Quarterly Report (3) FY 2007 April 1 June 30, 2007

Transcription

1 NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY Quarterly Report (3) FY 2007 April 1 June 30, 2007 The NOAO System now and into the future: posters displayed at the NOAO AAS booth, May 2007, Hawai i Poster art and image by Pete Marenfeld Submitted to the National Science Foundation Pursuant to Scientific Program Order No. 1, Article 5-C Cooperative Agreement No. AST , Article VI Also published on the NOAO Web site: NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation

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3 National Optical Astronomy Observatory Quarterly Report (3) FY 2007 (April 1, 2007 June 30, 2007) Submitted to the National Science Foundation Pursuant to Cooperative Agreement No. AST July 30, 2007 Contents 1 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH (PAEO)...1 Media and Public Information...1 Public Outreach...2 Educational Outreach TUCSON AND KITT PEAK SITE SAFETY REPORT...7 OSHA Recordable Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Other Incidents...7 Safety and Health...7 Fire Protection and Prevention...8 Environmental...8 Insurance...8 Security SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS...10 SPO #3 AST KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)...10 SPO #5 AST Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP)...11 SPO #6 AST Adaptive Optics Development Program (AODP)...11 SPO #7 AST Support for Conferences, Symposia, Workshops and Other Meetings...13 SPO #8 AST CTIO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)...13 SPO #9 AST Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Project (LSST)...13 SPO #10 AST Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope Project (GSMT)...14 Quarterly updates on scientific, operational, and programmatic activities, including telescope subscription rates, are published separately in the quarterly NOAO Newsletter (See: ) i

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5 1 1 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH (PAEO) Media and Public Information Local ABC affiliate KOLD-TV conducted multiple live broadcasts from Kitt Peak during the station s 5 P.M., 6 P.M. and 10 P.M. news programs on June 28. Popular weathercaster Chuck George enthusiastically interviewed D. Isbell and R. Wilson about the pending 50 th anniversary of Kitt Peak National Observatory, the Kitt Peak Nightly Observing Program for the public and the Kitt Peak membership program. The interview on the 10 P.M. broadcast was followed by live views of the Moon and Jupiter/Io fed from the 20-inch telescope at the Visitor Center Observatory. A KOLD-TV video crew toured Kitt Peak a few weeks prior to the broadcast to videotape three extensive pieces on public outreach programs, the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope and the Mayall 4-meter telescope, plus interviews with NOAO staff members and University of Clemson observers at the 4-meter. Based on the most recent Tucson television ratings, the three broadcasts by the top-rated local TV news station were seen by more than 50,000 local viewers aged Public Affairs and Educational Outreach Information Requests & Inquiries (3 months ending 6/30/07) Type/Origin of Request Information requests/inquiries about astronomy/science (phone calls, e- mails, and walk-ins/requests for posters, bookmarks, brochures, etc. Requests and inquiries for use of NOAO images Number Total 650 NOAO PAEO staff members S. Pompea, C. Walker and D. Isbell presented a press briefing (see figure below) on the initial results from the GLOBE at Night 2007 campaign at the May 2007 AAS meeting in Honolulu. The briefing included the top-level numbers from the classic naked-eye campaign (where the 8,491 measurements represent an 85% increase over GLOBE at Night 2006) and a first look at analysis of the digital sky-quality meter (SQM) data promoted and gathered by NOAO, including geographic maps of Tucson, AZ; Washington DC/Richmond, VA; Hilo, HI; and central New Jersey. More than 820 SQM measurements were submitted. Subsequent news stories appeared at NewScientist.com and Space.com, with other stories pending release of further analysis.

