NOAO-NSO Newsletter Issue 76 December 2003
Science Highlights Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory e Closest T Dwarf is a Binary...... 3 Enhancing Excellence...... 22 Spectroscopy of z ~ 6 Quasars with MARS...... 5 A Tribute to Malcolm Smith...... 22 e Chemical Origin of Fluorine...... 6 SOAR AOS Passes Acceptance Testing...... 23 e Zeeman Effect in the G Band...... 7 SOAR Optical Imager Integrated on Cerro Pachn...... 24 New Arrivals...... 24 Director’s Office Announcement of Opportunity for a Blanco From the Director...... 9 Instrumentation Partnership...... 25 New Opportunity: GNIRS Science Campaigns...... 10 TSIP Begins Its ird Year with New Opportunities...... 10 Kitt Peak National Observatory Appeal of NOAO Postdoc Path Appears to Be Growing...... 11 A Year of Ambitious Plans for WIYN Projects...... 26
NOAO Gemini Science Center National Solar Observatory/GONG Gemini Update...... 13 From the NSO Director’s Office...... 28 GNIRS Coming Soon...... 13 Scientific Perspective for the ATST...... 29 Michelle Update...... 14 ATST Passes through Conceptual Design Review...... 31 NGSC at the January 2004 AAS Meeting...... 15 SOLIS...... 33 NGSC Instrumentation Program Update...... 15 Diffraction-Limited Polarimetry at the NGSC Webcast...... 17 Dunn Solar Telescope...... 35 e Sun Sets on the Kitt Peak Vacuum Telescope...... 36 Observational Programs IBIS Successfully Installed at the Dunn Solar Telescope...... 38 2004A Proposal Process Update...... 18 GONG...... 39 NOAO Survey Program Update...... 18 Public Affairs & Education Outreach Optics Education at NOAO Receives Major Boost...... 42 e 2004 REU Program at Kitt Peak National Observatory...... 43 Fall 2003 Project ASTRO Training Workshop...... 44 On the Cover
is G-band image of active solar region NOAA 0484 demonstrates the spectacular image quality now achieved with the high-order adaptive optics system at the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) at Sacramento Peak, NM. Taken on 24 October 2003 during a period of solar storms that drew worldwide interest, the image shows evidence for dark penumbral cores, which were also recently reported at the 1-meter Swedish Telescope in La Palma. Data taken simultaneously with the Diffraction-Limited Spectro-Polarimeter (DLSP) and the Universal Birefringent Filter (UBF) at Both NOAO and NSO had an engaging presence at a National Science Foundation– the DST are likely to give more information sponsored public symposium on the future of ground-based astronomy, “The about the physical origin of these newly Universe From the Ground Up,” held 7–8 October 2003 in Washington, D.C. NSO discovered features. Deputy Director Mark Giampapa gave a talk on the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), and other speakers highlighted the potential capabilities of e DLSP is a collaborative project between the the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the 30-meter Giant Segmented National Solar Observatory and High Altitude Mirror Telescope (GSMT). This photo shows NOAO Manager of Public Outreach Rich Observatory. (See related article on page 35) Fedele and ATST Outreach & Education Officer Dave Dooling in front of the NOAO exhibit booth. Image Credit: NSO/AURA/NSF
Notable Quotes
“I just want to commend the scientists in the audience. ey have evolved into very nice people.”
—New Mexico State Board of Education member Eleanor Ortiz of Santa Fe, The NOAO-NSO Newsletter is published quarterly commending astronomers and other scientists for writing more than 300 letters by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in support of a measure to stop language on the validity of “intelligent design” P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726 in evolutionary biology from being amended to new state science standards. The standards passed without amendments by a vote of 13–0.
Source: AAS Public Policy Web Site, 28 August 2003 Douglas Isbell, Editor
Section Editors “ere are several lessons to absorb from this unusual event even as we collectively wipe the coronal plasma from our face. e first, and most obvious, is that it’s no Joan Najita Science Highlights longer safe to assume, as most educated people have for hundreds of years, that Dave Bell Observational Programs the Sun is a boring, inert yellow object in the sky, trapped in a hamster-wheel Mia Hartman Observational Programs existence, unable to think of anything to do with itself other than shine. Nicole S. van der Bliek CTIO Richard Green KPNO No: e Sun is more like a god. It has moods. It can be an angry god, tempestuous, Ken Hinkle NGSC hot under the collar. It usually keeps its temper in check, but sometimes it starts Sally Adams NGSC flinging things, and if you’re orbiting in the wrong place you’ll get a CME right NSO in the kisser. John Leibacher Priscilla Piano NSO e point being that, when the sun hurls, the spew is considerable.” Douglas Isbell Public Affairs & Educational Outreach —“Hot Star of the Week: The Sun’s Dramatic Flare,” by Joel Achenbach, Washington Post, 30 October 2003 Production Staff Stephen Hopkins Managing Editor Digital Processing Have you seen an interesting comment in the news or heard Mark Hanna Design & Layout one during a NOAO-related meeting or workshop? Please Pete Marenfeld Production Support share them with the Newsletter Editor ([email protected]). Kathie Coil
2 December 2003 Science Highlights
The Closest T Dwarf Is a Binary
Ken Hinkle, Bob Blum (NOAO), & Verne Smith (University of Texas at El Paso)
bservations of the lowest-mass dwarfs are of found spectroscopically, resulting in a spectroscopic mass considerable interest in understanding the relation of estimate for epsilon Indi B of ~32MJupiter. Combined these substellar objects to both the warmer hydrogen- with the published luminosity of log(L/L¤) = -4.67, Oburning dwarfs and the Jovian planets. While there has been Smith et al. determined a radius of ~0.07R . e high ¤ a rapid increase in the number of L and T dwarfs known, spectral resolution of the Phoenix observations allows the many are quite faint even at the peak of their spectral energy determination of an accurate projected rotational velocity, distributions in the infrared (IR). erefore, observers were v sin(i) = 28±3 km s-1. is implies that epsilon Indi B has a delighted by the December 2002 announcement from a group maximum rotational period of only about three hours! at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) of a bright T dwarf, epsilon Indi B, located only 3.6 pc from the Sun A puzzling aspect of the Gemini spectroscopic results was (Scholz et al. 2003 A&A 398 L29). that the temperature derived from the Phoenix spectra places epsilon Indi B at the boundary between the late-L One of the difficulties in studying substellar objects is that, and early-T dwarfs. However, the medium-resolution IR because they are not massive enough to sustain nuclear spectra of Scholz et al. indicated a later spectral type of burning, they cool with age. As a result, it is oen difficult T2.5. is puzzle was resolved with subsequent imaging to obtain the mass and age of a substellar object from its at Gemini. observed temperature and luminosity. In this regard, epsilon Indi B is of even greater interest. As implied by its name, it is In August, epsilon Indi B was again observed with Phoenix the companion of a well-studied K dwarf. Hence, unlike the at Gemini, but this time in the J-band as part of a project situation for most T dwarfs, epsilon Indi B has a well-known lead by Gordon Walker (University of British Columbia). age and distance, and therefore its mass can be derived. e observations were carried out in the Gemini queue, and the NOAO Phoenix observer, Bob Blum, noted that epsilon High-resolution IR spectroscopy of epsilon Indi B was carried Indi B was a close binary. Bob and the Gemini observer, out with Phoenix at Gemini in December 2002 and January Kevin Volk, quickly demonstrated that the companion 2003 (Smith et al. ApJ Letters in press). e temperature star was easily visible in J, faintly visible in H, and nearly -2 (Teff = 1500) and gravity (log g = 5.2, in units of cm s ) were invisible at K. e previous Phoenix observations had NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter
Images of the epsilon Indi Bab pair obtained with Gemini South. Left: The original detection image obtained on 18 August 2003 with Phoenix using a narrowband filter in the J-band. Center: Image obtained with Phoenix using a narrowband filter in the K-band. The companion is invisible at this wavelength because of the cool temperature of the object and the consequent deep methane absorption feature in its atmosphere. Right: Image obtained with GMOS-South on 2 September 2003 at the red end of the optical spectrum. The three images were obtained without adaptive optics and each is 4 arcsec on a side.
continued
December 2003 3 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 4 Closest T Dwarf Is aBinary continued T Dwarf Closest Indi Bb was announced in IAU Circular 8188. epsilon of discoverystars.sampledandeslitboth wide a sampling the early T dwarf while the Scholz et al. spectra used having spectra been taken Smithunder good conditions the at Gemini fromand only resulted temperatures Scholz and Smith the between disagreement e resolved. was puzzle B (now epsilon Indi Ba) are those of a late-T dwarf. us, the e colors of the companion (epsilon Indi Bb) to epsilon Indi to separate thetwo dwarfs. Pach Cerro at quality image delivered typical in mainly been Science Highlights Artist’s conception of the epsilon Indi system showing epsilon Indi and the brown-dwarf binary companions. Due to binary the Indi of epsilon showing and Indi the conception epsilon the brown-dwarf system Artist’s Lomberg. Credit: “Gemini Observatory Illustration.” Jon by Observatory “Gemini Credit: Lomberg. Artwork illustration. this in represented not are sizes relative the companions, dwarf brown the of perspective December 2003 December K . e separation is ~0.6 arcsec, so at least at so arcsec, ~0.6 is separation e . n is required is n system are bright enough for high-resolution spectroscopy. system Bab early-andlate-Tthe the dwarfs in both since expected be can Indi epsilon the on results interesting Further dwarfs found can be in McCaughrean et al. ( Gemini the beforethe of orbit,masses andthe age moreinformationthe and on week on limits as a well as observations, these of about Details detection. ESO at adaptive an system with optics observing been while had Close pair Laird Bab by Indi resolved epsilon the that of exchange disclosed an e-mail Circular, IAU the of publication the Aer A&A in press). Science Highlights December 2003 December
5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 4 Science Highlights December 2003 December osbe ny ih agr eecps fgr sos the shows figure e telescopes. larger with only possible high-quality spectra of obtain and identify to opportunity an have we MARS,With quasar candidates. is MARS red,Å), faintvery these of follow-upforsuitedspectroscopy 8000 well > (λ region red the for optimized Fully throughput.red high with grism a and theoptics red, new in as well as efficiency quantum high thick a has a that with CCD equipped LBNL is MARS telescope. 4-m Peak Kitt the on (MARS) Spectrometer Red Multi-Aperture new the with out carried been has spectroscopy recent our of Some red sources using larger telescopes. faint, these of observations spectroscopic detailed out carry then telescopes, other on candidates of photometry near-IR and optical additional efficiency,obtain selection first our we improveTo colors. similar with dwarfs brown and hits ray to the detection limit. ey may also be confused with cosmic identify from the SDSS data alone because they are oen close to aredifficult andsky the on areextremely rareobjects ey the in absorption Lyα strong from red extremely their on based at quasars identify to the past Over four years, we have the SDSS used imaging data of redshisto up ~9000 atdetected Å, be canquasars the of inclusionsky. latitudethe With i, ( filters broadband five camera.Imagesin format CCD NM, using a dedicated 2.5-m telescope equipped with a large- Observatory,PointApache at out carried being is SDSS e intergalactic medium was reionized at at objects redshi highest the of spectra the in troughs Gunn-Peterson redshi. increasing at strongly evolve to found is spectra quasar the in absorption addition,Lyα In evolution. galaxy and formation hole black in between enrichment relationship close chemical a indicating environments, rapid their and formation star of active signs show quasars Many universe. early the in growth billion several hole black of history of the traces evolution their holes masses, solar black onto accretion by quasars.Powered and galaxies of generations early of formation the at now is redshi at 30 morethan at quasars 600 than more of discovery the to surveys, such as the Sloan Digital Sky (SDSS), Survey have led T and z 5 a te oiig akrud elns ucl with quickly declines background ionizing the as 5, > z ) are being obtained over 10,000 deg ihs kon usr esi. oefl multicolor Powerful redshi. quasar known highest the and quasars high-redshi known of number the he past few years have seen a dramatic increase in both (Princeton University) & Donald P. Schneider (Penn State University) for the SDSS Collaboration (Penn SDSS University) the for P.State University) &Donald Schneider (Princeton Xiaohui Fan (University of Arizona), Joseph F. Hennawi, Michael A. Strauss, Gordon T. Gordon Richards Strauss, A. Michael F. Joseph Hennawi, Fan of Arizona), (University Xiaohui z Spectroscopy of z > 5. e quasar with the highest measured highest the with quasar 5.e > = 6.4. ese quasars provide insight intoinsight provide quasars ese 6.4. = z z ~ 6. Quasar candidates are selected selected are candidates Quasar 6. ~ ~ 6 quasars, a task that was previously i–z colors ( colors z i 62 ugs ta the that suggest 6.2 > bn a ti redshi. this at -band z z ~ 6.2. -band filter centered filter -band i–z 2 of high-Galactic- > 2.2) that resultthat 2.2) > z > 4,including> z z u,g,r, ~ 6.6.~ ~ 6Quasars with MARS spectroscopy of quasarsatz ~ 6. at MARS Ly of throughput strong high The extremely trough. Gunn-Peterson an clear a has and line, emission It known. quasar redshift highest- third the is 6.21, = z at (top), J1623 2003. June in MARS with observed quasars high-redshift two of Spectra aay omto, n te vlto o te intergalactic the of evolution medium at the reionization epoch. the and and holes formation, black galaxy supermassive the quasars, early of between evolution relationship early the about questions basic addressto able years.be quasars, will sampleof weWith this at quasars 20 than more of sample a establish to expect we and ongoing is survey far. Our thus resultsnumber ese the of bring11 to CCDs. thinned most afflicts that problem a near-IR, and red the in underfringing telescopes little show data the largerbonus, added an As with conditions. similar taken those with favorably compares and Å,9000 > λ at even signal- decline not the does to-noise MARS: of sensitivity red the demonstrate also other in observed those with consistent is which Lyα, of blueward trough Gunn-Peterson clear a shows and line emissionLyα strong extremely an has (top, J1623 submitted).al., et (Fan 2003 Spring in run our during two of spectra z = 6.21) is the third highest redshi quasar known. Itknown. quasar redshi highest third the is 6.21) = z ~ 6 quasars that were observed with MARS with observed were that quasars 6 ~ Science Highlights λ 8000 > z > 6.1 quasars. e spectra spectra e quasars. 6.1 > December 2003 December Å z s el utd o the to suited well is > 5.7 in the next three next the in 5.7 > z > 5.7 quasars5.7 found> α
5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 6 tbe stp o fluorine, of isotope stable only e obscure. somewhatremained fluorine havenucleosynthetic of origins U Jorissen et al. (1992). ese observations poorthan the K and M giants studied by metal-significantly more aregiants red globular Galactic clusterOmegaCentaurieseCen).(ω the in and (LMC) redgiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud of abundances fluorine the measure to spectrographSouthGeminiPhoenixon high-resolution IR the used have 1305) (2003, al. et Cunha Recently, type K or M. normal chemically(near-solar metallicity) giants spectralof more of number stars, although they did also study a small the chemically peculiar carbon-rich AGB al.(1992). eirresults concentrated et on Jorissen of work the been had stars only other the in recently, measured abundances fluorine Until µm. ~2.3 of wavelengths near (IR), infrared the in stars cool in HF from lines molecular observe to to detect is stars in fluorine probe to difficult spectroscopically. also e only practical way is fluorine point-of-view, observational an From 2000, He-burningphase (Meynet and Arnould Wolf-Rayet stars at the beginning of their in the cores of stars massive enough to be 261, 164); or 3) possible production of by Jorissen, suggested Smith, asand Lambert (AGB),(1992, branch giant burning thermal pulses on the asymptotic ApJ the as to massive-starsupernova—thisreferredis a of phase core-collapse the following inducedspallation protona of from neutrino- 1) sources: possible three on focused have Galaxy the in fluorine of abundance the for account Attempts to stellarevolution.duringmanyof phases destroyedeitherbyproton captures α or readily is it as stars in produce to easy Science Highlights 36 22; ) ytei drn He- during synthesis 2) 272); 356, , A&A December 2003 December abn oye, r en the neon, or oxygen, carbon, as such table, neighbors periodic the its in of most nlike ν -process(Woosleyal.1990, et , 355, 176). Katia Cunha (Observatório Nacional, Brazil) &Verne of Texas (University Smith Paso) El at Nacional, (Observatório Cunha Katia The Chemical Origin of Fluorine 19 , s not is F, AJ 126, , A&A 20 Ne 19 F , normalization effect.) a primarily abundances is observed and ν the produced via fluorine is thatassume Alibes et al. (2001, of (1995, models al. et Timmes evolution chemical the of fairly good agreement with the predictions magnitudeindeclinestars.the eis of field LMC the to stars field Galactic the O-abundancethe as[F/O] declines from abundance.gradualaeredecline isin plottedlogarithmicagainstisthe oxygen the where arefluorine to oxygen figure, abundance results ratio [F/O] the (2003) in al.summarized et Cunha e origin of fluorine. the intoprovidesinsightturn, inwhich, abundance, oxygen the of function a as fluorine abundancethe varies howshow two chemical evolution models. evolution chemical two of results the and stars field Galactic for literature the from results with oxygen compared logarithmic of function a as abundance A(O) for the [F/O]LMC and ratio abundance oxygen to Fluorine -process.(e offset between the model A&A ApJS , 370, 1103), which 9, 1) and 617) 98,, ω Cen by studied red Cunhagiants et al. These are of fluorine. source primary the neutrino-induced as nucleosynthesis suggest Cen ω and LMC, Galaxy, the stellar the populations from we the together, what Taken is observed. is models. evolution chemical the to according[F/O]~-0.8, synthesizefluorine oxygenand thatsuch A(O)~7,shouldhadwhichformedstars Cen metal-rich ω more the whichfrom gas e the enriched that Cen. II SNprogenitor ω within population poor metal- more a by enriched was that gas cluster,thisformedfromstars these and of population targets metal-rich Cen the ωrepresent e Cen. ω in history thestar formation and metal-enrichment consequence of a understoodas be can difference is values. field LMC and Galactic as the than lower out much generally stand values [F/O] Cen ω e Science Highlights December 2003 December
