******************************************************************************* BOLETIM ELETRONICO SAB N. 209 - 01/10/2003 ******************************************************************************* SECAO: EVENTOS/OPORTUNIDADES Responsavel: Vera Ap.F. Martin (vmartin@uefs.br) ******************************************************************************** 1. THE ENVIRONMENTS OF GALAXIES: FROM KPC TO MPC 2. SYSTEM VERIFICATION GMOS-IFU 3. SYSTEM VERIFICATION MICHELLE 4. PRODOC - BAHIA ******************************************************************************** 1. THE ENVIRONMENTS OF GALAXIES: FROM KPC TO MPC (comunicado pelo socio Eduardo Telles) FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT To be held on the island of Crete, August 9-13th 2004 http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/crete2004 Location -------- The conference will be held at the MAICH conference centre, near the town of Chania on the northern coast of Crete, Greece. Chania is described as "a city of unique beauty, filled with an abundance of fragrant flowers, and boasting a rich cultural heritage. Ancient and modern monuments, the Venician Harbour and the Old Town, colourful neighbourhoods, a traditional lifestyle and the friendly inhabitants warmly invite you on a step by step journey to become acquainted with the city, promising you unforgettable moments". Scientific Motivation --------------------- Galaxies are found in a wide range of environments, from the field, through groups, to rich clusters. These environments, ranging in scale from kpc to Mpc, can have significant effects on galaxy properties such as morphology, and the stellar, gas and dark matter contents. Various astrophysical processes occur in the different environments, i.e. interactions/mergers, 'harassment', accretion of companion galaxies, infall of gas, ram pressure stripping, galaxy strangulation'. Galaxies in turn have important 'feedback' effects on their environment via outflows of mass, energy and enriched material. The purpose of this conference is to bring together observers and theorists in this exciting research area. Scientific Program ------------------ The meeting will consist of a small number of invited review talks (by R. Ibata, J. Bland-Hawthorn, M. Balogh, R. Somerville, B. Moore, F. Pearce, T. Ponman and A. Zabludoff), about 40 contributed talks and a large number of posters. The program will focus on the following topics: * Content and structure of galaxy halos * Outflows and recycling * Galaxy properties in different environments * Galaxy transformation processes * Cooling, pre-heating and feedback * ICM/IGM properties * Evolution of groups and clusters Participation ------------- The conference will be limited to 125 participants. The conference registration fee is 300 Euros (or 150 Euros for PhD students). The fee includes opening reception, morning and afternoon teas, daily lunch and conference dinner. Some basic accommodation is available at the conference centre, otherwise the nearby (4km away) town of Chania has several moderately priced hotels. Key dates --------- Dec 9 2003 Pre-registation due (for 2nd announcement) Feb 9 2004 Abstracts due March 9 2004 Talk and poster selection by SOC April 9 2004 Registration fee due Aug 8 2004 Evening reception Aug 9-13 2004 Conference [Aug 13 2004 Olympics start in Athens, so flights could be very busy.] Organisers ---------- The combined LOC/SOC of the meeting are Duncan Forbes (Chair, Swinburne), Richard Bower (Durham), Jean Brodie (Lick), Warrick Couch (UNSW), Antonis Georgakakis (Athens), Virginia Kilborn (Swinburne), Glen Mackie (Swinburne), Ben Moore (Zurich), Frazer Pearce (Nottingham), Trevor Ponman (Birmingham), Rob Proctor (Swinburne), Ann Zabludoff (Arizona), Dennis Zaritsky (Arizona). Please circulate this message to other interested colleagues. The conference second announcement will only be sent to those people who pre-register an interest by December 9th 2003 on the conference web site: http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/crete2004 Duncan Forbes On behalf of the LOC/SOC =========================================================================== 2. SYSTEM VERIFICATION GMOS-IFU (comunicado pelo socio Max Faundez-Abans) Observatorio Gemini System Verification GMOS-IFU O LNA/NGO anuncia a oportunidade de participar no GMOS-IFU System Verification. As propostas tem que ser submetidas a brevedade. Veja a continuacao maiores informacoes. ________________________________________________________________________ Dear Colleagues, Gemini South is expecting delivery of the second GMOS IFU around the end of this month - we are planning to perform on-sky commissioning in November. It is therefore time to think about system verification (SV) projects. We are contacting you because you are Gemini staff, a member of the GMOS instrument team or a member of a national project office. We especially encourage those of you who did not participate in SV for the GMOS-N IFU to submit ideas. Collaboration is highly encouraged since there will be time for only a few projects and the proprietary period is only two months. System verification is designed to test the full Gemini system using all configurations of the instrument. For the IFU, this means we need projects using different observing strategies. There will be the equivalent total of 4 nights available - 2 for 'normal' IFU spectroscopy and 2 for using the IFU in nod-and-shuffle mode. Targets ideally should be optimal for November and observable as late as January, but RAs close to 3.5h should, where possible, be avoided