quarter 2 - national optical astronomy observatory

QUARTERLY SCIENTIFIC REPORT (2) FY 2013

1 January–31 March 2013

Submitted to the National Science Foundation Pursuant to Cooperative Support Agreement No. AST-0950945, Article 3-A

Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0809409

Also published on the NOAO Web site: http://www.noao.edu

NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation

Cep OB 3b is rich young cluster lo-cated in the northern constellation of Cepheus. As part of his PhD thesis work, Thomas Allen, University of To-ledo, used the Mosaic camera on the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) 0.9-m telescope to observe wide-field images of Cep OB 3b. When finished, the data gathered by Allen and his fellow team of astrono-mers may explain how previous gen-erations might have influenced the current generation of stars and plan-ets forming in Cep OB 3b.

This image was created by combining individual images observed through four different filters on the 0.9 meter telescope at Kitt Peak: blue, visual (cyan), near infrared (orange) and an emission line of hydrogen (red).

Image credit: T.A. Rector (Uni-versity of Alaska Anchorage), T. Allen (University of Toledo) and WIYN/NOAO/AURA/NSF

NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY

OBSERVATORY

http://www.noao.edu/

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Contents

1 NOAO DIVISIONS ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 NOAO South ...................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory .......................................... 1

1.1.2 NOAO South Engineering & Technical Services ............................... 3

1.1.3 NOAO South Facilities Operations ..................................................... 4

1.1.4 NOAO South Computer Infrastructure Services ................................. 5

1.2 NOAO North ...................................................................................................... 6

1.2.1 Kitt Peak National Observatory ........................................................... 6

1.2.2 NOAO North Engineering & Technical Services ............................. 10

1.2.3 NOAO North Central Facilities Operations ...................................... 11

1.2.4 NOAO North Computer Infrastructure Services ............................... 12

1.3 NOAO System Science Center ........................................................................ 14

1.3.1 System User Support ......................................................................... 14

1.3.2 Science Data Management ................................................................ 16

1.3.3 Time Allocation Committee .............................................................. 18

1.3.4 System Community Development ..................................................... 20

1.4 NOAO System Technology Center .................................................................. 23

1.4.1 System Instrumentation ..................................................................... 24

1.4.2 ReSTAR Instrumentation .................................................................. 24

1.4.3 Telescope System Instrumentation Program ..................................... 26

1.4.4 LSST Technology .............................................................................. 26

2 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS ............................................................................................... 31

2.1 Office of Science .............................................................................................. 31

2.2 Education and Public Outreach ........................................................................ 31

2.3 NOAO Director’s Office .................................................................................. 35

2.4 ARRA Infrastructure Renewal ......................................................................... 37

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

Quarterly Scientific Report (2) FY 2013

(1 January 2013 – 31 March 2013)

Submitted to the National Science Foundation

Pursuant to Cooperative Support Agreement No. AST-0950945

30 April 2013

NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT FY 2013 (2)

ii

3 OBSERVING PROGRAMS SEMESTER 2013A ............................................................ 39

3.1 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory ...................................................... 39

3.2 Kitt Peak National Observatory ....................................................................... 43

3.3 Gemini Observatory ........................................................................................ 48

3.4 Community Access to Private Telescopes....................................................... 56

3.4.1 Australian Astronomical Observatory: AAT .................................... 56

3.4.2 Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy .............................. 56

3.4.3 W. M. Keck Observatory .................................................................. 57

3.4.4 MMT Observatory ............................................................................ 58

4 USAGE OF ARCHIVED DATA ........................................................................................ 59

5 GRANTS .............................................................................................................................. 60

6 NOAO SAFETY REPORT FOR Q2 ................................................................................. 61

1

1 NOAO DIVISIONS

1.1 NOAO SOUTH

The NOAO South (NS) division is responsible for

operations, maintenance, and development for all

NOAO activities in Chile. For program management

purposes, these activities are separated into the fol-

lowing subprograms:

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

NOAO South Engineering & Technical Services

NOAO South Facilities Operations

NOAO South Computer Infrastructure Services

1.1.1 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

Program Highlights

Science

Fraga, Kunder, and Tokovinin (2013,

AJ, accepted) present deep, optical ob-

servations of the globular cluster NGC

6496 using the SOAR Adaptive Module

(SAM) at the Southern Astrophysical

Research (SOAR) Telescope during

commissioning of the SAM Laser Guide

Star (LGS) mode.

There are only about 150 known

globular clusters in Milky Way, im-

portant because they represent some of

the oldest objects in the Galaxy. Because

NGC 6496 lies close to the Galactic cen-

ter, it is heavily obscured by the Galactic

plane, and this has made it difficult to

determine its basic properties. There is a

lack of consensus on this cluster’s ex-

tinction, distance, metallicity, age, and

classification as a disk or halo cluster.

The authors used the capabilities of

SAM to peer deep into this crowded

cluster, obtaining firm results as to the

properties of this cluster. Figure 1 shows the improvement in the image quality that was obtained us-

ing the LGS mode of SAM, leading to a precise color magnitude diagram (Figure 2) that reaches

three magnitudes below the main sequence turn-off in the BVRI pass bands. The authors used the

location of the red clump as well as theoretical isochrones to measure a reddening to the cluster of

Figure 1: Full-frame I-band image of NGC 6496. The panel on the left shows fragments of 15″ × 12″ size comparing closed-loop (upper) and open-loop (lower) images taken with the same exposure time, 120 s, and displayed at the same intensity scale at the center and at the edge of the 186″ field.


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E(V–I) = 0.28 ± 0.02 mag, a distance of 10.0 ± 0.1 kpc, an age

of 10.5 Gyr ± 0.5 Gyr, a metallicity of [Fe/H]= –0.65 ± 0.05 dex,

and a classification of a disk cluster.

Instrumentation/Management

The main focus of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

(CTIO) and NOAO South during the first quarter of fiscal year

2013 (FY13) was to bring online the Dark Energy Camera

(DECam) at the Blanco 4-m telescope. The second quarter of

FY13 focused on improving the performance of the Blanco and

DECam combined. Community science observations carried out

mostly by visiting astronomers started 1 December 2012, and by

mid-FY13 science observations with DECam have become a

regular, routine affair with a structure set up that provides both

technical and scientific support. During this report period, the

Dark Energy Survey (DES) continued its science verification ob-

servations, providing useful feedback to the technical support

team at CTIO and allowing the DES consortium to fine tune

their strategy and prepare for DES, which is expected to start in

the last quarter of FY13.

With DECam online and in regular use, the focus of the technical group at NOAO South shifted

to the recovery of the Blanco ƒ/8 secondary mirror. Repairs to the mirror, including a new motor

control system, are underway, and a new handling cart has been designed and fabrication is nearing

completion.

The commissioning of the Laser Guide Star mode for the SOAR Adaptive Module (SAM) con-

tinued at the SOAR telescope with a first science paper in the works (see Science highlights above).

As part of the celebration of CTIO’s 50th anniversary, an exposition on the history of the obser-

vatory, which includes photographs, instruments, and telescopes used at CTIO, was assembled. The

exposition is a nice sample of instruments and technology, which, in their time, were state-of-the-art.

The exposition was on display first in the La Serena offices for the staff and their families and

friends. From February 6 onward, the exposition has been on display in downtown La Serena and

Coquimbo to allow access to the general public.

Status of FY13 Milestones

Complete commissioning and science verification of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam).

Status: Commissioning and science verification was completed by 1 December 2012, when

shared-risk community science observations started. However, the DES consortium opted to

continue science verification throughout their first season, i.e., up to and including February

2013.

Start regular science operations with DECam on the Blanco, and start the Dark Energy Survey.

Status: Regular science operations started with shared-risk community observations on 1 De-

cember 2012. Since then, many improvements to the Blanco-plus-DECam system have been

made, making science observations much more routine.

If the Blanco ƒ/8 secondary mirror can be repaired, prepare for installation on the Blanco, and

install and commission the secondary using current ƒ/8 instruments ISPI and Hydra.

Figure 2: (V–I, V) Color magnitude diagram of NGC 6469.

NOAO DIVISIONS

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Status: Work on the repair of the mirror cell, including an upgrade of the motor control system,

is underway. A new handling cart has been designed and fabricated, and assemblage is nearing

completion. Repair of the mirror is taking place at NOAO North. The center of the mirror was

carefully removed and a plug was inserted. After coating, the figure of the repaired mirror was

measured and found to be similar to the figure as measured in 1993. Preparations to ship the

mirror back to Chile began at the very end of this reporting period.

Complete commissioning of the SOAR Adaptive-optics Module (SAM) only if the DECam op-

erations and Blanco ƒ/8 installation and commissioning allow appropriate resources to be allo-

cated.

Status: Commissioning of SAM continued during the second quarter of FY13, and a call for sci-

ence verification observations was issued. Some early science observations were taken during

the commissioning period, and these have resulted in a paper submitted for publication in the

Astronomical Journal, see Science highlights above.

Start commissioning of the CTIO Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (COSMOS) only if the

Blanco ƒ/8 secondary mirror is back in service and DECam operations allow appropriate re-

sources and telescope time to be allocated.

Status: There was no progress during this period.

1.1.2 NOAO South Engineering & Technical Services

Program Highlights

During this reporting period, the primary foci for the NOAO South Engineering & Technical Ser-

vices (NS ETS) staff has been bringing DECam to routine and optimal use and the return of the ƒ/8

secondary mirror to the Blanco 4-m telescope in Chile, noted in section 1.1.1 above. Contributions

have also been made to developing TripleSpec 4, the CTIO Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph

(COSMOS), and the Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (KOSMOS); bringing the

SOAR Telescope Echelle Spectrograph (STELES) to SOAR; developing TORRENT; repairing and

maintaining the CHIRON spectrometer (1.5-m); the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) pro-

gram; and general engineering and technical support of both mountaintops.


Support commissioning of DECam as a facility instrument and its transition into normal opera-

tions, integrating it fully with the telescope and its environment to obtain the best images possi-

ble on a routine basis.

Status: As of the end of this reporting period, DECam has been used by community observers on

a shared-risk basis and is being offered as a facility instrument. DES has completed extended

system verification and the survey will start in September 2013 pending a successful outcome of

the DES Operations Review in April and acceptance of the DECam system by NOAO. NS ETS

resources are supporting this effort in a number of areas, most notably in developing the best

possible image quality through the new Telescope Control System and improvements to the var-

ious instrument supply lines. NS ETS staff also are working on thermal control in the dome of

the Blanco 4-m telescope, within both the DECam instrument and the telescope.

Complete the final round of development of the SOAR Adaptive-optics Module (SAM) and

support its transition into normal operations.


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Status: Hardware modifications to SAM, reported on in the previous quarter, improved the per-

formance and stability of the adaptive-optics loop. In this quarter, the focus shifted to using

SAM for science observations, exercising the system, and improving the interfaces. The remain-

der of the fiscal year will be used to prepare the system for regular science use.

1.1.3 NOAO South Facilities Operations

Program Highlights

NOAO South Facilities Operation (NS FO) completed the two remaining mountain-based projects

funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA): dormitory renovation

and waterline replacement. Water system improvements in La Serena were initiated, starting with

the replacement of the well pump. NS FO’s support of new, small telescope projects on Cerro

Tololo continued with the near completion of the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network

(KMTNet) telescope enclosure and construction initiation of the eighth Panchromatic Robotic Opti-

cal Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes (PROMPT) telescope. NS FO accomplished the majority

of the office moves at the La Serena NOAO headquarters to consolidate the new AURA divisions

and the other common service groups: Operations and NOAO South Computer Infrastructure Ser-

vices. At the end of March, a new integrated mountain shuttle system was implemented, with the

primary goal of providing safer and more economical transportation between La Serena and the

mountain sites.


Define and implement new Service Level Agreements. This includes a redefinition of the fee

structure, as CAS and Facilities are now separate entities with CAS no longer part of NOAO.

Status: Information about the extent of services currently provided was gathered through an in-

person meeting and e-mail solicitations. Drafts of the first Service Level Agreements for road

maintenance, electrical line maintenance, power generation, and water/wastewater services are

in progress.

Execute maintenance contracts for primary electrical transformers and for fire alarm systems.

Status: In progress. Quotations from vendors are being received and evaluated.

Define a long-term solution for the upper (north) entry to the La Serena recinto. Currently, there

are two options for the north entry, neither being a long-term solution. The first option, which

has been available for many years, uses an entrance from the Universidad de La Serena that the

university is planning to close. The other option is an entry located at a curve in the main road.

Take steps to formalize the long-term plan with the neighboring university and the Municipality.

Status: Long-term plans continue to be developed. Periodic contact is maintained with the Uni-

versity of La Serena to update their timeframe for continued use of the entrance across their

property.

Complete the Cerro Tololo dormitory renovation project, and put all renovated rooms into use.

Status: Completed.

Support the completion by NS Computer Infrastructure Services of the new common communi-

cations facility on Cerro Pachón.

NOAO DIVISIONS

5

Status: The facility is ready. Still pending are the coordination with Gemini to transfer equip-

ment located in their facility and timing of the short, required outage of Cerro Pachón commu-

nications to minimize disruption of activities.

Complete the water system improvements on both mountains and in the La Serena recinto.

Status: The mountain water system improvements are complete. The La Serena water system

improvements are in progress: the well pump has been replaced, the tank replacement and up-

grade of the chlorination system are in progress, and evaluation of valves and other infrastruc-

ture is ongoing.

Complete the library/meeting room/cafeteria project in La Serena.

Status: All interior construction work is complete. The purchase of furnishings and provision of

an exterior patio are in progress.

1.1.4 NOAO South Computer Infrastructure Services

Program Highlights

A significant power outage occurred between the mountain summits and La Serena, primarily due to

a commercial power outage, but secondarily due to a failure in the Cerro Tololo generator and the

microwave uninterruptible power supply (UPS) circuits. This secondary failure was due to different

sized batteries that had been installed recently as replacements. This exposed a weakness in the

staff’s ability to maintain the microwave units, so a class has been organized on Cerro Tololo with

an instructor from the US. Approximately eight people will attend from NOAO and Gemini.

An emphasis has been placed on better control of the traffic types flowing over the NOAO

South networks. Tools are being evaluated to administer that traffic.

A new Cisco ASA firewall was installed in La Serena to provide throughput of up to 4 Gbps,

removing the current 100 Mbps limit. As a result, out-of-date firewall rules can be culled.

Replacement was begun of some old Polycom units, a few of which are greater than 10 years

old and failing. An attempt will be made to include these items in budgets for the coming years as

they are expensive units.


Complete a common network support facility on Cerro Pachón and transfer all backbone net-

work systems into this facility to provide more robust and independent operations.

Status: Nothing further has been done with this as close coordination has to occur between

SOAR, Gemini, and NOAO to find an adequate window of concurrent downtimes.

Complete the upgrade of the current 622 Mbps network backbone to the planned 1 Gbps interna-

tional segment of the AURA network backbone.

Status: Work occurred during this quarter to bring a ring of 10 G around South America. Once

that is complete, the upgrade to 1 Gbps will be available.

Move essential information technology (IT) services in La Serena to virtual server machines for

improved reliability.

Status: More services have been merged into their own virtual machine, the latest being the Ra-

dius server. The email virtual servers were being configured as of the end of this quarter. This

will provide a better backup facility and allow an upgrade to the mail software version.


6

1.2 NOAO NORTH

The NOAO North (NN) division is responsible for

the administration, facilities, and information tech-

nology (IT) support for NOAO activities based in

southern Arizona. For program management pur-

poses, these activities are separated into the follow-

ing subprograms:

Kitt Peak National Observatory

NOAO North Engineering & Technical Services

NOAO North Central Facilities Operations

NOAO North Computer Infrastructure Services

1.2.1 Kitt Peak National Observatory

Program Highlights

Science

As part of his PhD thesis work, Thomas Allen,

University of Toledo, has been using the Mo-

saic camera on the Kitt Peak National Obser-

vatory (KPNO) 0.9-m telescope to observe

wide-field images of the star-forming region

Cep OB 3b (Figure 3). In a recently published

paper, Allen and an international team of as-

tronomers from six universities and an institute

(University of Toledo, University of Massa-

chusetts, Amherst, University of Rochester,

University of Exeter, Keele University, Har-

vard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and

Space Telescope Science Institute) have found

that the total number of young stars in the

cluster is as high as 3000. Infrared observa-

tions of the stars from the NASA Spitzer satel-

lite show about 1000 stars that are surrounded

by disks of gas and dust from which solar sys-

tems may form. As the stars age, the disks dis-

appear as the dust and gas get converted into

planets or are dispersed into space. As Allen

says, “By studying nearby massive young

clusters like Cep OB 3b, we can gain a greater

understanding of the environments out of

which planets form.” These images show hot

gas and its interaction with the stars and permit

the team to study a curious cavity in the gas

for evidence of older, yet still juvenile, stars

that have lost their disks of gas and dust. With

Figure 3: Cep OB 3b, located in the northern con-stellation of Cepheus. This image was created by combining individual images observed through four different filters on the 0.9-m telescope at Kitt Peak: blue, visual (cyan), near infrared (orange) and an emission line of hydrogen (red). The brightest yel-low star near the center of the image is a fore-ground star, lying between Earth and the young cluster. The other bright stars are the massive young stars of the cluster that are heating the gas and dust in the cloud and blowing out cavities. Sur-rounding these massive cluster stars are thou-sands of smaller young stars that may be in the process of forming planetary systems. (Image credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchor-age) for processing, T. Allen (University of Toledo), WIYN/NOAO/AURA/NSF.)

NOAO DIVISIONS

7

these data, the team is searching for the previous generations of star formation in the region sur-

rounding Cep OB 3b, and piecing together the history of star formation in this magnificent re-

gion. When finished, this may tell us how previous generations may have influenced the current

generation of stars and planets forming in Cep OB 3b.

On February 15, asteroid 2012 DA14 passed extraor-

dinarily close to Earth. Unlike the unexpected asteroid

collision over Russia that day, this encounter never

presented any danger, but astronomers were eager to

observe the event. An international team led by Nicho-

las Moskovitz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

observed the asteroid with a number of telescopes, in-

cluding the KPNO 2.1-m. A video at www.mit.edu/

~nmosko/da14_mid.gif shows the asteroid as it was

leaving the vicinity of Earth. As Dr. Moskovitz said,

“Flybys like this, particularly for objects smaller than

2012 DA14, are not uncommon. This one was special

because we knew about it well in advance so that ob-

servations could be planned to look at how asteroids

are affected by the Earth’s gravity when they come so

close.” In the video, the asteroid is seen moving across

a field about one third the size of the full moon in

about 45 minutes. The field is located in the constellation of the Little Dipper: north is to the left

and east is down.

Maria Patterson, a thesis student

at New Mexico State University, has

been using facilities at Kitt Peak and

elsewhere in order to study the outer

disks of nearby spiral galaxies. These

regions are of particular interest in

studies of galaxy evolution, since

they are expected to consist of the

most primitive material, according to

theories of “inside-out” disk for-

mation. Ms. Patterson’s thesis work,

among other projects, carries out a

search for connections between outer

disk neutral hydrogen and optical

counterparts with deep, wide-field

broadband and Hɑ emission line im-

aging of their sample galaxies, per-

formed with the Burrell Schmidt tele-

scope and with the Mosaic imager on

the Mayall 4-m telescope at KPNO.

Patterson’s team has reported finding

faint optical streams for a few galax-

ies, also with detections in HI and

several galaxies with extended HI that

have significant levels of star for-

Figure 4: One frame of animated .gif files at www.mit.edu/~nmosko/da14_mid.gif that show the asteroid 2012 DA14 pass-ing close to Earth on 15 February 2013.

Figure 5: Burrell Schmidt image of M81 in Hɑ with the HII re-gions used by Patterson marked. The contours are of neutral hydrogen, superposed on the optical image. HII regions with available spectra are marked with asterisks. In the bottom right corner, the HII regions are marked on the full HI column density map of the M81-M82-NGC 3077 triplet, with the white box marking the size of the section of the Burrell Schmidt Hɑ image shown here. (Image credit: Maria Patterson.)

http://www.mit.edu/~nmosko/da14_mid.gif




8

mation beyond the optical disk. Spectroscopy obtained of their HII regions is being used to con-

strain the observed gradients of oxygen abundances across these disks.

Management

KPNO management is assembling a set of straw man proposals for scientifically compelling pub-

lic/private operational modes of the NSF-funded telescopes on Kitt Peak and has begun the process

of discussions with possible partners in order to refine and extend these ideas. Beyond BigBOSS,

these plans include possible collaborations with NASA (many Mayall users execute NASA mission

follow-up observations at present), with groups that are interested in using the KPNO 2.1-m to con-

duct low-resolution spectroscopic follow-up for characterization of transients and high-resolution

spectroscopic follow-up of exoplanets and binary stars, and for the WIYN telescope (with the pro-

posed pODI upgrade to a 48 × 48 field of view) for conducting large-scale multi-filter imaging (di-

rected at BigBOSS targeting and community science) and/or Near Earth Orbit surveys.

NOAO astronomers and KPNO management and technical personnel continue to contribute

considerable effort to planning for the Big Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BigBOSS)

project (which the Department of Energy currently refers to as the MS-DESI, the Mid-Scale Dark

Energy Spectroscopic Instrument). The KPNO director and two other NOAO managers attended an

MS-DESI collaboration meeting at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in early March to

discuss use of the Mayall telescope for the experiment and to participate in discussions of alternative

survey strategies for MS-DESI. The BigBOSS Community Science committee, chaired by Connie

Rockosi at University of California Santa Cruz, has held several telecons and is expected to submit

their final report on possible community science programs for BigBOSS by the end of April.

NOAO hosted a meeting of Kitt Peak tenants at the end of March, at which NSF management

presented an outline of their plans and constraints for financial support of mountain infrastructure in

the future. NSF has directed KPNO management to assemble a cost estimate for operations of “out-

side the enclosure” activities required to enable current tenants to carry out their science activities on

Kitt Peak. That activity is ongoing.