7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 6 Science Highlights December 2003 December neato o ta mmn wt the with moment that of interaction the moment, magnetic nonzero a has polarized the properties the of field. a molecule If produce infer to analyzed be may can that radiation and field magnetic external an of presence the in effect Zeeman the to susceptible are lines Molecular elements. different of lines with atomic from contributions molecule, added CH the the of in band A-X transitions electronic to is band due G the in opacity the of Most possible. be indeed should this showthatnowCalculations G-band.the up makethat lines spectral those precisely in measured be could flux magnetic if preferable be would It relationship the diagnostics.different very two between understanding problem the of with encumbered and wavelengths, arduous different at taken an images is is of alignment careful involvingprocess, lines. atomic magnetograms in magnetically sensitive be must obtainedsimultaneousby cospatialand which flux, measurement magnetic a the of provide not does that it is imaging G-band A of drawback reconstruction. image and facto optics improving post adaptive image like exposures. for techniques optimal short is It and large a throughput allows is it technique because is convenient FWHM. nm 1 of passbands typical with band G the in imaging narrowband is features scale small- tracking for method popular A represent. the of field,magnetic how and they evolutionmuch flux global the in is role their disappear,what and evolve,form, elements small-scale these how learn to have we field, magnetic solar the of behavior the predict and understand to want we If telescopes. solar of limit resolution current the below or at just the form of small-scale structures with in sizes exists surface solar the on flux magnetic the of fraction substantial A The Zeeman Effect in the GBand bottom of the graphs mark the location of each CH line. of each location the mark graphs of the bottom and filter linesat curve). the of the (dotted transmission curve typical curves), Vertical a G-band dash-dotted (thin lines atomic from contribution without only, lines CHto due spectra calculated shown curve), (thin solid spectrum Also intensity observed the are curves). solid (thick band G the in spectra V and I Stokes Calculated rotation and axis internuclear the along vibration both molecule, diatomic a In freedom inherent in molecular structure. of additionaldegrees the of because case in is, general, thatmore complex than pattern in the atomic a into levels energy molecular the split will field magnetic Han Uitenbroek Science Highlights (J) of the molecule. When all these these all When molecule. the of (J) coupled to the total angular momentum are momenta angular orbital and spin electronic the way the alters it because molecule’sthe affects moment magnetic rotation However, only influence energies. mass level of center the around December 2003 December continued
7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 8 h psiiiy f culy pursuing actually of 1930s, possibility the the of required end the by the formulated been already of had mechanics quantum much Although zero for increasing J. havenegative values and rapidly tend to the oen factors for, Lande effective resulting accounted are interactions Effect in Zeeman the G Band continued ueia cd fr oaie radiative polarized for code numerical a to added were patterns splitting their calculate to algorithms respect, this in useful wouldbe band G the in lines CH computational powerful possibilities.To investigatethe whether more ever the by sparked been recently only has field diagnostics inthe solar atmosphere molecular line polarization for magnetic Science Highlights December 2003 December can be identified where the intensity the where identified be can are lines locations Several CH 1. than smaller much most of effective factors the Lande because crowded less is V) (Stokes signal polarization circular Fortunately, species. the atomic and various CH from lines of thousands with intensity the Clearly, crowded very is band G the in spectrum figure. is shown the in gauss, 1000 of field vertical imposed an with calculation,Sun quiet the of model such hydrostatic one-dimensional one a through of result e the for different in several solar models. evaluated were polarizationnm 430 around band G and intensity emergent the code, this With transfer. lines apossibility. is CH indeed the field in effect Zeeman magnetic the through the of that measurement showing convection, solar the of magneto-hydrodynamica simulation of solar output the the of form of the in atmosphere model realistic more with a reached is conclusion similar A instrumentation. polarimetric current continuum with detectable the be should and intensity of percent several order of the locations, of is these signal polarization In the lines. atomic by nm),431.36 without 430.40,contaminationand 430.35, at notably (most lines CH by dominated is polarization and DIRECTOR’SOFFICE NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY
From the Director
Jeremy Mould
New Leadership At NOAO South Malcolm Smith stepped down as director of Cerro Tololo Inter- South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), and returned to American Observatory (CTIO) last month aer 10 years of service join CTIO’s tenure track in 1987. He served as Deputy Director from leading an observatory that provides the most unique research 2000 to 2003, and is very familiar with CTIO’s current successes and opportunity offered to US astronomers—access to the southern challenges. hemisphere. Alistair is well known for his work on RR Lyrae stars in the Malcolm passes a transformed institution on to his successor: a newly Magellanic Clouds and for his close association with CCD camera developed site at Cerro Pachón, an additional four-meter telescope development, from the early days of these detectors through to (SOAR), and a campus with twice their present full realization. He the scientific staff he inherited in also has a broad interest in stellar 1993, residing in a city that has populations research. become an international resort. ese transformations have been accomplished An administrative transformation with Malcolm’s characteristic diplomacy, a skill I look forward to working with has also occurred in the last five that has earned him the respect of Cerro Tololo’s Alistair as he leads CTIO in laying years. AURA Observatories research scientists, administrators, engineers, the foundations for the new US in Chile has become a service technicians, and unique mountain staff—as well telescopes that are surely coming organization supporting both to Chile, while bringing a new CTIO and Gemini South. ese as his fellow directors and Chilean government generation of instruments to our transformations have been officials at every level. favorite telescopes on Tololo and accomplished with Malcolm’s continuing to build the scientific characteristic diplomacy, a skill community in La Serena. that has earned him the respect of Cerro Tololo’s research scientists, administrators, engineers, Users’ Committee Report 2003 technicians, and unique mountain staff—as well as his fellow NOAO Users’ Committee members Robin Ciardullo, David Turnshek, directors and Chilean government officials at every level. Timothy Beers, Steven Majewski, Arlin Crotts, and James Lowenthal visited Tucson in October, with their Chair, Chick Woodward. Nicole Malcolm continues as head of AURA Observatories Support Services, Vogt and Todd Henry were unable to attend on this occasion. e and as the jefe de mision of “AURA-O” in Chile. In addition to his committee considered KPNO, NGSC, and CTIO operations and responsibilities to AURA-O, research beckons. I join his colleagues underlined the importance of maintaining fully reliable 4-meter in wishing Malcolm continued success, and the just rewards of being telescopes and a close connection with Gemini operations. According able to concentrate a bit more on his scientific pursuits. to the committee, the needs of the US observing system should be studied in a Scottsdale-type workshop in the coming year. Blanco NOAO is now very pleased to announce that the AURA Observatories and Mayall instrumentation are issues of considerable importance, Council has selected Alistair Walker to be the new director of CTIO. they added. e Time Allocation Committee process and data Alistair’s initial acquaintance with the observatory was as a junior archive development got good grades. e Users’ Committee report is staff member from 1977 to 1979. He then spent seven years at the available at www.noao.edu/noao_uc.html.
December 2003 9 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 0 to three years. Proposers must agree to make all Gemini data and ancillary informationavailable minimalpublicly ancillary followinganda data Gemini all makeyears. to threeProposersmust agree to two next nights the over 20 to be awarded 15 Gemini. will campaignon science proposals time Successful significant of blocks require that potential scientific high with observations schedule to opportunitiesprovide to is program pilot this of goal e N nights for the community on the Keck telescopes and 27 27 telescopes. Magellan and and MMT the on each nights telescopes Keck the on community the for nights 12 additional provide awards the will capabilities, new these create to resources the providing to addition In (MMIRS). Spectrograph Infrared Magellan and MMT the for (SAO) Observatory Astrophysical Smithsonian the to and Keck-II, for spectrograph multi-object KIRMOS, and imager on near-infrared work a development continued for Astronomy in (CARA) Research for Association California the to T GNIRS, on information more For opportunity. this on details more for Proposals for Call see 2004B the for Watch students located at institutions that have traditionally produced first-rate studentswho pursue PhDs in astronomy. “contact nights” on smaller facilities, we are seeking innovative ways like this to continue to provide opportunities for faculty and and their students with access to facilities. As NOAO transitions to an era when fewer opportunities are available for training via scientists providing these in historically importantrole colleges.NOAOan played arts has four-yearstudents fromliberal and In assembling teams to outcarry these programs of scale, Principal Investigators are particularly encouraged to involve scientists Allocation time available to theNOAO Time Director. the e Director thefollowing use will criteria intime making final awards: by evaluated be will proposals these Committee (TAC). of merit However, scientific e the observing time to support examples.proposals of this magnitude other will come among from Program,the pool of discretionary Legacy proprietary (less period than six months), a requirement similar to precedents byset the NOAO Program Survey and the SIRTF www.noao.edu/ets/gnirs/manuals.htm December 2003 December • • • • •
the program’s second year, funds were awarded awarded were funds year, second In program’s cycles. the annual Program two completed now Instrumentation has (TSIP) System Telescope he TSIP Begins Its Third Year with New Opportunities capable exploiting of capabilities thepowerful Near-Infrared Gemini thenew of Spectrograph (GNIRS). campaigns science majorfor proposals long-termencouraging at aimedprogram pilot a announceto pleased OAOis Director’s Office plans to manage data reduction and archiving, and deliver data products, in atimely fashion potential thearchival value of database to other users enhancement undergraduate of education through involvement in research breadth and thescientific quality of team and its demonstratedtrack record intrinsic scientific meritevaluated as the by TAC New Opportunity: GNIRS Science Campaigns . Stephen Strom Stephen Todd Boroson merging into these asingle list for funding. for telescopes above and below liststhe six-meter threshold, ranked before separate, surveys. develop will community-defined panel review out the Second, carrying as such access, of types alternateconsider to urged are telescopes,proposers of the funds awarded) may seem prohibitively large for smaller half to value in community(equivalent the toavailable made the such encourage to submissions.First, to telescope nights be numberto the since of process made review the been and guidelines have new TSIP changes for Two permitted now are meters instrumentation. proposals six Such than less aperture. telescopes in for aim options the with increasing a bit of modified been have TSIP for rules e Director’s Office December 2003 December
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 0 December 2003 December Director’s Office needed by a “dual career couple in science,” as strong factorsscience,” strong in as couple “dual a career by needed atmosphere family-friendly the and Fellowship, Hubble his accommodate to working in Strom Steve as such managers University,Harvard Lucas Macri, who comes to NOAO aer receiving a PhD from active NOAO. to move their to or keys as members staff acquaintancewith research earlier their cited postdocs Several Michael Brown his PhD at theUniversity Melbourne, of Australia. completing aer 2000, since NOAO with associate a research been has Michael research. for time allowing and survey the of progress been the speeding have added, he beneficial, team extremely Recent processing me.” data pushed NDWFS the they’ve to useful, additions really been “has Dey InvestigatorsPrincipalNDWFS with JannuziBuell and Arjun the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS). Collaborating with galaxies of evolution the tracing is Brown, who Michael “Myastronomy knowledge of improvedhas greatly here,” said the at position national observatory. rewarding and interesting increasingly an fellowship postdoc a making in factors key as members staff scientific talented of counsel active the and processing, data like tasks supportnumbers, for institutionalstrongersupport current the residence at NOAO of North cited welcome growth in their total experiences the reflect in recentinterviews, postdocs of NOAO series a Inpostdocs. to seem not fellowships does post-doctoral of caricature pessimistic this But I Appeal of NOAO Postdoc Path Appears to Be Growing drudgery leading to dashed dreams.”drudgery of issue 2003 October 10 the named was t
credited the flexibility of NOAO science NOAO of flexibility the credited th os jb n l o sine y the by science of all in job worst oua Science Popular Douglas Isbell & Stephen Hopkins &Stephen Isbell Douglas a lmo of… “limbo —a accuracy of the Extragalactic Distance the Scale. theExtragalactic of accuracy improve to DIRECT, Project by discovered originally M33, in variables Cepheid studying currently Argentina,is in his move to Tucson from the East Coast. Lucas, a native of as visa support for the international postdocs. But the city of NOAO received strong marks in human resources areas such positive experience.”“thoroughlya termed he what in year past the over nights six for observations queue North Gemini with helped has promising area to explore further. In particular, Lucas Macri a it make instrumentKAOS potential the and spectrograph multi-object as spectroscopy,said. they Phoenix such Butcapabilities the as such areas in telescopes Gemini the from data of quantities useful immediately to access getting for prospects the on reports”“mixed heard have postdocs e do exactly what Iwant” in research, said. Rachel something else, of wellhavingas as my two-thirds totime of life, and I like the idea havingof a job that involved a little bit sure that I want to be a researcherfull-time for the rest myof galactic active in tasks. “I’mnotservice NGSC still andsome on as nuclei,well as medium interstellar the in dust to relatedresearch on Center Science NOAO Gemini the with workingEdinburgh, Scotland,Universityis of the Augustat with NOAO scientific staff. Rachel, whoreceived her PhD in Rachel Mason, were tipped by officemates or previous contact postdoc NGSC new register,some,like job though AAS the Most of the postdocs seemed to hear of the opportunity from Rachel Mason Director’s Office December 2003 December continued
