ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011

Transcription

1 NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 The Dark Energy Camera (DECam) focal-plane with all 74 science-grade CCDs installed. The fully depleted, backilluminated CCDs were made at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and packaged, tested, and installed at Fermilab. DECam commissioning on the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope is scheduled to occur during semester 2012A. Image Credit: Juan Estrada/Fermilab Submitted to the National Science Foundation Pursuant to Cooperative Support Agreement No. AST , Article 3-A Cooperative Agreement No. AST Also published on the NOAO Web site: NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation

2 National Optical Astronomy Observatory Annual Progress Report for FY 2011 (Covers October 1, 2010 June 30, 2011) Submitted to the National Science Foundation Pursuant to Cooperative Support Agreement No. AST July 30, 2011 Contents 1 OBSERVATORY MANAGEMENT Summary of Observatory Activity Organization and Key Management Changes NOAO DIVISIONS NOAO South Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory NOAO South Facility Operations Central Facilities Operations Computer Infrastructure Services South NOAO South Safety Report (Q3) NOAO North Kitt Peak National Observatory NOAO North Facility Operations Central Facilities Operations Computer Infrastructure Services NOAO North Safety Report (Q3) NOAO System Science Center System User Support Science Data Management System Community Development Observing Proposal Statistics NOAO System Technology Center System Instrumentation ReSTAR Instrumentation Telescope System Instrumentation Program LSST Technology Program GSMT/ELT Technology Program NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Central Administrative Services i

3 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY Office of Science Education and Public Outreach NOAO Director s Office ARRA Infrastructure Renewal FY11 BUDGET SUMMARY USAGE OF ARCHIVED DATA GRANTS ii

4 1 OBSERVATORY MANAGEMENT 1.1 SUMMARY OF OBSERVATORY ACTIVITY From FY 2011 (FY11) NSF base funding, NOAO plans to deliver and/or enable: Operation and maintenance of NOAO facilities in Tucson and on Kitt Peak (Mayall 4-m, WIYN 3.5-m, and 2.1-m telescopes). Status: On-going. Details are provided in section 2.2 NOAO North. Operation and maintenance of NOAO facilities in La Serena (including the AURA recinto compound) and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón (Blanco 4-m and SOAR 4.1-m telescopes). Status: On-going. Details are provided in section 2.1 NOAO South. Scientific user support services and community development activities for the non-noao facilities within the US Optical/Infrared (O/IR) System, especially the Gemini Observatory. Status: On-going. Details are provided in section 2.3 NOAO System Science Center. Initial science operations for a ground-layer adaptive optics system with laser guide star for the SOAR 4.1-m telescope (and an associated imager). Status: Delayed into FY 2012 (FY12). As described in section System Instrumentation, onsky commissioning revealed problems with the laser guide star image quality and polarization control that in turn reduces artificial star flux below acceptable levels. Parts of the Laser Launch Telescope are undergoing re-design and re-implementation to resolve these problems. Relocation of the NEWFIRM wide-field infrared imager from the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope to the KPNO Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: After further analysis of scheduled activities at Blanco, it became clear that NEWFIRM could stay at Blanco for several more months to allow additional usage of this popular instrument. Currently, NEWFIRM redeployment is scheduled for the first quarter (Q1) of FY12. See section Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory for details. Continued preparation at the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope and by the NOAO Science Data Management program for the arrival of the Dark Energy Camera. Status: The Blanco preparation is on-schedule and will be completed well in advance of the arrival of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam). Data management preparations on the NOAO side were delayed due to late delivery of software modules from the Dark Energy Survey Data Management (DESDM) project team at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). See section for details. New detector system controllers for various instruments on Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo based on the MONSOON/TORRENT development program. Status: Work on the new detector system controllers is proceeding more slowly than planned, but the delivery rate will accelerate during the last part of FY11 and will not hinder any ongoing instrumentation projects. Program and scientific management support of various ReSTAR Phase 1 projects. Status: Steady state. See section 2.4 NOAO System Technology Center for details. 1

5 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Design and development activity for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), including telescope systems and on-site support facilities. Status: On-going. Details for the first half of FY11 are provided in reports previously submitted to the NSF: NOAO Quarterly Scientific Report (1) FY 2011 and NOAO Quarterly Scientific Report (2) FY Complete details will be provided in the NOAO FY 2011 Fiscal Year Annual Report to be submitted in November Preparations for re-engagement with the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and/or Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), as defined by NSF. Status: No action. In early FY11, NSF requested that NOAO cease acting as the GSMT program manager for NSF, so that NSF could take up this role directly. The NSF has not yet announced its strategy for federal investment in GSMT. When it does, NOAO will return to the GSMT reengagement. In the meantime, NOAO scientists and engineers are serving on review panels as invited by the various projects and as NOAO duties permit. Science data management services that are focused on immediate NOAO needs, including science operations of the Dark Energy Camera and WIYN One Degree Imager. Status: On-going. Deliveries to date include a mix of infrastructure improvements (e.g., NOAO Science Archive interface, core IRAF) and project-oriented work such as the Virtual Astronomical Community (VAO), DECam, and the One Degree Imager (ODI). See section Science Data Management for details. Education and Public Outreach program that is focused on critical, local activities and needs while maintaining a national (global) perspective through targeted, innovative programs. Status: On-going. Highlights of the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program include Arizona Galileoscope Star Parties, a worldwide citizen-science dark skies awareness program, and participation in major teacher training programs in Chile. See section 3.3 Education and Public Outreach for details. Technical support and program management required for instrumentation development funded through supplementary budget allocations. Status: On-going. See section 2.4 NOAO System Technology Center for details. Administrative and facility operations services necessary for an organization with more than 350 employees at two geographically distributed sites. Status: On-going. See section 3.1 Central Administrative Services for administrative/business service and for facility operations, see sections NOAO South Facility Operations and NOAO North Facility Operations. Most American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) work completed this period was related to facility improvement activities; see section 3.5 ARRA Infrastructure Renewal for details on those projects. From FY11 NSF supplementary funding, NOAO plans to deliver and/or enable: Major deferred maintenance catch-up and infrastructure improvement program (so-called stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Status: On-going. Many individual projects were completed during this period. See section 3.5 ARRA Infrastructure Renewal for details. Annual REU programs in Tucson and La Serena. 2

6 OBSERVATORY MANAGEMENT Status: Six students (two men and four women) participated in NOAO North (KPNO, Tucson) REU program. Three students (two men and one woman) participated in the NOAO South (CTIO, La Serena) REU program. The current award for the KPNO REU program expires after NOAO hosts the 2012 cohorts. Recently, NOAO received a new award to fund a La Serenabased CTIO REU program for FY At least one PAARE partnership in Tucson, with the possibility of a second partnership in Tucson and a new partnership in La Serena. Status: Our current PAARE partners (South Carolina State University and Vanderbilt/Fisk University) did not send us any students this year. Additional design and development activity for LSST. Status: On-going. A complete report of activities will appear in the NOAO FY 2011 Fiscal Year Annual Report to be submitted in November Commissioning and release of an upgraded optical detector system for the Mosaic-1 imager at the Mayall 4-m telescope (ReSTAR Phase 1). Status: Completed. See section Kitt Peak National Observatory for details. Completing construction of a new, medium-resolution optical spectrograph for the Mayall 4-m telescope (KOSMOS) (ReSTAR Phase 1) (commissioning in FY12). Status: Progressing well. See section ReSTAR Instrumentation for details. Mostly completing construction of a new, medium-resolution optical spectrograph for the Blanco 4-m telescope (COSMOS) (ReSTAR Phase 1) (complete construction and commission in FY 12). Status: Progressing well. See section ReSTAR Instrumentation for details. Start of new medium-resolution near-infrared spectrograph for Blanco 4-m telescope (TripleSpec) (ReSTAR Phase 1). Status: Started. See section ReSTAR Instrumentation for details. Continued community access to the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory (ReSTAR Phase 1). Status: Continued. See section System User Support for details. Continued instrumentation development support for non-noao 6- to 10-m facilities in return for community access (TSIP). Status: Continued. See sections System User Support and Telescope System Instrumentation Program for details. Participation in development of scientific user support services for the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO). Status: During this period, NOAO delivered: (a) Web- and -based system for VAOinternal issue tracking and project management; (b) internal standards for code guidelines, testing procedures, and documentation; (c) VAO newsletter; (d) a User Forum; and (e) a redesigned Web site. NOAO is currently preparing for a VAO summer school. All scheduled work was delivered on time. 3

7 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 On a cost-recovery basis, NOAO also plans to deliver and/or enable: Technical and facility operations support services for tenant and/or partner observatories on Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, Cerro Pachón, and Cerro Las Campanas. Status: On-going as described in sections 2.1 NOAO South and 2.2 NOAO North. 1.2 ORGANIZATION AND KEY MANAGEMENT CHANGES The organizational structure as presented in the NOAO Annual Program Plan FY 2011: During this reporting period, there were no significant changes in NOAO organization or management. 4

8 NOAO DIVISIONS 2 NOAO DIVISIONS 2.1 NOAO SOUTH Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Program Accomplishments Dark Energy Camera Preparations The fiscal year 2011 (FY11) began with the arrival in October of the first major pieces of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) system, the ƒ/8 handling system. This is one of the larger shipments, containing the large metal structural pieces that form a stable platform for mounting and dismounting the delicate ƒ/8 mirror from the Blanco 4-m telescope once DECam is installed. Assembly of the ƒ/8 platform was completed in January by a visiting team from Fermilab with support from CTIO staff. In parallel, significant work has been accomplished on the infrastructure to support DECam. Perhaps the most visible to visiting astronomers is the new Blanco console room and associated computer room (Figure 1, right). The previous facilities needed to be refurbished to provide both the work space and the computer room support for the computers and monitors needed to operate the DECam and future Blanco instruments. Figure 1: The before (left) and after (right) photos of the Blanco control room. The left side of the after photo includes the eight-screen computer display for the DECam user console. Work also continued in less visible aspects of the Blanco infrastructure, including upgrades to the Blanco cooling systems and the Blanco telescope control system (TCS). The TCS work requires careful test cycles in order not to impair seriously the ongoing use of the telescope and has, therefore, progressed slowly with a mix of regular daytime testing and occasional engineering nights for full-scale telescope operations testing on the sky. Problems were identified and resolved in the TCS system, and we look forward to converting to the new system by the end of this fiscal year. The cooling system required the purchase and installation of a new 40-ton compressor to provide much needed additional cooling capacity, as well as extensive work on the glycol lines throughout the 4-m telescope building. This work experienced setbacks due to delays in delivery of the new compressor and installation problems, but it appears it will be functional in the fourth quarter (Q4) of FY11. Also in Q4, the DECam-specific cooling components will be installed by Fermilab and CTIO staff. The telescope itself also received significant attention during the third quarter (Q3) of FY11. In March, the Blanco 4-m telescope was shut down for realuminization of the primary mirror. This was 5

9 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Figure 2: DECam cage and camera on telescope simulator at Fermilab. Figure 3: Science grade CCDs installed in camera vessel of DECam. the first realuminization of the mirror in more than five years. In preparation for this event, key components of the aluminization chamber were replaced using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). For the first time in the lifetime of the telescope, no broken radial supports were discovered when the mirror was removed, demonstrating that the FY10 project/milestone of redesigning and replacing the mirror support system was a solid success. The newly refurbished aluminization chamber performed well, resulting in a 100-nm-thick aluminum coating as near to perfect as could be expected (optimal is between 70 and 120 nm), providing reflectivity closely matching that of pure aluminum. During this shutdown, redesigned mirror cooling ducting around the primary mirror also was installed as the key component to the Blanco Environmental Control System. DECam preparations progressed at a rapid pace at other sites as well. In Stanford, the new Radiometric All Sky Infrared Camera (RASICAM) was completed and shipped to Chile. It was installed on a newly prepared platform on Cerro Tololo in June by two Stanford staff with support from CTIO staff. There also was impressive progress on the DECam filters in Japan, despite the disasters there. As of late June, two of the five filters had been accepted and shipped to Chile, and by July another had been completed. The optics of DECam suffered delays in coatings, but are now all at University College London where they are being mounted and aligned. The current hope is for shipment in early October. Finally, the cage and camera have been thoroughly tested at Fermilab on a telescope simulator (Figure 2) in advance of shipping. At the end of Q3 the science grade CCDs were successfully installed in the DECam camera vessel (Figure 3) and are undergoing final testing before shipment. Scientific preparations for DECam and the Dark Energy Survey (DES) also continued in parallel with all of the technical work described above. Tucson staff from the Science Data Management (SDM) group participated in testing of the initial development runs of the DECam Community Pipeline and collaborated on identifying areas for improvements. The DES consortium ran pipeline reductions on simulated data, and the science working groups analyzed those data to provide feedback on the development of the DES Data Management (DESDM) system. Finally, NOAO is preparing to host a workshop in Tucson for the astronomical community to discuss and develop the science interest in using DECam and to provide input into the operational planning. SOAR Adaptive-Optics Module The SOAR Adaptive-Optics Module (SAM) continued to make solid progress toward commissioning. Work in the laboratories on the main module was completed in October, and the module, together with the new SAM Imager (SAMI), was delivered to the SOAR telescope in November 6

