WFMOS Status WFMOS Status ReportReport

Doug SimonsGemini Observatory

January 2008

Presentation TopicsPresentation Topics

WFMOS in Gemini’s Aspen Instrument Program Context

WFMOS Conceptual Design Study StatusWhat has happened since my

presentation at the Subaru User’s Meeting a year ago

Future Key StepsUK Withdrawal Impact

Subaru/Gemini WFMOS Science Conference

Aspen Instrument ProgramAspen Instrument Program

GroundLayerAdaptiveOptics

PrecisionRadialVelocitySpectrometer

GeminiPlanetImager

WideFieldMulti-ObjectSpectrometer

Gemini Planet Imager Remains Gemini Planet Imager Remains On TrackOn Track

All GPI institutions are making excellent progress toward CDR this year

Deployment planned for 2010 at Gemini-S

UK withdrawal from Gemini has little/no effect on GPI as we made firm contractual commitments already to build GPI

WFMOS StatusWFMOS StatusWide Field MOS

Conceptual design studies are about to begin - details later…

HSCCoDR scheduled for

April 2008Important that

results of HSC design trades get fed into WFMOS design studies

WideFieldMulti-ObjectSpectrometer

Together HSC & WFMOS will provide unique wide field imaging and spectroscopy capabilities that no other observatory will match on similar timescales

Time Over the Course of a Night

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Altitude

Ground Layer AO StatusGround Layer AO Status

University of Hawaii under contract to gather Gemini-N site data using LOLAS and SLODAR

Expect to complete data collection phase by mid 2008

Full analysis, including GLAO performance prediction will be completed by the end of 2008 which will feed into a decision about building a GLAO system for Gemini-N

GroundLayerAdaptiveOptics

Precision Radial Velocity Precision Radial Velocity SpectrometerSpectrometer

Conceptual design studies completed and contract negotiated with ATC led team

Contract submitted for Board approval in Nov. 2007 but UK announced intention to withdraw at that time

Gemini Board did not approve the PRVS contract due to Aspen funding uncertainties, firm commitments already made to GPI, and the need to protect WFMOS

PrecisionRadialVelocitySpectrometer

Aspen Program Development Aspen Program Development SequenceSequence

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

GPI

GLAO

WFMOS

PRVSHRNIRSStudies

PDR CDR

Mauna KeaSite Tests CoDR?

CoDR

FeasibilityStudy

CoDR PDR CDR?

FeasibilityStudy

Jan 2008

CoDR PDR?

PDR?Perf.

Modeling

Some WFMOS Q&A…Some WFMOS Q&A…

What has happened to the WFMOS What has happened to the WFMOS design studies since the last Subaru design studies since the last Subaru

User’s Meeting?User’s Meeting?

Lots, but the main progress is that 2 teams have submitted proposals to prepare conceptual design studies for WFMOS. These two teams have just been placed under contract to complete these studies and Gemini will fund them for a cost of ~$3,500,000.

Who will be working on the WFMOS design Who will be working on the WFMOS design studies?studies?

Two teams will work on separate competitive studiesOne is led by the Jet Propulsion Lab in California,

the other by the Anglo Australian ObservatoryThese teams include other institutions in the US, UK,

and Brazil

The studies yield competitive bids to build WFMOS, likely at the major subassembly level

Studies will require close technical exchange with HSC team to ensure compatibility with WFC and telescope

Would like to explore in 2008 involvement of Japanese institutions to potential build WFMOS components in the future

Why did Gemini sponsor these design Why did Gemini sponsor these design studies?studies?

These studies are intended to -Provide much better estimates of the cost

and time needed to build WFMOS than we have now

Generate conceptual level approaches to the design of WFMOS and analyses of the science that is likely possible with WFMOS

This basic information is required before Gemini or Subaru could decide to build WFMOS, an instrument of unprecedented scale

Has a commitment been made at Has a commitment been made at Gemini or Subaru to build Gemini or Subaru to build

WFMOS?WFMOS?No – much needs to be done before such a

commitment is possible, includingCompleting the WFMOS design studies to

provide us all with much more information than we have had in the past

Gemini and Subaru must reach an agreement about how we will share the cost, technical development, scientific use of the instrument, and exchange of telescope time as part of this program

Funding needs to be secured at Gemini and SubaruFunding the HSC corrector and telescope modifications

would represent significant Subaru contributions already.

What is the priority for WFMOS What is the priority for WFMOS compared to other instruments being compared to other instruments being

developed at Gemini?developed at Gemini?

WFMOS has broad support within the Gemini partners and remains the highest priority element in Gemini’s instrument program

The willingness of the Gemini Board to unilaterally fund these studies, at Gemini’s risk, reflects the interest level at Gemini in WFMOS

What is the impact of the UK’s What is the impact of the UK’s recent withdrawal from Gemini recent withdrawal from Gemini

on WFMOS?on WFMOS?Near term -

Not much as the Board decided that we should proceed with the WFMOS studies as originally planned (which includes UK institutions) since that is in the best scientific interests of Gemini compared to starting over with new teams.

Long term -The lack of UK Aspen contributions to

help fund WFMOS could be an issue and this must be addressed as the remaining Gemini partners reformulate the partnership.

Is the Gemini Board still committed to Is the Gemini Board still committed to WFMOS given the UK withdrawal from WFMOS given the UK withdrawal from

Gemini?Gemini?

“The Board resolves to maintain the continuity of operations and the enhanced scientific opportunities of the Gemini Observatory by the remaining Gemini Parties during this period of transition. Furthermore, the Board wishes to convey its continued goal of realizing our shared future science aspirations that are advanced through the Aspen program.”

When will the WFMOS studies be When will the WFMOS studies be done and what happens after they done and what happens after they

are done?are done?A conceptual design review will be held in early 2009 to recommend how we proceed with WFMOS, based upon the results of the 2 studiesSubaru and Gemini will be represented on the review

committeeThe results of this review will be reported to Subaru

and Gemini managementBy this time a draft Subaru/Gemini WFMOS

agreement for the joint development and use of WFMOS needs to be in place as well so we have a complete understanding of all the challenges/issues

With all of this information in place, I expect that a decision will be made in 2009 about building WFMOS, either in its entirety or incrementally

How can Subaru and Gemini develop a How can Subaru and Gemini develop a sense of joint ownership, scientifically and sense of joint ownership, scientifically and technically, for a major new instrument like technically, for a major new instrument like

WFMOS?WFMOS?

Telescope time exchange - Our current time exchange program is the “seed”

for our future time exchange program once WFMOS is deployed. It needs to be developed further to ensure the capabilities Gemini and Subaru offer through this program are meeting the needs of our respective communities

Technology - Organizations in Japan that are interested in

potentially building components of WFMOS need to be identified

Science - The Subaru and Gemini science communities need to

develop broader collaborations in support of future major joint Subaru/Gemini science campaigns with WFMOS as well as PI science. Speaking of which…

Subaru/Gemini WFMOS Science ConferenceSubaru/Gemini WFMOS Science Conference

To be held at the Waikoloa Marriott on the Big Island

19-21 May 2008 Intended to bring

together scientists from the WFMOS study teams as well as the Subaru and Gemini communities to explore science opportunities with WFMOS and foster future collaborations

Waikoloa Marriott

I Look Forward to Your I Look Forward to Your Questions…Questions…