During the second quarter, contractor work on the ARRA-funded Instrument Handling Facility

refurbishment began in earnest. Completion is expected

during the fourth quarter of FY13. Staff has continued to

increase their familiarity with the operation of the recent-

ly completed water plant renovation on Kitt Peak. Recent

tests of water quality there indicate that the quality is now

well within requirements of the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), but the staff will continue to monitor this

issue and ensure that all regulations are followed. KPNO

is still awaiting a response from the EPA concerning

NOAO-submitted documents pertaining to the EPA Ad-

ministrative order received at the end of FY12.

Kitt Peak Visitor Center

The table to the right summarizes the number of visitors

who participated in paid groups/programs at Kitt Peak

during this quarter. Youth Group Overnights is a new

program added to the visitor center offerings in the previ-

ous fiscal year. No Youth Group Overnights occurred

during the first quarter of FY13, but 59 people participat-

ed in the program this quarter.

Kitt Peak Visitor Center & Tours Summary of Participants

(3 months ending 3/31/13)

Group/Program # of Participants

General public tours 2,995

School groups K-college 85

Special tours 68

VIP tours 74

Nightly Obs. Program 2,364

Advanced Obs. Program 38

Other classes & workshops 23

Youth Group Overnights 59

TOTAL 5,706

NOAO DIVISIONS

9


Install and commission the new Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (KOSMOS) on

the Mayall 4-m telescope.

Status: Commissioning of KOSMOS was delayed due to continued difficulties with the final as-

sembly of the optics. Alternative lens mounting procedures are now being implemented and are

expected to be completed in time for commissioning during the FY13 summer shutdown. See ad-

ditional details below in section 1.4.2.

Complete a prioritized, cost-estimated list of Mayall 4-m improvements targeted at Delivered

Image Quality, and begin work on a subset of these areas as resources permit. Efforts to investi-

gate and improve the pointing and tracking performance of the Mayall 4-m will continue.

Status: In progress. Several nights of Test and Engineering runs were executed during this

quarter. These were aimed at establishing the baseline performance of the Delivered Image

Quality. Thermal sensors were installed in the dome in preparation for thermal load tests to in-

vestigate how efficiently heat can be removed from the former Fourier Transform Spectrometer

(FTS) room (proposed as a site for the BigBOSS spectrographs).

Establish a Community Science Advisory Committee for BigBOSS.

Status: Completed. A number of telecons were held by this committee during this period, and

the committee is expected to submit a final report of their recommendations for BigBOSS com-

munity science programs early in the upcoming quarter.

Establish routine, remote observing procedures with high-demand Mayall 4-m instruments from

other NOAO sites and from third-party locations.

Status: In progress. Additional test runs have been successfully completed in remote mode, and

the process of establishing refined procedures based on this experience was begun. The primary

difficulties encountered by users were communications (on their end), and these were quickly

resolved. Training of the observing assistants on operational details of the Mayall instruments

has improved their ability to respond to minor problems in real time.

Complete refurbishment of the McMath Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) room in order to

establish the new Instrument Handling Facility (IHF).

Status: In progress. The contractor is executing the refurbishment and is on track to complete

their activities during the fourth quarter of FY13.

Continue targeted building modification and/or renovation efforts of telescope and KPNO sup-

port facilities to address building deficiencies, telescope and instrumentation support system

needs, and program requirements.

Status: In progress.

Complete repair of the bench spectrograph room at WIYN.

Status: The exterior base panel material has been ordered and is being fabricated by the con-

tractor with delivery scheduled next quarter. Repair work also is scheduled to begin next quar-

ter.


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1.2.2 NOAO North Engineering & Technical Services

Program Highlights

The NOAO North Engineering and Technical Services (NN ETS) group continues its dual mission

of providing support for Kitt Peak National Observatory operations and support for development ac-

tivities on Kitt Peak and other divisions of NOAO.


Start conversion of hard-copy drawings to electronic form and begin adding them to the new

documentation system.

Status: Most of the effort during this quarter was expended on defining work flows and other

aspects of the implementation. Preparations are underway to migrate existing electronic docu-

ments to the new system.

Complete conceptual design work on the Mayall mirror lift upgrade. Develop an implementation

plan, including a budget and schedule.

Status: The conceptual design was completed and reviewed in early March; a preliminary

schedule consistent with installation this summer has been developed, and final cost estimates

are being prepared.

Complete conceptual design work on the Mayall shutter brake replacement. Develop an imple-

mentation plan, including a budget and schedule.

Status: This work has been placed on hold in order to ensure that resources are available to

complete the mirror lift.

Complete the Mayall mirror lift upgrade, including the acceptance testing.

Status: This effort remains scheduled for this summer (fourth quarter).

Finalize an implementation plan for replacement of CCD systems. This requires final definition

of the long-term instrument suite for the Mayall and 2.1-m telescopes.

Status: A formal plan does not yet exist, given uncertainties with regard to the future. However,

in the meantime, implementation of CCD replacements is based on the assumption that a limited

set of instruments will be supported at the telescopes over the next few years.

Implement and commission the replacement CCD systems. The specifics of these systems are

contingent on the final long-term instrument suite for the Mayall and 2.1-m telescopes, and on

the availability of resources.

Status: Two new CCD systems have been fully or partially implemented—STA3 is replacing

STA2 (which failed) on the small telescopes; the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

(LBNL) CCD system for KOSMOS has been assembled but not yet optimized.

Complete the Mayall structural modification concept for BigBOSS.

Status: A rough concept for the modification has been completed, and an outline installation

plan has been developed.

Complete the facility modification concept for BigBOSS.

NOAO DIVISIONS

11

Status: NN ETS remains in active discussions with the rest of the BigBOSS project; only a lim-

ited amount of definition of facility work can be accomplished until the spectrograph design is

more mature.

Complete the Mayall performance documentation for BigBOSS. Performance measurements

should include pointing, tracking, and delivered image quality.

Status: Documents describing pointing and image quality have been produced. NN ETS staff

are investigating methods to document tracking better.

Complete the NOAO/BigBOSS interface plan.

Status: Cooperative work with the rest of the BigBOSS project is on-going.

Complete repairs to the Blanco ƒ/8 secondary mirror.

Status: The repairs to the mirror were completed.

Verify the final optical performance of the Blanco ƒ/8 secondary mirror and ship it to CTIO.

Status: Optical testing verified that the repairs had restored the mirror figure to its original

state (as of 1993); preparations for shipping to Chile were underway at the end of the quarter.

1.2.3 NOAO North Central Facilities Operations

Program Highlights

The NOAO North Central Facilities Operations (CFO) staff focused their efforts in several areas

over the past quarter. Staff evaluated contractor bid submittals for the Kitt Peak Instrument Handling

Facility and the replacement of thirty-three single-pane window units. Those contracts were award-

ed. Staff is continuing to work on bid documentation for several other planned projects for both Kitt

Peak and Tucson. The maintenance staff worked on numerous plumbing and tile repairs to the facili-

ty buildings and responded to various requests for support in a number of areas. Minor efforts were

completed on the integration of the building management and control system to improve the opera-

tion of the heating and cooling systems.


Continue targeted building modification and renovation efforts at NOAO North Tucson to ad-

dress building deficiencies and space needs.

Status: During the quarter, staff completed repairs to various corridor tiles and exterior build-

ing siding in advance of a planned painting project. Staff also worked with appropriate sub-

contract providers to plan and schedule removal of deteriorated trees and the proper disposal of

hazardous materials.

Continue the ongoing program to upgrade the various restrooms by replacing fixtures to im-

prove water conservation efforts and by improving the deteriorated interior finishes and accessi-

bility.

Status: Due to staff availability issues, the basic project was temporarily deferred while staff

worked on drain issues with some pipes in a key restroom. The upgrade project is expected to

continue in the coming quarter.


12

Pursue upgrading the original, exterior, single-pane window units of the Tucson main building

to improve energy efficiency and reduce sound intrusion from the new Tucson streetcar system.

Status: Bids for replacement of the windows on the north side of the main building were re-

ceived from subcontractors. A selection was made, and approval was received from the NSF to

award the contract. The contractor is assembling the necessary material and has scheduled in-

stallation for early in the third quarter.

Upgrade and/or replace deteriorated or obsolete portions of the mechanical air distribution sys-

tem.

Status: Activity during this quarter focused on repairs to the duct work in the rooftop modular

units.

Begin integration of the new building management control system installed in FY12 to help en-

hance control over the heating and control systems and pursue energy reductions.

Status: Minor enhancements were incorporated and identified repairs completed during the

quarter, and the integration of the system has been completed. The new system has full control

over the operation of the central plant equipment and the majority of the building air handler

systems.

1.2.4 NOAO North Computer Infrastructure Services

Program Highlights

The NOAO North Computer Infrastructure Services (NN CIS) group were involved with many pro-

jects during this quarter. NN CIS staff continued to tune the new AnyConnect virtual private net-

work (VPN) remote access system. The system has been used by over 125 staff (NOAO and associ-

ated groups) since its installation at the beginning of FY13.

The FreeBSD Operating System (OS) was rebuilt onto new disks to implement newer OS ver-

sions and to make the systems more maintainable. The upgraded systems include ftp, email, ssh,

logs, radius, www, Taurus, and arpwatch. NN CIS hopes to work on adass, scope, and dhcp-kp dur-

ing the next quarter.

A new backup system was installed on Kitt Peak using BackupPC software to back up down-

town servers and PCs.

The www server was “mostly” moved to new hardware during this quarter. A complete conver-

sion was stymied by still having many programs more than a decade old that do not work with new

security-aware system software. Thus, the old www server is being run in parallel with the new one

until all of the software issues can be fixed.

Due to several unfortunate incidents, the NOAO director has determined that the CIS groups

must implement Web monitors and filters. To meet this goal, a Barracuda Web Filter 610 was in-

stalled in the NOAO-Arizona network. The Web filter interacts with the Cisco 7206 router/firewall

in such a way that bulk data flows are not impeded and only outgoing Web requests are inspected

for inappropriate Web addresses.

A large amount of NN CIS staff time this quarter was devoted to helping the AURA Central

Administrative Services organization implement a private network and Internet gateway in parallel

with the NOAO-Arizona network.

NOAO DIVISIONS

13


Implement a Windows Active Directory Domain in Tucson to include approximately 225 cur-

rently unmanaged Windows workstations, laptops, and servers in Tucson (owned by NOAO,

NSO, and other organizations), and implement the AURA policies on passwords and account

lockout.

Status: In Progress. The production Windows Active Directory (AD) system is in place and is

being slowly rolled out to assimilate user workstations. During the next quarter, NN CIS hopes

to draft a memo to the staff outlining the procedure for assimilation and to train the CIS staff on

techniques and trouble shooting. Preparations are being made to incorporate patch installation

and virus protection into the AD system later in either this fiscal year and/or the next one to re-

place the existing McAffee and Symantec anti-virus systems and ad-hoc patch control.

Investigate and prepare a strategy for an FY14 implementation to bring approximately 100 Ap-

ple Mac workstations and laptops and approximately 225 Linux workstations, laptops, and serv-

ers under password and account lockout control.

Status: In Progress. NN CIS is obtaining sample systems from vendors and trying them out. The

ADmitMac software from Thursby software was tested this quarter. The DirectControl software

from Centrify should be evaluated during the next quarter.

Begin detailed planning for Security Domains at the Mayall 4-m telescope and such domains on

the rest of Kitt Peak and in Tucson that are necessary to support the Mayall Security Domains.

NN CIS staff will install the Mayall Security Domains during the 2013 summer shutdown. Pre-

liminary planning for Security Domains at the other NOAO telescopes on Kitt Peak will begin

in FY13.

Status: In Progress. Preliminary planning was begun.

Begin planning for Security Domains in Tucson in preparation for an FY14–15 implementation.

NN CIS staff will consult with the owners and users of the Tucson computers to define the do-

mains and the access rules for interconnecting the domains.

Status: Preliminary planning was begun. NN CIS is focusing on a project that will isolate the

CIS-administered servers and systems into a security domain. While not all-encompassing, this

project is large enough to illuminate the issues.

Incorporate the DMZ for Internet-facing servers into the Tucson Security Domain scheme.

Status: Preliminary planning was begun in the context of the planning and experiments de-

scribed in the status of the next milestone and the CIS Security Domain project described in the

status of the previous milestone.

Plan and prototype the hardware needed to do the necessary routing among the Tucson Security

Domains.

Status: As part of emergency repairs of the existing Tucson routing equipment and as part of the

installation of the Barracuda Web Filter, several experiments were performed that clarified the

parameters of the system that will need to be implemented. Further planning will take place in

the next two quarters that will culminate, depending on budgetary considerations, in a hardware

purchase at the end of FY13.


14

1.3 NOAO SYSTEM SCIENCE CENTER

NSSC consists of four major programs that

cover the main areas of user interface with

the world-class telescopes and instruments

within the extended network of US and in-

ternational ground-based optical/infrared

(O/IR) system facilities (the System): System

User Support (SUS), Science Data Manage-

ment (SDM), Telescope Allocation Commit-

tee (TAC) management team, and System

Community Development (SCD). SUS pro-

vides end-to-end support for users of System

facilities: providing technical expertise to the

observing proposal process (including for

NOAO’s directly managed facilities), helping users with the preparation and execution of their ob-

servations (in particular, for Gemini programs), and answering post-observing data questions. SDM

supports the community’s data management needs by archiving all raw data from NOAO facilities,

providing pipeline processing for selected instruments, and developing tools and pipelines for new

and future projects and instruments, such as DECam, pODI, and KOSMOS. The TAC team manages

the entire NOAO observing proposal process, which covers the NOAO Call for Proposals, proposal

submission, ingestion of proposals into the NOAO proposal database, and hosting the TAC panel

meetings that provide scientific rankings of all observing proposals submitted to NOAO. SCD leads

the development of the System by engaging the community through the LSST science collabora-

tions, working on tools that will help the community make effective use of LSST’s planned data

products, planning a roadmap for the development of the System, and maintaining involvement with

facilities providing ground-based optical interferometry.

1.3.1 System User Support

Program Highlights

Science

The following are highlights of scientific results published or in press during this quarter that used

data gathered as a result of community open-access time recommended by the NOAO TAC.

A paper by Cooke et al. (ApJ, March 22, 2013), based in part on data acquired with Keck time

assigned within the Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP), contains a novel result

on the metallicity ratios of metal-poor, damped Lyɑ systems (DLAs). The iron-peak element vs.

iron ratios for the most low-metallicity systems are closely linked to core-collapse supernova en-

richment. Such elemental ratios have been derived in a sample of high redshift DLAs and com-

pared to the same elemental ratios in metal-poor halo stars. The results indicate that the DLAs

have been enriched by core-collapse supernova events. This seems to break the current para-

digm that most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy contain metals produced by the earliest stellar

generation of massive stars ending their lives as hyper-novae.

WISE J104915.57-531906 is a high-proper motion star identified by the WISE Survey. Luhman

(arXiv:1303.2401; ApJ Letter, in press) was able to confirm its nature as a binary brown dwarf

based on GMOS spectroscopy with US Gemini telescope time. The system distance is only 2 pc

NOAO DIVISIONS

15

from the Sun. This makes it the closest solar neighbor to have been discovered in more than a

century, and one that remained elusive for a long time possibly due to its low Galactic latitude.

Management and User Support

SUS provides support to users of NOAO facilities not directly operated by NOAO. During this quar-

ter, SUS supported proposers through the completion of the Phase II process, including mask-

checking for GMOS/Gemini programs.

SUS staff interact with Gemini staff to constantly improve the observing experience for US us-

ers. The SUS head of program participated in the Operations Working Group (OpsWG) meeting in

February where Gemini and the heads of the National Gemini Offices (NGOs) discussed possible

shifts of responsibilities between Gemini and the NGOs. For example, work packages closer to the

observatory (such as Phase II support) could be traded with Gemini by taking on work packages

closer to the data-to-science path. Such discussion is active within SUS and NSSC at this time.


Provide all manner of user support for open-access time to a broad and continually evolving ar-

ray of non-NOAO/non-Gemini facilities, such as Keck and MMT and continued access to

CHARA or any new facilities that might be offered under NOAO-managed time.

Status: Only time on Keck and the Anglo-Australian Telescope were offered to the community

as non-NOAO/non-Gemini facilities in the NOAO 2013B Call for Proposals. Limited support is

provided for these programs.

Continue effective support of US Gemini access and programs, such as Phase I and Phase II ob-

serving processes, the HelpDesk, and site visits, with the view towards productive user access to

the increased number of US nights on the Gemini telescopes resulting from the UK withdrawal

as well as any new observational capabilities that come online.

Status: SUS continued to be very active in supporting Gemini programs, including the new ca-

pabilities. During this reporting period, SUS staff completed the support of semester 2013A

Phase II programs and responded to several HelpDesk queries, which included proposal writing

and data handling questions.

Provide SUS staff knowledge and expertise of the facilities that constitute the NOAO-managed

suite of telescopes and instruments in support of the NOAO time allocation process (such as

technical reviews).

Status: The 2013B Gemini proposals are being reviewed by SUS staff in support of the NOAO

TAC. Staff have prepared to be able to support both the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager

(GSAOI) of the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) and the Florida Multi-

Object Imaging Near-Infrared Grism Observational Spectrometer 2 (FLAMINGOS-2) with vis-

its to Gemini sites, night observing with GeMS/GSAOI, and tight collaboration with the instru-

ment scientists.

Foster close ties and lines of communication with the new (as of 1 August 2012) Gemini direc-

torate and staff, with the goal of promoting the effective use of the Gemini telescopes by the US

user community.

Status: The NGO heads met with the Gemini director in February during the OpsWG meeting at

Gemini South. A conversation was begun regarding the future role of the NGOs, which might be


16

different depending on the partner. NOAO is discussing these issues internally and preparing

for a response prior to the next Gemini Board meeting.

Embark on shared missions within NSSC with SCD and SDM, such as using SUS staff System

experience and scientific expertise to advise on continuing evolution of the System, or helping

SDM to improve the user experience with the NOAO data archives.

Status: While not much progress has been made on this milestone, the SDM has been included

in conversations regarding the new NGO responsibilities, and whether these could involve some

SDM activities in the future.

Work with the community, relevant committees, and NOAO staff in supporting the processes

necessary to plan and procure new instruments or capabilities for NOAO and Gemini telescopes.

Status: The Gemini Science and Technology Advisory Committee will meet in April and SUS

staff will participate (one of the SUS members is on the committee). In the past quarter, SUS

staff participated in two teleconferences to prepare for this meeting.

1.3.2 Science Data Management

Program Highlights

The Science Data Management (SDM) group continued to support the Dark Energy Camera

(DECam) by efficiently transporting 13.5 TB of compressed raw data from CTIO to La Serena, the

National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), and Tucson using the SDM Data

Transport System (DTS). The data transported to NCSA was the Dark Energy Survey and calibra-

tion data. All of the raw data were archived in the NOAO Science Archive; the DECam Community

Pipeline was run to calibrate the community data, and the resultant reduced data products were ar-

chived for principal investigator (PI) and community access. Members of the group worked exten-

sively with the DECam Pipeline Group and NCSA to understand and improve the DECam Commu-

nity Pipeline. The Community Pipeline continues to evolve with a short list of remaining enhance-

ments still required.

Work continued on the development of the science pipeline for the partially populated One De-

gree Imager (pODI). A preliminary pipeline that performs detrending and the world coordinate solu-

tion (WCS) was operated on the NOAO pipeline cluster to provide reduced data products to the

commissioning team and to the pODI data archive at Pervasive Technologies Institute (PTI) in Indi-

ana. The pipeline was deployed on a local cluster at PTI in preparation for the transfer of pipeline

operations there. The problems with the transport of pODI data from Tucson to Indiana (a 5% fail-

ure rate) were resolved, and data transport is operating smoothly and essentially error-free (failure

rate < 0.1%). The DTS transported 3 TB of raw pODI data to the Tucson cache and to PTI for ingest

in their data archive.

Members of SDM provided support for the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) project in

the areas of standards and infrastructure, testing, and professional engagement. SDM supported the

VAO exhibit at the 221st AAS meeting in Long Beach, California, by giving demos and tutorials to

attendees.


Continue operation of a functionally complete version of the SDM End-to-End (E2E) data man-

agement system including data capture, transport, archiving, pipeline processing (of Mosaic,

NEWFIRM, and DECam data), and user access.

NOAO DIVISIONS

17

Status: Operations continue as normal, with an increase in usage of the Science Archive driven

predominately by DECam users. The current single sign-on (SSO) based authentication mecha-

nism for the Science Archive is continuing to be a source of confusion for the users. A plan is

well underway for its replacement.

Operate the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) Community Pipeline received from the Dark Ener-

gy Survey (DES) project. Continue to work with the DES astronomers and developers to vali-

date the pipeline during commissioning, science verification, and science observing.

Status: The DECam Pipeline Group at NCSA delivered several Community Pipeline (CP) up-

dates to SDM during this quarter. These updates addressed many of the remaining issues in the

pipeline processing. As the pipeline improved, science verification and PI observations were re-

processed upon request. SDM continues to operate the pipeline on current observations and

provides observers their pipeline-reduced data (through the NOAO Science Archive) within a

few weeks of the observations.

A member of SDM presented examples of the current DECam CP results and the remaining

problems to be addressed at the DES Director’s Council review in March.

Continue to provide data handling and transport support for the NOAO instrumentation: Mosaic,

NEWFIRM, KOSMOS, COSMOS, DECam, and pODI.

Status: The data handling system modifications necessary to support KOSMOS are being devel-

oped. Ongoing development of the DTS includes implementation of a new transport protocol, a

new tool for point-to-point transfers and a Web interface for monitoring the system.