due to conflicts with the 2003B GMOS queue. Proposals should be prepared for a range of background conditions; during the currently scheduled November time, the moon will be bright in the second half of the night. Although the spring weather at Cerro Pachon is often favourable, only a few nights are available for GMOS-IFU commissioning, so programs for worse than average conditions will be appreciated and will have a better chance of execution. Targets south of -30 degrees declination are easier to observe because they are out of the prevailing northwest wind. The following observing schemes will be available for testing, using any of the available GMOS-S gratings and order-sorting filters: - Single- and double-slit configurations. - Nod-and-shuffle sky subtraction with one or both slits. - Sky subtraction using the smaller background field of the IFU. - Beam switching between the two IFU fields. All classes of targets - point-like, extended and siderial/non-sidereal - will be considered. The final set of programmes will be selected for a mixture of target types and observing schemes. Projects using the nod-and-shuffle mode, which is not available with the GMOS-N IFU, will be especially welcome. More information on GMOS can be found at http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/gmos/gmosIndex.html Details of the nod-and-shuffle mode of the GMOS-IFU will be made available on the Web page within the next week. The SV process will be similar to a normal proposal round. Please prepare a summary of your program, 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). Technical justifications should be complete enough that feasibility can be assessed easily. Final phase I XML files should be sent by email to jturner@gemini.edu (*not* submitted directly using the PIT). The deadline is Friday, 10 October 2003. Early submissions will be appreciated. IFU SV proposals sent for the first GMOS-S SV call for proposals do not need to be re-submitted, but updates are welcome. 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 Phase II details will be needed shortly after selection of the SV programmes, towards the end of October; successful PIs will be notified of the deadline later in October and must then be available for a quick turnaround. Please note that 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, after which PIs and their collaborators will be asked to provide reduced data for public release. Sincerely, James Turner GMOS-S team member Bryan Miller GMOS-S & GMOS-IFU lead instrument scientist ========================================================================== 3. SYSTEM VERIFICATION MICHELLE (comunicado pelo socio Max Faundez-Abans) Observatorio Gemini System Verification MICHELLE O LNA/NGO anuncia a oportunidade de participar no MICHELLE System Verification. As propostas tem que ser submetidas com brevidade. Abaixo, maiores informacoes: ----------------------------------------------- Dear Colleagues, With the preliminary integration and initial use of Michelle on Gemini North well underway it is time to consider system verification (SV) projects for the final stages of commissioning. We are contacting you because you are Gemini staff, a member of a National Gemini Office, or a scientist selected by the Gemini Michelle team. We strongly encourage all of you to submit proposals and to announcing this opportunity to your colleagues and your representative communities. Collaboration is highly encouraged since we have a limited number of observing nights and cannot carry out a large number of projects. System verification is designed to test the full Gemini observing system for a given instrument and all of the available modes of the instrument. For this call we are only interested in imaging projects. Another call for proposals will be issued for the spectroscopic SV. We are soliciting projects that cover all observing conditions since we have a limited number of nights allocated to imaging SV. Programs that can tolerate average to worse than average observing conditions will be greatly appreciated. There will be two (2) clear nights available for Michelle imaging SV. We anticipate that the observations will be made in the 2003 October - December time range. Targets available for the first and/or second half of the nights are needed as the SV observations will be interwoven with other commissioning activities. IMAGING SV (up to 2 clear nights) For this call Michelle will be available in imaging mode only. The maximum chop throw currently available is 15". Both linear and perpendicular nodding modes will be offered. The Gemini peripheral wavefront sensor P2 will perform tip/tilt guiding and active control of focus and astigmatism during all SV observations. Targets of interest: • Extended sources that can benefit from the high angular resolution offered by Michelle on Gemini North • Point sources that will help measure and demonstrate the sensitivity of Michelle on Gemini North The following filters are available for imaging SV use: Filter Name Central Wavelength Bandpass (microns) (microns) Si-1 7.9 1.0 Si-2 8.8 1.0 Si-3 9.7 1.0 Si-4 10.3 1.0 Si-5 11.6 0.9 Si-6 12.5 0.9 Q1 18.5 0.9 More information on the instrument is available at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/michelle/MichIndex.html The SV process used the normal proposal tools. Therefore you must submit your program (by e-mail, see below), including scientific and technical justifications, observing constraints, target lists, and instrument configurations using the 2003B Phase I tool. The Phase I tool is available at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/P1help/p1Index.html Scientific justifications should be brief (maximum 500 words) and should clearly state how the mode will be tested. Technical justifications should be complete enough that the reviewers can easily assess the feasibility of the proposal. There is an integration time calculator at the following web site: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/instrumentIndex.html Please note that the integration time calculator provides approximate integrations times as the actual sensitivity of the instrument is still being measured. PIs are urged to include conservative estimates of integration times in their proposals. