TO:  All GCN Notice recipients
RE:  LVC Notices are public in O3, call for sites config changes
DT:  24 Mar 2019


The LIGO/Virgo Collaboration (LVC) issued private-phase GCN Notices during the O1 and O2
observing periods.  But now for the ER14 and O3 observing periods (and onwards)
the LVC Notices are available on the public side of the GCN (no prior arrangement
with LIGO/Virgo is needed).
The Notice types available are:
    LVC_PRELIMINARY
    LVC_INITIAL
    LVC_UPDATE
    LVC_RETRACTION

If you would like to receive any of these notice types, please go to
https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/config_builder.html
and type in your site_name to "2. Modify and existing Site Configuration".
You will be presented with a web-form page pre-loaded with your current configuration.
To add 1 or more of these 4 LVC types, scroll most of the way down the page
and click the buttons on the left edge of each notice type you want.
Also select if you want S-series only Notices (S-series are the "Super" events
and are the real trigger events). There is also an MS-series ("Mock Super" events).
The MS-series events are used for testing and for familiarization with the LVC notices.
(You can of course make other modifications to your configuration.)

Sites already receiving the LVC notice type from the "private" side of the
voevent servers will continue to receive them.  However, the RETRACTION  notice type
is new (post-O2) and so you still need to click the button for that notice type.

It is preferred that you make your configuration change requests via the webpage forms:
Change an existing site via:  https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/config_builder.html  and type in your site_name
or you can tell me in words, but it is essential that you let me know know your site_name.
(With ~700 sites, it is too hard to track down your entry via your name or e-address.
Just reply to this email and leave your current configuration below as part of your reply.)

Old/obselete sites:  If you are no longer using your site (project has ended, or similar),
then please let me know and I will remove that site's configuration from the config file.

More information about the LIGO/Virgo Notices within GCN can be found at:
    https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/lvc.html
More information about the content of these LVC notices can be found at:
    https://emfollow.docs.ligo.org/userguide/
And more information about GCN in general at:
    https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov


Related:
As to the GCN Circulars, there may well be many people who are ONLY on the
Private LVC Circulars list (from the O1/O2 era), that may want to continue
submitting/receiving them (now publicly available).  There will be an
announcement in the near future, but you can do it now.  Please note
that if you ALREADY are in the original/public Circulars list, you do NOT need to do anything.
You only need to sign up to the public list if you are ONLY on the private list.
The private list will no longer be used for any LVC Circulars traffic.
New sign-ups use this web-form:  https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn_circ_signup.html

Sincerely,
Scott Barthelmy

Scott Barthelmy             NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771
PHONE:  301-286-3106        (office)       CELL:   301-346-3733
EMAIL:  sbarthel@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
TEXT:   3013463733@cingularme.com
WEB:    http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn
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