Continue development of a science pipeline for the WIYN One Degree Imager (ODI) to operate

within the Open Grid Computing Environment (OGCE) on the Extreme Science and Engineer-

ing Discovery Environment (XSEDE).

Status: The pODI science pipeline continued to evolve during this quarter with all detrending

steps completed. The pipeline was successfully deployed on the PTI test system at Indiana in

preparation for routine operations there in the next quarter. Deployment on the Extreme Sci-

ence and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) system is deferred until the next quar-

ter.

Support the Virtual Astronomical Observatory by building extensions to the VOClient package to

provide a suite of command-line tools and a Python interface to support shell scripting and user-

built tools, by organizing VO Community Days and an exhibit for the winter 2013 American

Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting, and by supporting the help desk and software continuous

integration systems.

Status: The command-line interface (CLI) tools have been written and are currently in testing.

Work on extensions such as removing the Java dependency and support for Python interfaces is

underway. Members of SDM supported the VAO exhibit at the January 2013 AAS meeting in

Long Beach, giving demos and tutorials of VAO tools and services.

Begin a long-term project to enhance the IRAF CL scripting language for support of pipeline

task development and multi-core/multi-CPU systems. These changes will include the addition of

in-memory image operators and automated parallel execution that will greatly improve the desk-

top performance of all tasks operating on large imagers such as the DECam and ODI.

Status: The system is in the design phase, and a limited prototype has been developed.


18

Reduce operational overhead by migrating several services to a virtualization platform, by using

a distributed version control system for operational code and configuration information, and by

extending use of configuration management systems.

Status: A significant milestone was reached this quarter with the automated, virtualized de-

ployment of the NOAO Archive Portal host. As anticipated, this has allowed quicker deploy-

ments with less operational effort and easy access to test versions of the service.

Deploy a La Serena portal to give local access to the southern Mass Storage System (raw data

only).

Status: A plan has been developed to support a Southern Data Service using the Northern Data

Services, but delivering data from the southern Mass Storage System to customers in the South-

ern Hemisphere. Implementation is scheduled for later in the year.

Update the archive and portal components of the End-to-End (E2E) system to incorporate the

NOAO Survey Archive data holdings into the NOAO Science Archive (NSA) and merge the da-

ta sets.

Status: Progress in this area has been satisfactory and ongoing. One survey has been success-

fully ingested in the Science Archive and is searchable through the Science Archive Portal. Sev-

eral additional surveys are planned for ingestion into the Science Archive in the next quarter.

Continue to upgrade and develop the End-to-End (E2E) system by creating a faster download

client, developing an initial capability to store and retrieve FITS binary tables and non-FITS

files, and creating tools to support the ingest of file associations for Mosaic reduced data and

continue to maintain the NOAO Science Archive (NSA) infrastructure by investigating an up-

grade of the authentication and authorization software and upgrading selected, critical third par-

ty software.

Status: A number of infrastructure improvements were made to the Archive, including a Simple

Image Access (SIA) service (in testing); work leading to significant improvements in the execu-

tion speed of common Archive operations; the development of a version of the NOAO Portal on

the JRuby platform, which will result in performance and maintainability improvements; and

many bug fixes and usability improvements.

Devise and deploy a plan for maintaining and upgrading the many hardware components of the

End-to-End (E2E) system in the north and south.

Status: The new Northern Mass Storage System based on the General Parallel File System was

successfully deployed, giving SDM increased capacity and improved performance. The transi-

tion was practically seamless, and SDM is actively investigating the possibility of replicating the

same architecture to the Southern Mass Storage System.

1.3.3 Time Allocation Committee

Program Highlights

The CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope was undersubscribed in observing semester 2013A. This is proba-

bly due to several factors, most important among which are that only one instrument is available

(DECam), commissioning of the DECam instrument is still in progress, and the public is not fully

aware of the extraordinary grasp of this instrument. To rectify this, NOAO issued a Special Call for

proposals for DECam for 2013A, with a deadline of 31 January 2013. In response to this call,

NOAO DIVISIONS

19

NOAO received 44 proposals requesting a total of 168.1 nights (i.e., an oversubscription factor of

more than 4). A special two-panel (one extragalactic and one Galactic plus solar systems) Time Al-

location Committee was convened to review the proposals. This committee met via teleconference

on 18 February 2013 and sent the ranked list to CTIO for scheduling by the end of the same day.

During this period, NOAO began the process for the 2013B Call for Proposals. The Call, which

included a call for Survey Programs, was issued in early March with a proposal submission deadline

of 28 March 2013. NOAO received a total of 375 proposals requesting a total of 1767.7 nights on 16

telescopes (instrument request statistics are at www.noao.edu/gateway/tac/inst13b_s_draft.html).

The TAC members will be reviewing the proposals in the next quarter. The regular TAC panels will

meet in Tucson during the week of 6 May 2013 to review and rank the proposals. In addition, the

Survey TAC will meet in Tucson on April 30 and May 1. The annual meeting of the Survey teams

will take place in conjunction with the Survey TAC meeting.


Work with SUS to issue calls for proposals for regular programs (twice a year) and survey pro-

grams (once a year).

Status: The 2013A proposal cycle was completed last quarter. During this quarter, NOAO car-

ried out a Special Call for Proposals for 2013A for the DECam instrument on the Blanco 4-m

telescope. The 2013B proposal process, which also includes a Call for Survey Programs, is in

progress. The Call for Proposals was issued in early March with a deadline for proposal sub-

mission of 28 March 2013. Review of the proposals by the TAC members will occur next quar-

ter.

Convene Time Allocation Committee (TAC) panels twice a year to review the proposals and

provide recommendations to the NOAO director.

Status: The 2013A TAC process was completed last quarter. The 2013B TAC panels will meet

next quarter May 6–10. The Survey TAC will meet on April 30 and May 1.

Work with the public and private observatories to prioritize and schedule the approved pro-

grams.

Status: This has been accomplished for the 2013A observing semester.

Keep the membership of the Time Allocation Committee (TAC) panels current and ensure that

they include the expertise required to review the scientific and technical aspects of the pro-

posals.

Status: This is complete for the 2013A observing semester; 2013B is in progress.

Coordinate with SUS and the private observatories to provide timely technical reviews of the

proposals.

Status: This was successfully completed for the 2013A observing semester; 2013B is in pro-

gress.

Ensure timely announcements of the results of the time allocation process.

Status: This was successfully completed for the 2013A observing semester; 2013B is in pro-

gress.

http://www.noao.edu/gateway/tac/inst13b_s_draft.html


20

Incorporate appropriate feedback about the time allocation process into improvements for the

next proposal cycle.

Status: The feedback from the TAC is overwhelmingly positive. The TAC group continues to

work toward improving (and simplifying) the process.

Investigate the evolution of the proposal process for KPNO as the federal investment in this ob-

servatory is divested.

Status: No progress during this period.

1.3.4 System Community Development

Program Highlights

LSST Science

A main focus of the NOAO LSST Science Working Group during this report period was to take ini-

tial steps toward developing the NOAO LSST Community Science Center, as proposed in the previ-

ous quarter. The goals of the proposed LSST Community Science Center continue to be to: (1) pro-

vide an interface between the LSST research community and LSST Project during the construction

phase, (2) stimulate LSST pathfinder scientific research in advance of the survey, and (3) help the

LSST science community organize itself to meet the challenges of LSST-based research. A poster

describing these plans was presented at the January 2013 AAS meeting in Long Beach, California.

The white paper is publicly available on the NOAO website at ast.noao.edu/facilities/future/lsst/lcsc.

Two meetings about LSST occurred in Tucson this quarter. NOAO scientists helped to organize

and run a meeting on LSST in Tucson to promote Tucson-wide interaction for scientific use of

LSST. A major goal was collaboration across departments and organizations. NOAO hosted a meet-

ing of the LSST Science Collaboration chairs, along with staff from the LSST Project and new

LSST Director Steve Kahn, to develop a road map for future interaction between the collaborations

and the Project.

Work began to provide user support and data quality analysis for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

(SDSS) Stripe 82 data set, which was reprocessed by the LSST software development pipeline as

part of their Winter 2013 Data Challenge.

NOAO received new applications for LSST Science Collaboration membership from the com-

munity; these will be evaluated in the upcoming quarter.

Staff from NOAO initiated discussions with the University of Arizona computer science de-

partment on approaches to the problem of developing an LSST-scale transient broker.

Optical Interferometry Science

NOAO NSSC, in collaboration with Lowell Observatory, the Center for High Angular Resolution

Astronomy (CHARA) Array, the Navy Precision Interferometer, the Observatory of Paris, and the

European Interferometry Initiative, convened a two-day International Optical Interferometry Forum

in Flagstaff, Arizona, 15–16 March 2013. This group met “to provide a venue for exchanges on

planning, opportunities, collaborations, possible coordination, issues related to the optimization and

science operation of current array facilities, and opportunities for the future.” By the conclusion of

the session, the group had developed plans for a continuing annual forum meeting, as well as a

number of initiatives for immediate implementation. The forum will function as an element of the

International Astronomical Union Commission 54, and the officers of the commission will have the

responsibility to advance the forum activities and objectives.

NOAO DIVISIONS

21

The System Roadmap Committee

In the first quarter of FY13, the System Roadmap Committee analyzed the potential impact of the

NSF Portfolio Review Committee report in the context of the US Ground-Based Optical/Infrared

System. The Roadmap Committee found that the report would have a significant (adverse) impact

on the health of the System and the astronomical community, with the magnitude of the impact de-

pending on how the report is implemented. The committee released a statement describing the po-

tential impact of the report and made suggestions regarding its implementation. Published in issues

24 and 25 of Currents, the NOAO electronic newsletter, the statement attracted over 900 endorse-

ments from the astronomical community. The endorsing community is broadly based and includes

individuals from more than 200 US institutions located in 43 states and the District of Columbia.

The Committee forwarded the input to the NSF in this quarter.


Solicit and conduct the review of proposals for membership in the LSST Science Collaboration

groups and for forming new LSST Science Collaboration groups.

Status: The solicitation was completed this quarter. The review will happen in the next quarter.

Host working meetings of each of the LSST Science Collaboration groups. Help the group

chairs organize these meetings and ensure that results are effectively communicated to the LSST

Project.

Status: The meeting of Science Collaboration chairs was held in March 2013.

Complete development of the LSST Operations Simulator (OPSim) version 3, with the en-

hanced capability of replaceable modules for alternate scheduling algorithms, system con-

straints, and environmental input, and greater flexibilities for specifying science use case re-

quirements.

Status: Work continues on OPSim version 3, with completion expected late in the next quarter.

Implement and evaluate at least one alternate LSST scheduling algorithm and compare the per-

formance with the current algorithm.

Status: Deferred, pending release of OPSim version 3 in the next quarter.

Provide simulations and necessary, customized post-processing analysis to support LSST Sys-

tem Engineering performance margin investigations for the Final Design Review.

Status: Deferred, pending release of OPSim version 3 in the next quarter.

Design and implement a software framework for systematic evaluation of LSST Merit Functions

(developed in FY12) as an automated element of standard post-processing of all LSST Opera-

tions Simulator (OPSim) simulations.

Status: A work plan was prepared for implementation of the highest priority elements of the

framework, and access to several man weeks of NOAO Science Data Management resources in

the next quarter has been negotiated.

Implement the Assimilator (prototyped in FY12) for the use of metrics to measure the compara-

tive technical and science performance of LSST schedule simulations.


22

Status: A work plan was prepared for implementation of the highest priority elements of the As-

similator, and access to several man weeks of NOAO Science Data Management resources in

the next quarter has been negotiated.

Write a statement of work describing the LSST Science Data Quality Analysis (SDQA) effort

that will be reviewed and agreed to by NOAO and the LSST Project Office.

Status: Ongoing, as discussions continue on how best to approach the effort. SCD’s user sup-

port of LSST’s reprocessed SDSS Stripe 82 data set will form the bulk of the initial stage of

work.

Install and perform basic tests of the LSST Data Management (DM) software stack and the

Pipeline Quality Assessment (PipeQA) software.

Status: Completed in the previous quarter.

Begin designing metrics to test the output of LSST Data Management (DM) software, specifi-

cally, Pipeline Quality Assessment (PipeQA), starting with the output photometry from single

frames.

Status: No new metrics were implemented in this period; these are planned for later quarters.

Identify potential fixes for any LSST Data Management (DM) software bugs that may be dis-

covered through the Science Data Quality Analysis (SDQA) effort.

Status: A few small bugs were discovered through the PipeQA installation and testing work, and

these were fixed. Some data quality issues were discovered during analysis of the LSST repro-

cessed Stripe 82 data set.

Involve LSST Science Collaboration members in the Science Data Quality Analysis (SDQA) ef-

fort as possible and necessary.

Status: LSST Science Collaboration members are being involved in the LSST reprocessed Stripe

82 data analysis effort. SCD established and maintained a mailing list and wiki page in support

of this outreach to the Science Collaborations.

Use Science Data Quality Analysis (SDQA) algorithms in analysis of DECam science verifica-

tion and shared-risk images.


Begin work on the description of a flow-down from top-level Science Data Quality Analysis

(SDQA) written requirements to low-level requirements.


Attend weekly LSST Data Management (DM) telecons and Applications telecons as needed.

Status: Attendance continued during this period.

Develop a description and requirements specification for an LSST-scale event broker.

Status: Work was begun in this area in collaboration with the University of Arizona Computer

Science Department.

NOAO DIVISIONS

23

Host the “Spectroscopy in the Era of LSST” workshop.

Status: The workshop will be held 11–12 April 2013.

Negotiate for community access to the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy

(CHARA) Array in 2013 and provide required support to community users and the NOAO time

allocation process.

Status: The proposals recommended by the NOAO Telescope Allocation Committee for 2013

were accepted by the CHARA director and scheduled for execution during this calendar year.

Consult with CHARA on wavefront sensing improvements that will increase the productivity of

the array.

Status: SCD staff supported preparation for an external design review that was held on 28 Jan-

uary 2013. The review team endorsed the concept and design and provided a number of recom-

mendations for possible improvements.

Plan for and hold a meeting of the System Roadmap Committee in FY13 and issue a System

Roadmap Report.

Status: A statement by the Committee in response to the NSF Portfolio Review Report was for-

warded to the NSF during this quarter, along with over 900 endorsements of the statement that

were received by NOAO in the first quarter.

1.4 NOAO SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY CENTER

The NOAO System Technology Center (NSTC)

is responsible for coordinating technological en-

hancements to the US Ground-Based Opti-

cal/Infrared System (System) by NOAO direct-

ly, in collaboration with various partner institu-

tions, or through the Telescope System Instru-

mentation Program (TSIP). As such, it takes the

leadership role on technical activities within

NOAO that are needed to realize new telescope

projects or to enhance the instrument comple-

ments on existing System telescopes operated by

NOAO or other entities.

The NSTC incorporates four programs serv-

ing these goals: (1) System Instrumentation (SI), which oversees the direct efforts of NOAO to build

new instruments or enhance the performance of existing instruments for its own telescopes, for the

Gemini telescopes, and for other telescopes participating in the System; (2) ReSTAR Instrumenta-

tion, which manages the implementation of NSF-funded projects for the 4-m System; (3) Telescope

System Instrumentation Program (TSIP), which provides funding to other observatories for new in-

strumentation in return for time on their telescopes being made available to the US community

through the NOAO Time Allocation Committee (TAC); and (4) LSST Technology, which provides

scientific, engineering, and management support to the LSST Project and is responsible for tele-

scope mount, enclosure design, and site work within the LSST partnership.


24

1.4.1 System Instrumentation

Program Highlights

Additional progress was made on the SOAR Adaptive Optics Module (SAM), as described in the

milestone status reports below. Discussions were initiated with the Universidad de Chile about the

potential use of the TORRENT controller technology developed at NOAO as part of a larger facility

modernization program. Those discussions were just getting underway as the quarter ended.


Implement the corrections needed to remove heat from the light path for the SOAR Adaptive

Optics Module (SAM) Laser Guide Star (LGS) system, and determine whether any further tech-

nical improvements are needed to reduce the projected size of the laser spots to match the scien-

tific requirements for good seeing correction.

Status: Completed in the previous quarter.

By the third quarter of FY13, begin the on-sky commissioning and science verification of the

entire SAM system, including development of all science user software and training for SOAR

observatory support staff.

Status: Progressing as planned. The call for science verification proposals was published in

January 2013. On-sky science verification was underway during this quarter and will continue

into the next quarter, along with further refinement of the science user software.

By the end of FY13, begin community scientific use of SAM on a shared-risk basis.

Status: Progressing as planned. The Call for Proposals for the 2013B observing semester of-

fered SAM to the general community on a shared-risk basis. This observing will begin in August

2013.

Jointly with the NOAO North Engineering & Technical Services group, begin implementation

of a new documentation tracking system for Kitt Peak instruments and instrumentation projects.

Status: Progressing as planned. The NOAO North ETS group selected a system and began im-

porting recent engineering documents during this quarter. NSTC is cooperating fully in this ef-

fort, which is expected to continue for at least the rest of FY13.

1.4.2 ReSTAR Instrumentation

Program Highlights

During the first quarter of FY13, the partnership of The Ohio State University (OSU) and NOAO

determined that the glue bonding of the camera lenses for KOSMOS and COSMOS could not sur-

vive the required temperature range. The partnership then shifted its approach toward implementing

liquid-coupled triplets and doublets in the cameras. During the second quarter, OSU completed me-

chanical design and prototyping of the liquid-filled cells, and the design was approved with com-

ments by external reviewers. As the second quarter ended, OSU had just released the first half of the

fabrication drawings to the NOAO shop and NOAO was beginning fabrication of the camera lens

cell and barrel components. When fabrication is complete, optical assembly and alignment will be

carried out jointly by NOAO and OSU personnel, with laboratory integration of the completed in-

struments following as soon as possible. Based on the progress to date, KOSMOS is scheduled to go

to the Mayall 4-m telescope in the fourth quarter of FY13.

NOAO DIVISIONS

25


KOSMOS: Integrate and commission the completed instrument on the KPNO Mayall 4-m tele-

scope.

Status: Progress on resolving the problems with the assembly of the camera systems continues

as described above. Integration on the Mayall 4-m telescope should begin at the end of the 2013

summer shutdown, pending completion of the Mayall mirror lift repair during that shutdown

(the lift is needed to install KOSMOS).

COSMOS: Complete laboratory integration in The Ohio State University (OSU) instrument lab.

Status: Progress continues as described above on resolving the problems with assembly of the

camera lens system. Lab integration should be carried out during the fourth quarter of FY13,

and it will occur at NOAO to reflect the fact that final assembly of the camera optics will be at

NOAO.

COSMOS: Deliver the assembled instrument to CTIO and begin integration and commissioning

on the Blanco 4-m telescope.

Status: No progress was made beyond what is described above.

TripleSpec: Receive the detectors at NOAO, modify the existing lab Dewar for testing the

TripleSpec detectors, integrate the first detector (of the two needed by TripleSpec) with the test

Dewar and controller electronics in the lab, and complete the optimization of the first detector.

Status: Progress is continuing. During the second quarter, NOAO received both the Engineer-

ing Grade A array (for the slit viewing camera) and the Science Grade array (for the spectro-

graph) from the vendor, completing the purchase contract. NOAO also received the Interna-

tional Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) license from the US State Department, allowing the

Chilean engineers on the project to work with the detectors in Chile. NOAO identified two can-

didate laboratory Dewars for the detector optimization, one from Tucson and one to be loaned

from Cornell. As the second quarter ended, the Chilean staff were evaluating both laboratory

Dewars to see which one would require less modification for the detector testing; the Chilean

staff were also acquiring the lockable safe and door locks needed to comply with the require-

ments of the ITAR license. The controller software was finished during this period as well, al-

lowing a demonstration of the readout modes needed by both the spectrograph and slit-viewer

detectors.

TripleSpec: Support NOAO’s Cornell partner in completing the acquisition of the optics, Dew-

ar, and other long-lead-time components, and be ready to support Cornell’s Dewar and optics in-

tegration early in FY14.

Status: Progress is continuing. The spectrograph grating was received at Cornell during the se-

cond quarter, and work on other deliverables continued on schedule. Cornell also has been

producing and releasing detailed designs for components that interface to NOAO activities such

as the detector mounts.

CTIO-Hydra CCD and Controller Upgrade: Begin integration of the new CCD and controller,

and design modifications to the Dewar to accommodate the new CCD.

Status: No progress was made during this quarter due to the higher priority of other work at

CTIO.


26

1.4.3 Telescope System Instrumentation Program

Program Highlights

The older of the two sub-awards for the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI)—the one supporting the

Design Development Phase—was completed by the California Association for Research in Astron-

omy (CARA) with the delivery of the final requirements document and design report. That sub-

award was formally closed by NOAO. Oversight continued on the remaining KCWI sub-award—the

one covering the Full-Scale Development phase for construction and commissioning of the instru-

ment. During this quarter, the KCWI team produced a revised plan for the Full-Scale Development

phase, incorporating the extensive comments from a project review held in November 2012 concern-

ing primarily the plan for integration and testing in the Caltech laboratory.

The sub-award for the Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM) for the Magellan Observatory neared

completion as the Mirror unit finished a highly successful commissioning run at the telescope in De-

cember 2012. Due to a shift in the scientific priorities of the Magellan community, the ASM will be

used as commissioned with a visible/near-infrared camera called CLIO instead of the mid-infrared

camera called MIRAC described in the original TSIP proposal. As this quarter ended, the ASM pro-

ject team and NOAO were in the process of negotiating an amendment to the sub-award to recog-

nize commissioning with CLIO as satisfying the scientific requirements of the sub-award. This

amendment has been presented to, and approved by, the review committee chair and the lead re-

viewer from the review panel that recommended funding of the ASM project. It was awaiting NSF

approval as of the end of the quarter.

The sub-award to The Ohio State University for the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS-

2) for the Large Binocular Telescope also approached completion, with delivery of MODS-2 to the

telescope expected sometime in the fourth quarter of FY13.

