Period: Semesters 2024A and 2024B (February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025)
Submission deadline: December 31, 2023
Total time available: 84 hours (42 per semester) of photometric time and
(estimated) 40 nights (20 per semester) of non-photometric time for the year 2024
Rationale
As discussed in collaboration meetings and telecoms, as S-PLUS observations move forward, more vacant observing time is available. Here, we announce the new call for members of the S-PLUS collaboration to propose scientific projects for observations to be taken during the effective year 2024 (from February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025). Observing time can be requested in three categories:
● Target of Opportunity (ToO): High-priority targets can be assigned anytime during the year. (Any transparency; Any Moon)
● Variability Follow-up (Var): Follow-up target for variability or other science requiring this observation form. This option cannot be assigned only for the photometric time (Any transparency; Any Moon)
● Priority Science Targets (PST): Targets presenting high impact potential for science and/or needed for dissertation/thesis. It needs to be properly justified upon proposal submission. (Any transparency, although dark photometric time, will be considered during evaluation; Any Moon)
As our main priority is to complete the Main Survey as soon as possible, ToO/Var/PST programs should assume that the observations will be carried out primarily during nights that are not suitable for MS observations (i.e. bright time, seeing >2.0”, transparency <80% or transparency variations >10%). However, programs requiring a limited number of photometric hours to complete their scientific goals will receive full consideration (the number of photometric nights available for this purpose will be 42 observing hours per semester). Interested proposers should specify the number of required non-photometric and photometric nights. A proper justification for the photometric time requested, if any, is advisable. For semesters 2024A and 2024B, we foresee the availability of about 20 non-photometric nights each that could be allocated to suitable ToO/Var programs. For ToO targets, we expect to be able to allocate up to 24 hours of unrestricted, high-priority follow-up each semester. If the awarded time is not used during the semester, it will be allocated to the S-PLUS Main Survey without further notification.
Proposal instructions
Proposers should send the proposal in a single pdf file to splus@iag.usp.br.
Proposals shall include an abstract + scientific rationale + immediate goals (3 pages max including all figures, tables and references), technical description (1 page), and a response to the questions below (1 page).
In the technical description, the proposers are required to include the following information (when applicable):
- Observation setup: selected filters, exposure times for each filter, number of exposures per filter at a time, number of observation blocks (sum of exposure times for each filter and filters per field) per night, cadence in nights and total number of hours or observations requested, minimum Moon distance (in degrees) and maximum air mass.
- Night quality: Minimum transparency is accepted and maximum FWHM (the max FWHM recommended is 2.2 arcsec, although specific projects can use worse conditions).
- Moon brightness: <=35% (dark), 35% to 85% (grey), and >= 85% (bright time).
- Specify the months of the year most suitable for observing the requested fields. If a specific day of the year is optimal for the observation, it should be included in the request.
- If standard stars are requested to calibrate the observed data, they must be included in the request, with the exposure time per filter, air mass and number of observations specified. The time necessary for observing standard stars must be included in the requested time budget.
Additional information: An overhead time of 40s per exposure shall be accounted for the time calculation of observing blocks. The minimum acceptable elevation is 40 degrees. For more technical information, see
https://www.splus.iag.usp.br/instrumentation/.
Questions for ToO/Var/PST projects (if applicable):
- Do your scientific goals require the observations to be taken in photometric time, i.e. no thin clouds but any Moon? Justify.
- How many targets or target fields must be observed to accomplish the
science goals? - How was the duration and cadence of a ToO/Var observation determined?
- How many targets or target fields must be observed to accomplish the science goals?
- What is the expected impact of the project beyond just identification/follow-up? In what ways will the T80S data be crucial or unique?
- What event triggers will be used, and how will the ToO fields for the T80S be selected?
- If applicable, what is the expected frequency of events requested to be observed with the T80S field (2 sq deg)?
- When the location of the trigger event is only known approximately, what is the uncertainty in the area associated with the target? How many individual pointings are needed to cover the area where the ToO should be located (e.g. in terms of a 90% confidence limit)?
- Do you have previous ToO/Var S-PLUS proposals approved? If yes, please, provide a brief description of the status of those projects.
Notes about the proposal evaluation, acceptance and execution process
- The Ombuds committee will assign a review panel composed of members of the S-PLUS collaboration, possibly including one or more outside experts. Proposals will also be reviewed by the Technical Committee and the Survey Manager to assess their technical feasibility.
- Successful ToO/Var proposals will become an integral part of the S-PLUS survey and thus open to the participation of all collaboration members. The ToO/Var project PI will lead the project by following the same rules established by the S-PLUS policies.
- Raw images will be delivered. Reduced images may be delivered, but only if and when they are reduced. Reduction happens simultaneously with the regular observations of the S-PLUS programs.