6 2 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 NOAO assisted in the development of a successful press briefing by Michael Liu (University of Hawai i) on the Gemini NICI exoplanet-hunting campaign before the post-aas meeting press tour of Mauna Kea. The Arizona Daily Star newspaper ran stories on the NOAO Hands-On Optics program in South Tucson and the award of two Science Foundation Arizona grants to NOAO (see Educational Outreach below for details.) NOAO images were featured three times as the Astronomy Picture of the Day and twice as the Space.com Image of the Day. The image on the NOAO home page was replaced 11 times, and five new images were added to the on-line NOAO Image Gallery. Press Releases Issued Last Quarter Image of Star-Forming Region Released in Honor of Stephen Strom Classic and Digital Versions of GLOBE at Night Thrive in 2007 Hands-on Experience with Optics for Incoming Eighth Graders [U. of Arizona press release] Science Foundation Arizona Awards $3.2 Million Through its K 12 Student & Teacher Discovery Program [Science Foundation Arizona press release, see Educational Outreach below for details] Public Outreach The Public Outreach department coordinates activities at the Kitt Peak Visitor Center, which include retail operations, daily and special tours of Kitt Peak facilities, the docent program, the popular fee-based public observing programs, educational exhibits, and media events. Following are highlights of this quarter s activities: NOAO Public Outreach Manager Rich Fedele recently completed the challenging requirements for becoming a Certified Interpretive Planner by the National Association for Interpretation. This program required Rich to submit two examples of written interpretive plans (one on Kitt Peak and the other a team effort for the Lake Pleasant visitor center in Maricopa County) and two examples of evidence of performance in the development of interpretative media (such as a brochure, books, posters, newsletters, exhibits, sign, or audio visual production). Requirements also included an open-book exam, four essays and a 40-hour workshop in April 2006 that covered key components of the interpretive planning model in lecture and discussion. The certification is valid for four years and can be renewed by taking an additional 40 hours of training in a related field through college courses, workshops or seminars. This workshop has enabled Rich to write a variety of plans for the Kitt Peak Visitor Center the interpretive master plan is complete and a strategic plan is in development, to be followed by an exhibit plan.

7 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH 3 The Kitt Peak Stars and Music program enjoyed increased attendance in May and June, hitting a high of 44 guests at one event. Held during the summer months in the picnic area at Kitt Peak, musical performances are combined with star parties for an informal night under the stars. Participants bring picnic lunches and watch the sunset. A new program, Kitt Peak Junior Astronomer, saw a substantial jump in attendance in June, with 35 people. Designed to offer an observing experience to children 6 8 years of age, Junior Astronomer combines hands-on activities with late-afternoon observations of the Sun and Moon. The Kitt Peak Visitor Center observatory dome and its 20-inch telescope were automated in June in preparation for remote observing operations, expected to begin later this year. Visitors to Kitt Peak received a special treat during Astronomy Day, April 21. Amateur telescopes afforded views of the Sun, and docents staffed stations with hands-on activities for children. In the visitor center, scientists made special presentations throughout the day: infrared astronomy by Ron Probst, comet research by Nalin Samarasinha and amateur astronomer research contributions by James McGaha. The same group from Japan that landed the Starship Kids in the Nightly Observing Program in March returned with a group of 48 Japanese women in June. Again, tour language translation was made possible by NOAO staff. Group/Program PAEO Kitt Peak Visitor Center Summary of Visitors (3 months ending 6/30/07) # of Visitors General public tours 2,204 Under the supervision of the university s director of the U. of Maryland-NOAO Collaboration, Maryland students employed the public outreach 16-inch telescope and other telescopes at Kitt Peak for imaging. School groups K-12 Special tours Nightly Obs. Program Advanced Obs. Program , Staff and a Kitt Peak docent attended the summer family festival, Marking the Solstice: A Multicultural Celebration. The festivity, hosted by the Arizona State Museum, treated 3,500 guests to Total Program Participants 5,514 hands-on activities and solar/nighttime telescope viewing. Attendees at the annual Laurel Clark Earth Camp, a collaboration between the U. of Arizona and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, camped at Kitt Peak in mid-june. The 22 students and 6 adults enjoyed a special tour of the facility prior to experiencing the Nightly Observing Program.

