DATE: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:55:35 +1100
SUBJECT: Gemini-AAL EIF Bid


Dear All-
  I am looking to put forward two proposals for the Gemini-AAL EIF  
Bid. These proposals are core activities as identified by the Gemini  
partnership, but have been chosen  to maximally align with Australia's  
scientific interests.  The money put forward in this way will either  
be used as a prepayment of future required instrumenation payments  
(thereby making the funds cost neutral to Australia's forward  
committments), or for Guaranteed time. It has been agreed that these  
details need to be part of future negotiations if these proposals are  
successful. This would help fill Gemini's instrumentation gaps over  
the coming several years when Australia has committed to remain a  
partner. The Gemini Science Committee will need to agree to these  
instruments - and this agreement is currently being sought.

Proposal 1: Indicative Cost $4M. Increase of the patrol field of  
Altair to enable NIFS (and GNIRS) to use AO over a much wider area of  
sky than is currently possible. Work would be undertaken by HIA,  
(Canada) via Gemini. All risk of over-runs would be taken by Gemini.   
NIFS is the most powerful of the IR integral field spectrographs on  
any of the 8-10m telescopes, was built in Australia, but is  
handicapped by the limited patrol field of <0.5'. This system should  
also improve the prospects for GNIRS to use AO over a wider range of  
targets as well.

Proposal 2: Indicative Cost - $0.5M. Replace the GMOS-S CCDs with new  
controllers (ARC-III) and E2V parts. GMOS-S is Gemini's most heavily  
used instrument and Australia's most used instrument. 25% of all time  
assigned to Australia uses this instrument. New Generation CCDs  
produced by E2V have identical footprints to existing parts, and  
exceed the performance of the current CCDs at all wavelengths. These  
CCDs will fringe much less (approx 7 times less) than current parts,  
and while having less QE (and more fringing) than the Hamamatsu CCDs  
being installed next year on GMOS-N, they have much better blue  
response. They also have extremely good cosmetics, lacking the low- 
level traps that make using GMOS-S in nod-and-shuffle mode difficult.  
Attached is a figure showing the QE as measured of SkyMapper CCDs  
(which are the proposed broadband CCDs for GMOS-S), compared to  
existing parts and HAMAMATSU. This work would be undertaken at RSAA- 
ANU, with assistance from HIA. Risk of this project would probably  
remain with Australia.

If you would like to register your interest, please go to the  
following link
https://apollo.anu.edu.au/apollo/default.asp?pid=4353

And put your name and short reason for interest for one or both of the  
instruments.
Leave areas blank which you are not interested in.

As always, feel free to email brian@mso.anu.edu.au if you have any  
questions or concerns.


Sincerely Yours

Brian Schmidt