Subaru Service Program

1. General Information on Service Program

Only a limited number of instruments and observing modes : HDS, Suprime-Cam, and only imaging with COMICS, IRCS(with/without AO188), and MOIRCS will be available for Service Programs.

Each program must be completed within 4 hours in a single night including all overheads and open-dome calibrations.

The observations of accepted service programs will be carried out by Support Scientists(SS). No visiting observers will be accepted. Service Programs will be scheduled in advance, and executed according to the priorities (given by the TAC) and the prevailing site conditions. The observing method and technical details must be described well in the proposal, so that SS can execute observations without any need of contacting the PI. SS will send information to PI once his/her program has been completed. In other words, SS will not send any announcements to PI until his/her program has been completed. All the proposed programs will be off the active service queue at the end of the semester.

2. Reviewing

The TAC will assign priority ranks to each of the submitted service proposals, which will be used by observatory staff to schedule the execution of the programs, along with other factors such as target coordinates and requested site conditions. The results of assessment will be notified to applicants after the Telescope Schedule has been fixed. There is no guarantee that an accepted service program will ever be executed. If there is a conflict between targets in a service program and accepted Open Use Normal Programs or Intensive Programs, such service program will not be executed.

3. Notice for Service Program Application

Describe the requirements for observation as a plain text. Each instrument has a different format for specifying the requested observations. Please see the appropriate Appendix (below) for COMICS, HDS, IRCS, MOIRCS, or Suprime-Cam. In addition to specifying the instrument configuration(s) for your observations, you will also need to indicate the site conditions (seeing, photometric, etc.) required for observations to achieve the proposed science. You can request the best conditions for your observations if really needed, but in general your program has a higher chance of being executed without such a special requirement.

4. Calibration Data

Calibration data taken for one service program may be shared with other service programs (if possible) in order to improve the overall observing efficiency during the nights scheduled for service observations, though applicants do not need to be aware of it.

5. Notes on publishing data obtained from a service program

We ask all service program investigators to follow the Subaru Telescope acknowledgment policy. Though SSs who perform service observations are not expected to be involved as co-authors in any publications which may arise, they are always ready to be inquired about possible collaborations.

6. Describing Requirements for Observations

This section lists the appropriate formats for specifying your requested observations. Each instrument has a different format. Please read carefully the information relevant to the instrument needed for your intended observation.

6-1. COMICS (imaging)

Please submit a plain ASCII text file. Please ensure you leave enough time for overheads and read the information on detector and chopping position angles. The following information must be provided for each target:

Target name.
Target coordinates. Please include the equinox (e.g., J2000) and the source of the coordinates (e.g., IRAS).
Target brightness at the wavelength of interest (Jy are preferred). Please also include the source (e.g., IRAS).
Requested filter.
Integration time. Please indicate also the desired S/N.
Standard star. You may choose a specific star or leave this blank, in which case the SA will choose a star for you.
Chop throw. Currently, chop throws of up to 60'' are possible. If left blank, the SA will choose an appropriate chop throw.
Chopping `off' position. If your target is in a crowded field, or is extended in a particular direction, you may provide a specific location for the `off' position of the chop beam. If left blank, the SA will make an educated guess.
Detector position angle. For extended objects, you may specify the position angle of the detector since the COMICS detector is not square.
Priority. If you have many targets and/or filters, please specify the priority in which you want them executed.
Required site conditions. Please specify the image quality, etc., required to achieve your science goals.
Please indicate any other special requests on your proposal. The observatory staff will try their best to accommodate them.
Please use this Java applet to create an observation file for *each* combination of objects/standards and filters. For example, if you are observing one (1) object and one (1) standard with two (2) filters, then you will need to produce four (4 = 1*2 + 1*2) observation files.

Here is an example to help you prepare your observation file.

N.B.: It is important to submit both a list of answers to the above questions for each object and the Java-produced observation files. Please refer to the example given above.

All the information should be written in (pasted into) the observation requirements section (no page limit) in the application form.

If you think finding-charts will be beneficial, for example, in identifying your target in a crowded field or how it should be placed on the detector array, please supply them as PDF attachments when you submit the proposal via e-mail (see the instruction on electronic submission above).

Here is an example finding-chart.

6-2. HDS

Please submit a plain ASCII text file. The following information should be provided for each object, basically. But, if you use a common instrument setting (#6-12) for all targets, you can combine all targets information (#1-5) into one table.

