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

2. 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…

3. 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.

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

5. 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

6. 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.

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