W.M. Keck Observatory | Annual Report 2010
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W.M. Keck Observatory | Annual Report 2010 Headquarters location: Kamuela, Hawai’i, USA A world in whichvision all humankind is inspired and united by the pursuit of knowledge of the infinite Management: variety and richness of the Universe. California Association for Research in Astronomy Partner Institutions: California Institute of Technology (CIT/Caltech), To advance themission frontiers of astronomy and share our University of California (UC), discoveries, inspiring the imagination of all. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Observatory Groundbreaking: 1985 Observatory Director: First light Keck I telescope: 1992 Taft E. Armandroff First light Keck II telescope: 1996 Deputy Director: Hilton A. Lewis FY2010 Number of Full Time Employees: 114 COVER: The Keck Telescope dome opens to another evening of Number of Observing Astronomers FY2010: 453 observing the universe. Number of Keck Science Investigations: 405 Number of Refereed Articles FY2010: 283 THIS PAGE: The Keck II Laser aims for space unknown on a cold winter night in November, 2010. The laser causes Fiscal Year begins October 1 sodium atoms in a layer of atmosphere 60 miles above the Federal Identification Number: 95-3972799 Earth to scintillate and form an artificial star. That guide star is used to measure how Earth’s atmosphere is distorting starlight. The distortions are then cancelled out by the Keck Adaptive Optics System. contents Director’s Report 3 Cosmic Visionaries 6 Science Highlights 7 A Day in the Life 12 Finances 18 Fueling Discovery 20 Kudos 22 Science Bibliography 24 2 | W.M. Keck Observatory Annual Report 2010 director’sreport TAFT E. ARMANDROFF Welcome to the W. M. Keck Observatory Report papers resulting from our telescopes and those for 2010. Keck Observatory held its position as the papers’ impacts on the forward progress of world leader among optical / infrared telescopes astronomy. I am very pleased that the Observatory with another year of high scientific productivity and produced more papers in 2010 than in the past strong progress in developing new instrumentation two years and that these papers had broad and and adaptive optics innovations to advance deep scientific impact. While Keck’s research astronomical discovery. results spanned all areas of astronomy, from our own solar system through the earliest galaxies in The theme for this the Universe, the Annual Report is a past year marked “Day in the Life of extraordinary Keck Observatory.” milestones in the Inside we highlight area of extrasolar the activities and planets. In fact, at extraordinary Keck 2010 can easily people supporting be labeled the “Year our noble mission of the Exoplanet.” of exploring the The public has Universe. Cutting- been captivated edge astronomy by a number requires a diverse of compelling and talented team, achievements in from astrophysicists exoplanet research to accountants, from featured in the optics engineers to Report. vehicle maintenance specialists. I am The Keck Observatory leadership team: from left to right: Hilton Lewis, Deputy Director; The study of Kevin McCann, Software Department Manager; Kyle Kinoshita, Technical Services grateful to our Department Manager; Taft Armandroff, Director; Peter Wizinowich, Optical Systems planets beyond professional staff, Manager; Margarita Scheffel, Chief Financial Officer; Debbie Goodwin, Advancement our solar system Board of Directors, Director; Bob Goodrich, Observing Support Manager; Sean Adkins, Instrument Program has been a priority Manager; and Rich Matsuda, Operations and Infrastructure Manager. Science Steering focus at Keck Committee, the Observatory since astronomers who observe at Keck, our federal the first extrasolar planet was detected in 1995. funders, and private philanthropists who have all The telescopes feature instrumentation that is contributed to the Observatory’s success in 2010. uniquely suited to the study of extrasolar planets, including our HIRES spectrograph on Keck I which Keck Observatory evaluates its scientific output enables extremely precise radial velocities to reveal annually based on the number of refereed research exoplanets via the “Doppler wobble” technique. In W.M. Keck Observatory Annual Report 2010 | 3 addition, our world- by our observer leading adaptive community. optics system on the Keck II telescope The past ten years has the ability have witnessed to concentrate astonishing the light of stars discoveries at into a focused Keck. What will point, enabling be revealed about astronomers to our Universe in MOSFIRE, Keck Observatory’s new, cutting-edge multi-object infrared spectrograph, is recognize the much shown undergoing assembly in the instrument lab at Caltech. MOSFIRE team members the decade to fainter