NOAO Gemini ScienceCenter (NGSC)

Taft Armandroff

for NOAO Users’ Committee

October 2003

Overview of NGSC Activities

• NGSC User & Observing Proposal Support

• NGSC Operations Support

• NGSC Outreach to U.S. Astronomical Community

• NGSC Instrumentation Activities

• “Aspen” Next-Generation Gemini Instrumentation Process

NGSC User Support• Call for U.S. Gemini proposals & their evaluation

– Community education• NOAO Newsletter, NGSC section• U.S. Gemini Web information• AAS Meetings• PowerPoint presentations at U.S. universities

– Proposal technical review– Support TAC evaluation– Transmit ranked list to Gemini; interface via ITAC

• Support of U.S. Gemini proposers & users– HelpDesk, e-mail & phone contact– Support & checking of U.S. Phase II submissions

• 2003B: GMOS, NIRI, & Phoenix (44 U.S.)

• Provide reduction packages for Gemini data– Collaboration with NOAO Data Products Program and

Gemini

2003B U.S. Gemini Requests• 107 proposals• Gemini North: 107.8 nights in 60 proposals

– GMOS-N: 49.3 nights in 28 proposals– NIRI: 38.0 nights in 21 proposals– Michelle: 20.5 nights in 13 proposals

• Gemini South: 106.9 nights in 52 proposals– T-ReCS: 32.1 nights in 18 proposals– GMOS-S: 41.9 nights in 17 proposals– Phoenix: 30.4 nights in 15 proposals– AcqCam: 2.5 nights in 2 proposals

• Oversubscription: 2.6 at GEM-N, 2.7 at GEM-S• Oversubscription systematically underestimated

due to non-inclusion of weather & technical losses

2004A U.S. Gemini Requests• 133 proposals• Gemini North: 175.2 nights in 77 proposals

– GMOS-N: 112.7 nights in 50 proposals

– NIRI: 62.5 nights in 29 proposals

– 10 of NIRI proposals included ALTAIR

• Gemini South: 123.4 nights in 59 proposals– T-ReCS: 60.8 nights in 25 proposals

– Phoenix: 46.1 nights in 23 proposals

– GMOS-S: 16.5 nights in 12 proposals

– AcqCam: no requests

• Oversubscription: 3.0 at GEM-N, 2.5 at GEM-S

NGSC Operations Support• Phoenix high-resolution IR spectrograph: service

observing on Gemini South– 50 science nights scheduled in 2003A– Hinkle, Blum, van der Bliek, & Ridgway support

• NGSC Staff involvement in Commissioning & System Verification for new Gemini instruments – GMOS South: M. Bergmann, C. Smith– T-ReCS: 2 System Verification programs of NGSC Staff– Many NGSC Staff proposing for ALTAIR + NIRI SV,

MICHELLE imaging SV, GMOS-South IFU SV

• Develop arrangement to help support Hokupa’a-85 + Abu Adaptive Optics Imager on Gemini South

• Develop a remote operations capability in Tucson (GROC) & La Serena using high-speed video and computer links to Cerro Pachón and Mauna Kea

Community Outreach• Host special-topic science & analysis workshops

– Future NGSC workshop ideas:• mid-IR observing opportunities at Gemini• Integral Field Unit (IFU) opportunities at Gemini• Using IRAF to reduce your Gemini data• GNIRS observing & calibration

• NGSC at AAS meetings: booth at Seattle AAS (posters, brochures & Observing Tool demonstr.)– do same at Atlanta AAS (January 2004)

• NGSC presentations at U.S. institutions• NGSC Webcast on Gemini 2004A Proposals• Postdoc program (2 general; 3 South American)• Gemini Science Meeting in 2004 (NGSC Support)• U.S. Gemini SAC is NGSC’s community-based

advisory council

NGSC Instrumentation Activities• Mission

– instrument procurement in U.S. for Gemini telescopes

– analogous function in other partner countries

• Activities– NGSC let all the current U.S. instrument contracts

– provide advice & liaison to the instrument teams

– carry out management oversight• CoDR, PDR, CDR, acceptance testing

• Quarterly Reviews

• release of payments only when specified milestone met

– report progress to International Gemini; coordinate communications between the instrument team & Gemini

U.S. Instrument Developments• T-ReCS: mid-infrared imager and spectrograph

for Gemini South (Florida)– Delivered to Gemini South 12 April 2003– Followed by integration, acceptance testing, &

commissioning– First light took place 2 June 2003– TAC-approved science programs beginning execution!

