[AAA] NIFS System Verification call for proposals (fwd)
Oficina Gemini Argentina
gemini en gemini.edu.ar
Mar Nov 29 09:45:48 ART 2005
Estimados colegas,
Les adjuntamos el llamado a propuestas para verificacion de
sistema (SV) de NIFS. La fecha limite es el 16/12 y se envia utilizando el
Phase I Tool.
Atentamente
Oficina Gemini Argentina
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_____________________________________________________________
Oficina Argentina del Proyecto Gemini
Observatorio Astronomico
Paseo del Bosque s/n (B1900FWA) - La Plata - Argentina
http://www.gemini.edu.ar
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:59:11 -1000
From: Inger Jorgensen <ijorgensen en gemini.edu>
To: ngo en gemini.edu, "Science Staff, Gemini" <scistaff en gemini.edu>
Subject: NIFS System Verification call for proposals
Resent-Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 09:37:14 -0300 (ART)
Resent-From: Guillermo Bosch <guille en lahuan.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar>
Resent-To: gemini en gemini.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar
Resent-Subject: NIFS System Verification call for proposals
Dear Colleagues,
Our newest facility instrument, NIFS, has now been commissioned at the
Gemini North Observatory. NIFS, the Near-infrared Integral Field
Spectrograph, will provide users with R~5000 integral field imaging
spectroscopy in the 0.9-2.5 micron wavelength range. NIFS is an image
slicing IFU, and each spectral pixel corresponds to one rectangular
0.1"x0.04" spatial region on the sky. NIFS was designed to be used
with the Gemini North facility adaptive optics system, Altair, but
seeing-limited IFU spectroscopy with NIFS has also been commissioned.
While first light with NIFS was on October 19, 2005 and we are still
reducing the commissioning data, we have verified the basic instrument
performance and we feel that NIFS is ready for verification of the
main observing modes. Therefore, we are pleased to invite the
Gemini community to propose System Verification (SV) programs for
NIFS Integral Field Spectroscopy. We anticipate 6 nights of SV
time will be available during January and February 2006.
You are receiving this because you are either Gemini staff or a member of a
National Gemini Office. Collaborations within the Gemini partner countries
are highly encouraged as we have a limited number of observing nights and
cannot do a large number of projects. Please circulate this call within
your community.
System verification is the final step of testing prior to general use of
the instrument by the Gemini community. It is intended to be "end-to-end"
testing, verifying the readiness of the entire system from observation
definition to data reduction. It is also intended to exercise the various
modes of an instrument and demonstrate to the community, through
interesting and challenging science programs, the potential of NIFS
integral field spectroscopy.
The following summary is extracted from the Gemini SV web page:
"SV observations will be selected by SV team members and approved
by the Gemini Director. They will span a wide range of targets and
perspectives and the SV teams will be responsible for providing written, in
depth assessments of SV observations and mode verification within two
months of data acquisition. The data obtained during SV will be made
available by ftp to the international Gemini community and the assessments
will be published on the Gemini SV web pages. Community participation.will
help ensure that Gemini+NIFS spectroscopy is a success from the first
date of scheduled observations."
NIFS spectroscopy on Gemini can be considered as having four main observing
modes (NOTE - only three are offered in this call - LGS spectroscopy with
NIFS will be available at a later date):
1. Adaptive Optics NIFS+Altair Spectroscopy in the Z, J, H and K-bands
- medium resolution (R~5000) IR imaging spectroscopy at adaptive optics
spatial resolutions. We anticipate that three nights will be available
for observations in this mode. (options: with or without an OIWFS star,
with or without the Altair field lens).
2. Non-Adaptive Optics NIFS Spectroscopy in the Z, J, H and K-bands
- R~5000 IFU spectroscopy at seeing-limited spatial resolutions. We
anticipate that 1 night will be available for observations in this mode.
3. Adaptive Optics NIFS+Altair Spectral Coronography in the Z, J, H and
K-bands
- medium resolution (R~5000) IR imaging spectroscopy at adaptive
optics spatial resolutions using either the 0."2 or 0."5 diameter
occulting disks. We anticipate 2 nights will be available for
commissioning observations in this mode.
(options: Better performance achieved using OIWFS stars)
4. Laser Adaptive Optics NIFS+Altair Spectroscopy in the Z, J, H and
K-bands
- (NOT OFFERED IN THE CURRENT CALL) medium resolution (R~5000) IR
imaging spectroscopy at adaptive optics spatial resolutions.
For all modes we are interested in both point sources and extended
objects, and in observations that cover a range of the 0.9 - 2.5
micron wavelength intervals.
More information about NIFS and its capabilities can be found at
http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/nifs. Note that sensitivity
estimates for spectroscopy are available only in table form on the NIFS
webpage. The NIFS component of the Integration Time Calculator is not
yet available. You will need to use the sensitivity table to estimate
total time needed for your proposed program.
To submit a program, you must use the 2006A Phase I tool and include
observing constraints, target lists, and instrument configuration
information. Submit the program through the Phase I tool interface
by December 16, 2005 for full consideration. Before submitting, select
the button labeled "Demo Science or SV" in the PIT and enter
the time requested; do not submit NIFS SV proposals to any other Gemini
partner.
Scientific justifications should be brief and clearly state which modes are
being tested. Technical justifications should be complete enough that
feasibility can be assessed easily.
PIs seeking SV time will be informed of the results of the selection
process by January 6, 2006, and Phase II files (using the Observing Tool)
for selected programs will need to be completed by January 12.
Disclaimer: Submitting an SV program or even having a SV program selected
as high priority does not guarantee that data will be taken. Selection for
SV will also be based on the abilities of the proposers to reduce the data
and return feedback within a reasonable time. The proprietary period for
SV data is two months. At the end of the 2 month period, PIs and their
collaborators will need to provide reduced data for public release.
This message is also available on the Gemini NIFS webpages at:
http://www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/nifs/NIFSSVCall.html
Please feel free to contact us with questions or comments-- we look
forward to hearing from you and reading your NIFS SV proposals.
Sincerely,
Tracy Beck (tbeck en gemini.edu)
Gemini Observatory
NIFS Instrument Scientist