Erica was born in New York but raised on the island of Maui. She graduated top of her class from Kihei Charter High School in 2017. Currently, Erica is studying Physics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she will be a sophomore this fall. After graduation, Erica hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Astrophysics while studying stellar evolution. In her free time, Erica enjoys swimming, reading Sci-Fi books, and star watching from the summit of Haleakala.

Home Island: Maui

Institution when accepted: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Akamai Project: Identifying Compliance of Detailed Science Cases to Science Requirements

Project Site:The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Pasadena CA

Mentors: John W. Miles, Gelys Trancho, Kayla Hardie, Warren Skidmore, Lianqi Wang

Project Abstract:

Before telescopes are built, astronomers develop summaries of scientific studies paired with technical observation information to explain what science they would like to be able to perform with the telescope and how it would be carried out in practice. This information guides the design of the telescope, adaptive optics systems, and instruments, so the observatory is able to support as many science cases as possible. We used The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) requirements management tool (DOORS) to link all the technical information from the science cases to the design requirements, showing which science cases are supported by the current design. By transferring the science cases and technical information from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to DOORS, TMT is able to evaluate trade studies in order to support as many science cases as possible. 

In this project, the original technical information for the science cases was organized and imported from the spreadsheet into DOORS. In DOORS, each science case was linked to requirements in the Science Requirements Document (SRD), for each instrument and mode described. The SRD is the highest level document that describes the observing capabilities that TMT observatory will provide. Science cases were categorized as compliant with the requirement, within the goal of the requirement, or non-compliant with the requirement. The science cases which were not fully compliant were examined to determine if they were mismarked, true errors, or interpretation errors, and any necessary follow up with science case authors was executed via email. We present the preliminary analysis of the Detailed Science Case (DSC) to assess the compliance of science cases with the current TMT design. As a result of the analysis of the DSC, a new and improved method was proposed to collect the data for future science cases. This new database will be used to justify proposed changes to the current requirements in the SRD, for example, evaluating impact on science capabilities due to effects of changing requirements or technical design challenges, or identifying the emerging need for new capabilities.