2017 Annual Progress Report of the Gemini Observatory Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 1-1 2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 2-2 3 Science Highlights ........................................................................................................... 3-3 The Gravitational Wave E-M Counterpart Follow-up Campaign ................................ 3-3 On the Trail of the First Interstellar Asteroid .............................................................. 3-4 Blue Binaries in the Cold Classical Kuiper Belt ......................................................... 3-5 First Determination of the Host Galaxy of a Fast Radio Burst ................................... 3-6 A Quasar in the Epoch of Reionization ...................................................................... 3-7 Proposal and Publication Statistics ........................................................................... 3-8 4 Operations ....................................................................................................................... 4-9 Operations Summary ................................................................................................ 4-9 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................... 4-9 4.2.1 Gemini North...................................................................................................... 4-9 4.2.2 Gemini South ................................................................................................... 4-11 Science User Support ............................................................................................. 4-12 Storage and Archiving ............................................................................................. 4-13 Special Observing Modes ....................................................................................... 4-13 4.5.1 Fast Turnaround .............................................................................................. 4-13 4.5.2 Large and Long Programs ............................................................................... 4-14 Telescopes and Enclosures .................................................................................... 4-14 Operations Metrics .................................................................................................. 4-15 4.7.1 Telescope Time Usage .................................................................................... 4-16 4.7.2 Regular Semester: Oversubscription and Demand .......................................... 4-16 Other Operations Activities ..................................................................................... 4-17 Administration and Facilities ................................................................................... 4-19 4.9.1 AFG-South ....................................................................................................... 4-20 4.9.2 AFG-North ....................................................................................................... 4-20 Safety ..................................................................................................................... 4-20 External Relations ................................................................................................... 4-21 5 Instrumentation and Facility Development...................................................................... 5-21 2017 Annual Progress Report of the Gemini Observatory i GHOST ................................................................................................................... 5-22 OCTOCAM ............................................................................................................. 5-22 GeMS ..................................................................................................................... 5-22 GMOS CCDs .......................................................................................................... 5-23 Instrument Upgrades .............................................................................................. 5-23 Altair ....................................................................................................................... 5-23 Additional Development Projects ............................................................................ 5-23 6 Public Outreach and Broadening Participation ............................................................... 6-23 PIO Highlights for 2017 ........................................................................................... 6-23 Local Outreach Programming ................................................................................. 6-25 User and Public Communications ........................................................................... 6-27 6.3.1 User Communications ...................................................................................... 6-27 6.3.2 Public Communications ................................................................................... 6-28 Additional Opportunities and Milestones ................................................................. 6-30 Broadening Participation and Workforce Development ........................................... 6-31 7 Finance and Organization .............................................................................................. 7-31 Finance ................................................................................................................... 7-31 Organization and Staffing........................................................................................ 7-32 Budget .................................................................................................................... 7-32 7.3.1 Participants and Limited-Term Collaborators Contributions.............................. 7-32 7.3.2 Financial Results for the Year of 2017 ............................................................. 7-33 7.3.3 2017 Budget vs Actual Variance Analysis ........................................................ 7-34 Appendix A. Acronyms and Abbreviations…………………………………………………………..A-1 Appendix B. Publications by Staff............................................................................................ A-4 B.1 Staff Refereed Publications .......................................................................................... A-4 B.2 Staff Non-Refereed Publications .................................................................................. A-8 Appendix C. Publications by Users ....................................................................................... A-12 Appendix D. Science Programs 2016B and 2017A ............................................................... A-33 D.1 2016B Science Programs - Gemini North ................................................................... A-33 D.2 2016B Science Programs - Gemini South .................................................................. A-36 D.3 2017A Science Programs - Gemini North ................................................................... A-39 D.4 2017A Science Programs - Gemini South .................................................................. A-42 2017 Annual Progress Report of the Gemini Observatory ii Appendix E. Organizational Chart ......................................................................................... A-47 Appendix F. Completion of the 2017 Program Plan ............................................................... A-48 F.1 Science and Engineering Operations in 2017 ............................................................. A-48 F.1.1 Regular Operations .............................................................................................. A-48 F.1.2 Science and Engineering Operations Core Projects and Goals ............................ A-49 F.1.3 Science User Support in 2017 .............................................................................. A-49 F.2 Instrumentation and Facility Development in 2018 ..................................................... A-50 F.3 Administration & Facilities and Safety in 2017 ............................................................ A-51 F.3.1 Finance and Administration .................................................................................. A-51 F.3.2 Safety .................................................................................................................. A-52 F.4 Public Information and Outreach in 2017 .................................................................... A-53 F.5 Gemini External Relations in 2017.............................................................................. A-54 F.6 HR Plans in 2017 ....................................................................................................... A-54 Appendix G. Staff Accomplishments ..................................................................................... A-55 G.1 AURA Awards ............................................................................................................ A-55 G.1.1 Science Award .................................................................................................... A-55 G.1.2 Service Award ..................................................................................................... A-55 G.1.3 Technology/Innovation