8 4 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 Educational Outreach Astronomy Research Based Science Education (RBSE) In April, the 18 teachers from across the country who are participating in this year s program completed the on-line course covering astronomy content, data analysis and an introduction to the research projects. The group then came to NOAO for a 10-day workshop in June, which included four nights of successful observing at Kitt Peak, where they used the 2.1-meter, the Coudé feed, the WIYN 0.9-meter and the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. At the conclusion of the workshop, each group presented their research project and outlined how they hoped to incorporate these projects in their classrooms. The RBSE Journal, an on-line opportunity for students of RBSE teachers, selected 11 papers for the 2007 issue, covering topics from AGN to the major solar flare of December 6, 2006, which was observed by two teachers and their students who were visiting as part of the RBSE Teacher Observing Program for follow-on visits to Kitt Peak. Two students whose teachers have participated in the Spitzer Teacher project won top awards at this year s INTEL International Science & Engineering Fair in Albuquerque. The second place Bok Award, awarded jointly by the AAS and ASP, went to Emily Petroff for her project, Variation in Star Formation Rate from Galaxy Cluster Center for c Fourth place in the Grand Awards went to Zackery Schroeder for Galaxy Clusters: the Local Effects on Star Synthesis. The Spitzer-NOAO teacher research program draws all its teachers from the RBSE program. Hands-On Optics (HOO) NSF informal science education funding for the HOO project will end in August 2007, so PAEO staff are hard at work preparing for the transition. HOO kits continue to be produced and distributed to after-school and science center educators who have taken our workshops. Educators have been completing the modules and turning in feedback to our evaluator. In June, R. Sparks took a trip to Boston to meet with LTI to streamline kit production and reduce delays in module shipments. Final prices are now in place for the kits. While in Boston, Sparks met with seven teachers from the Timothy Smith Network and network director Susan O Connor to discuss HOO implementation plans for the summer and fall of Sparks later made a followup visit to the Orlando Science Center in April and saw several of the ways that they are using the HOO materials. Three one-week HOO camps were conducted in Tucson, June 4 22, in partnership with the Flandrau Science Center and the GEAR UP program.

9 PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH 5 A presentation was given at the Arizona Association of Physics Teachers meeting on April 7. A HOO poster was presented at the AAS meeting in Honolulu, Building Student Interest through Optics Competitions. S. Pompea, C. Walker and R. Sparks attended the Education and Training in Optics and Photonics (ETOP) meeting in Ottawa. Five papers were presented on HOO at this meeting, including a plenary talk by Pompea. Walker and Pompea also served on the program committee and as session chairs for this international meeting held every two years. Ron Probst and Todd Boroson (NOAO) talk to two students at the NOAO booth for AAS in Honolulu, May 2007 Work continues on an adaptive optics module to be used in conjunction with Hands-On Optics, using outreach funding support from the GSMT program. Based on work initially performed at Carthage College, a Shack-Hartmann demonstration prototype was constructed. New ways to illustrate the concept of atmospheric distortion were also explored. Student assistant Julia Nichols developed some ideas for further activities in adaptive optics. Astronomy from the Ground Up Terrific Telescopes kits based on NOAO HOO materials were produced for the second Astronomy from the Ground Up on-line workshop. The workshop ran from May 30 to June 27 and featured HOO activities for one week. The program held its third on-site workshop in St. Louis with 20 participants from around the Midwest. Garmany served as the NOAO representative, leading discussions on different activities, and a field trip to Cahokia Mounds, a Pre-Columbian site nearby. These are well-honed workshops and serve as a valuable comparison with the on-line workshop format. Other Educational Outreach Activities Science Foundation Arizona awards: o PAEO recently received two of nine K 12 Student & Teacher Discovery Program competitively awarded grants from Science Foundation Arizona. o The Hands-On Optics program was awarded $225,000 to expand its offerings to several rural locations throughout southern Arizona.

