**************************************************************************** BOLETIM ELETRÔNICO SAB N. 206 - 10/09/2003 **************************************************************************** SEÇÃO: INFORMES * * * Responsável: Vera Ap.F. Martin (vmartin@uefs.br) **************************************************************************** 1. GEMINI - CHAMADA PARA PROPOSTAS - SEMESTRE DE 2004A 2. ALTAIR : CALL FOR PROPOSAL FOR SYSTEM VERIFICATION **************************************************************************** 1. GEMINI - CHAMADA PARA PROPOSTAS - SEMESTRE DE 2004A (comunicado pelo sócio Max Faundez-Abans ) Observatorio Gemini Chamada para propostas - semestre de 2004A (1 de fevereiro de 2004 - 31 de julho de 2004). No semestre 2004A a comunidade brasileira tem direito a * 31 horas no Gemini Norte * 25 horas no Gemini Sul Para maiores informacoes veja a pagina da NTAC em: http://www.lna.br ou no site do Gemini: http://www.gemini.edu Instrumentos disponiveis no Gemini Norte: * NIRI - imageador no infravermelho proximo. * GMOS - imageador e espectrografo multi-objeto no optico. * Altair - sistema de optica adaptativa, oferecido apenas para imageamento com NIRI. Instrumentos disponiveis no Gemini Sul: * Camara de aquisicao - imageador optico em bandas largas (BVRI) (modo fila). Propostas para "resposta rapida (quick response)" serao aceitas. * Phoenix - espectrógrafo de alta resolução no infravermelho próximo (modo servico). * T-ReCS - espectrógrafo e imageador no infravermelho próximo (modo fila). * GMOS - imageador e espectrografo IFU, fenda longa e multi-objeto no óptico. Modo IFU oferecido a partir do 1 de abril. O processo de fazer pedido de tempo: * As principais ferramentas para auxiliar no preparo de um pedido de tempo sao: - As paginas do web do Gemini sobre a instrumentacao A -O Phase I Tool (PIT) atualizado para o semestre 2004A (favor T nao usar versoes anteriores; a versao atual estara' disponivel no NGO E ==> apenas a partir de 9 de setembro, no SITE do Gemini www.gemini.edu so N entre 6 a 8 de setembro). C A - O Gemini HelpDesk O - Calculadoras de tempo de integracao (para NIRI, GMOS e a Camara de aquisiao) * A Comissao Nacional de Programas (NTAC) brasileira definiu algumas regras para pedidos submetidos no Brasil. Leia essas regras com cuidado antes de enviar seu pedido de tempo! Tem novos comentarios. * Todos os pedidos devem ser enviados no formato exigido pelo Gemini e na lingua inglesa. E OBRIGATORIO UTILIZAR o PIT para preparar os pedidos porque dessa maneira o formato correto estara garantido. ========> Endereco para envio de pedidos: gemntac@lna.br <======== ========> DATA LIMITE: 30 DE SETEMBRO 2003, AS 24 HORAS <======== ============================================================================ 2. ALTAIR : CALL FOR PROPOSAL FOR SYSTEM VERIFICATION (comunicado pelo sócio Max Faundez-Abans ) A NGO/LNA comunica a oportunidade para a comunidade Brasileira de apresentar propostas no "system verification" para ALTAIR. As informacoes e contatos encontram-se abaixo. ............................................................... ALTAIR : CALL FOR PROPOSAL FOR SYSTEM VERIFICATION Dear Colleagues, Altair being in an advanced stage of commissioning, it is time for the system verification (SV) process. Note that ALTAIR will be offered for imaging with NIRI as part of the 2004A Call for Proposals. We are contacting you because you are either Gemini staff, a member of the Altair instrument team, or a member of a National Gemini Office. We strongly encourage all of you to contact colleagues and communities and to submit projects. Collaboration is highly encouraged since we have a limited number of observing nights. Information about the current state and performance of the instrument, as well as guidelines on the SV process can be found at http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/altair/altairIndex.html. We repeat some of this information below. System verification is designed to test the full Gemini observing system for a given instrument and all the modes of the instrument. Therefore, we need a variety of projects for the Altair modes and Mauna Kea weather conditions. In particular, we need projects that cover various IQ and photometric conditions. General information on SV can be found at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/sys-verif/sysverIndex.html Because of the variation of the seeing with zenith angle, we would prefer to observe object within 45 degrees from zenith. This, coupled with the dates of the runs for 2003B (October 7-13, November 12-17 and December 26-January 1) will dictate the range of optimal/acceptable RA. We anticipate to use 4 clear nights available for Altair+NIRI SV of two imaging modes as described below. SV observations will begin as soon as the first 2003B run. Targets will be needed for the 3 runs, as it is likely that the SV will be distributed over these. The following 2 modes are available for testing: Altair+NIRI Imaging, High Strehl ratio (up to 2 