wfmos as a bridge to the future for gemini & subaru doug simons director, gemini observatory

WFMOS as a Bridge WFMOS as a Bridge to the Future for to the Future for Gemini & SubaruGemini & Subaru

Doug SimonsDirector, Gemini Observatory

WFMOS – Current Status & Next

Steps

Collaborations – Overarching

Considerations

Gemini Design

WFMOS in the Aspen Context

Gemini Fundamentals

WFMOS Negotiations

Gemini/Subaru Science &

Instrumentation

Three Presentations – One Three Presentations – One Message…Message…

Kentaro Motohara Chris Packham

Gemini Gemini FundamentalsFundamentals

Two Telescopes - One Two Telescopes - One ObservatoryObservatory

Gemini-NorthMauna Kea, Hawaii

Gemini-SouthCerro Pachon, Chile

To our community, Gemini appears and functions as a single observatory - the only major ground based observatory that is capable of targeting

any object in the sky

6

Gemini Observatory Gemini Observatory Management StructureManagement Structure

The Gemini Director has many bosses, some real, others virtual, all important…Requires careful attention,

clear communication, and regular interaction with many key stakeholders

Gemini Board has ultimate authority

AURA provides the business and legal framework within which Gemini functions

Gemini BoardNSF, STFC, NRC, etc.

Executive AgencyNSF

AURAPresident

GeminiDirector

7

Mauna Kea

Cerro Pachon

Current Current StatusStatus

Baseline Modes CommissionedInstrument Under Development

GMOS NICI T-ReCS FLAMINGOS-2 GSAOI MCAO

GMOS NIRI ALTAIR+LGS MICHELLE NIFS GNIRS

Aspen Instrument ProgramAspen Instrument Program

GroundLayerAdaptiveOptics

PrecisionRadialVelocitySpectrometer

GeminiPlanetImager

WideFieldMulti-ObjectSpectrometer

Aspen Instrument ProgramAspen Instrument Program

GroundLayerAdaptiveOptics

PrecisionRadialVelocitySpectrometer

GeminiPlanetImager

WideFieldMulti-ObjectSpectrometer

High performance coronagraph

~107 contrast ratio Being built by a number

of institutions – led by LLNL

Scheduled for deployment at Gemini-South in 2011

AAO and JPL are now completing competitive design studies for WFMOS

Conceptual design studies will be reviewed Feb. 09

Gemini Board decision regarding proceeding with WFMOS - May 09

Conceptual design studies completed successfully

Instrument procurement canceled due to lack of funding and higher priority given to WFMOS

UH completed site testing in 2008

Results indicate that a GLAO system at Gemini-N would be powerful

Decision to proceed with GLAO 2010?

10

IR Optimized Telescope IR Optimized Telescope DesignDesign

IR Optimized Design• f/16 secondary• tip/tilt• chopping

•Telescope structure•Designed to reduce thermal inertia

•Relies on active optics that are always “on”

Primary mirror rests above elevation

axis to increase wind flushing & Cassegrain payload

11


4-L

ayer

Pro

tecte

d S

ilver

Coati

ng

s

~3% total emissivity

12


Reduced cross-section secondary mirror supports designed to minimize diffracted light in PSF

Typical strehl achieved is 60-75% @ 10 m

13


However, the same design features which allow Gemini to excel as an infrared optimized telescope make it difficult to support prime focus instruments (like WFMOS…)

The Subaru/Gemini The Subaru/Gemini CollaborationCollaboration

Some Overarching Some Overarching Considerations…Considerations…

15


There is an inevitable trend in science toward international collaboration and Gemini and Subaru are uniquely poised to lead the way among 8-10 m class facilities worldwide

Subaru and Gemini each have unique capabilities that would help the “other” communitySubaru – world class wide field

instrumentation (optical and NIR)…Gemini – IR optimization, all-sky access;

fast response modes…

16


In general scientific collaborations should be –Mutually beneficialFounded on fair and equitable termsDesigned to provide partners with

research opportunities that they would not otherwise have

Take advantage of natural synergiesTailored to avoid costly capability

duplication between observatories

17


In many ways the WFMOS initiative is just a catalyst for fostering a scientific collaboration between the Subaru and Gemini communities

