Keck/Nirspec Time Available to US Community

Todd Boroson and Bob Schommer

Observing time on the Keck II Telescope with the Near-IR Spectrograph is available to the US community (and other Gemini partners) through a trade of a Gemini InSb infrared array. Three nights will be available in each of the 2000A, 2000B, 2001A, and 2001B semesters; observations will be carried out in queue mode by Gemini Observatory staff.

While the deadline to propose for observations on April 8 has already passed, investigators now have a chance to apply for observations to be obtained on May 10 or 11. Investigators interested in applying for NIRSPEC time should obtain Web or ASCII application materials at http://www.us-gemini.noao.edu/sciops/instruments/nirspec/ .

NIRSPEC is a moderate/high resolution, near-infrared (1-5 m), cross-dispersed, echelle, and grating spectrometer at the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. The instrument is equipped with a 1024 x 1024 Aladdin InSb array detector capable of resolving powers of R ~ 1500-3,000 or R ~ 15,000-75,000. At any single setting of its grating or echelle, NIRSPEC covers a wavelength range of approximately 0.18 x _cen. For example, with _cen set to 2.25 m, the wavelength coverage is 2.05-2.45 m. Further information on the instrument and on application procedures is available at http://www.us-gemini.noao.edu/project/announcements/nirspec.html .