10 6 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 o The RBSE program was awarded $125,000 to enable math/science teachers to have research experiences in astronomy and image processing, and then implement these high-tech topics in their classrooms through a new initiative called Building Information Technology Skills (BITS) Through Astronomy. This year s pilot group of eight middle school teachers, recruited within weeks of the award notification, now have spent several nights on Kitt Peak taking data with the public telescope and have begun to learn about image processing. In future visits to NOAO, they will explore ways to use these images with their students, using laptops and supplies provided by the grant. Outreach to the Tohono O odham Nation: PAEO staff helped the Boys & Girls Club of Sells to organize the first horse camp to be held on Kitt Peak. Over three dozen kids and a dozen adults spent three days based at the picnic grounds June 22 24, learning to ride and care for the horses. NOAO staff and volunteers from the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) provided a star party for the group on the first night. Boys & Girls Club kids and chaperones listen to Ken Shaver (TAAA) at the horse camp star party on Kitt Peak. Two other TAAA members provided telescopes, too. Promoting Inquiry Through Science Education (PRISE): Funded through a Math-Science Partnership grant, NOAO is developing five two-day teacher professional development workshops for Hopi and Navajo elementary and middle school teachers. These workshops will be held in Piñon, Arizona, in the late summer to mid-winter. April 27 29, Pompea was in Window Rock for meetings with the teachers, tribal leaders and education personnel from the Diné Office of Math and Science.

11 7 2 TUCSON AND KITT PEAK SITE SAFETY REPORT OSHA Recordable Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Other Incidents On April 27 around 12:30 P.M., H. Halbedel and other Kitt Peak staff responded to a medical incident involving a visitor at the 2.1-meter telescope visitor gallery. The patient was diagnosed by Halbedel and Saint Mary s Hospital as a minor event. The patient declined further treatment and, after advisement from Halbedel and the Hospital, was released. As another example of our spirit of cooperation, Halbedel stated, I was able to be on the scene with equipment and backup in a very short amount of time due to the efforts of George Will (who acted as backup and brought equipment up from the rescue vehicle), Hector Rios (who went to the fire station and brought the vehicle to the scene), Ruben Rodriguez (who stood by to assist), and Robert Wilson (who managed all the communications and did a fine job of advising the rest of the mountain of the nature and location of the problem). This incident worked very smoothly because of their capable and rapid response. We were on the scene and treating the patient within a very few minutes. CFO staff responded to complaints of foul odors at the La Quinta building on April 3. All gas lines were checked with a gas detection device, and no leaks were found. The ventilation systems and under the building were checked for standing water, and nothing was found. June 23, a humidifier unit failed at the 4-meter telescope computer room. The humidifier overheated when the supply of water was interrupted. It was discovered that there was no temperature sensor to warn of an overheat condition or shut off the heater unit. A replacement has been ordered with the necessary fail-safe devices. Safety and Health C. Gessner participated in and provided risk management and other comments at the LSST Handling Mini Review meeting on April 5. Ten Tucson employees representing CFO, Shipping and Receiving, and GONG participated in an OSHA-mandated forklift-training class on April 18. C. Gessner provided further information related to Kitt Peak fire mitigation and jurisdictional relationships to Sandra Wozniak, Assistant General Counsel National Science Foundation. A risk management physical inspection was conducted at the WIYN telescope facility April 4. Kitt Peak cranes were inspected by Copper State Cranes on April 3 and 4. Third-party elevator inspections were conducted with Robert Brooks, CESI, at Kitt Peak on April 16 and NOAO headquarters on April 17.

