ESO Spanish Users : Proposals preparation P89

Observing proposals must contain a scientific case, a summary of the proposed observing programme, a list of desired instrument modes and configurati

Observing proposals must contain a scientific case, a summary of the proposed observing programme, a list of desired instrument modes and configurations, a target list, and a precise definition of required observing conditions (seeing, atmospheric transparency, lunar illumination, etc.). In addition, a calculation of the number of hours/nights of observing time needed to accomplish the scientific goals must be carried out and summarized in the proposal. It is therefore important that proposers consult technical documentation about the capabilities and sensitivities of the requested instrument(s). Proposers are reminded of P2PP (Phase 2 Proposal Preparation tool)tutorialsand a P2PP tutorial account for all VLT instruments that can be useful in preparing Phase 1. When necessary, proposers should discuss their technical requirements with the appropriate experts (contacts provided via the ESO User Support Department,usd-help@eso.orgfor Paranal and Chajnantor, andlasilla@eso.orgfor La Silla), before submitting their proposals. Advice about policies and about the practical aspects of proposal preparation (e.g. specification of time constraints, fulfilment of minimum run length for La Silla, etc.) should be sought from the Observing Programmes Officeopo@eso.org. Proposals are submitted via a web upload procedure using the online tool, Web Application for Submitting Proposals (WASP). This requires users to first login to the ESO User Portal at: http://www.eso.org/UserPortal. Please refer to Section 3. of ESO Call for Proposals –P89document on How to submit an ESO Phase 1 proposal. Normal Programme proposal form changes:The Normal Programme proposal formshould be used for all programmes that require under 100 hours of observing time. This formunderwent significant changes in P87.The new form allows users a maximum of two pages for the combination of the scientificdescription of the programme and the attachments (figures and tables). The attachmentsare restricted to the second of these two pages, while the presentation of the scientificrationale of the programme and of its immediate objectives may use one full page plusany fraction of the second one that is not devoted to attachments.The telescope and observing mode justifications are now in separate boxes in the form.A GTO/Survey duplication box has been introduced in which proposers should statewhether their observations duplicate targets/regions covered by ongoing GTO and VISTAPublic Survey programmes and justify the need for such duplication. This change alsoapplies to Large Programmes. ESO/GTC Programmes: A special template has been developed for submission of ESO/GTCproposals. It is similar to the ESO Large Programme template, but adapted for the GTC.It is part of a separate ESOFORM package (labelled 89B), and it can be retrieved from thesame location in the ESO User Portal as the regular package for observing proposals for ESOtelescopes (89A). Exposure Time Calculators Exposure Time Calculators (ETCs) for ESO instruments are accessible directly on the ESO Web. They can be reached via: http://ww.eso.org/observing/etc for La Silla and Paranal instrumentation. For APEX instrumentation please go to http://www.apex-telescope.org/instruments/ Links to useful proposal preparation software tools (e.g. Object Observability Calculator, Airmass Calculator, Digitized Sky Survey). Information on standard stars and sky characteristics, as well as additional tools, are available at http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal/sciops/tools.html The parameters used by the ETCs are based on data collected during instrument commissioning and operations. The ETC parameters are frequently updated and changes will be reflected by the running "version number". To help the observatory staff assess the technical feasibility of observations, proposers are requested to specify the version number of the ETC they used in the section "9. Justification of requested observing time and observing conditions" of their proposals. Please check the ESO web pages for the ETC version to be used in Period 89. Please note that while the sky background values used in the ETCs generally reflect actual conditions on Paranal, they do not account for local effects such as observation in the zodiacal light. Proposers of VLTI observations should check the feasibility of their proposed observations with the visibility calculator "viscalc", available from the ETC page. At Phase 2, users are also encouraged to select a suitable calibrator star for their planned observations using the CalVin tool, available also from http://www.eso.org/observing/etc. Service Mode proposers are reminded that the requested observing conditions are binding in Phase 2, hence consistency is required between the seeing constraint indicated in the first page of the proposal and the seeing value used in the ETC to estimate the observing time necessary to complete the programme. The same is true for the requested sky transparency and lunar phase. Non-photometric sky transparency can be simulated by adding 0.1/0.2 mag to the object magnitude for CLEAR/THIN-CIRRUS conditions respectively. How to estimate overheads Service and Visitor Mode observersmustinclude the overhead times associated with their science target observations in their proposals. For Service Mode observations, the total execution time requested for every planned Observation Block (OB) must include all overheads, from telescope presetting and target acquisition to all other relevant instrument overheads. Proposers should note that all overheads must be accounted for within one hour for each OB. Time for night-time calibrations and associated overheads must be included only in cases where the accuracy of the observatory calibration plan is not deemed suficient for the science goals. Please note that calibrations need to be executed as part of the science OBs in some instrument modes (e.g. attached calibrations for all VIMOS IFU and MOS modes; see theVIMOS User Manualfor details). The time needed to execute such attached calibrations must be included in the proposal. Proposers are strongly encouraged to make use of thePhase 2 Preparation Tool (P2PP)during the preparation of their proposals in order to accurately determine the overheads required by their programmes. It is possible to simulate the detailed breakdown of the programme in terms of its constituent Observation Blocks (OBs) using the P2PP tutorial accounts; see Section 1.4 of theP2PP User Manual. The Execution Time Report option offered by P2PP provides an accurate estimate of the time needed for the execution of each OB including all the necessary overheads. The total execution time estimated by P2PP reflects the official ESO time accounting in Service Mode. Information partially extracted from the pdf document:ESO Call for Proposals –P89 External links to tips Preparing an ESO proposalby P. Kervella & P. J. V. Garcia How to write a (potentially successful) observing proposalby J. Wilms Opportunities of observing at ESO. How to write a succesful proposal. by B. Leibundgut. Jornada ESO 2011. Granada.

