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GNIRS SV Plan

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The table below summarises the pool of observations which have been defined for GNIRS System Verification at Gemini South. The list encompasses the GNIRS observing modes that have been offered in the first SV call: 1-2.5um R=2000 cross-dispersed, 1-2.5um R=2000 long slit, 1-2.5um R=6000 long slit and 3-5um long slit (R=2000 & R=6000).  They have been selected to cover a range of observing conditions and to overfill the SV time available to provide flexibility when scheduling and in their execution (e.g. with regards to target accessibility or conditions required). System Verification for these modes will be carried out during 7 nights in early March (currently 6-9 and 15-17 Mar 2004).

Summary: The first GNIRS SV call was oversubscribed >2/1.  There were 24 programs altogether (tabulated below): 11 Cross-dispersed, 4 R=2000 1-2.5um, 7 R=6000 1-2.5um and 7 for 3-5um (with 5 spanning 2 observing modes).  Taken together, the submitted programs were exceptional for SV in that they covered a wide variety of interesting targets, from planets and young stars to quasars and high redshift galaxies.  However, many programs requested numerous objects, as one might submit for a queue program, rather than a very limited SV run.  As a result, we have chosen to retain the majority of the submitted programs, but have divided them into two rankings and reduced the allocated time for many of them, by as much as 50% or more in some cases, while hopefully still meeting their minimal goals.  The programs in the second-ranking should be considered "contingency" programs, to be executed when none of the top-ranked programs are observable.  We hope to obtain a diverse collection of representative, and scientifically interesting, data spread widely among the community.  The ranking is based on a combination of factors including the desire to test many functional aspects of GNIRS and the familiarity of the PIs (or Co-Is) with GNIRS and the Gemini observation software, as well as the scientific interest to the general community (given the limited proprietary period of SV data).  We have let the community determine the time allocation among the modes in that we have attempted to retain the original distribution of programs among the modes in the final ranking and allocation of time.  

Note that the time allocations listed in the table should be considered approximate, as accurate exposure times and overheads were not known when the proposals were submitted.

Summary of Time Allocation (hours)
1-2.5um Cross-Dispersed
1-2.5um R=2000
1-2.5um R=6000
3-5um R=2000&6000
Totals
Submitted programs
49
10
63*
22
144
Top-ranked
12
4
16
10
42
Second-ranked
14
4
12
5
35
TOTAL Allocated
26
8
28
15
77

*Two programs requested 43 hours combined. The total available telescope time is ~63 hours (7 nights x 9 hrs), assuming no weather loss.

Table Legend:

Top-ranked Second-ranked (Contingency)

Important note: As the observing modes are overfilled to allow flexibility in executing the SV observations, the presence of a proposed observation in the SV plan does not by any means guarantee that the observation will be executed, and should not deter proposals to observe the same objects as part of the regular semester.

The table will (soon!) link to more information about each program including specific aspects of the instrument and telescope to be verified, a summary of the possible scientific returns from successful observations, a target list and the members of the assessment team. Each program will link to the SV data and its assessment when available.  In the time allocation column, a brief rationale for reduced time allocations is given in brackets.

Prog. #


PI

Title

Time
alloc.

Modes RA (hrs) / dec (deg) Obs conditions1
1-2.5u XD 1-2.5u
R=2000
1-2.5u
R=6000
3-5u
R=2000
&6000
IQ sky bkg WV clds

SV-4

Luhman
(US)
Candidate young brown dwarfs
 4hr
[4-5 srcs]
H=13-16, 6 srcs, S/N~40; 1-2" slit
 
11/-76 Any Any Any Any

SV-10

Volk
(Staff)
Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebulae 2.5hr
[2-3 srcs]
J=11, K=14-15, 5 srcs, S/N~30; 0.45" slit

   
5,18 70

Any Any Any

SV-5

Zakamska
(US)
SDSS Type II Quasar Candidates 8hr
[4-5 srcs]
0.95-1.1u; SDSS i_AB=19-20, S/N>10, 6 srcs; 0.6" slit

 
9,12/ +1,+2 Any? Any Any Any?