If we do not proceed with WFMOS, for any reason, I urge that we continue to nurture future scientific collaboration based on other capabilities unique to Subaru and Gemini

WFMOS – Current WFMOS – Current Status and Next Status and Next

StepsSteps

19

Oct. 2008

WFMOS WFMOS NegotiationsNegotiations

Discussion topics to date have included – Duration of agreement Cost sharing Time exchange

parameters Commissioning and

maintenance considerations

Other related issues…

Motohara-san will summarize negotiations in more detail in the next presentation

Nov. 2008

Dec. 2008

20

WFMOS Baseline WFMOS Baseline Design GuidelinesDesign Guidelines

Wavelength Range: 0.39 – 1.0 µm Field of View: ~1.5 deg diameter Spatial Sampling: ~1 arcsec fiber entrance Spectral Resolution: R~1800 – 3500

(~3000 fibers) and R~40,000 (~1500 fibers)

One-shot wavelength coverage: ~0.39 to 1.0 µm (low resolution spectrographs), >100 Å (high resolution spectrographs)

Simultaneous stellar targets: ~4500 Detector operating modes: standard

readout or “nod & shuffle” as required to achieve the science goals.

21

WFMOS Trade WFMOS Trade StudiesStudies

WFMOS teams will include in their proposals a number of trades studies to determine the optimal WFMOS design/cost needed to support the science goals of the instrument

Trades can include many things including -Acquisition field sizeVignettingMultiplex gainsTotal survey timeFiber manipulation schemesManufacturing risks for key componentsScience impact of cost-saving reductions in the

baseline WFMOS capabilities

22

Two Two WFMOSConceptual WFMOSConceptual Design Study TeamsDesign Study Teams

JPL Team PI Richard Ellis Caltech Penn State ATC Cambridge IofA U. College London LNA Brazil

AAO Team PI Sam Barden NOAO U. Oxford/RAL U. Portsmouth U. Durham Johns Hopkins U. RAL

Two competitive conceptual design studies are being performed by large, international

teams. They will be completed in Feb. 2009

23

WFMOS Decision WFMOS Decision ProcessProcess

After the WFMOS Conceptual Design Review (Feb. 22-23) a number of discussions will be held leading to a May Gemini Board meeting decision about proceeding with WFMOSGemini and Subaru will consider the review

committee report jointly before a recommendation is made to Gemini Board

Subaru and Gemini SAC’s will consider science implications of any significant design changes in WFMOS

Draft Subaru/Gemini agreement will be negotiated and submitted for consideration by Gemini Board and NAOJ

24

Possible Possible ConcernsConcerns

Number of fibers in WFMOSThe design will include a complex

trade between fiber number, throughput, field of view, etc.

Together these design parameters determine the amount of telescope time needed to complete a survey and the amount of telescope time needed will not be allowed to be prohibitive as design/cost options are weighed

25


Delay in deliveryHistorically Gemini instruments have been

delivered 1-2 years lateTypical of other observatoriesNIFS (2) and GSAOI were Gemini’s best performers,

bHROS and FLAMINGOS-2 our worst

It is in the strategic interests of everyone to ensure that WFMOS is deployed on schedule

If approved, Gemini will increase the size of its development group to help oversee the timely delivery of WFMOS

Gemini and Subaru will interact regularly throughout the development period of the instrument to ensure design trades meet everyone’s needs

26


Funding challengesThe global economic crisis is effecting

essentially all segments of society and astronomy is no different

Gemini funding for WFMOS remains uncertainThe US funding situation in particular

should be clarified in the next ~2-3 months

Funding for Gemini’s operations will be given higher priority than its development program

27

Gemini Commitment to Gemini Commitment to WFMOSWFMOS

Today, 5 years after the Aspen Workshop, WFMOS remains the highest priority instrument in Gemini’s development program with strong support from the – Gemini Science Committee Gemini Board of Directors Gemini Community

Both personally and on behalf of Gemini Observatory, I thank you for the opportunity to share these perspectives on Gemini, WFMOS, and hopefully a long lasting scientific partnership between our observatories

Exploring the Universe, Sharing its Wonders

wfmos as a bridge to the future for gemini & subaru doug simons director, gemini observatory

Documents