These are the only TSIP sub-awards still outstanding.


Provide regular oversight for TSIP instrumentation projects still underway.

Status: Ongoing. Regular monthly reports were received from, and follow-up teleconferences

held with, all projects underway. NOAO continued to work closely with all three projects to as-

sist them in advancing toward completion and close-out of the sub-awards.

1.4.4 LSST Technology

Program Highlights

The efforts in the LSST Technology program focused on preparation and completion of several im-

portant design reviews during this period. The software code and architecture for the Telescope and

Observatory Control Systems was reviewed by an external review committee (consisting of software

developers from the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), Gemini, and DCT) in Tucson,

on February 7–8. This meeting focused on functional control requirements, review of the middle-

ware design, and a summary of interfaces and the proposed development plan. The review panel re-

port was received and approved of the chosen software plan. The report included a number of useful

recommendations to improve the supporting documentation.

Major progress was achieved on the effort to pursue the early procurement of the Camera Hexa-

pod/Rotator and the Secondary Mirror (M2) Hexapod systems. The Hexapods/Rotator final design

review was successfully completed on January 18, in Tucson, with external reviewers from ATST

and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). Constructive feedback from the panel’s final report provid-

NOAO DIVISIONS

27

ed an opportunity to improve the statement of work documentation to maximize vendor capabilities

during the initial prototype period. Subsequently, the Request for Proposal (RFP) bid package was

released on February 7, and five compliant bids from qualified vendors were received on March 22.

A seven-person proposal evaluation committee was established to review the bids and develop a

recommendation for the LSST project manager in late April.

The LSST Technology team has begun to prepare for the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA)

Final Design Review to be held in Tucson, on May 9–10. This meeting will be led by an external

committee to assess the design maturity, review the system performance requirement, and gauge the

completeness of the supporting documentation to enable a successful procurement. The RFP bid

package is planned to be released in late June/early July, with bids due in mid to late September.


Facility and Site:

Support the completion of the summit support design effort, which is contracted with ARCADIS

in Santiago; and

conduct a closeout review of the 100% completion summit facility design package.

Status: The design effort is nearing the 100% completion level through the cooperative review

of ARCADIS summit facility drawings and solid modeling by LSST personnel. An engineering

review meeting was held in Santiago, on March 13, to confirm air compressor and water chiller

specifications, finalize architectural design details, and approve of design updates to incorpo-

rate action items and errors discovered in the 90% package delivery.

Dome Development:

Complete the dome requirements document in preparation for external procurement, and

complete the dome wind/light screen prototype test design.

Status: The baseline dome windscreen requirements were changed via a formal engineering

change request process to reduce the minimum elevation pointing angle to 20 degrees from the

previous 15 degrees. This requirement change enables the adoption of a more practical design,

similar to the Gemini dome approach. Subsequently, technical information was obtained from

Gemini to enable the LSST design to advance to support the plan for an external review of the

dome in late 2013.

Telescope Mount:

Complete the preliminary design package for the telescope mount, including a requirements

document and interface details;

complete the procurement package for the design and build contract; and

award the telescope design and fabrication contract.

Status: The team has begun to summarize analysis, drawings, interfaces, and documentation to

support the Final Design Review (FDR) of the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) to be held in

Tucson, on May 9–10. A pre-solicitation notice was posted on the Federal Business Opportuni-

ties website (www.fbo.gov) to alert potential vendors of our planned early procurement. Subse-

quently, a web page was developed to support transfer of information between LSST and poten-

tial vendors. The upcoming FDR will be led by an external committee to assess the design ma-

http://www.fbo.gov/


28

turity, review the system performance requirements, and gauge the completeness of the support-

ing documentation to enable a successful procurement.

Under the Telescope Mount work package, the Camera Hexapod/Rotator and the Secondary

Mirror (M2) Hexapod Final Design Review was successfully completed on January 18. The

RFP bid package was released on February 7, and five compliant bids from qualified vendors

were received on March 22. A seven-person proposal evaluation committee was established to

review the bids and develop a recommendation for the LSST Project Manager in late April.

Reflective Optics:

Collaborate with the LSST primary mirror vendor to evaluate the ongoing optical fabrication

performance,

develop the initial prototype of the inner loop controller, and

award the secondary mirror optical fabrication contract, and work with the vendor on Phase A

design and risk reduction activities.

Status: The LSST team continues to monitor the progress of the M1M3 optical polishing effort

at the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory (SOML). The completion of the Giant Magellan

Telescope (GMT) mirror enabled SOML to dedicate more resources to the M1M3 effort, with

plans to complete the polishing of both surfaces by the end of 2013. A contract was awarded to

a Tucson firm to support the software development required to control the Inner Loop Control-

ler (ILC) board. The initial control chip programming effort has been completed and the next

phase will be performed upon delivery of an ILC board in late May.

Wavefront. Alignment and Calibration:

Remove the Calypso telescope from its site, evaluate the hardware condition, and formulate a

detailed refurbishment plan;

support the LSST calibration design review with input on instrument and atmospheric calibration

equipment performance; and

deploy the prototype active optics system curvature algorithm pipeline for hardware testing.

Status: The Wavefront Sensing (WFS) team has completed algorithm development to successful-

ly test the active optics system curvature algorithm pipeline for hardware testing. The next

phase will be to continue software development to incorporate the code currently in Matlab to

be compatible with the Telescope and Site data analysis software libraries and routines.

Software and Controls:

Complete the design review of the telescope control system, including external review; and

develop the scheduler preliminary design.

Status: The Telescope Control Software Preliminary Design Review was successfully completed

on February 7–8, in Tucson, with external reviewers from ATST, Gemini, and DCT. The two-

day review focused on the Observatory Control System (OCS), including the Operations Simula-

tor (OPSim) and middleware, and the Telescope Control System (TCS), including progress and

results from recent upgrades to the Blanco telescope TCS. The review panel report was received

and included a number of useful recommendations to improve the supporting documentation.

NOAO DIVISIONS

29

Data Management: Develop the data management infrastructure plans, especially as they impact

the summit and base facilities in Chile.

Status: Work was conducted cooperatively with the LSST Data Management (DM) team to up-

date the base facility building DM interface requirements, specifically the seismic requirements

that are dictated by the Norma Chilena (Chilean Standard) building codes. Discussions also fo-

cused on emergency UPS power and cooling requirements needed at the base facility to support

the DM hardware.

Utility Systems: Update the design for the electrical distribution, grounding, and utility services

for the summit facility to be consistent with the 100% summit facility drawing package and any

vendor-specific information from the secondary mirror and mount contracts.

Status: The observatory utility requirements (electrical, HVAC, lighting, utility disconnects) for

the major telescope subsystems (mount, dome, camera) were all reviewed for consistency with

the summit facility design effort. The camera group provided additional information on the spe-

cialized utility lines and routing needs to accommodate the planned camera refrigerant. This ef-

fort was performed during the effort to move the ARCADIS design package to the 100% level.

Systems Engineering:

Coordinate and complete the development of level 2 telescope and site interface documents;

complete the requirements modeling for the telescope and site, as well as the observation control

systems; and

update the hazard analysis and risk register of the telescope and site system.

Status: Substantial effort was invested in coordinating the development of level 2 interface doc-

uments (especially between the telescope and camera subsystems). These interface control doc-

uments (ICDs) were required to support the early procurement efforts for the M2 polishing and

Cell Assembly, and the Camera Hexapod/Rotator, and M2 hexapod procurements. In addition,

hazard analysis review meetings were held regularly to update the hazard list and the overall

project risk register for the Telescope and Site subsystem.

Project Management:

Support the project with participation as an LSST Board member and an AURA Management

Council for LSST (AMCL) member,

complete the 2012 inputs for the updated Project Management Control System, and

support and participate in project-wide reviews.

Status: The FY13 Project Management Control System (PMCS) plan was updated to reflect the

early procurement efforts. Worksheets and input forms were developed to enable internal

earned value reporting to occur in the design and development stage, prior to construction. Ad-

ditional programmatic support was provided to numerous project-wide reviews as needed. A

project-wide review has been scheduled for August 12–16 to finalize preparations for an ex-

pected NSF Final Design Review (FDR).

Operations Simulator:

Support the Operations Simulator (OPSim) group lead and the OPSim group’s principle inter-

face to the LSST Project,


30

develop scientific metrics for the analysis of the OPSim output, and

complete the final design version of the OPSim tool set to support the LSST final design review

and the preparation for construction.

Status: The OPSim group developed and delivered OPSim v3.0. Discussions of the investigation

of alternate methods for scheduling and sequencing observations for execution with v3.0 were

completed. Subsequently, plans are being developed for experimenting with OPSim v3.0 and to

identify deliverables for the FDR.

Education and Public Outreach: Support LSST graphic design tasks and website development to

support design reviews and planned procurements.

Status: During this reporting period, a number of LSST-specific websites were created and

populated with information to support final design reviews for the Telescope Control Software

review, the Hexapods/Rotator review, and the upcoming TMA review.

31

2 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS

2.1 OFFICE OF SCIENCE

Program Highlights

The Office of Science (OS) is organizing a community-based effort to demonstrate the likely impact of com-

munity science with BigBOSS. OS also has been working with the LSST Community Science Center to en-

hance community engagement with and feedback to the LSST Project.


Develop an implementation plan for the Responsible Conduct in Research policy.

Status: No progress as yet.

Continue to develop materials for and implement a retraining program on Responsible Conduct

in Research for NOAO scientific staff.

Status: No further progress this quarter.

Provide mentoring and career development resources to staff as needed, particularly to postdoc-

toral researchers.

Status: OS sponsored the “Marketing for Scientists” seminar by astronomer Marc Kuchner

(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). It was well attended by graduate students, post-docs, and

some scientific staff. OS spent time assisting AURA Human Resources in developing a mentor-

ing program for NOAO scientific and technical staff, as described in this report for the previous

quarter.

Develop hiring guidelines for NOAO scientific staff.

Status: Completed and posted at www.noao.edu/os/pt.php.

Develop materials that promote the awareness of NOAO’s “Greatest Scientific Hits,” both life-

time, and in recent years.

Status: No progress this quarter.

2.2 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

Program Highlights

The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) staff were in-

volved during this quarter in the key educational and out-

reach areas listed below.

Public Information Office: NOAO’s Web-based

Image Gallery underwent considerable change this quar-

ter with an expansion in the number of images and vide-

os and some changes in format to make the gallery more

usable. New categories were added (including videos and

Messier Objects), and links to similar images were given

Public Outreach Information Requests & Inquiries


Type/Origin of Request Number

Information requests/inquiries

about astronomy/science (phone

calls, e-mails, and walk-

ins/requests for posters,

bookmarks, brochures, etc.

552

Requests and inquiries for use of

NOAO images 92

TOTAL 644

http://www.noao.edu/os/pt.php


32

greater visibility, making it easier to find images. Similarly, the EPO program pages were rede-

signed to include some of the newer programs and to highlight the programs in common with

NOAO North and South. The overall goal of greater utility for the pages was achieved.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): The KPNO REU program remains highly

oversubscribed. NOAO received 192 applications (134 were judged complete) by the end of January

for the 2013 KPNO REU program. The KPNO REU site director worked with six mentors in Febru-

ary to select candidates from the completed applications. Six REU students were selected as first-

round candidates, and job offers were made to them on March 1. Additional information about the

six students selected for the 2013 KPNO REU program will be provided in the “NOAO Annual Pro-

ject Report FY 2013.” The renewal proposal for the KPNO REU program (NSF AST-1262829

“REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program”; PI: Mighell, Co-PI:

Silva) was approved on 22 February 2013, with four years of full funding (FY13–FY16: $439,663

total).

Teaching with Telescopes: This program remains vigorous in both the US and Chile. The Ray-

theon-sponsored “MathMovesU” Galileoscope build took place on 27 February 2013 at the Univer-

sity of Arizona Student Union. There were180 students from schools around Tucson who participat-

ed in the Galileoscope build. Before the build, on Sunday, February 24, NOAO staff trained 60 Ray-

theon engineers to help with the event. It was essential to NOAO to have well-trained helpers for

such a large event.

Conferences and Meetings: At the AAS meeting in January, a special session on light pollution

was organized and successfully executed by a member of the EPO staff, the IAU Comm. 50 presi-

dent), and the chair of the AAS Committee on Light Pollution, RFI, and Space Debris. NOAO REU

student Linsey Jensen presented her research poster on the “Characterizing Sky Brightness through-

out the Night in and around Tucson, Arizona”. An EPO staff with help from two other EPO staff

gave a talk on “A Comprehensive Approach to Dark Skies Research and Education at NOAO.”

Educational Outreach: EPO is working with Science Foundation Arizona on plans to bring the

second phase of the Galileoscope program to two more Arizona towns: Globe and Payson. Phase

three of the program is now being planned in Yuma. The total attendance at these events is expected

to be approximately 600 fifth-grade students. NOAO’s Project ASTRO conducted an additional four

school star parties and astronomy fairs at local Tucson area schools during this quarter.

There were many local outreach events, star parties, and teacher workshops this quarter. Some

of the local outreach highlights were the EPO booth at Ted Walker Day at Old Tucson Studios on

January 31. Hundreds of students stopped by the booth to learn about optics and optical illusions

from NOAO staff. NOAO sponsored the St. Michael’s Optics Fest for the eighth year in a row. This

large event brings together students from around Tucson for an afternoon of optics activities and a

laser competition called “Hit the Target.” This year 36 teams from various schools around Tucson

participated in this popular annual event that grew from the NSF-funded Hands-On Optics program.

Tohono O’odham Outreach: EPO remains active in supporting the Tohono O’odham educa-

tion program in the Baboquivari Unified School District Number 40. The Indian Oasis Elementary

School extended day program remains a key program for NOAO and will continue through the end

of May. NOAO staff have been visiting the Indian Oasis Elementary School once a week and doing

hands-on science activities with students in the third to fifth grades. NOAO had a booth at the

Tohono O’odham Rodeo and Fair in Sells, February 1–3. Each day, NOAO staff showed the Sun

through an H-alpha telescope to rodeo and fair attendees, talked about NOAO’s work on Kitt Peak,

and described job opportunities in engineering and science. NOAO staff have been involved with

science fair judging on the Tohono O’odham Nation this spring. Science fairs have been judged at

the Tohono O’odham High School, Sells Middle School, and Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School.

Many of the projects went on to the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair. On

February 28, EPO student Calvin Ortega led a session on “Why Aren’t There More Native Ameri-

NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS

33

can Astronomers?” at the Tohono O’odham Community College The session was very well attended

and sparked a lively discussion with the attendees. A star party with the College is planned for April

as a result of this meeting of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES).

CTIO Outreach: During this quarter, the EPO South

team continued collaborating with the CTIO Director’s

Office to put together and execute activities for the com-

munity such as the CTIO 50 Years Exhibition as well as

additional telescope tours on Sundays that have brought

in more than 3,000 visitors for the period.

EPO South staff continued to work hard on its annual

informal science education and dark sky protection pro-

grams, with spectroscopy and Galileoscope workshops in

the south of Chile.

In January the EPO South team started its collabora-

tion with the project of Seiul Lab (www.seuil-lab.com),

from the University of Strasbourg, which connects art, as-

tronomy, and technology in a live performance that will

be done simultaneously in three different countries and

webcasted with the support of REUNA.

The team also participated with the El Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA,

the Center for Advanced Studies in Arid Regions) in the launch of the joint project “Science, Educa-

tion, and Sustainability for the Touristic Development of the Region Of Coquimbo” in the remote

locations of Punta Choros and Caleta Hornos. This project will be developed over a two-year time

frame and has the goal of developing competencies related to science (including astronomy) for the

support of sustainable tourism.

EPO South started the preparation of another joint project with CEAZA, called “Science Boule-

vard.” This event will be held on April 18 and involves the collaboration of eight other education-

al/scientific partner institutions. It is estimated that more than 2,000 K-12 students will participate in

the event.

In summary, a total of 23 different educational events were performed by the EPO South staff

during the second quarter of FY13.

Media Releases

There were two NOAO media releases during this period:

1. NOAO: A Valentine Rose (February 12)

www.noao.edu/news/2013/pr1301.php

2. NOAO: Asteroid 2012 DA14 Speeds Away from Earth (February 18)

www.noao.edu/news/2013/pr1302.php


Lead national efforts related to the Teaching with Telescopes professional development and

support program designed to amplify the educational value of the NSF Hands-On Optics pro-

gram and the Galileoscope telescope kit.

Status: There was a large Galileoscope build program with Tucson students through the Ray-

theon MathMovesU event in February 2013. The cadre of NOAO EPO students continued to

support the building of classroom education kits for Teaching with Telescopes.

CTIO Visitor Center & Tours Summary of Participants


Group/Program # of Participants

CADIAS Center 512

CADIAS Outreach 6,459

Tololo Guided Tours 1,795

School Groups K-12 50

Special Tours 210

TOTAL 9,026

http://www.seuil-lab.com/

http://www.noao.edu/news/2013/pr1301.php

http://www.noao.edu/news/2013/pr1302.php


34

Conduct professional development workshops and programs for formal and informal science

educators in coordination with organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association

(NSTA), the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

(ASP), and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC).

Status: Professional development for teachers occurred at Cooper Environmental Center in

Tucson and in Yuma through the Arizona Dark Skies and Energy Education program (funded by

the Arizona Public Service Company Foundation). The latter program began at the end of Jan-

uary with a day-long teacher workshop for most sixth-grade Yuma teachers. The second day-

long workshop occurred at the end of February. Final student presentations on dark skies and

energy conservation will take place on May 3 in conjunction with a science fair and

Galileoscope star party.

Support a wide-ranging, dark skies awareness program for Chile and southern Arizona, with

strong support for the national/international program Global Learning and Observations to Ben-

efit the Environment (GLOBE) at Night started and run by NOAO.

Status: The GLOBE at Night 2013 campaign was successfully launched in January. Additional

10-day campaigns were held in February and March during the appropriate moon phase. Over

9300 measurements were submitted worldwide. The cadre of EPO students continued to support

the evening dark skies sessions at the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning (CCEL). Typ-

ically, fifty fourth- and fifth-grade students attend from local schools. There were eight CCEL

sessions during this quarter and several star parties with activities conveying a light pollution

theme.

Continue to seek every opportunity to work with the Tohono O’odham Nation’s schools, com-

munity centers, and Nation Department of Education to bring science, and especially astronomy,

to their students.

Status: EPO continued to provide an after-school science enrichment program one day a week

at the Indian Oasis Elementary School in Sells, Arizona. EPO was active in judging and helping

to organize science fairs at the Tohono O’odham High School and the Baboquivari Middle

School. The EPO group has met at the new college campus of the Tohono O’odham Community

College and is planning a star party in April. For the third year, EPO set up a tent at the

Tohono O’odham Rodeo and Fair. During the three days of the event, EPO staff offered solar

viewing, science toys to visitors, and postcards and bookmarks.

Support the strategic plan for NOAO South outreach and the Centro de Apoyo a la Didáctica de

la Astronomía (CADIAS) astronomy teaching center in Chile. This includes dark skies educa-

tion and teaching with Galileoscopes.

Status: Two EPO North staff visited CADIAS and conducted an inventory of programs and pro-

gram resources for strategic planning discussions. CADIAS is currently less active due to staff-

ing and infrastructure issues.

Support the training of guides and provide support for astronomy programs for the public at the

major municipal/tourist observatories in northern Chile.

Status: EPO continued to support the binocular program at the tourist observatories and select-

ed Observatorio Cruz del Sur for the initial site of the expansion of the binocular program.

NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS

35

2.3 NOAO DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

Program Highlights

The NOAO director and deputy director attended the January 2013 AAS meeting in Long Beach,

California. NOAO hosted a booth at the meeting, and the NOAO director chaired the NOAO Town

Hall.

The week after the AAS meeting, the NOAO director made a week-long visit to Chile. Some of

that time was used to meet with NOAO South staff. The rest of the time was spent attending and

giving a presentation to the AURA Observatory Visiting Committee, which met in La Serena, Janu-

ary 16–18.

The AURA Observatory Council met in Tucson, March 25–26. During the two-day meeting, the

NOAO director, deputy director, and senior staff gave presentations on the various NOAO pro-

grams, their activities, and their goals.

The director gave a presentation at the AURA Board meeting (Washington, D.C., in February)

and participated in monthly teleconferences with the LSST Board and the Dark Energy Survey

(DES) Council. Additionally, he and the NOAO deputy director participated in a “Directors Re-

view” via teleconference in advance of the DES pre-Operations Review.

The NOAO deputy director attended and participated in several meetings during this reporting

period. He chaired and participated in the SOAR Science Advisory Committee (SAC) teleconfer-

ence (February) and attended the GMT SAC meeting and the GMTIFS Instrument Workshop (Pasa-

dena in March) as well as the NSF-initiated KPNO Tenants meeting (Tucson in March).

The NOAO Director’s Office hosted and led tours for visiting astronomers and NSF officials in

this quarter. At NOAO in February, the NOAO director, deputy director, and senior staff hosted rep-

resentatives of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute staff for two days. During his

March visit to NOAO South, the NOAO director guided tours, along with some NOAO South staff,

of the NOAO South facilities for the NSF associate director for MPS and the NSF director of the

Division of Astronomical Sciences. Later in March, the NOAO director took the NSF program of-

ficer for NOAO on a tour of KPNO facilities.

In mid-March, the director represented NOAO at the W.M. Keck Observatory 20th Anniversary

Celebration in Kona, Hawaii.

The NOAO deputy director sat on two search committees during this quarter: CTIO Director

search and the CTIO Postdoctoral search. Both committees have produced candidate short lists and

presented these to NOAO management.


Observatory Management

Develop an annual program plan for FY13, to be delivered during the first quarter of FY13.

Status: Completed.

Deliver scientific quarterly and annual progress reports as required by NSF under the terms of

their cooperative agreement with AURA for the management of NOAO.

