1

NOAO – National Optical NOAO – National Optical Astronomy ObservatoryAstronomy Observatory

Overview for the AST Committee of Overview for the AST Committee of VisitorsVisitors

February 2011February 2011

Jeff Pier, Jeff Pier, Program OfficerProgram Officer

2

Cooperative Agreement(s)

Cooperative Agreements are the governing instruments between NSF and Managing Organizations

The current NOAO Cooperative agreement (with AURA) became effective on Oct 1, 2009

Expires March 31, 2014 Per National Science Board policy, a competition will be held

for the Management of NOAO after the current CA expires There are some continuing budgetary actions under old CA NOAO’s CA serves as a conduit for LSST Design &

Development funding

3

NOAO Management NOAO Management OrganizationOrganization

AURA - Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Not for profit corporation with headquarters in DC; headquarters

staff of 9, 3 additional staff in Chile AURA President William Smith reports to AURA Board of Directors Representatives from the 44 AURA member institutions meet

annually to elect Board, Councils, and offer advice. NOAO Director reports independently to AURA President

AURA receives advice from a community-based NOAO Council Observatory Council – meets twice annually

NOAO Director receives advice from community- based Users Committee (meets annually) and a Visiting Committee (roughly every 3 years)

4

NSF Management of NOAONSF Management of NOAO

Program Managers 2006-2009: Tom Barnes 2009-present: Jeff Pier

Governing documents, committees, reports Cooperative Agreement (2009)

Program Review Panel– meets twice annually Annual Program Plans Annual Long Range Plans (5 year look ahead) Quarterly Reports: programmatic and financial Annual Reports PO attendance at AURA’s Council meetings & NOAO Users

committees Weekly conversations with Director and AURA President

5

NSF Budget ManagementNSF Budget Management

Funding flows through Cooperative Support Agreements (CSAs) under the CA

Individual CSAs keep the budgets and management of different programs distinct CSA-1: NOAO CSA-2: Inter-Agency Transfers CSA-3: LSST (pass through) … etc for REU programs, ReSTAR, TSIP, LSST Coordination with other program officers necessary for some CSAs

NOAO funding actions are typically administered on a quarterly basis.

6

NOAO Budgets FY2008 NOAO Budgets FY2008 2010 2010

Base Budget (O&M, Development, EPO) FY08: $24.6M FY09: $26.6M+$5.6M (ARRA - Infrastructure) FY10: $27.5M

Other NSF funding to NOAO over the three years TSIP $12M ($4M each year) ReSTAR $6.9M ($3.0M in FY09, $3.9M in FY10)

NOAO’s total operating budget is approximately twice the NSF base budget due to TSIP &ReSTAR plus reimbursed services for observatory and administrative support provided to Gemini, NSO, NRAO, and numerous tenant activities on both KPNO & CTIO

7

Some NOAO MetricsSome NOAO MetricsFY08 FY09 FY10FY08 FY09 FY10

Observing Programs 420 482 499

U.S. Institutions represented 151 163 155

U.S. Researchers involved 894 997 1085

PhD Thesis Observers 82 85 95

Other graduate student Observers 72 64 81

Publications based on NOAO facilities or Archives 346 373 401

8

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO)Located 56 miles from Tucson; elevation 6875 ft. Leased from theTohono O’odham Nation; 19 Optical and 2 radio telescopes; 8 tenant observatories

9

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory43 road miles from La Serena, Chile; elevation 7260 ft

16 telescopes + 8 tenant observatories

NOAO PartnershipsNOAO Partnerships

10

WIYN 3.5-m Telescope on KPNO. NOAO is a

40% partner with Wisconsin, Indiana, and

Yale

SOAR 4.1-m Telescope on Cerro Pachon, NOAO

is a 30% partner with Michigan State, North Carolina, and Brazil

SMARTS – Four small telescopes on CTIO. NOAO is a 25% partner with numerous U.S. institutions

The The SYSTEM SYSTEM of U.S. OIR of U.S. OIR Ground-Based TelescopesGround-Based Telescopes

11

NOAO Coordinates the ensemble of all Federal and non-Federal observatories - “The System” – the World leader

in research, education, and public outreachGTC (via Florida)

Keck (1 & 2)LBT

SALT (via U.S. partners)Hobby-Eberly

Gemini (North, SouthMagellan (Baade, Clay)

MMTPalomar (Hale)

SOARNOAO (Mayall, Blanco)

