GMOS-S SV Plan
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The table below summarises the pool of observations which have been defined for GMOS South System Verification. See the GMOS-North SV page for more information about the SV process. A brief description of each program selected for the SV plan follows the table. An announcement requesting SV proposals for other GMOS-S modes (IFU, 2km/s spectroscopy) will be released later in 2003.
GMOS mode |
SV reference number(s) |
Total planned time |
Imaging |
9.5 hours |
|
Standard longslit spec |
16 hours |
|
Standard MOS |
17.5 hours |
|
Nod & Shuffle spec |
23.5 hours |
Imaging Mode
Pre-imaging observations required for MOS will be used to test the imaging mode. This includes verification of imaging acquisition procedures, observing sequences, and data reduction pipelines. The programs only requested 9.5 hours for imaging; additional time will be granted to programs which requested imaging so that images can be obtained in additional bandpasses to improve object selection, improve the general usefulness of the dataset, or provide PR images.
Longslit Spectroscopy Mode
GS-2002B-SV-204
Title: Elliptical Galaxy Halo Dynamics and Stellar Populations
PI: Marcel Bergmann
Partner: USA
CoIs: Inger Jorgensen, Karl Gebhardt, Bryan Miller
Modes: longslit
Filters:
Gratings: R600
Total time: 10 hours
Conditions
SB: 50%
IQ: Any
CC: 50% (photometric not needed)
Status: completed
Science goals:
We propose to obtain deep long-slit spectroscopy along the
major and minor axis of an early-type galaxy, out to ~1.5 effective radii.
We will use these data to measure the stellar population gradients of age,
metallicity, and alpha-element enhancement, as well as the outer halo kinematics.
combined, this information will provide a direct look at the evolutionary
history of this kind of galaxy and its dark matter profile.
These observations are suggested as a system verification
project. suitable set-ups for measuring the kinematics can be achieved
using the B600, B1200, R600, or R830 gratings, in the wavelength range
of 4800-5400A (Halpha, Mgb, & Fe) or near ~8500A (Calcium triplet).
Since we will be spatially summing along the slit over regions of ~5'',
seeing does not affect these observations, and they can be made during periods
of less than optimal image-quality.
This project will utilize the full length of the GMOS long-slit, testing
flexure and distortion effects in the instrument. Furthermore, we will test
out the flat-fielding and sky-subtraction techniques required to extract useful
data from extended objects with very low surface brightness.
Target | RA | Dec |
NGC 2986 | 09:44:18.83 | -21:15:45.8 |
NGC 3617 | 11:17:50.62 | -26:08:01.5 |
GS-2002B-SV-209
Title: Extremely Low Metallicity Dwarf Galaxies in the Centaurus
A Group
PI: Stephanie Cote
Partner: Canada
CoIs: Bryan Miller
Modes: longslit
Filters:
Gratings: B600
Total time: 6 hours
Conditions
SB: 50%
IQ: 85%
CC: 50% (good transparency important, but
photometric conditions not needed)
Status: started
Science goals:
We propose to obtain the chemical abundance of four dwarf irregular galaxies of the nearby Centaurus A Group (CEN6, UGCA365, SGC142448-4604 and ESO222-G10). Through Halpha CCD imaging (observed at CTIO; Cote, Skillman, Miller in prep) we have discovered several HII regions in these galaxies, which are amongst the lowest luminosity star-forming galaxies known. Because of the strong correlation between luminosity and abundance in dwarf galaxies, we expect these galaxies to possess some of the most (possibly the most!) primitive chemical environment known, ideal for studying the early stages of nucleosynthesis in galaxies.
This program with demonstrate
Gemini/GMOS-S's ability to acquire faint diffuse sources using blind offsets,
show the use of placing the slit along the mean parallactic angle, and test
the reduction software with emission line sources.
