Re: TN41

[aah@nofs.navy.mil]

Michael keeps improving TN41.  Good work!
  There is a reason, of course, why there are so many known variables at
RA=80: the Milky Way.  At the same time, this (and the even more dense
region at RA=280) are going to be the most difficult regions for TASS to
study because of the crowding.  This is particularly the case for variability
studies, since the photometry will be terrible.  For FASTT, we had to
discard 80percent of the suspected variables in these regions, and that is
with a 4.5arcsec defocussed image...1/6 the linear size of the best TASS
images.
  I think you need to take our FASTT approach as a model for the TASS 'new'
variables:  apply every rejection criteria you can think of, so that
any discoveries are almost guaranteed to be real.  Sure, you throw out
a lot of true variables with that approach, but many of those will be
picked up later in the survey as TASS acquires more data on each field.
  My previous comments still hold.  If you have some 'undisputedly
bona fide' variables in the TASS data, give us the coordinates so that we
can confirm them with traditional telescopes.  You might be surprised at
the ways poor data can mimic variability!  (I usually have observing time
every month, and I'm sure some lurkers on the list have even more
telescope time.)  In the meantime, concentrate on the known variables
for the AAS meeting.
Arne