Snowmass Neutrino Frontier Conveners Meeting May 28

Attendance: Huber, Wong, Mahn, Balantekin, Himmel, Sousa, Marino, Yu, de Gouvea, Worcester, Scholberg, Orebi Gann, Tanaka, Mocioiu, Link, Klein, Spitz, Newby, Ochoa Ricoux, Koerner, Friend, Wang, Machado, Denton, Pastore, Shoemaker, Strigari, Schmitz, Mocioiu, Fields, Koshio, O’Sullivan

Note takers: Erin O’Sullivan, Nathaniel Bowden

Agenda 

* Updates

* Process for deciding host selection for big neutrino meeting

* Consolidate plan for topical group meetings

   -Proposal for Common Cosmic/Neutrino/Instrumentation/UG Facilities workshop

* Request from computing to present at town hall meeting

* Town Hall format

  -General update by conveners

  -Questions regarding: physics goals and motivation, theory and neutrinos and

structure of the program. The idea is that we probably should formulate 1-2

questions per topic to the community and we invite the community to also submit

responses or their own questions for each topic in advance which then will be

answered by conveners/topical conveners.

  -Open mic session with pre-registration (and encouragement to take plugs for

specific experiments/new initiatives into the LOI process)

* Accessibility for town hall meeting

* AoB

Next meeting June 12, 10am (ET)
 

Updates:

• No response from funding agencies re: support for meetings, proceed assuming there is none

• Email lists now existing for topical groups, hosted by FNAL. 

Process for deciding host selection for NF workshop in Feb/Mar 2021, 

• Aim to have all topical workshops prior to NF one; need to move on the planning and site selection 

• NF03 expresses a preference to form a small panel to make the site selection; other thoughts that it could be a combination of Frontier convenors and some other volunteers, combination of east and west coast

• Suggestion from Huber: form combination as above: Request volunteers for that panel via Slack or email 

  • Despite uncertainty about ability to host in person, the goal is to set a date and have a site in case that is possible. In any event expect to have robust virtual attendance option in case an in-person meeting is possible (not all may be willing or able to travel)

  • The panel should define some requirements, e.g. robust IT support for virtual meetings. Panel will likely need to help collect ideas on how to host a meeting in the current circumstances. There will be a large number of considerations, and a lot of uncertainty about how to plan a large meeting. Emphasis will of course need to be on health and safety of participants.

• In any event, potential hosts should consider a plan without agency support, e.g. registration fee is likely needed and institutional support will be helpful.

Consolidate plan for topical group meetings

• Convener update displays rough plans for topical workshops; NF04 plan for attaching to April APS 2021 will come after the large NF workshop, perhaps reconsider. NF09 will need to consider the time frame constraints too. 

• Why the NF meeting in Feb or March. Can it be later? Yes, maybe. But don’t collide with APS or get too late (into summer). Would be nice for NF to report on a successful workshop at APS. 

• Proposal for Common Cosmic/Neutrino/Instrumentation/UG Facilities workshop

Neutrino Frontier Town Hall - July 17, 10am-1pm EDT

• Request from computing to present at town hall meeting for ~15min

  • Could also invite all Frontiers to say something about connections (would need to be shorter than 15min each)

• Will request registration (indico) to manage the meeting. Will define whether a regular zoom meeting or webinar format

• Accessibility for town hall meeting - what are the preparations needed?

  • Collect statistics on accessibility needs via the indico registration

  • Consider breaking the meeting into smaller chunks, e.g. due to childcare constraints under the present circumstances.

• Format:

  • General Update by conveners (including topical groups, 1-2 slides per topical group)

  • Frame the Neutrino Frontier around 3 broad questions regarding: physics goals and motivation, theory and neutrinos and structure of the program. 

  • The idea is that we probably should formulate 1-2 questions per topic to the community and we invite the community to also submit responses or their own questions for each topic in advance which then will be answered by conveners/topical conveners.

  • Open mic session with pre-registration (and encouragement to take plugs for specific experiments/new initiatives into the LOI process)

• General agreement with format from convenor group; addresses some of the issues with the Snowmass town hall in April

• Would be worthwhile to have an online conversation about what has worked well for virtual meetings over the last few months, e.g. on a Slack channel

  • Dedicated note taking also encouraged; meeting will also be recorded

AoB

• LOIs:

  • What does it mean for theorists? We want to leave the definition broad. Could be a way to put out gaps in the needs of the community, could be a way to raise your hand to be involved in Snowmass, signals to conveners that there is a topic that is important to include in the workshops

  • Would be good to identify people willing to send LOI solicitation emails from topical groups to collaborations, etc. So that there are not duplicate emails, …

    • As matter of principle, distribute via main email lists

    • Can also target a specific group/individuals to encourage them to submit on a particular topic

Action items (for topical group conveners):

• Volunteers for the site selection panel should let frontier conveners know (via Slack or email). Do so soon. 

• Start thinking of individual topical group workshops in earnest

• Think of 1-2 questions per topical group for the neutrino town hall (timescale: next few weeks), Patrick will start a Google Doc for us to start brainstorming and will send an email 

• Look at the google doc for where we want to send out the frontier call. Add any experiments or groups that might be missed, and add any groups where you have sent the call to the bottom of the page so we can coordinate.