Exoplanet Strategy WG

The white paper information and submission form can be found here, and the survey information, which should be submitted through a separate form, can be found here.

Will the data for the DDT be public?

All data collected through DDT programs are made immediately available upon collection with no exclusive access period.

Will white papers be anonymized?

STScI will make the white papers anonymous to the members of the working group.

Can I publish my white paper?

Do not publish your white paper (e.g. via arXiv) as it could jeopardize the anonymous review process.

Will white papers be made public?

All white papers will be made publicly available at the time the written recommendation is released by the working group in January 2024.

What is the difference between the Survey and White Papers?

The survey is a venue to write short-form responses to a broad range of topics (e.g. no more than 250 words per subject). The white papers are a venue to elaborate on these same topics (no more than 1 page). The white papers are also the venue for providing specific concepts for DDT observations.

Who will implement the possible DDT concept?

The Exoplanet Strategy WG is only charged with providing a recommendation on the science direction, scope, and broad observational goals for the envisioned DDT program. STScI will stand up an implementation team and a separate science advisory committee will be formed to implement the observing plan, after the working group’s recommendations have been made public.

Who will select the targets?

The WG may recommend specific targets or recommend parameters for selecting specific targets. A separate science advisory committee will be formed to implement the observing plan, after the working group's recommendation have been made public.

Who is eligible to attend the Early Career Town Hall?

We recommend that the Early Career town hall be reserved for students, postdoctoral fellows, and research scientists within 10 years of their terminal degree.

How will the GO programs interact with DDT programs?

An important criterion that the WG will use in formulating its DDT concept recommendation is that it would enable a scientific result that is not possible through GO programs. Having said that, if a GO program has similar scientific goals, sensitivity, and targets, the GO program will be given priority. No changes will be made to accepted GO programs.

When is the report going to be published? When are recommendations due?

The final recommendations will be published in January 2024. The initial recommendations will be presented to the JSTUC, STUC, and interim STScI director in the Fall.

When are DDT observations expected to be implemented?

The DDT observations could be implemented as early as Cycle 3.

Is there going to be a budget associated with the DDT program?

One of the charges of the working group is to solicit feedback from the community on resources needed to support the recommended efforts. Community members can submit feedback on this in the Survey and/or White paper. Currently there is no budget associated with this DDT program. If that remains the case, community members would be able to apply for JWST and/or HST Archival programs to analyze and interpret the data.

How can I reach out to the Exoplanet WG?

There are three town halls scheduled where the community can ask questions of the WG members. A Slido Anonymous Q&A forum will be posted two weeks prior to the town halls. Additionally, questions can be directly emailed to wg-exoplanets@stsci.edu and they will be answered in this FAQ.