Call for Proposals

Semester S23B: August 1, 2023 -- January 31, 2024

Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Subaru Telescope invites observing proposals for Semester S23B. For the instruments available in S23B, 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 S23B

Deadline of Normal/Intensive Program Submission	March 7 (Tue), 2023 12:00 (Noon) in Japan Standard Time (i.e., March 7, 3:00 am in UT)
Deadline of Service/Filler Program Submission	April 4 (Tue), 2023 12:00 (Noon) in Japan Standard Time (i.e., April 4, 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 S23B

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	There will be 1-2 weeks of downtime (most likely in November and January) to replace the telescope chillers.
TUE2 repair work	TUE2 (Top-Unit-Exchange 2) repair work is planned from October 11, 2023 to January 5, 2024. In this period, 1) only IR secondary mirror is available. 2) HSC and FOCAS are NOT available. 3) HDS observation is limited to V < 17 mag and WL > 3500 A.
Scientific Category Name Changes in ProMS	There are a few changes in the scientific category names in ProMS (from S23A).
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.
Max 3.0 nights for Gemini time exchange	To reduce the recent imbalance between Subaru-Gemini time exchange, Subaru users can use 3.0 nights of Gemini time per semester at maximum. This means that proposals requesting more than 3.0 nights in a single semester will not be accepted.
Status of Visiting Instruments/devices (PI Instrument/devices)	Following instruments/module are offered for openuse in S23B: - CHARIS with SCExAO+AO188 (including spectro-polarimetric mode) - Fast PDI with SCExAO+AO188 (in a shared-risk mode) - IRD with AO188 (NGS-AO or LGS-AO, 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) - VAMPIRES with SCExAO+AO188 - NsIR Wave Plate Unit (a visiting device for IRCS/SCExAO polarimetry mode) The new laser guide star (LGS) system can be used with IRD. VAMPIRES cameras will be upgraded for improved sensitivity, speed and dynamic range. A new multi-band imaging mode will be available. 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 S23B, 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 8, 2023