Call for Proposals

Semester S24B: August 1, 2024 -- January 31, 2025

Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Subaru Telescope invites observing proposals for Semester S24B. For the instruments available in S24B, please refer to Normal, Intensive or Service program pages. Since each instrument has its own specific restrictions/conditions, applicants are required to consult the relevant instrument page when preparing their proposals. Please also refer to Proposals, How to Submit via webform, Open Use Policy and Telescope webpage.

Open Use Schedule for S24B

Deadline of Normal/Intensive Program Submission	March 5 (Tue), 2024 12:00 (Noon) in Japan Standard Time (i.e., March 5, 3:00 am in UT)
Deadline of Service/Filler Program Submission	April 2 (Tue), 2024 12:00 (Noon) in Japan Standard Time (i.e., April 2, 3:00 am in UT)
Time Allocation Committee	late April
Notification of selection results	early June

Webform

Webform	the ProMS 2.0 page	Instructions	How to Submit via webform?

Other instructions

Instructions	Open Use Policy, and each instrument page

Important Notice for S24B

Compensation of canceled observation time in S23B	Given the unusual situation that more than half of observing nights in S23B have been canceled due to the telescope shutdown, SAC decided to make a special arrangement that student-PI program observations (including HSC-queue Grade A/B) and IRD-SSP observations that were canceled in S23B due to the shutdown will be compensated in S24B. The PIs of these programs that are subject to the compensation will be contacted. If you believe that your program in S23B is subject to this compensation but are not contacted from the Subaru Telescope by mid February, please send an inquiry to cfp_consult_at_naoj.org. Roughly 30 nights in S24B will be used for the compensation.
On-site observation support for the student PI domestic proposals	As requested by the Subaru open-use community, the observatory will continue to accept the "on-site" observations for the student PI domestic proposals in S24B. Please refer to this document [1],which was sent to the PIs of these programs in S24A, as a reference.
Requested time for queue-mode proposals	According to the SAC decision, the allocation time of HSC queue mode program will consider 30% bad weather factor in order to increase the observation completion rate by ensuring sufficient observation time. To keep the limitation of the maximum nights, the requested time in HSC queue mode should not exceed 3.5 nights for the normal program and 28 nights for the intensive program.
Dual Anonymous (DA) Review System	Subaru SAC and TAC decided to implement a DA review system for Subaru proposal review from S23B (see Subaru Open Use Policy for more details). Please prepare proposals following the DA writing style described in How to Submit via webform?.
Telescope Downtime	No telescope downtime scheduled.
LGS-mode of AO188 with TBAD system	The laser guide star (LGS) system for AO188 will be operated with TBAD (Transponder Based Aircraft Detector) with a shared-risk policy. Please check the AO188 webpage for the latest information.
Near-Infrared wavefront sensor for AO188	The near-infrared wavefront sensor(NIR WFS) of AO188, which is a PI-type device, is open in shared risk mode, only for limited modes with IRCS and SCExAO/CHARIS. Please refer to the website of NIR WFS and IRCS for detailed information.
Upgrade project of the deformable mirror (DM) for AO188	As part of the AO3k project, the upgrade of the DM for AO188 is planned and is going to happen in 2024. Please refer to the AO3k web page for more information. Please note that the proposers must assume the current performance of AO188 when preparing the proposals.
Nasmyth Beam Switcher (NBS) installation in S25A	The NBS is planned to be installed in early S25A. All IRCS and SCExAO observations will be done with the NBS after its installation, and S24B may be the last chance to observe without the NBS. Please see the IRCS and SCExAO web pages for the possible impacts of the NBS.
Conditional Access for MOS Mode for MOIRCS Service Program	There are significant changes on the procedure of the MOS Service Mode application. The applicants for the mode must contact to the SA well before the deadline with the relevant information for our initial review. Once you got the approval, you will receive the "Acceptance ID". You must clarly state the ID to the Technical Justification part. You cannot write any information on the previously-awarded program to comply with the DA system.
Gemini time exchange back in normal	The restriction of "max 3.0 nights per semester" for Gemini exchange to reduce the imbalance between Subaru-Gemini exchange is now lifted.
Status of Visiting Instruments/devices (PI Instrument/devices)	Following instruments/module are offered for openuse in S24B: - CHARIS with SCExAO+AO188 (including spectro-polarimetric mode) - VAMPIRES with SCExAO+AO188 (cameras have been upgraded for improved sensitivity, speed and dynamic range. A new multi-band imaging mode is available.) - Fast PDI with SCExAO+AO188 (in a shared-risk mode) - MEC with SCExAO+AO188 (in a shared-risk mode) - REACH (combination of SCExAO and IRD for single-mode fiber spectroscopy) - IRD with AO188 (NGS-AO or LGS-AO, in a shared-risk mode) - NsIR Wave Plate Unit (a visiting device for IRCS/SCExAO polarimetry mode) - NIR WFS (a near-infrared wavefront sensor inside the AO188 instead of the visible wavefront sensor) The laser guide star (LGS) system can be used with IRD in shared-risk mode. CHARIS, FastPDI, VAMPIRES, and MEC can be used together at the same time as the modules of SCExAO. Please check the relevant webpages for the latest information. Proposals to use visiting instruments/devices must include the relevant PIs as Co-investigators. Visiting instruments may be used in intensive programs if necessary conditions are fulfilled. Please check the Intensive webpage.
Simultaneous use of REACH and CHARIS	REACH can be used simultaneously with CHARIS with any dispersion modes, but the wavelength coverage of CHARIS will be from 1850 nm to the longest wavelengths shown in the CHARIS web site.
Instrument Switching between IRD, REACH, CHARIS, VAMPIRES, Fast PDI, and MEC	Instrument switching between IRD, REACH, CHARIS, VAMPIRES, Fast PDI, and MEC in one or half observation night for one observing proposal is possible. The required time for switching is, - REACH <=> VAMPIRES: 0 (REACH can be used with VAMPIRES simultaneously) - IRD <=> REACH: ~20 minutes (if the laser frequency comb is required for both IRD and REACH, otherwise 5 minutes) - CHARIS, VAMPIRES, FastPDI and MEC can run simultaneously: See SCExAO webpage - Other combination: <5 minutes Note that IRD <=> REACH switching with laser frequency comb for both IRD and REACH is allowed up to twice per one night per one observing proposal.
Observation w/o the Windscreen	The windscreen of the Subaru Telescope is continuously out of operation in S24B, and thus tracking accuracy of the telescope may be degraded by high winds. Since observations may be interrupted by high winds, it is recommended that you prepare backup targets with different azimuth angles.