12 8 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 As a Federal facility, it has been the policy of NOAO for some time to have a smoke free environment inside our buildings. In November 2006, the citizens of Arizona passed Proposition 201, The Smoke-Free Arizona Act. This statute took effect May 1 and prohibits smoking in most indoor public places. As a result, signs were posted on April 30 at all of our entrances, and the interior patio areas were declared smoke free. An area on the south side of the engineering building has been equipped with an ashtray and a bench for those that choose to smoke. C. Gessner presented a risk management report to the Management Committee on June 27. Year-to-date OSHA reportable results for Kitt Peak and Tucson were discussed. Other reviewed topics were actions items completed in the second quarter. Risk management advice continues in preparation of the Kitt Peak summer shutdown, including chemical use for cleaning mirrors and ancillary equipment, critical lifting procedures for the elevation drives segments and lifting procedures to WIYN staff. C. Gessner also participated in the WIYN pre-planning meeting held by engineers on June 28. Our policy for shuttle and bus pick-ups and drop-offs was modified this quarter, requiring drivers to enter the parking lot at the Mission Church at Ajo Way and La Cholla en route from Tucson and Kitt Peak. An ergonomic study was provided for one of our employees this quarter. Fire Protection and Prevention Tucson and Kitt Peak fire extinguishers were inspected in May. Tucson fire alarm and suppression systems were inspected this quarter. C. Gessner provided comments and an update related to Kitt Peak fire mitigation to B. Jannuzi and K. Wilson. Environmental Kitt Peak staff hosted the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Tohono O odham Department of Public Safety during the inspection of the Kitt Peak underground petroleum storage tanks on May 7. No violations were noted. Insurance C. Gessner presented an Insurance summary to the AURA business managers and vice president for administration on April 24.

13 TUCSON AND KITT PEAK SITE SAFETY REPORT 9 After follow up with the underwriters in May, NOAO received two checks from Farmers Insurance totaling $24, for damages to the Kitt Peak shuttle bus that occurred in the January 10 accident. STScI suffered property damage to high value plasma screens that were shipped from Baltimore. A claim was submitted to The Hartford insurance company. Three rental car property damage claims were processed this quarter. It s important to note that travelers should take the time to inspect their rental vehicle before they rent it and as they turn it in. It was verified that the NSO s four full-time summer research positions for the eight-week International Research Experience for U.S. Graduate Students: Study Astronomy/Astrophysics in India are covered under our AURA international insurance package. This program begins June 11 of this year. The WIYN BOD approved having the WIYN mirror insured during aluminizing this July and did not set any limit on spending for the insurance. It was concluded that a replacement cost for the WIYN mirror would be $7 million, based on the Discovery Channel mirror that is presently being polished. Security The Tucson computer room is now on the Keyscan system. S. Grandi provided a list of persons authorized for computer room access. B. Jensen and C. Gessner worked on a number of items to increase the efficiency of the Keyscan program, including verifying access levels, removing obsolete data and recovering loaned out cards.

14 10 3 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS SPO #3 AST KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) The six students taking part in the 2007 REU program arrived in Tucson. Prior to their arrival, the REU Site Director solicited volunteers from the NOAO Tucson scientific staff who would be willing to invest the time to mentor a student. As in previous years, there were enough volunteers and projects. Each student will be pursuing a research project guided by a staff astronomer (see the table below) KPNO REU Participants Student Institution Mentors Project Gabor Angeli University of California, Berkeley Connie Walker Building and Programming an Internet- Controlled Mars Rover Model Rosalie McGurk University of Washington Steve Howell VLT Spectra of 6 Cataclysmic Variable Stars Ferah Munshi University of California, Berkeley Lucas Macri Improving the Cepheid Distance Scale: HST & Gemini Observations of Cepheids in NGC 4258 Timothy Rodigas University of Virginia Chuck Claver Automated Wavefront Sensing for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Andrew Esselman Josiah Walton Whitman College University of Arkansas Janice Lee and Samir Salim Star Formation in a Younger Universe Comparison of the H-alpha Emission and Ultra-Violet Properties of Galaxies 7 Billion Years Ago A series of lunchtime lectures were scheduled for the REU students. These lectures were also open to all NOAO, NSO, Steward Observatory, and U. of Arizona astronomy students. Lecture topics covered during this quarter were: o Introduction to NOAO facilities and activities, by Dr. Buell Jannuzi, Director of Kitt Peak o Introduction to helioseismology, by Dr. Rachel Howe, NSO o Introduction to infrared astrophysics, by Dr. Michael Merrill, NOAO o Space weather, by Dr. Frank Hill, NSO The primary focus of the students while in Tucson is to work on their individual research projects, supervised by their respective scientific advisors and the REU Site Director. Based on the backgrounds of the students and the suite of available projects proposed by the scientific staff, each student was chosen by their advisor to do a project that was well matched to their individual experience levels and research interests. At the end of the program, the students present 15-minute talks to the NOAO staff and write a short report about their research. That report is included in the program s annual report.

