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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
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Future Blanco Instrumentationand 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…
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. This requires -
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)