Target Name (including standard stars, if necessary)
Target coordinate, including the equinox (e.g. J2000).
Target magnitude in an optical band.
Integration time and the desired S/N ratio with remarkable wavelength. (Please use HDS Exposure Time Calculator.)
If you use Image Rotator, please indicate slit PA in degrees.
Requirement for ADC (Yes/No).
Image Rotator Mode (Blue/Red/None).
Wavelength Setup (StdUa/StdUb/StdBc ...etc.) If you want to use non-standard setup, describe center wavelength.
Note that you should use only one wavelength setting for each proposal in order to save overheads (10-15minutes).
Wavelength Resolution (slit width).
CCD binning (spatial x dispersion).
Requested seeing size (if you want to resolve spatially). Use <0".5, <0".7, <1".0, >1".0 .
Are photometric conditions necessary? (Yes/No)

Then add the following information:

Priority, if you have more than one target.
Please indicate any other special requests on your proposal, if any. (Requirement for I2-Cell etc.)

A. Finding Charts ( about 10 x 10 arcmin; as PDF attachment files)

If your targets meet at least one of these conditions,
  - V (or B, R, I...) magnitude, m(V) > 10
  - extended objects (nebula, galaxy etc.)
  - double star or target in crowded region
you should attach finding charts for each targets.
About 1x1 arcmin FOV is necessary for the finding charts.

Please describe the following points about your finding charts.
  A-1. Object Name
  A-2. Do you attach a PDF file of finding charts of this target? (Yes/No)
  A-3. Page Number of finding charts in your PDF file.
  A-4. Size of the chart
  A-5. Orientation of the chart
  A-6. Other comments (if any)

Here is an example to help you prepare your observation file.

6-3. IRCS (imaging with/without AO188)

AO-assisted imaging using AO188 in NGS mode is available. LGS mode is not available for service observations.

Please submit a plain ASCII text file. The following information should be provided for each object, including calibration standards.

Object/field name.
Magnitude/range of magnitudes in a specified NIR band.
Are photometric conditions necessary? (Yes/No)
What is the maximum acceptable seeing size (in arcseconds) in the specified NIR band?
Do you need AO188? (Yes/No)
If you need AO188, please describe about the AO guide star as follows.
1. R (or V if not available) magnitude of your AO guide stars.
2. Separation between your targets and AO guide stars.
3. Maximum acceptable FWHM of the point-spread function (PSF) after the AO correction.
4. Whether the AO guide star is a point source or not. If you use an extended object or a star associated with nebulousity, you must describe a FWHM of its spatial distribution or contrast between the star and nebulousity.
Right ascension of the target field in format HHMMSS.SSS
Declination of the target field in format (+/-)DDMMSS.SS
Equinox of position in format YYYY.Y
Filter(s) for observation. If more than one filter is to be used, separate them with commas. Filter names are: Z,J,H,HKP,KP,K,LP,MP,CH4S(CH4 short), CH4L(CH4 long), FE([FeII] 1.644), H2(1-0), BRG(Br Gamma), KC (K cont), PAH, BRAC(Br Alpha cont), BRA(Br Alpha)
Pixel scale for observation. (20MAS/52MAS)
Single frame exposure time in seconds. One exposure time must be provided for each filter specified in item 9, separated by commas.
Number of coadds at each dithering position. One value must be given for each filter specified in item 9, separated by commas.
Dither pattern. Valid pattern names for imaging are S5, S9, D5 and D9. If you wish to repeat the pattern, write "S5*2", for example.

The dither patterns are:

        (S5)   5       4     |        (S9)   8   7   6    |  
                            DITH                         DITH
                   1         |               9   1   5    |  
                                                            
               2       3                     2   3   4       

            ----------------------------------------------

                                       (D9)       7

        (D5)       4          |               8       6       |  
                            DITH                             DITH
               5   1   3      |            9      1      5    |  
                                                            
                   2                          2       4       
                                                  
                                                  3

Dithering size in arcseconds ("DITH" in the above figures).
Type of target. Use "OBJ" for objects, "STD" for standards.
Name of the target, to be written in the OBJECT field of the image FITS header.

Here is an example to help you prepare your observation file.

6-4. MOIRCS (imaging)

(I) General Notice on Service Observation with MOIRCS

MOIRCS service mode is available only for imaging observation with Y, J, H, and Ks filters. Imaging by narrow-band filters are not accepted. Also, only the standard n-point dithering mode (1<n<9) is available (i.e. SKYNOD option is not available).

