GSC Report

							       GSC Report

        Simon Morris
(Durham University, GSC Chair)
               Outline
• The ‘New’ GSC
• Agenda for Oct 18 2007 GSC Meeting
            The ‘New’ GSC
• The Gemini Science Committee provides the
  Observatory and the Gemini Board with strategic
  and near-term advice on scientific issues. This
  includes the content of the on-going
  instrumentation program and scientific
  performance requirements for the telescopes
  and instrumentation. The GSC is expected to be
  represented at the annual strategic planning
  activities of the Observatory and to actively
  participate.
• The GSC in whole or in part may assist the
  Director by functioning as a User Committee by
  assessing the Observatory's responsiveness to
  the national scientific communities.
            The ‘New’ GSC
• Prof. Simon Morris     • Dr. Christopher C.
  (Chair)                  Packham
• Dr. Timothy C. Beers   • Dr. Suzie Ramsey-
• Dr. Simon Casassus       Howatt
• Dr. Scott Croom        • Dr. Henry G. Roe
• Dr. Rene Doyon         • Dr. Basilio Santiago
• Dr. Nancy A.           • Prof. Alan Stockton
  Levenson               • Dr. Chris Willott
• Dr. Ross J. Mclure
    Agenda for Oct 18 2007 GSC
              Meeting
• Copy of agenda on UK 8m UG web site
• Docs for meeting distributed Monday
  8/10/07
• Deployment of Gemini instruments on
  GN/GS = Long Range Plan
• Scientific priorities at Gemini for 2008 =
  Short Term Priorities
• Discussion of User Issues
                   Short Term Priorities
•   Red CCDs for GMOS N. The GSC still holds               •   NICI
    to a specification of ‘competitive with                     –     Commissioning
    FORS2’                                                      –     System Verification
•   ALTAIR LGS                                                  –     Start of science campaign
     –   With NIFS (and NIRI with PSF variable) –          •   FLAMINGOS 2 (see above for some
         option for no field lens larger TT sky coverage       discussion of the GSC opinion on the
     –   Larger FOV for TT with field lens (goal to get        relative priority of Flamingos 2 and MCAO)
         comparable sky coverage to Keck LGS)                   –     Commissioning
     –   Improve the operational elevation from ≥ 59            –     System Verification
         deg to ≥ 30 deg
     –   Goal of comparable IQ to Keck LGS                      –     Demo science
•   Blind offset ability for GN (and GS) – GMOS            •   MCAO
    high priority                                               –     System Verification
                                                                –     GSAOI
•   MICHELLE
                                                                –     Flamingos-2
     –   Eliminate image elongation which is impacting
         science output                                         –     MCAO science operation readiness
     –   Dual beam chopping/guiding                        •   Red CCDs for GMOS S . The GSC still
     –   Increase chop throw to 30”                            holds to a specification of ‘competitive with
     –   Spectropolarimetry                                    FORS2’. NB First priority for red CCDs is
                                                               GMOS N.
                                                           •   Blind offset ability for GS – GMOS, GNIRS
                                                               high priority
       OPC Report

        Simon Morris
(Durham University, OPC Chair)
                Outline
• P80
• Laboca Delta Call
• P81
                          P80
• 878 Normal proposals and 14 Large proposals
• The numbers of subpanels was increased (from 10 to
  12) and the amount of time for subpanel discussion and
  ranking of the proposals was also increased (from ~ 2 to
  ~2.5 days)
• The OPC approved the continuation of all the ongoing
  Large Programmes. The specific case of the zCOSMOS
  survey by Lilly et al. was discussed, and its continuation
  supported despite a possible need to take 4 years to
  complete.
• The overall demand per telescope remains high for
  almost all telescopes.
           Pressure factor shown as time requested for all
           classes of proposal (including Large) divided by
                                                  the time available
           8.0

                        UT1         UT2    UT3         UT4    3.6m       NTT       2.2m
           7.0



           6.0



           5.0
Pressure




           4.0



           3.0



           2.0



           1.0



           0.0
                 P61   P62    P63   P64   P65    P66   P67   P68   P69   P70   P71   P72   P73   P74   P75   P76   P77   P78   P79   P80
                                                                          Period
          Laboca Delta Call
• Laboca available for limited number of
  nights (2 runs, ~26 nights) for ESO during
  P80
• Separate meeting of a panel
• Some ‘large’ programmes recommended
  (e.g. Smail et al. survey of ECDFS)
• Merged with Apex-2A and Flash
                    P81
• 3 ‘Procedures’ documents on UK 8m UG
  web site
  – Feedback (presented in March 2007)
  – Panel Chair Guidelines
  – Large Programme Procedures
• Chair got list of proposals and panel
  members today (wed 10/10/07). Hotel
  broadband too slow to download…