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NRAO Enews Volume 12, Issue 5 • 13 June 2019

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NRAO Enews Volume 12, Issue 5 • 13 June 2019 NRAO eNews Volume 12, Issue 5 • 13 June 2019 Upcoming Events NRAO Community Day at UMBC (https://science.nrao.edu/science/meetings/2019/umbc19/index) Jun 13 ­ 14, 2019 | Baltimore, MD CASCA 2019 (http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/casca2019/) Jun 17 ­ 20, 2019 | Montréal, Québec Radio/mm Astrophysical Frontiers in the Next Decade (http://go.nrao.edu/ngVLA19) Jun 25 ­ 27, 2019 | Charlottesville, VA 7th VLA Data Reduction Workshop (http://go.nrao.edu/vla­drw) Oct 7 ­ 18, 2019 | Socorro, NM ALMA2019: Science Results and Cross­Facility Synergies (http://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/2019/ALMA2019Cagliari.html) Oct 14 ­ 18, 2019 | Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy Semester 2019B Proposal Outcomes Lewis Ball The NRAO has completed the Semester 2019B proposal review and time allocation process (https://science.nrao.edu/observing/proposal-types/peta) for the Very Large Array (VLA) (https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/evla) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) (https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/vlba) . For the VLA a single configuration (the D array) will be available in the 19B semester and 124 new proposals were received by the 1 February 2019 submission deadline including one large and sixteen time critical (triggered) proposals. The oversubscription rate (by proposal number) was 2.5 and the proposal pressure (hours requested over hours available) was 2.1, both of which are similar to recent semesters. For the VLBA 27 new proposals were submitted, including two large proposals and one triggered proposal. The oversubscription rate was 2.1 and the proposal pressure was 2.3, both of which are similar to recent semesters. There was significant demand for the time made available on space observatories through inter-observatory agreements, and fourteen proposals requesting time on HST, Swift or Chandra (together with AUI/NRAO telescope time) were submitted. The proposals were reviewed for scientific merit by nine Science Review Panels (SRPs) and for technical feasibility by NRAO staff. These reviews were completed in February – March 2019 and then considered by the Time Allocation Committee (TAC) (https://science.nrao.edu/observing/proposal-types/time-allocation-committee) at a face-to-face meeting on 24-25 April 2019 in Green Bank, West Virginia. The TAC – comprising the 9 SRP chairs – was charged with recommending a science program for Semester 2019B to the Observatory Director. The recommended program was reviewed and approved on 8 May 2019. Proposals submitted to the GBO were assessed through the same process. Fifty eight proposals for the GBT were received for the 19B Semester, including one large and four triggered proposals. The oversubscription rate is 2.5 and the proposal pressure is 2.2. For information on proposals for GBT observations see the GBO website (https://greenbankobservatory.org/science/gbt-observers/proposals/past-proposal-calls/2019b-results/) . A disposition letter was sent to the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators of each proposal on 16 May 2019 and a TAC report (https://science.nrao.edu/observing/proposal-types/tac-reports/19b-tac-report) containing information for proposers and observers, including statistics and telescope pressure plots, was released the same day. The approved science program (https://science.nrao.edu/science/science-program) for the VLA and the VLBA has been posted to the NRAO science website (http://science.nrao.edu/) . The authors, title, abstract, and scheduled hours for each approved proposal can be accessed from the Proposal Finder Tool (http://library.nrao.edu/proposals) . The Student Observing Support program continues to be available for NRAO observing programs and we encourage Principal Investigators of highly ranked VLA and VLBA proposals to consider applying for support. The NRAO welcomes community feedback on the proposal review and time allocation process (https://science.nrao.edu/observing/proposal-types/proposal-review-system) . Please provide such feedback via the Proposal Review department of the NRAO Helpdesk (http://help.nrao.edu/) . Announcement of Opportunity – Extra­Large Proposals Lewis Ball NRAO and GBO will consider submissions of Extra-Large observing proposals (X-proposals for short) at the upcoming 1 August proposal submission deadline. This opportunity is open for observers seeking to use the VLA, VLBA and / or GBT. Extra-Large proposals will be defined as those requesting a total of more than 1000 hours of telescope time and / or extending over four or more observing semesters. Note that the earliest that successful Extra-Large projects could be scheduled is the start of Semester 2020B in August 2020. The