NIRSPEC Hot News

Final observing run completed
(posted on November 27, 2001)

We were blessed with clear skies for the 2001B (final) three night observing run and many programs were observed. A summary of the observing run has been posted. P.I.'s will be able to pick up their data within the next two weeks.

2001B proposals reviewed
(posted on November 14, 2001)

Assessment of the proposals is complete and each p.i. should have received feedback. The quality of the proposals was very high; out of 30 received, 60% proposals, listed here, received grades of 3.2 or higher on a scale of 0-4 and have been scientifically approved. It is highly unlikely that all of these will be observed; we will generally tend to observe the highest graded programs first.

NIRSPEC 2001B application deadline
(posted on October 8, 2001)

The deadline for applications for the November 19-21 run has been extended to the end of Sunday, October 14 (midnight Hawaii time). It has been moved back an additional week in order to give scientists more time after the end of September proposal deadlines for most major telescopes.

NIRSPEC thermal performance
(posted on September 1, 2001)

See the Aug 4 Keck news item for latest information on (improved) NIRSPEC thermal IR performance. The following restrictions are in effect for L and M band spectroscopy during the November run. (1) Grating or echelle spectroscopy in the L and M bands may only use the 3-pixel wide slits. (2) Point sources must be brighter than L=12 and M=10 for low res (grating) spectroscopy in those bands or brighter than L=9 or M=7 for high resolution (echelle) spectroscopy in those bands. (3) Extended sources must have continuum surface brightnesses of the above magnitudes per square arcsec or emission line surface brightnesses equivalent to the above in a resolution element. The line brightness limits correspond to 1.5E-18 and 4E-18 W/m2 for low res spectroscopy at L and M, respectively, and to 0.8E-18 and 1.2E-18 W/m2 for high res spectroscopy at L and M, respectively (these are best guess estimates). All L and M observations will be obtained in the "stationary slit mode" at slit angle 0, which means that the slit position angle (on the sky) depends on the telescope orientation and will change during the observation.

NIRSPEC 2001A observing results
(posted on June 14, 2001)

Gemini/NIRSPEC observing for Semester 2001A took place on June 11-13, 2001. Clouds covered the sky on two of the three nights. A summary of the run is available. Data will be released to the PI's of the observed programs within the next two weeks.

NIRSPEC 2001B dates
(posted on June 7, 2001)

The assigned dates for Gemini/NIRSPEC in Semester 2001B are 19-21 November 2001. This will be a non-AO run. A call for proposals will be issued in early September with a deadline of approximately September 21. Please do not submit proposals until the call is issued.

Last update: November 27, 2001; Tom Geballe