Coordination Unit 8

Gaia's coordination unit 8 explained

Gaia's data release 3 brings the classification and the physical characterization of the observed sources based on Gaia spectra. APSIS, a software developed by the Gaia Coordination Unit 8 is responsible for that. This video leads you through the different steps in the process and shows the many people involved in Gaia's Coordination Unit 8. Though many people are shown, the list of people shown is not complete. More people are active at the various locations.

Idea of R. Sordo, O. Creevey, M. Fouesneau and all of CU8 Text and voice: R. Sordo Editing: F. Di Giacomo Software: After Effects and Davinci Resolve Videos and images: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, Gaia/DPAC/CU8-CU6, Recio-Blanco and the GSP-Spec team, CNES/MARTIN Emmanuelle 2017, ESO, ESA Music: "Epic Movie" Soundbay.

Who is CU8?

DPAC Coordination Unit 8 (CU8) is responsible for delivering to the community a classification of the Gaia sources and their characterization, by deriving different astrophysical parameters according to their nature. CU8 developed Apsis, a coherent series of modules aiming to tackle the problem using different approaches, from general to tailored to specific sources or parameters. Apsis results are published for the first time in Gaia DR3.

The video presents the general workflow of the analysis performed by Apsis modules, but most importantly it shows the persons behind the products, who devised and coded the algorithms, tested and validated their output, and collaborated for many years to improve the quality and the usability of the data in Gaia DR3.

Here is the list of people involved, per module and per working place. A number after a name indicates that their photo appears in the figure below (screenshot from the video), and allows matching of name and photo. Some CU8 members prefer not to appear on social media, but their names are included in the list below.

Management: O. Creevey - CU8 lead (29), M. Fouesneau (40), C.A.L. Bailer-Jones(18), Y. Fremat (37), U. Heiter (55), R. Sordo (17), F. Thevenin (13), F. Pailler (20)

DPCC-Toulouse: C.l. Panem (28), C. Nicolas, F. Pailler (20), A. Magdaleno Romeo (32), C. Robin, C. Nicolas, C. Fouron (45)

DSC -Heidelberg: C.A.L. Bailer-Jones(18), M. Fouesneau (40), R. Andrae (33)

GSPphot - Heidelberg: R. Andrae (33), C.A.L. Bailer-Jones(18), M. Fouesneau (40), T. Dharmawardena (39)

GSPspec - Nice: A. Recio-Blanco (19), P. de Laverny (26), G. Kordopatis (4), C. Ordenovic (53), M. Schultheis (57), P.A. Palicio (51), G. Contursi (6), H. Zhao (41), E. Poggio (3)

GSPspec - A Coruña: M. Manteiga (25), G. Torralba Elipe (44), R. Santoveña, M. González

ESP-HS & ESP-ELS - Brussels: Y. Fremat (37), A. Lobel (48)

ESP-HS & ESP-ELS - Paris: J. Zorec (15)

ESP-CS - Catania: A. Lanzafame (8), E. Brugaletta (7)

ESP-UCD - Madrid: L. Sarro Baro (2)

ESP-UCD - St. Albans: W. Cooper (47)

ESP-UCD - Turin: R. Smart (14)

ESP-UCD - Sevilla: M. García Torres (5)

MSC - Heidelberg: J. Rybizki (46), R. Andrae (33), C.A.L. Bailer-Jones (18)

FLAME - Nice: O. Creevey (29), C. Ordenovic (53), F. Thevenin (13), Y. Lebreton (56), B. Pichon (12)

TGE - Turin: R. Drimmel (35), D. Licata

TGE - Toulouse: D. Marshall (38)

TGE - Copenhagen: J. Lindstrøm (54)

QSOC - Liège: L. Delchambre (49)

UGC - Athens: D. Hatzidimitriou (11), I Bellas-Velidis (9), M. Kontizas (10), E. Livanou (34)

OA - A Coruña: M. Manteiga (25), C. Dafonte (43), L. Pallas-Quintela (1), D. Garabato, A. Gómez

Validation DataBase - Madrid: A. Lorca (22), E. Utrilla (21), P. García Lario (23), A. Abreu, J. Bakker

Validation DataBase - Nice: I. Slezak (30), O. Creevey (29)

Validation DataBase - Heidelberg: M. Fouesneau (40)

Validation DataBase - Liège: L. Delchambre (49)

Validation DataBase - Uppsala: U. Heiter (55)

Simulations - Padova: R. Sordo (17), A. Vallenari (31)

Training data + Validation + Documentation: all previously mentioned plus A. Ulla (Vigo, 24), C. Soubiran (Bordeaux, 27), N. Brouillet (Bordeaux, 43), R. Carballo (Santander, 16), L. Casamiquela (Bordeaux, 50), B. Edvardsson (Uppsala, 36), A. Chiavassa (Nice)

Credits: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, F. Di Giacomo, R. Sordo, O. Creevey, M. Fouesneau, T. Roegiers + all CU8

Published 13 June 2022