WFMOS Status Report
Doug Simons
Gemini Observatory
January 2008
Presentation Topics
WFMOS in Gemini’s Aspen Instrument
Program Context
WFMOS Conceptual Design Study Status
What has happened since my presentation at the
Subaru User’s Meeting a year ago
Future Key Steps
UK Withdrawal Impact
Subaru/Gemini WFMOS Science
Conference
Gemini
Planet
Imager
Precision
Radial
Velocity
Spectrometer
Aspen Instrument Program
Wide
Field
MultiObject
Spectrometer
Ground
Layer
Adaptive
Optics
Gemini Planet Imager Remains On Track
All GPI institutions are
making excellent
progress toward CDR
this year
Deployment planned
for 2010 at Gemini-S
UK withdrawal from
Gemini has little/no
effect on GPI as we
made firm contractual
commitments already to
build GPI
WFMOS Status
Wide Field MOS
Conceptual design
studies are about to
begin - details later…
HSC
CoDR scheduled for
April 2008
Important that results of
HSC design trades get
fed into WFMOS design
studies
Wide
Field
MultiObject
Spectrometer
 Together HSC & WFMOS will provide unique wide field
imaging and spectroscopy capabilities that no other
observatory will match on similar timescales
Ground Layer AO Status
Ground
Layer
Adaptive
Optics
Altitude
Altitude
Altitude
Altitude
 University of Hawaii under
contract to gather Gemini-N
site data using LOLAS and
SLODAR
 Expect to complete data
collection phase by mid
2008
 Full analysis, including
GLAO performance
prediction will be
completed by the end of
2008 which will feed into a
decision about building a
GLAO system for Gemini-N
Time Over the Course of a Night
Precision Radial Velocity Spectrometer
 Conceptual design studies
completed and contract
negotiated with ATC led
team
 Contract submitted for Board
approval in Nov. 2007 but
UK announced intention to
withdraw at that time
 Gemini Board did not
approve the PRVS contract
due to Aspen funding
uncertainties, firm
commitments already made
to GPI, and the need to
protect WFMOS
Precision
Radial
Velocity
Spectrometer
Aspen Program Development Sequence
Jan 2008
GPI
CoDR
GLAO
Feasibility
Study
PRVS
HRNIRS
Studies
WFMOS
PDR
Mauna Kea
Site Tests
CoDR
CDR
Perf.
Modeling
PDR
Feasibility
Study
2005
CoDR?
CDR?
CoDR
2006
2007
2008
PDR?
2009
PDR?
2010
2011
Some WFMOS Q&A…
What has happened to the WFMOS design
studies since the last Subaru User’s Meeting?
Lots, but the main progress is that
2 teams have submitted proposals
to prepare conceptual design
studies for WFMOS. These two
teams have just been placed under
contract to complete these studies
and Gemini will fund them for a
cost of ~$3,500,000.
Who will be working on the WFMOS design studies?
Two teams will work on separate competitive
studies
One is led by the Jet Propulsion Lab in California, the
other by the Anglo Australian Observatory
These teams include other institutions in the US, UK, and
Brazil
The studies yield competitive bids to build WFMOS,
likely at the major subassembly level
Studies will require close technical exchange with
HSC team to ensure compatibility with WFC and
telescope
Would like to explore in 2008 involvement of
Japanese institutions to potential build WFMOS
components in the future
Why did Gemini sponsor these design studies?
These studies are intended to Provide much better estimates of the cost and time
needed to build WFMOS than we have now
Generate conceptual level approaches to the design
of WFMOS and analyses of the science that is likely
possible with WFMOS
This basic information is required before Gemini
or Subaru could decide to build WFMOS, an
instrument of unprecedented scale
Has a commitment been made at Gemini
or Subaru to build WFMOS?
No – much needs to be done before such a
commitment is possible, including
Completing the WFMOS design studies to provide
us all with much more information than we have had
in the past
Gemini and Subaru must reach an agreement about
how we will share the cost, technical development,
scientific use of the instrument, and exchange of
telescope time as part of this program
Funding needs to be secured at Gemini and Subaru
Funding the HSC corrector and telescope modifications would
represent significant Subaru contributions already.
What is the priority for WFMOS compared to
other instruments being developed at Gemini?
WFMOS has broad support within the
Gemini partners and remains the
highest priority element in Gemini’s
instrument program
The willingness of the Gemini Board
to unilaterally fund these studies, at
Gemini’s risk, reflects the interest
level at Gemini in WFMOS
What is the impact of the UK’s recent
withdrawal from Gemini on WFMOS?
Near term Not much as the Board decided that we should
proceed with the WFMOS studies as originally
planned (which includes UK institutions) since
that is in the best scientific interests of Gemini
compared to starting over with new teams.
Long term The lack of UK Aspen contributions to help fund
WFMOS could be an issue and this must be
addressed as the remaining Gemini partners
reformulate the partnership.
Is the Gemini Board still committed to WFMOS given
the UK withdrawal from Gemini?
“The Board resolves to maintain the
continuity of operations and the enhanced
scientific opportunities of the Gemini
Observatory by the remaining Gemini
Parties during this period of transition.
Furthermore, the Board wishes to convey
its continued goal of realizing our shared
future science aspirations that are
advanced through the Aspen program.”
When will the WFMOS studies be done and
what happens after they are done?
A conceptual design review will be held in early
2009 to recommend how we proceed with
WFMOS, based upon the results of the 2 studies
Subaru and Gemini will be represented on the review
committee
The results of this review will be reported to Subaru
and Gemini management
By this time a draft Subaru/Gemini WFMOS agreement
for the joint development and use of WFMOS needs to
be in place as well so we have a complete
understanding of all the challenges/issues
With all of this information in place, I expect that a
decision will be made in 2009 about building WFMOS,
either in its entirety or incrementally
How can Subaru and Gemini develop a sense of joint
ownership, scientifically and technically, for a major
new instrument like WFMOS?
 Telescope time exchange  Our current time exchange program is the “seed” for our
future time exchange program once WFMOS is deployed.
It needs to be developed further to ensure the capabilities
Gemini and Subaru offer through this program are
meeting the needs of our respective communities
 Technology  Organizations in Japan that are interested in potentially
building components of WFMOS need to be identified
 Science  The Subaru and Gemini science communities need to
develop broader collaborations in support of future major
joint Subaru/Gemini science campaigns with WFMOS as
well as PI science. Speaking of which…
Subaru/Gemini WFMOS Science Conference
 To be held at the
Waikoloa Marriott on the
Big Island
 19-21 May 2008
 Intended to bring together
scientists from the
WFMOS study teams as
well as the Subaru and
Gemini communities to
explore science
opportunities with
WFMOS and foster future
collaborations
Waikoloa Marriott
I Look Forward to Your Questions…