15 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS 11 Most of the students work independently, developing research skills and expertise that will enable them to make informed judgments about the future direction and scope of their careers. More directed guidance is offered to students who lack previous research experience. The REU Site Director is available to the students to answer any questions about science and administrative details. SPO #5 AST Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP) R. Blum and M. Trueblood continued monitoring the active TSIP programs: MOSFIRE (Keck), MODS (Ohio State/LBT) and ODI (WIYN). All three programs are making good progress. Blum and Trueblood attended the successful detailed design review of MOSFIRE in April. The review committee (chair T. Greene, NASA) reviewed the final instrument design and gave a favorable report to the team. Construction has begun in earnest. MODS1 (copy one of the optical spectrograph for LBT; MODS2 is TSIP funded) is now in integration and assembly. Essentially, all blue channel components are ready. MODS1 is on an aggressive schedule for delivery to LBT in early ODI passed a major assembly review of its mechanism handling and ADC assembly in May. The MMIRS project, which has been dormant (SAO, McCleod), provided past year project and status reports. The due date for FY08 letters of intent to TSIP was May 11. The program received six letters for instrument proposals and two system access proposals. A review committee is being set up for an October meeting to select proposals for FY08 funding. SPO #6 AST Adaptive Optics Development Program (AODP) Sub-Award #C33001T, A Noiseless Imaging Detector for AO with Kilohertz Frame Rates. The initial statement of work included producing a working vacuum tube containing the GaAs photocathode and Medipix2 anodes. The project continues to be delayed because of problems in achieving a high vacuum in the tube. There have been leaks associated with the brazing of the tubes. The current work plan includes rebuilding the tube using a He leak checker at each stage of fabrication. Some success was achieved in proving that the Medipix2 chip will survive the 350-degree bakeout cycle in the tube complete with the wire bonds. The electronics readout has also been successfully demonstrated. A no-cost extension was requested and has been authorized, contingent upon the successful completion of the work for year 3, to proceed with performance of the work for year 4 beginning September 1, 2007, and concluding on March 31, Of the total award of $900,233, UC Berkeley has received the full amount. Sub-Award #C33002T, Development of the Next Generation Optical Detectors for Wavefront Sensing. CARA has been granted a one-year no-cost extension for the effort to end on Dec. 31, The project had been delayed with MIT/LL so the detectors could be piggybacked onto another development project. The phase 1 devices with the planar JFET amplifier (CCID-56) took longer than expected to complete back-side processing. Two wafers were selected for thinning, and then the QE was pinned using a MBE process. These parts are on a wafer run with some x-ray imagers (for the Constellation X satellite project), and for which no AR coating is