Status: This document is the scientific quarterly report for the second quarter of FY13.

Prepare an action plan in response to recommendations from the NSF Astronomy Portfolio Re-

view that affect NOAO.


36

Status: Creation of a formal, integrated plan is targeted for the second half of FY13, depending

on the release of strategic program and funding guidelines from NSF. While some preparatory

activities occurred during the previous quarter, additional progress on the plan will be reported

in the upcoming NOAO Annual Project Report to be submitted by the end of July 2013.

Facilitate on-going management training for the NOAO senior management team.

Status: In March, a core team of four Human Resources management staff began their partici-

pation in a self-paced, online, management training program with the Blanchard Certified™.

Upon completion of this pilot training program, the participants will receive a certification in

leadership.

In March, a core team of four Human Resources management staff began their participation in a

self-paced, online management training program with the Blanchard Certified™. Upon comple-

tion of this pilot training program, the participants will receive a certification in leadership

Continue to work on ways to improve communication between NOAO staff at all levels.

Status: The NOAO director continued his internal blog “Connection Point: thoughts from the

Director” as well as his bi-weekly NOAO Executive Council meetings with NOAO senior man-

agement and monthly meetings with NOAO North and NOAO South scientific staff. During this

quarter, plans were made for the NOAO director to give face-to-face presentations of the State

of NOAO for staff at each major NOAO location—Tucson, Kitt Peak, La Serena, and Cerro

Tololo—in the next quarter with informal receptions to follow. The NOAO director held infor-

mal meetings during the quarter with various groups of staff to provide information and answer

questions on issues affecting NOAO.

As necessary, support AURA with NSF-mandated reviews (e.g., Business Service Review and

Mid-Term Management Review).

Status: NOAO supported AURA by providing necessary information related to the Business

Service Review. AURA submitted various documents to the NSF in preparation for the Business

Service Review visit scheduled for 10–14 June 2013. The Mid-Term Management Review has

been postponed indefinitely.

Diversity Program

The diversity advocate will continue to maintain a national presence at meetings such as the Na-

tional Society of Black & Hispanic Physicists, Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native

Americans in Science (SACNAS), in addition to the regular meeting of the AURA Workplace &

Diversity Committee.

Status: The NOAO diversity advocate continued to participate in activities of the National Soci-

ety of Black Physicists (NSBP) and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP) as co-

chair of the ASTRO section of the NSBP. The diversity advocate was invited to join a National

Radio Astronomy Observatory diversity panel to convene in June 2013.

Insure that all short lists for staff recruitment reflect the proportion of minority candidates who

have applied. Insure that procedures for hiring are outlined clearly. Work with the NOAO asso-

ciate directors to help minority staff feel more included in the NOAO mission.

Status: The diversity advocate contributed text and comments to the NOAO Science Office pro-

gram head for NOAO Scientific Staff Hiring Guidelines. Updates on staff searches have been

NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS

37

provided to the diversity advocate who has given information and suggestions when requested.

AURA Human Resources and the diversity advocate continued to work together on a center-

wide mentoring workshop.

Continue, in coordination with AURA, to work on broadening participation in the NSF science

enterprise by engaging individuals, institutions, and geographical areas “…that do not partici-

pate in NSF research programs at rates comparable to others.” (Quote from the Executive Sum-

mary of Broadening Participation at the National Science Foundation: A Framework for Ac-

tion, August 2008).

Status: AURA’s partnership with the Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska STEM Partnership for Innovation

in Research (IINSPIRE) continued to be supported by the NOAO diversity advocate through her

solicitation of projects and mentors from the NOAO Engineering and Technical Services staff.

Safety Program

Review the NOAO Safety program and expand the reach and effectiveness of the program as re-

sources allow.

Status: The review of the Safety program was completed, and the safety staff at NOAO South

was improved with the addition of the new NOAO South safety engineer in January. Progress at

NOAO North continues. For further information, see section 6.

With the coordination of the LSST Project office, establish the members of the LSST Safety

Council and participate in external safety review meetings.


With coordination of the NOAO North Engineering & Technical Services manager, continue to

enhance safety control measures for the Kitt Peak annual maintenance efforts during operational

shutdown periods.

Status: Completed. Further revisions may be made as needed as a result of planning for this

summer’s shutdown.

Begin to revise the NOAO/NSO Business Contingency Plan and the Kitt Peak Emergency

Manual due to recent management changes.

Status: Nearly complete. The NOAO risk manager will submit the final plans and manual to the

NOAO and NSO directors by 30 April 2013.

2.4 ARRA INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL

Program Highlights

Activities are ongoing to complete the projects during the one-year extension of the funding provid-

ed through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA). Efforts are focused on

completing the Kitt Peak Instrument Handling Facility, dormitory renovations at Cerro Tololo, and

improvements in the La Serena facilities. Progress is noted below in the Status of FY13 Milestones.


38


Complete the Kitt Peak Instrument Handling Facility (IHF).

Status: Early in this quarter, several bids were received from contractors for the planned reno-

vations. The bids were evaluated by a small committee and NSF approval was obtained to

award the contract. The selected contractor will begin on-site efforts early in the coming quar-

ter. NOAO staff continue to identify equipment needs for procurement and prepare the site for

the contracted efforts.

Complete dormitory renovations at CTIO.

Status: Renovations are complete.

Complete the La Serena meeting room upgrades.

Status: The project to convert an underused area of the CTIO La Serena library into a staff in-

teraction space and a multipurpose meeting/dining area is now 75% complete. Remaining work

to provide furnishings, complete the kitchenette area, and install an outdoor patio is expected to

be completed by the end of April 2013.

Complete the La Serena water system improvements.

Status: Materials were purchased for the tank, pump, and chlorination system upgrades.

39

3 OBSERVING PROGRAMS SEMESTER 2013A

For semester 2013A, a total of 230 unique programs (standard and survey) were accepted for ob-

serving at the NOAO telescopes and the System facilities that grant open-access time through the

NOAO TAC. The following table provides a statistical breakdown of the scheduled programs (as of

9 April 2013) and the nights allocated. Programs are considered as “foreign” when the affiliation

claimed by their PIs is a non-US institution. The 2013A scheduled programs for each observatory

are listed in the subsections that follow.

3.1 CERRO TOLOLO INTER-AMERICAN OBSERVATORY

CTIO Telescopes: 2013A Approved US Programs (38), and US Theses (7) Telescope Nights

L. Allen (NOAO), D. Trilling (Northern Arizona U.), F. Valdes (NOAO), T. Axelrod (LSST), M.

Trueblood (O) (Winer Observatory), D. James (CTIO), E. Christensen, S. Larson, A. Gibbs (Lu-

nar and Planetary Lab), M. Brown (California Institute of Technology--Div of Geo and Planetary

Science): “DECam NEO Search”

CT-4m 4

L. Allen (NOAO), D. Trilling (Northern Arizona U.), F. Valdes (NOAO), T. Axelrod (LSST), M.

Trueblood (O) (Winer Observatory), D. James (CTIO), E. Christensen, S. Larson, A. Gibbs (Lu-

nar and Planetary Lab), M. Brown (California Institute of Technology--Div of Geo and Planetary

Science): “DECam NEO Search”

CT-4m 4

B. Cobb (George Washington University), C. Bailyn (Yale U.), J. Bloom (UC Berkeley): “Opti-

cal/IR Follow-Up of Gamma-Ray Bursts from SMARTS”

CT-1.3m 4

I. Dell’Antonio, J. McCleary (G) (Brown U.): “Spatially Resolved Weak Gravitational Lensing

Maps of Low Redshift Clusters of Galaxies”

CT-4m 2

A. Dey (NOAO), A. Stanford (UC Davis), M. Brodwin (U. of Missouri, Kansas City), F. Valdes,

D. Atlee, J. Kartaltepe (NOAO), P. Capak (IPAC), B. Jannuzi (U. of Arizona), M. Dickinson

(NOAO), R. Smith, A. Walker (CTIO): “Large Scale Structure in COSMOS: A Calibration Field

for DECam Extragalactic Surveys”

CT-4m 4

Key: (T) = Thesis Student; (G) = Graduate; (U) = Undergraduate; (O) = Other

Observatory Regular Thesis Regular Thesis Totals Regular Thesis Regular Thesis Totals

CTIO 38 7 2 2 49 155.6 31 3.5 5.5 195.6

KPNO 40 21 5 1 67 187.5 118 20 3 328.5

Gemini 77 16 2 1 96 98.425 20.802 1.63 0.5 121.357

AAT 4 1 0 0 5 8 2 0 0 10

CHARA 3 0 2 0 5 2.8 0 2.2 0 5

Keck 8 1 1 0 10 8 0.5 1.5 0 10

MMT 4 1 1 0 6 5.5 0.37 1 0 6.87

Totals: 174 47 13 4 238 465.825 172.672 29.83 9 677.327

US Foreign US Foreign

Number of Scheduled 2013A Programs Number of Nights Granted for 2013A


40


P. Eisenhardt (CalTech-JPL), C. Tsai (IPAC), J. Wu (CalTech-JPL), R. Griffith (O) (IPAC), L.

Yan, D. Stern (CalTech-JPL), A. Stanford (UC Davis), A. Blain (University of Leicester), D.

Benford (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), C. Bridge (California Institute of Technology-

Dept. of Astronomy), R. Assef (CalTech-JPL), S. Petty (Virginia Polytechnic Institute): “Hot

DOGs: The Most Luminous Galaxies Found by WISE”

SOAR 5

N. Hinkel, S. Kane (NEXScI), K. Von Braun (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie): “Detecting

Transit Signatures for Southern Sky Exoplanets Orbiting Bright Hosts”

CT-0.9m 7

E. Hoversten, S. Kannappan, D. Stark (G) (U. of North Carolina), J. Salzer (Indiana U.), K. Eck-

ert (G), A. Moffett (G) (U. of North Carolina): “The Origin of Gas in Post-Starburst E/S0 Galax-

ies”

SOAR 4

C. Kaleida, R. Students (U), N. van der Bliek, D. James, S. Points (CTIO), F. Virgili (Liverpool

John Moores University), J. Masiero (CalTech-JPL): “CTIO REU/PIA Observations: Targets of

Opportunity”

CT-0.9m 3

T. Lee (Western Kentucky U.), R. Shaw, L. Stanghellini (NOAO): “Chemical Abundances of

Compact Planetary Nebulae in the Galactic Disk”

SOAR 2

K. Luhman (Pennsylvania State U.), E. Mamajek (U. of Rochester): “A Census of Low-Mass

Stars and Brown Dwarfs in Upper Scorpius”

SOAR 3

L. Macri (Texas A&M U.), T. Jarrett (IPAC), K. Masters (University of Portsmouth): “Mapping

the Nearby Universe: The 2MASS Redshift Survey”

CT-1.5m-SVC 0.8

E. Mamajek (U. of Rochester), K. Luhman (Pennsylvania State U.), S. Metchev (SUNY), D.

James (CTIO), M. Pecaut (G) (U. of Rochester): “DECam Survey for Benchmark Substellar Ob-

jects in the Nearest OB Association”

CT-4m 2

J. Mauerhan (U. of Arizona), H. Dong (NOAO): “Continuing Classification of Paschen-ɑ Excess

Sources in the Galactic Center Field with SOAR/OSIRIS”

SOAR 4

T. Metcalfe (HAO), S. Basu (Yale U.), T. Henry (Georgia State U.), P. Judge (HAO), D.

Soderblom (STScI): “Activity Cycles of Southern Asteroseismic Targets”

CT-1.5m-SVC 0.8

F. Mueller-Sanchez, M. Malkan (UCLA), G. Portilla (Universidad Nacional de Colombia): “Us-

ing the Near-IR Emission Lines to Probe AGN Feedback.”

SOAR 3

D. Nidever (U. of Michigan), K. Olsen (NOAO), G. Besla (Columbia U.), A. Saha (NOAO), E.

Olszewski (U. of Arizona), C. Gallart, M. Monelli (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), A.

Kunder (CTIO), R. Gruendl, Y. Chu (U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), A. Walker (CTIO), D.

Zaritsky (U. of Arizona), N. Martin (Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik), G. Stringfellow (U. of

Colorado), R. Munoz (Universidad de Chile), B. Conn, N. Noel (Max-Planck-Institut für

Astronomie), R. Blum (NOAO), S. Majewski (U. of Virginia), R. Van Der Marel (STScI), L. Al-

len, R. Probst (NOAO), C. Kaleida (CTIO), S. Jin (University of Groningen), R. De Propris

(ESO), H. Kim (G) (Arizona State U.), M. Cioni (University of Hertfordshire): “DECam Search

for the Stellar Component of the Magellanic Leading Arm”

CT-4m 4

D. Padgett (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), W. Liu (IPAC), F. Morales (CalTech-JPL):

“Characterization of WISE Debris Disk Stars”

SOAR 2

A. Rest (STScI), F. Bianco (Las Cumbres Observatory), R. Chornock, R. Foley (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), T. Matheson, K. Olsen (NOAO), J. Prieto (Princeton U.),

B. Sinnott (G) (McMaster University), R. Smith (CTIO), N. Smith (U. of Arizona), D. Welch

(McMaster University): “Light Echoes of Galactic Explosions and Eruptions”

CT-4m 12

OBSERVING PROGRAMS SEMESTER 2013A

41


A. Rest (STScI), F. Bianco (Las Cumbres Observatory), R. Chornock (Harvard-Smithsonian

Center for Astrophysics), T. Matheson (NOAO), J. Prieto (Princeton U.), B. Sinnott (G)

(McMaster University), R. Smith (CTIO), N. Smith (U. of Arizona), N. Walborn (STScI), D.

Welch (McMaster University): “Spectrophotometric Time Series of Carinae’s Great Eruption”

CT-4m 0.5

R. Rich (UCLA), A. Kunder (CTIO), C. Johnson (UCLA), S. Michael, W. Clarkson (Indiana U.),

M. Irwin (University of Cambridge), R. Ibata (Observatoire de Strasbourg), M. Soto (Univer-

sidad de La Serena), Z. Ivezic (U. of Washington), R. De Propris (ESO), A. Robin (Observatoire

de Besançon), A. Koch (Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg), M. Young (O), C.

Pilachowski (Indiana U.): “The Blanco DECam Galactic Bulge Survey”

CT-4m 6

A. Saha (NOAO), B. Frye (Steward Observatory), K. Olsen (NOAO), E. Olszewski (Steward

Observatory), T. Matheson (NOAO), T. Axelrod (LSST), J. Bloom (UC Berkeley), A. Kunder,

A. Walker (CTIO), D. Nidever (U. of Michigan), S. Ridgway (NOAO), B. Cenko, A. Miller (G)

(UC Berkeley), R. Blum (NOAO), M. Juric (LSST), T. Boroson, F. Valdes (NOAO), C. Kaleida

(CTIO): “A Deep Synoptic Study of the Galactic Bulge”

CT-4m 7

K. Sahu, H. Bond (O), J. Anderson (O) (STScI), M. Dominik (O) (University of St. Andrews), A.

Udalski (O) (Warsaw University Observatory): “Detecting Isolated Black Holes through HST

Astrometry and SMARTS Photometry of Microlensing Events”

CT-1.3m 4

D. Schlegel, N. Mostek (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), A. Dey (NOAO), J. Newman

(U. of Pittsburgh), P. Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), K. Honsheid (Ohio State

U.), D. Lang (Carnegie Mellon U.), E. Huff (Ohio State U.), N. Palanque-Delabrouille (CEA), R.

Thomas, N. Ross (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory): “An i-band Survey of the Equatorial

Sky for MS-DESI”

CT-4m 4

A. Sheffield, K. Johnston (Columbia U.), S. Majewski (U. of Virginia): “Testing Dynamical

Models of Star Cloud Formation with the Hercules-Aquila Cloud”

SOAR 3

S. Sheppard (Carnegie Institution of Washington), C. Trujillo (Gemini Observatory): “Beyond

the Kuiper Belt Edge”

CT-4m 2

S. Sheppard (Carnegie Institution of Washington), M. Person, C. Zuluaga (O), A. Bosh (MIT):

“Precise Astrometry for Predicting Kuiper Belt Object Occultations”

CT-1.3m 3

S. Sheppard (Carnegie Institution of Washington), C. Trujillo (Gemini Observatory): “Beyond

the Kuiper Belt Edge”

CT-4m 3

G. Stringfellow (U. of Colorado), V. Gvaramadze (Sternberg Astronomical Institute): “Confirm-

ing LBV Candidates through Variability: A Photometric and Spectroscopic Monitoring Study”

CT-1.5m-SVC

CT-1.3m

5

4

P. Thorman, C. Morrison (G) (UC Davis), R. Ryan (STScI), D. Wittman, T. Tyson, S. Schmidt

(UC Davis): “Galaxy and Mass Evolution via Deep u-Band Imaging in the Deep Lens Survey”

CT-4m 4

A. Tokovinin (CTIO), B. Mason, W. Hartkopf (US Naval Observatory): “Speckle Interferometry

of ‘Fast’ Binaries”

SOAR 3

D. Trilling (Northern Arizona U.), H. Schlichting (UCLA), C. Fuentes (Northern Arizona U.): “A

DECam Search for Centaurs: Probing Planetary Formation in the Outer Solar System”

CT-4m 3

M. Trippe, D. Pasham (G) (U. of Maryland): “Optical Spectroscopy of a Mysterious Periodic X-

ray Source”

SOAR 1


42


M. Van Den Berg (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A. Rest (STScI), R.

Chornock, A. Soderberg (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), B. Metzger (Princeton

U.), D. Kasen (UC Berkeley), D. Brown (Syracuse U.), E. Quataert (UC Berkeley), C. Fryer

(LANL), R. Foley, W. Fong, R. Margutti, M. Drout, N. Sanders, R. Lunnan (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), S. Fairhurst, P. Sutton (Cardiff University), L. Cadonati

(U. Mass): “The DECam Advanced LIGO Pilot Survey: A Benchmark for the Era of Joint

GW/EM Astronomy”

CT-4m 6

A. Von Der Linden, S. Allen (Stanford U.), A. Mantz (U. of Chicago), D. Applegate (Universität

Bonn), P. Kelly (Stanford U.): “Setting the Scale: Determining the Absolute Mass Normalization

and Scaling Relations for Clusters at z ~ 0.1”

CT-4m 9.5

F. Walter (SUNY), A. Pagnotta (American Museum of Natural History), S. Kafka (American In-

stitute of Physics): “Photometric Periods of Recent Southern Novae”

CT-0.9m 7

N. Zacharias (O), M. Zacharias (O), C. Finch (O) (US Naval Observatory): “Radio-Optical Ref-

erence Frame Link”

CT-0.9m 7

D. Zaritsky (U. of Arizona), M. Graham (Las Cumbres Observatory), M. Halford (G), A.

Zabludoff (U. of Arizona), A. Gonzalez (U. of Florida): “Searching for Systematic Effects in

SNe Ia Distances”

SOAR 3

US Thesis Programs (7)

J. Bloom (UC Berkeley), T. Matheson, S. Ridgway (NOAO), A. Miller (T), C. Klein (T) (UC

Berkeley), L. Walkowicz (Princeton U.), P. Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), I.

Shivvers (T) (UC Berkeley), R. Smith (CTIO), K. Olsen (NOAO), A. Becker (U. of Washing-

ton), D. Norman (NOAO), R. Simcoe (MIT), H. Oluseyi (Florida Institute of Technology), S.

Ridgway, A. Saha (NOAO), J. Richards, S. Cenko (UC Berkeley), T. Lauer (NOAO): “A Pilot

DECam Time-Domain Survey”

CT-4m 6

J. Chatelain (T), T. Henry, T. Pewett (G) (Georgia State U.), L. French (Illinois Wesleyan U.), R.

Stephens (O) (Goat Mountain Astronomical Research Station): “Photometric Observations of the

Brightest Jupiter Greeks.”

CT-0.9m 7

G. Clayton, W. Zhang (T) (Louisiana State U.), P. Tisserand (MSSSO), D. Welch (McMaster

University), T. Geballe (Gemini Observatory): “What is the true Population of R Coronae Bore-

alis Stars in the Galaxy?”

