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QuickStart Overview

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QuickStart Service Observing Program Overview

To provide schedule flexibility during the first semester of scientific use at Gemini South, the visiting instruments are being offered in a QuickStart service observing mode only. This program, similar to that run during early science use of Gemini North, is available because of additional staff support provided via several of the National Gemini Offices. QuickStart applications should be submitted via your normal national Gemini proposal process. Specific details for each partner country can be found by following the links to National Gemini Office pages in the Phase I overview. There are several key dates in the proposal process.

The assessment and ranking of proposals within each partner country will be via National Time Allocation Committees (NTACs) in the normal manner for Gemini Phase I proposals. Assembly of the QuickStart program (identical to queue merging), definition of scientific ranking bands and resolution of conflicts by the ITAC will follow the established procedures described in the Phase I overview and the proposal process schedule. The Observatory would particularly like to encourage QuickStart observations that illustrate the capabilities of the Gemini South telescope and are likely to produce scientific results quickly. All QuickStart observations will be subject to the normal Gemini proprietary data period of 18 months.

As the QuickStart observations will be executed in a service mode by Gemini-based staff we will attempt to match them to current conditions as in the normal queue mode. Therefore Phase I QuickStart proposals must specify  the poorest acceptable conditions under which the observations should be executed. The standard set of observing condition constraints should be used.

The minimum requested time (including estimated overheads) should exceed one hour per observation. In this context, consider each new target a separate observation but exposures through different filters as part of the same observation. Details of the observing overheads are included in the instrument (performance and use) pages.

The observers will obtain a set of basic calibration observations for each program. If your observations require more precise calibration, or if you wish to specify the calibrations to be performed, please provide details in the technical justification part of your proposal.

Successful QuickStart applications will be executed by Gemini-based staff in a service mode. Each application will be assigned a Gemini-based staff member as Contact Scientist who will communicate with the applicants if necessary to refine details of the observations. There is no "PhaseII" or Observing Tool for QuickStart observation definition.

Observing time used during the QuickStart program will be accounted and charged against the relevant partner share.

Gemini staff will perform quality assessment on the data before it is distributed. Both the raw and QA products will be included in the dataset.

Questions and Answers

All questions concerning QuickStart proposals should be made using the Gemini HelpDesk. This web-based system will send the request to your National Gemini Office staff in the first instance who will then escalate it to Gemini staff if necessary.


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Last update February 24, 2001; Phil Puxley

Gemini Observatory Participants


QuickStart Overview | Gemini Observatory

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