WFMOS as a Bridge to the Future for Gemini & Subaru

2. WFMOS as a Bridge to the Future for Gemini & Subaru Doug Simons Director, Gemini Observatory

3. Three Presentations – One Message… WFMOS in the Aspen Context Gemini Fundamentals Gemini Design Collaborations – Overarching Considerations WFMOS – Current Status & Next Steps WFMOS Negotiations Gemini/Subaru Science & Instrumentation Kentaro Motohara Chris Packham

4. Gemini Fundamentals

5. Gemini-South Cerro Pachon, Chile Gemini-North Mauna Kea, Hawaii Two Telescopes - One Observatory • To our community, Gemini appears and functions as a single observatory - the only major ground based observatory that is capable of targeting any object in the sky

6. Gemini Board NSF, STFC, NRC, etc. Executive Agency NSF AURA President Gemini Director Gemini Observatory Management Structure • The Gemini Director has many bosses, some real, others virtual, all important… • Requires careful attention, clear communication, and regular interaction with many key stakeholders • Gemini Board has ultimate authority • AURA provides the business and legal framework within which Gemini functions

7. GMOS NICI T-ReCS FLAMINGOS-2 GSAOI MCAO GMOS NIRI ALTAIR+LGS MICHELLE NIFS GNIRS Mauna Kea Cerro Pachon Current Status Baseline Modes Commissioned Instrument Under Development

8. Gemini Planet Imager Precision Radial Velocity Spectrometer Aspen Instrument Program Wide Field Multi- Object Spectrometer Ground Layer Adaptive Optics

9. Gemini Planet Imager • Conceptual design studies completed successfully • Instrument procurement canceled due to lack of funding and higher priority given to WFMOS • High performance coronagraph • ~107 contrast ratio • Being built by a number of institutions – led by LLNL • Scheduled for deployment at Gemini-South in 2011 Precision Radial Velocity Spectrometer Aspen Instrument Program • AAO and JPL are now completing competitive design studies for WFMOS • Conceptual design studies will be reviewed Feb. 09 • Gemini Board decision regarding proceeding with WFMOS - May 09 Wide Field Multi- Object Spectrometer • UH completed site testing in 2008 • Results indicate that a GLAO system at Gemini-N would be powerful • Decision to proceed with GLAO 2010? Ground Layer Adaptive Optics

10. IR Optimized Design • f/16 secondary • tip/tilt • chopping • Telescope structure • Designed to reduce thermal inertia • Relies on active optics that are always “on” Primary mirror rests above elevation axis to increase wind flushing & Cassegrain payload IR Optimized Telescope Design

11. IR Optimized Telescope Design 4-Layer Protected Silver Coatings ~3% total emissivity

12. IR Optimized Telescope Design • Reduced cross-section secondary mirror supports designed to minimize diffracted light in PSF Typical strehl achieved is 60-75% @ 10 m

13. IR Optimized Telescope Design • However, the same design features which allow Gemini to excel as an infrared optimized telescope make it difficult to support prime focus instruments (like WFMOS…)

14. The Subaru/Gemini CollaborationSome Overarching Considerations…

15. Some Overarching Considerations… • There is an inevitable trend in science toward international collaboration and Gemini and Subaru are uniquely poised to lead the way among 8-10 m class facilities worldwide • Subaru and Gemini each have unique capabilities that would help the “other” community • Subaru – world class wide field instrumentation (optical and NIR)… • Gemini – IR optimization, all-sky access; fast response modes…

16. Some Overarching Considerations… • In general scientific collaborations should be – • Mutually beneficial • Founded on fair and equitable terms • Designed to provide partners with research opportunities that they would not otherwise have • Take advantage of natural synergies • Tailored to avoid costly capability duplication between observatories

17. Some Overarching Considerations… • In many ways the WFMOS initiative is just a catalyst for fostering a scientific collaboration between the Subaru and Gemini communities • If we do not proceed with WFMOS, for any reason, I urge that we continue to nurture future scientific collaboration based on other capabilities unique to Subaru and Gemini

18. WFMOS – Current Status and Next Steps

19. WFMOS Negotiations • Discussion topics to date have included – • Duration of agreement • Cost sharing • Time exchange parameters • Commissioning and maintenance considerations • Other related issues… • Motohara-san will summarize negotiations in more detail in the next presentation Nov. 2008 Dec. 2008 Oct. 2008

20. WFMOS Baseline Design Guidelines • Wavelength Range: 0.39 – 1.0 µm • Field of View: ~1.5 deg diameter • Spatial Sampling: ~1 arcsec fiber entrance • Spectral Resolution: R~1800 – 3500 (~3000 fibers) and R~40,000 (~1500 fibers) • One-shot wavelength coverage: ~0.39 to 1.0 µm (low resolution spectrographs), >100 Å (high resolution spectrographs) • Simultaneous stellar targets: ~4500 • Detector operating modes: standard readout or “nod & shuffle” as required to achieve the science goals.

21. WFMOS Trade Studies • WFMOS teams will include in their proposals a number of trades studies to determine the optimal WFMOS design/cost needed to support the science goals of the instrument • Trades can include many things including - • Acquisition field size • Vignetting • Multiplex gains • Total survey time • Fiber manipulation schemes • Manufacturing risks for key components • Science impact of cost-saving reductions in the baseline WFMOS capabilities

22. JPL Team PI Richard Ellis Caltech Penn State ATC Cambridge IofA U. College London LNA Brazil AAO Team PI Sam Barden NOAO U. Oxford/RAL U. Portsmouth U. Durham Johns Hopkins U. RAL Two WFMOSConceptual Design Study Teams Two competitive conceptual design studies are being performed by large, international teams. They will be completed in Feb. 2009

23. WFMOS Decision Process • After the WFMOS Conceptual Design Review (Feb. 22-23) a number of discussions will be held leading to a May Gemini Board meeting decision about proceeding with WFMOS • Gemini and Subaru will consider the review committee report jointly before a recommendation is made to Gemini Board • Subaru and Gemini SAC’s will consider science implications of any significant design changes in WFMOS • Draft Subaru/Gemini agreement will be negotiated and submitted for consideration by Gemini Board and NAOJ

24. Possible Concerns • Number of fibers in WFMOS • The design will include a complex trade between fiber number, throughput, field of view, etc. • Together these design parameters determine the amount of telescope time needed to complete a survey and the amount of telescope time needed will not be allowed to be prohibitive as design/cost options are weighed

25. Possible Concerns • Delay in delivery • Historically Gemini instruments have been delivered 1-2 years late • Typical of other observatories • NIFS (2) and GSAOI were Gemini’s best performers, bHROS and FLAMINGOS-2 our worst • It is in the strategic interests of everyone to ensure that WFMOS is deployed on schedule • If approved, Gemini will increase the size of its development group to help oversee the timely delivery of WFMOS • Gemini and Subaru will interact regularly throughout the development period of the instrument to ensure design trades meet everyone’s needs

26. Possible Concerns • Funding challenges • The global economic crisis is effecting essentially all segments of society and astronomy is no different • Gemini funding for WFMOS remains uncertain • The US funding situation in particular should be clarified in the next ~2-3 months • Funding for Gemini’s operations will be given higher priority than its development program

27. Gemini Commitment to WFMOS • Today, 5 years after the Aspen Workshop, WFMOS remains the highest priority instrument in Gemini’s development program with strong support from the – • Gemini Science Committee • Gemini Board of Directors • Gemini Community • Both personally and on behalf of Gemini Observatory, I thank you for the opportunity to share these perspectives on Gemini, WFMOS, and hopefully a long lasting scientific partnership between our observatories

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