NUMBER 99 FEBRUARY 2002 NEWSLETTER ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN OBSERVATORY IRIS2 hits the skies This issue celebrates the commissioning and first science runs of IRIS2, the AAOís new nearñ infrared camera and spectrograph. IRIS2 covers the 1ñ2.5mm wavelength range, providing imaging over a 7.7 x 7.7 arcmin fieldñofñview, and longñslit spectroscopy with R = 1200 ñ 2400. Above, we see Denis Whittard worKing on IRIS2, and the first IRIS2 image ñ the Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus) in the LMC. For the full story, see pp 15 to 25. contents 6 Discovery of a shockñexcited wind in the starñburst galaxy NGC 1482 (Sylvain Veilleux & David Rupke) 8 Cosmic spectra and starñformation history (Ivan Baldry et al.) 10 Radio sources in the 6dFGS ñ test data (Tom Mauch) 12 Detection of stellar oscillations with UCLES: the birth of asteroseismology (Tim Bedding et al.) 13 Shocks and illumination cones in the extreme radio galaxy 3C 265 (C. SolÛrzanoñIÒarrea & C. Tadhunter) 14 NTT and AAT observations of a newlyñdiscovered pulsar wind nebula (Heath Jones et al.) 26 The Dover Heights ëHoleñinñtheñGroundí Radio Telescope (Wayne Orchiston) DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE DIRECTOR'S DIRECTORíS MESSAGE Eighteen months ago, the strategies for the AAO over the next decade were mapped out in the ìAAO of the Futureî. Even at that time, it was clear that the strategies were ambitious and that the implementation of the plan would be challenging. The AAO moved forward into a future that promised much, but held many uncertainties. Some of the greatest challenges lay in instrumentation, with the AAO forging new directions in building instruments for other telescopes and setting itself ambitious targets to complete the upgrade of its own instrument suite and infrastructure by 2005. Perhaps more than anything else over the intervening period, two key achievements in the past three months have demonstrated that the AAO has risen to meet these instrumentation challenges and is thus significantly closer to making the vision encapsulated in ìAAO of the Futureî a reality. The first of these achievements is the successful commissioning of IRIS2, reported on in detail by Chris Tinney and the IRIS2 team in this Newsletter. With IRIS2, the AAO regains its capability in nearñIR astronomy, once more offering competitive wideñfield infrared imaging and spectroscopy with the AAT. It also brings the AAO a step closer to providing the core instrumentation capability of AAOmega, WFI, IRIS2, UCLES/UHRF and 6dF outlined in the ìAAO of the Futureî. Only AAOmega remains to complete the instrumentation suite, with three out of the five instruments (WFI, IRIS2 and 6dF) having been commissioned over the past year. The success of IRIS2 reflects an Observatoryñwide effort from the design and building of the instrument in Epping to the work on interface issues, helium reticulation and commissioning at Siding Spring. Equally key to the future success of the AAO have been the achievements of the OzPoz team. In December, OzPoz was formally accepted by ESO in Australia and will have been shipped to Paranal by the time you read this. This also represents the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by the OzPoz team whose outstanding effort was clearly recognised by ESO. Although commissioning still lies ahead, the success of the AAOís first multiñmillion dollar external project augurs well for the future. Working with ESO has also been immensely positive for the AAO and the experience gained in key project disciplines has been invaluable. Moving towards the ìAAO of the Futureî also means letting go of the past. The announcements in this Newsletter of the decommissioning of many AAO instruments and the termination of routine photography by the UK Schmidt reflect the need to move on to new opportunities. Equally, we need to recognise that against the backdrop of declining operational resources for AAT instrumentation, difficult decisions have to be made. Perhaps the most difficult decision with regard to AAT instrumentation has been the eventual decommissioning of Taurus. As evidenced by no less than three articles in the current newsletter, it is clear that Taurus continues to do excellent and unique science. However, the ìAAO of the Futureî is about new opportunities such as those provided by IRIS2 and OzPoz. Over the past few months, the AAO has taken its first major steps towards the ìAAO of the Futureî with both confidence and success. Brian Boyle ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN OBSERVATORY page 2 NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2002 ANNOUNCEMENTS RUSSELL CANNONíS RETIREMENT Russell Cannon retires formally from the AAO on Friday, 1 March. For those who know Russell, it will come as no surprise that this ëformalí retirement will simply provide an even greater opportunity for Russell to focus on his various research programs, mostly involving 2dF. As an honorary senior AAO research astronomer, Russell will retain his office at Epping and continue to observe on the AAT and UKST as and when he is