10 NOAO DIVISIONS while lab work continued on the laser guide star (LGS) system. In November and December, commissioning of the SAM Natural Guide Star (NGS) mode was completed. While SAM will not be offered to the astronomical community in NGS mode, these tests were critical to confirm the performance of the system. Late in the first quarter (Q1) of FY11, integration, alignment, and testing of the components of the SAM LGS system were completed in the optics laboratory in the CTIO La Serena facilities, and the system was installed on the telescope at the end of January. The LGS system consists of a laser box, beam transfer optics, and a laser launch telescope (LLT). The documents on laser safety were finalized and permission to launch the laser from the Laser Clearing House (formerly US Space Command) was obtained for the March engineering run. On 15 March 2011, the SAM ultraviolet laser was propagated for the first time on the sky. The next night, March 16, the pointing of the LLT was fine-tuned and the first images of laser spots produced by a laser guide star on the SAM Wave Front Sensor were obtained. During the next engineering run, on April 14, the SAM team closed the loop with SAM, firing the laser to create an artificial star that was then captured on the Wave Front Sensor and used to calculate the distortion caused by the first 7 km of atmosphere above the SOAR telescope. Work continues on commissioning the SAM LGS mode and mapping out the work to be done before scientific observations can begin. Status of FY11 Milestones Complete commissioning of the Blanco telescope control system (TCS) upgrade, which provides for faster and more reliable operations of the telescope and allows for more effective use of all of the new instrumentation that is arriving over the next few years. Status: Commissioning of the Blanco TCS continues in a step-by-step manner, using both daytime tests and limited engineering time for nighttime tests. In the second quarter (Q2) of FY11, the project reached a major milestone by demonstrating the full control loop: integrating the tape encoders, motor controllers, and the new TCS kernel. Issues of noise in the system and fine control of the pointing were discovered during tests in Q2 and resolved in Q3, when dome control and coordination with other systems also were confirmed. Tests will continue through the end of the fiscal year, with a final test run scheduled in September 2011 and use of the new TCS on a nightly basis planned for October Complete the infrastructure improvements necessary for installation and operations of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), including expansion of the control and computer rooms in the Blanco building, and the upgrade and modernization of the Blanco Environmental Control System. Status: The new Blanco control room was completed in February, providing both ample desktop space and screen real estate for operating the next generation of Blanco instrumentation. The work on the Blanco computer room was completed in April, including new cooling systems to handle the many computer systems required for the NEWFIRM wide-field infrared imager, DECam, and future instruments. The central component of the Blanco Environmental Control System, the air duct system for cooling the 4-m primary mirror, was installed during the March telescope shutdown, and work will continue during Q4 to upgrade the associated airflow control systems. Assemble and install the DECam and associated structures, including a new /8 handling station, a new filter changing station, and a large-scale cooling system to cool the camera. Status: The f/8 handling station was the first major DECam component to arrive in Chile. It arrived in October 2010 and was installed in January 2011 by a team visiting from Fermilab along with CTIO staff support. Work on the Blanco cooling system ramped up in Q2 with a con- 7

11 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 tract to refurbish the glycol lines with new valves and purchase a new 40-ton cooling compressor. In Q3, the new compressor was installed, but problems were found in the Freon systems and they are currently under repair. The DECam-specific cooling system components arrived from Fermilab in late Q3, and a joint team of Fermilab and CTIO staff will install them in Q4. The new filter changing station was delayed, but it should arrive in late Q4 or early FY12. Complete commissioning of the Natural Guide Star mode of the SOAR Adaptive Module (SAM) on the SOAR 4.1-m telescope, including commissioning of the SAM Imager (SAMI). Status: SAM was reinstalled on the SOAR telescope in November, together with the SAM Imager (SAMI). The Natural Guide Star (NGS) mode and SAMI were tested extensively during onthe-sky engineering nights in both November and December. The NGS commissioning was completed at that point. While SAMI performed well, some final tuning of electronics and software has been done, and further tests are needed before the imager s commissioning is considered complete. Install the laser guide star (LGS) system on the SOAR telescope, achieve a laser guide star, and commission the LGS mode of SAM. The LGS mode is the only mode to be offered to visiting astronomers, thus, commissioning of this mode will include testing the system under a variety of observing conditions and ensuring that the user interface is ready to be used by visiting astronomers. Status: The SAM LGS system was installed on the SOAR telescope in January. After extensive work in the dome and coordination with the Laser Clearing House (formerly US Space Command) to ensure safety of satellites, the laser was launched out of the dome for the first time on 15 March 2011, and on March 16, laser spots on the SAM Wave Front Sensor were obtained for the first time. On April, 14, the SAM team closed the adaptive optics loop, obtaining significant image quality improvements even in sub-optimal conditions for adaptive optics work, e.g., full width half-maximum of 0.63 and 0.47 in closed-loop for the y- and I-band respectively, as compared to 1.03 and 0.85 in open-loop. Commissioning continues during monthly SOAR engineering runs. Work on resolving issues and continued commissioning is planned well into FY12. Provide support for the commissioning of the three 1-m telescopes of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGTN) and possibly other new tenant facilities. Status: The LCOGTN telescope arrival was postponed in order to provide additional time for testing the LCOGTN system at LCO headquarters in Santa Barbara, California. The platforms were prepared and ready in early FY11. The snap-together enclosures should arrive in mid- Q4, and CTIO will coordinate contract workers to support the construction of the enclosures, installation of the domes, and connections to the utility and other infrastructure. Ship NEWFIRM back to Kitt Peak for re-installation on the Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: Planning for removing NEWFIRM from the Blanco 4-m telescope, packing it, and shipping it to Tucson has been finalized. The instrument scientist prepared a plan and schedule that ensures: (a) the maximum availability of NEWFIRM on the Blanco in 2011 and (b) the arrival of NEWFIRM in Tucson with enough time to do thorough maintenance, repairs, and testing before making it available to visiting astronomers on the Mayall 4-m telescope around February 2011, the beginning of semester 2012A. Due to slippage in the schedule for installation of the DECam and the development of this packing and shipping schedule, NEWFIRM could be scheduled on the Blanco 4-m telescope for two more months, through mid-october. Therefore, the actual shipment will not take place in FY11, but rather in early November

12 NOAO DIVISIONS NOAO South Facility Operations Central Facilities Operations Program Accomplishments The first quarter of FY11 was highlighted by extensive work on contracts for two infrastructure repair and modernization projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA): Cerro Pachón kitchen/dining room facility and Cerro Tololo dormitories repair/renovation. Final plans for the new Pachón kitchen/dining room facility ARRA project were completed and sent out for bid. Bids and contract negotiations within the limited project budgets have been complicated by Chile s extremely favorable economic landscape, which includes rising copper prices, a falling dollar against the peso, and the significant impact of reconstruction necessitated by the February 2010 earthquake. An agreement on the contract for the Pachón kitchen/dining room was reached in late December and construction began in January. Elements of the work on the Tololo dormitories ARRA project were begun in February, including repairs to the roofs of all three dormitories. Extensive construction and repair work on Tololo dormitories must wait, since they are needed to house Pachón staff until the Pachón facilities are completed. The NOAO South Central Facilities Operations (CFO-S) group completed the installation of the electric backup generator (an ARRA-funded project) for the shared facilities (e.g., dormitory, kitchen, and support facilities) on Cerro Pachón. This new generator will provide power during commercial power outages, particularly a concern during the winter months when staff must stay in the dormitories in adverse conditions. The CFO-S group reinstalled the rebuilt frequency converter (also an ARRA- funded project) in the Cerro Tololo power house. This is one of the most critical components of the CTIO electric grid, one which was damaged in August 2009 and had required operations using the backup converter, and occasionally the generator, for more than a year. The other major work in Q2 was the first blast on the future site for LSST. Prior to the event, contracts for the preservation of flora and fauna were executed in compliance with the plans described in the Environmental Impact Assessment filed on behalf of LSST. Significant effort was also invested in ensuring that the blasting would not have a deleterious impact on the operations of nearby telescopes (Gemini and SOAR). On March 8, at 12:56 pm Chilean time, the first large explosion officially marked the beginning of site leveling. The blast broke up ~320 cubic meters of material. Blasting continued through June and is almost completed (see Figure 4 on page 12). Most of this leveling work was halted in late Q3, when the site was hit by one of the worst snow storms in over ten years. Three storms in less than two weeks left snow drifts of over 1 m on Pachón, extensive road damage, downed power lines, and failed pumps in the water systems and emergency diesel generator systems. Several sections of the road were washed away, significantly eroded, or partially blocked by falling rocks and landslides. The mountain water supply was exhausted during this period, leaving facilities on both Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón without water for a roughly 24-hour period before our team could replenish supplies by trucking water up from the valley. Both mountaintops had to rely on emergency generators for electricity for much of the second half of June. CFO-S worked overtime to make emergency repairs to many systems and will spend most of Q4 (at least) repairing the damages and replacing critical damaged equipment. Status of FY11 Milestones Complete phase 3 of the Cerro Pachón dormitory and dining facility. This third phase includes a kitchen, dining area, and multi-purpose area that can be used for meetings as well as to meet future needs such as expanded dining facilities. This project is fully funded from ARRA funds. 9

13 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Status: Commencement of this project was delayed by three months due to higher than expected cost and funding limitations. Complex negotiations for the contract for phase 3 were completed in December, and construction began in January. The construction was scheduled to last for six to seven months, to be completed in late June or early July. Extremely bad mountain conditions forced work to stop during June. Work will be resumed in late August and, hopefully, the initial contract will be completed by the end of the fiscal year. Interior finishing will then begin and will last through December Complete refurbishment of the dormitory and dining facilities on Cerro Tololo, including major repair efforts at two of the three dormitory buildings and upgrades to the third dining/dorm facility. This is an ARRA-funded project. Status: The first phase of refurbishment involved repairs to and recoating of the roofs of all three of the dormitory facilities as well as the Round Office Building. This was completed in Q2. Bidding documents for interior repairs and refurbishment were prepared in Q3. Actual work on the interior spaces must wait until the Cerro Pachón dormitory facilities are usable (now planned for October). Begin the refurbishment of the water system that brings water up to Cerro Tololo and supplies water to the facilities on Cerro Pachón. Status: Work on the pumping systems began in Q2 but received a setback due to the harsh conditions and failures of key pumps during the bad weather of June. After the systems have been stabilized for ongoing use, the refurbishment will continue. In parallel, 14,000 feet of epoxylined steel pipe was ordered from the US to replace the old and leaking pipes that currently carry water from the valley floor to the top of Cerro Tololo. Bidding documentation for installation of these pipes is under development and will be ready as soon as conditions are reasonable for work on the pipes to begin. Remove the gasoline pump facility in La Serena; replace the gas and diesel pump station on Cerro Tololo to meet new safety and environmental regulations. Status: The gasoline pump station facility in La Serena has been completely phased out and is being prepared for removal. The installation of the new gas and diesel pump station on Cerro Tololo, which supports operations on both Tololo and Cerro Pachón, began in early Q1, with the two 22,000-liter tanks buried and ready for the last connections into the Tololo power house. However, due to conflicting certification requirements represented by Chilean government inspectors, the final phase of the work was halted to seek clarification about outstanding requirements. The clarification was issued in late Q2, and the installation was completed, although completion of the final certification formalities is still pending. Begin operations of an upgraded network connection of 1 Gbps to Santiago and to the continental US network infrastructure (Internet2 and National Lambda Rail systems). Status: Refer to section Computer Infrastructure Services South for status of this milestone. Support pre-construction activities for LSST, including removal of approximately 10 meters off of the top of the site, and preparation of the site for construction. Status: The LSST Site Preparation Contract started in January for the site leveling and platform preparation and removal of rock and construction of summit roads for the LSST on Cerro El Peñón. The work is nearing completion pending some final leveling work on the platform of the calibration telescope. 10

14 NOAO DIVISIONS Review all AURA program and tenant agreements, replacing references to AOSS with references to the NOAO South Administrative Services and Facilities Operations groups and more clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of AURA-O, NOAO South, and the programs and/or tenants themselves. Status: Refer to section 3.1 Central Administrative Services for status of this milestone Computer Infrastructure Services South Program Accomplishments The Computer Infrastructure Services South (CISS) group continued to provide day-to-day support for users at NOAO as well as supporting the Las Campanas Observatory (under contract) and managing the full AURA international network backbone to the US mainland. As mentioned in section 2.1.1, the CISS team led the planning and execution of the upgrades to the Blanco console room and Blanco computer room. The rationale was to make room and increase cooling capacity for the increased machine load imposed by the DECam computers and to provide a modern console room for more efficient and comfortable working conditions. During this process, all of the cabling and wiring from the above areas to other locations in the telescope was reviewed and reorganized for improved supportability. Prior to this change, there existed a single point failure if the air conditioning unit failed. Now there is a redundant unit to remove that failure mode. CISS underwent an internal cyber-security audit, receiving an overall good review. The resulting report pointed out various areas for security improvements, which are being resolved. Several suggestions in the report involve additional expenditure of funds and manpower, which are being studied for implementation in future fiscal year budgets. The external router for the international AURA backbone was upgraded to a switch/router, which allows taking advantage of a redundant path from La Serena to Santiago and, hence, increase the mean time between failures. Completion of this upgrade is pending a daughter-board installation to allow for monitoring of the ingress/egress of individual VLANs (virtual local area networks) to the network. Status of FY11 Milestones Begin operations of an upgraded network connection of 1 Gbps to Santiago and to the continental US network infrastructure (Internet2 and National Lambda Rail systems). Status: The infrastructure for the La Serena-to-Santiago segment of the new 1-Gbps link was completed during Q1. This link is being provided by REUNA (the Chilean equivalent of Internet2). The infrastructure included the purchase of network equipment by AURA/NOAO to be used in completing the network connections. During Q2, the new national link was tested, and it is now operational. The international segment from Santiago to Miami was delayed by problems in completing connections in Argentina and Brazil. An improved link at 155 Mbps (up from 50 Mbps) was provided (at no additional cost) in Q3 while our networking partners complete the international upgrade, which should be in place by the end of September. In the mean time, an agreement was completed with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory/Associated Universities Inc. for their use of this link in support of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array data distribution and archive operations. 11

