December 2003 Issue 27 Energy, Life and Matter: The three major themes of Gemini’s future Science & Instrumentation Programs Inside This Issue • Aspen Conference Summary • Recent Science Highlights • Meet Gemini North’s Harlan Uehara • The New Gemini Science Archive • StarTeachers and PIO Highlights • Silver Coating Progress • Instrumentation Update • IRAF Report IMAGE FROM GMOS-SOUTH RIVALS VIEW FROM SPACE HCG 87 – Gemini GMOS-S The individual images captured by GMOS-South in g’, r’ and I’ were obtained in seeing conditions better than 0.4 arcseconds. HCG 87 – HST/WFPC2 Semester 2003A at Gemini South was highlighted by the swift and successful commissioning of GMOS-South. Supported by the expertise of the UK and GMOS-North commissioning teams, the GMOS-South team fully commissioned the instrument—including imaging, long slit, multi-object slitlets and Nod and Shuffle capabilities–– within a few months. Data taken by GMOS-South of the Hickson Compact Group 87 illustrate the point that, under excellent sky conditions, Gemini’s image quality rivals space facilities. Gemini’s image was released in mid-summer alongside an image of the same field obtained with Hubble Space Telescope’s WFPC2 that is also shown here. Published twice annually in June and December. Distributed to staff, users, organizations and others involved in the Gemini Observatory. FUTURE SCIENCE AT GEMINI New Horizons, New Science, New Tools stronomers are some of the most of the Aspen conference and now the real fortunate scientists in the world. work begins. AAfter all, we work in a field that has captured humanity’s attention and The results of the so-called “Aspen imagination for millennia. Through our Process” can be distilled into a few basic marvelous observatories perched high questions (listed at left) that Gemini atop mountains, we detect radiation in a intends to answer starting in the middle myriad of forms, measure its properties, of this decade. These questions can compare it to experiments run on be conceptually grouped into three the Earth, and deduce awe inspiring “Universes”: Energy, Matter and Life. conclusions about the Universe and our place in it. The boundaries and interfaces between Key Questions Posed at the these topics are perhaps best understood Gemini, as a forefront astronomical Aspen Conference: in a piecemeal fashion, similar to the observatory, plays a critical role in • How do galaxies form? early steps in solving a jigsaw puzzle (at the ongoing process to understand • What is the nature of dark matter on left and on cover). Only through detailed our Universe and reveal its nature for galactic scales? future observations will we collect enough everyone to understand. Gemini’s • What is the relationship between super- pieces to understand the most important current generation of instrumentation has massive black holes and galaxies? links, bridges and gaps in the puzzle, • What is dark energy? already begun to unravel many mysteries. and ultimately complete the picture • How did the cosmic “dark age” end? These include a wide range of studies, • How common are extra-solar planets, that represents the Universe that we live from surprising new details on galactic including Earth-like planets? within. evolution in the early Universe to direct • How do star and planetary systems form? infrared images revealing the telltale • How do stars process elements into the In this newsletter, the Gemini impact of a planetary system in a stellar chemical building blocks of life? Observatory is pleased to announce that debris disk. we are poised to launch a next-generation the small resort town of Aspen, Colorado, instrumentation program yielding tools Based on this foundation, the future in June of 2003, when almost 100 that are more advanced, sensitive, and of Gemini’s instrumentation and the scientists and Gemini users came together dramatically more scientifically enabling exciting science that it enables, is now to discuss future goals. The Aspen than anything built to date. This is all being defined. It began with the mandate conference resulted in the development driven by the bold expectations of our by the Gemini Board in 2001 to initiate of the formal science case and a detailed astronomical community that, in the a process that would define Gemini’s plan for future instrumentation. At its tradition of science, we can answer still science and instrumentation plan for the November 2003 meeting, the Gemini deeper questions about our Universe. next decade. The process culminated in Board approved the recommendations Gemini Newsletter #27 - December 2003 1 BOARD APPROVES LONG-RANGE INSTRUMENT PLAN Doug Simons uring November 2003, the equipped with instrumentation to exploit optical systems, electronics, detectors, Gemini Board decided to the unique observing platforms that the and software that comprise modern Dproceed with key elements Gemini telescopes provide. The thrust of astronomical instrumentation enable from the recommendations generated this update, given the Gemini instrument and limit our