SOAR 4

K. Gullikson (T), S. Dodson-Robinson (U. of Texas, Austin): “A Search for Low-Mass Stellar

Companions to A and B-Type Stars”

CT-1.5m-SVC 4

P. Hartigan, C. Johns-Krull, P. Cauley (T) (Rice U.), P. Scowen (Arizona State U.): “The Carina

Time-Series Deep Field”

CT-4m 4

H. Hsieh, H. Kaluna (T), K. Meech (U. of Hawai’i): “Nucleus Characterization of Main-Belt

Comet P/La Sagra”

SOAR 2

J. Provencal (U. of Delaware), J. Hermes (T), M. Montgomery (U. of Texas, Austin), M. Reed

(Missouri State U.), H. Shipman (U. of Delaware), L. Fraga (SOAR): “Empirical Determination

of Convection in Pulsating White Dwarfs”

SOAR 4


43

CTIO Telescopes: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs (2), and Foreign Theses (2) Telescope Nights

H. Bouy (CAB), E. Bertin (IAP), W. Brandner (Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie), D. Barrado

(Calar Alto Observatory): “Complementing Gaia from the Ground: The DANCe Survey”

CT-4m 2.5

T. Shibuya (G), N. Kashikawa (NAOJ), K. Ota (Kyoto University), P. Hibon (Gemini Observato-

ry South), M. Iye (NAOJ): “The Widest Survey for Lyman Break Galaxies at z = 7”

CT-4m 1

Foreign Thesis Programs (2)

J. Gagne (T), R. Doyon, D. Lafreniere, L. Malo (G), E. Artigau (University of Montreal): “Spec-

troscopic Confirmation of Very Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarf Candidates in Nearby, Young

Moving Groups”

SOAR 4

M. Sullivan (University of Southampton), P. Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory),

D. Howell (Las Cumbres Observatory), R. Nichol (University of Portsmouth), J. Cooke (Swin-

burne University), C. Smith (NOAO), P. Brown (Texas A&M U.), S. Smartt (Queen’s University

Belfast), A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science), C. D’Andrea (ICG), B. Bassett (SAAO),

K. Barbary (Argonne National Laboratory), A. Papadopoulos (T) (ICG): “SUDSS: SUrvey with

Decam for Superluminous Supernovae”

CT-4m 1.5

3.2 KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY

KPNO Telescopes: 2013A Approved US Programs (40), and US Theses (21) Telescopes Nights

P. Allen (Franklin & Marshall College): “Wide Ultracool Companions to Spectroscopic Bina-

ries: Second Epoch Observations”

KP-4m 4

B. Barlow, R. Wade, J. Norris (G) (Pennsylvania State U.): “Radial Velocities of Hot Subdwarfs

in Resolved Pairs”

KP-4m 4.5

M. Buie (O) (Southwest Research Institute): “KBO Orbits for Occultations” KP-4m 3

M. Dipompeo (U. of Wyoming): “The KPNO Synergistic Sky Survey (KPNO-S3) Pilot Pro-

gram”

KP-4m 5

A. Dupree, J. Irwin (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), E. Newton (G) (Harvard

U.): “Search for Winds from M Dwarf Stars”

KP-4m 3.5






WIYN 4

R. Finn (Siena College), J. Lee (STScI), K. Rines (Western Washington U.), D. Dale (U. of Wy-

oming), C. Ly (STScI), G. Rudnick (U. of Kansas), V. Desai (IPAC), D. Zaritsky (U. of Arizo-

na), S. Deger (G) (), J. Mann (G) (), A. Earle (U) (), D. Just (University of Toronto), C. Jones

(U) (U. of Arizona): “NEWFIRM H-alpha Survey of z = 0.8 Galaxy Clusters”

KP-4m 3.5

Key: (T) = Thesis Student; (G) = Graduate; (U) = Undergraduate; (O) = Other

Key: TOO: Target of Opportunity scheduling; (G): Graduate; (O): Other; (T): Thesis Student; (U): Undergraduate


44


A. Ginsburg (G) (U. of Colorado), S. Kendrew (Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik), J. Bally

(U. of Colorado): “Star Formation in the Central Molecular Zone: Massive Outflows in Sgr C”

KP-4m 1.5

J. Grcevich (American Museum of Natural History), M. Geha (Yale U.), M. Putman (Columbia

U.): “Searching for Milky Way Companions: pODI Follow-up of HI-Detected Dwarf Galaxy

Candidates”

WIYN 3

C. Haines (U. of Arizona), E. O’Sullivan (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), S.

Raychaudhury (University of Birmingham), E. Egami (U. of Arizona), L. Campusano (Univer-

sidad de Chile): “CHANGES: Complete H-Alpha imaging of Nearby Group EnvironmentS”

KP-0.9m-TBD 7

A. Heinze (SUNY): “Deep, Digital-Tracking Observations: A Powerful Probe of the Dynamics

of Faint Asteroids”

KP-0.9m-TBD 8

A. Heinze, S. Metchev (SUNY), D. Apai, D. Flateau (G) (U. of Arizona): “Wild Weather: Do

Rapid Cloud Changes Mask Rotational Modulation of Brown Dwarf Variability?”

KP-2.1m 17

E. Horch (SCSU), R. Mathieu (U. of Wisconsin, Madison), A. Geller (Northwestern U.): “A

Multiplicity Survey of M35 and M67 with the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument, II”

WIYN 2

S. Howell (NASA Ames Research Center), M. Everett (NOAO), E. Horch (SCSU), D. Ciardi

(IPAC): “High-Resolution Speckle Imaging of Kepler Exoplanet Host Stars—The Search for

Other Earths”

WIYN 3

S. Howell (NASA Ames Research Center), M. Everett, D. Silva (NOAO), P. Szkody (U. of

Washington), D. Ciardi (IPAC): “Spectroscopy of Kepler Exo-planet Transit Candidate Stars”

KP-4m 5.5

C. Johnson, R. Rich (UCLA), C. Pilachowski (Indiana U.), C. Sneden (U. of Texas, Austin):

“Exploring the Population of Galactic Bulge Globular Clusters”

WIYN 2

T. Kling (Bridgewater State U.), I. Dell’Antonio, P. Huwe (G), R. Michney (G) (Brown U.):

“Uncovering the Distribution of Star Formation in z = 0.25 Galaxy Clusters”

KP-4m 3.5

A. Landolt, J. Clem (Louisiana State U.): “Faint UBVRI Photometric Standard Star Fields:

KPNO”

KP-2.1m 27

K. Lewis, V. Logan (U) (College of Wooster): “Optical Spectroscopy of Hard-Band Sources in

the XMM Slew Survey”

KP-4m 3.5

M. Lundquist (G), H. Kobulnicky (U. of Wyoming), C. Kerton (Iowa State U.): “Investigating

the Intermediate-Mass Stars that Power Intermediate-Mass Star-Forming Regions”

KP-4m 4.5

C. Ly (STScI), M. Malkan (UCLA), K. Motohara (University of Tokyo), M. Hayashi, N.

Kashikawa (NAOJ), K. Shimasaku (University of Tokyo), T. Nagao (Kyoto University): “Gal-

axy Evolution with a Complete Photometric Redshift Census at z ~ 2–3”

KP-4m 2

C. Ly, J. Lee, J. Lotz (STScI), D. Dale (U. of Wyoming), S. Salim (Indiana U.), R. Finn (Siena

College), I. Momcheva (Yale U.), M. Ouchi (University of Tokyo): “Extending Deep Wide Gal-

axy Surveys to Higher Redshift with NEWFIRM”

KP-4m 2

R. Marzke, R. Lego (G), C. Moore (G) (San Francisco State U.), L. Da Costa, M. Maia

(Observatorio Nacional Brazil): “Spectroscopic Confirmation of Candidate Compact Elliptical

Galaxies and Ultracompact Dwarfs Identified in UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey”

KP-4m 1

R. McMillan (U. of Arizona), J. Larsen (US Naval Academy), J. Scotti (O) (U. of Arizona): “As-

trometry and Photometry of NEOs Discovered by Ground-Based Surveys.”

KP-4m 4

K. McQuinn, E. Skillman (U. of Minnesota), L. van Zee (Indiana U.): “Outflows in Nearby

Starburst Dwarf Galaxies”

KP-4m 5


45


M. Meixner (STScI), M. Otsuka (ASIAA), J. Bruursema (Johns Hopkins U.): “Near-Infrared

Light-Curves of Core Collapse Supernovae”

WIYN 2

N. Moskovitz (MIT), M. Willman, H. Hsieh (U. of Hawai’i/IfA-CFHT), M. Bannister (G) (Aus-

tralian National University), D. Polishook, R. Binzel, F. DeMeo (MIT): “Post-Flyby Observa-

tions of Near-Earth Asteroid 2012 DA14”

KP-2.1m

WIYN

3

0.5

F. Mueller-Sanchez, M. Malkan (UCLA), G. Portilla (Universidad Nacional de Colombia): “Us-

ing the Near-IR Emission Lines to Probe AGN Feedback.”

KP-4m 3.5

G. Peters (USC), T. Vaccaro (St. Cloud State U.), R. Wilson (U. of Florida): “Orbital and Sys-

temic Parameters for Algol Binaries in the Field-of-View of the Kepler Spacecraft”

KP-4m 3.5

A. Prsa (Villanova U.), J. Orosz (San Diego State U.), R. Slawson (SETI Institute/NASA Ames

Research Center), H. Knutson (UC Berkeley), N. Batalha (San Jose State U.), L. Doyle (SETI

Institute/NASA Ames Research Center), W. Welsh (San Diego State U.), J. Pepper (Vanderbilt

U.), J. Jenkins (SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center), D. Fabrycky (UC Santa Cruz), S.

Engle (G) (Villanova U.), M. Rucker (U) (San Jose State U.), B. Kirk (G), R. Louis-Ballouz (G),

K. Hambleton (G), K. Conroy (G) (Villanova U.), J. Stevick (G) (San Diego State U.): “Towards

Unprecedented Accuracy of Fundamental Parameters for Kepler Eclipsing Binary Stars”

KP-4m 12

J. Rajagopal (NOAO), D. Jewitt (UCLA), S. Ridgway (NOAO): “Deep Wide-Field Imaging of

Main Belt Comets and Asteroids in Their Fields”

WIYN 2

M. Reed, A. Baran, H. Foster (U) (Missouri State U.): “Testing Theoretical Models of Subdwarf

B Stars Using Multicolor Photometry”

KP-2.1m 6.5

A. Rest (STScI), F. Bianco (Las Cumbres Observatory), R. Chornock, R. Foley (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), T. Matheson, K. Olsen (NOAO), J. Prieto (Princeton U.),

B. Sinnott (G) (McMaster University), R. Smith (CTIO), N. Smith (U. of Arizona), D. Welch

(McMaster University): “Light Echoes of Galactic Explosions and Eruptions”

KP-4m 3

G. Rudnick (U. of Kansas), P. Jablonka (École Polytechnique de Lausanne), D. Zaritsky, D. Just

(G) (U. of Arizona), V. Desai (SSC), R. Finn (Siena College), B. Poggianti (Osservatorio

Astronomico di Padova), G. De Lucia (Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste), B. Milvang-Jensen

(University of Copenhagen), A. Aragon-Salamanca (University of Nottingham), S. Deger (G), J.

Mann (G) (U. of Kansas), A. Earle (U) (Siena College), C. Jones (U), M. Reiter (G) (U. of Ari-

zona): “The Suppression of Star Formation in the Infall Regions of Clusters”

KP-4m 4.5

C. Salyk (NOAO): “Spectroscopic Detection of Hot Debris Disks around A Stars” KP-4m 2

K. Schlaufman, A. Casey (G) (MIT): “The Brightest (and Therefore Best) Extremely Metal-Poor

Stars”

KP-4m 3

J. Spencer, C. Tsang (Southwest Research Institute): “A Search for Molecular Oxygen on

Enceladus”

KP-4m 2

A. Tanner (Mississippi State U.), P. Plavchan (NEXScI), T. Henry, J. Cantrell (G) (Georgia

State U.): “Using Phoenix to Study the Planetary and Stellar Multiplicity of the Nearest M

Dwarfs”

KP-2.1m 4

M. Trueblood (O) (Winer Observatory), R. Crawford (O) (Rincon-Ranch Observatory), L.

Lebofsky (PSI): “Long Term Follow-up of Near Earth Objects”

KP-2.1m 5

R. Williams, J. Mulchaey (Carnegie Institution of Washington): “Finding the Galactic Counter-

parts to Low-Redshift X-ray Absorption Systems”

WIYN 2


46



E. Adams (T) (Cornell U.), J. Cannon (Macalester College), R. Giovanelli, M. Haynes (Cornell

U.), K. Rhode, J. Salzer (Indiana U.): “Optical Imaging of Local Group Galaxy Candidates from

the ALFALFA Survey”

WIYN 4

F. Bastien (T), K. Stassun, J. Pepper (Vanderbilt U.), W. Chaplin (University of Birmingham),

D. Huber (NASA Ames Research Center): “Correlating Photometric Variability and

Chromospheric Activity in Kepler Stars”

WIYN 4

Z. Cai (T), X. Fan, F. Bian (G) (U. of Arizona), Y. Yang (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie),

A. Zabludoff (U. of Arizona), Z. Zheng (Arizona State U.): “Probing the Large Scale

Overdensity with Quasar Groups at the Peak Era of Galaxy Formation”

KP-4m 3

P. Canton (T), M. Kilic (U. of Oklahoma), W. Brown, S. Kenyon (SAO), A. Gianninas (U. of

Oklahoma): “The ELM Survey: Finding the Shortest Period Binary White Dwarfs”

KP-4m 4

P. Cauley (T), C. Johns-Krull (Rice U.): “Measuring Mass Flows and Magnetic Fields on Herbig

Ae/Be Stars”

KP-4m 6

X. Dai, R. Griffin (T) (U. of Oklahoma), C. Kochanek (Ohio State U.), J. Bregman (U. of Mich-

igan): “Optical Confirmation of Cluster Candidates from the Swift Serendipitous Cluster Sur-

vey”

KP-4m 4

S. Fiorenza (T), C. Liu (CUNY), M. Wolf (U. of Wisconsin, Madison): “The Starburst-AGN

Connection in LIRGs and ULIRGs from the 2 Jy Redshift Survey”

KP-4m 2

B. Ma (T), J. Ge, R. Li (T), S. Sithajan (T), N. Thomas (T), J. Wang (U. of Florida), N. De Lee

(Vanderbilt U.): “Follow-up of MARVELS Brown Dwarf Candidates using EXPERT”

KP-2.1mQ 22.5

E. Manne-Nicholas (T), M. Bentz (Georgia State U.): “The Black Hole Mass-Bulge Luminosity

Relationship for Reverberation—Mapped AGNs in the Near-IR”

WIYN 3

R. Matson (T), D. Gies, S. Williams, Z. Guo (G) (Georgia State U.): “Spectroscopic Orbits for

Kepler FOV Eclipsing Binaries”

KP-4m 3

J. Moody, C. Draper (T), M. Joner (Brigham Young U.): “Dwarf Galaxies in and behind Void

FN8”

KP-4m 5

S. Mortazavi (T) (Johns Hopkins U.), J. Lotz (STScI): “SparsePak Kinematics of Tidally Inter-

acting Galaxy Pairs”

WIYN 3

R. Patel (T), S. Metchev (SUNY): “Age Diagnostics of New WISE Detected Debris Disk-Host

Stars”

KP-4m 3

J. Pepper (Vanderbilt U.), B. Gaudi (Ohio State U.), K. Stassun (Vanderbilt U.), T. Beatty (T)

(Ohio State U.), J. Ge (U. of Florida), R. Siverd (O) (Vanderbilt U.): “Follow-up and Confirma-

tion of Transiting Planet Candidates from the KELT Survey”

KP-2.1mQ 8

J. Provencal (U. of Delaware), J. Hermes (T), M. Montgomery (U. of Texas, Austin), M. Reed

(Missouri State U.), H. Shipman (U. of Delaware), L. Fraga (SOAR): “Empirical Determination

of Convection in Pulsating White Dwarfs”

KP-2.1m 6.5

J. Rhoads, S. Malhotra (Arizona State U.), H. Krug (T) (U. of Maryland), V. Tilvi (Texas A&M

U.), S. Veilleux (U. of Maryland), R. Probst (NOAO), P. Hibon (Gemini Observatory), R.

Swaters (NOAO): “Narrow-Band search for Redshift 7.7 Lyman-(alpha) Galaxies”

KP-4m 4.5


47


R. Roettenbacher (T), J. Monnier (U. of Michigan): “Breaking the Inclination Degeneracy: Ac-

curate Spot Modeling of Young Solar Analogs”

KP-4m 1

J. Salzer, A. Parker (T) (Indiana U.), M. Haynes, R. Giovanelli (Cornell U.), E. Wilcots (U. of

Wisconsin, Madison), N. Haurberg (G) (Indiana U.): “Making Hay with ALFALFA: The Star-

Formation Properties of an HI-Selected Galaxy Sample”

KP-2.1m 16.5

K. Sokal (T), K. Johnson (U. of Virginia), P. Massey (Lowell Observatory), R. Indebetouw (U.

of Virginia): “Emerging Wolf-Rayet Stars in Embedded Super Star Clusters”

KP-4m 3.5

B. Thompson (T), P. Frinchaboy (Texas Christian U.), K. Kinemuchi (New Mexico State U.):

“WIYN Open Cluster Study (WOCS): Infrared Cluster Characteristics”

KP-4m 1.5

M. Wood-Vasey (U. of Pittsburgh), P. Garnavich (U. of Notre Dame), T. Matheson (NOAO), S.

Jha (Rutgers U.), A. Rest (STScI), L. Allen (NOAO), A. Weyant (T) (U. of Pittsburgh), H. Mar-

ion (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics): “Type Ia Supernovae in the Near-Infrared:

A Three-Year Survey toward a One Percent Distance Measurement with WIYN+WHIRC”

WIYN 10

KPNO Telescopes: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs (5), and Foreign Theses (1) Telescopes Nights

J. Farihi (University of Cambridge), J. Subasavage (US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff), P. Green

(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), B. Gaensicke (University of Warwick), H. Har-

ris, C. Dahn (US Naval Observatory): “Are All Dwarf Carbon Stars Binary?”

KP-4m 2

A. Kawka, S. Vennes (Astronomický ústav): “Polluted, Peculiar, and Duplicitous: The True Na-

ture of Local White Dwarfs”

KP-4m 4

M. Kronberger (CERN), G. Jacoby (GMT), D. Harmer (O) (NOAO): “Narrow-Band Imagery of

New Planetary Nebula Candidates at High Galactic Latitudes.”

KP-2.1m 5

T. Lebzelter (Universität Wien (University of Vienna)), K. Hinkle, R. Joyce (NOAO): “Post-

AGB Circumstellar Winds”

KP-2.1m 3

T. Lebzelter (Universität Wien (University of Vienna)), K. Hinkle (NOAO), W. Nowotny

(Universität Wien (University of Vienna)): “Mass Loss along the Giant Branch”

KP-2.1m 6


Y. Jeon (T), M. Im (Seoul National University), S. Pak (Kyunghee University), W. Park (KASI),

C. Choi (T), D. Kim (G) (Seoul National University): “Optical Spectroscopic Observation of z ~

5 Quasar Candidates”

KP-4m 3



48

3.3 GEMINI OBSERVATORY

Gemini Telescopes: 2013A Approved Programs for US Time (77), and Theses (16) Telescopes Nights

J. Andrews (U. Mass), G. Clayton (Louisiana State U.), M. Barlow (University College London),

B. Sugerman (Goucher College), R. Wesson (ESO), J. Gallagher (U. of Cincinnati), M. Otsuka

(ASIAA), M. Matsuura (University College London), M. Meixner, N. Panagia (STScI), B.

Ercolano (Ludwig-Maximilians Universität-München): “Continued Observations of Interacting

and Dust Producing CCSNe”

GEM-SQ 0.7

D. Atlee, J. Pforr (NOAO): “A Spectroscopic Study of the Contribution of TP-AGB Stars to In-

tegrated NIR Starlight”

GEM-NQ 1.1

D. Atlee (NOAO), M. Brodwin (U. of Missouri, Kansas City), M. Brown (Monash University),

S. Bussman (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), V. Desai (SSC), A. Dey (NOAO),

B. Jannuzi (U. of Arizona), J. Melbourne (California Institute of Technology-Dept. of Astrono-

my), D. Narayanan (U. of Arizona), T. Soifer (SSC): “Extinction and Stellar Populations of Star

Formation-Dominated Dust- Obscured Galaxies”

GEM-NQ 1.2

T. Beck (STScI), J. Bary (Colgate U.), A. Dutrey, S. Guilloteau (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de

Bordeaux), V. Pietu (IRAM), M. Simon (SUNY), S. Lubow (STScI), E. Di Folco (G)

(Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux): “Revealing the Structure of Gas Mass Accretion in

‘The Ringworld’—GG Tau A”

GEM-NQ 0.72

T. Beers (NOAO), V. Placco (IAGUSP), N. Christlieb (Heidelberg University), S. Rossi

(IAGUSP), C. Kennedy (Australian National University): “Missing Metal-Poor Stars from the

HK and Hamburg/ESO Surveys”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

-

5.455

V. Bennert (California Polytechnic State U.), T. Treu (UC Santa Barbara), M. McDonald (MIT),

S. Courteau (Queen’s University), M. Auger (University of Cambridge): “Exploring the Origin of

the BH Mass Scaling Relations”

GEM-NQ 1.71

F. Bian (G), X. Fan (U. of Arizona), A. Dey (NOAO), R. Green, D. Stark, I. McGreer (U. of Ari-

zona), L. Jiang (Arizona State U.): “Gas Kinematics in the Most Luminous Lyman Break Galax-

ies at z ~ 3”

GEM-NQ 2

W. Brandt, US Lead Scientist for P. Hall, P. Hidalgo (York University), W. Brandt (Pennsylvania

State U.), J. Rogerson (G) (York University), N. Filiz Ak (Pennsylvania State U.), L. Chajet (G)

(York University): “Monitoring Emergent Absorption Troughs in Quasars”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

0.473

0.547

M. Brotherton, US Lead Scientist for D. Sanmartim (G), T. Storchi-Bergmann (UFRGS), M.

Brotherton (U. of Wyoming): “The Nature of Post-Starburst Quasars”

GEM-NQ 0.72

M. Brown (California Institute of Technology--Div of Geo and Planetary Science), H. Perets

(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics): “First Detection of Kozai Evolution in an Astro-

physical System”

GEM-NQ 0.4

R. Bussmann (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), K. Coppin (McGill University), S.

Serjeant (Open University), A. Verma (University of Oxford), J. Gonzalez-Nuevo (Consejo Su-

perior de Investigacions Científicas), M. Negrello (INAF), S. Dye (University of Nottingham), R.

Ivison (Royal Observatory, Edinburgh), D. Riechers (Cornell U.), H. Dannerbauer (Institute for

Astronomy, Vienna), M. Michalowski (Royal Observatory, Edinburgh), P. Van Der Werf (Leiden

University), M. Bremer (University of Bristol), D. Clements (Imperial College London), A. Lapi

(SISSA), P. Temi (NASA Ames Research Center), A. Baker (Rutgers U.), A. Omont (IAP), G.