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 2 stellar winds of the nearestthe stellarwindshotof supergiant stars, and measure for O- and stars,B-type measure the mass-loss rates from the working with Steve Ridgway to improve the temperature scale StateUniversity, and isnostranger to Westerncities. Jason is Arizona from PhD his received JasonAufdenberg, who said I started riding a bike, and seeing some of the neighborhoods,” “Old the Pueblo” around by getting foot. of “My difficulty view of Tucson noted improved radically the when with crew, NOAOthe fromNorth Tucsonreviews mixed received itself Appeal of NOAO Postdoc Path continued raiain, h cret ru si ta te national the that said observatory’s reputation is on theupswing. group current research the astronomical location organizations, other a to as compared NOAO as postdocs of for prestige the about asked When myteaching of career.” as part some doing in interested am I since learn, and time, some here,” of out premiereJasonsaid, “It’svolunteeropportunitygreatto a the run are that all activities skies was dark and programs me educational pleased really that aspect “One here. come to decisions some in factor a also was outreach NOAO’s reputation for doing active, high-quality educational added.Rachel “It like seems people here do care.” advertising” and using language that appeals to both genders, its with staff] scientific the to women more an attract [to and effort making hello is NOAO say that clear people It’s way themselves. introduce the like “I very is said. environment Rachel nice,” working “e astronomers. female to welcoming be to appears also environment NOAO e redshi galaxieswith him is going really to useful.” be high- NOAO—discussing at Dickinson Mark of arrival the to forward looking “I’m said. useful,” Michael really been has here, over copied necessarily aren’t that specializations StewardatObservatory,different havemaysome they where staffthe from perspective get and street the acrossgo toable other hand, was universally appealing to the postdocs. “Being e quality of the scientificcommunity around NOAO, onthe and mountain biking. hiking like offer, areas surrounding the that activities from outdoor of most variety large the the in involved getting getting Tucsonwas to key the that agreement in were postdocs e Constant.Hubble the photometry,and stars, Abi on,Saha among other things, Cepheid distances, variable it.” Frank has been at NOAO since August 2001 im,working with FrankUniversity the Basel, Switzerland.of at “ButI’velike really tocome PhD his agreed and Germany in Master’s Europe,” his my received who from in especially experiences first, at previous different very was “Tucson the distorted shapesthenearest of rapidly rotating stars. December 2003 December Director’s Office Next issue: the postdoc experience in Chile at NOAO South. that Iwas planning Ifirst when arrived at NOAO.” Journal the in published recently was NDWFS the and publishing of results.” point the (Michael’s to paper on the evolution gotten of galaxy clustering just have we Deep-Wide NDWFS. the [NOAO] with hope—with you than longer takes always“Research year fourth his in Michael, by reflected is positions postdoc some by required effort long-term e and evolutionof AGN. clustering the at looking and survey field wide deep NOAO her NOAOreceiving toaer BrandKate postdoc new drew what Chandra,fromobservations VLA,SIRTFsources isother and related with data NDWFS combining of appeal e added. valuable,”really Michael be going is survey well-understood the in onein uniformtime cosmic ableof getto[dataon] almostall “Being impact position. postdoc any increasing of productivity attraction key scientific the its remains Indeed, of community. sign also astronomical was a surveys as large mentioned several in participation NOAO’s [the resources, enoughorganization] go up.” will given and projects, interesting are faith,” of bit GSMT,a said. Macrihad “e I LSST, NVOand butarrived, I when that about doubts some had I “Certainly h a Ofr i Spebr Kt i wrig n the on working is Kate September. in Oxford at PhD .) Michael adds, “I still have important research to do toadds, researchimportantMichaelhave still .) “I Kate Brand Astrophysical NOAOGEMINISCIENCECENTER TUCSON, ARIZONA • LA SERENA, CHILE
Gemini Update
Ta Armandroff
or the Gemini partnership, 2003 long-slit spectroscopy, and imaging modes. for semester 2004A. On Gemini North for continues to be exciting and e delivery of GMOS-South’s integral field 2004A, 77 proposals were received: 50 for productive. Several new instruments unit (IFU), a copy of that on GMOS-North), GMOS-North and 29 for NIRI; 10 of the Fare being successfully commissioned at is expected before the end of 2003. Once NIRI proposals requested its use with the Gemini. ese new instrument capabilities installed, Gemini users will have whole-sky Altair adaptive optics system. Fiy-nine US are providing frontier scientific opportunities access for optical IFU spectroscopy. e proposals requested Gemini South: 25 for for astronomers in the Gemini partner GMOS-South IFU is being implemented in T-ReCS, 23 for Phoenix, and 12 for GMOS- communities. such a way as to permit GMOS’s popular South. In total, 133 US Gemini proposals nod-and-shuffle mode to be used with it. sought 301 nights on the two Gemini At Gemini South, the T-ReCS mid-infrared telescopes. imager and spectrometer represents one of On Gemini North, commissioning of the the new opportunities. As of late October, Altair adaptive optics system, in its natural As the new instruments come on line, and the T-ReCS system verification observations guide star mode, with the Near-Infrared as additional US community members gain have been obtained. is paves the way for Imager (NIRI) has gone very well. System experience with Gemini data, we expect the TAC-approved science observing to begin. verification observations with the Altair and uses of various capabilities by our community T-ReCS has performed very well, and the NIRI combination are expected to begin to evolve. We enthusiastically encourage US T-ReCS diffraction-limited images are soon. In semester 2004A, Altair plus NIRI astronomers to explore the relevance of the spectacular (see www.us-gemini.noao.edu/ will be used for TAC-approved scientific new instruments on Gemini to their scientific sciops/instruments/miri/T-ReCS-news- programs. Also at Gemini North, system interests. Available resources include the 2003sep16.html). In addition, the Gemini verification of the Michelle mid-infrared Gemini and NGSC Web pages (www.us- South telescope is exhibiting very low instrument’s imaging mode is expected to gemini.noao.edu), questions via the Gemini emissivity, which enables excellent mid- begin shortly. HelpDesk (www.us-gemini.noao.edu/sciops/ infrared performance. helpdesk/helpdeskIndex.html), and the NGSC e NOAO Gemini Science Center contact scientist for each Gemini capability Also at Gemini South, GMOS-South is seeing (NGSC) saw a strong response from the US (www.noao.edu/usgp/noaosupport.html). much use in its multi-object spectroscopy, community to the Gemini Call for Proposals
GNIRS Coming Soon
Jay Elias, Dick Joyce & Ken Hinkle
s discussed below in the article on the NGSC instrumentation is being constructed by the University of Durham and has not yet program, the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) been delivered. e spectropolarimetry option requires the Gemini passed pre-ship acceptance tests in Tucson and arrived in Polarimeter (GPOL-S), which has yet to be commissioned, so this AChile on October 27. GNIRS is scheduled to be installed on the mode will also be delayed. Gemini South telescope in December, with first light expected in January 2004. Commissioning of its major observing modes is GNIRS will offer resolutions of ~1700, 5500, and 18000. A principal expected to commence in January. goal of GNIRS is sensitive point source spectroscopy, and for point sources, cross-dispersion is possible. When cross-dispersed at GNIRS is a complex instrument with four cameras, cross-dispersed R = 1700, the entire spectrum from 0.9 to 2.4 microns can be observed. or long-slit options, three gratings, and a spectropolarimetry mode, At higher resolution, cross-dispersion can also be used, but coverage so extensive commissioning is envisaged. An infrared (IR) on- is limited by the 1024-pixel size of the detector to segments of the instrument wavefront sensor is included in GNIRS. e only feature spectrum. e highest resolution mode, R = 18000, comes with the of GNIRS that is not yet functional is the integral field unit, which caveat that a very narrow (0.1 arcsec) slit is required, which is not
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December 2003 13 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 4 at R = 1700 and the faint magnitude limits, especially especially limits, magnitude faint the and 1700 = R GNIRS at of coverage wavelength cross-dispersed large e about L=14and M=11are expected. of magnitudes limiting background,and thermal by limited course,is, performanceof IR microns.ermal 5.1 as far as IR thermal the intowork does GNIRS 19. = K and 21 = J at R = 1700, a 5-sigma detection should be possible in one hour well matched to the typical delivered image quality (DIQ). At GNIRS Coming Soon continued o ctigeg rsac a Gmn i challenging. is Gemini at research cutting-edge conversion for its Michelle, of complexity the to Due science queue and observations have begun. undertaken been has modes imaging Michelle the of (2003B) commissioning semester, current the In Proposals. for Call 2004B the in availability Michelle of discussion a for look should users Michelle Gemini PotentialUKIRT. at months few a forrequired be only will Michellethat loan agreement with PPARC.the of At this term time, NGSC believes a is sites the between Michelle of Sharing 2004A. in UKIRT to returned be Michelle that requested UKIRT, for organization (PPARC), oversight Council Research Astronomy the and when North Gemini at Michelle of deploymentpermanent toward working was Gemini hurdles. scheduling and technical has both Gemini to due on envisaged earlier than use difficult more proven for Michelle of Conversion Michelle.performance of the enhance significantly will aperture 8-meter emissivity and low very the both Gemini, to move the With instrument. facility (UKIRT) Telescope Red Infra- Kingdom United a as Michelle with familiar be may Readers continuing. are North Gemini instrument at a facility as Michelle deploy to Efforts Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) follow-up science. M South, Gemini of DIQ excellent the with combined when NGSC December 2003 December cel, mdifae iae and NASA’s a Space to contribution significant make imager to anticipated mid-infrared is spectrograph, a ichelle, K atce Physics Particle UK Michelle Update the Michelle mounted on the up-looking port of Gemini North. of Gemini port up-looking the on mounted Michelle Ken Hinkle Ken pia wr crid u tu fr nlds elgig h pupil the been has that realigning problem A includes detector. the far at vignetting removing thus and out carried work Optical are planned to significantly reduce overheads. changes soware of a number operations, and Michelle of efficiency the observations reviewed filter.also density neutral has tandem N Gemini band employa interim e ordered. been has filter N less broad slightly new, A mode. imaging in saturates filter N broadband current e fronts.multiple from problems thermal the on work to plans developed has Gemini applications. spectroscopic for is used Michelle when temperature noise detector the to minimize and sufficient not warm stability too e currently control. is thermal temperature detector detector is addressed yet not but identified Committee (TAC) should watch for announcements of of announcements for GNIRS availability watch in future for calls proposals. should Allocation (TAC) Time the Committee to proposals submit to wishing users GNIRS for opportunities system verification be projects inthe will next six there months. that Prospective nuclei. expects galactic NGSC of spectroscopy and stars, extragalactic for the determinationsclusters,abundance young very for functions of mass initial of spectroscopy determinations stars, embedded objects, highly most sub-stellar of classification scientific applications, numberof a suggest including spectral December 2003 December NGSC
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 4 NGSC December 2003 December arrived at Cerro Pachón on October 27. It next will be be will next It 27. October on Pachón Cerro at GNIRS arrived place. took South Gemini to Tucson from GNIRS carefully of shipment then the 24, October On was packed. and disassembled GNIRS requirements. stringent pre-shipment the of all met had GNIRS that and determined Team compliance, Gemini the 15, October On envelope compliance. interface soware space stability, thermal performance, changes, detector orientation instrument stability the optical and as mechanical quality, image including tests, of battery comprehensive a out carried Team Gemini e Facility.Test Flexure NOAO the and on with operating scientists testing, GNIRS the out Gemini carry to in of Tucson to team traveled place engineers A took October. testing and August acceptance pre-shipment GNIRS GNIRS 2003 September the since progress States,United with the in developed being instrumentation Gemini on update status a gives article is programs. science frontline of support in telescopes the Gemini for instrumentation capable and innovative efforts provide its to continues Program Instrumentation NGSC e Dick Joyce (Co-Project Scientist). (Co-Project Joyce Dick and Gaughan Scientist), (Project Neil Elias Jay of Manager), (Project leadership the under NOAO Tucson at out in carried being is project e integral-field modes. and cross-dispersed, long-slit, as well as dispersions, of range a scales, plate two offer will and microns 5 to South 1 from operate Gemini will that the telescope for spectrograph infrared an is (GNIRS) Spectrograph Near-InfraRed Gemini e capabilities, and tutorials Tool. on Phase the Gemini IIObserving opportunities, includeinformationobserving propose for will Gemini howtoon brochures instrument Gemini on in presenceAtlanta.January NGSCmeeting the eAAS at booth a have will Center NOAO Science e Gemini NOAO/NSO Newsletter NOAO/NSO NGSC at the January Meeting AAS 2004 NGSC Instrumentation ProgramUpdate Instrumentation NGSC . Please stop by and see us! Ta Armandroff & Mark Mark & Trueblood TaArmandroff ne te oto o Rn ere n te tay ad of hand steady Joyce. Dick the and George Ron of control the under GNIRS is into for crate shipment lowered its to Gemini South December 2003 December NGSC continued
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 6 in its testing and commissioning activities activities commissioning and sufficiently testing advanced its have anticipate in will We GNIRS that commissioning. and testing, acceptance integration, reassembly, GNIRS with assisting South Gemini at time significant spend final on-sky will members staff NOAO include Several undergo observations. will then which testing, will acceptance GNIRS interfaces. hardware and systems with control South Gemini integrated the fully and cooled, reassembled, NGSC Instrumentation continued FLAMINGOS-2 completed. been has 2004, December cable for planned is which the Gemini, by acceptance final finalizing of NICI to work the of process percent 70 Overall, lengths. the in cabinets is and electronics cooled Gemini-provided, is the received and assembled. MKIR test received been vacuum also have mechanisms first NICI e soon. the expected and assembled, and received have been parts jacket e vacuum NICI NICI for Call 2004B Gemini Proposals. the in included be to NGSC (Project Scientist), Steve Eikenberry Manager). (Project Eikenberry Julian Roger and Steve Scientist), (Co-Project Scientist), Elston (Project Richard of leadership the under multiconjugate Florida of University the by built being is South’s FLAMINGOS-2 system. optics adaptive Gemini capability for spectroscopic multi-object provide a also will It field. a 6.1×2-arcmin over spectra multi-object provide will Gemini at standard the field a 6.1-arcmin-diameter cover will It telescope. South the Gemini for imager and spectrograph object multi- near-infrared a is FLAMINGOS-2 of Toomey. Doug leadership the under NICI, is building Hilo in (MKIR) imaging Infrared Kea Mauna coronagraphic telescope. South Gemini the on capability 5-micron to 1- a dual-beam provide will (NICI) Imager Coronagraphic Infrared Near e December 2003 December f /16 focus in imaging mode, and and mode, imaging in focus /16 continued GNIRS in the Gemini Cerro Pach Cerro GNIRS Gemini in the Chile. inTucson for NOAO the facilities GNIRS leaving Test Facility in preparation for shipment to Gemini South. Gemini to shipment for inpreparation Test Facility Crate of GNIRS cabinets being removed electronics from the NOAO Flexure ó n clean room. n clean December 2003 December NGSC
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7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 1 6 NGSC December 2003 December NGSC Instrumentation continued lae ac or e st ad the ( and site Web our watch Please on theNGSC Web site at W the optical bench, detector, and Solidfilter/grism modeling wheel. of the FLAMINGOS-2 camera dewar showing [email protected] Aer the presentations, questions were entertained from the audience. e presentations are available in PDF format the September proposal30 observing deadline, in Gemini particular instrument capabilities for the 2004A semester. e are happy to report that the first NGSC Webcast forthe UScommunity was a success. e topic the of Webcast was ) if you have) if any suggestions or topics interest of you would covered like to see in future programs. www.noao.edu/usgp/ngsc_webcast.html drse te uine uig h 1 Spebr 2003 September 17 the US community. the to Webcast during audience the addressed NGSC Ken scientist Hinkle and NGSC Taft Armandroff Director OONO Newsletter NOAO/NSO NGSC Webcast is basing the FLAMINGOS-2 OIWFS on the OIWFS that they they that OIWFS the instruments. GMOS on two the for OIWFS developed FLAMINGOS-2 the basing which is Astrophysics, of Institute Herzberg the by provided be will item important This (OIWFS). Sensor Wavefront On-Instrument FLAMINGOS-2 the for contract a refinement. finalized also further team Florida requires The which software, passed for Observatory), except FLAMINGOS-2 CDR, its (Gemini Observatory). (Gemini Lazo Gillies Manuel Kim O’Brien and Tom University), Angeles), Los State at (Ohio California of (University James Larkin University), State (Pennsylvania Ramsey Larry University), State Ohio (Chair, DePoy Darren members Committee CDR review were the in Participating FL. Gainesville, in 2003 August 20–21 on place took FLAMINGOS-2 for (CDR) Review Design A Critical o anucmns f uue ecss As, e u know us let Also, Webcasts. future of announcements for . December 2003 December NGSC
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7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO OBSERVATIONALPROGRAMS Observational Programs NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY
2004A Proposal Process Update
Dave Bell
OAO received 405 observing proposals for telescope time As of this writing, proposals are being reviewed by members of during the 2004A observing semester. ese included the NOAO TAC (see the following listing). We expect all telescope 133 proposals for Gemini, 131 for KPNO, 125 for CTIO, schedules to be completed by 11 December 2003, and we plan to N35 for Keck, and 4 for HET. Ten of the Cerro Tololo proposals notify principal investigators (PIs) of the status of their requests were processed on behalf of the Chilean National Time allocation at that time. Mailed information packets will follow the e-mail Committee (TAC), and five of the Kitt Peak proposals were notifications by about two weeks. processed on behalf of the University of Maryland TAC. esis projects accounted for 23 percent (93 proposals) of those received, Looking ahead to 2004B, Web information and forms will be and 12 proposals requested long-term status. Time-request available on line by late February 2004. e March 2004 Newsletter statistics by telescope and instrument appear in the following will contain updated instrument and proposal information. tables. Subscription rate statistics will be published in the March 2004 Newsletter.