SV-11

Norman/
M. Smith

(US)
The Reddest Quasars  5hr
[merge; 4srcs total] 
K=13-16,  S/N~50; 1.0"slit
   
11-13/ -5--20

Any

Any

Any

70?

SV-6

Mason
(US)
Dust & Ice chemistry in quiescent molecular clouds  5hr
[4 srcs]

K~8-10, S/N~100   M=65mJy, 180-300mJy, 6srcs, S/N~50@M,100@L; L=2000, R=6000 5;11 85 50 50 70

SV-7

Juneau
(Canada)
Star formation, dust & metals in at z=1.5  12hr
[4 srcs at H, 1-2 srcs at J]
 
4srcs; 1.21-1.25u=13.5hr, S/N>4; 1.65u=3hr, S/N>10

15/0,12/-7 Any? Any Any Any?

SV-12

N.Smith
(US)
Eta Carinae
1.5hr
[reduce # gratings]


2 or 3 slit positions, nod off slit; gratings from 0.9-2.5u?
R=6000, L&M
10.7/-59
70 Any 80 90

SV-13

Prato
(US)
TT Binaries VV and S CrA and their planet-forming disks
2hr
[reduce # gratings]


PA along binaries, sep. 1.3",1.9"; K~7, S/N~200; gratings from 0.9-2.5u?
R=6000, L&M; L=5-6
19/-37

Any

Any

Any

Any

SV-14

Mason
(US)
Ice & Hydrocarbons in ice galaxy NGC 4418
5hr



R=2000; 1hr@L,S/N~75, 3hr@M,S/N~20
12/-1
85
50
50
70

SV-8

Gephardt
(US)
Central Black hole of Centaurus A
2hr

CO@2.3u, S/N~50; nod off slit 10'


13

70 Any 80 90

SV-15

Reba B.
(UK)
Highly obscured X-ray Binaries
4hr
[1 src]


7srcs, K=11-16, 2.1-2.3u,
S/N=30,80-100; 0.6" slit

16-18/
-14-30
85 Any Any 70

SV-16

Howell
(US)
Molecular Emission from Accretion Disks
4hr

K=13,14; high S/N; 2.0-2.45u


6.5,10 Any 80 Any Any

SV-17

Davidge
(Canada)
Nuclear Regions in late-type Spirals of Centaurus cluster
3hr
[3 srcs, incl. Sgr A*]
K~17per pixel, 4srcs, S/N>10; nod off slit; 1x1' scan of Sgr A*



13,14,17/
 -30--65
70

Any

50

50

SV-18

Hinkle
(US)
LMC Obscured Stars
4hr
[6 srcs]


10srcs, K=11-14, 2.2-2.4u,
S/N~100

5/-69

70

Any

Any

70

SV-9

Elias
(US)
Excitation conditions in Herbig-Haro objects
4hr


3 gratings: 1.2-1.3u, 1.51-1.66u, 2.06-2.24u,
S/N~10; extended

8/-36 13/-77

85

Any

Any

50

SV-2

Elias
(US)
PMS Binaries
3hr
[5 srcs]
K=9-14, 11srcs, S/N~50, 5min onsrc; various PA, nod off slit;



11/-77 20
70
Any Any 70
50

SV-3

Rodgers
(Staff)
Fundamental CO in M-faint young stars
5hr
[5 srcs]



R=6000@M; 5.6<M<9.3, 4-6srcs; S/N>10
8/-79 85 Any 50 70

SV-1

Ardila
(Brazil)
Buried AGN in Polar Ring Galaxies
2hr

K=11(integrated), S/N?; 1" slit


10.5/-38, 13.5/-21 Any

Any

Any

50

1 See the detailed observing condition constraints for the precise meaning of the %-ile categories.


Last update 16 January 2004; Phil Puxley


Gemini Observatory Participants