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August 13, 2009 CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR UC KECK TELESCOPE TIME First Semester 2010: 10A (February 2010 through July 2010) Proposals are due on September 11, 2009 Please see http://www.ucolick.org/keckobs/keckinstructions.html for instructions on using the on-line process. The application process will end promptly at 5:00 P.M. on Friday, September 11, 2009. We will use the Official Time Clock: http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Pacific/d/-8/java. Keck is continuing the login-password system to allow you to retrieve and modify your coversheets. This also allows you to load coversheets from previous years. Returning observers should use the same account information as last semester. New observers may request an account from the login page. There is a reminder option for you, if you have forgotten your password. At the present time we expect roughly 116 nights total on Keck I and Keck II. The schedule for the period February 1 through July 31 (10A) will be ready around December 1. Proposals for 2010B and 2011A will be due March 12, 2010, and September 10, 2010, respectively. Please see the Instruments Available web page for detailed notes on the current instruments: http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/observing/instavail.html. Special notes for this semester follow: Through an exchange with the Subaru Observatory, time will be available on the following instruments: Information on the capabilities of these instruments is available at: http://www.subarutelescope.org/Observing/Instruments/index.html KOA, the Keck Observatory Archive, will begin ingesting NIRSPEC (including NIRSPAO) data during 2010A. The default proprietary period will be 18 months. There will be a space on the coversheet for requesting a different proprietary period, if desired, as with HIRES. NIRC on Keck I will be decommissioned after 2009B and will not be offered in 2010A. NIRC2: NIRC2 will be off-sky during February for a servicing mission. The GEMINI and SUBARU EXCHANGES will continue the same as last semester with the noted change that SUBARU is offering an increased suite of six instruments. NIRSPAO (NIRSPEC behind AO) on Keck II will be available for only one run this semester if the science requests warrant. There must be at least 3 nights of NIRSPAO allocated before we support this mode. The exact timing of the run will depend on the science requests. NIRSPAO may be either LGS or NGS science. LGS-AO: We plan to support up to 70 nights of LGS-AO science if highly rated proposals warrant this. Appropriate backup programs must be specified along with the LGS proposals. Backup programs may be NGS (natural guide star) or non-AO NIRSPEC. INTERFEROMETER: Up to six nights of interferometer V^2 science and/or Nuller science will be available to the community. Nuller availability in future semesters will be determined on a semester-by-semester basis. The number of runs and time during the semester will be determined by the science requests. Please read this paragraph:The principal consideration in evaluating proposals will be the scientific merit of the proposed project. Projects which take maximum advantage of the unique capability of the Keck Telescopes will be given high weight. A brief description should be given of backup programs that will be carried out if conditions are not suitable for the primary program. Linked to this page are GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING UC KECK PROPOSALS that specify what should be contained in the proposal. Please read and follow these Guidelines. The page limits will be strictly enforced, and TAC members are not obligated to read beyond the stated limit. The coversheet form is available through the Keck Observer Login webpage. Information from the coversheet will be gathered in a secure database at Keck Observatory to assist in telescope scheduling, support, and assignment. Please attach your scientific justification. Sincerely, Michael Bolte, Director |
