New Large Science Program opportunity at the Mayall 4-m

[Rob Seaman]

Back in July I pinged the VOEvent WG regarding the NOAO Survey program  
(see below).  I was grateful for the response as two groups invested  
their valuable time and energy in evaluating suitable science  
programs.  (This is a confidential process, so I'll provide no further  
details.)  That no survey proposals ultimately resulted says more  
about the logistical and technical difficulties of time domain  
astronomy than the quite significant enthusiasm of these two groups.   
Given different circumstances (e.g., the preferred camera remaining at  
a telescope in the needed hemisphere) it would work out differently  
next time.

I thought I would bring an even more extensive opportunity to the  
attention of the working group.  We are entering an era of gigapixel  
cameras and coordinated observing programs on multiple apertures.   
"Frontier" science will often require resources beyond the scale of  
the current Survey program.  As such, NOAO will be issuing a CFP for a  
Large Science Program (LSP) to be carried out on the Mayall 4-m on  
Kitt Peak:

	http://www.noao.edu/currents/200911.html#system

This will be a program similar in scale to the Dark Energy Survey  
(DES) being developed for the Mayall's twin, the Blanco telescope on  
Cerro Tololo.  (Note that LSP and "survey" are not necessarily  
synonymous.)

The CFP will be wide open in concept, both in the science and the  
technology.  While DES does have a significant time domain component,  
there is no requirement that the Mayall LSP must - alternately it  
could be entirely time domain or transient response.  One of the goals  
will be to develop new instrumentation - this could presumably be  
optical or IR, imaging or spectroscopy.  (Note that the WIYN One- 
Degree Imager will provide access to a gigapixel camera on Kitt Peak,  
so one may infer that other classes of instrument might be  
emphasized.)  Compelling science will ultimately drive the evaluation  
of the proposal, but another significant component will be the data  
processing infrastructure needed to enable science from the new  
instrumentation.  Need I point out that this latter requirement is a  
particular strength of the VO working groups?

This is obviously beyond the scale of anything discussed in the WG to  
date.  LSST and other aggressive time domain surveys are looming,  
however, and simply as a gedanken experiment it may be worthwhile if  
we entertain the possibilities provided by such an opportunity for  
transient response or other classes of empirical science with enabling  
technologies such as VOEvent.  There are three contingent but separate  
issues:

	1) What are the compelling time domain science programs for a 4-m O/ 
IR telescope in the north?

	2) What instrumentation addresses those programs?  Would it also  
enable broader scientific investigations?

	3) What cyber-infrastructure is needed to maximize scientific return  
from both LSP and community use of the instrumentation?

In particular for the VOEvent WG, are our various current efforts  
creatively attending to such future infrastructure, whether it results  
from this CFP or from other looming community projects?

Meanwhile NOAO's survey program and general TAC process continue and  
are as available for time domain science as for any other.

Rob
----

On Jun 25, 2009, at 3:59 PM, Rob Seaman wrote:

> Hola,
>
> NOAO provides community access (meaning anybody with a viable  
> program: http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/help/policies.html) to a wide  
> range of public and private observatory facilities.  For instance,  
> 419 observing proposals were received for 2009B.  In addition, NOAO  
> offers its survey program for more coherent long term programs:
>
> 	http://www.noao.edu/gateway/surveys
>
> The deadline for a LOI for the next round of surveys is 31 July  
> (proposal due 15 September):
>
> 	http://www.noao.edu/noao/noaonews/jun09/pdf/98obs_prog.pdf
>
> There have been about two dozen surveys over the past decade, with  
> about one in five having a time domain component (e.g., SNe,  
> microlensing, KBOs).  It would be good to raise the batting average  
> from that of a utility infielder.  "Survey" has tended to mean  
> discovering such transient phenomena, but there is no overt reason  
> why a well-conceived program of follow-up observations wouldn't be  
> considered (assuming the obvious logistical concerns are efficiently  
> managed).  For instance, such a program could constitute a pilot  
> program for LSST follow-up.
>
> The scope focuses on the scientific value of the data:  "A Survey  
> Program is a significant observational program which:
> 	• addresses novel, well-focused scientific goals;
> 	• enables scientific programs requiring large, statistically  
> complete, and homogeneous data;
> 	• provides a basis for planning more detailed follow-up studies;
> 	• enables extensive archival research; and
> 	• represents a significant enhancement over existing surveys."
>
> I see nothing to exclude transient response and other time domain  
> programs - certainly not the requirement to provide a basis for  
> detailed follow-up!  There needs to be a plan for data management -  
> surely this plays well to our group.  And the proprietary period is  
> limited - surely a VOEvent hallmark.
>
> The annual survey meeting is one of the more interesting events I  
> attend, both from the question of the science involved and the  
> diversity of experimental design layered on the same telescopes and  
> instruments.  It would be entertaining for me - as well as  
> potentially extremely valuable scientifically for you - if some  
> VOEvent tiger team were to pursue such a program.
>
> Rob

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