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Science Proposals for the 3.5-m WIYN Telescope (1Sep94)
(from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 39, 1 September 1994)

KPNO will accept proposals for the WIYN "shared-risk" observing period to
begin no sooner than 1 March 1995, extending through 31 July 1995. The
deadline for proposals will have the normal KPNO spring semester proposal
deadline of 30 September 1994. Proposers should use the standard KPNO
observing proposal form, with an additional attachment to provide details for
queue observations (available electronically with the KPNO Proposal Form or
on paper from the KPNO Director's Office). Proposals for the observing period
1 August 1995 - 31 January 1996 will be due on 31 March 1995.

The shared-risk observing phase is a shakedown period during which NOAO will
begin scientific operations using observers' programs to complete the
commissioning of the telescope, operations plan and instrumentation.
"Shared-Risk" is defined as follows: NOAO will accept proposals for WIYN
observations, and will attempt to complete approved programs in an expedient
manner and to provide scientific grade data. NOAO cannot guarantee, however,
that approved observations will be completed. Nevertheless, NOAO will work to
assure that any data that are obtained and released during this period are of
the highest scientific quality. User input will be critical during this stage
as we dynamically refine the WIYN science program. We expect the shared-risk
phase will begin no earlier than 1 March 1995 and last for approximately 6-8
months. NOAO expects to be allocated between 9 and 12 nights per month by the
WIYN Consortium. Most science observations will be done in queue/service mode
to allow us to maximize the data quality while achieving our technical goals
with a minimal impact on and from observers. We also hope that the
availability of the queue observing mode and the opportunity to obtain data
for small programs will permit broader access by the community to KPNO
facilities. Operating in a queue mode also allows NOAO to develop new
observing strategies for application to the Gemini 8-m telescopes. A few
projects with special or unusual requirements may also be scheduled in the
traditional manner with observers present on the mountain.

NOAO will support the two major WIYN facility instruments, the WIYN CCD
Imager and the Hydra Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) formerly available at
the 4-m. At this writing (mid-July), neither instrument has been
commissioned. For the purposes of observing proposals, it should be assumed
that: (1) the WIYN/MOS/Hydra system throughput is at least as good as the
4-m/Hydra system throughput; and (2) the WIYN CCD Imager DQE characteristics
are at least as good T2KA. For further information about WIYN
instrumentation, check the NOAO Mosaic homepage (http://www.noao.edu), or
previous issues of the Newsletter.

Observing programs of all lengths will be accepted for review. Long Programs
(which require more than 2 hours of telescope time) will be reviewed by the
normal external KPNO TACs and ranked by scientific merit.

Short Programs (those requiring less than 2 hours of observing time) will be
reviewed by an internal KPNO TAC. The goal of a typical Short Program might
be to obtain a small dataset to complete a larger project or assess the
feasibility of a particular type of observation before the submission of a
Long Program proposal. Individual Short Program principal investigators or
co-investigators will be allocated at most six (6) hours (i.e. a maximum of
three separate Short Program proposals) of WIYN telescope time during "shared
risk" operations.

Successful observations will be made available to the program principal
investigator as quickly as possible. Typically, datasets will be sent to the
principal investigator in FITS format on Exabyte or DAT tapes within seven
(7) working days of completing their program. Small datasets may be
transmitted to the principal investigator via ftp. To protect proposers'
access, such datasets will not be available from NOAO via anonymous ftp.
Instead, such transfers will be from NOAO to a site designated by the
principal investigator.

Detailed WIYN proposal information and the WIYN attachment to the standard
KPNO proposal form are available electronically as described below, or by
contacting the KPNO Director's Office. Updated information about WIYN "shared
risk" operations will be published in the December NOAO Newsletter.

Further information about WIYN science operations, including the latest
instrument characteristics information, may be obtained via the NOAO Mosaic
home page (/http://www.noao.edu) or anonymous ftp from ftp.noao.edu in the
directory wiyn/sciops/shared. Questions about the WIYN proposal process
should be directed to the KPNO Directors Office (kpno@noao.edu); questions
about expected instrument performance of MOS/Hydra should be directed to Sam
Barden (sbarden@noao.edu) or Taft Armandroff (tarmandroff@noao.edu);
questions about the WIYN imager should be directed to Dave Silva
(dsilva@noao.edu) or Taft Armandroff; questions about WIYN operations status
and queue observing should be directed to Dave Silva.

Caty Pilachowski, Dave De Young, Dave Silva,
Sam Barden, Taft Armandroff

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