15 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY NOAO South Safety Report (Q3) The NOAO South safety director and NOAO North risk manager continued to prepare for the safe installation of DECam on the Blanco 4-m telescope. They attended and provided risk management input at the DECam Installation & Integration Review meeting that was held on April The NOAO South safety director prepared the DECam Safety Plan, various 4-m Job Hazard Analyses, Safety Representative Inspections, Rescue Plan for Working at Heights, Group Lock Out Tag Out, other safe work procedures, and industrial hygiene studies. The safety director and risk manager worked with the CTIO manager of Engineering & Technical Services on the response to the DECam Installation Committee s report and on the New DECam Installation Plan. Practical safety training was conducted this quarter with the man in charge of housing oversight for all residents on the La Serena recinto. Topics included: emergency response for fire, earthquake, gas leaks, power failure, evacuation, and fire extinguishers, and fire hose training. An Arc Flash safety course was held for NOAO-S electrician, electronic, and safety staff on May 4 to 6, on La Serena Facilities. Work safely progressed for the LSST earthwork on Cerro Pachón (Figure 4); NOAO safety engineers helped the contractor with safety inspections and safety plans to help improve contractor safety performance. Figure 4: Site leveling work on Cerro Pachón for LSST. 2.2 NOAO NORTH Kitt Peak National Observatory Program Accomplishments The Large Science Proposal and the BigBOSS project The BigBOSS collaboration submitted a proposal in response to the Large Science Program opportunity announced previously for the Mayall 4-m telescope. Their proposal is to equip the Mayall with a highly multiplexed, wide-field, multi-object spectrograph and to undertake a large spectroscopic survey that aims to measure the expansion history of the universe and to constrain cosmological parameters. The proposed facility instrument will be available to the community through the NOAO open-access process. An external non-advocate review by 11 experts, chaired by Dr. Brian Schmidt, conducted a detailed and critical review of the proposal and provided NOAO with a report responding to many specific questions regarding the project s technical and scientific feasibility and management plan. The report was forwarded to the proposal team, as well as to NSF MPS Astronomy and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The report asserts that if BigBOSS achives [sic] its stated scientific goals, it will be a highly effective use of the Mayall Telescope in the period of , and the resulting survey would be one of the telescope s major scientific contributions during its lifetime. They went on to say that the BigBOSS spectrograph, potentially, provides a compelling new capability, enabling a wide range of front-line scientific investigations for the general user community. This is high praise indeed, given the membership of the 12

16 NOAO DIVISIONS Schmidt committee and the history and scientific achievements of the Mayall telescope! However, while the level of detail presented in the proposal was impressive, the careful and thorough review by the Schmidt committee identified several areas of scientific, technical, and management risk that need to be addressed before the project can proceed to a Conceptual Design Review. Therefore, the Schmidt committee recommended that NOAO conditionally accept the proposal subject to the satisfactory mitigation of identified risks and the successful conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with the project team, which NOAO has accepted. NOAO is hosting a meeting in the fourth quarter of FY11 with the aim of bringing together the broader scientific use cases for this instrument with the involvement of the national astronomical community. Ways to consolidate these wide ranging scientific goals into an efficient operational plan that serves the multiple interests maximally will be explored at this meeting. Mosaic 1.1 The refurbished Mosaic 1 camera (now renamed Mosaic 1.1), refitted with e2v CCD44-82 CCDs and a modern MONSOON controller, was deployed at the prime focus of the Mayall 4-m telescope and saw first light on schedule at the end of October The new detectors have much higher dynamic range (full well ~210,000 electrons), higher quantum efficiency (QE), lower read-noise, and more than a factor of seven shorter readout time (now 22 seconds). The instrument has the same physical foot print of 36 arcmin square on the sky as before, with the same pixel scale. All of the existing filters for Mosaic-1 are usable on the refurbished instrument. The associated data handling system provides users with a quick-look display for full-field images and is integrated with the NOAO data archive to automatically save backup images for retrieval by program principle investigators (PIs). The data pipeline was updated as well to allow data reduction of the new Mosaic 1.1 data format. The instrument has been in regular use since January and elicits appreciative comments from users. WIYN One Degree Imager At the request of the WIYN Board, NOAO took over leadership of development of the One Degree Imager (ODI) for the WIYN telescope. Although the opto-mechanical fabrication of ODI is nearly complete, the project has been impeded by the difficulty of producing the necessary detectors for the instrument s focal plane. The current phase, which will include continued work on the development of the detectors, exploration of remaining risks, and creation of a reliable budget and schedule for completion, will last through the rest of FY11. Recently run at the foundry was a new lot of Orthogonal Transfer Array (OTA) CCDs, which show improvement attributable to the last round of modifications in the design. Subject to a favorable review in October 2011, and pending available funds from the WIYN consortium, the ODI team plans on implementing a partially filled focal plane that will go on the telescope in 2012 as an intermediate product while the full complement of OTAs are manufactured after their design is finalized. Mayall Building Damage and Repair On February 5, immediately following a record freeze at the observatory that sent temperatures plummeting to -18 C, a very large crack appeared on one of the main support columns of the Mayall 4-m exoskeleton. The building was immediately evacuated, and thermal imaging of the columns done by observatory staff soon after discovering the crack showed columns of ice inside four of the struts, including the one that was cracked. Details on the handling of this emergency can be gleaned from the NOAO Quarterly Report FY 2011 (2). Since then, the building repairs have been completed, and the facility is back in normal operation. During the summer shutdown, weep holes are to be drilled in every single member, ac- 13

17 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 companied by a visual inspection for any signs of damage. This phase of the preventive maintenance is to guard against similar failure in the next winter. Guided by this inspection, the second phase will target any problem areas that may need more detailed attention. Structural engineering advice and planning is provided under contract by the M3 engineering firm. Site Protection The KPNO Director s Office continued to raise awareness regarding community actions to protect the quality of observatory skies for astronomical research. KPNO and NOAO were represented locally, nationally, and internationally at meetings and on working groups. The former KPNO director served on the Pima County / City of Tucson outdoor lighting code committee as they completed a proposed code update. The Town of Oro Valley adopted an update to their sign code that respects the value of dark skies while addressing business concerns. A developer for approximately 7,000 acres in and near the Town of Sahuarita consulted with observatories regarding how to preserve their special resource of dark skies. Pinal County adopted an updated outdoor lighting code to help protect dark skies as the area north of Kitt Peak but south of Phoenix continues to develop. Representatives of Arizona s astronomy community are concluding work with the Maricopa Association of Governments to develop a resource guide and pattern outdoor lighting code for communities in the Phoenix area to consider. Through interviews, talks, site tours, etc., KPNO staff supported Education and Public Outreach (EPO) programs to educate the public about the value of dark skies. First Results from the NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey The NEWFIRM Medium Band Survey (NMBS) is a project awarded time through the NOAO survey program, which uses the NEWFIRM instrument. The survey collaborators have published their first results, using observations taken at the Mayall telescope, in the Astrophysical Journal (Whitaker et al. 2011, ApJ 735:86). They present deep photometry in multiple bands from 1 to 1.8 microns, which, when combined with measurements in other wavelengths from other sources such as Galex (in the ultraviolet) and the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera in the mid-infrared, yields photometric redshifts for ~13,000 galaxies at z > 1.5 with a factor of two smaller uncertainties than those from any prior study. They are also able to see a clear bimodal color distribution between quiescent and star-forming galaxies that persists to z ~ 3, a higher redshift than has been probed so far. Dispersion in the r-process Elements among Stars in M92 Observations made in echelle mode with the WIYN Hydra and Bench spectrograph of giants in the very metal-poor globular cluster M92 have shown that the abundance of r-process elements relative to iron shows a measurable dispersion. In their paper in the Astronomical Journal (2011, AJ 142, 22), Roederer and Sneden show that while the abundance of the r-process elements are correlated with one another, they are uncorrelated with the dispersion in the light elements C, N, or Na. They argue that this indicates that the r-process dispersion existed in the gas throughout star formation. While noting that this result mimics that in the similarly metal-poor globular cluster M15, Roederer and Sneden also point out that no explanation for such an inhomogeneous distribution of r-process material is known. 14

18 NOAO DIVISIONS Kitt Peak Visitor Center The table to the right summarizes the number of visitors who participated in paid groups/programs at Kitt Peak from 1 October 2010 through 30 June On a monthly average over the same period in the previous fiscal year, there was an increase of 4% in participation of the Nightly Observing Program and an almost 9% increase in the Advanced Observing Program participation in FY11. Status of FY11 Milestones Complete the upgrade of the Mosaic-1 optical imager for the Mayall 4-m telescope, including commissioning tests. Status: Completed. Conduct and complete a proposal review for a Large Science Project for the Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: Completed. Kitt Peak Visitor Center & Tours Summary of Participants (10/1/2010 through 6/30/2011) Group/Program Finalize the design of an Instrument Handling Facility on the Kitt Peak observatory premises, and prepare for (and possibly begin) construction. Status: The design was completed. Waiting for NSF dialog with Tohono O odham Nation before construction can begin. Successfully hold the KPNO summer education programs, which include the Tohono O odham Horse Camp (organized and run by Si Johnson of the Tohono O odham Nation) and the Astronomy Camps (organized and run in collaboration with the University of Arizona Alumni Association and Don McCarthy of the University of Arizona). Status: The Horse Camp was held successfully. The Astronomy Camps began at the end of Q3 and are continuing into early Q4. Finalize plans for expanding the data bandwidth to and from Kitt Peak, consolidating the requirements and contributions from other tenants on the facility. Status: The plans were finalized. Implementation is expected to begin in Q4 of FY11. # of Participants General public tours 6,988 School groups K Special tours 408 Nightly Obs. Program 6,593 Advanced Obs. Program 92 TOTAL 14,907 Receive NEWFIRM when it returns to KPNO from CTIO. Install and re-commission it on the Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: Postponed. NEWFIRM is still operating at CTIO. The imager will return to KPNO in Q1 of FY12. 15

19 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY NOAO North Facility Operations Central Facilities Operations Program Accomplishments Figure 5: Old primary building chiller (left) and old chiller tower (right). Throughout this fiscal year, the Central Facilities Operations (CFO) staff have been focusing their efforts on several major renovation projects in Tucson and supporting the various projects funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA). In the first two quarterly periods, staff worked to finalize the La Quinta meeting room renovations, renovations to the National Solar Observatory (NSO) basement library area, and renovate another laboratory space following replacement of a main sprinkler valve. In addition, efforts were ongoing for the development of bid specifications for the replacement of a primary building chiller, the PBX system replacement for the Tucson headquarters, and supporting reviews to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed Tucson streetcar project on the operation of the Tucson facility. Other efforts during the first two periods included bidding and contractual oversight of ARRA projects for the primary Tucson electrical system modifications, replacement of the main computer room cooling system, and initial bidding efforts on the Kitt Peak water plant renovation project. During Q3 of FY11, staff supported the operational issues associated with the contracted replacement of a primary building chiller (Figure 5). This work also involved a major renovation to the chilled water piping system and extensive involvement by staff to support off-hours system shutdowns. Other efforts included replacement of package HVAC rooftop units and beginning the renovation efforts on the employee lounge facility. Staff continued to support the daily operational issues of the main facility and the various facility occupants. CFO administrative staff provided support to the building repair efforts at the Mayall 4-m telescope (see KPNO section 2.2.1) and continued to develop the bid documentation for the Kitt Peak and Tucson ARRA projects. Bid requests were put out for the second phase of work in both the main electrical system and computer room renovation efforts for Tucson. Other ARRA support efforts included revising the scope of work and rebidding the Kitt Peak water plant renovation project and preparing bid documentation for the replacement of the building energy management system (see section 3.5 for details on ARRA activities). 16

20 NOAO DIVISIONS Status of FY11 Milestones Pursue replacement of an approximately 30-year-old primary building chiller to reduce costs and maintain building cooling requirements. Status: Significant efforts were accomplished during Q3 beginning with removal of the old chiller and cooling tower. Several cooling system shutdowns were done over the last few months to install new pumps and complete the piping modifications. The new chiller is in place and the system should be brought into full operation within the next quarter. (See Figure 6.) Figure 6: Old chiller being removed (left) and new chiller installed in place (right). Complete renovations to La Quinta Conference room, begun in FY10, to provide restroom and kitchen areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Status: Completed. Initiate a program to replace the outdated PBX phone system with a new Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone system. Status: Bid proposals were obtained early in the year but, due to the high costs, the project remains on hold pending availability of sufficient funds. Potential options for the project continue to be evaluated. Continue the program to update meeting spaces and video conferencing systems. Status: Updated video conferencing systems were installed in several of the higher usage meeting spaces with the existing systems relocated to replace older, outdated units. A plan was prepared to update the main conference room carpet, cabinets, and kitchen area and the work is scheduled to take place in the coming quarter. Other meeting spaces continue to be updated as necessary to accommodate changing meeting requirements. Efforts are ongoing to update meeting space information on the CFO Web information page. Continue to support the implementation of the projects at KPNO and Tucson facilities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Status: Early phases of some ARRA projects were completed. During Q3, staff continued with development of several bid documents and obtained bids for the replacement of the building energy management system. This project was awarded and work should be ongoing in the com- 17

21 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 ing quarter. Other bid documents were developed to obtain engineering services for the next phase of renovations for the main computer room. It is anticipated that the engineering design efforts could begin in the coming quarter. Continue to make targeted renovation and building modifications at NOAO North to address building and meeting space needs. Status: With completion of other building space renovations, Staff are currently working on a renovation to the employee kitchen facility to enhance the usage. Other targeted activities are being planned to accommodate evolving organizational needs Computer Infrastructure Services Program Accomplishments The NOAO North Computer Infrastructure Services (CIS-N) staff provided service upgrades at facilities on Kitt Peak, at the Tucson Headquarters, and at the building housing the NOAO North Central Administrative Services (CAS). A new backbone Ethernet switch was installed on Kitt Peak and links from the switch to the 4-m, 2.1-m and WIYN telescope domes were upgraded from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Later, Gigabit links were established to the Solis and McMath-Pierce installations. New, quieter, Ethernet switches were installed in the modular structures atop the NOAO North headquarters building to provide a better working environment with no loss of performance. New Ethernet switches and new wireless access points were installed in the CAS building to complete the wireless coverage there. A large effort was undertaken and completed to rewire the rack holding the NOAO-Tucson backbone Ethernet switch in order to make possible future expansion and to vastly improve maintenance efforts. A Cyber Security assessment of NOAO North was arranged by AURA and took place during March. A report was presented to CIS-N in April and a response to this report was written by CIS-N staff in May. The response included a list of tasks for CIS to accomplish in the remainder of FY11 and into FY12. Status of FY11 Milestones Continue the effort to improve the cooling and power systems in the NOAO North computer lab. Status: The cooling system upgrades were completed. Work continues to tie the cooling system into the new, building management system. Planning for a backup power system continues. Upgrade the NOAO North Web server to improve speed and reliability. Status: Work continues on this project and will continue into FY12. 18