NOAO Survey Program Update
e NOAO Survey program provides up to 20 percent of the time at most NOAO telescopes for major programs of up to five years duration. Fieen programs have been approved, and several are now complete or nearing completion. Survey time is at the 20 percent cap through 2004B, so there will not be a call for new surveys starting in that semester. Watch this space for information on future calls for NOAO Survey proposals. Letters of intent are required for all NOAO Survey proposals, and are generally due about two months before the proposal deadline. We will notify potential investigators (through this Newsletter) of the next call at least eight weeks in advance of the deadline for letters of intent.
18 December 2003 December 2003 19 OBSERVATIONALPROGRAMS Observational Programs NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY 2004A Instrument Request Statistics by Telescope KPNO Telescope Instrument Proposals Runs Total Nights Dark Nights % Dark Avg. Nights/Run KP-4m 63 66 227.8 85 37 3.5 ECH 7 7 24.5 4 16 3.5 FLMN 12 12 45 2 4 3.8 MARS 3 3 9 0 0 3 MOSA 17 17 52.5 44 84 3.1 RCSP 22 22 82 35 43 3.7 SQIID 5 5 14.8 0 0 3 WIYN 41 42 144.2 68.5 47 3.4 DSPK 3 3 15 2 13 5 HYDR 16 16 64.5 41 64 4 MIMO 10 10 26.2 15 57 2.6 SPSPK 4 4 14 2 14 3.5 VIS 4 4 12 0 0 3 WTTM 5 5 12.5 8.5 68 2.5 KP-2.1m 31 34 169.2 71 42 5 CFIM 9 10 65 50 77 6.5 FLMN 5 5 18 0 0 3.6 GCAM 15 16 74 21 28 4.6 SQIID 3 3 12.2 0 0 4.1 KP-0.9m 3 4 25 25 100 6.2 MOSA 3 4 25 25 100 6.2 CTIO Telescope Instrument Proposals Runs Total Nights Dark Nights % Dark Avg. Nights/Run CT-4m 82 99 298.2 75 25 3 ECH 8 9 27 0 0 3 HYDRA 15 16 54.5 11 20 3.4 ISPI 26 30 92.5 0 0 3.1 MOSAIC 20 21 52.3 35 67 2.5 RCSP 20 22 68 29 43 3.1 VIS 1 1 4 0 0 4 CT-1.5m 9 9 38.5 10 26 4.3 CSPEC 9 9 38.5 10 26 4.3 CT-1.3m 16 16 64.2 7.5 12 4 ANDI 16 16 64.2 7.5 12 4 CT-1.0m 2 2 12 12 100 6 CFIM 2 2 12 12 100 6 CT-0.9m 16 17 114 18 16 6.7 CFIM 16 17 114 18 16 6.7
18 December 2003 December 2003 19 Observational Programs Observational Programs
Gemini Telescope Instrument Proposals Runs Total Nights Dark Nights % Dark Avg. Nights/Run GEM-N 77 91 177.7 91.8 52 2 GMOSN 50 58 115.2 88.4 77 2 NIRI 29 33 62.5 3.4 5 1.9 GEM-S 59 64 123.4 8.8 7 1.9 GMOSS 12 12 16.5 8.8 54 1.4 Phoenix 23 23 46.1 0 0 2 TReCS 25 29 60.8 0 0 2.1
Community Access Telescope Instrument Proposals Runs Total Nights Dark Nights % Dark Avg. Nights/Run Keck-I 13 13 21 10.5 50 1.5 HIRES 6 6 11 4 36 1.8 LRIS 4 4 6.5 6.5 100 1.6 LWS 3 3 3.5 0 0 1.2 Keck-II 22 25 39.5 10 25 1.6 DEIMOS 5 5 9 9 100 1.8 ESI 1 1 1 1 100 1 NIRC2 4 6 7 0 0 1.2 NIRSPAO 2 2 3 0 0 1.5 NIRSPEC 10 11 19.5 0 0 1.8 HET 4 4 7.5 5.2 69 1.9 HRS 2 2 3.5 2 57 1.8 LRS 2 2 4 3.2 80 2 NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter
20 December 2003 December 2003 21 Observational Programs Observational Programs
2004A TAC Members
Extragalactic (28–29 October 2003) Galactic (30–31 October 2003) Dave De Young, NOAO (C) Sidney Wolff, NOAO (C) Tod Lauer, NOAO (C) Abi Saha, NOAO (C) John Mulchaey, Carnegie Observatories (C) Suzanne Hawley, University of Washington (C)
Lee Armus, CalTech Lori Allen, SAO Stephane Courteau, University of British Columbia Suchitra Balachandran, University of Maryland Roelof De Jong, STScI Michael Briley, University of Wisconsin Ian Dell’Antonio, Brown University Margaret Hanson, University of Cincinnati Arjun Dey, NOAO Rob Hynes, University of Texas at Austin Erica Ellingson, University of Colorado Ray Jayawardhana, University of Michigan Harry Ferguson, STScI James Liebert, University of Arizona Anthony Gonzalez, University of Florida Julie Lutz, University of Washington Crystal Martin, University of California at Santa Barbara Ken Mighell, NOAO Brian McNamara, Ohio University Knut Olsen, NOAO/CTIO Philip Pinto, University of Arizona Caty Pilachowski, Indiana University Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, SIRTF Science Center Steve Ridgway, NOAO Nick Suntzeff, NOAO/CTIO Verne Smith, University of Texas at El Paso Rogier Windhorst, Arizona State University Kim Venn, Macalester College Ann Zabludoff, University of Arizona Rene Walterbos, New Mexico State University
Solar System (27 October 2003) Dave De Young, NOAO (C)
William Hubbard, University of Arizona Robert Millis, Lowell Observatory Susan Wyckoff, Arizona State University NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter
20 December 2003 December 2003 21 CTIO/CERROTOLOLO CTIO INTER-AMERICAN OBSERVATORY Enhancing Excellence
Alistair Walker
he past few years have been a period and we are looking forward to the imminent providing new opportunities for NOAO of rapid change at CTIO. We have appointment of an NGSC Deputy Director, users. In 2004, the consortium will deliver welcomed new projects—Gemini who will be stationed in La Serena. e new instrumentation and move from a TSouth and, more recently, the Southern Blanco wide-field telescope is also a crucial three- to a four-telescope system. Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR). element of the US system of telescopes, and Elsewhere in Chile, the Very Large Telescope over the next few years its performance will I am proud to have been appointed director (VLT) and Magellan have commenced be enhanced with new instruments. CTIO of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, operations, and earlier this month the will soon be operating the high-performance and thus have the opportunity to lead groundbreaking ceremony for the Atacama SOAR 4-meter, with a suite of state-of- its scientific and technical staff in these Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) took the-art instruments, and will later install exciting and challenging efforts I see the place. e way astronomers are doing their an innovative Adaptive Optics system that primary function of the CTIO Director as science is changing too: large collaborative will be a precursor to the type required providing the scientific leadership necessary efforts involving many facilities, on the for the next generation of extremely large to enhance the capabilities of CTIO as an ground and in space, are increasingly the telescopes. Indeed, CTIO staff are fully observatory, plus working together with norm. e rapid growth in communications engaged in both the irty-Meter Telescope associate directors and other managers of bandwidth is permitting easier access to (TMT) and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope NOAO programs to ensure efficient and archives storing astronomical data from (LSST) projects, along with our Tucson integrated operation of NOAO in developing many facilities, and allowing educational, colleagues and other partners. e NOAO new facilities and capabilities. technical, and astronomical interactions Major Instrumentation Program and Data between colleagues separated by thousands Products Program are essential to the A notable feature of CTIO, and one that is of kilometers. ese are exciting times, and optimum utilization of the present facilities, directly responsible for its enviable international CTIO will be playing a very full and active and will also serve the future telescopes. reputation, is the cohesiveness and motivation part in 21st century astronomy. Again, the skills of CTIO personnel play an of its highly dedicated staff. is has been a important role in these programs. Finally, feature of CTIO for 40 years, and as the new Support of US astronomers using Gemini innovative ways to keep small telescopes CTIO director, I will strive to preserve and is a vital duty of the NOAO Gemini operating at low cost have been developed, enhance these vital characteristics. Science Center (NGSC), which has staff with the SMARTS consortium rejuvenating stationed in both Tucson and La Serena, the small-telescope science at CTIO and
A Tribute to Malcolm Smith
Nicholas Suntzeff
alcolm Smith has stepped down as the director of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) aer a ten-year tenure in the position. Fortunately, he will continue as the MAURA Observatories Director in Chile and as an astronomer at NOAO. Malcolm has been a long-time member of the NOAO staff and a tireless supporter of the US national NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter observatories. He was a postdoctoral research associate at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) from 1967–69, and an astronomer at CTIO from 1969–76, where he participated in the inauguration of the Blanco 4-meter Telescope. From there he went to the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) as a Research Scientist, then to the Royal Observatory Edinburgh as Head of Technology, finally moving to Hawaii as the Director of the Joint Astronomy Center (JAC).
Malcolm has led CTIO through ten years of remarkable change, and is leaving it a significantly stronger observatory. rough his leadership, he has integrated the Gemini South 8-meter telescope into the umbrella of AURA Observatories in Chile, merging the service aspect of both CTIO and Gemini into
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22 December 2003 December 2003 23 CTIO/CERROTOLOLO CTIO INTER-AMERICAN OBSERVATORY Tribute to Malcolm Smith continued
a coordinated support operation, much as he did at the careers in Chilean universities. Malcolm and his wife, JAC. Perhaps his most important achievement as CTIO Anamaria, worked hard to make La Serena a sister city to Hilo, Director and AURA representative in Chile was working HI, forming a very beneficial and active teacher exchange with the Chilean Executive Branch and Chilean Congress program between the two cities. Right now, a number of La to cra a law allowing foreign observatories like CTIO and Serena teachers are in Hilo, giving classes and learning new Gemini to operate in Chile under important guarantees. educational technologies to bring back to Chile. I have heard some of my Chilean colleagues state that it was Malcolm’s quiet and reasoned diplomacy that was the During Malcolm’s tenure, it became evident that the single key in getting the Astronomy Law passed through remarkable growth of Chile would bring about one Chilean Congress. downside—light pollution. Malcolm consequently organized an effort to study the effects of light pollution, and helped Malcolm has also worked to get a new 4-meter facility Chilean authorities dra a light pollution law that should installed at CTIO, the Southern minimize the effects of light Astrophysical Research Telescope pollution on the observatories, not (SOAR). Following the previous I have heard some of my Chilean only in the La Serena region, but Decadal Survey recommendations colleagues state that it was Malcolm’s across the whole country. for the funding and building of quiet and reasoned diplomacy that was 4-meter-class telescopes, CTIO Malcolm is the second famous will have a new state-of-the-art 4- the single key in getting the Astronomy native of Tavistock, England to meter telescope on Cerro Pachón, Law passed through Chilean Congress. leave his mark on the La Serena in collaboration with the SOAR area. e previous one sacked partners at the University of North and burned our neighboring city, Carolina, Michigan State University, and Brazil. rough Coquimbo. Fortunately, with such a strong light pollution the SMARTS partnership, CTIO has also added a 1.3-meter law in place, it is fair to say that such heinous behavior by telescope (the 2MASS telescope) to the suite of small telescopes the likes of Sir Francis Drake would not be tolerated by the available to the US community. Malcolm leaves an observatory authorities now. that offers more telescope aperture than when he began, and a bright future for further telescope projects. Frankly though, I can’t say I will miss Malcolm. Aer all, he is not going anywhere! I look forward to being his colleague on Malcolm has also been a strong supporter of public outreach the CTIO staff, where he will once again be able to fully pursue in Chile and internationally. He has helped bring in funding his scientific interests in QSO and AGN research. Malcolm for an educational planetarium for the area, and has worked was a pioneer in the 70s and 80s in the field of emission line to fund a municipal observatory in Vicuna. Both of these galaxies. He has kept up an active interest in the field, and he efforts have greatly raised interest in astronomy in the La will now have more time to do the science he loves with the Serena area and have stimulated students to pursue science facilities that he was instrumental in building.