16 12 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 wanted. As a result, these parts had to be masked off when AR coating the CCID-56b parts. When the AR coating was done, the masking was incompletely removed over the parts, and the AR coating was poor as a result. MIT/LL decided to remove the AR coating using an acid etch and try again. They also had some problems with the light shield mask, and, as a result, did not complete packaging of the back-side parts until the end of Parts were finally shipped to the CCD lab at UCO/Lick and to SciMeasure in March Richard Stover was able to test the first CCID-56b part and discovered that the QE was very poor and the dark current elevated. After discussing this with MIT/LL, they admitted (somewhat sheepishly) that the acid etch to remove the bad AR coating had probably destroyed the MBE layer, resulting in the poor QE, and this had also created defects on the back-side layer that resulted in the elevated dark current. This is a significant setback to testing of what is believed to be a very low-noise device. MIT/LL has been able to obtain permission from the primary wafer customer (the Constellation X project) to take two more wafers from the lot and process them for this project without masking off the x-ray imagers (effectively sacrificing those imagers). This process will take approximately two more months. Some CCID-56 parts with the planar JFET amplifier were also placed on a PanStarrs wafer run that was done late last year. These parts are designated the CCID-56d because of an additional signal (a no-connect pin on the CCID-56b) that is used to deplete the substrate, a feature of the PanStarrs device design. These parts are on a wafer with imagers that have very similar QE requirements, so there is no masking needed, and there are some wafers that have been back-side processed and AR coated. Some of these parts are being packaged and will be shipped to the CCD lab and SciMeasure for testing. In summary, the project is still waiting for confirmation of the low noise performance of the front-side devices on usable back-side parts, but this should take place shortly. A readout system and cryostat are ready to use with the device, and it is planned to characterize this complete system at WMKO with the intention of installing it on the Keck I AO system when the new guide star laser is installed at the end of this year. The phase 2 design has benefited from further work with the CfAO on the system level design of the polar coordinate detector. The project team has been working with Sandrine Thomas, a CfAO post doc, and with Don Gavel, director of the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics, on this activity. Sandrine will be giving a paper on this work at the OSA meeting in Vancouver in June. The phase 2 design has been refined to include adjustment of the number of pixels in the elongation direction as a function of sub-aperture offset from the center of the telescope aperture (also the center of laser projection) and also to employ Sean Adkin s original concept for the readout architecture, which is to snake the shift register from sub-aperture to subaperture instead of using multiplexing. Since charge shifting is essentially noiseless, and the multiplexer is not, and since readout speed is very important due to the TMT s wavefront computation needs, the design needs to balance readout speed and noise, and it turns out that the snaked shift register offers the best performance.

17 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS 13 They are planning to begin final layout of this device and hope to get on a PanStarrs wafer run planned for this summer. Sub-Award #C33003T, Pulsed Fiber Laser for Guide Stars. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been waiting for delivery of a replacement amplifier after one failed last fall due to a faulty switch in the system. No recent work has been completed. The amplifier arrived in early June, but the signal combiners have been delayed until the first week of July. The effort will be re-started with the arrival of the signal combiners. It is expected that within the next six months the system will be field hardened and a control system added so that the system can be deployed to Lick Observatory sometime late this calendar year or early next. Of the total award of $1.5 million, LLNL has received $1,086,969. Sub-Award #C33005T, Compact Modular Scalable Versatile LGS Architecture for m Telescopes. LMCTI has been waiting delivery of replacement waveguide power amplifiers, so no progress has been made on the higher power levels desired. Meanwhile, they have begun testing of the delivery fiber. They have tested it with low power cw (2.5W) at 589 nm and have achieved about 40% efficiency. They are continuing optimization of the coupling and the beam. Power through the 100-meter fiber has been increased to about 6W up to the SBS limits. By reducing the length of the fiber to a more practical length of 30 m, a 10W signal should be achieved. This effort is continuing and a report will be released by mid-summer. The team will be working on setting up both legs of the laser, and a higher power demonstration should be completed in early fall. A no-cost six-month extension to August 31, 2007, was requested and has been authorized contingent upon the successful completion of the work for year 3, with performance of the work for year 4 beginning September 1, 2007, and concluding March 31, Of the total award of $2,812,781, CTI has received $1,858,584. SPO #7 AST Support for Conferences, Symposia, Workshops and Other Meetings There is no activity to report at this time. SPO #8 AST CTIO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) The annual report for 07/2006 through 06/2007 was submitted March 28, 2007, and is posted at: The proposal to NSF for the next three years was submitted and approved for funding. SPO #9 AST Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Project (LSST) The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) design and development (D&D) activity is supported by the National Science Foundation under Scientific Program Order No. 9 (AST ) through Cooperative Agreement AST Portions of this work are supported by the Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515 with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, contract DE-AC02-98CH10886 with Brookhaven National Laboratory, and

