Call For Proposals

April 13, 2010

The Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) is a project to promote ground-based observations at submillimeter wavelengths with a telescope in Atacama desert in Chile, operated by Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO) and ALMA-Japan, branches of National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), under the collaboration with University of Chile and Japanese Universities including University of Tokyo, Nagoya University, Osaka Prefecture University, Ibaraki University, Hokkaido University, Keio University, and Joetsu University of Education.

Here ASTE invites observing proposals for 2010 term. This is an experimental opportunity to open the observing time of ASTE for community under the shared risk basis. In order to maximize the output of your observations, it is strongly recommended to have a collaborator who has a lot of experience on ASTE observations. Please contact us if you need a help to find a collaborator. You are expected to make an appropriate planning of proposals with the experienced collaborator, even if you are not familiar with the observations using ASTE.

Note that this is a unique chance to access the observing time of ASTE during 2010 period. You are very expected to submit proposals to conduct observations using ASTE.

Nobeyama Radio Observatory
Ryohei Kawabe

ALMA-Japan/NAOJ Chile Office
Ryusuke Ogasawara

Available observing mode:

Spectroscopy observations at 350 GHz band with a side-band separating (2SB) heterodyne receiver and digital spectrometers.

Scheduling period:

Two weeks, in the middle to late July, 2010.

Observations:

PI/co-Is are expected to conduct their observations by themselves at either Mitaka, headquarters of NAOJ, or Nobeyama Radio Observatory. It is also possible to observe in Chile if you want (but no support for travel cost will be made).

Instruction and related information for observers:

Visit the URL below to find instruction for proposal preparation and submission, updated reports on status of the telescope and instruments, and related information for observers.

• How to Prepare for ASTE Observing Proposals
• A Guide to Proposal Preparation and Submission
• How to Prepare for Coversheets
• Instrumentation Overview

Due date:

May 19th, 2010, 15:00 JST or 6:00 UT

Submission of proposals:

Build a PDF file including cover sheet, scientific justification and technical requirements, and send it by e-mail to the following address: . Detailed instruction for proposal preparation and submission will be available through the web page above.

Reviewing and notification of the time allocation:

NRO program subcommittee, a branch of the radio astronomy committee of NAOJ, will review and evaluate all received proposals. The results will be notified to proposers by 15th June, 2010.

Note:

This is not like open-use programs in NRO 45m telescope in the following points.

• We only have a very limited travel grant for observers. The support of the travel cost will cover only for domestic transportation even if you are supported.
• No compensation of observing time will be made even when your observing time is lost due to a trouble, bad weather, or any causes.

Contact:

Kotaro Kohno, ASTE Science Director (University of Tokyo)

Tai Oshima, ASTE Operation Manager (Nobeyama Radio Observatory & ALMA-J Chile Office, NAOJ)