• GNIRS: workhorse infrared long-slit / IFU spectrograph for Gemini South (NOAO)– Pre-shipment acceptance test completed 15 October

2003– GNIRS shipment to Gemini South imminent– Mounting GNIRS on Gemini South planned for

December 2003– GNIRS first light planned for January 2004

U.S. Instrument Developments• NICI: dual-beam coronagraphic infrared imager

for Gemini South (MKIR)– NASA funded– Procurement / fabrication phase ending; integration

phase beginning– December 2004 delivery planned

• Flamingos-2: multi-object IR spectrograph and imager (Florida)– Management Review in late January 2003– NGSC assisting Florida personnel in project

management techniques (Gaughan & Eklund)– Flamingos-2 contract approved and signed in early May– Critical Design Review took place in August– December 2005 delivery planned

US Next-Gen Gemini Sci/Inst Planning• Workshop: May 29-31; Tempe, Arizona• Goal: Key Gemini Science Programs for 2008-2010 Realm

– High-impact science questions / projects– What observations are needed to answer the science question?

• 40 participants; diverse in science interests & institutional affiliation (includes most of the U.S. Aspen delegates)

• E-mail & telecon preparatory discussions• Four Science Breakout Groups

– Stars, the Solar System, and Extra-Solar Planets (leader: J. Valenti)– Star Formation Processes and the ISM (leader: M. Meyer)– Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies

(leader: R. Wyse)– Formation and Evolution of Distant Galaxies and the High-Redshift

Universe (leader: K. Glazebrook)

• Written report on Tempe conclusions on Web• Two briefings/discussions on Tempe results for U.S. Aspen

delegates; firm up U.S. consensus

Tempe Over-Arching Questions• Formation and Evolution of Planetary

Systems• Formation of Stars & Brown Dwarfs over the

Mass Spectrum• Origin of the Elements• Origin of the Hubble Sequence• Dark Matter and the Formation of Galaxies

from Substructure• Dark Energy and Cosmic Sound• Reionization History of Universe• Feedback from Stars & AGN on Galactic

Evolution

Aspen International Gemini Next-Generation Instrumentation Meeting

• June 27-28, 2003; Aspen, CO• Half of delegates from U.S.• Half of science group chairs from U.S.• Written report on science questions and

instrumental requirements• National Gemini Offices (NGSC) then estimated

ROM costs for each instrument concept• “Aspen” report submitted to Gemini Science

Committee for its October 13-14 meeting• To be considered by Gemini Board at its November

meeting

“Aspen” Instrument Summary

Open NGSC/Gemini Issues• Are the science needs of U.S. community at large

aperture being met by Gemini? Any issues impeding user science?

• Do the “Aspen” instruments represent a bright scientific future for Gemini?

• What are the near-term priorities for commissioning Gemini instruments?

• What data reduction software is most needed for U.S. Gemini users?

• Is there demand for both Queue and Classical observing with Gemini by our community?

• The U.S. Gemini SAC has discussed all these questions.

Begin Reserve Slides

May be of use for specific committee questions

Recent U.S. Gemini Papers• “Detection of Nine M8.0-L0.5 Binaries: The

Very Low Mass Binary Population and Its Implications for Brown Dwarf and Very Low Mass Star Formation,” Close et al., ApJ, 2003

• “Resolved Mid-Infrared Emission in the Narrow-Line Region of NGC 4151,” Radomski et al., ApJ, 2003

• “Mid-Infrared Imaging of the Protostellar Binary L1448N IRS 3(A,B),” Ciardi et al., ApJ, 2003

• “Fluorine Abundances in the Large Magellanic Cloud and Omega Centauri: Evidence for Neutrino Nucleosynthesis?,” Cunha et al., AJ, 2003