Shared Risks Observing

Scientific observations begin in a "shared risks" phase. This phase follows instrument commissioning and characterisation, and system verification. The shared risks phase is designed to enable early scientific exploitation of the Gemini facilities and to involve the Gemini communities in refining the use of the facility and instruments.

During the shared risks phase there is the possibility of reduced data quality and/or data collection efficiency compared with that advertised due to unanticipated commissioning time requirements, poorer than anticipated performance and/or lower efficiency. This may even result in cancellation or rescheduling of some shared risks observations at short notice. Cancelled classical shared risks observations not executed during the semester will not automatically be rescheduled at a later date.

Every effort has been made to provide a realistic assessment of the capabilities and performance of the instruments and telescope, However, since much of the commissioning and system verification will not have been completed prior to the Call for Proposals, some of the capabilities and performance may differ from those advertised.

Shared risks is expected to continue for 6 months after the release of each instrument mode. The sequence of system verification, shared-risks use and full operational use is planned to occur on an instrument mode-by-mode basis. Thus an instrument, or the telescope, may have modes that are at different stages of operational readiness.

Last update August 29, 2003; Phil Puxley
In original form October 13, 1999; Phil Puxley