22 NOAO DIVISIONS NOAO North Safety Report (Q3) Martin Nordby and Frank O Neill from the SLAC-LSST Camera Team visited the LSST Telescope and Site Team on June The risk management progress to date was reviewed including the LSST Safety Policy Document, Approval of the LSST Hazard Analysis Procedure, the LSST Safety Web page, concept of the LSST Safety Council, and finalization of the camera room and utilities room hazard analysis. The hazard analysis of the telescope floor area was begun. The group toured Kitt Peak during their visit. In addition, the platform lift and interlocks hazard analysis was completed in Q3. ATST staff and the NOAO risk manager completed the formal response to the ATST Safety Committee s January 2011 recommendations and forwarded the report to the committee. The ATST team is planning to implement a majority of the recommendations. Fifteen employees from the engineering, Tucson and Kitt Peak facilities, and LSST groups attended an Arc Flash National Electric Code class held on April 7 in Tucson. On May 19 20, fifteen employees from Engineering, Tucson and Kitt Peak Facilities, LSST, and ATST attended a 10- hour OSHA Construction class also held in Tucson. Kitt Peak underground fuel storage tanks were inspected by an EPA contractor, no recommendations or citations were issued due to the diligent oversight of Kitt Peak Facilities staff. NOAO recently received a letter from Marine Shale Processors Site Settlement Group offering a settlement in a case involving the closing of a hazardous waste disposal site in Louisiana. This site received a shipment of hazardous waste materials from NOAO in The issue was investigated as to the authenticity and validity of the letter and it was substantiated that NOAO did, in fact, use this site for disposal. NOAO is planning to pay the $4000 settlement. A kick-off meeting was held on May 6 to discuss the safety aspects of this year s Kitt Peak summer shutdown. A safety, health, and environmental action plan was developed for the work at the Mayall telescope that will start on July 11. The NOAO export control officer, shipping and receiving lead, and risk manager improved the Foreign Travel Advisory document that is sent to employees planning to travel abroad. The Foreign Travel Advisory was added to the Insurance section of the NOAO Safety Intranet site. Selected staff from NSO, NOAO CFO, Tucson shipping and receiving, and Kitt Peak facilities safety moved NSO s SOLIS-FDP-S5T instruments from Tucson to the clam shell enclosure on Kitt Peak during the week of May 31 (Figure 7). Safe work procedures and a critical lift plan were developed by the team to ensure a successful move. Figure 7: The SOLIS-FDP-S5T instruments being loaded on a flatbed trailer for relocation to Kitt Peak. 19

23 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY NOAO SYSTEM SCIENCE CENTER Overview The NOAO System Science Center (NSSC) is the interface between NOAO and the US O/IR System, with the primary aims to strengthen the contributions of NOAO s directly managed facilities to the System, to provide user support for System facilities not managed directly by NOAO, and to anticipate and advocate for future development of the System. NSSC consists of System User Support (SUS), Science Data Management (SDM), System Community Development (SCD), as well as the TAC Phase I process. SUS provides support for users of the currently available open-access time to facilities not managed by NOAO, which covers the entire process of proposal preparation and submission and observing and post-observing data questions. SDM supports the archiving of all raw data from NOAO facilities and pipeline processing for selected instruments, as well as the data needs and support for future projects that involve NOAO. SCD maintains a broad view of the current state of the System and how community desires and needs are best mapped into the future evolution of the System System User Support Program Accomplishments System User Support (SUS) aims to help users make excellent use of those O/IR System capabilities for which NOAO provides access. SUS staff members advertise the System capabilities available to the US community, field technical questions and provide proposal technical reviews for the large majority of System capabilities, represent the US community through the Gemini International Time Allocation Committee, guide proposers through Gemini s Phase II process, help users of all System facilities prepare for their observing runs, and provide support to users seeking help with their data reduction and analysis. The ultimate test of the success of these efforts is the quality of the scientific results derived from System facility observations that appear in the published literature. Two recent results are highlighted here. Werk et al. (2011, ApJ, 735, 71, Metal Transport to the Gaseous Outskirts of Disk Galaxies ) used the Gemini North Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS-N) to measure chemical abundances in HII regions in a sample of 13 dwarf galaxies from the HI Rogues catalog that have extended or disturbed HI morphologies. The abundance measurements were performed on HII regions both inside and far outside the optical extents of the galaxies, allowing for the possible observation of the transport of metals within the galaxies. Werk et al. found oxygen abundance gradients that were essentially flat out to twice the optical radius of the galaxies, independent of the mass of the galaxies or their dynamical state. Because the ratio of gas to stars is much higher in the outer regions than in the inner regions, these flat gradients imply a higher chemical yield of oxygen in the outer regions as compared to the inner ones. Low oxygen yields in the inner regions of dwarf galaxies have previously been considered evidence that supernovae and stellar winds blow out metals from these galaxies. The discovery by Werk et al. of high yields in the outer regions of such galaxies indicates that these blown-out metals may be deposited out to larger radii in the same galaxies, rather than enriching the intergalactic medium as has previously been thought. Cooke et al. (2011, MNRAS, accepted) used Telescope System Instrumentation Program time granted through NOAO on the Keck I telescope with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) to study the chemical abundance patterns in a sample of very metal-poor damped Lyman absorption systems (DLAs). These rare DLA systems, found at redshifts ~2 z ~3.75, have iron abundances 3.5 [Fe/H] 2.0, placing them in the same metallicity range as the metal-poor stars of the Galactic halo. Cooke et al. found that in 20 DLAs the oxygen-to-iron abundance ratio has the 20

24 NOAO DIVISIONS same value as is commonly seen in metal-poor Galactic stars, [<O/Fe>] = ±0.12, with a possible rise in the ratio at the lowest [Fe/H]. This result reinforces the picture in which early Type II supernovae enrich the interstellar medium with oxygen and iron in a tightly controlled ratio. Cooke et al. also found that the carbon-to-oxygen abundance ratio rises to values approaching solar ([C/O]~0.0) in the most metal-poor DLAs, similar to what has recently been found in very metalpoor Galactic halo stars. Cooke et al. suggest that the observed DLAs will form Population II stars from their gas and speculate that the discovery of still more metal-poor DLAs could identify gas from which the as-yet unidentified Population III would form. Status of FY11 Milestones Expand the level of expertise and user support within NSSC/SUS for an increasingly broad and varied array of non-noao/non-gemini facilities. Status: SUS continued to adjust staff and responsibilities in order to provide technical support for proposals for the Keck HIRES, Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle, Hale telescope, and Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA), in addition to the fully SUSsupported Gemini capabilities. Additional System capabilities were supported technically by the partner observatories. A shared mission with NSSC/SCD is to work with the user community to advertise, advocate, and advise for the continuing evolution of the System. Status: SUS advertised, advocated, and advised for the System s capabilities through several channels in SUS maintained its strong presence at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), where SUS staff interacted with users of System capabilities, assisted Gemini users with their Phase II preparation, and advertised the System s capabilities to prospective users through personal interactions as well as prepared handouts. The SUS contributions to the NOAO Newsletter continue to appear in a single section titled System Science Capabilities, which includes all of the capabilities for KPNO/WIYN, CTIO/SOAR, Gemini (including Subaru time exchange), Keck, MMT, Magellan, and Palomar/Hale. The NSSC director prepared and released a formal Call for Proposals for the 2011A and 2011B proposal cycles, which advertised the capabilities of the System. The new NOAO Astronomers Web page was completed with content and layout edited by SUS staff to clearly present the System s capabilities to potential users. Foster close communications and a close working relationship with the Gemini Observatory as they pursue their FY11 efforts to investigate and then establish a new operations model, which is driven by the need to account for the upcoming withdrawal of the UK from the partnership. Status: SUS continued forging a close working relationship with Gemini staff at all levels in the organizational structure. The NSSC director and SUS head of program continued regular discussions with Gemini s associate director for science operations and deputy director on ways to improve user support during the transition period. SUS hosted a visit to Tucson by Gemini astronomer Kathy Roth, and SUS staff continued regular site visits to Gemini North and Gemini South in SUS made plans to provide Phase II support for the University of Hawai i Gemini users in exchange for a postdoc-level hire funded by the University of Hawai i to help; this resource exchange will improve the general level of Phase II support provided to the Gemini Observatory. SUS agreed to consider supporting the Integration Time Calculators for Gemini instruments, which are currently unsupported by anyone within the Gemini Observatory. 21

25 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Expand the role of NSSC/SUS in the NOAO TAC system by helping to define a more uniform and streamlined proposal and TAC process, which encompasses the entire NOAO-managed system of telescope access time. Status: The NOAO Time Allocation Committee (TAC) system was moved to within NSSC/SUS and has been streamlined in a number of ways. For example, NSSC now issues a formal Call for Proposals, which includes all capabilities available to NOAO proposers. Also, the process by which Gemini and Gemini exchange time is filled at the Merging TAC stage was clarified and simplified, which has made filling the US share of the Gemini queue much smoother. Finally, plans were laid to clarify the information provided in the proposal technical reviews, particularly for Gemini proposals, by the TAC. Work with the community and the relevant committees in supporting the process to procure the next set of new instruments for Gemini. Status: The NSSC-SUS efforts in organizing community input and support for defining the next set of new instruments for Gemini continue to be guided by the Access to Large Telescopes for Astronomical Instruction and Research (ALTAIR) committee report, which called for an improved Gemini instrumentation suite that is more responsive to US needs, with emphasis on rapid deployment. SUS forwarded the Announcement of Opportunity to propose for the Gemini high-resolution optical spectrograph to its user community and is staying abreast of developments on that front. NSSC began discussion with US members of the Gemini Science Committee, Gemini Board, and the Gemini Science Advisory Committee on additional future instrument needs. Continue support for US Gemini programs, with the possibility that the US share of Gemini may increase in the next few years. Status: US demand for Gemini time remains healthy, with 2011A oversubscription factors of 4.0/1.5 (Gemini North/South) and 2011B factors of 3.2/2.0 (North/South). SUS recognizes that maintaining or improving the demand for Gemini depends on continuing to develop a strong base of users who see Gemini as critical to their research as well as providing excellent support for all users. SUS thus continues to encourage classical observing on Gemini, with 20 30% of US time scheduled as classical observing runs funded by NOAO in 2011A and 2011B. SUS staff also conducted several visits to the Gemini sites. These staff visits, coupled with the support of classical observing, point to the dedication of NSSC-SUS towards building and maintaining relationships with both the US community and the Gemini Observatory Science Data Management Program Accomplishments The Science Data Management (SDM) group has had a very productive year with progress in several key areas including: End to End (E2E) system upgrades for the archive and user interface (portal), pipeline improvements for Mosaic and NEWFIRM, working collaborations for DECam and ODI data processing and reduction, and major advancements for the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO). E2E v1.6 was deployed in July with a new VO Simple Image Access (SIA) service allowing the discovery of data in the NOAO archive from any VO-compliant portal, an image cutout service, support for CO-I access to proprietary data, and a streamlined interface (Portal) to the NOAO Science Archive with improved filtering of search results and simplified forms for PIs to search and retrieve their data (Figure 8). 22

26 NOAO DIVISIONS Figure 8: New Portal interface to the NOAO Science Archive for E2E v1.6. Much effort was given to the support of current and future instrumentation. Data Handling Systems (DHS) were developed for the new Mosaic 1.1 and KOSMOS instruments, as well as a Data Transport System (DTS) for moving all DECam raw data from CTIO to the NOAO archive and the DECam Survey raw data to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). The Mosaic pipeline was updated to process data from Mosaic 1.1 and the NEWFIRM pipeline benefited from several enhancements including a Web-based operator interface for monitoring results. Members of SDM worked with the DECam Community Pipeline group at NCSA to evaluate pipeline results from data challenges and provide feedback for improving results. SDM also collaborated with WIYN and Pervasive Technology Institute (PTI) personnel to develop an E2E system for archiving and calibrating ODI data. Three members of SDM made large contributions to the VAO effort: as task lead for the User Support group in charge of training and advocacy, as deputy lead in charge of testing, and working with the Standards and Protocols group to complete the VOEvent 2.0 standard and have it ratified by the International Virtual Astronomy Alliance (IVOA). Another staff member defined and deployed a JIRA help and ticket management system for the VAO. Status of FY11 Milestones Continued operation of a functionally complete version of the SDM End-to-End (E2E) data management system, including data capture, transport, archiving, pipeline processing (Mosaic and NEWFIRM data), and user access. Status: Ongoing. The E2E v1.6 system was deployed in early July, Among its many features were the additions of VO services registered with the VAO that included a Simple Image 23

27 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Access (SIA) service, an image cut-out service, and a much improved user interface for the archive Portal. The system functions well capturing, transporting, and archiving data from all NOAO telescopes. Enhanced versions of the Mosaic and NEWFIRM pipelines continue to deliver reduced single and stacked images to the archive. Purchase and deploy the DECam Community Pipeline computer system needed to incorporate and test the DECam Community Pipeline software within the E2E system. Status: Ongoing. A DECam Community Pipeline test system was deployed with the current release of the DECam Community Pipeline. Tests are being run to evaluate the appropriate hardware required to operate the pipeline and satisfy the performance requirements as specified in the DECam Community Pipeline Software Requirements and Technical Specifications document. SDM will request bids for the computer systems according to the determined requirements in August with purchase and deployment scheduled in September. Participate in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Data Challenge 6x. Status: Completed. The DECam Community Pipeline (CP) scientist reviewed the results produced by the DECam CP group at NCSA and gave feedback to the pipeline group at NCSA. A member of SDM visited NCSA to observe the operation of the DECam Community Pipeline. Several change requests for the pipeline were identified from his observations and discussions with personnel at NCSA. These change requests were evaluated and prioritized. Provide support for the SDM Data Transport System that will be used for transporting DECam data from CTIO to NCSA and Tucson. Status: Completed. The Data Transport System (DTS) was installed at CTIO, Fermilab, and NCSA. Data from the Mock Observing Run early this year were successfully submitted to the DTS from the DECam Survey Image System Process Integration system and transported to NCSA to simulate the observing data flow. Enhancements to the DTS were completed for the DECam Integration Workshop in April. Continue support for the current NOAO science pipelines (Mosaic and NEWFIRM). Modify the Mosaic science pipeline as needed to adapt to changes that result from the Mosaic instrument upgrade to Mosaic 1.1. Status: Completed. The Mosaic Science Pipeline was updated to support the new Mosaic 1.1 instrument, and the NEWFIRM Science Pipeline continues to evolve with enhancements to the sky subtraction and a new Web-based operator interface similar to the interface created for the Mosaic pipeline. Continue ongoing work to streamline the process of search and retrieval of NOAO Science Archive data holdings, including improved filtering of archive search results. Introduce a mechanism by which principal investigators (PIs) of NOAO observing programs may grant permission for co-investigators (Co-Is) to access and retrieve proprietary data. To provide the PI with control of that Co-I data access, develop a new PI home page Portal interface for registered users who are PIs for NOAO observing programs, and provide a convenient overview of their data holdings with an improved route to accessing them. Status: Ongoing. The process of data search and retrieval using the NOAO Archive Portal was improved significantly and simplified. A new, simpler query form was introduced in August For the deployment of E2E 1.6 in FY11, the layout and functionality of the Search Results page were improved and the process of staging data for user retrieval was streamlined greatly. The intermediate stage that required manual interaction, the Access Cart, was eliminated, 24

