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The International Gemini Observatory has announced a Call for Proposals for the Gemini North and Gemini South Telescopes for observations during the 2008B observing period (1 September 2008 - 31 January 2009). Please read the information below before starting a proposal. |
The 2008B instrumentation for Gemini North includes NIRI (Near InfraRed Imager and low-res spectrograph), GMOS-N (Gemini optical imager, Multi-Object Spectrograph, and IFU), Michelle (mid-IR imager, spectrograph, and polarimeter), and NIFS (near-IR IFU spectrogaph). In addition, proposals for NIRI and NIFS may also request Altair, the facility AO system, with natural guide star or Laser Guide Star AO.
For Gemini South, instrumentation includes GMOS-S, T-ReCS (mid-IR imager/spectrograph). and Phoenix (high-resolution near-IR spectrograph).
About 86% of the time on Gemini-North and 82% of the time on Gemini-South (including nights for NICI Campaign Science) will be available for science programs. The US share of science time available in this call is estimated as 66 nights at Gemini-North and 53 nights at Gemini-South. NOAO strongly encourages programs of all lengths from an hour to several nights, and ranging from short pilot programs to large programs that would have a major scientific impact. The NOAO TAC will be instructed to recommend a broad distribution of programs.
Queue programs assigned by the ITAC into Band 1 will be eligible for rollover for up to two additional semesters. Eligibility for rollover will be decided at the 2008B ITAC (for rollover into 2009A-2009B); national policies will be defined by the relevent NTAC.
Details about preliminary instrument schedules, windows of accessibility for right ascension, and a summary of new capabilities are available on the IGO Call for Proposals website.
Investigators may submit proposals for Gemini observations through the standard NOAO proposal process. Investigators proposing for Gemini time only may alternatively submit their proposals using the Gemini Phase I Tool (PIT). Proposals are due by 11:59 pm MST on 1 October 2007.
Applications for time from the U.S. share of Gemini should be submitted through NOAO, which is responsible for scientific and technical assessment.
Investigators may request observations on any nighttime facility available through NOAO, including time at CTIO, KPNO, or Gemini, or on the NSF-supported public access programs at the Keck, Magellan, MMT, and HET observatories. Procedures and forms for applying for telescope time can be obtained at http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/noaoprop.html. NOAO will provide assistance to investigators preparing proposals for Gemini time.
Investigators who are applying only for time on Gemini telescopes may alternatively choose to use the Gemini Phase I Tool to prepare their observing proposals. The PIT is available from the International Gemini Observatory at http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/P1help/p1Index.html. Gemini proposals prepared using the PIT will be reformatted for the NOAO Telescope Allocation Committee. Investigators interested in using the PIT should note restrictions and guidelines listed on the PIT Submissions help page of the NOAO proposal instructions.
All joint Gemini programs must be submitted through the PIT, which has been modified to allow the submission of a single proposal to multiple national TACs. Investigators wishing to submit different proposals related to the same project to more than one national TAC may still do so, but the programs will not be combined at Gemini (and thus have separate PIs, ID numbers, phase-II submissions, etc.)
The NOAO TAC will review and rank Gemini proposals for the U.S. share of Gemini time. The ranked proposals from the several partner countries will be merged together for review by the Gemini International Time Allocation Committee, which will resolve any conflicts.
Notification of the award of time will be sent to the investigators by NOAO following final approval of the draft schedule by the Director of the Gemini Observatory. NOAO will notify investigators whether or not Gemini observing time has been granted by email in December, as soon as the schedule is available.
Instruments which are being offered in the 2008B semester are listed below. More detailed information is available about each instrument from the International Gemini Observatory via the links below.
The Gemini community has access to up to five nights of classically-scheduled time with HIRES (high-resolution optical spectrograph) at Keck-I, through a trade of Michelle time between Gemini and Keck. Requests should be for full nights with a one-night minimum. The dates available will be in the following windows: 6-20 August (1 night), 8-22 October (up to 2 nights), and 3-16 December (up to 2 nights) Investigators wishing to propose for HIRES using the NOAO form should indicate "Keck-I" for the telescope. HIRES proposals will automatically be considered for both Gemini and TSIP time.
The Gemini and Subaru observatories are continuing a time exchange program that will provide the Gemini community with access to up to 6 nights of classical observing time at Subaru for wide-field optical imaging with Suprime-Cam and near-IR imaging and multi-object spectroscopy with MOIRCS. Requests should be for full nights with a one-night minimum. The dates available will be in the following windows: 10-18 September (1 night, bright), 24 October to 2 November (up to 2 nights, dark) and 3-7 or 17-21 December (up to 2 nights in one of hese periods, grey). Proposals for Subaru time must be initiated with the PIT--these instruments are not available on the NOAO web proposal form.
NOAO support for U.S. observing time on the Gemini 8-m telescopes is organized within the NOAO Gemini Science Center, a division of NOAO. NGSC astronomers in Tucson and La Serena are serving as Gemini Instrument Scientists, with the responsibility to assist investigators proposing for and receiving time on Gemini.
If you have questions about Gemini instruments or about how to use those instruments, please contact NOAO's Gemini Instrument Scientists for help. You may also send email to us at ngsc@noao.edu, or direct queries through the Gemini HelpDesk.
If you would like feedback about your proposal before you submit it, after you have written your proposal, you can contact one of the NOAO Gemini Instrument Scientists for an evaluation of the observing details. This is intended to be a check on technical aspects, not an analysis of the observing strategy or the scientific justification. The NGSC staff will only be able to respond to requests made well in advance of the proposal submission deadline.
Proposal comments and/or suggestions, may be directed to noaoprop-help@noao.edu.
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NOAO is operated by the
Association of
Universities for Research in Astronomy
(AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the
National Science Foundation. The NGSC
represents U.S. scientific, technical, and instrumentation interests
in the international community of the Gemini project.
The NGSC is
a division of the
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
(NOAO). |
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