De Zotti (INAF): “The H-ATLAS 1000 Lens Survey: A Pilot Study”

GEM-SQ 2.8

Key: GEM-NQ = Gemini N Queue; GEM-SQ = Gemini S Queue; GEM-N = Gemini N classical; GEM-S = Gemini S

classical; GEM-K = Gemini/Keck time exchange; GEM-Su = Gemini/Subaru time exchange; * = poor weather program;

(T) = Thesis student; (G) = Graduate student; (U) = Undergraduate; (O) = Other


49


S. Cantalupo (UC Santa Cruz), J. Hennawi, F. Arrigoni Battaia (G) (Max-Planck-Institute für

Astronomie), J. Prochaska, P. Madau (UC Santa Cruz): “Ly-alpha Imaging of Dark Protogalactic

Clouds and Circumgalactic Streams Using z ~ 2 Quasars”

GEM-SQ 4.5

S. Cenko, J. Bloom (UC Berkeley), L. Strubbe (University of Toronto), E. Quataert (UC Berke-

ley), N. Butler (Arizona State U.), A. Miller (G), A. Morgan (G) (UC Berkeley), A. Levan (Uni-

versity of Warwick), N. Tanvir (University of Leicester): “Probing the Central Black Holes of

Distant, Quiescent Galaxies via Tidal Disruption Flares”

GEM-SQ 0.1

B. Cobb (George Washington U.), A. Cucchiara (UC Santa Cruz), D. Fox (Pennsylvania State

U.), M. Van Den Berg (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Bloom, B. Cenko (UC

Berkeley), B. Schmidt (Australian National University), D. Perley (California Institute of Tech-

nology-Dept. of Astronomy), A. Fruchter (STScI), A. Levan (University of Warwick), D. Bersier

(Liverpool John Moores University), N. Tanvir (University of Leicester), A. Bunker (University

of Oxford), H. Chen (U. of Chicago), W. Fong (G), R. Chornock (Harvard-Smithsonian Center

for Astrophysics), K. Roth (Gemini Observatory), S. Lopez (Universidad de Chile), J. Greiner

(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), T. Laskar (G) (Harvard-Smithsonian Center

for Astrophysics), A. Morgan (G) (UC Berkeley), P. O’Brian (University of Leicester), M. Pettini

(University of Cambridge), J. Prochaska, E. Ramirez-Ruiz (UC Santa Cruz), R. Starling, K.

Wiersema (University of Leicester), B. Penprase (Pomona College), N. Tejos (University of

Durham), A. Rau (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik), J. Graham (STScI), J.

Hjorth (University of Copenhagen), P. Jakobsson (University of Iceland), K. Glazebrook (Swin-

burne University), J. Rhoads (Arizona State U.), S. Rapoport (G) (Australian National Universi-

ty): “Exceptional Swift and Fermi GRBs: Gemini Standard Targets of Opportunity”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

0.25

0.25

D. Crenshaw (Georgia State U.), T. Storchi-Bergmann (UFRGS), R. Riffel (Universidade Federal

de Santa Maria), H. Schmitt (Naval Research Laboratory), S. Kraemer (Catholic U. of America),

T. Fischer (Georgia State U.): “NIFS Observations of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 509: A Minor

Merger Caught in the Act of Fueling the AGN?”

GEM-NQ 0.68

A. Cucchiara (UC Santa Cruz), S. Cenko (UC Berkeley), B. Schmidt (Australian National Uni-

versity), D. Perley (California Institute of Technology-Dept. of Astronomy), M. Van Den Berg

(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), D. Fox (Pennsylvania State U.), A. Fruchter

(STScI), J. Bloom (UC Berkeley), J. Prochaska (UC Santa Cruz), S. Lopez (Universidad de

Chile), B. Cobb (George Washington U.), K. Roth (Gemini Observatory), A. Levan (University

of Warwick), N. Tanvir (University of Leicester), S. Rapoport (G), F. Yuan (Australian National

University), R. Chornock, F. Wen-Fai (G) (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A.

Morgan (UC Berkeley), K. Wiersema (University of Leicester): “Exploring the First Stars with

Rapid GRB Follow-up Observations”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

1.08

0.72

T. Currie (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), R. Jayawardhana (University of Toronto), S.

Matsumura (U. of Maryland), M. Bonavita (University of Toronto), N. Madhusudhan (Princeton

U.), C. Lisse (Johns Hopkins U.), S. Kenyon (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), B.

Bromley (U. of Utah), M. Kuchner (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center): “An Optimized NICI

Imaging Search for Planets around Young Stars with Luminous Debris Disks”

GEM-SQ 2

M. den Brok, A. Seth (U. of Utah): “A Deep Look into Nuclear Star Clusters” GEM-SQ 0.4

V. Desai (IPAC), G. De Lucia (Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste), B. Poggianti (Osservatorio

Astronomico di Padova), G. Rudnick (U. of Kansas), D. Just (U. of Arizona), A. Aragon-

Salamanca (University of Nottingham), R. Finn (Siena College), P. Jablonka (École

Polytechnique de Lausanne): “The Role of Post-Starburst Galaxies in the Growth of the Red Se-

quence in Intermediate Redshift Clusters”

GEM-SQ 2


50


J. Desert (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Bean (U. of Chicago), J. Fortney

(UC Santa Cruz), M. Bergmann (NOAO), D. Deming (U. of Maryland), S. Seager (MIT), A.

Seifahrt (U. of Chicago): “Comparative Exoplanetology of Hot-Jupiter Prototypes”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

3

2

S. Dhital (Boston U.), N. Law (University of Toronto), A. West (Boston U.), K. Stassun (Van-

derbilt U.), A. Kraus (U. of Texas, Austin): “The Extremely Extreme: Searching for Companions

in Wide M-Dwarf Binaries”

GEM-NQ 1.6

P. Durrell, US Lead Scientist for P. Cote (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics), R. McDermid

(Gemini Observatory), D. McLaughlin (Keele University), P. Durrell (Youngstown State U.), L.

Ferrarese (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics), E. Emsellem (ESO), L. MacArthur (Herzberg In-

stitute of Astrophysics), E. Peng (Peking University), A. Guerou (G) (Université de Toulouse), J.

Blakeslee (Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics): “The Origin of Low-Mass, Early-Type Galaxies:

A GMOS/IFU Survey of the Virgo Cluster”

GEM-NQ 0.6






GEM-S 2

J. Emery, N. Pinilla-Alonso (U. of Tennessee), D. Trilling (Northern Arizona U.), D. Wright (G)

(U. of Tennessee), C. Thomas (Northern Arizona U.), C. Dalle Ore (SETI Institute/NASA Ames

Research Center): “Near-Infrared Photometry of KBOs and Centaurs in Support of Spitzer Space

Telescope Data.”

GEM-NQ 1.4

N. Flagey (CalTech-JPL), A. Noriega-Crespo (IPAC), N. Billot (IRAM), S. Carey (SSC), G.

Umana, A. Ingallinera (Osservatorio Astronomico di Catania): “Hunting for Missing Massive

Stars in the Galaxy”

GEM-NQ 1.38

D. Farrah (Virginia Polytechnic Institute), A. Conley (U. of Colorado), D. Scott (University of

British Columbia), S. Chapman (University of Cambridge), J. Dunlop (University of Edinburgh),

I. Perez-Fournon (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), C. Bridge (California Institute of Tech-

nology-Dept. of Astronomy), D. Dowell (CalTech-JPL), A. Cooray, H. Fu (UC Irvine): “Deep

Near-Infrared Imaging of Extreme Starburst Galaxies at 3 < z < 7”

GEM-NQ 2

C. Fassnacht (UC Davis), S. Suyu, T. Treu (UC Santa Barbara), M. Auger (University of Cam-

bridge), L. Koopmans (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute), P. Marshall (University of Oxford):

“Quantifying the Line-of-Sight Mass Distributions to Time-Delay Lenses”

GEM-NQ 0.12

R. Foley, R. Kirshner, P. Challis (O) (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A. Rest

(STScI), R. Chornock (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A. Riess, D. Scolnic (G)

(Johns Hopkins U.), C. Stubbs (Harvard U.): “RAISIN: Tracers of Cosmic Expansion with SN Ia

in the IR”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

0.9

0.9

H. Fu, A. Cooray (UC Irvine), H. Messias (Universidad de Concepción), R. Ivison (Open Univer-

sity), S. Dye (University of Nottingham), J. Vieira (California Institute of Technology-Dept. of

Astronomy), I. Fournon (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), R. Gavazzi (IAP), P. Van Der

Werf (Leiden Observatory), S. Serjeant (Open University), H. Dannerbauer (Universität Wien

(University of Vienna)), S. Eales (Cardiff University), N. Nagar, Y. Sheen (Universidad de Con-

cepción): “Understanding the Nature of Submillimeter Galaxies with Gas Kinematics”

GEM-SQ 0.94

P. Garnavich, US Lead Scientist for B. Tucker (Australian National University), P. Garnavich (U.

of Notre Dame): “Catching Supernovae in the Act with KISS (Kepler International Supernova

Search)”

GEM-NQ 0.63


51


C. Gelino, US Lead Scientist for C. Tinney (University of New South Wales), J. Faherty (Univer-

sidad de Chile), C. Gelino, J. Kirkpatrick (IPAC), M. Cushing (U. of Toledo), G. Salter (Univer-

sity of New South Wales): “Gemini MCAO Observations of WISE Y Dwarfs”

GEM-SQ 0.6

S. Gezari (U. of Maryland), M. Elvis (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A. Law-

rence (University of Edinburgh), M. Ward (University of Durham): “Transient Spectroscopic

Signatures of Tidal Disruption Events”

GEM-NQ 0.5

W. Herbst (Wesleyan U.), C. Hamilton (Dickinson College), H. Capelo (G) (Max-Planck-Institut

für Radioastronomie), R. Mundt (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie), J. Winn (MIT), C.

Johns-Krull (Rice U.), D. Windemuth (G) (Wesleyan U.), S. Leggett (Gemini Observatory):

“Planet Formation in the KH 15D Circumbinary Ring”

GEM-NQ 0.9

K. Hinkle, R. Joyce (NOAO): “Imaging the Debris Cloud around Sakurai’s Object” GEM-NQ 0.1

J. Hughes, L. Hovey (G) (Rutgers U.): “Proper Motion of Oxygen-Rich Ejecta Clumps in

SN1006”

GEM-SQ 0.225

M. Janson (Princeton U.), R. Jayawardhana (University of Toronto), D. Lafreniere (University of

Montreal), J. Gizis (U. of Delaware), M. Bonavita (University of Toronto): “Proper Motion Fol-

low-up of Young Planet and Brown Dwarf Candidates in Sco-Cen”

GEM-SQ 0.11

M. Janson, T. Brandt (Princeton U.), C. Thalmann (University of Amsterdam), M. Bonnefoy

(Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie), J. Carson (College of Charleston), M. McElwain (NASA

Goddard Space Flight Center), J. Wisniewski (U. of Oklahoma), A. Moro-Martin (CAB), E.

Buenzli (U. of Arizona), T. Currie (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), T. Usuda, M. Tamura

(NAOJ): “Probing the Inner Gap of a Newly Imaged Debris Disk”

GEM-SQ 0.2

E. Jeffery (James Madison U.), T. von Hippel (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical U.), D. Van Dyk

(University College London), N. Stein (G) (Harvard U.), W. Jefferys (U. of Texas, Austin):

“Deep Observations of the Open Cluster NGC 6253”

GEM-SQ 2.34

S. Jha (Rutgers U.), T. Matheson (NOAO), S. Rodney, A. Riess (Johns Hopkins U.), C. McCully

(G), B. Patel (G) (Rutgers U.): “Adding to the Treasury: Spectroscopic Classification of High-

Redshift Supernovae Discovered by HST”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

1.12

0.39

C. Johnson (UCLA), S. Margheim (Gemini Observatory), R. Rich (UCLA), A. Koch (Zentrum

für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg), A. Kunder (CTIO): “A 10,000 Star Survey for Li-

Rich K Giants in the Galactic Bulge”

GEM-SQ 1.63

I. Jorgensen (Gemini Observatory), M. Bergmann (NOAO), R. Schiavon (Gemini Observatory),

S. Toft, A. Zirm (University of Copenhagen), R. Gruetzbauch (University of Lisbon), K.

Chiboucas (Gemini Observatory): “RDCS J0848+4453: Stellar Populations in a z = 1.27 Galaxy

Cluster”

GEM-NQ 1.6

D. Kaplan (U. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), V. Bhalerao (IUCAA), M. van Kerkwijk (University

of Toronto), K. Stovall (G) (U. of Texas, Brownsville): “Understanding the Strange Metal-Rich

Companion to PSR J1816”

GEM-NQ 0.9

S. Leggett (Gemini Observatory), S. Carey (IPAC), M. Cushing (U. of Toledo), J. Fortney (UC

Santa Cruz), C. Gelino (IPAC), J. Gizis (U. of Delaware), J. Kirkpatrick (IPAC), G. Mace

(UCLA), M. Marley (NASA Ames Research Center), C. Morley (UC Santa Cruz), D. Saumon

(LANL): “Observing Weather on Y Dwarfs”

GEM-NQ 4.8

S. Leggett (Gemini Observatory), J. Fortney (UC Santa Cruz), M. Marley (NASA Ames Re-

search Center), C. Morley (G) (UC Santa Cruz), D. Saumon (LANL), C. Visscher (Southwest

Research Institute): “Near-Infrared Characterization of Y Dwarfs”

GEM-NQ 0.8


52


G. Liu, N. Zakamska (Johns Hopkins U.), M. Strauss, J. Greene (Princeton U.), R. Alexandroff

(G) (Johns Hopkins U.): “Quasar Feedback at the Peak of Galaxy Formation Epoch”

GEM-NQ 1

P. Maksym (U. of Alabama), R. Dupke (Observatorio Nacional Brazil), M. Ulmer (Northwestern

U.), J. Irwin (U. of Alabama), L. Ho (Carnegie Observatories), K. Roth (Gemini Observatory), C.

Adami (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille): “A Candidate Tidal Disruption Flare in Abell

1795”

GEM-NQ 0.45

R. Mason (Gemini Observatory), R. Riffel (UFRGS), A. Rodriguez-Ardila (CNPq), D. Ruschel

Dutra (G) (UFRGS), A. Alonso-Herrero (Universidad de Cantabria), L. Colina (CAB), R. Diaz

(Gemini Observatory South), T. Diaz-Santos (SSC), H. Flohic (Universidad de Chile), P. Gomez

(Gemini Observatory South), O. Gonzalez-Martin (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), L. Ho

(Carnegie Observatories), I. Jorgensen, M. Lemoine-Busserolle (Gemini Observatory), N.

Levenson (Gemini Observatory South), P. Lira (Universidad de Chile), R. McDermid (Gemini

Observatory), E. Perlman (Florida Institute of Technology), R. Schiavon (Gemini Observatory),

C. Ramos Almeida (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), K. Thanjavur (U. of Hawai’i/IfA-

CFHT), C. Winge (Gemini Observatory South): “NIR Spectroscopy of Palomar AGN”

GEM-NQ 0.4

N. McConnell (U. of Hawai’i, Manoa), C. Ma, J. Graham (UC Berkeley), K. Gebhardt (U. of

Texas, Austin), T. Lauer (NOAO): “Black Holes in Luminous Southern Hemisphere Galaxies”

GEM-SQ 1.25

N. Moskovitz (MIT), L. Lim (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), V. Reddy (MPI for Solar

System Research), J. Emery (U. of Tennessee), F. Vilas (PSI): “Characterization of Spacecraft

Target Asteroid 2002 GT”

GEM-NQ 0.625

D. Narayanan, US Lead Scientist for C. Ross (Dalhousie University), S. Alaghband-Zadeh (Uni-

versity of Cambridge), S. Chapman, P. Smith (Dalhousie University), D. Narayanan, R. Dave (U.

of Arizona), C. Conselice (University of Nottingham), C. Casey (U. of Hawai’i), M. Swinbank

(University of Durham): “Gas Morphologies and Dynamics of SMGs: Comparing the Ionized

and Molecular Gas”

GEM-NQ 1.98

E. Nielsen, M. Liu, Z. Wahhaj (U. of Hawai’i), B. Biller (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie),

L. Close (U. of Arizona), T. Hayward (Gemini Observatory): “The Deepest Search for Planets

around Newly Identified Young, Nearby Stars”

GEM-SQ 2.6

R. Ojha, US Lead Scientist for T. Pursimo (Nordic Optical Telescope), R. Ojha (NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center): “Redshifts and Optical Identifications of TANAMI/Fermi AGN”

GEM-SQ 1.66

T. Oka (U. of Chicago), T. Geballe (Gemini Observatory), M. Goto (Ludwig-Maximilians

Universität-München): “Morphology and Kinematics of the Galactic Center’s Central Molecular

Zone and Expanding Molecular Ring”

GEM-NQ 1

K. Olsen (NOAO): “Observing an Ongoing Minor Merger in NGC 5128” GEM-SQ 1.08

J. Patience, R. De Rosa (Arizona State U.), A. Vigan (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille):

“Confirmation of Substellar and Degenerate Companion Candidates”

GEM-NQ 0.1

A. Rest (STScI), F. Bianco (Las Cumbres Observatory), R. Chornock (Harvard-Smithsonian

Center for Astrophysics), T. Matheson (NOAO), J. Prieto (Princeton U.), B. Sinnott (G) (McMas-

ter University), R. Smith (CTIO), N. Smith (U. of Arizona), N. Walborn (STScI), D. Welch

(McMaster University): “Spectrophotometric Time Series of Carinae’s Great Eruption”

GEM-SQ 1.35

M. Reynolds (U. of Michigan), P. Callanan, D. Hurley (G) (University College Cork), J. Miller,

R. Reis (U. of Michigan): “The Mass of the Black Hole in the Galactic Microquasar GRS

1915+105”

GEM-NQ 2


53


H. Roe (Lowell Observatory), E. Schaller (NASA Dryden Flight Research), M. Brown (Califor-

nia Institute of Technology--Div of Geo and Planetary Science), C. Trujillo (Gemini Observato-

ry): “Titan’s Methane Weather Post-Equinox: Seasonal Climate Change and Large Storm Sys-

tems”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

0.8

0.2

R. Romani (Stanford U.), A. Filippenko, S. Cenko (UC Berkeley): “Weighing the Most Extreme

Black Widow”

GEM-SQ 0.7

D. Rupke (Rhodes College), S. Veilleux (U. of Maryland): “QSO Feedback in Action: Ionization

and Dust in the Wind”

GEM-NQ 1

A. Saha (NOAO), T. Axelrod (U. of Arizona), C. Stubbs (Harvard U.), S. Deustua, R. Bohlin

(STScI), E. Olszewski, J. Holberg (U. of Arizona), T. Matheson (NOAO), R. Gilliland, A. Rest

(STScI): “Establishing a Network of DA White Dwarf SED Standards”

GEM-SQ 2.15

D. Sales, A. Robinson (Rochester Institute of Technology), R. Riffel (Universidade Federal de

Santa Maria), J. Gallimore (Bucknell U.), C. O’Dea, S. Baum (Rochester Institute of Technolo-

gy): “Mapping the Inner Structure of OH Megamaser Merger Galaxies”

GEM-NQ 0.55

B. Sargent, J. Kastner (Rochester Institute of Technology): “Identifying B[e] Supergiants in the

Magellanic Clouds from Photometry”

GEM-SQ 0.5

A. Seth (U. of Utah), N. Bastian (Liverpool John Moores University), M. Westmoquette (ESO),

M. Meyer (ETH): “Testing IMF Universality through the Direct Detection of Low Mass Stars in

Starburst Galaxies”

GEM-NQ 1.8

J. Spencer (Southwest Research Institute), D. Trilling (Northern Arizona U.), M. Buie (Southwest

Research Institute), A. Parker (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), D. Tholen (U. of

Hawai’i), C. Fuentes (Northern Arizona U.), S. Stern (Southwest Research Institute), J. Kavelaars

(Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics): “Finding KBO Flyby Targets for New Horizons”

GEM-N 1

L. Stanghellini (NOAO), L. Magrini (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri), V. Casasola (INAF):

“Chemical Evolution of Two Sculptor Galaxies through PN and H II Regions Abundances”

GEM-SQ 1.88

K. Stovall (G) (U. of Texas, Brownsville), D. Kaplan (U. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee): “The Hunt

for the Companion of PSR J0636+51”

GEM-NQ 0.6

D. Syphers (U. of Colorado), S. Anderson (U. of Washington), W. Zheng (Johns Hopkins U.):

“Finding an Accurate Redshift for a Unique He II Quasar”

GEM-NQ 0.07

P. Szkody (U. of Washington), B. Gaensicke, E. Breedt (University of Warwick), P. Rodriguez-

Gil (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias), A. Drake (California Institute of Technology-Dept of

Physics, Math, Astronomy), M. Schreiber (Universidad de Valparaiso): “Uncovering the Faintest

Cataclysmic Variables in the SDSS Footprint”

GEM-NQ 1.31

J. Tobin (NRAO), B. Whitney (Space Science Institute), L. Hartmann (U. of Michigan), T.

Megeath, W. Fischer (U. of Toledo), H. Arce (Yale U.), K. Stapelfeldt (NASA Goddard Institute

for Space Studies): “Edge-on Disks around the Youngest Protostars”

GEM-NQ 0.91

T. Treu, S. Suyu (UC Santa Barbara), C. Fassnacht (UC Davis), S. Hilbert (Stanford U.), D. Sluse

(Universität Bonn), F. Courbin (Université of Lausanne): “Spectroscopic Study of the Environ-

ment of Two Time-Delay Lenses for Accurate Cosmology”

GEM-SQ 0.57

A. Verbiscer (U. of Virginia), W. Grundy (Lowell Observatory), S. Benecchi (Carnegie Institu-

tion of Washington), D. Rabinowitz (Yale U.): “Mutual Event of Transneptunian Binary (79360)

Sila-Nunam”

GEM-NQ 0.93


54


J. Walsh (U. of Texas, Austin), R. Van Den Bosch (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie), K.

Gultekin (U. of Michigan), K. Gebhardt (U. of Texas, Austin), D. Richstone (U. of Michigan), A.