planets Nick Konidaris (right) and Bob Weber are shown carefully guiding the MOSFIRE camera come? The entire orbiting them. into position. U.S. astronomy Progress in 2010 community has includes the first been engaged in assessment of how common Earth-mass planets and a scientific planning process, the Decadal Survey, “super-Earths” are relative to more massive planets which maps the scientific frontiers and achievements such as Jupiter. In addition, two different teams used that are both attainable and highly prized. The Keck Observatory to identify and study two different Astro2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal exoplanets of a type that have been sought for Survey report, New Worlds, New Horizons in decades: only slightly more massive than Earth and Astronomy and Astrophysics, was released in August rocky. Another remarkable exoplanet result featured 2010. Keck Observatory and our community in this Report is the first direct spectroscopy of the of astronomers contributed significantly to the atmosphere of an exoplanet, achieved using Keck’s process. We enthusiastically welcomed the release adaptive optics system. of this publication, which directly influences federal funding priorities in astronomy in the near term. Over the past year, Keck Observatory has made enormous progress on two of our multi-year The Astro2010 Report put forward a number of instrumentation initiatives: the Multi Object recommendations that Keck Observatory will Spectrograph for Infrared Exploration (MOSFIRE) utilize to continue our vital leadership role in and the next U.S. astronomy. generation Laser The number of research publications per telescope resulting from data from an Astro2010 Guide Star Adaptive observatory is plotted versus year of publication for Keck Observatory and several other prioritized scientific Optics (LGS AO) major astronomy facilities. Note the leadership position that Keck Observatory (orange topics in which the symbols and line) has sustained in this scientific productivity metric. system for the Keck observing 180 Keck I telescope. community has Both MOSFIRE 160 excelled and and the new LGS to which our 140 AO system are CFHT telescopes and ESO3.6m scheduled for on- 120 instrumentation Gemini sky commissioning HST possess a strong 100 in 2011. The JCMT ability to contribute Keck 80 opportunity to apply Magellan with current Mayall these new tools 60 capabilities and to the major open Subaru future plans: UKIRT 40 questions in modern VLT Cosmic Dawn - astronomy is 20 searching for the eagerly anticipated first stars, galaxies, 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 4 | W.M. Keck Observatory Annual Report 2010 and black holes; New Worlds - seeking nearby, individuals and foundations than any other habitable planets; Dark Energy - its properties, science. Keck Observatory is the archetype for which are responsible for the perplexing acceleration public-private partnerships in astronomy, with of our present-day Universe; Dark Matter – which the Keck Foundation and other philanthropists is likely composed of new types of elementary like Gordon and Betty Moore supporting the particles; and finally, testing Einstein’s general theory Observatory alongside NASA and the National of relativity in important new ways by observing Science Foundation. Clearly, private support is black hole systems. These topics appeal to both the more important to Keck today than ever before. public and our profession. The federal agencies often explicitly require private matching funds in order to secure a federal grant, In addition, the Astro2010 report proposed a new typically at the 30 percent level. We have placed funding initiative at the National Science Foundation securing private matching funds high on our astronomy division: Mid-Scale Innovations Program. strategic priorities, and we realize donors recognize This program will fund initiatives that will enable the benefit of leveraging federal funding through Keck Observatory and our peers to propose their own philanthropy. More broadly, it is clear that transformative instrumentation and systems to one of the key strengths of Keck Observatory is that extend the scientific reach of our telescopes. The we do not rely solely on federal funding at a time Mid-Scale Innovations Program has the potential to when a national conversation is occurring on the be the most scientifically nimble and cost effective limits of federal spending. The tradition we have of initiative recommended by Astro2010. A number private individuals and foundations acting on their of initiatives in the Keck Observatory Scientific interests in astronomy and astronomy education by Strategic Plan are excellent candidates for the Mid- supporting Keck Observatory is of great strategic Scale Innovations Program once it is implemented. importance. Two