---
# System prepended metadata

title: 'PlasmaPy Community Meeting | Tuesday 2021 January 26 at 18:00 UT'
tags: [community, ' minutes']

---

---
tags: community, minutes
---

# PlasmaPy Community Meeting | Tuesday 2021 January 26 at 18:00 UT

[![hackmd-github-sync-badge](https://hackmd.io/jisTZVAQQlO-vyINNfRoZA/badge)](https://hackmd.io/jisTZVAQQlO-vyINNfRoZA)


### Video Conference Information
* [Jitsi video conference link](https://meet.jit.si/plasmapy) with [call-in information](https://meet.jit.si/static/dialInInfo.html?room=plasmapy) 
* Instant messaging: [Matrix](https://app.element.io/#/room/#plasmapy:openastronomy.org) and [Gitter](https://gitter.im/PlasmaPy/Lobby)
* [GitHub Minutes Repository](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/plasmapy-project/tree/master/minutes)
    * ["Community" Sub-directory](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/plasmapy-project/tree/master/minutes/_community)
* [PlasmaPy on GitHub](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/plasmapy) ([pull requests](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/plasmapy/pulls), [issues](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/plasmapy/issues))
* [PlasmaPy Enhancement Proposals on GitHub](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy-PLEPs) 
* [PlasmaPy Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=bzVsb3ZkcW0zaWxsam00ZTlrMDd2cmw5bWdAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ)

## Agenda (please feel free to edit or add items)

1. Introductions
2. 10-15 minutes for roadmap
    * drafting [roadmap](https://hackmd.io/@plasmapy/ry0mmnj6v)
3. solicit "Project Issues"
4. [Dominik] presenting PlasmaPy at IPPLM late Feb!
5. Christophe's email about Paschen to Erik & Nick
6. Dropping py36 ([issue 980](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/issues/980))
7. ...
8. Issues
    1. [Issue 980](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/issues/980): Dropping py36
    2. ...
9. Pull requests in progress 
    1. [PR 889](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/889): Swept Langmuir `find_floating_potential`
    6. [PR 979](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/979): Relativistic Boris Pusher
    7. [PR 978](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/978): nuclear cross-sections & rates
    8. [PR 977](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/977): update top-level README
    9. [PR 974](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/974): Fitting Thomson Scattering Spectra
    10. [PR 961](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/961): Update development guide
    11. [PR 951](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/951): Update quantum.py
    12. [PR 985](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/985): `particle_like` docstring update
        1. Handing `CustomParticle` instances
        2. Is it worth having a function like `is_particle_like`?
    13. [PR 987](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/987): :snake: > 3.6
10. Pull Requests **MERGED**
    1. [PR 962](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/962): Coulomb logarithm naming
    2. [PR 953](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/953): `ParticleTracker`
    3. [PR 932](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/932): Dispersion
    4. [PlasmaPy-NEI 41](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy-NEI/pull/41) — setting up GitHub Actions

## Attendees

* Dominik
* Erik
* Nick

## Action Items

***Continuation Items***
> ***Erik***
> * Review Test 2 [PR 920](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/920)
> * Open "Project Issue" on the distribution functions
> * refine roadmap for next weeks discussion
> * add OMFIT to affiliated pkgs
> * finish tests for [PR 889](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/889) ... langmuir floating potential
> * take back up [PR 951](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/951): Update quantum.py ... seem to have stalled because of me
> 
> ***Nick***
> * Review `ParticleTracker` [PR 953](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/953)
> * Review [PR 962](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/953)
> * Open issues on...
>     1. Which Coulomb lagarithms should we support and how do we advertise them?
>     2. Notebook on Coulomb logarithm
> * add feedback to roadmap items "Workshop" and "Simulations"
> * will assign himself to [PR 978](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/978) - "nuclear cross-sections & rates"
>
> ***Dominik***
> * add feedback to roadmap items "Transport" and "Particle Tracker"
> * Write tests for [PR 979](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/979) - "Relativistic Boris Pusher"
> * open PR to drop py36

***Erik***
* Refine roadmap (should be priority for this week)
* Open Draft PR about `particle_like` & `particle_input` update
* Review Test 2 [PR 920](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/920)
* Open "Project Issue" on the distribution functions

***Dominik***
* ...

***Nick***
* Review [PR 987](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/987) - dropping py36

## Minutes

* **The updated to `particle_input` needs to become a top priority.**
* Nick has started first steps of hack-athon planning
    * [GitHub Discussion](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/discussions/983)
    * SULI assignments may allow people to kill two projects with one code
    * should contact Arturo Dominguez re: SULI
    * Next will form a planning committee
        * email, engage.aps, min-conf ppl
        * Number of presenters TBD
        * looking for 4-5 organizers (from ppl outside of PlasmaPy)
* Project Issues
    * Having Particle be a factory class [#687](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/issues/687)
        * `isinstance`
        * Need to have more description in the issue to hash out the idea more so
* `particle_like` annotation and types 
    * https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/985/files
    * `particle_like = Union[str, Integral, Particle, CustomParticle]`
    * [PR 985](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/985) add docstrings to the annotation type
    * Erik's branch is `particle_like`; Nick should look at it
* Dropping py36
    * [Dominik] just opened [PR 987](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/987)
    * just updating all the background, pkg elements
    * updating the TODO's should come in a followup PR
* Paschen Curve stuff -- how to save data/constants
    * for development we can stick with a dict but probably add a json file for permanent storage
    * permanent storage should have info about where the constants came from
* [PR 978](https://github.com/PlasmaPy/PlasmaPy/pull/978): nuclear cross-sections & rates
    * Initial review done
    * Needs test