SOAR AOS Passes Acceptance Testing
Steve Heathcote & Victor Krabbendam
he SOAR project passed a major milestone during support system for the primary mirror can precisely and October with the successful completion of acceptance reproducibly control the mirror’s figure. By properly NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter testing of the telescope’s Active Optics System (AOS), adjusting the forces on the 120 electromechanical actuators Tmarking the culmination of more than four years of design it was possible to optimize the shape of the mirror, achieving and optical fabrication efforts by contractor Goodrich a surface quality of better than 22 nanometers RMS, (easily Aerospace. is series of tests, carried out over a three-month surpassing the 26 nanometers RMS requirement) or period, establishes that the completed AOS is functioning alternatively “dial-in” predictable amounts of various optical properly and fully meets SOAR’s exacting requirements. aberrations.
In one especially crucial set of tests, interferometric Another set of tests established that the servo control system measurements were used to demonstrate that the active for the tertiary fast-steering mirror meets strict requirements
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22 December 2003 December 2003 23 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 2 4 n pce crfly o is og ore t Cie e Chile. Goodrich the to from trucked disassembled be journey will AOS the long of components being its for is carefully AOS packed and the complete, testing With control system. function components AOS the properly all together under the command the SOAR of telescope that verified test level system final jitter.residualA and bandwidth closed-loop on SOAR AOS Testing Passes continued and guidance to their projects. We to have are pleased very him back on site. andrelated science. He Data Productsjoinedthe Southgrouphasalso (about toprovideone-thirdhistime) of scientific input Sean is joining the NOAO staff as apostdoctoral fellow workingwith Chris Smith onthe MagellanicCloud Emission-line Survey wavelengths. was afrequent Sean visitor to CTIO for his thesis and related observations. Chu on a study the large-scale the interstellar structure of of medium in the Large Magellanic Cloud at optical, radio, and X-ray S and controllers, CCD wrap, cable camera, guide probe, guide slides, filter rotator, optics, ADCs, the of Installation successfully performed on 30. October was optics its without instrument the with test a instrument easier,and the of dismounting and mounting made the make been to had modifications minor some August, in run T the day aer thelaying thefirst stone of theat SOAR site. be SOARthe of telescope will on Saturday, 17 April this 2004, yearssix to that hope We earlyApril, in achieved light. first for readied be will everything and mount, telescope the with integrated be will AOS the of componentschamber, coatingthe South Gemini the in aluminized be will mirror primary the site, on Once the deliver will optics toPachón Cerro during thefirst week January.of truck a schedule, current the to according San PortAntonio,the of Panamato Canal Chile. From there, the through them carry freighterwill thata aboard loaded be plant in Danbury, CT, to the Port of New York, where they will CTIO December 2003 December Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Sean has a PhD from the University of Illinois, where he worked with You-Hua fellowpostdoctoralyears twointerstellara workingforpast the the onstudiesbeen has Farwhere heof the University,medium with Northwestern from arrived He October. in Serena La in staff scientific South NOAO the joined Points ean SOAR building on Cerro Pachón. Aer the first trial trial first the Aer Pachón. Cerro on building SOAR the in integrated successfully been has (SOI) Imager Optical SOAR SOAR, the for instrument first-light he SOAR Optical Imager Integrated on Cerro Pach just in time for the formal dedication formal the for time in New Arrivals Hugo E. Schwarz Hugo E. Chris Smith Chris Congratulations to theSOI team well for done! ajobvery other tests. moreextensiveandflexure for November on 3 telescope the CCD, science the with completeandthe instrument went on taken were Images optics. the through straight and guide probe the using both limits, specified within is everything that without show tests flexure Preliminary the SOI. proceeded the of with axis optical aligned CCDs was probe science guide the the and complications, with dewar the acceptance testing of the active optics system. optics of active of the testing acceptance completion successful the following team project SOAR the and staff Aerospace Goodrich of members with seen is structure, support its on mounted mirror, SOARprimary The ó n December 2003 December CTIO
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 2 4 CTIO December 2003 December ehia pa sol peet cneta dsg o the of design conceptual a present should plan technical e proposals. merit-based through instrument the community of astronomy use anticipated of outline an also and NOAO,with partnership in be may which team, proposing the by undertaken be to science compelling of description a include should plan science e plan.management a and Proposers will need to submit a science plan, a technical plan, 4-meter Mayall www.noao.edu/ets/newfirm/ the at described is wide-field with NEWFIRM 2006. in the Peak Kitt Telescopeon NEWFIRM sharing begin imager to infrared plan We Gemini. SOAR and on new instrumentation by replaced been will have capabilities their since spectrographs, Echelle and RC the retired have to the expect of we here, solicited new instrument the time of commissioning likely / e r u t u the F e h T / s e Blanco_prop.html p o c s e l e t be at can found its the and instrumentation, of telescope Blanco descriptions links to and Announcement Opportunity, of full e gateway/oir_workshop/ at system, ground- (O/IR) optical/infrared based the on workshop first the on report the obtainedfrom southern be can system US the hemisphere. in Guidancethe on those particular the in community, US to available facilities view of system-wide a proposed with any consistent Additionally, be should telescope. instrument the of foci RC or prime the of capability wide-field the exploit to opportunity proposed, instrument special be thatcana of see wetype the on restrictions no are there Although (CTIO). Observatory N eeo a ao nw ntuet o te Blanco Inter-AmericanTololo the Cerro at Telescope for 4-meter instrument to new opportunity major a partnership develop a announces OAO www.ctio.noao.edu/ www.noao.edu/ Announcement of Opportunity for aBlanco . By By . . . Instrumentation Partnership Alistair Walker Alistair and acceptance testing, should be included. e managementincluded.testing,eacceptance be and should management structure, along with a schedule of project reviews data management between the proposer and NOAO. A general andplanedevelopment,design and focal dataacquisition, and optomechanical covering packages work for responsibilities managementsharingof proposede outline shouldthe plan committed. be to resources the with project the of feasibility the assess to reviewers peer for depth sufficient in instrument with you. at contactAlistair Walker to encouraged arePotentialproposers due 15 August 2004. at available telescopes/eFuture/Blanco_prop.html be also will information technical and Instructions proposal. the of scope the and form on guidance give to and inquiries, technical proposers’ answer to appointed be will person contact NOAO an time, March2004.NOAOat15 Atintent due thatonare of Letters [email protected] W lo frad o working to forward look We . p o 0 ecn o Blanco of percent 30 to Up the explain broader theproject. impacts of and outreach, plan for educational and public plan should also include a basic and other expertise. at NOAO with optomechanical interface engineering an with work to expect can proposer Virtual successful e National Observatory. data the with including compatible is that acquisition, system, in proposer developingdataa management successful the with partner NOAO to expect would prices. million real-year $4 at of nominal value combined annual a system with control upgraded an the and telescope the of contributeoperation will NOAO available for the science project. years commencing in 2007 or 2008 is five for time telescope December 2003 December . www.ctio.noao.edu/ ul rpsl are proposals Full CTIO
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO KPNO/KITTPEAK KPNO NATIONAL OBSERVATORY
A Year of Ambitious Plans for WIYN Projects
Richard Green
nvigorated by the crisp fall weather technical team have designed a replacement design of the bench to increase throughput in Madison, WI, the WIYN Board system that is maintainable and more with only minimal degradation in spectral met in early October and encouraged tolerant to alignment errors, and which resolution. ey have also investigated Ivigorous progress on four major WIYN may shorten the reconfiguration time an off-axis collimator and novel field lens instrumentation initiatives. considerably. e design passed critical group that can lead to up to three times design review in September, and is greater throughput. e Board approved As the external five-year review the design project to proceed to pointed out in 2001, WIYN Preliminary Design Review next delivers the best images over spring. Meanwhile, the KPNO a wide field of view of any e result will be a system that promises reliable technical group is fabricating a continental US facility. at performance for the remainder of the decade. mount for a new 740 lines per compliment is validated by the millimeter VPH grating. Such reported modal seeing over the gratings typically deliver additional last year and a half of 0.58 arcsec. To further already well along in fabrication. Behzad improvements in throughput (up to a factor capitalize on this ability, the consortium Abareshi is porting the code to Linux, and of two). is focusing on investments in wide-field a substantial lab testing period is planned spectroscopy and in rapid guiding for before installation during next summer’s is new grating affords approximately 400 sharpened imaging. shutdown. Commissioning is likely to angstroms of coverage between half power extend into early fall of 2004, in order to points with R ~ 2000 in first order, with e first project slated for completion is validate astrometric solutions during stable a central wavelength range between 8000 the Hydra positioner upgrade. e current weather conditions. e result will be a angstroms and 1 micron. In second order, x-y stages require critical alignment and system that promises reliable performance it has an almost equally high throughput are obsolete in terms of direct replacement for the remainder of the decade. (greater than 90 percent). e grating will parts for lead screws, motors and controllers. be tested on the telescope this fall, thanks Building on the Hydra/CTIO e original design of the bench to the Harmers’ development of a working heritage, Gary Muller spectrograph concentrated on configuration, which includes a flat that will and an NOAO- spectral purity and assumed accommodate the transmission optic on the b a s e d only modest focal ratio existing bench. degradation from the fiber outputs. e consequence e WIYN tip-tilt module (WTTM) is for the as-built system expected to have its most marked effect in was a modest the near infrared. Its general performance throughput and in the optical range was validated in noticeable October by cross-comparison with John l i g h t Tonry’s University of Hawaii OPTIC camera l o s s e s containing orthogonal transfer (OT) CCDs. for end In both cases, the fast guiding improved the NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter f i b e r s . 0.4-arcsec delivered images to approximately M a t t 0.3 arcsec FWHM, as expected. Pat Knezek B e r s h a d y obtained a narrowband [O III] image in a (University of half-hour exposure ending at two airmasses, Wisconsin) and Charles with a FWHM of 0.6 arcsec with the OPTIC and Di Harmer have led an camera. To capitalize on the excellent effort to modify the optomechanical imaging potential of WTTM, Margaret continued NOAO engineer Gary Muller’s model image of the Hydra positioner stage.
26 December 2003 December 2003 27 KPNO/KITTPEAK KPNO NATIONAL OBSERVATORY Ambitious Plans for WIYN continued
Meixner at Space Telescope Science Institute has received internal funding to start construction of WHIRC, the WIYN High-Resolution IR Camera. It will be designed to produce two pixel scales, 0.06 arcsec and 0.12 arcsec, on a 2K×2K HgCdTe detector. e initial implementation would be with a 1K×1K detector provided by NOAO. With additional resources provided by WIYN, the preliminary design should be completed early next calendar year.
Finally, the prospects of image improvement through local fast guiding have motivated the development of the One-Degree Imager. is gigapixel camera will be based on orthogonal transfer arrays (OTAs) of OT CCDs. e project has made tremendous progress, with the successful initiation of the first foundry run of OTAs.
George Jacoby (Project Scientist) has engaged the design and production talents of Dick Bredthauer (Semiconductor Technology Associates) to produce the masks to run through the Dalsa foundry. Mike Lesser (ITL) will perform the thinning and packaging. e design is the result of a highly productive collaboration Kafka and Honeycutt’s composite B and Z image of M3 taken with WTTM. between Jacoby, Bredthauer, and Lesser with Barry Burke of MIT Lincoln Labs and John Tonry and of testing. e WIYN Board authorized aluminization of the primary mirror Gerry Luppino of the University of George and the development phase next summer and the near-term Hawaii through interaction between manager, Pat Knezek, to proceed with replacement of the azimuth precision WIYN and the PanSTARRS project. mechanical design to bring the entire bearings, and you can get an idea of the NOAO is simultaneously developing system up to Conceptual Design Review extremely busy year ahead for WIYN, a version of its new Monsoon data level. e goal is for science operations as well as the amount of contributions acquisition system to operate OTAs. to begin in 2007. KPNO and NOAO/Tucson are making e confluence is expected next March for these impressive improvements. or April, with a working OTA and Add to these considerable instru- controller in the lab for the beginning mentation efforts the planned NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter
26 December 2003 December 2003 27 NATIONALSOLAROBSERVATORY NSO TUCSON, ARIZONA • SAC PEAK, NEW MEXICO
From the NSO Director’s Office
Steve Keil
SO staff and several of our partners have been busy this generation bidimensional spectrometry instrument based on fall preparing a construction proposal for the Advanced a dual Fabry-Perot interferometric system. It combines high- Technology Solar Telescope (ATST). e proposal will be spectral resolution with short exposure times and a large field of Nsubmitted by the end of 2003 to comply with the National Science view, as well as the ability to work in polarized light. is will allow Foundation Major Research Equipment program schedule for a it to address a variety of observational programs in solar physics. potential startup in 2006. e proposal is based on the conceptual IBIS is one of the concepts under consideration for a visible light, design developed over the past few years that was reviewed at a narrowband filter for the ATST. It is currently fed by the low-order Conceptual Design Review in late August. adaptive optics system and can be used simultaneously with the horizontal spectrograph and other filter systems. A parallel effort to submit a proposal to the European Union (EU) to participate in the final stages of the design effort is being New data collection computers are being installed at the DST organized for the EU Sixth Framework Program. is will hopefully facility, and a data transfer system is being established to allow set the stage for later European participation in the telescope users to take the data home on the medium of their choice. e construction phase. system will be available for users during the next several quarters.
Because of the unique role the ATST will play in resolving fundamental ✹ magnetoconvection processes and magnetic fine structure throughout the solar atmosphere, its impact will be much broader than solar Aer a short hiatus from workshops, NSO is planning to hold its physics alone. e ATST will elucidate the mechanisms involved 22nd Sacramento Peak Workshop on large-scale processes and the in plasma-field interactions that are seen throughout astrophysics, role they play in solar activity. Dates of the meeting are still being plasma physics, and solar-terrestrial and space physics. Our guest determined, and an official announcement will be made soon. Feel editorial by Eugene Parker presents a wonderful summary of some of free to contact K. Sankarasubramanian ([email protected]) if you these broader impacts. have questions about the workshop or would like to participate.
