<Minutes
of the 33rd Subaru Telescope Advisory Committee Meeting>
Date:
11:00 – 16:00 October 12th, 2000 ( Japan standard time )
Place:
Subaru TV Conference Rooms in Mitaka and Hawaii
Committee
members: Ando, Iye (Chair), Takashi Ichikawa, Ohta, Gouda, Kobayashi,
Tamura
(Secretary), Hayashi, Maihara,
Observers:
Usuda, Yamashita, Fuse, R.Kudritzki, B.McLaren, R.Wainscoat
The order
of the agenda was changed and the
following minutes are given in chronological order.
0.
The
minutes of the previous meeting were approved. (Iye, exhibit
33-0)
1.
Greetings
from the new director of IfA,
University of Hawaii. (Kudritzki )
2.
Report
from Subaru Telescope Program Committee (Okamura, exhibit
33-3b)
2.1
Program
Committee Meeting was held at Hawaii observatory on September 25th.
The
procedures of making the call for proposals were reported from the Observatory
and the committee discussed the baseline policies for selecting proposals,
reaching in agreement on the following issues:
a)
to adjust
the number of nights
b)
not to
merge proposals with similar scientific contents but choose better
one
c)
to
distribute the available nights to each of the 5 field categories according to
the number of proposals or to the number of requested nights (either scheme
yielded the same result this time)
d)
to
allocate time to foreign proposals with the upper limit of
10%
e)
to
digitize referees ranking as A= 3; B=2; C=1 to derive unbiased average
ranking
f)
to use the average score of available referees when not all the five
referees are available due to the conflict with proposers. (The minimum number
of available referees was three for five proposals.)
Two
further issues were discussed: the
basic policy to avoid the target conflicts between the GT program and individual
proposal and the concrete way to make comments to be sent to the proposers.
As a
result, the following proposals were accepted out of the 114 submitted
proposals.
IRCS
16 programs
accounting for 20 nights
Suprime-Cam 10
programs
accounting for 16
nights
Finally,
the committee summarized identified problems and measures to improve the
procedures in making next call for proposals and the following selection
process.
3.
The schedule toward the Open Use and
related matters (Hayashi, exhibit 33-3a)
3.1
Tentative
schedule for S01A semester Open Use was presented.
3.2
The
problem on scientific interference between the Guaranteed Time programs and Open
Use programs was discussed; e.g. would it be fair to ask a referee on an open
use proposal when he/she is involved in a GT program whose scientific objectives
and targets are in conflict with the open use proposal to be
refereed
3.3
Researches
based on observations made on UH hours prior to the Open Use (Dec,
2000):
Iye
explained that Japanese researchers has made an arrangement to assure an
opportunity for those who have contributed to establish the Subaru Telescope to
take a look at the draft of scientific papers based on observations made prior
to the Open Use before its submission and to make some contributions if
any. He expressed a desire to set
up a similar arrangement for papers based on observations made during the UH
time before the start of the Open Use in December, 2000.
Kudritzki
expressed the need for fast publication and pointed out that the inclusion to
the author list should depend on the contribution to the paper. Karoji proposed
to establish scheme whereby a written agreement is made prior to the UH
observation and presented an example of the draft agreement. UH will ensure to inform Subaru
Observatory and the involved instrument team of the nature of the observation prior to
its execution.
4.
S01 Open
Use (Ando, exhibit 33.4)
4.1
Ando
proposed to reduce the number of observing nights offered for the Open Use and
for the Observatory Use for the semester S01 that were approved in the previous
meeting in order to secure the necessary time for the following two essential
operations that were newly identified.
One month period will be needed for the remedy of problems identified in
the structure of the fixed points of the primary mirror and another month might
be necessary to re-aluminize the primary mirror. He proposed to offer 36 nights for the
Open Use for the S01A Semester during Apr.-July, 2001. August- September will be assigned for
the above operations.
4.2
The open
use instruments to be offered for the S01A Semester were identified by the
Observatory. They shall be OHS/CISCO, IRCS, FOCAS, and
HDS.
4.3
There were
questions why the Suprime-Cam will not be available for the next semester. This decision was made by the
observatory considering the scientific need for exchanging the CCD chips of the
SuprimeCam which cannot be done under the status of the common use instrument
because it takes time and the overhead of instrument exchange between the prime
focus and other foci.
Disappointment was expressed on the unavailability of the Suprime-Cam for
the next semester both from UH side and from some members of the committee.