awarded time. I hope Russell will not mind if I also take this opportunity to acknowledge Russellís pivotal contribution to the AAO over the past 15 years. Russell joined the AAO in 1986 and one of his first major achievements was to successfully guide the agreement whereby the AAO took over operational responsibility for the UK Schmidt in 1988. At the same time he successfully co-ordinated the AAOís response to SN 1987A, maximising the scientific output from this unique event. As Director, Russell also oversaw the commissioning of UCLES and Autofib, and the successful development of IRIS, AAOís first imaging infrared camera, commissioned in 1991. However, it was Russellís long association with survey astronomy and his realisation that the AAO needed to move on, if it was to remain a competitive telescope in the 8ñm era, that provided much of the scientific drive and strategic vision behind the 2ñdegree field. Russellís support and advocacy of 2dF was the critical element in getting this project approved and funded in the early 90s. Equally, it took an immense amount of hard work and tenacity to keep the project going through the early years, culminating in the official opening of 2dF in 1995. That we have 2dF today is testament to the fact that Russell never lost this vision. Following his second fiveñyear term as Director, Russell moved on to become an AAO senior research astronomer, scientifically exploiting the 2dF instrument he had worked so hard to ensure became a reality. He has many ongoing scientific programs with 2dF (perhaps the astronomer with the greatest number) including the galaxy redshift survey, Magellanic Cloud carbon stars and globular cluster abundances. As a 2dF support astronomer, Russell has also spent many nights (and days) relentlessly tracking down the outstanding throughput and positioning issues with 2dF, in turn providing valuable input to the AAOmega project. I am sure that everyone would want to wish Russell and Fernanda all the best for the years ahead, and hope that Russell manages to find some time from his research to realise some of his other ambitions! Brian Boyle Russell Cannon in front of 2dF at the Opening in 1995. ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN OBSERVATORY NEWSLETTER page 3 FEBRUARY 2002 THE FUTURE AVAILABILITY OF AAT INSTRUMENTATION ANNOUNCEMENTS The ìAAO of the Futureî Strategic Plan envisages the rationalisation of the AATís instrument suite, in order to maintain a scientifically competitive facility in the reduced budget environment of postñ2005. The AAOís facilities will then be: ï AAOmega (multi-object spectroscopy and IFU spectroscopy with the SPIRAL IFU) ï UCLES/UHRF ï IRIS2 ï WFI ï Detector Control via new AAO2 controllers ï Instrument Control via new Unixñbased control interfaces ï Upgrade of the Telescope Control System away from the existing Interdata computers ï Any approved visitor instrumentation So that the AAO can meet the deadlines for the development of the many new components required by this ambitious plan, rationalisation of the current instrument suite will need to begin well in advance. The AAO therefore takes this opportunity to make the following announcements: IRIS1: with the commissioning of IRIS2 in 2001B, IRIS1 is now formally decommissioned. UNSWIRF: with the decommissioning of IRIS1, UNSWIRF can now no longer be used until upgraded for use with IRIS2, and in its current form it is now formally decommissioned. Aux CCD: with the implementation of new CCDñbased A&G cameras, the role of this system in the acquisition of faint targets has been superseded. Together with the prohibitive overheads involved in the operation of this system, this has led to the Aux CCD being now formally decommissioned. LDSS++: Taurus has now been demonstrated to deliver useful multiñobject spectroscopic performance for most applications. Given this, the overheads involved in maintaining and supporting TWO multiñobject instruments can no longer be supported. LDSS will be decommissioned with immediate effect. SPIRAL: will be kept available to applicants until the end of Semester 2003B, at which point it will need to be decommissioned in order to be reñintegrated with the AAOmega spectrographs. RGO: much of the functionality of the RGO spectrograph will be superseded by the SPIRAL + AAOmega combination. Moreover, as other facilities, including ESO (for UK observers), SSO 2.3ñm (Aus) and GMOS (UK/Aus), have made RGO uncompetitive, its decommissioning needs to be addressed. We therefore announce that RGO will remain available until the end of Semester 2003B, when we propose to decommission the facility. Taurus: Taurus has clearly been one of the AAOís most innovative instruments. Unfortunately, the cost to convert Taurus to the new Instrument Control environment lies well outside the currently planned AAT instrumentation budget for 2002-05. The availability of Taurus in the ìAAO of the Futureî postñ2005 is therefore not foreseen at present. However, the AAO will continue to offer Taurus as an AAT instrument at least until the end of Semester 2003B and, as resources permit, until the end of 2005B.