28 NOAO DIVISIONS and the staging process was accelerated enormously. Functionality that will allow PIs of NOAO programs to grant authorized co-investigators access to the PI s archived data is currently in development. Develop a science pipeline for the WIYN One Degree Imager (ODI) to operate within the Open Grid Computing Environment (OGCE) on the Teragrid. Status: Ongoing. Three SDM staff supported several ODI Pipeline, Portal, and Archive (PPA) Use Case Workshops to better understand the software needs of the ODI user community. A prototype pipeline of limited scope was developed and SDM continues to work with PTI personnel to deploy the pipeline in the Open Grid Computing Environment. The SDM head of program serves in the ODI PPA executive group with WIYN and PTI personnel to organize and coordinate the project. All are contributing to the development of the required deliverables (documents) in preparation for an ODI PPA Critical Design Review in mid-october Ingest and pipeline-process the Data Capture Initiative (DCI) backlog of raw Mosaic data (semesters 2004B 2007B) and archive the reduced data products. Develop a plan to read and recover Mosaic data from the Save-the-Bits tape holdings for archive and potential pipeline processing. Status: Ongoing. All raw Mosaic data from the 2004B through 2007B semesters were archived and ingested. Working backwards in time, all data through semester 2006A was pipeline processed and archived. Pipeline processing for the remaining raw data (semesters 2005B, 2005A, and 2004B) will be completed by the end of the calendar year. Develop improved data delivery mechanisms to the end user. Current methods utilized by the E2E system do not scale to the high data rates of DECam and ODI data. SDM will develop alternatives to the current transfer mechanisms. Status: Ongoing. A multi-threaded download client is being created by a member of SDM for the VAO project, VO-IRAF Integration. SDM will investigate its possible use as an improved download client for the E2E system. Implement a new FITS image kernel in IRAF based on the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) CFITSIO package to improve its robustness and usability, and incorporate new features, particularly native support for tile-compressed data. Status: Ongoing. Work continues on the development of a new FITS image kernel with native support for tile compressed images in IRAF layered on the HEASARC cfitsio package. Its deployment will be merged with the current IRAF release schedule, targeted for late Develop and publish the standards and guidelines for the Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) software testing and documentation. Deploy an operational help desk and ticket tracking system. Work with the VAO community and members of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) to adopt the VOEvent 2.0 standard. (Supported by VAO grant.) Status: Completed. The VAO standards and Guidelines for Testing and the VAO Documentation Plan were completed on schedule. An unlimited license for JIRA was purchased and the VAO help and ticket tracking system was deployed. After much iteration, the VOEvent 2.0 standard was approved by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) in July. An exhibit for the VAO to showcase its planned science initiatives for 2011 was held at the Seattle AAS Conference. 25

29 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Develop a natural integration of IRAF with Virtual Observatory (VO) data and services. (Inkind effort for Virtual Astronomical Observatory.) Status: Ongoing. A member of SDM continues the development of the VO-IRAF Integration and VOClient Extensions projects as part of the Product Development group. The first phase of the project will provide support for VOTable input files in all IRAF tasks as well as general support for URL-access to remote data. There will also be improvements in the VOTable parser library as well as a restructuring of the package applications to provide a high-level interface to the command-line applications. These enhancements will be available to the community with the next IRAF release, which is targeted for late System Community Development Program Accomplishments System Community Development (SCD) has the goal of understanding community desires for the evolution of capabilities within the ground-based optical/infrared (O/IR) system and guiding the system s development to provide those capabilities. General activities include development of plans for parts of the system, such as the small and mid-size telescopes (ReSTAR), as well as a roadmap for the entire O/IR system. The three subsidiary programs described below focus efforts on community interaction with specific projects or capabilities: Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), and optical interferometry. Each of these has the goal of fostering community understanding of the corresponding set of science capabilities, promoting community engagement, and facilitating community input. LSST Science NOAO scientists have been engaged in a wide range of activities providing input to the LSST project as well as paving the path to connect the LSST Project to the wider research community. NOAO organized and managed the process for selection of new LSST science collaborations and admission of new members to existing collaborations. A panel of experts convened by NOAO evaluated the applications in December There were no proposals for new collaborations. Fourteen out of twenty-eight applicants were accepted as new members of existing collaborations. A new call will be issued for review of proposals in early FY12. The LSST Transient and Variable Stars collaboration was hosted by NOAO in Tucson in March Members of the collaboration generated light curves for many types of transient and variable objects for inclusion in the LSST data simulator. NOAO scientists participated in and contributed to the discussions. Following this meeting, NOAO scientists provided input on variable characteristics for the collaboration s simulations of variable sky content. The LSST Solar System collaboration will meet in Tucson in July NOAO scientists were key participants in the continued development of the LSST calibration plan. Data taken with the Mayall 4-m telescope were used to evaluate band-pass characteristics for the LSST y filter, and a calibration memo with recommendations was delivered to LSST. Working with the LSST Operations Simulator group, NOAO scientists continued in the definition and implementation of merit functions and metrics for characterization of simulated LSST observing schedules. On June 6, summary reports for the first five groups of merit functions were delivered to LSST science collaborations for review, and responses were received at the end of Q2 of FY11. A draft cadence requirements document was delivered by NOAO scientists to the LSST project. 26

30 NOAO DIVISIONS The NOAO variable sky project continued to develop tools to characterize the number and distribution of variable objects that will be discovered by time-domain experiments. Predictions of solar system objects are already available from a solar system model. Further classes of variable objects continue to be added. In addition, NOAO scientists continued to develop plans for a broker to assist the community in sorting transient alerts from time-domain surveys. The broker would aggregate information from other sources and provide a system for users to filter the alerts to find the specific kinds of objects that interest them. GSMT/ELT Science Since the NSF Senior Review, NOAO has been acting as the GSMT program manager on behalf of NSF. Following the release of the Astro2010 decadal survey report, the NSF decided to take direct responsibility for that role. During this reporting period, NOAO personnel have been participating in GMT and TMT meetings and reviews when invited to do so. Optical Interferometry Science Optical Interferometry (OI) staff worked with the NOAO telescope allocation process and Georgia State University to support the review of proposals for community access to the CHARA Interferometric Array, with three proposals recommended for approval and accepted; there was an oversubscription rate of 4.5. Additionally, SCD staff supported data reductions and calibrations for an FY 2010 CHARA observer. SCD staff participated in the CHARA 2011 Science Review in Atlanta, 28 February 2 March 2011, which included discussion of lessons learned during the CHARA program for community access and plans to seek funding to increase the program in the future. SCD staff worked with CHARA staff in preparation of a Georgia State University proposal for participation in the NOAO ReSTAR program. Meetings were held with staff at the US Naval Observatory, Naval Research Laboratory, and Flagstaff on the preparation of a plan for the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) to offer a trial community access program, provisionally planned for fall of 2011, pending legal review by the Navy. SCD staff participated in a steering committee for and attended and contributed to the Magdalena Ridge Observatory workshop Resolving the Future of Astronomy with Long-Baseline Interferometry held March in Socorro, New Mexico, on the campus of New Mexico Tech. This meeting attracted strong participation by scientists outside the interferometry community and featured discussion of future science directions and community access to facilities. NSSC staff presented an overview talk, Perspective on Interferometric Facilities and Community Access, which will appear in the published proceedings of the workshop. Status of FY11 Milestones Solicit and conduct the review of proposals for membership in the LSST Science Collaboration groups and for the forming of new LSST Science Collaboration groups. Status: Completed. Host working meetings of each of the LSST Science Collaboration groups. Help the chairs organize these meetings and ensure that results are effectively communicated to the LSST Project. Status: Completed. 27

31 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Continue to develop figures of merit for evaluating the effectiveness of different observing strategies for achieving key LSST science goals. This evaluation will utilize the Operations Simulator tool and integrate merit functions into simulation reports. Status: Five of six identified groups of merit functions are in final review and the sixth is in development. Deliver a draft LSST Cadence Requirements document. Status: Completed. Develop strategies for providing estimates of time-domain discoveries based on past surveys. Status: Ongoing. The solar system objects are completed. Form a new GSMT Science Working Group intended to provide advice and leadership on engagement with the community, TMT, and GMT. The working group should meet at least once in person to plan its activities in response to the Astro2010 recommendations and guidance from the NSF. Status: This is on indefinite hold until the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST) determines its strategy for federal investments in GSMT/ELT projects. Develop a white paper defining a path toward increased community access to ground-based interferometry, reflecting demonstrated community demand, and consistent with guidance from the Astro2010 decadal review and with needs and objectives of optical array facilities. Status: Completed and submitted to NSF/AST. Participate in the Steering Committee for the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) interferometry workshop, tentatively scheduled for March Status: Completed. Continue efforts to initiate development of a roadmap for the ground-based optical/infrared system with community input and participation. Status: The Terms of Reference and Charge for a Roadmap Committee was written and a committee chair was recruited. B.T. Soifer (Caltech) and B. Jannuzi (NOAO) have agreed to be chair and co-chair, respectively. Candidate members are being contacted to serve on the committee, and an initial meeting is planned for Tucson before the end of FY11. Complete the development of a proposal for Phase 2 of the NOAO program to address the recommendations of the ReSTAR committee. This will include soliciting community involvement and selecting partners for the proposal. Status: NOAO solicited community proposals to participate in ReSTAR Phase 2. A review panel met in March 2011 to review 16 submitted proposals with a value of $24M. Based on the review, NOAO selected seven community proposals work $10M. NOAO is working with each of the seven proposers to craft a proposal to the NSF, which will be submitted in Q1 FY12. 28

32 NOAO DIVISIONS Observing Proposal Statistics Observing proposal (request) statistics for time awarded through the NOAO telescope time allocation process are published on the NOAO Web site. The statistics for 2011A can be found as follows: Telescope Request Statistics 2011A: Telescope Request Statistics 2011B: The telescope request statistics provided are broken down first by observatory and then by telescope and include the number of requests (proposals), nights requested, nights allocated, nights scheduled for new programs, and subscription rates for new programs. Instrument Request Statistics 2011A: Instrument Request Statistics 2011B: The instrument request statistics provided are broken down first by observatory, then by telescope and instrument with totals by telescope and include the number of proposals, runs, total nights and dark nights; the percentage of dark nights; and the average nights/run. 2.4 NOAO SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY CENTER The NOAO System Technology Center (NSTC) is responsible for coordinating technological enhancements to the US Ground-Based Optical/Infrared System (System) by NOAO directly, in collaboration with various partner institutions, or through the Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP). As such, it takes the leadership role on technical activities within NOAO needed to realize new telescope projects or to enhance the instrument complements on existing System telescopes operated by NOAO or other entities. The NSTC incorporates five programs serving these goals: 1. System Instrumentation (SI). Oversees the direct efforts of NOAO to build new instruments or enhance the performance of existing instruments for its own telescopes, for the Gemini telescopes, and for other telescopes participating in the System 2. ReSTAR Instrumentation. Manages the implementation of NSF-funded projects for the 4-m System 3. Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP). Provides funding to other observatories for new instrumentation in return for time on their telescopes being made available to the US community through the NOAO TAC 4. LSST Technology. Provides scientific, engineering, and management support to the LSST Project and is responsible for telescope mount, enclosure design, and site work within the LSST partnership 5. GSMT/ELT Technology. Provides engineering assistance to the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) projects upon request and on a cost-recovery basis as well as oversight of the design development funding provided to the two projects under NSF SPO-10 (AST ). In prior years, and through the first half of FY11, NSTC also provided the administrative home department for the Engineering and Technical Services group in NOAO North (based in Tucson). This group worked on some NSTC projects and programs, but it also worked with the KPNO Engineering group on many tasks related to maintenance, instrument support, and deployment of new capabilities at Kitt Peak. In order to provide more efficient deployment of the engineering and tech- 29