18 14 NOAO QUARTERLY REPORT (3) FY 2007 contract W-7405-ENG-48 with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Additional funding comes from private donations, grants to universities, and in-kind support at Department of Energy laboratories and other LSSTC Institutional Members. The FY07 3 rd Quarterly Report for LSST (SPO #9) has been uploaded to the LSST Document Archive as Document-3753, available at Additional information about LSST can be found at An annual report for SPO #9 is due September 1, Further updates will be included in the annual report. SPO #10 AST Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope Project (GSMT) Since January 2007, the GSMT Program, as administered through SPO #10, began transitioning to a new mission that includes a new project scope and management plan. Following a meeting in Tucson between AURA/NOAO, the NSF and representatives of the Thirty Meter Telescope and Giant Magellan Telescope on January 11, a joint statement was released establishing the new role for AURA/NOAO as a National Program Manager for GSMT and outlined in the document Steps Toward a Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope - Joint Statement Issued. This document can be found on the AURA Web site at: NSF funding support for the two projects for design and development is through sub-awards provided by AURA/NOAO. During this last quarter, all remaining funds from FY06 were distributed to the projects. A supplemental request was approved, and funding for FY07 should be distributed during the last quarter of FY07. Total NSF funding received by AURA/NOAO to date is $8M. The total amount distributed to the projects to date is $3M. The amount to be distributed in FY07 is $5M. An annual report for SPO #10 is due August 31, Further updates will be included in the annual report. GSMT Program Office (GSMTPO) Activities: GSMTPO has largely completed the transition from a group that acted as a partner with a specific project, to one engaged in monitoring both active ELT projects and providing support to them through the SPO #10 funding. GSMTPO is engaged in two additional activities: resumption of activities by the GSMT Science Working Group, and continued support for the TMT/AURA site survey. The GSMT SWG has been re-established with new membership. The current members comprise a subset of the original SWG membership with the added new members primarily from institutions that are not currently TMT or GMT partners. Rolf Kudritzki and Steve Strom remain as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. The initial tasks confronting the SWG are completion of the study of science as a function of aperture (begun last year) and initiation of

19 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS 15 the definition of a GSMT Design Reference Mission. This second task will require substantial interaction with the community and the active EKT projects. Efforts in support of the TMT/AURA site survey are continuing, with data collection expected to be largely complete by the time of the TMT PDR. The survey results will be prepared for publication and the data will be made generally available. o o An update on the two current GSMT projects funded through this SPO follows: TMT Update: TMT activities since the Cost Review in September 2006 have been focused on revising the observatory design to reduce overall construction and operations costs, and preparing a construction proposal aimed at funding for completion of the design and subsequent construction. The construction proposal was presented to the TMT external review panel June 4 7, The panel s report endorsed the proposal. The next major milestone for TMT is a Preliminary Design Review, to be held in May At the PDR, it is expected that a final choice for the telescope site will be presented. GMT Update: Activities funded under SPO #10 during this quarter were focused on technology risk reduction for the primary mirror. Specifically, a contract was formally executed between Carnegie Observatory, AURA s sub-awardee, and Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory (SOML) for development of metrology and verification methods for the off-axis primary mirror segments. SOML is also fabricating the GMT mirror segments. The contract provides for development of four testing methods. Some parameters of interest are not covered by one or another test, so four independent methods are needed to provide at least two redundant checks of every parameter. The funding flowing through Carnegie will cover engineering development of test methods, purchase or fabrication of test equipment, and assembly of test setups within the SOML optical test tower. In other work not funded through SPO #10, the GMT project made progress on several fronts. SOML proceeded with both front-side polishing of the 3.7 m spherical test mirror and with preparation for back-side polishing of the first 8.4 m primary mirror segment, GMT1. A quarterly review covering SOML s work on the GMT1 segment was held on April 24, AURA/NOAO representative D. Sprayberry attended. Monitoring of three candidate sites at Las Campanas Observatory continued through the quarter. Further development of the telescope structural design continued, including optimization of the instrument rotator structure and refinement of the design for the instrument platform and the secondary mirror support structure. Finally, negotiations continued among the partner institutions towards formation of a corporate structure to support the Phase B design efforts.