AOT24 Call for proposals

AOT 24 (2011B) is now open for proposals
Applications for observing time for the period

August 1st, 2011 - January 31st, 2012

are solicited and should be submitted by
Friday 15th Apr, 2011, 13:00 UT

TNG is a 3.58m optical/infrared telescope located at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in the island of La Palma (Canary Island). Its primary mirror is corrected by Active Optics and it is equipped with 3 instruments which offer imaging and spectroscopy, spanning the optical and near infrared wavelengths range.
Visit http://www.tng.iac.es

REM is a 60 cm robotic telescope located at La Silla ESO site (Chile) which can observe simultaneously with a visible and an infrared camera. The observations will be carried out in unmanned, queuing mode.
Visit http://www.rem.inaf.it

Due to aluminization of TNG mirrors TNG will not be available for a period of 30 nights during AOT 24. This will happen between September and October 2011, the exact dates being defined after May 2011. Follow TNG news on our web site for notice.

Thanks to works done by TNG staff in collaboration with F. Leone and P. Bruno, during this AOT24 we are offering the possibility to ask for SARG polarimetry. For details you may contact SARG Instrument Scientist R. Cosentino.

Please note that also for AOT 24 this class of proposal can be submitted, for TNG only. These VLPs (Very Large Programs) can be awarded up to 30 nights per semester, for an initial set of two semesters. INAF will contribute to the best, approved VLP with an additional grant up to 50000 euro covering VLP one year of contract for one person and expenses for observations and data reduction which the appointed person shall carry out at the TNG in la Palma.
This person will have as duty station one of the INAF institutions and shall pass a selection procedure (assegno di ricerca). The PI of the proposal, who has to be affiliated to an Italian institution, shall act as supervisor. When filling in the proposal, special care must be taken in describing the management of the project, the foreseen time schedule and the tasks of the participants, with special emphasis on the fellow's role.

We continue with the program for visiting instruments. A visiting instrument proposal is intended to carry out either GTVIa specific scientific study which need a special instrument, provided by the observer, or a technological demonstration of a new technique or device. Or both.
For this semester TNG allocates up to 14 nights as guaranteed for this pilot programmes. All proposal shall be sent via the same system as all other proposal and will be evaluated both for their scientific value and their technological content. The final time allocation will be noticed by the TNG Director.
A V1.0 of the interface specification for the guest instrument can be found here.
Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact TNG staff.

A new series of manuals for TNG instrumentation is available on line.
See the OBSERVING page on TNG menu.

Application forms and detailed instructions can be downloaded from the TNG web pages.

The INAF time allocation committee welcomes proposals from foreign researchers/institutes which, alike all other proposals, will be judged strictly on their scientific merit.