1. Letizia Stanghellini NOAO 16 June 2008 – Science with Giant Telescopes
TAC issues
Letizia Stanghellini
NOAO
16 June 2008 – Science with Giant Telescopes

2. The NOAO TAC The NOAO TAC system deals with the community access to:
The national observatories (KPNO, CTIO)
Gemini (international partnership)
Public and private partnership observatories
NOAO + university partners (e.g., WIYN, SOAR)
NOAO public time on Keck, Magellan, MMT, HET via TSIP
NOAO TAC science-based; observers request selection of telescopes/instruments offered, based on their science needs
TAC Members chosen from the community at large, based on scientific excellence

3. TAC models Single observatory International partners Multi-partners
ESO (one OPC, national partners shares expected to be fulfilled- members selected from member counties)
Gemini (national TACs, ITAC to oversee queue/shares/ToO )
Multi-partners
Keck, Magellan, WIYN (member TACs, no super-TAC, no general ToO policy except for public access)

4. TAC models – ground based obs.
Partner TACs plus observatory TAC (i.e., super-TAC)
Oversight of science policies, control over science time especially ToO
Lesser partners are disadvantaged (especially if queue modes are used, since availability of specific weather conditions is limited)
Pre-determined shares and partner TACs
Limited scientific oversight
Partners more likely to get their fair share

5. Proposal pressure

6. Distribution of the size of
scheduled programs
Telescope aperture < 6m
(KP, CT, WIYN, SOAR)
Telescope aperture > 6m
(GEM and TSIP)
Note the evolution toward smaller programs

7. Scheduled programs by
team size
Over time, the number of large
(>5 people) teams is almost
invariant for proposals requesting
small apertures, while it
increases for those requesting
large apertures

8. Joint NASA/NOAO programs