New modes of Observing with the JCMT

I put a discussion paper on new modes of observing to the JCMT Advisory Panel, ITAC and JCMT Board. All were supportive of the general need for change and to maximise the dry-weather conditions for the allocated programmes. The first major experiments of flexible scheduling will be undertaken in semester 95B owing to the need to ensure that adequate dry weather time is available to commission both RxW and SCUBA. To this end we must ensure that that there is a healthy stock of RxA2/RxB3i proposals against which the high frequency instruments can be flexibly scheduled. A separate note will be issued by e-mail but this should serve as a hint to observers that, in all likelehood, RxW and SCUBA could well take up all, or most of, the high frequency time in semester 95B (depending on the actual statistics of the weather of course).

In terms of how to make this work, my inclination is to go for a prioritised and queue- scheduled system, and I will be working closely with the Chairs of the TAGs (the ITAC members) to implement this for next semester. I expect that a number of allocated programmes will be done in a serviced mode. However, I again wish to stress that, no matter what the downstream mode of observations, I am not attempting to stop astronomers coming to the telescope. On the contrary, I am encouraging astronomers to make fewer, but longer visits as I am convinced that a remote facility devoid of visiting astronomers will wither and die. Although there will always be the need for some programmes to be undertaken in the traditional sense, for the majority of the scheduling we must move away from the this 'weather lottery' mode of visit that is all too familiar.

The ITAC's preferred route is to seek applications, through the normal PATT procedure, for low- frequency spectroscopic observations which can be executed in 'serviced' mode (i.e. without requiring the applicant's presence at the telescope). They envisage that procedures developed for this immediate purpose will be applicable in the future for more general flexible scheduling involving both low- and high-frequency applications. The ITAC will consider the criteria (priority, etc.) to be used in assessing the running-order of approved backup proposals, so that staff at the telescope do not have to make unilateral decisions as to scientific merit.

In terms of the programmes for semester 95B, my planning is for those applicants whose observations have been selected to be flexibly scheduled to be issued with a detailed questionnaire. When completed, this will provide a template to enable the observations to be carried out by staff service astronomers if necessary. I hope that through this process we will be able to iterate to a preferred option for scheduling and staffing for the future. Downstream, I am also looking at the possibility of remote operation of the JCMT, perhaps from the JAC. This would open up a number of opportunities for extending the hours of usage of the JCMT and could also be a method of achieving some savings in the operations.

Finally on this topic, I would like to notify the community that we expect to host a JAC-Gemini workshop on New modes of Observing in early July in Hilo. As soon as the details of the workshop are known, they will be advertised through e-mail and the WWW. In the meantime, anyone who wishes to register an interest and to be added to a mailing list, please contact:

nmo95@jach.hawaii.edu.