INSTRUCTIONS for Proposers Awarded Spectroscopic Service Observing Time updated for semester 2008A Congratulations on writing a winning proposal. Now the hard work begins! The 2008A semester runs Feb 2 - Apr 15; Apr 18 - May 18; Jun 16 - Jul 31. 92 nights will be queue scheduled, using gratings 26 or 47. The rest are full nights devoted to single programs, generally because they require other grating setups. The rough time allocations are posted at http://www.astro.yale.edu/smarts/schedules/sched15m2008a.txt Please try to make your detailed requests conform to the rough allocation. If you plan to go to CTIO to observe (i.e., these are user nights), then read no further - this does not pertain to you. But please verify to me that you will be there, and will not be sending me an observing plan. If you have been allocated a specific night or nights for service observing, then you should be aware that these specific nights are suggestive but not mandatory, unless your observations are time-critical. We reserve the right to swap nights and interleave programs if it will lead to more efficient use of resources. Please return your requests for observations in February ASAP. I like to block out the schedule about a month in advance, and can't put your targets in unless I know your needs. --- As soon as possible, please let the scheduler* know what grating setup you will be needing, or if you need a non-standard setup. An important use of the service observing time is for spectroscopic monitoring of variable objects. Such monitoring is facilitated when service proposers are able to use a standard grating setup (see the scheduling page below), as we can then interpolate programs requiring specific time cadences with other programs. Standard setups use gratings 26 and 47 and, to lesser extents, other standard setups listed in the scheduling web page. However, if you need a non-standard grating setup, or you have an extremely complex program that precludes interspersing other observations, you can have your time scheduled in full night blocks. You must plan your program in detail. It is not enough to send us target lists. You need to specify everything that you want done. You are responsible for knowing the telescope and the instrument. It is advisable that all spectroscopic service observers have previous observing experience with this spectrograph or have read the relevant CTIO web pages. We are not responsible for your ignorance. The main constraint that we encounter at the 1.5m is that gratings cannot be changed during the night. We also do not rotate the slit. There are other limitations: - grating tilt changes and filter changes require about 30 minutes of overhead, since the telescope must be slewed to the zenith for all instrumental adjustments. Request these sparingly. - The telescope has a hard limit at hour angle +/- 5h30m - the telescope has a soft limit at 2 airmasses (60 degree zenith angle). You may not slew past this point. You can track an object as it sets, but the telescope must then be moved back at "set" speed. This costs time. - The telescope has severe hour angle limitations towards the east, due to the design of the mount and the proximity of the 4m dome. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP): - The observer will obtain a sequence of bias frames, and pflat exposures. If the sky is clear, we generally obtain a sky spectrum. You may use this as a sky flat, but its main purpose is to set the zero point of the radial velocity. - Each target is preceeded by a wavelength calibration lamp exposure at the position of the star. - The target is centered on the slit. - Three spectra are obtained of each target. This is recommended for cosmic ray rejection. - One spectrophotometric standard star is obtained each night, at each spectroscopic setting. Standards are Feige 110 (winter/spring) and LTT 4364 (summer/fall). - The slit width can be changed upon request. - Most programs can be accomodated using this SOP. Routine variants include - a second wavelength calibration exposure after the last target spectrum - only one, two, or more than three on-target spectra - offsetting the target along the slit - offsetting from a visible object to put a faint target in the silt Overhead: - We allot 5 minutes per target for acquisition (very faint targets, or demanding acquisitions in extended objects, may take longer). We allot 1 minute per CCD readout. Thus a standard observation takes 9 minutes in addition to the time spent exposing on target. What we need from you: 1. As soon as possible, a statement of the required spectrograph setups, and any other constraints (such as time constraints). We know how much time you have been awarded. 2. As soon as possible, but at least two weeks before the observations are to be executed - a target list, preferably in the format below, for SOP programs. - finding charts, or links thereto, for any non-obvious target. Many things that you think are obvious will not be to the observer. Generally you do not need a chart for a star with a HD number. You DO need a chart for anything fainter than about V=10, or with appreciable proper motion, or with comparably bright objects within an arcminute or so. - detailed observing plans, if the SOP is inappropriate. We use this information to generate the oberving plans (see the Scheduling Page below). If you have a non-SOP program that takes a full night, we ask you to write your own plan. Target Plan Format An observation for a SOP program is completely specified in one line. For example, the following is an excerpt from the 050304 observing plan: Program Pri Target RA (J2000) Dec mag Exp Cmp T CDT Rem SUNY 05a-02 1 V1118 Ori 5 34 44.66 -05 33 41.3 16.5 3x 400 1 29 20 48 SUNY 05a-12 1 V1647 Ori 5 46 13.17 -00 06 05 17 3x1200 1 69 21 17 SUNY 05a-11 2 YY Dor 5 56 42.5 -68 54 35 18 3x1500 1 84 22 26 N STSI 05a-02 1 V838 Mon 7 04 04.8 -03 50 50 15.6 3x 600 2 39 23 50 SUNY 05a-11 1 V574 Pup 7 41 53.8 -27 6 37 10 3x 400 1 29 0 29 N These are the first 5 targets scheduled to be executed. Program: A unique program ID assigned by SMARTS or NOAO, and used for accounting purposes Pri: Schedule priority. Used to indicate to the observer what targets to skip if the plan cannot be executed as written. Priorities are +, 1, 2, 3, where the + means drop everything else (rarely used) and three is a filler. Provide your target priorities; these scheduling priorities are not the same. Target: The object name you want entered into the FITS header. RA, DEC: must be equinox 2000. Specify as well as possible. In case of large proper motions, give epoch 2006 coordinates if possible, and provide a finding chart. mag: rough V magnitude, to help the observer with the acquisition. Exp: NxT, where N is the number of exposures, and T is the exposure time in seconds for each of the N integrations. Cmp: Comparison flag: 1 -> one wavecal; 2-> wavecals before and after; 3 -> wavecals before or after EACH spectrum; 0 -> no wavecal wanted. T: Estimated exposure time in minutes, including overhead. Typically 5 + N + Cmp (minutes) + NxT CDT: Start time of observation in local time (Chilean Daylight Time here). Ignore this - we'll compute it. Rem: Remarks. Here "N" means this is a fading nova. All other details or peculiarities of the observations are specified here. Please provide your target list in this format; otherwise we may delay starting your program. You should provide a target list for each requested spectrograph setup, since the exposure times are likely to be different at different wavelengths or dispersions. If there are any conditions you wish to impose (such as, observe only during dark time) or you have timing constraints, please state these clearly in a narrative accompanying the observing plan. We'll do our best to accomodate all reasonable requests. You may update your target list at any time up to the afternoon before the observations (providing we're reading our e-mail). Plans are usually posted on the scheduling page a few days in advance. The choice of grating and setup generally can not be changed less than 24 hours in advance because grating changes are done during the day. Plans can be amended at any time. TOOs will be inserted into the plan on a best effort basis. -------------------------------------------------- The Scheduling Page The 1.5m spectrograph scheduling page is located at http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/fwalter/SMARTS/smarts_15msched.html This page has links to all observing plans, observation logs, and standard setups. * The principal scheduler at present is Fred Walter (fwalter@mail.astro.sunysb.edu or fwalter@aumic.ess.sunysb.edu). Please cc: requests to Howard Bond (bond@stsci.edu) -------------------------------------- We cannot guarantee photometric conditions, or good seeing, or that your data will be useful to you. We will do our best to get what you have asked for.