DCT (Lowell, 2012?)AEOSWIYNARC

ShaneIRTF

12

NOAO and GeminiNOAO and Gemini

NOAO Gemini Science Center:NOAO Gemini Science Center: A Division of NOAOA Division of NOAO NGSC is the gateway for US astronomers to the two NGSC is the gateway for US astronomers to the two

8.1-m Gemini Observatory telescopes on Mauna 8.1-m Gemini Observatory telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii & Cerro Pachon ChileKea, Hawaii & Cerro Pachon Chile

Provides support to U.S. Observers during all phases Provides support to U.S. Observers during all phases (proposal preparation, observing, and data reduction)(proposal preparation, observing, and data reduction)

NOAN and Gemini – the futureNOAN and Gemini – the future Astro2010 recommended a consolidation of Astro2010 recommended a consolidation of

management of NOAO and Geminimanagement of NOAO and Gemini

13

NOAO and LSSTNOAO and LSST

NOAO is a founding member of the LSST NOAO is a founding member of the LSST CorporationCorporation NOAO has played a major role in developing the NOAO has played a major role in developing the

LSST telescope, site, and base and summit facilitiesLSST telescope, site, and base and summit facilities Will continue to be heavily involved in construction of Will continue to be heavily involved in construction of

these componentsthese components NOAO’s role in operations is not yet defined but may NOAO’s role in operations is not yet defined but may

be significantbe significant

14

Under DevelopmentUnder Development

DECam –Dark Energy CameraDECam –Dark Energy Camera-3 square degree fov; Camera built by DOE/FNAL, -3 square degree fov; Camera built by DOE/FNAL,

dedicated Blanco telescope time for Surveydedicated Blanco telescope time for Survey

-Delivery later this year, DES begins in ’12-Delivery later this year, DES begins in ’12

BigBOSS – Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Proposal from LBL/DOE for a 5,000 fiber spectrograph for Mayall for DE scienceFive year survey beginning in ~4 years?

ODI – One Degree Imager on WIYN-64 Orthogonal Transfer array CCDs-Was the hope to fill a wide-field imaging need in the north (ReSTAR)-Problems with the detectors have put this project on hold while reviews/studies progress

15

Public Affairs and Education Public Affairs and Education OfficeOffice

NOAO Public Affairs and Education Office Scaled back in FY09 due to tight budget

Research Based Science Education for high school Research Based Science Education for high school science teachers was droppedscience teachers was dropped

REU at KPNO and CTIO, ~6 students each from REU at KPNO and CTIO, ~6 students each from U.S. plus Chilean students @ CTIOU.S. plus Chilean students @ CTIO

Heavy involvement/leadership in IYA 2009Heavy involvement/leadership in IYA 2009 GalileoscopeGalileoscope White House Star PartyWhite House Star Party

Tohono O’odham Outreach very activeTohono O’odham Outreach very active KPNO Visitors’ CenterKPNO Visitors’ Center

Estimated 60,000 / yr. Estimated 60,000 / yr. CADIAS astronomy outreach center near La CADIAS astronomy outreach center near La

SerenaSerena

2010 KPNO REU students

Press releases website: http://www.noao.edu/news/Image website: http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery

16

NOAONOAO

BACK UP SLIDES

17

Program Review Panel Program Review Panel ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

Determine and track quantitative metrics for NOAO performance in various categories,

Evaluate the Annual Program Plan for NOAO, Evaluate the Long Range Plan for NOAO, Report and critically assess the Observatory’s needs, Report annually on all NOAO activities that can be

defined as partnerships with the community, Report annually on all NOAO activities that enhance

diversity, both in NOAO staff and in users of NOAO telescopes, and

Report annually on NOAO education and public outreach activities.

18

Program Review PanelProgram Review PanelCurrent MembershipCurrent Membership

P. McCarthy (Carnegie Observatories) – Chair E. Barton (U.C. Irvine) T. Beers (Michigan State U.) K. Bjorkman (U. Toledo H. Morrison (Case Western Reserve U.) C. Telesco (Univ. Florida)

19

KPNO TenantsKPNO Tenants

Calypso Observatory – private 1.2m MDM Observatory

Michigan, Dartmouth, Ohio State, Columbia, Ohio U - 1.3m Robotically Controlled Telescope (RCT) Observatory

Planetary Science Institute, Western Kentucky U, South Carolina State, Villanova, Fayetteville State U – 1.3m

