Working Groups:

As part of the broader LSC reorganization, the former Detector Characterization Working Group has been converted to a standing Detector Characterization Committee. The somewhat informal (but effective) "investigation teams" are being tranformed into formal working groups.

Some of these changes may seem merely semantic. The same persons will continue doing the same sorts of studies as before. After all, we don't want to fix things that ain't broke.

But there are advantages in formalizing responsibilities and reporting. Each working group will be required to contribute to the LSC annual progress report and to the LSC White Paper. Despite the bureaucratic sound of that, I think these documents will help us see where we need to put more effort and to keep better track of long-term goals and progress. The formalization of responsibilites is part of a broader effort to increase LSC responsibility in LIGO Science and to improve accountability.

After consultation with many colleagues, including investigation team chairs and members, and Peter Saulson, a set of working groups and chairs has been established. These working groups build on the strengths of the old investigation teams and their leaders. I thank the chairs for agreeing to take on this responsibility.

I am a bit concerned that some working groups will have too few members. I seriously considered consolidating some of the smaller groups with related investigations into a single larger one, but in the end, decided that their distinct missions should be retained. Nonetheless, I want to encourage working groups to collaborate closely on studies that overlap. For example, the Environmental Disturbances/Channels and the Upconversion working groups have naturally overlapping areas of investigation and already benefit from close communication.

I want to strongly encourage new scientists to join these efforts. Each working group is urged to set up web pages with links to relevant documents and to lists of tasks the group is working on (or would like to work on, if more help were available!). Working groups should hold regular (but not necessarily weekly) teleconferences.

In addition, GEO collaborators have been invited to name GEO liaisons to each of these working groups, to report on related GEO detchar issues and to report back to GEO on LIGO detchar work.

The "Committee" and Teleconferences:

Under the LSC reorganization, the Detector Characterization Committee consists formally of the working group chairs, three at-large members selected by the Spokesperson, and myself as committee chair. In practice, I don't think that the full committee needs to meet very often. It should serve as a steering group that steps back every few months to assess where we stand and identify issues requiring more attention. To the extent that the committee holds formal votes, each working group will have one vote determined by its chair(s).

I am pleased to announce that Peter has asked Rana Adhikari, Gaby Gonzalez, and Erik Katsavounidis to serve as the at-large members and that they have agreed to do so. Their experience and wisdom should prove quite valuable.

Detector characterization teleconferences will continue to be held Fridays at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT), as before, with everyone in the detchar community invited to attend. And as before, this regular meeting provides a venue for working groups to report on recent progress to a wider audience.

New Working Groups:

It may be appropriate to form new working groups (or consolidate existing ones) from time to time. Proposals for new working groups should be written up and provided to the detchar committee for consideration. A list of proposed members and the chair(s) should be provided, along with a draft charge and plan.

Remark:

Finally, I hope this formalizing of the detchar structure won't prevent us from continuing to do well the things we have done well in the past, but I hope it will help us do better where we need to do better.

K. Riles - August 4, 2006