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF SV PHASE I FILES IS FRIDAY OCTOBER 3, 2003 All XML files must be emailed directly to Scott Fisher at: sfisher@gemini.edu. Early submissions are appreciated. We will inform PIs of the results of the selection process in mid-October 2003. At that time we will solicit Phase II files for the selected projects. The Phase I files of the selected projects will be used as skeletons for detailed Phase II preparations using the latest Observing Tool available at: http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/OThelp/otIndex.html A panel of Gemini staff scientists will select which SV proposals are executed. Selection will be based on: 1. Proposal should produce science results that could be quickly released 2. Scientific soundness of proposal 3. Technical soundness of proposal 4. The project must demonstrate in a high impact way the capabilities of MICHELLE on Gemini North 5. Minimal observational constraints 6. Strength of the proposing team a. Team ability to complete the data analysis and to produce a paper in a timely way b. Multi-national cooperative effort Submitting an SV program or having a SV program selected as a high priority does not guarantee that data will be taken. Also note that the proprietary period for SV data is two months. After this time PIs and their collaborators must provide reduced data for public release. Sincerely, R. Scott Fisher Michelle Instrument Team Gemini Observatory 670 N. A'ohoku Place Hilo, HI 96720 Phone: 808-974-2615 Email: sfisher@gemini.edu ================================================================================ 4. PRODOC - BAHIA (comunicado pela socia Vera a. F. Martin) 26.09.2003 Fapesb incentiva a fixacao de doutores na Bahia A Fundacao de Amparo `a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (Fapesb) em parceria com Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) recebe inscricoes de projetos, ate 31 de outubro, para o Programa de Apoio a Instalacao de Doutores (Prodoc). A Bahia sai a frente com o programa de desenvolvimento cientifico regional e sob essa proposta ja fixou 27 doutores de diversas areas. Os recursos envolvidos para acao neste ano sao da ordem de R$ 5,5 milhoes. Ate 2002, o investimento da Fapesb no programa foi de R$ 4,6 milhoes. De acordo com o diretor-geral, Alexandre Pauperio, o programa visa fortalecer os grupos de pesquisa ja existentes e incentivar a criacao de novos nucleos de interesse regional atraves da atracao de profissionais qualificados. "Buscamos recursos junto ao CNPq para lancar um segundo edital do Prodoc e conseguimos. A Bahia e o primeiro estado com essa iniciativa", diz. O diretor ressalta a dificuldade do Estado de absorver em definitivo os doutores nas instituicoes depois do termino da bolsa. A Fapesb vem promovendo reunioes junto a comunidade academica e cientifica e espera colher sugestoes para solucionar o exodo desses profissionais. O edital passado contemplou 27 doutores, oriundos de paises como a Franca, Espanha, Chile e Argentina e de outros estados como Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana, Minas Gerais e Pernambuco. O Prodoc preve a concessao de 30 bolsas no valor de R$ 3,5 mil a recem-doutores, sem vinculo empregaticio de qualquer natureza, como incentivo `a sua integracao em Grupos de Pesquisa do Estado. Cada bolsista podera fazer jus a um apoio inicial de ate R$ 50 mil destinados ao fortalecimento de sua infra-estrutura de pesquisa, aquisicao de equipamentos, bancadas, material de consumo e similares de acordo com as necessidades dos projetos apresentados. Alem disso, os oriundos de outros estados ou paises recebe um auxilio instalacao de R$ 7 mil e passagens areas. Projeto O candidato devera submeter um projeto, em qualquer area de conhecimento, para um periodo de ate tres anos, a ser desenvolvido junto a um grupo de pesquisa pertencente a instituicoes de conhecimento ou de pesquisa publica ou privada da Bahia. A proposta deve conter descricao do projeto, com objetivos, justificativa e relevancia, bem como detalhamento da infra-estrutura disponivel na instituicao, onde o mesmo sera desenvolvido e informacoes sobre o grupo de pesquisa. Os profissionais com doutorado ha menos de cinco anos terao prioridades. Assim como as areas de petroleo, gas natural e petroquimica, agronegocios, metal-mecanica e eletro-eletronica, mineracao e metalurgia, saude, cultura e turismo, tecnologia da informacao, biotecnologia e meio ambiente. Para inscricao no Prodoc, basta apresentar os documentos pedidos pela Fapesb, que funciona em Colina de Sao Lazaro, 203 - Federacao. Informacoes quanto aos documentos necessarios e os formularios para preenchimento podem ser obtidos no endereco eletronico www.fapesb.ba.gov.br . O resultado estara disponivel no site a partir do dia 15 de dezembro. Comunicacao da Fapesb ********************************************************************************