NIGHTS) ....................................................... All broad and narrow band NIRI filters are available (see NIRI web pages), in the 1 to 2.5 microns window. NIRI is used with the F/32 camera (field of view 22.3"). The throughput loss due to the deployment of Altair ranges from 12% (J) to 6% (Kprime), on top of the usual Telescope+NIRI throughput. This mode is intended to deal with the issues of PSF calibration, isoplanatism, photometric accuracy and observing methodology which are the problems most commonly encountered in the so-called "high Strehl" mode. A guide star brighter than R=12, within 5 arcsec of the science object, is required to get the full compensation capabilities of Altair. Targets of interest include both extended sources and point sources. Issues to consider are the limited isoplanatic field of view delivered by Altair and the need (or not) for a NIRI OIWFS guide star (in addition to the Altair GS). At this stage, data reduction is still a challenge, since we do not have available the fully developed Gemini AO data reduction packages. Hence, we welcome groups and individuals with experience on the matter. Altair+NIRI Imaging, Low Strehl ratio (up to 2 NIGHTS) ...................................................... All broad and narrow band NIRI filters are available (see NIRI web pages), in the 1 to 2.5 microns window. NIRI is used with the F/32 camera (field of view 22.3"). The throughput loss due to the deployment of Altair ranges from 12% (J) to 6% (Kprime), on top of the usual Telescope+NIRI throughput. This "Low Strehl" mode will deliver images partially corrected, i.e. with FWHM anywhere between 80 and 200 milliarcsec. It is intended to deal with the issues of PSF calibration, compensation temporal and angular stability and possibly image selection which are the most prominent issues associated with partial correction. A guide star between 11 < R < 15.5, within 20" of the science object, is needed. Targets of interest include both extended sources and point sources. It is expected that extragalactic sources will constitute the main bulk of these programs. Issues to consider are the limited isoplanatic field of view delivered by Altair and the need (or not) for a NIRI OIWFS guide star (in addition to the Altair GS). Note that sensitivity on too extended objects will suffer greatly from the small pixel size used at F/32 without benefiting much from the AO sharpening. Hence, extended objects with structures (or at least, expected to be structured) will be strongly prefered. ..................................................................... Again, more information on the modes and instrument specifications can be found at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/altair/altairIndex.html The SV process uses the normal proposal tools. Therefore you must submit your program (by e-mail, see below), including brief scientific and technical justifications, observing constraints, target lists, and instrument configurations using the 2004A Phase I Tool, see http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/P1help/p1Index.html Scientific justifications should be brief (maximum 500 words) and clearly state which modes are being tested. Technical justifications should be complete enough that feasibility can be assessed easily. Data reduction and analysis should be completed 2 to 3 months after the observations have been obtained. The data will be made public as part of the normal SV process. There will be an Integration Time Calculator available at the following website: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/instrumentIndex.html starting September 1rst, 2003. Please be aware that this calculator is only a guide for approximate integration times. Performance plots and information found in the public web pages can also be used to assess integration time. THE DEADLINE FOR THE SV PHASE I XML FILES IS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2003. The XML files must be emailed directly to Francois Rigaut at frigaut@gemini.edu. Early submissions will be appreciated. We will inform PIs of the results of the selection process in early October 2003. At that time we will solicit Phase II files for the selected projects. The Phase I XML files will be used as skeletons for detailed Phase II preparations using the latest Observing Tool, see http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/OThelp/otIndex.html Submitting a SV program or even having a SV program selected as high priority does not guarantee that data will be taken. Selection for SV will also be based on the abilities of the proposers to reduce the data and return feedback within a reasonable time. The proprietary period for SV data is two months. PIs and their collaborators will need to provide reduced data for public release. Sincerely, Francois Rigaut and Jean-Pierre Veran Altair Team Gemini Observatory 670 N. A'Ohoku place University Park HILO HI-96720-2700 ***************************************************************************