Proposals preparation P89

Observing proposals must contain a scientific case, a summary of the proposed observing programme, a list of desired instrument modes and configurations, a target list, and a precise definition of required observing conditions (seeing, atmospheric transparency, lunar illumination, etc.). In addition, a calculation of the number of hours/nights of observing time needed to accomplish the scientific goals must be carried out and summarized in the proposal. It is therefore important that proposers consult technical documentation about the capabilities and sensitivities of the requested instrument(s).

Proposers are reminded of P2PP (Phase 2 Proposal Preparation tool) tutorials and a P2PP tutorial account for all VLT instruments that can be useful in preparing Phase 1. When necessary, proposers should discuss their technical requirements with the appropriate experts (contacts provided via the ESO User Support Department, usd-help@eso.org for Paranal and Chajnantor, and lasilla@eso.org for La Silla), before submitting their proposals. Advice about policies and about the practical aspects of proposal preparation (e.g. specification of time constraints, fulfilment of minimum run length for La Silla, etc.) should be sought from the Observing Programmes Office opo@eso.org.

Proposals are submitted via a web upload procedure using the online tool, Web Application for Submitting Proposals (WASP). This requires users to first login to the ESO User Portal at: http://www.eso.org/UserPortal. Please refer to Section 3. of ESO Call  for Proposals – P89 document on How to submit an ESO Phase 1 proposal.

Normal Programme proposal form changes: The Normal Programme proposal form should be used for all programmes that require under 100 hours of observing time. This form underwent significant changes in P87. The new form allows users a maximum of two pages for the combination of the scientific description of the programme and the attachments (figures and tables). The attachments are restricted to the second of these two pages, while the presentation of the scientific rationale of the programme and of its immediate objectives may use one full page plus any fraction of the second one that is not devoted to attachments. The telescope and observing mode justifications are now in separate boxes in the form. A GTO/Survey duplication box has been introduced in which proposers should state whether their observations duplicate targets/regions covered by ongoing GTO and VISTA Public Survey programmes and justify the need for such duplication. This change also applies to Large Programmes.

ESO/GTC Programmes: A special template has been developed for submission of ESO/GTC proposals. It is similar to the ESO Large Programme template, but adapted for the GTC. It is part of a separate ESOFORM package (labelled 89B), and it can be retrieved from the same location in the ESO User Portal as the regular package for observing proposals for ESO telescopes (89A). 

 

Exposure Time Calculators

Exposure Time Calculators (ETCs) for ESO instruments are accessible directly on the ESO Web. They can be reached via: http://ww.eso.org/observing/etc for La Silla and Paranal instrumentation.

For APEX instrumentation please go to http://www.apex-telescope.org/instruments/

Links to useful proposal preparation software tools (e.g. Object Observability Calculator, Airmass Calculator, Digitized Sky Survey). 

Information on standard stars and sky characteristics, as well as additional tools, are available at http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal/sciops/tools.html

The parameters used by the ETCs are based on data collected during instrument commissioning and operations. The ETC parameters are frequently updated and changes will be reflected by the running "version number". To help the observatory staff assess the technical feasibility of observations, proposers are requested to specify the version number of the ETC they used in the section "9. Justification of requested observing time and observing conditions" of their proposals.

Please check the ESO web pages for the ETC version to be used in Period 89. Please note that while the sky background values used in the ETCs generally reflect actual conditions on Paranal, they do not account for local effects such as observation in the zodiacal light.

Proposers of VLTI observations should check the feasibility of their proposed observations with the visibility calculator "viscalc", available from the ETC page. At Phase 2, users are also encouraged to select a suitable calibrator star for their planned observations using the CalVin tool, available also from http://www.eso.org/observing/etc.

Service Mode proposers are reminded that the requested observing conditions are binding in Phase 2, hence consistency is required between the seeing constraint indicated in the first page of the proposal and the seeing value used in the ETC to estimate the observing time necessary to complete the programme. The same is true for the requested sky transparency and lunar phase. Non-photometric sky transparency can be simulated by adding 0.1/0.2 mag to the object magnitude for CLEAR/THIN-CIRRUS conditions respectively.

How to estimate overheads

Service and Visitor Mode observers must include the overhead times associated with their science target observations in their proposals. For Service Mode observations, the total execution time requested for every planned Observation Block (OB) must include all overheads, from telescope presetting and target acquisition to all other relevant instrument overheads. Proposers should note that all overheads must be accounted for within one hour for each OB. Time for night-time calibrations and associated overheads must be included only in cases where the accuracy of the observatory calibration plan is not deemed suficient for the science goals. Please note that calibrations need to be executed as part of the science OBs in some instrument modes (e.g. attached calibrations for all VIMOS IFU and MOS modes; see the VIMOS User Manual for details). The time needed to execute such attached calibrations must be included in the proposal. 

Proposers are strongly encouraged to make use of the Phase 2 Preparation Tool (P2PP) during the preparation of their proposals in order to accurately determine the overheads required by their programmes. It is possible to simulate the detailed breakdown of the programme in terms of its constituent Observation Blocks (OBs) using the P2PP tutorial accounts; see Section 1.4 of the P2PP User Manual.

The Execution Time Report option offered by P2PP provides an accurate estimate of the time needed for the execution of each OB including all the necessary overheads. The total execution time estimated by P2PP reflects the official ESO time accounting in Service Mode.

 

Information partially extracted from the pdf document:  ESO Call  for Proposals – P89

External links to tips