Yildirim (G) (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie): “Studying the Black Hole in the Compact,

High-Dispersion Galaxy Mrk 1216”

GEM-NQ 1

F. Walter (SUNY), S. Kafka (American Institute of Physics), A. Cerniha (U) (SUNY): “The Re-

lation between Quiescent Novae, the V Sge Stars, and SNe Ia Progenitors”

GEM-SQ 0.75

P. Winkler (Middlebury College), K. Long (STScI), W. Blair (Johns Hopkins U.): “SNR Shocks

and Cosmic Rays: A Critical Test in RCW86”

GEM-SQ 1.22

K. Wong (G) (U. of Arizona), S. Ammons (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), A.

Zabludoff (U. of Arizona), C. Keeton (Rutgers U.), K. French (G) (U. of Arizona), C. McCully

(G) (Rutgers U.): “Studying the Most Powerful Gravitational Lens Telescopes with Sub-

aru/Suprime-Cam”

GEM-N 1

D. Wooden (NASA Ames Research Center), M. Kelley (U. of Maryland), C. Woodward (U. of

Minnesota), J. Cook (Southwest Research Institute), D. Harker (UC San Diego), N. Dello Russo,

R. Vervack (Johns Hopkins U.), A. Li (U. of Missouri, Kansas City): “Searching for Organic

Nano-Grains Using GNIRS Spectra of the Naked Eye Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS)”

GEM-NQ 0.5


B. Bowler (T), M. Liu (U. of Hawai’i), A. Kraus (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics),

M. Ireland (Macquarie University), Z. Wahhaj (U. of Hawai’i): “An Efficient Search for Young

Wide Planetary-Mass Companions”

GEM-SQ 1.5

M. Brodwin (U. of Missouri, Kansas City), D. Gettings (T), A. Gonzalez (U. of Florida), A. Stan-

ford (UC Davis), P. Eisenhardt (CalTech-JPL), C. Fedeli (U. of Florida), D. Stern (CalTech-JPL),

G. Zeimann (Pennsylvania State U.): “The Massive Distant Clusters of Wise Survey

(MaDCoWS)”

GEM-NQ 2.94

R. Chornock (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), K. Roth (Gemini Observatory), M.

Van Den Berg, R. Lunnan (T), A. Soderberg, R. Foley (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astro-

physics), A. Rest (STScI), R. Margutti (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), L.

Chomiuk (Michigan State U.): “Unveiling the Explosion Physics of Nature’s Most Luminous

Supernovae”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

0.8

0.8

D. Figer, US Lead Scientist for P. Najarro (CAB), D. Figer (Rochester Institute of Technology),

T. Geballe (Gemini Observatory), D. de la Fuente (T) (CAB): “Metallicity in the Quintuplet

Cluster and the Galactic Center: Evidence for a Top-Heavy Star Formation History?”

GEM-NQ 0.9

W. Grundy, H. Roe (Lowell Observatory), C. Trujillo (Gemini Observatory), S. Porter (T) (Ari-

zona State U.), K. Noll (STScI): “Mutual Orbits and Masses of Kuiper Belt Binaries and Multiple

Systems”

GEM-NQ 2.5

D. Howell (UC Santa Barbara), J. Parrent (T) (Las Cumbres Observatory), M. Sullivan, K.

Maguire (University of Oxford), P. Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), B. Dilday

(Las Cumbres Observatory), M. Graham (UC Santa Barbara): “Early-Time Observations of Type

Ia Supernovae to Reveal Progenitor Material”

GEM-NQ

GEM-SQ

1

1

M. Kilic (U. of Oklahoma), J. Hermes (T) (U. of Texas, Austin), W. Brown (SAO), A. Gianninas

(U. of Oklahoma), D. Winget (U. of Texas, Austin): “Gravitational Waves from the 12-Minute

Orbital Period Binary White Dwarf J0651+2844”

GEM-NQ 0.5


55


D. Lena (T), A. Robinson (Rochester Institute of Technology), T. Storchi-Bergmann (UFRGS),

R. Riffel (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria), T. Seelig (O) (Rochester Institute of Technolo-

gy): “Mapping Sub-kpc Gas Flows in a Sample of Nearby, Hard X-ray Selected AGNs.”

GEM-SQ 0.84

D. Lena (T), A. Robinson (Rochester Institute of Technology), T. Storchi-Bergmann (UFRGS),

R. Riffel (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria), T. Seelig (O) (Rochester Institute of Technolo-

gy): “Mapping Sub-kpc Gas Flows in a Sample of Nearby, Hard X-ray Selected AGNs.”

GEM-NQ 1.03

D. Marchesini (Tufts U.), A. Muzzin (Leiden Observatory), P. van Dokkum, D. Wake (Yale U.),

M. Franx (Leiden Observatory), C. Marsan (T) (Tufts U.), G. Rudnick (U. of Kansas), M.

Stefanon (Missouri State U.), G. Brammer (ESO), B. Lundgren (Yale U.), K. Whitaker (NASA

Goddard Space Flight Center), T. Tal (UC Santa Cruz), R. Quadri (Carnegie Observatories), I.

Labbe (Leiden Observatory), R. Bezanson (G) (Yale U.): “Revealing the Monsters: GNIRS Spec-

troscopy of Ultra-Massive Galaxies at 1.5 < z < 3.0”

GEM-NQ 2.8

M. Mechtley (T), B. Smith (G), R. Windhorst, S. Cohen, L. Jiang, R. Jansen (Arizona State U.),

R. Ryan, A. Koekemoer (STScI), G. Schneider (U. of Arizona), N. Hathi (Carnegie Observato-

ries), W. Keel (U. of Alabama), H. Rottgering (Sterrewacht Leiden), E. Scannapieco (Arizona

State U.), D. Schneider (Pennsylvania State U.), M. Strauss (Princeton U.), H. Yan (U. of Mis-

souri, Columbia): “PSF Star Selection for HST Program 12974: UV-Faint Quasars at z = 6”

GEM-NQ 0.25

S. Quinn (T), R. White (Georgia State U.), L. Buchhave (Niels Bohr Institute), D. Raghavan

(Georgia State U.): “Close Visual Companions to Transiting Exoplanet Host Stars”

GEM-NQ 1.23

M. Reiter (T), N. Smith (U. of Arizona): “Untangling the Protostars and Jets in HH 900” GEM-SQ 0.24

A. Sonnenfeld (T), T. Treu, S. Suyu (UC Santa Barbara), R. Gavazzi (IAP), P. Marshall (Univer-

sity of Oxford): “The Mass Assembly of Early-Type Galaxies with SL2S”

GEM-NQ 0.76

C. Stubbs (Harvard U.), M. Ashby (SAO), K. Anderson, G. Bazin (Max-Planck-Institut für

extraterrestrische Physik), B. Benson, L. Bleem (G) (U. of Chicago), M. Brodwin (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Carlstrom (U. of Chicago), A. Clocchiatti (O)

(Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile), T. Crawford (U. of Chicago), T. De Haan (G), M.

Dobbs, J. Dudley (G) (McGill University), R. Foley (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophys-

ics), M. Gladders, F. High (U. of Chicago), G. Holder (McGill University), W. Holzapfel (UC

Berkeley), R. Keisler (G), D. Marrone (U. of Chicago), J. Mohr (Universitäts-Sternwarte

München), T. Montroy (G) (Case Western Reserve U.), C. Reichardt (UC Berkeley), A. Rest

(STScI), J. Ruel (T) (Harvard U.), J. Ruhl, B. Saliwanchik (G) (Case Western Reserve U.), L.

Shaw (Yale U.), J. Song (U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), B. Stalder (Harvard U.), A. Stanford

(UC Davis), A. Stark (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), K. Story (G) (Harvard U.),

K. Vanderlinde (McGill University), R. Williamson (STScI): “Spectroscopy of Galaxies in Mas-

sive Clusters: Galaxy Properties and Dynamical Cluster Mass Calibration”

GEM-SQ 1.4

S. Vrtilek (SAO), C. Peris (T) (Northeastern U.), J. Cechura (G) (Charles University, Prague):

“Imaging Black Hole and Neutron Star Binaries”

GEM-SQ 0.312

Gemini Telescopes: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs for US Time (2), and Theses (1) Telescopes Nights

K. Li (G) (NTHU), H. Yu (G) (HKU), A. Kong, P. Tam (NTHU): “Measurement of Redshift

from a Blazar Candidate TXS 1530-131”

GEM-SQ 0.23



56

Gemini Telescopes: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs for US Time (2), and Theses (1) Telescopes Nights

A. Young, D. Worrall, M. Birkinshaw, K. Momtahan (University of Bristol): “Feedback in 3C

277.3”

GEM-NQ 1.4


A. Kong, P. Yen (T) (NTHU): “Orbital Modulation of the Black Hole Binary MAXI J1659-152” GEM-SQ 0.5

3.4 COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PRIVATE TELESCOPES

3.4.1 Australian Astronomical Observatory: AAT

AAT Telescope: 2013A Approved US Programs (4), and US Theses (1) Telescope Nights

A. Barger (U. of Wisconsin, Madison), R. Keenan (ASIAA), L. Cowie (U. of Hawai’i/IfA-

CFHT), I. Wold (G) (U. of Wisconsin, Madison): “Is the Universe Underdense at z < 0.1?”

AAT 3

A. Kunder (CTIO), R. Rich, C. Johnson (UCLA), W. Clarkson (Indiana U.), A. Koch (Zentrum

für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg), R. De Propris (CTIO), M. Soto (Universidad de La

Serena): “Surveying the Northern Bulge (SNOB) with AAOmega”

AAT 2

M. Povich (Cal Poly Pomona), M. McSwain (Lehigh U.): “They Might Be Giants: Confirming

Candidate OB Stars While Netting a Large Sample of Massive Star Spectra in the Great Nebula

in Carina”

AAT 1

R. Romani (Stanford U.), B. Gaensler (University of Sydney), S. Johnston (Australian National

Telescope Facility): “The Physics of Pulsar H(alpha) Bow Shocks”

AAT 2

US Thesis Programs (1) Telescope Nights

R. Patel (T), S. Metchev (SUNY): “Age Diagnostics of New WISE Detected Debris Disk-Host

Stars”

AAT 2

3.4.2 Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy

CHARA Telescope: 2013A Approved US Programs (3) Telescope Nights

E. Baines (Naval Research Laboratory), M. Dollinger (Max-Planck-Institute für Astronomie), A.

Hatzes, E. Guenther (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenberg), M. Hrudkovu (Isaac Newton

Group): “Measuring Potential Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Host K Giant Stars”

CHARA 1.3

E. Baines (Naval Research Laboratory), M. Vanko (SAS), P. Zielinski (G), A. Niedzielski

(Nicolaus Copernicus University), A. Wolszczan (Pennsylvania State U.): “Measuring Candidate

Exoplanet Host Star Radii”

CHARA 1

M. Simon (SUNY), G. Schaefer (Georgia State U.): “Diameter of HIP 25486 in the Beta Pic

Moving Group”

CHARA 0.5


57

CHARA Telescope: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs (2) Telescopes Nights

M. Kishimoto (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), R. Barvainis (NSF), R. Antonucci, S.

Hoenig (UC Santa Barbara), F. Millour (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur), K. Tristram, G.

Weigelt (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie): “Resolving the Innermost Dusty Accretion

in the Brightest Type 1 AGN with the CHARA Array”

CHARA 1.2

B. Kloppenborg (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie), S. Antoniucci, G. Causi, D. Lo-

renzetti, T. Giannini (INAF), G. Weigelt, M. Kishimoto (Max-Planck-Institut für

Radioastronomie): “Unveiling the Inner Structure of EXor Eruptive Variables”

CHARA 1

3.4.3 W. M. Keck Observatory

Keck Telescopes: 2013A Approved US Programs (8), and US Theses (1) Telescope Nights

D. Erb (U. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), N. Reddy (UC Riverside), C. Steidel (California Institute

of Technology-Dept. of Astronomy): “The Mass-Metallicity Relation of Faint Galaxies at z ~ 2”

Keck-I 1

M. Fumagalli (Carnegie Observatories), J. O’Meara (St. Michael’s College), A. Dekel (The He-

brew University): “Imaging Pristine Gas Systems at z > 2.5”

Keck-I 1

J. Ge, F. Hamann, S. Zhang (U. of Florida), P. Jiang (University of Science & Technology of

China): “Chemical Enrichment History in z ~ 1–2 Quasar 2175 ADust Absorbers”

Keck-II 1.5

A. Jensen, S. Redfield (Wesleyan U.), W. Cochran, M. Endl, L. Koesterke (U. of Texas, Austin),

T. Barman (Lowell Observatory), D. Fischer, M. Schwamb (Yale U.): “A Detailed Study of the

Hot n = 2 Hydrogen in Transiting Exoplanet HD 189733b”

Keck-I 1

C. Melis (UC San Diego), M. Reid (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), J. Stauffer

(IPAC), A. Mioduszewski (NRAO): “Toward a Resolution of the Pleiades Distance Controver-

sy”

Keck-II 0.5

C. Papovich (Texas A&M U.), M. Dickinson (NOAO), S. Finkelstein (U. of Texas, Austin), B.

Mobasher (UC Riverside), V. Tilvi (Texas A&M U.): “Spectroscopic Study of High-z Galaxy

Candidates in the CANDELS Fields”

Keck-II 1

L. Prato (Lowell Observatory), G. Schaefer (Georgia State U.), M. Simon (SUNY), D. Ruiz (G),

N. Karnath (G) (Lowell Observatory): “Dynamical Young Star Masses”

Keck-II 1

M. Zhao, J. Wright (Pennsylvania State U.), G. Vasisht, H. Knutson, R. Burruss (CalTech-JPL):

“AO-Assisted Observations of the Dayside Emission Spectrum of KOI-13.01”

Keck-II 1


M. Kilic (U. of Oklahoma), J. Hermes (T) (U. of Texas, Austin), W. Brown (SAO), A. Gianninas

(U. of Oklahoma), D. Winget (U. of Texas, Austin): “Gravitational Waves from the 12-Minute

Orbital Period Binary White Dwarf J0651+2844”

Keck-I 0.5



58

Keck Telescopes: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs (1) Telescopes Nights

M. Pettini (University of Cambridge), R. Cooke (UC Santa Cruz): “Probing Early

Nucleosynthesis with the Most Metal-Poor DLAs”

Keck-I 1.5

3.4.4 MMT Observatory

MMT Telescope: 2013A Approved US Programs (4), and US Theses (1) Telescope Nights

A. Brown (U. of Colorado), L. Walkowicz (Princeton U.), S. Saar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center

for Astrophysics), S. Hawley (U. of Washington), A. Kowalski (NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center), G. Furesz (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), N. Piskunov (Uppsala Uni-

versity): “MMT Hectochelle Spectral Variability of Active Late-Type Stars in the Kepler Field

(2013A)”

MMT-SVC 3

K. Covey, L. Prato (Lowell Observatory), G. Torres, G. Furesz, A. Szentgyorgyi (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), A. Cody (California Institute of Technology-Dept. of As-

tronomy): “A Coordinated Optical/NIR Survey for Low-Mass Pre-main Sequence Binaries in

NGC 2264”

MMT-SVC 1.5

C. Ly (STScI), M. Malkan (UCLA), T. Nagao (Kyoto University), M. Hayashi, N. Kashikawa

(NAOJ), K. Shimasaku, K. Motohara (University of Tokyo): “Investigating the Processes Driv-

ing Low-Mass Galaxy Evolution with Gas Metallicities of Starburst Galaxies”

MMT-SVC 0.5

F. Vilas, A. Hendrix (PSI), N. Moskovitz (MIT): “MMT UV/Blue Reflectance Spectra of PHA

163249 (2002 GT) Prior to NASA’s Deep Impact Fly-By”

MMT-TBD 0.5


T. Allen (T), T. Megeath (U. of Toledo), J. Pipher (U. of Rochester), R. Gutermuth (U. Mass), J.

Prichlik (U) (U. of Toledo), T. Naylor (University of Exeter), G. Furesz, S. Wolk (Harvard-

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), F. Adams (U. of Michigan), R. Jefferies (Keele Universi-

ty): “Hectochelle and Hectospec Spectroscopy of the Cep OB3b Cluster”

MMT-SVC 0.37

MMT Telescope: 2013A Approved Foreign Programs (1) Telescopes Nights

J. Farihi (University of Cambridge), J. Holberg (U. of Arizona), S. Redfield (Wesleyan U.): “The

Bulk Composition of Rocky Planetary Debris and a Search for Water”

MMT-TBD 1


59

4 USAGE OF ARCHIVED DATA

The first two tables below illustrate access to and usage of reduced data in the NOAO Science Ar-

chive (R2) from NOAO Survey programs. The table on the left shows the data download volume in

gigabytes, the number of files retrieved and the number of unique visitors (for that month) who

downloaded archive data through the ftp site. The table on the right shows the Web activity logged

from the NOAO Science Archive Web site. It includes users (visitors) collecting additional infor-

mation before or after downloading data, as well as visualization of the data online.

Archive Data Retrieval Activity (ftp) NOAO Science Archive Web Site Activity

Date Retrieved

(GB) Files Re-trieved

Unique Visi-tors

Date Bandwidth

(GB) Pages Viewed

Unique Visi-tors

Jan 2013 1.34 13 5 Jan 2013 29.50 7,590 613

Feb 2013 28.15 123 8 Feb 2013 31.76 11,558 1,445

Mar 2013 6.83 45 4 Mar 2013 72.19 17,297 2,134

Total: 36.32 181 17 Total: 133.45 36,445 4,192

The NOAO Portal provides principal investigators (PIs) access to their raw data from all instru-

ments and to pipeline-reduced products from the Mosaic instruments at the CTIO and KPNO 4-

meter telescopes and the NEWFIRM instrument. The metadata are stored in a searchable Archive,

which allows discovery and retrieval from the NOAO Portal (portal-nvo.noao.edu). After the requi-

site proprietary period (usually 18 months), the data become accessible to the general public.

Portal Data Retrieval Activity (ftp) NVO Portal Data Retrieval Activity

Date Bandwidth

(GB) Pages Viewed

Unique Visi-tors

Date Bandwidth

(GB) Pages Viewed

Unique Visi-tors

Jan 2013 570.39 6,760 17 Jan 2013 4.16 545,287 616

Feb 2013 3,558.90 43.962 46 Feb 2013 5.43 2,581,613 576

Mar 2013 4,554.72 88,804 55 Mar 2013 8.56 113,401 743

Total: 8,684.01 95,608 118 Total: 18.15 3,240,301 1,935

http://portal-nvo.noao.edu/


60

5 GRANTS

No new grants were received by NOAO staff from non-NSF agencies during the second quarter of

FY 2013.

61

6 NOAO SAFETY REPORT FOR Q2

The new NOAO South safety engineer began work at CTIO on 2 January 2013. She has a Profes-

sional Degree in Health and Safety and a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering. This quar-

ter, she learned about the NOAO organization and made improvements to accident reporting proce-

dures, employee and contractor safety training, and electrical safety procedures on Cerro Tololo. In

addition to her daily activities, she developed a risk matrix document that tracks safety action items.

Various annual regulatory documents were completed this quarter, including the US OSHA

300A log, signed by the NOAO director and posted throughout Tucson and Kitt Peak facilities. For

calendar year 2012, Tucson and Kitt Peak enjoyed a year without injuries.

Risk management support continued during critical movements of the Blanco ƒ/8 secondary

mirror that was being repaired at the Tucson headquarters. This quarter, critical lift plans and engi-

neering procedures were executed without incident as the mirror was fitted with a new center plug,

aluminized on Kitt Peak, moved to various testing locations in the Tucson optics shops, and safely

placed in its shipping box. Preparations are being made in Chile to receive the repaired mirror in

April. The NOAO South safety engineer translated the mercury handling procedure into Spanish,

and she is working with NS ETS to develop safe handling procedures for the mirror.

In March, the NOAO risk manager and NOAO South safety engineer participated in two activi-

ties sponsored by the AURA Observatory in Chile (AURA-O). The first was a meeting and tour of

the operations at Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón with the AURA-O legal advisor. This was part of

AURA-O’s ongoing effort to review, evaluate, and strengthen compliance with Chilean labor and

safety laws and regulations. The second was a meeting with Francisco Bello representing the

Asociación Chilena de Seguridad (ACHS) or Chilean Safety Association. ACHS is one of a number

of organizations that administer the insurance and other services to prevent and manage industrial

accidents and illnesses as mandated by the Chilean government. ACHS works with AURA-O and

AURA Centers providing advisement on compliance with Chilean legislation in matters related to

safety, occupational health, and the environmental. ACHS insurance is provided for Chilean Nation-

als only; expatriate employees have worker compensation coverage through an international policy

that is written in the US.

Kitt Peak was visited by the newly appointed director of the Tohono O’odham Nation Depart-

ment of Public Safety (DPS), Malcolm Lewis. He was accompanied by Wildland Fire Chief Guy

Acuña on March 20. Director Lewis met with Kitt Peak leadership and toured the mountain. The

discussion included opportunities to enhance the relationship with the DPS in science outreach,

Ranger and Firefighter mentoring and projects, and facilitating yearly Kitt Peak DPS retreat meet-

ings.

The hazard analysis process (a variation of military standard 882) continued with the LSST tele-

scope engineers. The focus this quarter was on design considerations for various maintenance activi-

ties around the telescope mount, removal of the camera, lowering of the primary mirror cell, and the

DC current capacitor cells.

A well-attended Fall Protection class was held on Kitt Peak this quarter, and several First Aid,

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, and Automatic External Defibrillator classes were conducted by a

Kitt Peak Emergency Medical Technician.

The specifications for various services were revised and rebid this quarter: Tucson security and

fire equipment inspections for Tucson, Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, and Cerro Pachón.

Tucson and Kitt Peak elevator inspections were conducted this quarter by a third party Certified

Elevator Inspector.