KPNO Target of Opportunity Response

Last modified: 2007 September 07 by Merrill

Background: Target of Opportunity status can be granted to a few observing proposals each semester to allow observations of unpredictable phenomena. An example may be Gamma-Ray Burst targets, where rapid follow-up with ground-based instruments in visible and IR bands can provide important information about the event or the host object.

Because of the rapidly changing nature of such targets, it is important that we be able to react quickly and efficiently to such requests.

In general, the approved programs agree to work to minimize the negative impact on the regularly scheduled programs. This includes trying to make use of existing calibration data (e.g. flat field images etc.), using the instrument set-up of the scheduled program (i.e. not requiring a grating change, etc.). However, the regularly scheduled observers are obligated to obtain calibration frames (e.g. flat fields) if not part of the normal program and if a only a reasonable degree of effort is required to obtain the necessary calibration. The KPNO Director (Jannuzi) or Supervisor of Mountain Scientific Support (Merrill) will be the adjudicator of what is reasonable if there is a need for a definition of "reasonable" in the context of the requested calibration observations.

Approved 2008A Target of Opportunity Projects:

Rapid Observations and Fundamental Studies of GRB Afterglows
Dr. Nelissa Nysewander (PI, email: mnysewan@stsci.edu),
Address: 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA,
Phone: 410-338-4354
James Rhoads, Andrew Fruchter, Daniel Reichart, Armin Rest, Andrew Levan, Jose Maria Castro Ceron, Michael Merrill, David Bersier, Nial Tanvir, Jens Hiorth, Angel Fuentes, and John Graham
Summary of Nysewander et al. KPNO:

KPNO 2.1m -- Imaging Can only be triggered during NOAO scheduled nights and only for those nights with the appropriate instrument scheduled as available. University of Maryland observing time is not available to this NOAO ToO program, but Clemson University nights are subject to a ToO trigger.

-- Imaging (SQIID - FLAMINGOS - CFIM) -- The Nysewander et al. program can use up to 12 imaging interrupts, each lasting up to one hour (clock time). Once in the semester they may trigger two interrupts in a single night.

NIR Imaging of GLAST-selected gamma ray bursts
ProfessorAdria Updike (PI, email: aupdike@clemson.edu),
Address: Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634
Phone: (864)254-5802

KPNO 4m -- Imaging and/or Spectroscopy -- Can only be triggered during NOAO scheduled nights and only for those nights with the appropriate instrument scheduled as available. University of Maryland observing time is not available to this NOAO ToO program, but Clemson University nights are subject to a ToO trigger.

-- Imaging and/or Spectroscopy (IRMOS - FLAMINGOS) -- The Hartmann et al. program can be used for up to 8 near-IR imaging or spectroscopy interrupts at the 4m, each lasting up to 2.5 hours (clock time) in duration and only one interrupt per night at the 4m. The Fructher et al. program has priority for near-IR imaging requests on a given night and only one of the two programs may be triggered on a single night without the approval of the KPNO Director.

Call-up Procedure -- Triggering a ToO Observation

Whom the PIs (or their designate, e.g. Co-Is) should contact to initiate the process of triggering an approved observation for their Target of Opportunity Program depends on the local (Arizona) time at which they are trying to make initial contact. In general, the goal is to put the ToO program into direct contact with the observers using the telescope and instrument that the ToO program is approved to use. We also want the observatory (KPNO) to be able to track the activation of the program. KPNO also can help with the communication between the teams and in helping to make sure that data makes it from the telescope to the ToO teams.

Before contacting anyone, the PI or contact from the ToO program will check the KPNO telescope schedule to verify that the telescope/instrument they want to use is available (i.e. it is a NOAO scheduled night as described above). They will then follow the procedure below depending on the time/day of attempting contact.

If making the initial contact to trigger the program needs to be done outside of normal observing hours and falls between 08h00 and 16h00 MST on a weekday, those triggering their program should email Mike Merrill, head of Mountain Scientific, and Buell Jannuzi, Acting Director of KPNO. If a response it not made in a timely manner (< one hour), then KPNO Observing Support office (520-318-8135) or the Mountain (520-318-8600) may be contacted and the request made to be placed in contact with Merrill or Jannuzi. If both Merrill and Jannuzi are not reachable, Steve Howell is an additional possible contact.
Between 16h00-08h00 MST weekdays or any time on weekends, they should instead try to contact an Observing Assistant at either the 4m (520-318-8620) or WIYN telescopes (520-318-8760), as appropriate for the trigger (e.g., if observations are being requested from the 4m, call the 4m). If observations are being requested from the 2.1m, please call the 4m OA. If you can not reach the 4m OA, you may call the 2.1m directly. Note that between 16h00 and 18 degree twilight it is likely that reaching the OA will be difficult, but that if anyone is reachable it will be one of the observers. Even if the ToO program ends up reaching the scheduled observer before one of the OAs, we request that the ToO program contact does follow-up later to make sure the OA knows that a ToO program trigger request has been made. We ask the OA to email both Merrill and Jannuzi that such a request has been made, including the name of who requested the ToO and the program ID.
If the OA is the first person contacted by the ToO program and the OA has verified that the request is coming from an approved program (Fruchter et al. or Hartmann et al. for 2006B), then the OA should put the person representing the ToO program in direct contact with the observer, after explaining to the observer that an approved ToO program observation is being requested. The OA should take care to note the time that observations for the ToO program begin. This is defined to be the time that observing stops for the scheduled program (i.e. start of slew to new position) and when time resumes (end of slew from ToO target back to scheduled program target). These times should be emailed to Merrill and Jannuzi. If the observations are being taken at the 2.1m, the 4m OA should make clear to the observer that they should note when observations start and end for the ToO program and communicate these times to the OA (who should then pass these times on to Merrill and Jannuzi).
The PI or his designate should email KPNO Director (jannuzi@noao.edu) each time a request is made for observations, indicating at which telescope(s) observations had been requested.

Data Taking

The current observer will be asked to take the ToO data following the detailed recipe furnished by the calling team. If the observer does not feel capable of making the observations, the OA (4m and WIYN only) may be requested to make the observations, assuming that the OA has had adequate experience with the instrument. The appropriate instrument, telescope, and/or observatory scientists may be contacted by the OA for assistance/guidance. Mike Merrill and/or Buell Jannuzi may be contacted to clarify any confusion or misunderstanding over appropriate action to take. To avoid extra effort, we recommend that calibration data (such as flat field exposures) taken by the observers be shared with the ToO team.

Any images taken specifically for a ToO program should be identified with the NOAO proposal number (e.g. 06B-0561 or 06B-0594) to make it easier to identify in the NOAO data archive.

If no one is available to take the data, the OA may have to notify the ToO team that we cannot support the request for that night, but should consult with Merrill or Jannuzi before stopping efforts to obtain the data.

Guidance for performing ToO observations with specific instruments:

SQIID: SQIID Target of Opportunity
FLAMINGOS: FLAMINGOS Target of Opportunity
NEWFIRM: NEWFIRM Target of Opportunity

Data Distribution

On the morning following the observations, the KPNO will arrange with the scheduled observer to have transfered the files to a location from which the data may be transfered by sftp or other agreed upon protocal to the home machine of the ToO program.

The current Protocol for ToO data distribution can be found at Target of Opportunity (ToO) data files.