were doing other things at Pole and when the weather warmed again the CAT was down. C. Kaminski will be again talking with Al. Raytheon: Attended meeting were J. Ruhl, A. Lane, R. Pernic, J. Carlstrom NSF has denied some items on SIPs: - Polar Haven - Covered walkway - Stairs in MAPO - Jamesway for summer use. To many man-hours to install floor, electric and Raytheon object strongly to putting in the LANs for computer communication. NSF OK'd retro of SPIREX, but would not Ok putting up a structure for staging. NSF OK'd small heated building for liquid nitrogen plant. NSF agreed that CARA/Amanda need to be a part of discussions on prioritizing items requested in the SIPs. Will have telecon to address the space issues. Station population will be 220. Construction population will be 85 this season. CARA/Amanda will average 28 for the season. CARA and AMANDA had expected population numbers of 22 and 12, respectively. R. Morse wants to bring this issued to C. Erb. Currently R. Morse is working on the Amanda case stating what will be given up if the population is held at this number. CARA has to cut its population. *** PIs to review their population needs at Pole and R. Pernic to get in touch with them. The test equipment that we requested has been OK'd by NSF. Raytheon needs a list prioritizing i.e. what needs to be at Pole at station opening and what can wait for later in the season. *** PIs to look at equipment list and provide to J. Carlstrom specification so Raytheon can order exactly what we need. We do not want Raytheon to have any questions on the specification for this equipment. Liquid Helium - we will have 500 liters delivered with wind fly or very close to that opening date. Another 500 liters will be delivered within a week and then the 3000 gallon dewar around or before 11/20 to handle the summer requirements. All Dewars will be topped off by the end of the season. NSF Raytheon buying new necks inserts for the Wessingtons, also experimenting with the cold head left over from the train-wrecked transport dewars. CARA was asked on recommendation for transport dewars. CARA stated that one 4000-gallon transport dewar should be purchased. Delivery expected 1.5 years from now. *** CARA to write official memo on what we want to see at Pole regarding liquid helium storage. 1- One 4000 gallon transport dewar 2- Helium liquefier 2 ships into McMurdo are unlikely. Greenway to arrive ~ February 4, 2002. There will be a remote installation 8k from the station and a lot of man-hours will be expended on the construction of a vault for seismic detection. The current vaults are collapsing. Marasat telescope installation is a big problem. CARA offered to help, but Raytheon stated that a contractor is doing the installation. All data and email will go through Denver and will impact all of us. We have 2 years to comply. More iridium phones will be at Pole. P. Smith working on modems, and pagers. Raytheon also is talking about giving PIs iridium stations for direct communications Wind fly 10/22 Station opening 10/29 Station closing 2/15, scientists out on 2/14 AASTO - Raytheon will help get it out or get it ready for another season at Pole. CARA needs to speak with D. Peacock on what NSF will allow. After some discussion CARA PIs ranked the following items as most important to be completed this year. 1. Covered walkway Would free up lab space Would not need to shovel walkway - safety issue for winterovers and less trouble in moving liquid helium to instrument. 2. Jamesway Liquid nitrogen could be stored here during summer and free up lab space. 3. CARA would not do the SPIREX retro 4. CARA would not push on Polarhaven - not needed if SPIREX postponed. 5. Stairway on Amanda side is off the list, as it would create more problems than solve. It would be done too late to do any good.