opportunity to submit Extra-Large proposals will likely not be repeated for at least three years. Regular and Large proposals continue to be encouraged for Semesters 2020A and beyond. At least 50% of open skies science time on each of the VLA, VLBA and GBT will continue to be made available for Regular and Large proposals from Semester 2020B. (The maximum amount of time that can be requested through a Large proposal will be capped at 1000 hours starting from Semester 2020B.) To be accepted, Extra-Large proposals will be expected to demonstrate outstanding science impact, a high level of scientific and technical readiness, and excellent legacy science value (potential to generate high science impact from community use of archival data and data products.) The capabilities available for Extra-Large Proposals will be restricted to a subset of general observing capabilities – Shared Risk Observing and Resident Shared Risk Observing capabilities will not be available for Extra-Large proposals, and high-frequency bands (12 GHz and above) are likely to be excluded or severely restricted for all three telescopes because of scheduling difficulty and the limited available time with suitable observing conditions. Specific capabilities that will not be available for Extra-Large proposals are: For the VLA – pulsar modes, phased array, subarrays, mixed 3/8-bit samplers, moving sources (including Solar and planetary observing), and On-The-Fly mosaicking; in addition, observing time at 12 GHz and above will be restricted according to the expected availability of suitable observing conditions; For the VLBA – moving sources and 3mm observing; in addition, observing time in the 2cm, 1cm, and 7mm bands will be restricted according to expected availability of suitable observing conditions; For the GBT – monitoring and fixed time observations, observations with any weather restrictions (typically above 8 GHz). Extra-Large Proposals requiring fixed observing dates will not be supported for any telescope. Additional band, configuration, response time and cadence restrictions may also apply for each telescope. The definitive list of capabilities excluded from Extra-Large proposals will be provided in the Call for Proposals that will be released on 2 July 2019. The scientific review process for Extra-Large proposals will be different from the normal NRAO Science Review Panel (SRP) / Time Allocation Committee process. The Science Review Panels will assess the scientific potential of each Extra-Large proposal in their science area, providing comments and a coarse grading. A new X-Proposal Science Assessment Committee (XSAC) appointed by the NRAO and GBO Directors will assess the Extra-Large proposals for their scientific merit and likely legacy science value, taking into account the initial assessments from the SRPs. Observatory staff will assess each proposal for technical readiness, and the final selection of proposals will involve a face to face scientific, technical and operations readiness review in Spring 2020. Preference will be given to proposals which demonstrate substantial engagement with astronomers at U.S. institutions. Preference may be given to proposals with lower requirements for observatory support, and lower operational impact. The progress of Extra-Large projects that are accepted will be monitored through NRAO Program Management Department processes. The announcement of successful Extra-Large proposals is anticipated to occur in July 2020. The deadline for submissions will be 1 August 2019, the same as for Semester 2020A regular and large proposals. Submission of Extra-Large proposals will be via the usual NRAO Proposal Submission Tool (PST) with the same 10-page limit for the Scientific Justification. Extra-Large proposals will be required to also submit (or provide a link to) additional material addressing the following issues: The data management and delivery plan, including computing resource requirements; A set of major project milestones and schedule; The team resources (including plans for resident scientists at the Observatory). Proposers are also encouraged to address the following: The demonstrated feasibility of the project; Any special requirements (such as scheduling, calibration, scanning, data processing); Engagement of U.S. astronomical community; For the GBT, an observing plan. The ability of the proposing team to execute the data management plan, as well as the feasibility for NRAO to accommodate any requests made of it in the data management plan, will be evaluated as part of the review process Information that assists Observatory staff to assess likely operational and NRAO/GBO support implications will be welcomed as part of the additional material. This will be the focus of the final face to face technical and operations readiness reviews with the highest ranked proposal teams. More details will be provided in the formal call for proposals on 2 July
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