33 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 nical resources between Tucson and Kitt Peak, as well as ensure that the mix of available skills is well-matched to future needs, NSTC and KPNO combined their engineering and technical staffs in April 2011 to create a new group called NOAO North Engineering and Technical Services (NN- ETS). Going forward, NN-ETS will provide the skills and physical facilities to meet the needs of both NSTC and KPNO. This new group will be reflected in NOAO s budgets and financial reports beginning with FY12; for the last few months of FY11, the existing account structures and budgets will be left in place to maintain consistency of budgeting and reporting throughout the fiscal year System Instrumentation Program Accomplishments In addition to the progress on the SOAR Adaptive Optics Module, the Mosaic-1 imager upgrade, and the Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (KOSMOS) and Cerro Tololo Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (COSMOS) as noted below, SI completed fabrication, on-telescope integration, and testing of the CHIRON spectrograph for the CTIO 1.5-m telescope. This project is the subject of a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award to Dr. Debra Fischer, and the SI activities were largely paid for under a contract with San Francisco State University which is administering the award. NOAO s SI program was one of several subcontractors involved. Commissioning occurred in the second quarter of FY11. Two significant management events during FY11 also served to make NSTC and the SI program more efficient and effective. First, NSTC and KPNO consolidated their engineering staffs in a new service group called NN-ETS, as described above. Second, SI completed three personnel actions during October, in order to bring the labor costs into balance with the base budget support during the fiscal year. All affected personnel were given severance benefits in accordance with AURA policies and current best practices. Status of FY11 Milestones Complete on-telescope integration and testing of the entire SOAR Adaptive Optics Module (SAM) system, including the Main Module, the Laser Guide Star system, and the integrated CCD imager. Status: Progressing significantly, but not completed during the reporting period. Natural guide star testing on the main module was completed, and the main module was reconfigured for Laser Guide Star mode and remounted on the SOAR telescope along with the integrated CCD imager. The complete Laser Guide Star (LGS) system was installed and tested. Software and communications protocols were tested and implemented for obtaining permission to launch the laser from the Laser Clearing House (US Department of Defense). Software for connecting to the Chilean air traffic control radar database was installed, tested, and implemented. The LGS was launched into the sky on multiple telescope runs, and the adaptive optics control loop was closed on the LGS return light. As the reporting period ended, the team was in the process of tuning the LGS system to improve the image quality and polarization control of the LGS to maximize the return flux available to the wave-front sensor (necessary for performance in less-thanperfect atmospheric conditions). Complete on-sky commissioning and science verification of the entire SOAR Adaptive Optics Module (SAM) system, including development of all science user software and training for SOAR observatory support staff Status: Not done. Work cannot begin on this milestone until all work under the previous milestone has been completed. This milestone will of necessity be deferred into FY12. 30

34 NOAO DIVISIONS Fabricate, test, and deliver the TORRENT version of the MONSOON controller for all ReSTAR instrument development programs and external instrument collaborators as appropriate. Status: Progressing significantly, but not completed during the reporting period. The team modified the prototype design to address the concerns raised during the production readiness review in August A modified prototype including many of the final changes was delivered to The Ohio State University as part of a tested dewar-detector-controller system to support the integration of the KOSMOS spectrograph (see below). This prototype will be replaced with a final production unit before KOSMOS is commissioned on the Mayall 4-m telescope. As the reporting period ended, the project team was receiving and inspecting production grade circuit boards in preparation for beginning final system testing and performance validation. Oversee the return of the NEWFIRM wide-field infrared imager from CTIO to the KPNO Mayall 4-m telescope, including support of CTIO and KPNO staffs in disassembling and packing the instrument at Cerro Tololo, reassembling it at Kitt Peak, and reintegrating it on the Mayall telescope. Status: Postponed. NEWFIRM remained on the Blanco 4-m telescope at CTIO throughout the reporting period due to a delay in the deployment schedule for the Dark Energy Camera. NEWFIRM is now scheduled to conclude observations on the Blanco in October It will be packed up and shipped to KPNO immediately thereafter. This milestone is therefore deferred until FY ReSTAR Instrumentation Program Accomplishments In addition to the technical achievements discussed below, during the first quarter of the reporting period, the NSTC completed and submitted to NOAO s NSF Program Officer a Program Execution Plan for the second year of ReSTAR funding. This plan described in detail how NSTC would complete the construction and commissioning of two new instruments for the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope: COSMOS, an optical spectrograph (a duplicate of KOSMOS), and TripleSpec 4, a nearinfrared moderate-resolution spectrograph. During the second and third quarters of the reporting period, the NSTC participated in the first stages of development for another unsolicited proposal to the NSF for the second phase of implementation of the ReSTAR committee s recommendations. During the second quarter, NOAO received proposals from community institutions interested in collaborating on the overall proposal to the NSF. The proposals were reviewed in March 2011, and recommendations were presented to the NOAO director for a coherent program aligned with the ReSTAR priorities. The NOAO director selected a subset of these proposals for inclusion in NOAO s overall ReSTAR-Phase 2 proposal, and NSTC worked with the NOAO Director s Office thereafter to negotiate terms of participation by the collaborating institutions. Status of FY11 Milestones KOSMOS: Deliver the assembled instrument to KPNO and begin integration and commissioning on the Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: Progressing satisfactorily, but about one month behind the original schedule due to a one-month delay by optics vendor. Following a successful design review last year, The Ohio State University (OSU) and NOAO began work on building KOSMOS at the start of the reporting period. OSU released the bid packages for the collimator and camera lens assemblies on 31

35 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 schedule in December 2010; Jenoptik was the successful bidder. Jenoptik made good progress after a delayed start due to late delivery of blanks by their glass vendor. Acceptance testing of the optical assemblies is scheduled for mid-july OSU s mechanical engineer released all mechanical drawings to the NOAO instrument shop in four well-staged packages. NOAO delivered to OSU about 90% of the fabricated parts. The remaining parts are on schedule. OSU assembled and bench tested all the mechanisms successfully. NOAO delivered the computer rack with complete software for controlling the instrument and the detector. NOAO delivered a dewar-detector-controller system for use in optical integration. Both deliveries were accompanied by visits from NOAO engineers to support the integration of the delivered subsystems with the bench-mounted instrument mechanisms. Both OSU and NOAO are extremely pleased with the success of their collaborative relationship on this instrument. Mosaic-1 CCD and Controller Upgrade: Complete commissioning of the upgraded instrument on the KPNO Mayall 4-m telescope. Status: Completed. The upgraded instrument was commissioned in October 2010 and returned to scheduled science observing in November CTIO-Hydra CCD and Controller Upgrade: purchase a new CCD and the components for a new TORRENT controller. Status: Progressing on schedule with completion expected by September NOAO received the engineering-grade CCD from the vendor (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, or LBNL) in March LBNL advised NOAO in early June 2011 that the science-grade device was ready for delivery. This device for the Hydra upgrade is one of three being purchased through one agreement with LBNL (the other two are for KOSMOS and COSMOS). In order to better match the delivery time to NOAO s expected availability of engineering resources for integration, NOAO asked LBNL to hold the Hydra device until all three CCDs are ready for delivery. NOAO expects delivery of the three science-grade CCDs in September Parts for the TORRENT controller were purchased, and the controller will be ready by the first calendar quarter of COSMOS: Execute amendment to partnership agreement with The Ohio State University (OSU) to cover construction of COSMOS. Status: Completed. COSMOS: Complete fabrication or purchase of all components and begin assembly in The Ohio State University (OSU) instrument lab. Status: Progressing satisfactorily. Mechanical components were fabricated simultaneously with the parts for KOSMOS; as mentioned above, more than 90% are complete and the remainder are on schedule. The principal optical components the collimator, camera assemblies, and the dispersers for both KOSMOS and COSMOS are being purchased together, and delivery for all items is expected in July The blue-optimized science-grade CCD was received from e2v, and the NOAO instrument shop is building a dewar for it. OSU expects to complete the initial opto-mechanical integration of both instruments in August TripleSpec: Execute a formal partnership agreement with Cornell University for construction of TripleSpec. Status: Underway. NOAO and Cornell have agreed to the basic terms defining the partnership and are exchanging and revising draft agreements. The NOAO TripleSpec team will visit Cor- 32

36 NOAO DIVISIONS nell in early July 2011 to complete the negotiations, lay out a plan for completing and reviewing the minor design revisions, and begin consideration of the technical design aspects. TripleSpec: Establish a detailed plan for instrument construction and order long-lead-time items. Status: Planned but not started. The detailed construction plan will be developed as part of the design revision phase. That phase will begin with the kick-off meeting at Cornell in early July NOAO expects the design revisions and construction plan to be complete by the end of October Telescope System Instrumentation Program Program Accomplishments The Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP) funds development of new instruments for, or operational costs of, non-federal observatories in return for US community access to observing time on those telescopes as administered by the NOAO TAC. Status of FY11 Milestones Complete an external review of FY10 TSIP proposals and negotiate sub-awards with successful proposers. Status: Completed. The external review was completed in the First Quarter of the reporting period. In December 2010, the NSF approved funding for two proposals: the continuation of design and development work on the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) through detailed design and the final phase of the Binospec optical multi object spectrometer for the MMT being built by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). NOAO negotiated MOUs with both SAO and Keck for these subawards. Contracts for both subawards are in the final stage of negotiation and will be completed before the end of the reporting period. Establish an oversight process for FY10 TSIP sub-awards. Status: Completed. The sub-awards with Keck for KCWI and SAO for Binospec include standard provisions for NOAO oversight similar to those used in previous TSIP sub-awards. Implementation of those terms is awaiting execution of the sub-awards. Organize a call for proposals for FY11 and organize a review. Status: As of the end of the reporting period, the NSF has not yet released a final budget for NOAO for FY11, so the funding available for TSIP in FY11 is still unknown. A call will be organized when and if NSF provides FY11 TSIP funds. Conclude the remaining sub-awards under the Adaptive Optics Development Program (AODP) and close out the program. Status: Underway. As the reporting period began, there was one sub-award still outstanding, C33002T to CARA for development of advanced detectors for wavefront sensing. The subawardee is making progress toward completing the work and is submitting regular reports on the progress, but the work is not expected to be complete until the fourth calendar quarter of The sub-awardee s fabrication collaborator, MIT-Lincoln Labs, has encountered a number of production delays relating to changes in their process to accommodate larger wafer sizes; the larger wafers are not needed for this project, but the work on this project has been caught up in these system-wide delays there. Final packaged products are expected from MIT- Lincoln Labs in July 2011, with testing at other collaborators sites (Starfire Optical Range-US 33

37 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Air Force and the Center for Adaptive Optics-University of California Santa Cruz) following immediately thereafter LSST Technology Program Program Accomplishments During the first two quarters of FY11, the LSST efforts had a strong focus on project planning and continuing design details for the summit facility and dome, and important milestones related to the summit and primary mirror were met. Early in this report period, the project planning was focused on the new proposed construction start date in FY14. A revised Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction (MREFC) construction proposal to replace the outdated original proposal of 2006 was completed and submitted to the NSF AST. Design efforts focused on the interfaces between systems and the update of formalized requirements. The summit facility 50% design review was completed, and the next phase of that design effort was begun. There was continued technical development of the summit facility, new features and approaches to the dome, advances in wide-field survey pipelines, and a full update of the telescope solid and finite element models. The significant milestones occurred on site with the start of the privately funded initial excavation and with the mirror as it progressed into the last stages of optical processing. The third quarter of FY11 was dominated by work necessary to prepare for three major reviews: a SLAC-sponsored Director s Review of the LSST Camera sub-system, the LSST Board of Director s Pre-Preliminary Design Review, and the NSF Preliminary Design Review. Status of FY11 Milestones The status of FY11 milestones for Q1 and Q2, previously submitted to the NSF, are available in the NOAO Quarterly Report FY 2011 (1) and NOAO Quarterly Report FY 2011 (2) at The end-of-year status for FY11 milestones will be provided in the NOAO FY 2011 Fiscal Year Annual Report to be submitted to the NSF at the end of November GSMT/ELT Technology Program Program Accomplishments At the start of this fiscal year, the NSF issued guidance to AURA stating that NSF would take direct responsibility for formal oversight of the two US-based Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) programs: Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). This action was taken to avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof and to ensure that it will be possible for NOAO to have the option of participating in such an ELT project. The NSF is preparing a solicitation for design and development funding for which the projects could propose. This solicitation should define the schedule for funding and may define milestones for other NSF decisions related to federal participation in an ELT project. The release of the solicitation depends on the availability of funding for these design and development activities. Although ELT-related activities will continue at a low level within NSTC, the Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT) Program Office has been eliminated as a separate sub-division and its personnel were absorbed within a more integrated design and development group within NN-ETS as of April

38 NOAO DIVISIONS Status of FY11 Milestones Prepare a technology development action plan in response to Astro2010 recommendations on GSMT. This activity likely requires guidance from the NSF. Status: As indicated above, the NSF decided to assume a direct oversight role and did not ask NOAO to prepare a development plan. Consequently, no activities have occurred, and none are expected in this area. Complete the close-out of the TMT/AURA site survey in Chile. Status: Maintenance of the equipment was completed. The equipment to be returned to TMT or Canada has been prepared for shipment; contractual arrangements to cover shipping costs are being completed. The shipment should take place in July, which will close out this activity. 35

39 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS 3.1 CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Program Accomplishments During FY11, Central Administrative Services (CAS) engaged in the fiscal and calendar year-end processes, which includes oversight and closeout of NOAO activities as well as those of other entities for which CAS provides business services: AURA Corporate, WIYN, SOAR, and LSST Corporation. CAS staff prepared annual reports required by NSF and other federal and state agencies. Staff also prepared audited financial statements and tax reports for AURA, WIYN, SOAR, and LSSTC. The accounting staff in both the North and South coordinated efforts on the accounting software conversion as NOAO South migrates to the application used by NOAO North. In support of this effort, the NOAO Procurement Supervisor traveled to La Serena on two occasions to coordinate procurement procedures between NOAO North and South and to train staff on using the new software. The Controller also visited the La Serena and Santiago offices twice to train staff on using the new software. NOAO South will begin running the new software in parallel with their existing accounting program during the fourth quarter and will go live on the new system starting 1 October NOAO s Senior Contracts Officer traveled to La Serena to coordinate and review AURA policies and procedures and to go over reporting requirements. Effective April 1, the NOAO Assistant Controller for over ten years was named NOAO Controller. In this position, he oversees all accounting, payroll, procurement, and contracting activities for NOAO North. At the same time, the NOAO Controller for the past 20 years was named the new Financial Manager. His focus will be on the reporting and budgeting issues for the observatory. As illustrated in Figure 9, the average monthly exchange rate of the US dollar relative to the Chilean peso decreased during this fiscal year. The NOAO FY 2011 Annual Program Plan assumes an exchange rate of 500, while the average rate for the period was approximately 478. Below is a one-year chart showing the exchange rate trend. Status of FY11 Milestones Program Management will continue to refine monthly reports distributed to the Executive Council to assist in their financial oversight of NOAO activity. Status: Completed. Figure 9: One-year chart showing the exchange rate trend of the Chilean peso to the US dollar. Chart is courtesy of exchange-rate.org. 36

