Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF Telescopio Nazionale Galileo 28°45'14.4N 17°53'20.6W 2387.2m A.S.L.

AOT 38 TNG REM Call for Proposal. Deadline 18.05.2018


CALL FOR PROPOSAL TNG & REM also featuring LONG-TERM PROGRAMS, GTO and NOT-TIME

AOT 38 (2018B) is now open for proposals

Applications for observing time for the period

October 1st, 2018 - March 31st, 2019

are solicited and should be submitted by
Friday, 18th May, 2018, 12:00 UT



The available time offered at TNG via INAF-TAC is 12 (twelve) nights in the AOT38 semester.
A detailed schedule breakdown is reported at the bottom.

We will be accepting (few) Director Discretionary Time proposals during the whole semester, which will be judged by the TNG staff in few days. These observations will be performed in Service Mode only.

TNG is a 3.58m optical/infrared telescope located at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in the island of La Palma (Canary Islands). Its primary mirror is corrected by Active Optics and it is equipped with instruments for imaging and spectroscopy, spanning the optical and near infrared wavelengths range.
The offered instruments are: HARPS-N, NICS, DOLORES and GIANO-B (GIANO in Nasmyth B).
The observing mode GIARPS, simultaneously combining HARPS-N and GIANO-B, is also offered (see below).
For details, visit http://www.tng.iac.es

REM is a 60 cm robotic telescope located at La Silla ESO site (Chile) which can observe simultaneously with a visible and an infrared camera. The observations will be carried out in unmanned, queuing mode. INAF-TAC will allocate 1000 hours of observations.
REM is equipped with ROS2 visible camera and REMIR infrared camera. The two are observing simultaneously thanks to a dichroic.
ROS2 will produce simultaneous images in the four Sloan-like passbands g, r, i, z. Charged time is therefore not the sum of ROS2 and REMIR but the highest of the two.
For details, see http://www.rem.inaf.it

NOT is a 2.56-m telescope, also located at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, next to the TNG. Offered instruments are ALFOSC (UV-optical imaging, polarimetry and low-resolution spectroscopy), NOTCam (NIR imaging, polarimetry and low-resolution spectroscopy), FIES (High-resolution, high-stability optical spectroscopy), MOSCA (High-resolution, high-efficiency UV-optical imaging), STANCam (Standby CCD imager).
For details, se http://www.not.iac.es
The Italian community can ask 20 (twenty) nights on the basis of the exchange time agreement (see below).

FORMS

Application forms and detailed instructions can be downloaded from the TNG web pages ( http://www.tng.iac.es/submit.html).

Further important information for the proposal preparation is reported at http://barolo.tng.iac.es/call/info.html

All proposals will be judged strictly on their scientific merit.

NOTICE FOR AOT 38

LARGE PROGRAMS AT TNG

In the era of mature 8m-class telescopes, and with 40m-class telescopes approaching the event horizon, it is mandatory to define compelling scientific programs that justify the investments that the Italian astronomical community is making to maintain TNG operative and competitive. In the AOT37 call we offered the possibility to run Large Programs. Two Large Programs are now using the GIARPS configuration at the rate of 47 nights per semester.

Large Program proposals cannot be submitted answering the AOT38 call. The PIs of ongoing Large Programs are not requested to send a progress report in this call.

LONG-TERM PROGRAMS at TNG

In this call TNG opens observing time to less time-demanding programs, but still having the need to extend over a few consecutive semesters to be completed and/or to ensure the necessary follow-up.

The "Long Term" programs must be able to strictly address major open problems in modern astrophysics, characterizing the TNG role in the next 1-2 years. The basic features of these "Long Term" programs are:

  • All topics in modern astronomy are eligible.
  • Programs can only use any of the permanently instrument installed and commissioned on TNG: DOLORES, NICS, HARPS-N, GIANO-B, also in the so-called GIARPS mode.
  • Programs may extend up to 3 semesters, and use a maximum of 30 hours per semester.
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) and least 50% of the participants must be affiliated to a Italian Institutions. In the field of optical/infrared observations of Target of Opportunity objects, a worldwide collaboration is particularly encouraged. We emphasize the possibility to submit joint proposals between the Italian and Nordic communities in the framework of the common TNG-NOT offer (see below), thus exploiting the simultaneous use of NOT and TNG.
  • The INAF-TAC can reduce a Long-Term Program to normal one to be executed in a single semester.
Depending on the number of the accepted Long-Term programs, the next TNG call could be opened on a 1-year basis.

GIARPS, the new observational mode at TNG

Using a dichroic the light from the telescope is split into visible and infrared. The former feeds as usual HARPS-N, the latter is beamed into the new preslit of GIANO-B.
The slit of GIANO-B will is directly feed through a new optical relay instead of the previous fiber fed preslit. For efficiency and for overheads, please use the old GIANO page and recipe to prepare your proposals. They will serve as upper limit.
You are also encouraged to contact the special helpdesk at giano-b@tng.iac.es.

For those proposals wishing to use the dual GIARPS mode, please check both HARPS-N and GIANO-B boxes in the submission form, and state this clearly in the text. Proponents must also report the respective total HARPS-N and GIANO-B observing times. The greater value will constitute the effective time requested of the proposal.

GIARPS is offered in shared risk, best effort basis. As a backup solution, please indicate the preferred instrument.

NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS APPLY

INAF-TAC is receiving only Italian proposal for TNG, defined as PI and at least half of participants being affiliated to an Italian Institution. Non Italian proposals should be submitted with the OPTICON TransNational Access program.
Special treatment is given to Nordic countries as explained in the next item.
The Nationality restriction does not apply to REM proposals.

COMMON OFFER FOR OBSERVING TIME TNG-NOT

The astronomical communities of Italy, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden may apply for reserved observing time offered jointly on the TNG and NOT telescopes. Rules for applicants may be found here.
Accordingly, Italian scientists can now submit normal observing proposals to the NOT, and vice versa. Nordic astronomers will have access to 10 TNG nights; proposals will be evaluated by the INAF-TAC. Italian astronomers will have access to 20 nights with the NOT telescope; proposals will be evaluated by the NOT-OPC. Applications must use the proposal form for the telescope they requesting.

INAF staff and Associates will benefit of the same FGG funding scheme as for TNG observations.



AOT 38 TIME BREAKDOWN

For sake of completeness and clarity we report here the foreseen TNG-time breakdown for the AOT38 semester:

  • 47 nights ongoing INAF Large Programs
  • 40 nights Harps-N Consortium GTO
  • 31 nights Spanish CAT
  • 10 nights OPTICON H2020 TransNational Access
  • 8 nights CCI International Time Program
  • 10 nights TNG-NOT joint call (this call)
  • 12 nights for the INAF-TAC (this call)

REM available time is 1000 hours.