Dear Colleague: This letter is an invitation to scientists and technologists at U.S. institutions to serve a nominal 3-year term as a member of the LISA International Science Team (IST). Some of you are already familiar with this program and aware of the scientific importance of this significant mission for both fundamental physics and astrophysics. More information on LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) may be found at the following web sites: http://lisa.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.estec.esa.nl/spdwww/future/html/lisa.htm LISA has been conceived as a joint NASA-ESA mission for space gravitational wave detection with comparable contributions from each agency as well as contributions from individual European Space Agency member states. Launch is tentatively planned for 2009-10. This LISA International Science Team will, in part, replace the current ad hoc European LISA Study Team , chaired by Prof. Karsten Danzmann of the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik of Garching. The IST will also replace the current US LISA Mission Definition Team, chaired by Prof. Sterl Phinney of Caltech. The IST will typically meet twice per year. The travel expenses to these meetings for U.S. members will be reimbursed for non civil servants and non local attendees. I hope that you will consider proposing to join this important group. Your reply to this invitation should be received by April 27, 2001. I am attaching a current draft Charter for the LISA International Science Team, so that you can see the kinds of issues that will be addressed by this team. If you are interested in becoming a member of this committee, please submit a letter to the address below, including: 1. Your expression of interest in serving on this definition team, 2. Your relevant experience and expertise (a curriculum vita and list of selected publications is suggested), 3. What unique talents you might bring to defining this mission, 4. What scientific investigations particularly motivate your interest in LISA. Letter proposals are invited from individuals, not groups. "Co-investigators" are not solicited. This solicitation is for U.S. members. Please send your letter to: Alan N. Bunner Code SA NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546 alan.bunner@hq.hasa.gov Phone: 2020-358-3064; FAX 202-358-3096 Thank you for your interest in helping to define this exciting mission. Sincerely, Alan N. Bunner Science Program Director Structure & Evolution of the Universe LISA INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE TEAM Charter 8 March 2001 Introduction: The purpose of this committee is to provide input and guidance to NASA and ESA that can be used to help assure the optimum scientific return from the bilateral LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission and to ensure a preparedness for analyzing LISA data. This is an international committee, nominally half selected by ESA and half selected by NASA. LISA is tentatively scheduled for launch in 2009-10. Functions: The LISA International Science Team (IST) will serve as the scientific coordinating body and advisory committee to the Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, and to the LISA study office at ESTEC. The committee will report formally to the NASA Headquarters LISA Program Scientist, within the Structure & Evolution of the Universe (SEU) Theme at NASA, and to the Head of the Fundamental Physics Office at ESTEC. In practice, the IST will also advise the respective NASA and ESA LISA management offices and Phase A planning team The committee will organize working groups on specific scientific issues as required to carry out its coordinating and advisory responsibilities. The functions of the IST are as follows: (1) The IST will consider and review the optimizing of the LISA mission to achieve the greatest scientific return within the program constraints. The IST will serve as representatives of the U.S. and European scientific community that wish to participate in LISA and make use of its scientific results. (2) The IST will discuss all scientific aspects of the LISA mission and advise NASA and ESA on topics related to, for example, scientific goals and design requirements, policy on the scientific use of the satellite, international arrangements, the operation of the satellite, data analysis software, uniform standards and portability of data and software, or data archiving. The IST will be asked to produce written input on these subjects. The most important topic will be a set of science requirements and goals, together with a prioritization of these requirements and goals. Detailed work on topics such as science and design requirements will be carried out through working groups as described further in (3) below. (3) The IST will undertake studies and provide recommendations on topics requested by NASA or ESA or the LISA development offices, for example, evaluation of design tradeoffs in the light of science requirements and goals. The IST will carry out these studies through the formation of working groups that focus on a specific topic. The working groups will report to the IST and typically include one or more members from the IST. Additional membership in the working groups will be drawn from the scientific community and from the LISA development offices. The working groups will have a finite tenure appropriate to the study being undertaken. (4) The IST will serve as an advocacy group for the LISA mission and represent the constituency of potential LISA users. The IST will be responsible for encouraging the direct participation of other scientists in the LISA program through the mechanism of working groups. In addition, the IST is expected to suggest processes and structures, such as workshops, open meetings, or other opportunities through which the broad scientific community can become informed about LISA and contribute to the mission, thus providing ways for new individuals and groups to become involved. The IST will also provide recommendations on education and outreach, to best engage the public in this mission. Membership: The membership of the LISA International Science Team will consist of approximately 20 members, selected half from institutions in the United States and half from ESA member states. US members will be selected by the LISA Program Scientist. The initial term of membership will be nominally 3 years but may be extended. The IST will have two Co-chairs, one from Europe and one from the US, who will each report to the respective agencies any advice or findings as appropriate. The US Co-chair is the US LISA Mission Scientist. Meetings: The IST will meet approximately two times per year, as required, for (typically) one to two day meetings. Meetings will be called and agendas will be set by the IST Co-Chairs. Meetings may alternate between the US and Europe. Funding for Travel: On the U.S. side, logistical planning for meetings and travel expenses for attendance at IST meetings will be provided through contractor support to the US LISA Mission Science Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Working group activities of US scientists will also be funded, as appropriate, through the US LISA Mission Science Office. -- Alan.Bunner@hq.nasa.gov 202-358-0364 (Mailing address: Code SA, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546)
LISA_Science_Team_rev_0301b.rtf