4.4
A domestic
committee member expressed the concern of Japanese astronomers’ general
complaints against the inequality between the UH astronomers and the domestic
astronomers in the access privilege to the SuprimeCam prior to the start of the
Open Use.
5.
Collaborative
arrangements with UH and JAC
5.1 Usage of UH 2.2m Telescope Time (Tamura,
exhibit 33.5a)
Negotiations
are in progress to make 10%-15% of the UH 2.2m observing time available to the
Japanese community starting from February, 2001 for a couple of years, with the
possibility of extending the period further for the future. NAOJ will cover the corresponding
fraction of the annual operating expenses and will allocate the corresponding
observing time to Japanese applicants. Japanese community will have an access to
all the current and future UH equipments. The Japanese community may install its
own instruments. Travel and lodging expenses shall be covered entirely by the
NAOJ. The main objectives of this
arrangement are to use the UH2.2m facility to promote instrument development and
scientific collaboration to maximize the output from Subaru. It is, therefore,
envisioned that the use of the 2.2-meter shall be divided roughly in three
parts; 1/3 of the time for the test observation of new instruments, 1/3 for
Subaru related activities, 1/3 for individual scientific programs. The actual
procedure to make time allocation
shall be quite flexible and be made among a few core members around
Subaru. The announcement of such new opportunities, however, should be reported
also at the Optical Infrared Astronomy Committee.
5.2 Usage of UKIRT Telescope Time (Sekiguchi,
exhibit 33-5b)
Negotiations are in also
progress to obtain UKIRT time to be assigned, by Japanese time allocation
committee (to be defined), for researchers in Japan. The plan calls for a
maximum of 100 nights over a five-year period, beginning from August 2001, in
return for some contribution from Subaru side. Prototype example of such an agreement
exists regarding the implement of Max Plank’s tip/tilt secondary onto
UKIRT.
6
Brief report on the Hawaii
Observatory (Ando, exhibit 33-1a)
6.1 Summary on progress since June
2000:
a)
Continuing the operational
tests of the open use instruments.
b)
AO will be installed on
telescope and its first test is foreseen at the end of
October.
c) There were 114 applications of proposals for
the 1st Open Use call for proposals.
d)
The concrete procedures for the smooth
start of Open Use are being worked out.
6.2 Operation:
Two categories
of operators for the telescope and equipments are organized and training of the
operators has started. Safety management at the summit is
of top
priority.
6.3 Staffing:
Two support
scientists are employed. Looking
for three more. Two additional operators are needed in order to complete the
group of eight. One lab technician has resigned and a replacement is being
sought.
6.4 Expenses:
FY 2000
contracts were made on the maintenance and on functional improvements on the
telescope and on instruments. New
budget is assigned for the first year of
FMOS project and some others are for R&D. Another big expenditure is the contract
on maintenance and improvement of software.
6.5 Mauna Kea Directors’ meeting, Users
committee: (Supplemented by McLaren)
Master plan was finalized in
June. It calls for a MK Management
Board and MK Management Office. The
latter consists of four people and is looking for a permanent director. The
former consists of seven volunteers. Three out of the seven are Hawaiians. At
the first meeting, a subcommittee was established and a date for the next
meeting was set. This meeting is
open to the public. It would be important for Subaru to attend the meeting and
to share the results of the observatory’s scientific
program.
6.6 Telescope (Usuda, exhibit
33-1c)
1) Prime-focus
tests were conducted in June and July. Fundamental functions were confirmed.
2) Function of
the automatic temperature compensation for the Cassegrain and primary foci were
tested and confirmed.
3) Function of
the Cassegrain ADC was confirmed by FOCAS.
4) Telescope
operation workstations, TWS1 and 2, were replaced at the end of
August.
5) In August,
revision of the software was made and the time required to acquire a guide star
using the auto-guider was improved from 90 sec to 5 sec. Additional improvements
are necessary.
6) Primary
mirror is cleaned with CO_2 snow once every 3 weeks. Its reflectivity is being
monitored.
7) Known
problems with the telescope were prioritized.
6.7 Instruments (Yamashita, exhibit
33.1b)
1)
Suprime-Cam : Two more MIT CCDs will be installed
before the start of open use. Replacement to an ion pump and test on
remote control were carried out. Imaging quality and pointing/tracking
performance was verified.
2) IRCS : After the first engineering run, some
modifications, installment of new
filters, and an assemble test with the adaptive optics were carried out at the
base facility. The second
engineering run carried out in September enabled operation of IRCS through the
standard observation control system SOSS. Fundamental operational data using grisms and echelle were
obtained.