capacity for discovery in at the Gemini Aspen Instrumentation program’s current state, is to examine the a universe that remains substantially Workshop. What follows is a status report question of where we go from here. unknown to us. Combined with the time of the existing instrumentation program, needed to develop new instrumentation a look into the longer-term future of Some might argue that the Observatory (in many cases the better part of a Gemini’s instrumentation and a glimpse should focus exclusively on supporting decade), it becomes clear that the vitality at the science that it will enable. research now that we are equipped with of an observatory like Gemini depends a broad range of instruments and have fundamentally on an ongoing instrument Current Status of the Instrument more coming over the next couple of development program. Scaling back in Program years. This is tantamount to hanging our instrument development program “No Vacancy” signs on the backs of the now would leave us with an instrument Since the last newsletter report on telescopes and foregoing development set that is obsolete and incapable of Gemini’s instrument program, enormous of new instruments, at least for the near performing at the level of advanced progress has been made in developing new future. An enormous investment in the research our community demands and capabilities for the Gemini community. Observatory has been made to date, rightfully deserves. The “wave” of instrumentation mentioned and pausing to take advantage of that in the previous newsletter has arrived, investment to reap the scientific rewards With this in mind, the Gemini with new instruments being delivered that await our community is a strategy Observatory, its National Partner Offices at the staggering average rate of one that has some merit. and hundreds of astronomers within the every two months during the past year. Gemini Partnership, collectively set-out This work includes acceptance testing, The problem with this approach is to chart Gemini’s scientific course and integration, commissioning, and releasing that astronomy is fundamentally a define the new instrumentation required new instruments on a mode-by-mode technology-driven enterprise. The to keep Gemini at the forefront of basis—all while maintaining on-going telescope activities and an aggressive Mauna Kea Cerro Pachón science operations plan. Keeping up with u u this pace of activity is a testament to the fortitude and diligence of Gemini’s entire u u staff. u l Only a few years ago, the optical ports l on the telescopes’ instrument support l structures were occupied by ballast n n weights. By the beginning of 2004, they will be completely occupied with n new instruments and support facilities n (Figure 1). Commissioning all modes of the instruments delivered to date n will certainly extend through 2004. Given the high demand for science time on both telescopes, this will preclude commissioning all modes of every Figure 1: A summary of the facility instrument status at Gemini North and Gemini South u indicates instruments that instrument as fast as might otherwise have been commissioned and are being used regularly, l indicates instruments that are being commissioned at the time of be possible. Nonetheless, we are now this report, and n indicates instruments that are still under development. 2 Gemini Newsletter #27 - December 2003 acted as a channel for many astronomers to inject their perspectives regarding Gemini’s scientifi c future. The Aspen attendees participated in these preliminary national workshops, thereby providing continuity between all of the various science meetings. The makeup of each science group was proportioned along partner shares in the Gemini Observatory, which ensured that each group had broad international representation and received input from each of the pre-Aspen national workshops. In addition, Gemini science staff members were present in each of the Aspen science groups. The Aspen Process has two phases: (1) Figure 2: A timeline depicting Aspen Process milestones over the last two years. developing the science case; and (2) astronomical research. meeting in June 2003. The Observatory defi ning new instrument requirements was asked to organize this science (Figure 3, next page). The science What Lies Ahead in the Instrument conference, and in turn, recruited lead defi nition phase of the Aspen Process Program: “The Aspen Process” scientists within several partner countries recently ended with a recommendation to act as the organizing committee. After from the GSC to the Gemini Board The path to Gemini’s next generation of selecting a venue for the meeting, four about which new capabilities should be instruments led through the small town science themes were defi ned, which developed. A second parallel track of of Aspen, Colorado, in June 2003. Over together broadly defi ned a comprehensive activity, the instrument defi nition phase, 90 members of the Gemini astronomical set of astronomical research topics. began soon after the Aspen Workshop.