Community Science Input and Participation

Related Material

Exposure Time Calculator

LSST Community Science Discussion Forum

Please send your ideas and suggestions to lsst-science@lsstmail.org

LSST Science Working Group

Prior to preparation of the construction proposal for the LSST, we will develop detailed observing scenarios for a few select scientific problems to ensure that the facility we are proposing will meet their requirements. If you are interested in participating in a working group on a specific topic, please submit a brief note describing the contribution you would like to make to wgroups@lsstmail.org. Ten LSST Science Collaborations have formed. Calls to the astronomy and high energy physics community for membership application will be sent out in early 2008.

Legacy Documents

Call for US Scientists to Join LSST Science Collaborations

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project announces the opportunity for interested members of the US astronomy and physics communities to participate in shaping the science for the LSST survey, through membership in the LSST Science Collaborations. (International participation is being organized separately.)

The LSST will carry out a six-band multi-epoch optical survey over half the Celestial Sphere using a dedicated 8.4 meter telescope, allowing major advances in areas ranging from the study of near-Earth asteroids to the nature of Dark Energy. The Science Collaborations are autonomous entities that will work closely with the LSST construction project on areas from cadence design to commissioning. The present plan for LSST first light is 2014. Further details and instructions to apply for membership are available here.

LSST Science Collaborations and their chairs

Community Science Involvement Paves Path for Future Programs

Because we intend this facility and its database to serve as a resource for the whole community, we want your input on the planning to date along with ideas for extending the work already done.

Join the mission! First, review the following materials which detail our current plan and findings:


Relative Survey Power: Opening Up Discovery Space

Survey power is proportional to the étendue (the AΩ product) of the telescope aperture and camera field in m2 deg2. This plot compares various imaging projects, assuming 100% of the nights are spent in imaging survey mode. Only LSST, PS, and VST will operate 100% in imaging survey mode. The LSST will open up a qualitatively new regime in survey science. A unique result of a very high optical étendue is that many science programs can proceed in parallel with the same high quality data.

Let us know whether these basic requirements are suitable for the program you would like to carry out. Look particularly at the cadence of observations. We are especially interested in your requirements for data products — what should the LSST pipelines and database provide in order to enable the science that you want to do?