3) FOCAS : Imaging and long-slit low-resolution
spectroscopy modes were established. System efficiency and limiting magnitude
are yet to be calibrated. MOS mask
alignment procedures are under improvement and 0.”3 precision is attained. Replacement to MIT CCD needs to be
scheduled.
4) OHS : Background was
reduced considerably by installing a masking cover. Performance verification observations
were carried out for 9 nights. CISCO is heavily used for observatory time and
for UH time.
5) HDS : Installed at
Nasmyth focus at the end of March.
Fundamental performance was confirmed with red and blue image rotators in
July and August. An R=100,000 wavelength resolution with 0.4 arcsec slit was
achieved.
6) COMICS : Imaging and
low-resolution spectroscopy modes were established. The residual glow effect was
reduced through a laboratory test. Fringing problem is identified for medium
dispersion spectroscopy.
7) CIAO : The collimator support and ghost image problems revealed during the first engineering test were solved, as confirmed by the second test in October. The combined test with the adaptive optics system was completed at the base facility. Will collaborate on the AO engineering tests in October and January.
8) AO : Final adjustment and
testing with IRCS/CIAO was conducted at the base facility and the AO system was
delivered to the summit on Sept 29th. First light is scheduled for the end of
October.
6.8 Announcement (Fuse, exhibit
33.6)
Open Use science results
will be widely disseminated by the Public Relations Department. The PI’s co-operation is essential, and
the PR Department will help to clean up the images.
7
Policy on acknowledgements
(Hayashi, exhibit 3.10)
7.1 After reviewing examples from several
observatories, Hayashi proposed as an example the following phrase in a footnote
on the title page: “Based [in part] on data from the Subaru Telescope, which is
operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan” OR “Based [in part]
on observations with the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National
Astronomical Observatory of Japan”. The committee asked the
observatory to make the final decision after further discussion. UH will confirm whether acknowledgement to UH is
necessary when IRCS is used. It
might be better to refer to publications describing the instrument.
{Note added later: UH
does not think it necessary to have an acknowledgement to UH when IRCS is
used.}
7.2 The policy of Subaru’s data archive, 18
months proprietary period after observation, was explained to UH and asked for
identical arrangement for data observed during UH time. UH has agreed on
this.
8
Proposed Kyoto University
telescope (Ota, exhibit 33-2)
As a future plan for the
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, there is a plan to construct a 3m telescope
with 1 degree FOV for optical and 5 arming FOV for infrared. Fiber MOS is the
first instrument planned. A group
of astronomers in Kyoto University hope to make a budget request for
FY2002. The main scientific
objectives are ASTRO-F follow-up spectroscopy and observations of transient
sources, e.g. gamma ray bursters and variable stars. The new telescope is expected to be
operated mainly by Kyoto-University in collaboration of several universities in
west Japan, including Hiroshima
University and Okayama University.
Open use of new telescope will also be arranged but on a limited scale.
9
Computer facility
(Mizumoto, oral report)
The replacement of
computers in Hilo is planned. Status and schedule of the development of the
simple version of DASH and the data analysis environment in Mitaka were
reported.
10 Post-Subaru plan (Iye, exhibit
33-9)
Since some concrete
discussion is already in progress in US and in Europe, it would be necessary to
start planning the future as soon as possible. Long term plans for the optical
interferometer, next-generation very large ground-based telescope, space
telescope and so on, should be accessed in order to establish early participation
to international collaboration in these projects.
11 Miscellaneous
11.1 The Gemini and Subaru
Conference [Astrophysical Ages and Time Scales]
(Sekiguchi, exhibit 33-7) will be held in
Hilo on Feb. 5-9th, 2001.
11.2
The Subaru Users
meeting (Yamada, exhibit 33-8) will
be held in Hilo from March 7th to 9th, 2001. Drafts of programs were
presented.
11.3
SIRIUS (Tamura, exhibit
33.11)
SIRIUS, a three-color
simultaneous infrared camera with three 1024 x 1024 HgCdTe arrays, was
successfully operated on the UH 2.2-m on August 10th, 2000. The instrument met most of the
performance specifications. It will be mounted on a 1.4-meter telescope (IRSF),
which was recently installed in South Africa by Nagoya University. It will then be carried back to Hawaii
next year. After engineering runs collaborative observations with UH and
Japanese researchers are foreseen.
EOF