✹ Next spring, Sac Peak will also host a NASA-sponsored US Planning Workshop for the 2007 International Heliophysical Aer a month of overlapping magnetograms with SOLIS, the Kitt Year. For more information on this planning workshop, contact Peak Vacuum Telescope (KPVT) took its last observations on 21 K. S. Balasubramanaiam ([email protected]). September 2003. Many of the staff and community who operated the KPVT and used its output showed up for a final farewell ceremony. ✹ e KPVT facility is now being prepared for SOLIS, which we anticipate moving up to the mountain early in 2004. NSO is pleased to welcome three new employees. Mark Komsa, an instrumentation engineer comes to Sac Peak from Youngstown, ✹ OH, where he gained experience with a variety of hardware and soware working in application and soware engineering. Several changes in NSO observing capabilities have begun to take place Andrew Whitehorse has been hired as a general maintenance recently. e solar group from Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory in person and will work with craspersons at Sac Peak in support Florence brought their Interferometric BI-dimensional Spectrometer of the facilities maintenance program. Igor Suarez-Sola will work (IBIS) narrowband filter system to Sacramento Peak, where it has with Frank Hill on the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) project in been installed at the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST). IBIS is a next- Tucson as a senior soware engineer. NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter
28 December 2003 December 2003 29 NATIONALSOLAROBSERVATORY NSO TUCSON, ARIZONA • SAC PEAK, NEW MEXICO
Scientific Perspective for the ATST
he magnetic-gravitational-plasma Universe is the It is only when we get to the Sun that remote, ground-based subject of contemporary astrophysics, and it exhibits a study becomes possible. e visible surface of the Sun is seemingly endless variety of exotic phenomena that are opaque, by definition, and it exhibits numerous magnetic Tmysterious, baffling, and challenging. Each major advance in phenomena that are a part of the overall activity of the observational technology reveals a new facet of the Universe. Sun. e sunspot is the classic example, followed by flares, prominences, the corona, magnetic active regions, magnetic e one common thread is the involvement of plasma and fibrils, etc. So the concept of a placid “eternal” Sun has been magnetic fields. Presumably the diverse plasma phenomena supplanted by the revelation that it is an ordinary star, despite are all consequences of the basic laws of physics, learned from its multibillion-year life expectancy, alive with transients that observations of the solar system and from experiments in are for the most part created by the interaction of magnetic the terrestrial laboratory. It should be understood, however, fields and the convectively driven plasma. We are so used that the basic laws of physics—Newton, Maxwell, Lorentz, Boltzmann, Planck, Einstein, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, Dirac, et al.—allow an infinite variety of effects, so we generally understand the manifestations of the basic laws only insofar as nature exhibits them to us. e distant plasma manifestations observed in the Universe turn the problem around, demanding a connection back to the basic laws. So we speculate on the nature of the exotic plasma effects in the distant phenomena.
It is natural to ask what dynamical manifestations can be seen in laboratory experiments with magnetized plasma. Unfortunately, the small size of the terrestrial plasma physics laboratory mostly limits the experimental effects to transient phenomena. Steady flows of plasma can be studied, but any quasi-equilibrium of field and plasma is short lived. Indeed, the complexity of the plasma dynamics is astounding. Were it not, plasma fusion of hydrogen into helium would have been achieved long ago, and today plasma fusion might well be a major energy source in the world.
Larger dimensions are needed to explore the dynamics of plasmas and magnetic fields, and the astronomical Universe is the available venue. e magnetosphere of Earth is the ATST layout design presented at CoDR. nearest “natural” plasma dynamical demonstration, but it suffers the disadvantage of transparency. e ground-based to this concept nowadays that we fail to appreciate the full observer looks right through it, so that diagnostics are implications—that the magnetic activity of a star is a whole field of astrophysics in its own right.
limited to magnetic fluctuations at the surface of Earth with NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter measurements of the field, plasma, and fast particles carried out in situ with spacecra instruments. In recent decades, astronomical observations have found the Universe to be full of violently active objects, from e solar wind is, of course, an integral part of the X-ray stars to active galactic nuclei and their black holes, magnetospheric dynamics, again suffering from nearly from accretion disks to relativistic jets. Activity, whether the perfect transparency and, hence, studied only through in situ magnetic activity of a star like the Sun or the gravitationally measurements. fed explosive activity of an active galactic nucleus, is the rule
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28 December 2003 December 2003 29 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 0 rm h Sn s rbby h oe xeto, lcn the placing exception, one the probably is Sun the from detect, nor the theoretician have guessed. e X-ray emission not would observer distant a that activity magnetic exhibits comparativelymodest,continuallyis activity Sun, whose e large-scale effects. only to explanationand speculation theoretical limiting thus galaxies,and starsdistant the featuresof gross the than more see Unhappily,exception.to the way than no haverather we Scientific Perspective for the ATST continued in complicated ways, accompanied by microflares and microflares by accompanied ways, complicated other each in with interact fibrils e not measurable. arepresently appearances, momentary by indicated is existence whose fibrils, smaller e seeing. excellent of periods brief during made be can flux magnetic total the measurementsof brightnessand,properlynotresolved,their by while detected are directly diameter) in kilometers (100–200 fibrils larger complex e fibrils. a or bundles, flux as magnetic individual surface of tapestry of visible the fields through magnetic emerge the Sun that the then, appreciated, be must It current in effectively solar telescopes. resolved not is kilometers 100 Even fibrils.magnetic individual inof interactions and involved structure the seemingly arcsec) (0.04–0.1 kilometers 100 up to reconnection, magnetic rapid in formed sheets current the of thickness the meters,in from range scales small active e task. scientific fundamental accomplishthis to close too none is Sun noted,activity.the already magnetic And,asfor foundationtheoretical solid a buildingfor laboratoryphysics plasma necessary the the provides So,Sun the by exhibited scales. activity small the of understanding precise more a to today of developing first without galaxies to phenomenaand stars of classes other solar active the of theories gross the from quantitatively extrapolate well very cannot we but We infer that other stars exhibit (meters and kilometers) scales. small very of development dynamical the atmosphere without solar conducting highly the in fields of magnetic reconnection rapid no is there particular, In processes. there were not internal if small-scale occur could effects scale large- these of None surface. energy visible the is through minimum flux emerging magnetic to fresh where connections regions above field configurations magnetic the of the X-ray corona, as well as the rapid, but quiet, readjustments such things as coronal aremass ejections and mind flares,in the heatinghave of we that phenomena major e Earth. on point vantage our from even see to difficult are scales small very those and Sun, the on phenomena active major the role in essential an plays structure small-scale very that years at distance.detected a However, clearrecentitin become has be can that emitters X-ray weak of myriads the among Sun NSO December 2003 December similar dynamical phenomena, wi u o sae o 3 t 20 ioees mn the among kilometers and temperature structure. e 200 small-scale fluid motions are to 30 interacting of fibrils and ultimately,the scales associated small-scale fluid on motions and, us surprises await what detected anticipate to way no be is ere understood. to waiting observations, present from hiding world astronomical new a is there So systematic exploration and study. understood because we cannot see the fibrils well enough for all at not is world this fibrils, but magnetic the in rooted all levels,coronalat threads and loops active a of worldfantastic reveal spacecra ACE and TRACE, SoHO, e region. transitionchromosphere and the in ultraviolet extreme and of jets Tiny penumbra.and umbra filamentary complicated its with sunspot, a form to regions,active for reasonsome locally sometimescoalescing magnetic complex the form that fibrils of myriads these is unknown.isSun Itthe of surface the formingbeneaththeir of manner e guesswork. theoretical remains interactions and structure individual their of nature the nanoflares, and the diverse other stars. activity of complex appreciateinvolvedbetternature, toisin comewhat will itswe of understanding better a its have studying we behaviors, of years this some aer observe when, And closely microworld. to necessary resolution spatial of high numbers large and cadence, take rapid dispersion, high the provide will to photons It (ATST). Telescope Solar new observational technology like the byAdvanced Technologydiscovered be to waiting is Sun the of microworld is with existing seen in sizeto instruments. be chromosphere, the through up transition region, and corona, because they are interactions just too small fibril the of simplynot known at present, nor are atmosphericthe effects Departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Physics and &Astrophysics, Astronomy of Departments Chicago of University e S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus N. Parker Eugene
hot gas show up in ultraviolet in up show gas hot December 2003 December NSO
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 0 NSO December 2003 December ein n promn adtoa CFD additional performing and design adjustingventsopen.theWebe allwill domewiththecenteroccursnearthe of to 30 percent of 20 the calculatedoutside approximately wind speed. average was is throughput e conditions. wind external of variety a under thedome assess inside patterns to and rates used air-flow was effort modeling is modeling. (CFD)Dynamics Fluid Computational initial for Incorporated CAD three-dimensional model of the enclosure A was sent to Fluent previoussystem. ventilation from passive the to were changes designs major e enclosuretheCoDR. thedesignpriorto A number of modifications were made to Enclosure atst.nso.edu/meetings/codr/ Science and at available are Workingreports Group Committee as CoDR well the as article presentations, the individual e this CoDR. of the at presented aspects material of several summarizes remainder e calendar year. the of end the by Foundation Science construction ATST proposalforsubmissionNational the to the on working been the also has team by e team. prepared project were by groups, both offered recommendations useful very the addressing for plans include which ASWG, and by Committee the CoDR to Responses led Rimmele. (ASWG), omas Group Working Science Carnegie ATST the of from and Johns Institute, the Matt by committee, chaired from review design 11-person feedback received project constructive e attendance. people in 70 approximately were NM. Sunspot,ere in August in held (CoDR), was Review Design Conceptual T oa Tlsoe AS) the (ATST), Telescope Technology Solar Advanced review the design of major first he ATST Passes through Conceptual Design Review . ak anr Rn rc, Nathan various aspects of the telescope assembly Price, Dalrymple, Ron andHubbardRob presented Warner, Mark Telescope and Facility Design the ATST site is chosen. aspects and site-specific topography once thermal addlikely Futurewill modeling conditions. direction wind most under two factorof a bythisraise modeling to Figure 1.ATST Telescope Assembly. Jim Oschmann & the ATST &the Jim Oschmann Team ra ta w ne t big p o an to up bring to need we that few areas a however, also, are ere conceptual level. a at considered normally is what beyond areas most in thermal evolved supports, have piping and wraps, cable as systems, such Details mirror optics. feed and secondary stop, heat assemblies, and primary as the such areas critical expanded with 1, figure in shown is design telescope e details. performance and design December 2003 December NSO continued
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 2 that this feature would be critical critical be would feature this that ASWGthe and committee the between agreementunanimous was ere area. instrument Gregorian the at rotator a direct result a of this Asreview, we levels.are adding required to telescope the of properties polarization the will calibrate we how as such level, equivalent ATST continued Review Passes the preliminary design phase. during address to remain challenges thermal mirrors deformable the and cooling system. the Some feed of optics simple relatively a of implementation was complete and looks acceptable with mirror secondary for baseline the modeling element finite ermal optics. the of all for presented were thermal options control and details, concept design analysis, thermal More systems leading up to the CoDR. to the telescope optics and their changes major no were ere Optics forsuch mirrors have begun. vendors Initial with discussions mirrors. deformable the of aspects thermal in and environment, lab coudé warm telescope air relatively the andenvironment ambient the between optics.Further work laytheinterfacein feed and stop, heat mirror,secondary systems,otherincludingthe of number a and these for estimated were needs mirror.primarytheand domeCooling temperature variations were Daytime used in his model for the effects. seeing resulting with differences temperature of modeling his validate to measurements used were Bear Big from and Gemini Data design. enclosure hybrid ATST the of effects seeing and control thermal presented Dalrymple Nathan Considerationsermal Gregorian the of instrument station. use science the to NSO December 2003 December coudé lab. upper the on examples concept two-instrument and Figure 2. Beam reducer, instrument camera feed paths, vrey f ntuet combinations instrument of variety a allowing ATST, of address needs flexibility to the meant is lab beam of the coudé collimated e input two 2). figure the (see floors of either above heightconvenient a to relayed with pupil the beam collimated a provides100-millimeter is reducer. beam a concept uses present our lab, coudé the to feed collimated multiple the From feed instruments. to is design evolution optical the significant in of area One the of ATST off-axisconcept. testing and manufacturing the of feasibility the support studies ese to session information.vendor closed proprietary protect in presented studies fabrication were M1 the of Results anann te oain f h flat, the of location while the instrument maintaining any to input the at to magnification or elements scale plate the two modify the of for changes allows system easy is CoDR. the at presented concepts several of one was system camera two-mirror e system. camera a two-mirror by followed floor, lab coudé the above path collimated the an added, instrument appropriatesplitter beam into inserted is new each For added. be easily can more butshown, is simultaneously instruments two feeding for design dra A changes. future and f aai; mgn, iil, tunable, visible, imaging, Hawaii); of near- (Universityspectropolarimeter infrared Observatory); Altitude (High spectropolarimeter imager visible broadband (Lockheed); light visible use: the observatory for evaluating simultaneous and flexible of and telescope the by provided facilities purpose the for presented were instruments the following on thoughts initial and Concepts Instrumentation multiple instruments. feed to optics feed camera identical sets of multiple purchasing by saved be any the can money and used at be wavelengthcan With instruments optics, reflective plane. focal telecentric r ecuae t lo a or Web our at look to encouraged are Readers method. observing common a in changes handles that system block instrument virtual model steps in as a very flexible building the where is is scenarios. variousobserving in together Controls and Soware New Jersey Institute Technology). of tunable Solar and Research Solar Center, Observatory Bear (Big system Institute); filter infrared Kiepenheuer NSO, (NASA, filter narrow-passband of instruments that need to work to need that instruments of arrangement flexible and diverse a support we how is area key A control system. telescope the through controlled how are and interact with these along etc.), control, mountas control, mirror primary (such presented was control subsystem the telescope major each of for systems overview An Model.” Instrument requirements, “Virtual overview,the and overview, design design technical functional including presented, were and design soware controls system-level e continued December 2003 December NSO
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3 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 2 NSO December 2003 December data regularly since mid-August. is was coordinated coordinated Telescope Vacuum Peak was Kitt the at is taken data similar with mid-August. since regularly data I were quality image delivered and telescope the of analysis uperror budget analysis. Withdistributions,the Monte Carlo bottom-the tostatistics) model siteseeing, thermal and wind initial estimates and statistical data where available (including quality.image deliveredWe added on have bear which of all three highest Histhe priority efforts haveon budgets, focused Rob Hubbard presented top-down, system-level error budgets. Systems Engineering controls and soware. ATST of aspects other and this on informationmore for site ATST continued Review Passes vector spectromagnetograph (VSM) has been taking taking been has (VSM) aperture spectromagnetograph e 50-centimeter vector the SOLIS. for instrument, time SOLIS exciting major and busy a been has t was 1minute. KPVTisthe KittPeak Vacuum Telescope spectromagnetograph; scantimewas40minutes. was time scan SOLIS; of spectromagnetograph vector Imager,Doppler time Michelson acquisition the SoHO; is onboard minutes.MDI instrument 11 filter-based a the is VSM centimeter. square per Maxwells 15 at saturate displays the and gray than darker or lighter as displayed is signal the of sign The field. magnetic photospheric ofthe line-of-sightcomponent the showing magnetograms full-disk Portionsofthree 1. Figure Jack Harvey & the SOLIS Team SOLIS the & Harvey Jack SOLIS sets onto a common scale. common a onto sets data both place to required be will factor a correction only small that obvious already is it but ongoing, is data new and old the of Comparison service. of years 30 aer 2003, September on 22 closed was facility latter the until (KPVT) busy winter/spring period. on our Web site for the latest developments. It be a will very eye year.an Keep new the of beginning the at stage design the end of this calendar year, and the start of the preliminary at proposal phase construction the selection,completionof site the include milestones major upcoming project’s e Upcoming Milestones refinedbe throughout the D&D phase. continues to effort (AO,is loop). optics,open activeand presented for the three primary image-quality error budgets December 2003 December NSO continued
