GSC Report

1
GSC Report

• Simon Morris
• (Durham University, GSC Chair)

2
Outline

• The New GSC
• Agenda for Oct 18 2007 GSC Meeting

3
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.

4
The New GSC

• Prof. Simon Morris (Chair)
• Dr. Timothy C. Beers
• Dr. Simon Casassus
• Dr. Scott Croom
• Dr. Rene Doyon
• Dr. Nancy A. Levenson
• Dr. Ross J. Mclure

• Dr. Christopher C. Packham
• Dr. Suzie Ramsey-Howatt
• Dr. Henry G. Roe
• Dr. Basilio Santiago
• Prof. Alan Stockton
• Dr. Chris Willott

5
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

6
Short Term Priorities

• Red CCDs for GMOS N. The GSC still holds to a
  specification of competitive with FORS2
• ALTAIR LGS
• With NIFS (and NIRI with PSF variable) option
  for no field lens larger TT sky coverage
• Larger FOV for TT with field lens (goal to get
  comparable sky coverage to Keck LGS)
• Improve the operational elevation from 59 deg
  to 30 deg
• Goal of comparable IQ to Keck LGS
• Blind offset ability for GN (and GS) GMOS high
  priority
• MICHELLE
• Eliminate image elongation which is impacting
  science output
• Dual beam chopping/guiding
• Increase chop throw to 30
• Spectropolarimetry

• NICI
• Commissioning
• System Verification
• Start of science campaign
• FLAMINGOS 2 (see above for some discussion of the
  GSC opinion on the relative priority of Flamingos
  2 and MCAO)
• Commissioning
• System Verification
• Demo science
• MCAO
• System Verification
• GSAOI
• Flamingos-2
• MCAO science operation readiness
• Red CCDs for GMOS S . The GSC still holds to a
  specification of competitive with FORS2. NB
  First priority for red CCDs is GMOS N.
• Blind offset ability for GS GMOS, GNIRS high
  priority

7
OPC Report

• Simon Morris
• (Durham University, OPC Chair)

8
Outline

• P80
• Laboca Delta Call
• P81

9
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.

10
Pressure factor shown as time requested for all
classes of proposal (including Large) divided by
the time available
11
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

12
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