40 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Program Management will work with Business Information Technology (IT) staff to update the Web interface used by principal investigators (PIs) to track their proposals and grants. This will require updating the current grant-tracking database. Status: Work will start on this in the fourth quarter of FY11. Accounting will continue working with NOAO South to help finalize the transition to their new accounting software. Status: NOAO South is scheduled to transition 1 October Human Resources will undertake a review of Human Resources systems, processes, procedures, and policies. Status: In progress. Human Resources will develop and deliver training programs for staff and managers. It will also promote the health and welfare of the NOAO workforce and establish programs to enhance employee services. Status: Leadership and Team Building training was conducted in April 2011 at NOAO South. Monthly health and wellness programs are being offered at NOAO North at the Tucson and Kitt Peak locations and at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak. Procurement will continue editing, updating, and posting on the Web the NOAO Purchasing Policy & Procedures; including the policies related to both domestic and international shipping and receiving. Status: Completed. Business Information Technology (IT) will focus on refreshing the technology and architecture supporting the various administrative Web-based applications, such as: the requisition system (Reqless), the budget system (WEBUD), timesheets (WTS), and a new credit card reconciliation system. Status: On-going. Contracts, working with NOAO South, will review and revise policies and procedures to ensure they comply with newly released AURA procurement policies. Status: Completed. Review all AURA program and tenant agreements, replacing references to AOSS with references to the NOAO South Administrative Services and Facilities Operations groups and more clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of AURA-O, NOAO South, and the programs and/or tenants themselves. Status: The Senior Contracts Officer traveled to La Serena to initiate this process. The review is expected to be completed by the end of calendar

41 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY OFFICE OF SCIENCE Program Accomplishments Planning continued for an August 2011 community science meeting on the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) and the Dark Energy Survey. A new Goldberg fellow (see Status of FY11 Milestones below) was recruited this quarter. The Office of Science (OS) assisted in putting in place the NOAO Responsible Conduct in Research training program. The OS head of program visited the scientific staff at NOAO South to discuss issues related to career development, scientific environment, and research. OS sponsored an ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) Community Day (in collaboration with Steward Observatory) for the benefit of the regional astronomical community. National Radio Astronomy Observatory staff presented and demonstrated software tools needed to prepare proposals for ALMA Early Science operations. It was a successful event with participation from the Arizona astronomical community and also from Mexico. OS also is sponsoring and helping to plan two community workshops on the DECam and Big Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BigBOSS), instruments that are coming to the Blanco and Mayall 4-m telescopes, respectively, as part of their Large Science Programs. The workshops are opportunities for interested NOAO community members to provide input to NOAO on community aspirations for science with these instruments and the community s priorities for instrument capabilities and data pipelines. Status of FY11 Milestones Develop a program for staff career development. Status: Rescoped the program. Members of the Gemini South staff who participated in the Gemini mentoring training were invited to continue their participation in that program. Recruit a Goldberg Fellow postdoc for an FY11 start. Status: Completed. The new Goldberg Fellow, Colette Salyk, will start in November Create a scientific visitor program. Status: Funding was allocated. Currently, the NOAO OS is hosting two scientific visitors on sabbatical this year and has developed protocols to anticipate the needs of such longer-term visitors. Enhance the interaction between scientific staffs at NOAO North and South. Status: Funds are available to encourage staff members who are visiting the other hemisphere for some purpose to either extend their stay in Tucson or La Serena or make a stop there in order to interact with their colleagues. The staff members are aware of these funds and have taken advantage of the program. OS is investigating other opportunities for closer interaction between the South and North science staffs. 38

42 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS 3.3 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH Program Accomplishments Project ASTRO NOAO hosted the Project ASTRO Annual National Site Leaders Meeting in Tucson on May ASTRO Coordinators from all over the US met with program leaders from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) to review the past year and plan updates for next year s ASTRO workshops and activities. In addition, the Galileo Educators Network (GEN) met in conjunction with the Site Leaders Meeting. Project ASTRO-Tucson held its spring professional development workshop for 50 teachers and astronomer partners in early March. At this event, NOAO presented a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope to the ASTRO partnership of the year for , David Acklam (astronomer) and his teacher partner Paula Nasiatka from Tanque Verde Elementary School. The next Project ASTRO Workshop is scheduled for 9 10 September 2011 in Tucson. It is estimated that an additional 20 teacher/astronomer teams from Arizona will form partnerships to bring astronomy and science education to the classroom over the next academic year. Arizona Galileoscope Star Parties In an effort to excite students about astronomy, the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) department has been organizing large star parties across Arizona, called Arizona Galileoscope Star Parties, with sponsorship from Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz). The model designed and being implemented concentrates on one city at a time. Every fifth-grade teacher is trained using high-quality professional development activities centered on NOAO s NSF-funded Hands-On Optics kits. Each teacher receives an optics and Galileoscope classroom teaching kit. NOAO staff assist the classes of these teachers in building Galileoscopes, and then the students use the telescopes at star parties. In this way, nearly every fifth-grade student in Flagstaff (October) and in Yuma (April) has been reached. A typical star party has over 500 participants from the public schools, administration, and families. AstroBITS The teacher education program for Arizona high school teachers supported by SFAz, Building Information Technology Skills through Astronomy (AstroBITS), will complete its four years of funding in June Through an online course ( and teacher support via and phone, EPO has introduced computer technology centered on image processing and spectral analysis to teachers. Over the past year, 27 Arizona teachers were enrolled who currently teach a combined 2,877 students. This includes 870 Hispanic and 407 Native American students comprising 44% of their student population. Upon completing the program, these teachers are invited to spend a night at Kitt Peak observing with an astronomer, which many have done. They also can bring their class for an evening observing program at the Kitt Peak Visitor s Center. GLOBE at Night Major changes in NOAO s GLOBE at Night program were made during Q1 and Q2 of FY11. In the past, GLOBE at Night was hosted annually by the EPO staff. This year for the first time, this worldwide citizen-science campaign took place twice: February 21 March 6 and March 22 April 6. This meant developing new materials (translations, online interactive tools, star charts, and other resources) for two new target constellations. NOAO, also for the first time, started receiving all GLOBE at Night data submissions for the campaigns. A large development was the creation in- 39

43 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 house of a Web application for smart mobile devices. Facebook and Twitter pages for GLOBE at Night also were introduced. Everything (the data submission, Web application, new online files, and new social media) worked nearly flawlessly. Over 14,200 measurements were contributed to the GLOBE at Night campaign by the end of the second 2011 campaign. Over 66,000 measurements from 115 countries have been taken during the seven two week campaigns in the last six years. Invited talks on GLOBE at Night and Dark Skies Education were given in October and November at the Oklahoma-Texas star party, the Four Corners American Physics Society meeting, and the Geological Society of America conference. A GLOBE at Night session was held at the regional National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) meeting in Baltimore. The program at the Tucson Cooper Center for Environmental Learning (CCEL) held 24 sessions with two classes in each session. The Chilean component of dark skies education utilized 100 Dark Skies Education Kits. About half of the 111 EPO activities during Q1 Q3 of FY11 were dark skies education events. Seven out of every 10 EPO dark skies education events were local. Most were dark skies education sessions where students completed hands-on activities about what light pollution is, how it relates to their lives, and how to measure the brightness of their sky. There were three AAS poster sessions, a radio show, and sessions at NSTA (e.g., for GLOBE at Night and the National Earth Science Teachers Association) and for the ASP/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Night Sky Network. Professional development workshops on dark skies education were provided for the Arizona Science Teachers Association, the Project ASTRO teachers, CCEL teachers, Sahuaro Girl Scout Volunteers, ASP s Astronomy From the Ground Up members (from museums and science and nature centers), and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. Three podcasts were aired on 365DaysOfAstronomy.org featuring the Dark Skies Crusader teaching about light pollution and its effects on energy usage, health, and wildlife. Undergraduate Student Outreach The undergraduate students outreach program was very productive. In Q1 Q3 of FY11, the EPO student cadre supported over 111 events, which is an average of three events per week. The topics in these events covered activities from Dark Skies Rangers, GLOBE at Night, Hands-on-Optics, Teaching with Telescopes, Family ASTRO, and Project ASTRO. Typical numbers of students at the events ranged from 15 per session at the Boys & Girls Club, to 50 at each CCEL session, to 150 at a typical star party. The events supported by the EPO student cadre included: Sixteen star parties, which included three involving the Tohono O odham Nation: one at Baboquivari Indian Oasis Elementary, one at a Horse Camp at Kitt Peak National Observatory, and one for Astronomy Camp at the Sells Recreation Center Five of the seven local educator workshops held (mostly on dark skies education and Galileoscopes) Three camps (Earth Camp at Biosphere 2, Astronomy Camp at the Sells Recreation Center, and Truck of Love in Pisinemo on the Tohono O odham reservation) held in June where the EPO staff and students hosted dark skies, astronomy and optics activities Twenty-four dark skies activity sessions at CCEL (see above) Fifteen sessions on astronomy, optics, or physics at the Jim and Vicki Click Clubhouse in South Tucson and the Sells Recreation Center on the Tohono O odham Nation At least three festivals, including the Hands-on Optics activities at the sixth annual St. Michael s Optics Fest at the beginning of February 40

44 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Four classroom visits on careers in astronomy, as well as a Fair for Educators at which EPO gave presentations on EPO programs and hosted a booth At least 21 other student-oriented sessions that included Ted Walker Day in January, Yuri s Night in April, a Youth Group Overnight at Kitt Peak National Observatory in May, and a Family Science Night at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in June The EPO students played a key role in creating three audio podcasts on dark skies education. The student cadre also built 100 Dark Skies Education Kits and 100 Teaching with Telescopes Kits, which were all sent to Chile. The cadre of four to six EPO students continually demonstrates their key role in the success of activities and events supported by NOAO s EPO. Teaching with Telescopes Teaching with Telescopes moved forward on many fronts. The Web site was developed and is being used by teachers around the country. Numerous workshops were held at meetings, including the ASP, the Galileo Teacher Training Program, the Flagstaff Unified School District, the Sky Rangers workshop in Yosemite, the Arizona Science Teachers Association, the Arizona Association of Physics Teachers, the NSTA regional meeting in Nashville and national meeting in San Francisco, and the Yuma School District. There were two more local Galileoscope builds: one at a local teacher training at Biosphere 2 and another for students of the Native American Science and Engineering program and their families. Another major event was the Math Moves You Event where 350 students built Galileoscopes at the University of Arizona Student Union. Galileoscopes have been used in programs at Boys& Girls Clubs around the state of Arizona. Each club received Galileoscopes, tripods, and training as part of the SFAz Hands-On Optics program. Galileoscopes have been used with students around Tucson, including groups such as the Girl Scouts, The Native American Science and Engineering Program, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Sells Recreation Center. Hands-On Optics Hands-On Optics activities have been presented at a variety of venues this year including Fun Fest, St. Michael s Optics Festival, and Ventana Vista Family Science Night. Hands-On Optics workshops were presented on Hit the Target at the SPIE Optics and Photonics meeting and the SPIE Photonics West meeting. EPO is developing a new course for future SPIE meetings and for SPIE student chapters that emphasizes luminescence and glow-in-the-dark materials. The Hands-On Optics Arizona program, funded by SFAz is now concluded after establishing the Hands-On Optics program at over 10 sites throughout Arizona. NOAO will provide a minimal level of support as core funding allows for supporting these sites. Newsletter The NOAO Newsletter continues to be edited by an EPO staff member and produced twice a year for the professional astronomical community. This newsletter addresses the needs of astronomers applying for time on any of the national facilities, as well as providing timely updates on new instruments and programs. It is made available in print to libraries and professional astronomers, and electronically to everyone via the NOAO Web site. Public Information and Web Site Images on the NOAO Homepage are replaced approximately every five to six weeks, to reflect current activities and programs. All past images are available as well. 41

45 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 The table to the right provides tallies of the requests and inquiries from the pubic for astronomyand science-related information as well as the use of NOAO images, including those from the Image Gallery. The tallies are for the first nine months of FY11. EPO at NOAO South The EPO team at NOAO South (EPO-S) has been busy in FY11. During the first quarter, the team held a series of education and integration sessions for the NOAO South staff and their families as part of the program Teaching with the Galileoscope. More than 250 people actively participated in these sessions. In November, the team co-organized and sponsored the XIII International Congress of Amateur Astronomers, held this year in Vicuña. This annual conference included the involvement of more than 200 enthusiastic amateur astronomers from all regions of Chile and neighboring countries. In addition, the members of the EPO-S team participated in many community events in collaboration with Explora-CONICYT, a program of the Chilean equivalent of the NSF, as part of the national effort to promote science and as part of NOAO s effort to promote astronomy and protection of the dark skies of IV Región de Coquimbo. Over the Chilean summer (Q2), members of the EPO-S team participated as trainers in the First Training in Astronomy for School Teachers. Forty teachers from all over Chile participated in this event, which was organized by the Astronomy Department of the University of Chile. In March, the Chilean environmental minister, among other important regional authorities, visited the observatory in the context of the proposal review of the new light pollution standard. An EPO team member presented to these regional authorities the Dark Sky Education program developed and implemented by NOAO North and South. Also during March, the team participated in the promotion of the 2011 GLOBE at Night campaign: training teachers in the CADIAS facility, promoting the light pollution measurements among students of the region, and also doing measurements themselves. Public Outreach Information Requests & Inquiries (10/1/2010 through 6/30/2011) Type/Origin of Request Information requests/inquiries about astronomy/science (phone calls, e- mails, and walk-ins/requests for posters, bookmarks, brochures, etc. Requests and inquiries for use of NOAO images Number During Q3 of FY11, EPO-S started the development of a new astrophotography program to create an images archive for the general public. The program also includes the development of a basic virtual tour of the Cerro Tololo telescopes. For the release of this program, and on a second opportunity in May, EPO-S hosted José Francisco Salgado, Adler Planetarium astronomer and visual artist, who presented his work Sidereal Motion (vimeo.com/ ) to the AURA staff in Chile. 1, TOTAL 1,820 CTIO Visitor Center & EPO-S Summary of Participants (10/1/2010 through 6/30/2011) Group/Program # of Participants CADIAS Center 2,375 NOAO-S /CADIAS Outreach 5,237 Tololo Guided Tours 859 School Groups K-12 1,465 Special Tours 315 TOTAL 10,251 42

