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Semester 2011A Time Distribution

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Gemini North: Time Availability and Distribution

A minimum of 88% of the time will be available for science use on Gemini North in 2011A. This amounts to 159 nights and includes 4 nights for GNIRS Science Verification and 1.5 nights for GMOS-N CCD demonstration science. The remaining time will be used for observatory maintenance tasks, commissioning of GNIRS on a side-port, and commissioning the new GMOS-N CCDs. Any unused engineering time will be returned to science. Note that historically around 5% of each semester's science time is used to complete highly ranked programs from the previous two semesters to which the ITAC granted rollover status. The number of hours allocated to each partner in 2011A is given in the following table.

Partner Estimated Hours Available
US 597
UK 331
Canada 190
Australia 64
Argentina 31
Brazil 53
Univ. of Hawaii (host)
163
Gemini Staff
108
Total
1537 (=154n)

Gemini South: Time Availability and Distribution

A minimum of 78% of the time will be available for science use on Gemini South in 2011A. This amounts to 141 nights, and includes 18 nights of NICI campaign science which are distributed across the partners that participate in the campaign. The remaining time will be used for observatory maintenance tasks, and Flamingos-2 and GSAOI commissioning activities. Any unused engineering time will be returned to science. Note that historically around 5% of each semester's science time is used to complete highly ranked programs from the previous two semesters to which the ITAC granted rollover status. The number of hours allocated to each partner in 2011A is given in the following table.

Partner Estimated Hours Available
US 478
UK 271
Canada 153
Australia 61
Argentina 30
Brazil 51
Chile (host) 103
Gemini Staff
85
Total
1232 (=123n)

Time Adjustments

To maintain overall balance amongst the partnership, the values shown above for both Gemini North and South have been adjusted from the nominal partner shares as a result of actual time charged through 2010A. The time allocations also include a purchase by Brazil of 35 hours of UK time at each telescope. The values shown in the tables above were recommended by the Operations Working Group in August 2010. The number of nights is approximated by int(hours/10).



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