Target | RA | Dec |
Cen6 | 13:05:00.69 | -40:04:58.1 |
UGCA-365 | 13:36:31.61 | -29:14:11.5 |
SGC142448-4604 | 14:28:00.82 | -46:17:56.7 |
ESO222-G10 | 14:35:02.83 | -49:25:23.8 |
MOS Mode
GS-2002B-SV-206
Title: Galaxy Evolution in X-ray Selected Groups of Galaxies
PI: Rodrigo Carrasco
Partner: Gemini staff, Brazil
CoIs: Claudia Mendes de Oliveira, Sodre Laerte, Amelia Ramirez,
Hector Cuevas, Michael Ledlow
Modes: MOS, 1-2 slit banks, deep imaging
Filters: r
Gratings: R400
Total time: 16 hours: 9.5 hours for MOS and 6.5 hours for imaging
Conditions
SB: 50%
IQ: 70%
CC: 70%
Status: pre-imaging taken
Science goals:
We propose to obtain images
and spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies in X-ray groups at intermediate
redshift (0.2< z < 0.4), with the aim of investigating galaxy populations
and group properties. The spectra will be used to obtain redshifts, velocity
dispersions, and stellar populations of the cluster candidates. It is part
of a longer-term program that intends to study a sample of 15 groups with
redshifts 0.15 < z < 0.45, with ROSAT x-ray luminosities lower than
10^43.5 ergs/s, selected from the catalog of Vikhlinin et al. (1998). The
groups we intend to observe are a factor of 10-100 less luminous in X-ray
than clusters identified at the same redshift and are meant to represent
the most common types of environments inhabited by galaxies. The data obtained
in the current program will contemplate several programs with a common science
goal of understanding galaxy evolution in groups of galaxies.
Target | RA | Dec |
Group 97 | 11:17:26.45 | +07:44:30.6 |
Group 102 | 11:24:06.80 | -17:00:24.4 |
Group 124 | 12:52:04.22 | -29:20:28.7 |
GS-2002B-SV-217
Title: Spectroscopy of Gravitational Arcs in One ACS Cluster
PI: Leopoldo Infante
Partner: Chile
CoIs: Holland Ford, Felipe Barrientos, Gaspar Galaz, Narciso Benitez,
Felipe Menanteau
Modes: MOS, 3 slit banks, imaging
Filters: r
Gratings: R150
Total time: 9 hours, 1 hr imaging, 8 hours MOS
Conditions
SB: 80%
IQ: 85%
CC: 70%
Status: pre-imaging taken
Science goals:
We propose to use GEMINI+GMOS in the MOS mode
to obtain the spectra for 50 arcs and arclets in the field of the massive
cluster of galaxies Abell 1689. This cluster has deep ACS imaging in the
Gunn griz and ground based IR photometry that allow us to compute reliable
photometric redshifts in order to preselect the most likely candidates for
GMOS. The spectroscopic redshift information will be used to constrain the
mass model for the cluster, critical to interpret the much higher redshift
magnified galaxies such as the r and i-band dropouts.
Target | RA | Dec |
Abell 1689 | 13:11:29.98 | -01:20:30.1 |
Nod&Shuffle Mode
Since this is a new and unique mode for GMOS, emphasis is placed here.
GS-2002B-SV-222
Title: Measuring the Black-Hole Mass in an Unusual Radio Galaxy
PI: Michael Ledlow
Partner: Gemini staff
CoIs: Frazer Owen, Bill Keel
Modes: N&S longslit
Filters:
Gratings: R831
Total time: 3.5 hours
Conditions
SB: 80%
IQ: 85%
CC: 70%
Status: completed
Science goals:
It has been universally accepted for more than a decade that Radio galaxies only occur in elliptical or merging galaxies - except one. That galaxy is 0313-192, and was discovered as part of a large radio survey of Abell clusters (Ledlow & Owen 1995). Extensive followup observations with the VLA, OVRO, Ground based telescopes, and more recently HST have verified the spiral morphology and the uniqueness of this object.
One measurement which would help to elucidate the nature of the central engine in this galaxy is an estimate of the central black-hole mass. We derive consistent estimates of the bulge luminosity from both ground based photometry and HST (B_bulge=-18.7). Based on published correlations between BH mass and bulge luminosity for elliptical galaxies, this corresponds to a BH mass of about 10^8 or lower. This figure is quite low for as powerful an AGN as we are seeing. As the velocity dispersion of the bulge correlates better with black hole mass than the bulge luminosity (Ferrarese et al. 2001), it would be interesting to get a better handle on the range of likely BH masses for this object. Note that this is a very poorly studied part of parameter space for these studies (low bulge luminosity) so it is not clear what are the intrinsic errors from the correlations. An independent measurement will help us to understand the limits and errors.
