Future Blanco Instrumentation and how to get it… Alistair Walker & Tim Abbott, October 2003

We absolutely must have new Blanco instrumentation in 2007 Compelling science will be drawn to the new capabilities The telescope is non-competitive without it There is no capital for this in the NOAO long-range plan There is a small upgrades budget After SOAR AO, there are people and maybe some funds and how to get it… Instrument Partner - BTC-Osiris-Rutgers F-P model Only more so…

This requires - Identifying a Partner with a compelling science project ability to be an instrumentation partner money Any possible instrument - e.g. big prime focus imager, multi-object beam spectrograph, etc. is a multi-million dollar investment Payback - 30% over 5 years? -- remember, the community will get the rest.

The NSF-mandated process Alert to the community Announcement of Opportunity Letters of Intent Proposals Review

Oversight from the UC and the PRP Establish the criteria for selection and their weighs; what is the scientific impact of potentislly: “limiting” the capabilities of the Blanco “limiting” the community’s options: NOT to approve the process approve the winning proposal

INSTRUMENT CONCEPT - an example VERY WIDE-FIELD IMAGER FOR THE PRIME-FOCUS 2 degree diameter field New telescope top end New Corrector The only instrument??? Partner(s) bring a major science project, in a collaboration builds the instrument, data system, pipe-lines, in exchange for 30% of time for 5 years Cost to first light: $8-10M; cost to complete partner survey $15-20M.

TIMELINE Alert to the community (September 1 2003 Newsletter) Announcement of Opportunity (December 1) Letters of Intent (February 15 2004) Proposals (May 15 2004) Review (July 15 2004)