May 8, 2000 H. Hudson CHIEF OBSERVER'S REPORT for Week 19 1-May through 8-May-00 GENERAL Yohkoh supported JOP122 (network flares), a campaign ideally planned from the solar point of view (zero activity) but badly timed from the Yohkoh point of view (weekend operations on invisible orbits). The background GOES level had dropped to B2 on Sunday. Amazing. But, a huge flare marked the disappearance of the AR 8971-8977 complex. Although only M1.5, and with a puny peak microwave flux of 67 SFU at 2695 MHz, the regions were 10-25 degrees beyond the limb - if the latter, which on-disk flares suggest, the occultation height was some 70,000 km. So this was really one of our missing X-class flares. SXT TECHNICAL SXT functioned properly. There were no apparent problems this week. For Web material see Current Week: http://isass1.solar.isas.ac.jp/sxt_co/000505.html Index: http://isass1.solar.isas.ac.jp/sxt_co/index.html This week's nugget describes an interesting case of coronal magnetic reconnection found accidentally in an attempt to see solar counterparts of WIND/WAVES type III bursts. CAMPAIGNS Next week we have no campaigns except for the last day of JOP122, with VLA participation. Target-of-opportunity JOPS that may see use are trans-equatorial loops and sigmoids. We intend to get some more rapid-run SFD observational material, encouraged by the May 5 event's over-the-limb Moreton wave. For SXT plans, see: http://isass1.solar.isas.ac.jp/sxt_co/sxt_future.html For SXT completed campaigns, see: http://isass1.solar.isas.ac.jp/sxt_co/sxt_catalog.html PERSONNEL No changes. SEMINARS Last week: none. This week: TBD. SXT TABLE PLAN, WEEK 20 (08-May-00 - 08-May-00) Campaigns: Final day of VLA time May 8, JOP122 on network flares ________________________________#_______________________________ JST Day UT Start Time Pass Table ID Monday PM 08-MAY-00 02:50 1 000508 P1 ARS1 DKCAL Monday PM 08-MAY-00 07:56 4 000508 P4 ARS0 JOP122 Tuesday PM 09-MAY-00 06:23 3 000509 P3 ARS1 DIF Wednesday PM 10-MAY-00 01:27 1 000510 P1 ARS1 RAPID Thursday PM 11-MAY-00 03:18 2 000511 P2 ARS1 RAPID Friday PM 12-MAY-00 05:09 3 000512 P3 ARS1 RAPID Saturday PM 13-MAY-00 05:19 4 000513 P4 ARS1 STD Continuing requests: KSC & SSOC Tohbans: If any KSC passes are likely to be cancelled (for example due to heavy snowfall) or an SXT table cannot be uploaded for some reason, please telephone and e-mail the Chief Observer immediately. (sxt_co@isass0.solar.isas.ac.jp, copy to sxt_st@flare2.solar.isas.ac.jp). KSC Tohbans: In general flare mode supersedes table upload, i.e. if a flare is in progress please do not upload a new table, and contact the chief observer. Normally it is OK to go ahead with the planned table without change on the next pass, if it is available. Chief observers should keep an eye on this.