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3 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 4 magnetograms magnetograms from three instruments. longitudinal-component photospheric Figure 1 compares nearly simultaneous instrumental error.point of zero or effects polarization free essentially are data new the durations,and observing Signal-to-noise ratio is at least 20 times better for equal data. KPVT old the to superior clearly are data VSM e SOLIS continued Patrol (FDP) and the Integrated Sunlight Spectrometer Spectrometer Sunlight Integrated the and (FDP) Full-Disk Patrol the instruments, SOLIS remaining the on Work currently are we partners. for looking shortages, budget these for compensate help To SOLIS. of potentials scientific realize and to operational the required less than less significantly and be proposed to originally expected than is 2004 FY in SOLIS for budget operations the Unfortunately, observing (ATST) site. Telescope Solar Technology Advanced future the to made is move final a until location will this to moved SOLIS be months, few next the In Tower. SOLIS new the as refurbished of Arizona, while the old University KPVT is being the Campus of the Center Agricultural at site VSM temporary the its at with conducted been has program observing regular facility, the Since the closure of the KPVT observing are they non-radial. where regions, polar active in and as well network as radial, are they where Sun regions, quiet in measured be may field vector the that shows reduction incomplete this Even vector full-disk VSM.the with obtained magnetogram first the reduced of partly version rough, a is 2 the structure. Figure solar on real a is feature image VSM every display, In this clear. characteristics be should data VSM the noise of superior e NSO December 2003 December Geometric rectification of the imageshasnotbeendonehere. degrees. 45 by differ that axes azimuth along field transverse the of square the to proportional roughly components, polarization symmetric the are U and Q of-sight. line- the along component field the to proportional roughly profile, line the across polarization of component antisymmetric the is V only. line 630.25-nanometer the from derived are images These conditions. seeing poor and integrations short with August2003 30 takenon magnetogram vector VSM reduced partly Rough, 2. Figure VSM and the FDP. the VSMand the both of quality image the improve significantly should guiding Fast tracking). ephemeris-derived open-loop, just both with running for currently is latter systems (the VSM the and guider FDP the fast identical nearly the test a for as bed used being is instrument FDP e VSM. working the currently on is team the of most since slow is (ISS), December 2003 December NSO
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 4 NSO December 2003 December spatial scalesof 0.2arcsecisvisibleinthisimage. on Structure arcsec. 1 are marks Tick flare. the of end the right corner of the image. This particular image is from near that the flare was triggered by new flux emerging in the lower some as tops,loop flare.the during bright become indicate data The well as loops, the of footpoints the that It appears eruption. system loop super-penumbral a The shows 28. movie October on flare X17.2 the produced that region active big the of part was 24 October on limb the to close H 1. Figure Spectromagnetograph Vector the of scheme modulation the to similar is DLSP the for used scheme modulation e ferroelectric liquid (FeLC)crystal modulators was integrated. In the final phase thisof project, opportunity a new modulation unit using of targets and seeing good (e.g., flares) they arise.as of periods of advantage full take can that instrument facility permanent a commissioned Marchfully havingin been 2004, become will and,adaptivehigh-order(AO)systemoptics developed aer Altitude Observatory. e DLSP is integrated with the newly project collaborative a between the National is (NSO) Solar Observatory and the High DLSP e 2003. October 24 on T f snpt t h Dn Slr eecp (DST) Telescope Solar Dunn the at sunspot a of profiles Stokes ultrahigh-resolution first its obtained (DLSP) Spectro-Polarimeter Diffraction-Limited he α image of a flare. The small sunspot observed sunspot small The flare. a of image Diffraction-Limited Polarimetry at the Dunn Solar Telescope DLSP &AO Teams airto cnrl wr itgae ad ucsfly tested during theDLSP. an engineeringof run successfully and integrated were control) control, calibration spectrograph demodulation, Different (modulator, second. per modules frames 50 to up at runs camera of e sampling spatial nanometers. 630.2 at DST the of limit a diffraction the is which arcsec, 0.18 achieve of resolution spatial to a i.e., pixel, per used 0.09-arcsec is PixelVision camera high-quantum-efficiency Pluto A SOLIS. of (VSM) f h snpt Fgr 2 hw te otnu intensity continuum the shows 2 Figure sunspot. the of maps polarization produce to processed were profiles Stokes observed the data, DLSP the of quality the of example an As recorded before and aer theflare. scales at of 0.2 arcsec (see figure 1). structure DLSP flare vector magnetic field time, maps were first the for ( knowledge page our Web NSO the been has on posted movie flare Hα first stunning Hα A produced. of being Movies currently are images regions. G-band and active dopplergrams, filtergrams, was different activity two in flare recorded and observed information, were contextual images provide G-band line to a photospheric nanometers). 543.4 of I scans (Fe spectral and filtergrams Hα high-resolution recorded (UBF) Filter Birefringent Universal e size). step (0.09-arcsec mode resolution spatial highest image DLSP’s the with consistentsunspot a scan to and able were we quality,and excellent delivered the AO time, observing high-order the of much During scans regions. several active recorded of DLSP the 2003, October 23–25 On these mapswererecordedonOctober24. Figure 2. DLSP scan of active region NOAA 0484. Several of www.nso.edu December 2003 December soig to showing, ) NSO continued
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5 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 6 Moreover, since the KPVT had such a long and very very and long a such had productive at run relatively low cost, the event was more a of KPVT the since Moreover, replaced by SOLIS, which provides far superior observations. being is KPVT the that not were it if event sad a been have might It folklore. that to counter-examplestrong a is is telescope. any retire never astronomers that said oen is It force guiding the Livingston, Bill by behind thefacility. made scientists being and observations e final the watched group observers large day, out-of-state.a following from people KPVT three including present attended, Many wife, and 20. September his former on party and dinner gala partner, a hosted Pat, KPVT NASA/GSFC long-time T iie plrmty a be ahee. e oe o this of cover e achieved. been has polarimetry diffraction- of limited goal the that showing maps, is these DST in the visible of limit diffraction the to close Structure map. high-resolutionproducethis to time observing minutesof 50 of total A and view steps 660 it took aboutwerefield the to scan of used sunspot. observed the of map polarization and Diffraction-Limited continuedPolarimetry ln wt te ahr f h tlsoe Bl Lvnso, to Livingston, Bill make surethatthelastmagnetogramisagoodone. telescope, the of father the with along KPVT the of image guider the watches (left) Gillespie Bruce NSO December 2003 December f usadn srie Hrio Jns our Jones, Harrison service. years 30 outstanding aer (KPVT) 2003 of September Telescope 22 Vacuum on closed Peak was Kitt NSO he The Sun Sets on the Kitt Peak Vacuum Telescope Jack Harvey However, without the right people involved, the KPVT could However,involved, KPVT people rightthe the without instrumentation. its and telescope the from arose firsts and and other works to its theses credit. many A remarkable number as discoveriesof well as papers, research 1,000 about of celebration than anything else. e facility has a bibliography the coronal magnetic field. ey learned a lot about the about a lot learned of ey extrapolations field. construct magnetic coronal to the magnetograms the using been had Altschuler Marty and Levine Randy Fortunately, telescope, mission. itanew needed the for future a be to was there If mission. its accomplished successfully had KPVT Skylab the 1974, February last in ended the mission When 1973. took of day last KPVT, the on data the first new its for A designed years. three specifically for magnetograph, Telescope McMath the been at had that use instrument in an with 1973 September 21 on Bruce Slaughter Charles Livingston,Harvey,andGillespie, Jack by Bill taken was keeping worth magnetogram first e mere couple months of aer thefirst Skylab missionbegan. the telescope was built in record time with first lightcoming a project engineer and manager. Under Dale’s strong prodding, as assigned was Schrage Dale considerations.observatory’s state-of-the-art a supportfromNASA, andgave priority project the the high in with day financial some proposal,charmed the every liked Leo instrument. made be to Telescope McMath the with done observations irregular otherwise the allow would is field. Sun’s magnetic the of observations synoptic to devoted instrument plane focal a a proposing and telescope quickly by opportunity the seized Bill Livingston telescopes. solar its for support ground-based missions) lunarneeded Apollo the to follow-on station space (the missions Apollo-Telescope-Mount Skylab NASA 1973–1974 the that realized 1972, in director KPNO the Goldberg, Leo just as easilyhave afailure. been f LP n hg-re O il rvd DT sr with exciting scientific new opportunities. users DST provide will AO high-order and DLSP of with the high-order AO system achieved at the DST. now e combination quality image spectacular the demonstrates Newsletter hw a -ad mg o te ae ein and region same the of image G-band a shows continued December 2003 December NSO
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7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 6 NSO December 2003 December We applied for a NASA grant to hire some observer support, observer some hire to andgrantNASA We a forapplied mission, Skylab the here.Recely Frank aerward,observer veteranstationed they support to observations collect help to officer Corps NOAA an sent had NOAA the program. continue to managed triumvirate the so never simultaneous, were cuts budget the However, block. chopping the on frequently was KPVT the and science, space for support of shrinkage post-Apollo the in cuts budget severe suffered partners the of Each ago. decades closed have would KPVT If it had not been for the strength of having three partners, the partners to operate theKPVT. as joining in NOAA and NASAinterest to enough was is astrophysics.applicationrarityin practical a hadEarth—a on Heof I and the KPVT. Here was a rich research area that also line 1083-nanometer the using ground the from holes these X-ray its of boundaries the disk,see solarcould foundwethatthe onI terminated located were holes which coronal where showed that ended, observations mission Skylab the Aer holes. coronal called corona the in voids and storms, geomagnetic cause thatstreams wind solar space, high-speed interplanetary to open lines field with regions of association Sun on the continued Sets KPVT May 2003viewof theKittPeak Vacuum Telescope. cmltl nw aiiy s a dn, ahr hurriedly, rather done, was is facility. new completely a propose to arose opportunity unexpected an time, same the nearly At started. was so do to project a and required were community,the of upgrades major needs the with pace keep to that realized we mid-1990s the By 1992. in successfully service intowent is one. better a with instrument old the replace help to able was NASA and1980s, the of end the by age its showing was magnetograph original e dividends. handsome paid and time the at novel rather was policy data open is available. technology the given possible, as to users available as data synoptic the make to hard worked We thriving, both and alive program the Gillespie,keptobserver, Bruce skilled own our plus folks hired and ese offer Duvall. Tom the at Tucson.Wein hired,jumped be to employee,yet other one and Jones Harrison station to was offer the and change a of need in was that Mexico New in operation field a had NASA GSFC offer. counter a with this rejected Bohlin Dave but equally successful. be will successor,SOLIS, its that expect We circumstances. dedicated engineers, luck, the technicians, observers and good scientists, measure, and fortunate to any thanks success, By great a was term. KPVT near the the in as SOLIS serve for will home and as (KPST) Tower refurbished SOLIS being Peak Kitt is the building e observations of years. thousands 30 of spanning tens of archive its community through research the serve to continue will KPVT e projectKPVT contributed to SOLIS thenew project. the from1998,resources in arriving started actually funding and was accepted by the National Science Foundation. When ilsi, ihe Dfe, ae at, lue Plymate. Claude Hauth, Missing: JackHarvey(whotook this picture). Dave Duffek, Michael Gillespie, Bruce Johnson, Dave Duffek, Gerry Schramm, Kevin Teresa Klemz, Jones, Harrison Linda and Duvall TomGriffen-Pierce, Trudy Bippert-Plymate, Malanushenko, Elena Branston, with observations KeithPierce,Livingston, Detrick Bill right: KPVT.to the final Left the of occasion the on Attendees
observationally andobservationally scientifically. December 2003 December NSO
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7 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 3 8 narrowband interference filters, to obtain imaging spectral spectral imaging obtain to filters, interference narrowband a classical mounting and in axial mode, in series with a set of in used are interferometersthatFabry-Perot two comprises T wavelength temperature-induced dri the to within keeps 1 meter which per Celsius, second per degree hour. 0.01 within to controlled temperature interferometers are Perot instrument to be quickly prepared the allow for references, continuum whichobservations. and laser including e Fabry- channels, alignment auxiliary several with equipped is IBIS remainwill at Peak Sac for at least two years. Rome, and Florence of Universities the from contributions additional with author the by scan. constructed instrument, spectral e the during maintained be to image stable a DST,allowing the at available system optics adaptive order low- the by corrected beam and a by regions,fed is IBIS active prominences. granules, including features, solar of During the inaugural run, observations were made of a range range structures. of wide a of observation allows 80-arcsec- which view, an of hasfield diameter to IBIS line seconds. few spectral a just full in scanned a be allow milliseconds) few (a tuning interferometer instantaneous nearly and percent) 20 to (about15 transmission instrumental high e optimized. is the 5800- to 8600-angstroms range for which the instrument in milliangstroms 40 to 25 from ranges profile instrumental the of width e resolution. temporal andspatial, spectral, photospherechromosphere high solarand with the of scans of thefield. The full field of view is 80 arcsec in diameter and the box shows an enlargement of a 5×8 square arcsec region near the center center velocity in Fe I 7090 angstroms (scaled to Images obtainedbyIBISduring its installationinJune2003.Lefttoright:linecenterintensity inFeI7090angstroms;line NSO IBIS Successfully Installed at the Dunn Solar Telescope December 2003 December un oa Tlsoe DT. e instrument e the (DST). at Telescope June Solar in installed Dunn successfully Spectrometer was BIdimensional (IBIS) Interferometric he Fabio Cavallini (Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory) & the IBIS &the Team Observatory) Astrophysical (Arcetri Cavallini Fabio ± 1.25 kilometers per second); line center intensity in Ca II 8542 angstroms. line in each range: spectral principal the by listed available, are filters following wavelength.given Presently, a prefilterisolating order for the the of availability the by only limited band, angstrom 8600 5800– the withinwavelength any to tuning of capable is IBIS band y BS dse ln) s oprd to compared Liege solaratlas(solidline). as line) (dashed IBIS by angstroms obtained telluric 6301–6303 range and the in iron lines oxygen solar of spectrum Disk-center • • • • •
Ca II,Ca 8542angstroms, chromosphere Fe II, 7224angstroms, g=0, photosphere deep Fe I, 7090angstroms, g=0, upper photosphere Fe I, 6302angstroms, g=2.5, photosphere Na D 1 , 5896angstroms, chromosphere GLOBALOSCILLATIONNETWORKGROUP
EL TEIDE • UDAIPUR • LEARMONTH • MAUNA LOA • BIG BEAR • CERRO TOLOLO
GONG
John Leibacher
ONG continues to stretch and grow with the new science the field have resulted in the prototype instrument being stripped applications for local helioseismology applications (see to provide spares for actual field systems. As a result, it is no figures 1 and 2), and is looking forward to global analysis longer available as an engineering site for testing and certification Gout to spherical harmonic degrees (l) of 1000. At the same time, we of fixes and modifications and as a test bed for the development are working hard to maintain ailing components and systems. But of replacement technologies. e instrument shelters, modified the good far outweighs the bad and GONG’s future is very bright. 20-foot shipping containers, were expected to have a worst-case GONG’s new status as a Flagship Program of the National Solar 11-year lifetime, and the worst case was always recognized to be Observatory (NSO) is highlighted below.
Simon Kras le the program in August to return to graduate school. Simon brought more than a good work ethic and bright mind to GONG, he was very actively involved in the Employee’s Association and started NOAO/NSO’s continuing involvement in the Habitat for Humanity program. Best of success, Simon… and look us up when you’re ready for a postdoc. Caroline Barban le in October for Leuven, Belgium, and we look forward to continuing work on the velocity-intensity correlations.