Those who plan to submit service proposals should first make a detailed observing plan while considering realistic overheads, and make sure that the whole operation (observation + overhead) will be certainly completed within the limit of 4 hours (4 hr is the total observing time, not the net integration time!). Actual observing time including overheads may be estimated by using Overhead Calculator (Microsoft Excel format: refer NDUMMYREAD=2 case). MOIRCS Service Observation Form Generator will also calculate each required observing time. Proposers should also refer to MOIRCS Imaging Observation Guide as well as relevant information therein. Since the observatory staff is generally not ready to correct any mistakes or erroneous input values in the operation file submitted by the proposer, great care should be taken before submission.

(II) Submission of the Service Form

Please use MOIRCS Service Observation Form Generator for your preparation.

This tool will generate operation file data in response to the input data given by the user. First, read the description on the website about the details of data input. Run the web program for each target as well as each filter. Copy all the generated lines to a new text file, and repeat this procedure for each target and each filter/exposure setting one by one (insert space between each set: appending short headers is also welcomed). The resulting operation file should be submitted in the text format.

Any observing programs prepared without using the web generator are not accepted in the Service Program. (Non-standard observations should be carried out within the framework of the Normal Program.)

Proposers may also attach finding charts for the targets (indicate the exact MOIRCS FOV with channel 1/2 sign, as well as the direction of North). The observatory staff usually checks the FOV before the science exposure of the fields, and thus may be able to correct the FOV if the necessary correction is easy and trivial by comparing the finding charts. However, please note that putting correct values on the submitted service form is the proposer's responsibility. If no finding chart is given, the coordinates specified in the proposal would simply be relied upon.

Here is an example to help you prepare an observation file.

6-5. Suprime-Cam

(I) Please give the following information for each target:

Object/Field name. Please use notation like "SA110(standard)" for photometric standard fields.
Magnitude/range of magnitudes in a specified band.
Are photometric conditions necessary? (Yes/No)
What is the acceptable seeing size (in arcseconds)?
Use <0".5, <0".7, <1".0, >1".0
Right ascension of target in format HHMMSS.SSS
Declination of target in format (+/-)DDMMSS.SS
Equinox of position (2000.0 or 1950.0).
Position angle of field in degrees (default is 90, which has the long axis aligned east-west).
Filter(s) for observation.
For each filter, specify the following exposure parameters:
10-1. Filter name.
10-2. Individual exposure time
10-3. Single/dithering
10-4. Number of dither positions (N)
10-5. Radius of dither pattern in arcsec(R, default is 60)
10-6. Position angle of first dither position in degrees (T, default is 15).
10-7. RA offset in arcseconds (default is 0).
10-8. Dec offset in arcseconds (default is 0).
Note that the pointing position (5,6) corresponds to a gap in the CCD array, so you should add an appropriate offset to prevent the target from falling in the gap.

The dither pattern takes N exposures at positions:
   pos1 ( RA+R*cos(0*360/N+T), Dec+R*sin(0*360/N+T) )
   pos2 (RA+R*cos(1*360/N+T), Dec+R*sin(1*360/N+T) )
   pos3 (RA+R*cos(2*360/N+T), Dec+R*sin(2*360/N+T) )
      :
   posN (RA+R*cos((N-1)*360/N+T), Dec+R*sin((N-1)*360/N+T) )

Then add the following information:

Total time requested.
Preferred observing schedule.
Special requests for observation (if any).

(II) Please give the following information regarding an attachment file:

A. Information for finding charts

Important Notes:

*1 A finding chart should be prepared so that the chart cover exactly the same area as FOV of Suprime-Cam (the top side of the chart is aligned to that of Suprime-Cam's FOV). Otherwise, a rectangular area corresponding to FOV of Suprime-Cam and its orientation (which is the top side of FOV) must be clearly shown in the chart, which should be mentioned in 'A-3 5. Other comments' below as "Suprime-Cam's FOV is shown in the chart".

*2 If you intend to submit more than 2 finding charts, please compile them into one PDF file.

  A-1. Do you attach a PDF file of finding charts to this proposal? (Yes/No)
  A-2. Number of finding charts contained (number of pages of the PDF file).
  A-3. Give information 1 to 5 below for each of the finding chart.
    (1. Page number 2. Object name 3. Size of the chart 4. Orientation of the chart 5. Other comments (if any))

 example: 
       1. SDF  30'x30': north is up  : none
       2. M31  50'x50': orientation is shown in the chart: FOV is shown in the chart

Here is an example to help you prepare your observation file.