Reminder About Basic Rules

Description of Acceptable Observing Date Range	Even though your preferred observing dates are rather limited, you should make your acceptable date range as wide as possible. Half night allocation could be made if necessary. Your proposal would be automatically rejected, in case that we cannot find any observing slot for your program in your acceptable range (even if your proposal is above the borderline of acceptance).
Moon-affected Unacceptable Dates	If the Moon is close to the target, the observation could be severely affected by the Moon light and such condition should be avoided. Applicants are responsible to avoid such condition to occur by specifying the inconvenient/unacceptable dates in Hawaii Standard Time. Those inconvenient or unacceptable dates should be explicitly indicated in Entry 13 (Scheduling Requirements).
2nd Choice Instruments	If your science goal could (fully or partly) be achieved by other instruments (of Subaru/Keck/Gemini) instead of your 1st choice instrument, we recommend that you describe such alternative instruments, which may be usable/acceptable to achieve your science goal, as 2nd choice instrument(s). If you choose a PI-Type instrument as a 2nd choice instrument, you need to get approval from the PI of PI-Type instrument.
Duplicated Submission Unallowable	Any identical proposal of the same science and targets using the same instrument and telescope should not be submitted at the same time through different TAC processes. For example, if a proposal using Keck or Gemini was once submitted to Subaru time-exchange program, it should not be applied to the ordinary proposal selection on Keck or Gemini side in the same semester (and vice versa).

updated on February 5, 2024