COROT / SEISMOLOGY WORKING GROUP

. . . more about the SWG activity

last update: 12/12/07
The activity of the SWG is regularly adapted to the needs associated to the different stages of the Corot project. It is thus possible to illustrate the main lines of this activity following specific events or dates marking several phases with distinct main priorities.

A first phase - "taking care of the weak points"

April 98 > the Corot Kick-off meeting (Nice)

One of the tasks of the SWG is to identify the weak points in the (theoretical, numerical, observationnal) arsenal available to analyse and interpret the data, and to promote the investigation of these points. After the COROT Kick-off Meeting (Nice, April 98), the work of the SWG has been organized very much in this spirit. Several weak points have been identified and defined as prioritary thema for the SWG, under the labels:
       -"Estimation of the amplitudes of the solar-like oscillations in stars"

       -"Effect of moderate and fast rotation"

       -"constraints in terms of stellar structure"

       -"chemical inhomogeneity"

       -"data analysis"

       -"characterisation of the targets" ( in coordination with the Ground-Based Observations Working Group, Chair. C. Catala).

    The progress report given at the COROT/SWG/Milestone2000 meeting (Paris, sept. 2000) brings a good picture of this first phase.

A second phase - "which specific targets for which science"

Sept.00 > the Milestone meeting (Paris)

At this workshop we could see that significant progress had been achieved or were on their way, considering the open questions associated with the priority thema identified at the Corot Kick-off. This allowed us to look further in the preparation of the Seismology Core Program. We now have to organize the practical achievement of this program, considering the specific set of objects which might be observed with COROT. The different aspects of this scientific program have to be reconsidered in details and the optimum observational scenario has to be selected.

Mai 01 > the CS6 meeting (Paris) - selection of the orbit plane

This represents the first decisive step in the selection of specific targets. By selecting the orbit plane, the Corot CS also fixed the portion of the sky accessible to Corot during its whole life: two cones of 10 degrees radius centered on delta= 0 deg., alpha=6h50mn and 18h50mn respectively. This choice has been made by the Corot CS on the base of a few criteria, among which: the set of potential Primary targets candidates associated with this option was considered to present the best

early 2003 > Selection of the Fields for the long run observations.

An important step in the preparation of the Corot observational program has held from early 2003 to 2005. It consited in the determination of the fields to be observed during the long runs. This choice has been made according to several criteria including criteria related with the Exoplanet search Program and the Additional Program. From the seismology program point of view, the selection has been made on the Primary Targets (L) candidates and on the Secondary Target (L) candidates.

The actions of the SWG during this period have been highly focussed on this aspect of the preparation (more about these actions)

Third phase: the exploitation:

dec 2006 > Successfull launch

2007> first observations runs: IR01 (03/02/07-02/04/07) , SRc01 (11/04/07-9/05/07),LRc01(11/05/07-15/10/07)

This period has been used to test the instrument performances and refine the data reduction.

dec 2007, 10th> first Co-Is meeting and data delivery

The data delivered are in the hands of the CoRoT community for the one-year prioritary period.