[ { "id": "authors:ex037-yyt89", "collection": "authors", "collection_id": "ex037-yyt89", "cite_using_url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170329-092612598", "type": "publication_deliverable", "title": "Astro2010: State of the Profession Position Paper: The Value of Observatory-Class Missions", "author": [ { "family_name": "Sembach", "given_name": "Kenneth", "clpid": "Sembach-K" }, { "family_name": "Mountain", "given_name": "Matt", "clpid": "Mountain-M" }, { "family_name": "Hauser", "given_name": "Mike", "clpid": "Hauser-M" }, { "family_name": "Tananbaum", "given_name": "Harvey", "clpid": "Tananbaum-H" }, { "family_name": "Wilkes", "given_name": "Belinda", "orcid": "0000-0003-1809-2364", "clpid": "Wilkes-B-J" }, { "family_name": "Soifer", "given_name": "Tom", "orcid": "0000-0002-8112-1132", "clpid": "Soifer-B-T" }, { "family_name": "Storrie-Lombardi", "given_name": "Lisa", "orcid": "0000-0002-5987-5210", "clpid": "Storrie-Lombardi-L-J" } ], "abstract": "The dramatic success of NASA's astrophysics science program over the past 20 years has resulted from a series of assets in space ranging from Small Explorers to Observatory-Class\nmissions. NASA's Observatory-Class missions, such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), form the\ncornerstone of this program by providing all researchers, regardless of institutional affiliation, a spectrum of science opportunities across programs large and small. These observatories stand out in their breadth of capabilities and consequent diversity of high impact science, their reach within the scientific community, and their proven ability to inspire the nation. Each mission was\ndesigned to address specific scientific imperatives recognized by past Decadal Survey Committees, whether it was to refine the extragalactic distance scale, examine galaxies as they were in the distant past, determine the relationship between black holes and quasars, observe the\nultimate fate of stars in their death throes, or reveal heavily obscured regions of star-formation. These were ambitious goals, as are those envisioned for future Observatory-Class missions, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).", "publisher": "Caltech Library", "publication_date": "2009" }, { "id": "authors:j2se5-42r41", "collection": "authors", "collection_id": "j2se5-42r41", "cite_using_url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170329-085850864", "type": "publication_deliverable", "title": "Astronomical Data Reduction and Analysis for the Next Decade", "author": [ { "family_name": "Ferguson", "given_name": "Henry C.", "orcid": "0000-0001-7113-2738", "clpid": "Ferguson-H-C" }, { "family_name": "Storrie-Lombardi", "given_name": "Lisa", "orcid": "0000-0002-5987-5210", "clpid": "Storrie-Lombardi-L-J" } ], "abstract": "The astronomical community has become very sophisticated in setting requirements and figures of merit for the technical capabilities of new observatories. Sensitivity, field of\nview, spatial and energy resolution, observing efficiency and the lifetime of the facility are all set out to address scientific problems as efficiently as possible. The ultimate goal of these facilities, however, is not simply to gather data, but to create knowledge. It is thus important to consider the process of converting data to knowledge and ask whether there are ways to improve this for the coming generation.\n\nSoftware for data reduction and analysis provides a key link in this chain. Modest investments in this area can have a very large impact on astronomy as a whole, if they are made wisely. Conversely, it is possible to waste significant amounts of money on software efforts that never fulfill their promise. We need to learn from the successes and failures of the past to try to maximize our productivity in astronomy as a whole. That means working more closely together across agencies, projects, institutions and disciplines to share in building and maintaining this essential infrastructure.", "publisher": "Caltech Library", "publication_date": "2009" }, { "id": "authors:sdyct-ppt03", "collection": "authors", "collection_id": "sdyct-ppt03", "cite_using_url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170329-100107932", "type": "publication_deliverable", "title": "The High Impact of Astronomical Data Archives", "author": [ { "family_name": "White", "given_name": "Richard L.", "clpid": "White-R-L" }, { "family_name": "Accomazzi", "given_name": "Alberto", "clpid": "Accomazzi-A" }, { "family_name": "Berriman", "given_name": "G. Bruce", "orcid": "0000-0001-8388-534X", "clpid": "Berriman-G-B" }, { "family_name": "Fabbiano", "given_name": "Giuseppina", "orcid": "0000-0002-3554-3318", "clpid": "Fabbiano-G" }, { "family_name": "Madore", "given_name": "Barry F.", "orcid": "0000-0002-1576-1676", "clpid": "Madore-B-F" }, { "family_name": "Mazzarella", "given_name": "Joseph M.", "orcid": "0000-0002-8204-8619", "clpid": "Mazzarella-J-M" }, { "family_name": "Rots", "given_name": "Arnold", "clpid": "Rots-A" }, { "family_name": "Smale", "given_name": "Alan P.", "clpid": "Smale-A-P" }, { "family_name": "Storrie-Lombardi", "given_name": "Lisa", "orcid": "0000-0002-5987-5210", "clpid": "Storrie-Lombardi-L-J" }, { "family_name": "Winkelman", "given_name": "Sherry", "clpid": "Winkelman-S" } ], "abstract": "Archives are widely recognized as a valuable resource for astronomy, but statistics on their use indicates they are even more important than most astronomers realize. Obviously much of the science from survey projects such as SDSS relies on the archive. Perhaps more surprisingly, archival data are also a major contributor to the science from targeted, PI-driven missions such as HST, Chandra, Spitzer and the ground-based observatories. Archival research currently accounts for half of the ~1200 Hubble and Chandra science papers published each year, and the use of the archive continues to increase. The archival data products are, in the long term, as important as the PI science programs.\nIt is vital to recognize the large impact archives can have on the science generated by missions and observatories. The value of the archive should be an important factor in the establishment of new projects. Future missions and observatories should not only budget adequate resources to support a robust archive, but they also should consider the effects of mission design and operations decisions on the archive. Additional funding both for archive users and archive centers -- particularly with an eye to enabling cross-archive, multiwavelength science -- is a relatively inexpensive way to increase the science output from our major investments in large projects.", "publisher": "Caltech Library", "publication_date": "2009" } ]