SARA - Southeastern Assoc. for Research in Astronomy Many universities – 0.9m

Univ. of Arizona – 2.3m, 12m radio dish VLBA Telescope – 25m Warner & Swasey – Burrell Schmidt 0.6m Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper (WHAM) Observatory – 0.6m WYIN 0.9m Telescope

20

CTIO TenantsCTIO Tenants

Curtis-Schmidt Telescope (U. Michigan) – 0.6-m Schmidt SSI Airglow – Scientific Solutions Inc private airglow monitor GONG - NSO’s Global Oscillation Network Group LCOGT – Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope

Network PROMPT - Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and

Polarimetry Telescopes (U. North Carolina) - 6 x 0.4m ALO – Andes LIDAR Observatory (U. Illinois) WHAM – Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (U. Wisconsin) SARA - Southeastern Association for Research in

Astronomy – 0.9-m

21

Telescope Subscription RatesTelescope Subscription Rates

2008A 2008B 2009A 2009B 2010A2010B

Gemini N 3.26 1.84 2.20 2.55 4.26 3.35

Gemini S 2.09 1.55 1.91 1.93 1.85 1.91

Blanco 1.48 1.50 2.95 1.33 2.002.86

SOAR 0.94 1.48 1.16 3.27 2.67 1.95

SMARTS 1.33 1.35 1.34 1.12 1.16 1.25

Mayall 4.05 3.21 4.64 1.40 1.24 1.56

WIYN 2.00 1.38 1.91 1.79 2.74 1.56

2.1m 1.10 1.12 1.43 1.56 1.30 1.68

0.9m 2.25 1.00 2.17 1.25 3.23 ---

TSIP 2.84 2.71 4.46 3.66 3.78 3.54

22

Community Access (“Open Community Access (“Open Skies”) Telescope SharesSkies”) Telescope Shares

Gemini N 50% Gemini S 50% Mayall 80% WIYN 30% 2.1m 100% 0.9m 40% Blanco 80% SOAR 30% SMARTS 25%

Instrumentation AST CoV 2011

NOAO Managed Programs: (1)NOAO Managed Programs: (1)Telescope System Instrumentation Telescope System Instrumentation

Program (TSIP) Program (TSIP)

Funding to develop new instrumentation, upgrade existing instruments for telescopes operated by non-federally-funded U.S. observatories with telescopes of 3-10m aperture.

“System Access” mechanism for direct exchange of telescope time for use by the community in exchange for operations funding.

Proposals are solicited annually and are competitively reviewed. Review panel recommendations forwarded to AST for approval

Awards made to Keck MMT LBT Magellan WIYN (ODI)

Funding Levels: $32M over the past 9 years (FY02 FY10) ($4M per year every year except that FY05 & FY06 were funded at $2M/yr)

NOAO Managed Programs (2): NOAO Managed Programs (2): Renewing Small Telescopes for Renewing Small Telescopes for

Astronomical Research (ReSTAR)Astronomical Research (ReSTAR)

Funding for 2 Funding for 2 5 meter telescope instrumentation (new or upgrades) in exchange for 5 meter telescope instrumentation (new or upgrades) in exchange for community access in response to the ReSTAR Reportcommunity access in response to the ReSTAR Report

Can also fund direct exchange of telescope timeCan also fund direct exchange of telescope time First of three 3-phase proposals submitted FY08First of three 3-phase proposals submitted FY08 Each phase is for 3 years at approximately $10MEach phase is for 3 years at approximately $10M Year 1 of Phase 1 awarded $3M (KOSMOS, Mosaic and Hydra upgrades, Hale Year 1 of Phase 1 awarded $3M (KOSMOS, Mosaic and Hydra upgrades, Hale

telescope spectroscopic time)telescope spectroscopic time) Year 2 awarded $3.9M (COSMOS and TripleSpec)Year 2 awarded $3.9M (COSMOS and TripleSpec) Phase 2 solicitation released in December – inviting institutions to propose to partner Phase 2 solicitation released in December – inviting institutions to propose to partner

with NOAO to develop/enhance capabilities that. 1Sixteen proposals received.with NOAO to develop/enhance capabilities that. 1Sixteen proposals received. Are responsive to the ReSTAR reportAre responsive to the ReSTAR report Balance System capabilitiesBalance System capabilities

AST Program Officer works closely with NOAO for both programs including attending the panel reviews and advising on funding decisions.