As a quick reminder, next year’s meeting, GONG 2004/SoHO 14, is being organized by Yale University and will be held 12–16 July 2004 in New Haven, CT. For more information, contact Sarbani Basu at [email protected].
Paradigm Changes: Project to Program During the last year, GONG has been in the process of restructuring its management plan from its original status of a limited-term project to a cornerstone program of the NSO. Coupled with this paradigm change has been the mandate from GONG’s Scientific Advisory Committee and the AURA Solar Observatory Council to increase in-house science. e task at hand has been to rethink the decisions Figure 1. Preliminary comparisons of GONG and SoHO/MDI local that were made in designing and developing an instrument and helioseismology using ring diagrams. The variation of the zonal data processing system for a three-year run, and to find the means (east/west) flows with depth are shown. A total of 189 patches of transforming it into a system optimized to run continuously, as covering the surface of the Sun were compared down to a depth well as more efficiently and at reduced costs. e program’s primary of 0.1 R¤. GONG data are dark lines with error bars, MDI data challenges for this transition have been addressing instrument are gray lines. These data are in excellent agreement for this maintenance and reengineering issues, and streamlining the data first analysis by Irene Gonzalez-Hernandez. processing. We have identified a number of design choices, such as the “sneaker net” for transferring data between data reduction stages, Learmonth, due to its location on a dune a few hundred meters and deferred items, such as turret covers, that were of low priority in from salt water. e poor condition of the Learmonth shelter has the context of a three-year project. We have identified major long- been recognized for some time, and indeed all of the shelters are period recurring items as well, such as data archive migration and subject to various levels of environmental and usage deterioration. the need for a replacement shelter. e list is long. A plan to build a spare shelter is now being developed, with a design and construction review anticipated in the spring. e Tucson/ In an effort to address limited-lifetime-model issues, and to Learmonth shelter swap would occur in 2007. establish a program of continuous renewal, George Luis was hired to reestablish the prototype instrument at the GONG farm as a true Similar restructuring and rethinking are taking place with the data ground simulator to examine reengineering options and plan the processing and management. e original data-reduction “pipeline” replacement shelter. Due mainly to aging components, failures in consisted of a fairly labor-intensive “sneaker net,” where serial continued
December 2003 39 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 4 0 the agreement is excellent. agreement the separations angular greater ( progressively at points and origin an at signal the between delay isthe distance” helioseismology “time for data fundamental The time-distance. using helioseismology local (below) SoHO/MDI and (above) Figure 2. Preliminary comparisons by Shukur Kholikov of GONG usatal atmtd h dt tase ad eue the reduced and has transfer data the which automated substantially pipelines, process-controlled to transitioning in progress considerable made have year,we past the Over productsfor anomalies before advancing to nextthe process. process to process, and carefully inspecting intermediate human data on from data the moving dependence levels: two at occurred broadly labor e media. removable carrying operatorshuman by machine to machine from data passed were and workstations specific to assigned were processes GONG continued oprsn ru (oC) wih osss f vr 30 over of consists which (LoHCo), Group Helioseismology Comparison Local the as such efforts collaborative and in visits short-term in interest renewed a actively with involved, be to continues community helioseismology year. e next scientist another add should we and science, to reduction data from position one of reprogramming the to e process. restructuring “sneaker net to controlled the pipeline” transition has of already led component major a is science in-house more for push the earlier, mentioned As capabilities undertaken. can be technical and science new of development the which upon platform the be then will plan baseline limited-lifeis place.into put being is addresses improvement and that renewal steady-state continuous and plan issues a out-year sustaining and an operation, achieving to addition In even larger reduction in thehands-on quality assurance. an in result should and stages testing final the assessmentin is soware quality image Automated requirement. labor Δ GONG degrees), as measured by their cross-correlation. Again, Again, cross-correlation. their by measured as degrees), December 2003 December In preparation for Sudhir’s visit, considerable effort was and procedures effort and documentation considerable GONG updating visit,spent Sudhir’s for preparation In and theturret covered. down shut was there instrument the was Udaipur, and monsoon in active the months these During regard. that in us assist to able a and willing was operational.Sudhirinstrument with site the at for thekeeping beneficial seemed knowledge greaterof depth someone having parts, troubleshooting to replacement difficult of most site instrument the is support, in Udaipurterms of access by GONG personnel and shipment and Since routine with procedures. tasks familiar become to maintenance weeks five for visited Tucson Observatory Solar Udaipur the from Gupta personnel. site Sudhir the of one for activities training on focused wereAugustand July of months the for activities Operations Site and Instrument Operations in GONG and is good getting better! life perspective,management and science a From members. temperature fluctuation produced a somewhat periodic periodic a somewhat velocitysignal, fortunatelywas which suchlow a frequency of produced fluctuation small is temperature interferometer. Michaelson and filter Lyot the containing oven the for electronics stabilizing temperature Troubleshooting sites. the in network noise introducing was rotator camera the the that showed of three at seen data largeA advance eliminatingmadeinwas velocitynoisethe in theseals. of turret a effectiveness the establish will implementingtests, refurbishingandwhich in used procedures the investigating currentlyWe arefailing. before months six about only place place in foronly months20 been and turreta at installed Learmonth was in has Loa Mauna at turret e turrets rebuiltweatherproof? recently the aren’t Why issue. larger a raise does discovery is corrected.problem the and replaced be should turret the that however, clear, became It done. was more nothing this, of spite in well running was instrument the removed,since environmentalandwas possible as watermuch As the seals. penetrated had water couple of a tablespoons least of at that revealed however, inspection, turret CCD e the planned. replacing were tasks than maintenance routine only Other camera, September. place of took end Loa the Mauna at to trip maintenance preventive A GONG Repair Person.” a as “Certified recognition of certificate first the awarded was Sudhir leaving, Before Udaipur. in to back asset operations greater GONG even an be will now he and spent well was us withSudhir’s wrong.time go will and can that things the with of some familiar experienced he as thoroughly installation and removal became camera He alignment. complete optical a with along instrument Tucson the at turret the creatingtraininga manual. His training withreplacingbegan continued December 2003 December GONG
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 4 0 GONG December 2003 December artificial data since approximations in its generation may generation its in approximations since data artificial the improve to underway is Work fields. velocity input the recovering of job accurate,completely techniques. not do but reasonable, methods a analysis time-distance local the that and finding been diagram have ey ring with them analyzing and fields waveand spectra these taking been have the spectra. Irene Gonzalez-Hernandez and Shukur Kholikov ringdiagrams, onof model a and generating wave fromfields constructing three-dimensionalartificial power based spectra been has Howe Rachel exercises. data artificial on been has ( page Web LoHCo the on found be workshop.can materials workshop Boulder e the hosted and successfully very Lindsey, and Associates Charlie graciously Research Braun, Colorado Doug at Woodward Martin 2. October and 14 in meeting August face on teleconferences two and face-to 28; July Boulder,onCO, a get-togethers: recent three has had group is LoHCo. supporting been has Komm Rudi improved an develop to atmospheric refraction correction for analysis. data thedri-scan transit analyzing is Mercury Cliff recent addition, the In instrument. the in grating Ronchi the withrotator measurederrorscamera inclusionof sites,moreatthe scansfrequentinitiation dri the of the and fiducial, a as data MDI legacy of use the solutions: potential Tonerworkingis problem,onthe currentlywhich several has CliffNorth. solar with images the of alignment the in error suspected that the underlying problem is a temporally varying actually not behaving in this manner,is Sun we the are thatinvestigating. believe to It reasonis have we Since center. disk machine” effect, is apparentlythe whereSun spinning around “washing so-called the with days ring revealed the pipeline through diagram 2001) (July data early of run A pipeline. helioseismology local GONG the on continued has Testing Data Processing, Analysis, and Management a removing ground strap from theoven chassis by solved theproblem. rotator camera the from oven the Isolating data. oscillation the on impact significant no was there that GONG continued gong.nso.edu/lohco) rcn fcs f hs group this of focus recent e . f a iae. e s unn hs ehd n aall with parallel in method his running is He images. bad of automatedcontinuesthe RichardworkClarkon torejection October. sorely be She will missed. mentioned earlier,As Caroline le us experiments.for a position in Belgium at twothe end of the by observed as I and V between shis rather phase a of found dependence has frequency different She period. time same the from data GONG with it compared and data MDI of set a on fitting method V-I her performed has Barban Caroline field. flow onparameter mode changes localized global the and modelof a working is Rachel zone and convection diagrams, ring the from of inferred dynamics as fluid the of study a up and finishing Rudiis goals.pursuingscientific Rudi havebeen Rachel support, community LoHCo the to addition In helioseismology pipeline.local installation of Tom Duvall’s time-distance code in the GONG the on work continued also has Shukur results. the impact the GONG helioseismology pipeline. local developing Mike ompson at Imperial (London) College in inversion code. Paul is installing the time distance hecode is parameter ring the improving is and visit month-long a for an returned in October from the Observatoire de la Côte ď Azur is code developed by Charlie Lindsey and Anna Doug Braun. ierry Rajaguru. has finishedthe installation and testing Paul ofthe farside imaging University, andshe StateSaint-Petersburg and at undergraduate Corbard, ierry We have enjoyed short-term visits from Anna Malanushenko, farside pipeline. the feed will that sites the at processing near-real-time the of aspects on working is Goodrich Jean techniques. fitting ridge- developing in use for community the to provided be to up spectrum power week-long handcraed one- a producing traditional on working is Gressett the Katrina method. with compare to inversions global to through processed data of month GONG a have soon will Richard Ladd. Greg by done inspection visual the l ≈ December 2003 December 1200. is data will will data is 1200. GONG
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1 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 Newsletter NOAO-NSO EDUCATIONALOUTREACH Public Affairs PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
Optics Education at NOAO Receives Major Boost
Douglas Isbell & Stephen Pompea
ptics education took center stage in recent activity by NOAO Public Affairs and Educational Outreach (PAEO) staff, with significant contributions to an international Omeeting of optics educators and the award of a major National Science Foundation informal science grant to a team including NOAO.
PAEO personnel presented four papers and led a workshop at the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP) meeting held 6–8 October 2003 in Tucson. Convened every two years, the ETOP conference is the primary international forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences related to education in optics and photonics.
e meetings are held under the auspices of the International Commission for Optics (ICO), the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). is meeting in Tucson had a special emphasis on approaches to encourage the next generation of engineers, scientists, and technicians, and was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the OSA.
PAEO’s Constance Walker, Steven Cro, and Stephen Pompea presented papers on teaching optics through the NOAO Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education (TLRBSE) program, effective ways to teach about the electromagnetic spectrum, and teaching about infrared imagery. Walker and Pompea organized and led a one-day workshop for 48 science teachers from throughout the state of Arizona associated with the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program. Pompea, manager of science education in PAEO, was also the organizer and Math and science teachers from Arizona at an NOAO-led workshop host of a special invited session titled, “Best Practices in Science during the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP) Education,” with noted speakers such as Sir Michael Berry of the meeting, held 6–8 October 2003 in Tucson. University of Bristol and Michelle Hall-Wallace of the University of Arizona.
e fourth paper presented by NOAO PAEO staff at the meeting, “Hands-On Optics (HOO): Making An Impact With Light,” NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter was especially timely given that it described an exciting new project that received a three-year, $1.7 million NSF grant on September 30.
A collaborative effort by OSA, SPIE, MESA, and NOAO, the HOO program is designed to reach thousands of underrepresented middle school students, their parents, and their teachers with
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42 December 2003 December 2003 43 EDUCATIONALOUTREACH Public Affairs PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH Optics Education at NOAO continued
lessons in optics education using creative activities like will take place aer school, during weekend sessions, and building a kaleidoscope and a pinhole camera, and creating at summer camps or family workshops, which is a specific holograms. strength of the MESA program. rough the activity modules, students will gain a physical understanding of “HOO is truly a unique program targeting scientific optics principles. ey will rely on inquiry, critical thinking, activities not only at students in critical populations— and problem solving skills involving optics, and will also educationally disadvantaged, middle-school-aged learn how optics interfaces with other disciplines. learners—but also their entire support network. Its activities will be geared towards actively involving parents, “Children and adults everywhere are enthralled by light, teachers and community volunteers in the learning shadows, and the colors of our natural world,” Pompea process,” says OSA Executive Director Elizabeth Rogan. explains. “Our fascination with astronomy and the “Our goal with HOO is to enhance science education microscopic world is fueled by advances in optics and for these populations and to foster an interest in science, optical technology. HOO has been designed to use the which may open doors to futures these students had appeal of optical wonders to teach practical lessons about never considered.” light and its uses.”
“is program fulfills a critical component of SPIE’s Development of the pilot program for HOO has already educational mission,” says SPIE Executive Director Eugene begun. NOAO will play a key role in training teachers and Arthurs. “We are confident that fostering an interest in volunteers, and in developing the related optics kits. MESA science at an early age will help supplement the ranks of teachers in Arizona will implement the program initially, future optical engineers, those who will fulfill the promise with expansion to selected sites across the country in of the ‘century of the photon.’ ” 2004 and 2005.
Based on recommendations from scientists, as well as For more information, contact [email protected]. science and technology educators and experts, HOO events The 2004 REU Program at Kitt Peak National Observatory
Kenneth Mighell
ach summer, a group of field trip to New Mexico to visit Sacramento Peak Observatory talented college students and the Very Large Array. At the end of the summer, the comes to Tucson to students share their results with the Tucson astronomical Eparticipate in astronomical community by giving oral presentations. research at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) under As part of their internship experience, all six of our 2003 REU the sponsorship of the National participants will be presenting posters about their astronomical Science Foundation Research research projects at the January 2004 AAS meeting in Atlanta. Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. e KPNO REU program provides an We anticipate being able to support six REU students during exceptional opportunity for undergraduates considering a the summer of 2004. As required by the NSF, participants must
career in science to engage in substantive research activities be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. e NOAO-NSO 76 Newsletter with scientists working in the forefront of contemporary KPNO REU positions are full-time for 10 to 12 weeks between astrophysics. June and September, with a preferred starting date of early June. e salary is $440 per week, housing is provided, and additional Each REU student is hired as a full-time research assistant funds are provided to cover travel to and from Tucson. to work with one or more KPNO staff members on specific aspects of major on-going research projects at NOAO. Further information about the KPNO REU 2004 program, As part of their research activities, these undergraduates including the on-line application form, can be found at gain observational experience with KPNO telescopes, and www.noao.edu/kpno/reu. Completed applications (including they develop expertise in astronomical data reduction official transcripts and two or three letters of recommendation) and analysis. ey also take part in a weekly lecture series and a must be received no later than 26 January 2004.
42 December 2003 December 2003 43 Public Affairs
Fall 2003 Project ASTRO Training Workshop
roject ASTRO-Tucson held its 8th annual training workshop on 3-4 October 2003, hosting 33 teachers Pand 27 astronomer partners for two days of hands-on activities and lectures by speakers from NOAO, the University of Arizona, Biosphere 2 and the Space Science Institute in Boulder, among others. Topics included lunar craters, student misconceptions in astronomy, and how to integrate art, poetry and scientific journals, as well as an inspirational trip to Kitt Peak.
Crater impact exercise—watch out for the cocoa powder ejecta!
Kinesthetic astronomy exercise on the University of Arizona mall—which way to Saturn? NOAO-NSO Newsletter 76 NOAO-NSO
44 December 2003