46 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Awards to EPO The EPO staff received a number of awards in this time period. The NOAO North EPO group was presented with the 2011 Metropolitan Education Commission s Crystal Apple Corporate Award for Community Service during a special 250-person luncheon and ceremony (with the Mayor) on May 6, in Tucson. Dr. Connie Walker received the Hoag-Robinson Award from the International Dark- Sky Association for outstanding contributions in educating governmental organizations, business, and the public about the merits of outdoor lighting control ordinances. Dr. Stephen Pompea was named as the recipient of the 2011 Esther Hoffman Beller Award from The Optical Society. This international prize is presented for outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education each year. Media Releases Since the beginning of FY11, there have been four media releases: 27 October 2010: Buckyballs Discovered in another Galaxy 3 February 2011: BigBOSS Receives Favorable Review from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory 17 March 2011: Wasted Lights and Wasted Nights: GLOBE at Night Tracks Light Pollution 21 June 2011: Astronomers Discover that Galaxies Are Either Asleep or Awake The most recent release announced that Yale scientists using new filters on the Mayall 4-m telescope at Kitt Peak were able to determine if galaxies were awake (active) based on their color. They found that there are more active than passive ones, which led to the discovery that shows how quickly galaxies go from one state to the other, from actively forming stars to shutting off star formation. Status of FY11 Milestones Lead national efforts related to the Teaching with Telescopes professional development support program, regarding maximizing the educational value of the Galileoscope telescope kit (with over 200,000 Galileoscopes now in circulation). Status: Completed for this year. Many national efforts have been made in collaboration with a variety of professional societies and other partners such as Raytheon, Biosphere2, and Science Foundation Arizona (see Program Accomplishments above for details). Conduct workshops/programs in coordination with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the American Astronomical Society (AAS), Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). Status: Completed for this year. EPO had programs and workshops at these meetings and at a variety of other meetings (see Program Accomplishments above for details). Support a wide-ranging, dark skies awareness program for southern Arizona and Chile, with particular emphasis on the March GLOBE at Night program. Status: Completed for this year. A very wide-ranging program was implemented locally, regionally, and nationally. A Chilean-based program also was put in place (see Program Accomplishments above for details). 43

47 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Continue to seek every opportunity to work with the Tohono O odham schools, community centers, and the Department of Education on the reservation to bring science, especially astronomy, to their students. Status: Numerous opportunities to interact with Tohono O odham school and community centers included a booth at the annual fair (three days), various school star parties in Sells, daylong activities as part of Earth day celebration at the middle school, and a week-long astronomy camp at the Sells Recreation Center. EPO is heavily involved in planning for the October 2011 Tohono O odham family night at Kitt Peak, which includes involving schools on the reservation as well as other groups. Support the small nature and science centers in the successful NSF-funded Astronomy From the Ground Up program, which trained educators at hundreds of small science and nature centers nationwide. Status: Completed. Assist in the support of the teacher researcher participants of the NOAO/NASA Spitzer Teacher and Student Research program and its follow-on program the NASA IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP) and the University of California Berkeley WISE Teacher Research program. Status: Completed. These NOAO-designed programs are now run by NASA and University of California Berkeley. Continue support for the Hands-On Optics teaching centers in Arizona and at science centers established under the original NSF informal science grant. Status: Both programs have been supported using core and Science Foundation Arizona funding (see Program Accomplishments above for details). Create a cohesive vision and strategic plan for CTIO outreach and the Centro de Apoyo a la Didáctica de la Astronomía (CADIAS) astronomy teaching center in Chile. Status: The CTIO EPO manager and CADIAS head worked with staff to define a strategic plan for CADIAS that circumscribes the core mission. This plan was presented as part of the EPO review that took place in April. The plan is now being formalized. Support the training of guides and provide support for astronomy programs for the public at the tourist observatories in Northern Chile. Status: An NOAO South EPO staff member teaches the guide training class at the University of La Serena. The EPO manager and two NOAO South EPO staff have been working to form a closer relationship with the municipal/tourist observatories. A memorandum of understanding and collaboration was signed with the Observatorio Cruz del Sur in Combarbalá. 44

48 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS 3.4 NOAO DIRECTOR S OFFICE Program Accomplishments Major planning documents and/or reports delivered during this period, as required by the AURA/NSF cooperative agreement for the management of NOAO: Annual Program Plan for FY 2011 (APP-11), Long-Range Plan: FY (LRP-11), and Fiscal Year Annual Report for FY 2010 (AFR-10). All three reports are available from the public NOAO Web site. About the middle of the fiscal year, the FY11 program described in APP-11 was de-scoped in anticipation of lower-than-planned NSF funding. Budget and program planning for FY12 began in May Finally, various contingency plans were developed in anticipation of a possible federal government shutdown that, fortunately, did not occur. The NOAO director participated in and/or presented at various face-to-face meetings: WIYN Board of Directors (October, May), LSST Board of Directors (November, April), AURA Board of Directors (February), AURA Annual Member Representatives (February), AURA Observatory Council (April), NSF Program Review Panel (October, April), NOAO Users Committee (June), and ReSTAR-2 Pre-Solicitation (November). Weekly videoconference or teleconference meetings continued between the director and all NOAO associate directors (one-on-one) as well as the director and the NSF program officer for NOAO. The director met bi-weekly with the NOAO executive council as well as the heads of the Office of Science, System Community Development, Central Administrative Services, and Human Resources programs. The director visited the NOAO South offices in La Serena three times. The first trip was organized around the visit of the senior NSF Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences personnel (Seidel, van Citters, and Ulvestad) to AURA-managed facilities. The second trip was organized around budget review and planning meetings with NOAO South personnel. The third trip focused on a range of program planning meetings for FY12. At the request of a group of New York State (NYS) astronomers, the director participated in several discussions of concepts for new, major astronomical facilities in Chile sponsored by NYS. The NOAO diversity advocates participated in the AURA Workplace & Diversity Committee meeting at Hilo in December. Prior to the meeting, the participants toured Mauna Kea, which included a very interesting presentation by a representative of the local native Hawaiian community. NSF representative Dr. Scott Fischer attended the meeting and outlined NSF goals for broadening participation. At AURA s request, two NOAO scientists attended the National American Indian Education Association meeting in San Diego in October. NOAO presented material about its several educational outreach tools including Hands-On Optics, the informal science education tool. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the meeting was the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with teachers and educational administrators from tribal schools throughout the nation. A summary of this event was published in SPECTRUM, the newsletter of the AAS Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy. On the side of community outreach, the annual NOAO Town Hall was held at the January 2010 AAS meeting in Seattle. A presentation from the director was followed by a vigorous discussion session. The director also participated in a BigBOSS collaboration meeting at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in February 2011 and visited the astronomy and physics departments at the University of Michigan. 45

49 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Four candidates were interviewed for the open position of Associate Director of KPNO. This process concluded successfully when Dr. Timothy Beers accepted the offer to become the next Associate Director for KPNO, effective in early October Status of FY11 Milestones Deliver a revised Long-Range Plan by the end of the second quarter in FY11. Status: A draft of the Long-Range Plan (LRP) was reviewed and approved by the AURA Observatory Council in March Final delivery to NSF was delayed at their initiative to allow time for review by the NSF NOAO Program Review Panel (PRP) in late April After the PRP report was received in late May, the LRP was finalized and submitted 1 August As necessary, prepare an action plan in response to recommendations from the Astro2010 decadal survey that affect NOAO. Status: The decadal survey report did not make NOAO-specific recommendations that require a formal response and action plan. However, several decadal survey recommendations touch on NOAO indirectly. As necessary, the NOAO Long-Range Plan (see above) was revised to cover such indirect recommendations. Facilitate on-going management training for the NOAO senior management team. Status: A two-day, on-site management training workshop in La Serena was attended by NOAO South senior and middle managers in May This course covered the same topics discussed by NOAO North senior and middle managers during their courses in Continue, in coordination with AURA, to work on broadening participation in the NSF science enterprise by engaging individuals, institutions, and geographical areas that do not participate in NSF research programs at rates comparable to others. (Quote from the Executive Summary of Broadening Participation at the National Science Foundation: A Framework for Action, August 2008). Status: The Diversity Advocates (DAs) continued to serve on the AURA Workforce and Diversity Committee (WDC) and pursue all opportunities to address broadening participation. WDC meets twice a year: the December 2010 meeting was at Gemini North, and the June 2011 meeting was at the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot. One or both of the advocates were involved in the following activities: attending a National American Indian Education Association meeting with AURA in October 2010, presenting a poster on NOAO s broadening participation efforts and organizing a special session on Strategies for Addressing Harassment & Prejudice at the January 2011 AAS meeting, and writing an article for SPECTRUM about the NSF Partnerships in Astronomy & Astrophysics Research and Education. Articles on the January AAS session will be published in the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy newsletter STATUS and the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy newsletter Spectrum. In coordination with the EPO group, work continued on educational outreach at Tohono O odham Nation schools Review family-friendly policies, particularly maternity/paternity-leave policy, and develop possible alternatives and/or modifications that also include the impacts of Chilean law. Status: Completed. A new family-friendly policy was adopted effective 1 January Employee benefits were enhanced to include a short-term disability program to provide income protection for temporarily disabled employees. 46

50 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Address NOAO-specific issues brought up in the Climate Survey (e.g., management communication and performance rewards). Status: The DAs have begun holding discussions of ways to enhance communication (to follow up on Climate Survey) with representatives from different departments; a list of what is working and what would be useful is being developed. The DAs have implemented and encouraged science staff to assist in taking notes at monthly science staff meetings. These notes are posted on the NOAO s Intranet. The notes are useful for science staff who missed the meeting and for fostering a more open and communicative environment with non-science staff. Work to develop internships at NOAO for minority students, with a particular emphasis on the area of engineering. Status: No resources have been identified for this project. Maintain outreach to schools and programs in southern Arizona and IV Región de Coquimbo (Chile) that serve groups whose representation in science and engineering is less than their representation in the general population, funding permitting. Status: See section 3.3 Education and Public Outreach. Continue to develop the Office of Compliance Web site to provide a one-stop portal for policy information and training for staff. Status: The Office of Compliance Web site ( is up and running with new modules to be added throughout the year. New additions since the FY11 Q2 report include: (1) a compliance directory ( for staff to access compliance policies and procedures and the responsible NOAO staff and (2) training for disclosure of Conflict of Interest ( Develop and provide policy and procedural training to NOAO and other AURA Centers in the areas of federal agency grant and agreement policies, procurement, conflict of interest, integrity in research, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and other pertinent policies or program regulations. Status: NOAO North and South procurement staff received training in NOAO South engineering and science staff received allowable cost training in The allowable cost training for principal investigators and other NOAO North staff involved with oversight of funds will be held in August and September Conflict of Interest training was provided in February and March 2011 for NOAO and NSO staff in conjunction with the annual update using the new online disclosure form. Work with the Office of Science to strengthen the Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training. Status: The program is currently in place, and all current post-docs, undergraduates, and graduate students located at NOAO North and South have received training. In conjunction with HR, new employees will be notified of the requirement when it is applicable. Further information on the policy, procedure, and training can be found at: With the AURA risk review manager, ensure that AURA Center procedures are in compliance with AURA and other federal policies and regulations. Work with Central Administrative Services and their affiliates to update procedures to meet new AURA and agency policies. 47

51 NOAO ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT FY 2011 Status: The Office of Compliance is currently developing a Procedural Manual for the Development of Cost Books for Construction Proposals to be completed by In addition, CAS and the Office of Compliance are reviewing all current procurement policies and procedures for compliance and coordination with NOAO South in preparation for the upcoming NSF Business Services Review in the spring of Review and approve conflict-of-interest (COI) management plans as needed and implement updated AURA COI policies. Status: The AURA COI policies have been implemented and a new online Web-based COI Disclosure for NON-AURA Activities and Financial Interest Form is now available for use. The form is also available in Spanish. Annual updates are being received using the new format. Please refer to the COI Web site at: ARRA INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL Program Accomplishments This reporting period covers work in year 2 of the three-year ARRA projects for NOAO. Major infrastructure improvements are organized in work packages for NOAO s four main sites: the Cerro Tololo and Kitt Peak observatories, and the NOAO headquarters in Tucson and base facility in La Serena. In Tucson, the electrical supply distribution equipment upgrade was largely completed (see Figure 10). This project replaced outdated main electrical panels and distribution equipment resulting in a more efficient system that will save significant energy in the Tucson facility. The upgrades to cooling equipment (see Figure 11) for the Tucson main computer room were completed. Multiple new units more efficiently cool equipment in the computer room directly, which allows the main building cooling equipment to be used more efficiently to maintain a comfortable work environment in the rest of the building. The computer room units also provide more operational safety for the growing number of computer systems deployed at NOAO. In addition, efforts were completed to add a new remote fire alarm system panel and clean/replace the under-floor and ceiling fire/smoke detection devices. At CTIO, the Blanco computer room and console room upgrades were completed (see Figure 12). These efforts are to support DECam and have resulted in a modern observing facility that will benefit all observers. Figure 10: New motor control panel for the Tucson electrical system. Figure 11: One of the new computer room cooling units installed (with flooring removed for installation). 48

52 NOAO-WIDE PROGRAMS Figure 12: New computer room (left) and new console room (right) at the CTIO Blanco 4-m telescope. The repair of the CTIO frequency converter was completed and a new backup power generator for Tololo was purchased and installed. These improvements provide secure power to the observing site. The converter is a critical piece of equipment that failed recently, and the generator provides needed backup capacity for the growing systems on Tololo. The instrument handling facility at the Blanco also was completed (see Figure 13) as was the renovation of the Blanco coating chamber. The coating chamber renovation has resulted in the best aluminum coating on the 4-m mirror in many years it is nearly as good as pure aluminum (see Figure 14). Figure 13: NEWFIRM in the recently completed instrument handling facility at the Blanco telescope. ARRA funds were used to complete a new He compressor system for this facility. 49