Last Update: 1 May 2024

Charge for the Nobeyama 45 m Telescope Time from June, 2022


Ken Tatematsu
Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO)
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)

1. Introduction
We plan to introduce the charge system for telescope time from June, 2022. The purposes of the telescope time are restricted to astronomical observations, instrumental/technical tests of the instrument approved as Nobeyama development programs or future facility instruments approved by "Japanese Science Advisory Committee for ALMA" (JSAC), or hands-on tutorials by Japanese universities or Japanese institutions.

2. System to be offered
Identical to what we offered for the open use. That is,
- Nobeyama 45 m telescope
- Receiver: FOREST, T70, Z45(-2024.3.31), H22, H40, and newly developed facility receivers if available. For Sep.-Oct. (hands-on tutorials and commissioning), only H22 and H40 are available (except for newly developed facility receivers).
- Backend: SAM45, continuum backend (pointing only, on-site observation only), VLBI backend (VLBI only, only if Mizusawa VLBI Observatory can support it)
- On-site at Nobeyama or remote observations (from several Japanese universities, ASIAA, KASI). The number of observers at Nobeyama should be three or less at a certain time.

We continue to offer opportunities of charged telescope time for instrumental/software development and resulting observations which were accepted as the Nobeyama development programs.
https://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~nro45mrt/html/misc/prop_instrument.html
https://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~nro45mrt/html/misc/accept_development.html

3. Fee and Time to be Offered
We charge JPN¥10,000/hr + 10% tax for PIs belonging to Japanese institutes (including NAOJ) and JPN¥30,000/hr + 10% tax for PIs belonging to institutes outside Japan. We plan to send the invoice to PI. If the charge is to be paid by two or more institutions, please submit separate proposals, each of which has one PI name/institution. The minimum telescope time per day is set to four hours, taking into account receiver tuning time and pointing observation. The fee is charged for period (time slot) needing the telescope move and/or the use of the facility receiver, including commissioning and hands-on tutorials. For scientific observations and instrumental commissioning, we offer a total of 3,000 hours per year. Then, a request time per program cannot exceed 3,000 hours. We assume that allocation is to be made between September 1 and March 31. No scientific assessment will be made for application. Hands-on observational tutorials are offered for Japanese universities/institutes only and for low-frequency observations (23 or 43 GHz only). Fee for the telescope time should be paid in advance. Observations and tutorials are risk-shared, and compensation for bad weather etc. may be made on a best-effort basis but not guaranteed. The observation success rate at 72-116 GHz is typically 60% for Galactic observations and much lower for extragalactic observations. No compensation time can be requested for the compensated time allocation.

4. Yearly Schedule
<2024a, CSV and tutorial>
period: 2024/10/1-2024/10/31
call: 2024/5/1
deadline for requests: 2024/6/1
invoice: 2024/7/1
payment deadline: 2024/8/30
<2024b, regular>
period: 2024/11/1-2025/3/31
call: 2024/7/1
deadline for requests: 2024/8/1
invoice for Nov, Dec, Jan sessions: 2024/9/1
payment deadline for Nov, Dec, Jan:2024/10/30
<2024c, regular>
period: 2025/2/1-2025/3/31
second call (if spare time): 2024/11/1
second deadline for requests (if spare time): 2024/12/1
invoice for Feb, Mar: 2024/12/15
deadline for payment for Feb, Mar: 2025/1/30

5. Support
We will not provide the observation assistant or supporter. Observer should learn the system from the web. We strongly recommend including those who has enough experience in observations with the 45 m telescope. See the programs accepted previously (**). You may find observers by searching for NASA ADS with the Keyword 'Nobeyama.'  The team including a novice may request allocation of weekday daytime observation or initial weekday daytime practice time, when the observatory staff is stationed.

** https://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~nro45mrt/html/prop/accept.html

6. Intellectual property and proprietary data period
NAOJ Data Policy requires the public data release at some moment. NAOJ keeps the intellectual property of the data, and the exclusive right of the data use will be allowed for the paying PI (and team) for three years from execution.

7. NAOJ and NRO policies
Applicants are requested to agree the relevant policies of NAOJ and NRO as well as safety regulations, when they apply for the charged time. 

NRO has kept its policy to exclude military researches since 1993, and continues the same policy for the charged telescope time.
https://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~nro45mrt/html/prop/obs45m.html

8. Restriction of institutions
Users belonging to institutes outside Japan (including Japanese nationals) or foreign nationals whose stay in Japan is shorter than six months are requested to submit the form for security export control.

9. Time allocation
We will allocate times within a total of 3,000 hours, with LST (Local Sidereal Time) balancing. If the sum of foreign time exceeds 2,500 hours and also if the sum of Japanese time is 500 hours or less, we preferentially schedule Japanese time. Alternatively, if the sum of Japanese time exceeds 2,500 hours and also if the sum of foreign time is 500 hours or less, we preferentially schedule foreign time. Otherwise, we allocate time by treating Japanese and foreign time requests evenly to fill 3,000 hours with LST balancing.

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RELATED INFORMATION

10. Opportunities for Japanese graduate students
NRO offers observing time free of charge for graduate students belonging to Japanese universities/institutes within yearly limit of 100 hours as the total sum. The overall telescope scheduling should be done on the basis of LST balancing, and a total of 100 hours correspond to about 4 day allocation for each LST. We expect observations will be done remotely or three persons or less on-site at Nobeyama. Local supervisors are supposed to provide tutoring for observations and their preparation. JSAC selects programs with time allocation within the total time boundary, with priority to master-course students. Note that the deadline is once a year on August 1.

11. Release of manually reduced data
The observatory recommends releasing the final FITS data at appropriate timing, for example, after paper publication, although it is left to the discretion of PI. Note that the Japanese Virtual Observatory (JVO)* can release such data.
* http://jvo.nao.ac.jp/index-e.html
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Bank transfer or credit card
(program will be cancelled automatically if we cannot confirm the payment on the payment deadline)


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