The velocity dispersion of
the bulge can be estimated from the widths of the Ca triplet at rest wavelengths
(8498, 8542, and 8662 A). This part of the spectrum is less affected by
the central AGN than in the blue. For 0313-192 (z=0.067) these lines are
shifted to 9067-9242 Angstroms. While the rest wavelengths conveniently
fall in between bright sky emission lines, redward of 9000A the density of
sky lines is quite a bit higher. Thus this measurement would require very
accurate sky subtraction; a perfect test of the nod-and-shuffle mode of
GMOS.
Target | RA | Dec |
0313-192 | 03:15:52.00 | -19:06:30.0 |
GS-2002B-SV-213
Title: The Nature and Age of the Oldest/Reddest Galaxies at z>1
PI: James Dunlop
Partner: UK
CoIs: Rob Ivison, David Crampton, Chris Willott, Nathan Roche, Louisa
Nolan, Raul Jimenez, Alan Heavens, Morag Hastie, Omar Almaini
Modes: N&S MOS (nodding along slit), imaging
Filters: i
Gratings: R150
Total time: 16 hours, 1 hour for imaging and 15 hours for MOS
Conditions
SB: 50%
IQ: 70%
CC: 50%
Status: pre-imaging taken
Science goals:
We propose to use 2 nights
of GMOS South system verification time to obtain high S/N optical spectra
of the 30 reddest galaxies with K < 20 in the well-studied NTT Deep Field.
Our aim is to exploit the unique nod-and-shuffle capability of GMOS to obtain
spectra for these 30 very/extremely red objects(R-K > 4.5) of a quality
comparable to that achieved by Dunlop et al. (1996;1999) for the red radio
galaxies 53W091 and 53W069 using single slit spectroscopy on Keck. Our program
will be the first to enable robust age-dating of the stellar populations
of the oldest galaxies over the redshift range 1 < z < 2.5. The NTT
deep field is well matched in size to the GMOS field of view, and at RA =
12hr is ideally placed for the scheduled GMOS-South MOS SV observations.
We have combined existing NTT and VLT images to select the target sample,
and have in place the necessary efficient modelling tools to derive ages
from the flux-calibrated optical spectra on a short time-scale. Spare slits
in the mask will be used to attempt to measure redshifts for 20 faint VLA
sources and 6 SCUBA sources in this well-studied field, providing further
opportunities for headline science, and data of interest to many astronomers
within the Gemini community. This proposal will provide an excellent test
of the capability of the nod-and-shuffle mode to perform very deep high-quality
MOS spectroscopy.
Target | RA | Dec |
NTT Deep Field | 12:05:27.00 | -07:43:25.0 |
GS-2002B-SV-219
Title: Large-scale Structure at Very High Redshift: Submm Sources
at z=5.74
PI: Rob Ivison
Partner: UK
CoIs:
Modes: N&S MOS, microslits, imaging
Filters: i
Gratings: R600
Total time: 7 hours: 1.5 hour (imaging), 5.5 hours MOS
Conditions
SB: 80%
IQ: 70%
CC: 50%
Status: pre-imaging taken
Science goals:
We propose to obtain MOS R600 or R831 spectroscopy to investigate a possible submm-selected cluster at a redshift of 5.74. This would be the highest redshift protocluster ever discovered and hence could prove invaluable for tracing matter density and evaluating models of galaxy formation at very high redshift. We have recently obtained a submm map with SCUBA of the region surrounding the z=5.74 QSO SDSS1044-0125, which shows a second bright submm source within 30" of the quasar (corresponding to ~1Mpc). The probability of such an association occurring by chance is small (~0.01). We have preliminary imaging of this field in RIZK which has identified two possible counterparts to the SCUBA source, one of which may be at very high redshift. We propose to use GMOS to determine the properties of these objects and to search for evidence of other members of this candidate proto-cluster.
This project provides an excellent
test of nod/shuffle deep spectroscopy, with the potential for a truly seminal
and rapid discovery.
Target | RA | Dec |
SDSS1044-0125 | 10:44:33.00 | -01:25:28.0 |
Last update March 10, 2003; Bryan Miller