In order to perform the following GO support tasks, Suzaku GOF in cooperation with other groups under OGIP will develop infrastructures such as software, documents and database systems.
Suzaku GOF release most updated information through WWW at the Suzaku GOF home page,
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/suzaku/.
On-line help desk is available via the Feedback feature of the GOF web site,
to which GOs can ask any questions regarding Suzaku. Recipients will be
the Suzaku GOF members.
Suzaku GOF shall have a rota system so that, at any given time,
a single GOF scientist is responsible for all incoming questions.
There shall be extensive Suzaku on-line databases with which GOs can retrieve various Suzaku information as well as the archival data. Details on the Suzaku database and archives are explained in the next chapter.
NASA releases NRAs (NASA Research Announcements) for US based astronomers to obtain Suzaku data, currently as an element of an omnibus announcement. Suzaku GOF is responsible for preparing technical information associated with such NRAs, including instrumental specs required for GOs to prepare proposals. Suzaku GOF will supply simulation tools (section 5.2) and observation planning tools (section 5.1) which are intended to be used by prospective GOs in the course of preparing proposals.
GO proposals will be submitted electronically through the multi-mission Remote Proposal Submission (RPS) system.
Suzaku GOF will give expert advice to GOs how to plan their observations, such as best instrumental modes, observational constraints, pointing directions, roll angles and so on. Preliminary observational plans should be given in the proposals, and the final plans must be confirmed by GOs prior to the observations. The procedure is that GOF members contact GOs when the short term observation schedule is released, and ask GOs if there might be any changes from the observations plans in the proposals. If necessary, GOs may make small changes at this stage (e.g., slight change of the roll-angle) consulting GOF advice. Suzaku GOF conveys the final GO observation plans to ISAS, and the ISAS satellite operation team incorporates the final plans into the command stream.
Suzaku GOF receive data from ISAS and process them by adding calibration information so that the processed data are ready to be reduced to the scientific information (section 6.1). The software for processing will be mainly developed by Suzaku GOF in cooperation with the instrument teams (section 6.1). The US GOs receive the processed data from GSFC. By default, data will be encrypted and made available for download, and the encryption key will be communicated to the GOs. Under exceptional circumstances, other distribution methods (such as using a CD-ROM) may be considered.