Observing modes at the AT ATUC Presentations October 2000 Ray Norris CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility

Overview Service Observing mode? SEST MOU status Queue scheduling Millimetre workshop

Service Observing (1) We currently allow two modes of observing: Observer travels to Narrabri and does observing (In some cases) expert observer observes remotely from within Australia There is a de facto third mode: You get a friend/collaborator/student to do the observing for you

Service Observing (2) We have received requests from some users for a fourth mode: User pays someone to do the observing for them If there was sufficient support and interest in this mode, we could perhaps offer this as a part- time/casual job to astronomy students, or to employ someone at a postdoc level. Question to ATUC: how would you feel about setting up this mode. (NB: AAO already does something like it)

SEST (Swedish-European Submillimetre Telescope) ATNF has built a new correlator for SEST Australia (RIEFP) has provided support (Kate!) In return, all Australians had access to SEST in Travel costs covered by ANSTO/DISR

SEST MOU status MOU will be renewed for a further two years - continued access by Australian astronomers in We have already partly paid in kind via correlator JBW requesting funding for a further 6-month support person from MNRF international MOU not actually signed yet (took effect from April 2000)! Situation beyond 2002 unclear because of ALMA

Queue Scheduling (1)  Overview of earlier discussion (19 September 1997) on  See also subsequent discussion on  ~50% (?) of the observing time will be suitable for millimetre operation.  How do we make efficient use of the telescope? Assumption: we will have a atmospheric seeing monitor, which will give us an objective, unambiguous guide as to whether the weather is suitable for mm observing.

Queue Scheduling (2): Options discussed previously Just allocate the time and let the observers take the risk –no, because inefficient use of telescope time Hire staff to do all the observing –no, because costs too much + other problems Observers propose backup programs –no, because such backup programs are of little value

Queue Scheduling (3): In previous discussions, consensus was for some of form of override queue scheduling  Some compromise between the options above.  Observers come for their observations If bad weather then switch to a cm project (selected from a backup list) In return, extra time is allocated for mm observations and either they or someone* else observes their mm sources for them

Issue 1: What are the backup cm observations?  Backup cm observations proposed by mm observers and suitably ranked in their own right by TAC  Other long-running projects proposed by others “Key” projects adopted by ATNF, data from which are public domain, including: –calibrators/system tests –Magellanic stream HI survey –Galactic plane HI survey –CBR/SZ/etc observations –deep fields (HDF, Chandra, SIRTF, Phoenix, etc.) –HIPASS follow-up –etc.

Issue 2: How do you schedule it? E.g. schedule 2 week to mm followed by 1 week to cm observing If all mm time is good then cm observing goes as planned Otherwise mm time is spread through the three-week period as weather allows Details will clearly need more discussion + experience Need –reliable objective indicator of mm weather –good scheduling tools –modifications to schedule format –break up schedules into 1 or 2 hour “units”

Issue 3: Who does the re-scheduled mm observing? Original mm observers if they’re still at Narrabri People who propose the fill-in cm observations Possibly also: ATNF astronomers/Narrabri staff/DA? Casual student labour?

Issue 4: Why are we re-inventing wheels? Several optical observatories with queue scheduling experience But their constraints are sufficiently different that cannot just plug in their model Also some experience with BIMA, IRAM See also ALMA memo #282 Advice has been sought from these other institutions, but only limited usefulness Most institutions (e.g. Gemini) still figuring it out.