Interventions and ToO Observations with the

Large Binocular Telescope

R. Mark Wagner

Research & Instrumentation Scientist

LBTO/OSU

LBT Project Partners• Research Corporation – 12.5%

– The Ohio State University– University of Notre Dame– University of Minnesota– University of Virginia

• Italy – 25% Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)

– Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri– Osservatorio Astronomico di

Bologna– Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma– Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova– Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera– Other Italian Observatories and

Universities• The Ohio State University – 12.5%

• Arizona – 25%– The University of Arizona– Arizona State University– Northern Arizona University

• Germany – 25% LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft

(LBTB)– Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie

(Heidelberg)– Landessternwarte (Heidelberg)– Astrophysikalisches Institut

Potsdam– Max-Plank-Institut fur

Extraterrestriche Physik (Munich)– Max-Plank-Institut fur

Radioastronomie (Bonn)

LBT Enclosure on Mt. Graham

The Large Binocular Telescope• Binocular 8.4 m apertures• 11.8 m equivalent aperture• Baseline of 22.8 m• Alt-azimuth mounting• Integrated adaptive optics• F/15 Gregorian and F/1.1 prime foci• Six focal station pairs• “Rapid” telescope reconfiguration

Second Primary Mirror installed in telescope

First Light Image – NGC 891

LBCFPA

&

FullMoon

overN891

LBT Instruments• Facility instruments

– Large Binocular Camera (LBC)– MultiObject Double Spectrograph (MODS)– Near-IR Imager/Spectrograph (LUCIFER)

• Strategic instruments– LBT Interferometer (LBTI)– Near-IR/Visible Adaptive Camera and

Interferometer (LINC/NIRVANA)• PI and Visitor instruments

– Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI)

LBT Instrument ParametersInstrument Focal

StationModes Spectral

Coverage(m)

Spectral Resolution

Field of View

Pixel Scale(arcsec/pixel)

LBC-BlueLBC-Red

Prime Direct CCD U, BV, R, I

4-50 27' × 27' 0.228

MODS-BlueMODS-Red

Direct F/15 Imager, Longslit, MOS

0.32 - 0.600.60 - 1.0

2,000 - 8,000 6' × 6' 0.15

LUCIFER Front-Bent Imager, Longslit, MOS

AO

Z, J, H, K

J, H, K

5,000 - 10,000

~30,000

4' × 4'

30″ × 30″

0.12 - 0.25

0.015

LBTI Center-Bent Nulling InterfShort FizeauLong Fizeau

8 – 133-5

8-25

2 - 30 25″ 0.1

LINCNIRVANA

Rear-Bent Fizeau Interferometer

J, H, K' 5 - 20 10″ - 20″ 0.006

PEPSI Rear-BentDirect F/15

SpectroscopySpecPol

0.39 - 1.1 40,000 to300,000

0.5″ - 1.4″ 0.165

Draft LBT Operations Model• LBT will be scheduled in partner blocks of

7-10 nights.• Partners will send only experienced

observing teams to the LBT.• Observing teams will queue observe

partner’s programs.• Telescope reconfigurations, including AO,

are permitted. Number/night is TBD.• LBTO will provide daytime and nighttime

technical support, LTO, and IQ Specialist.

Interventions and ToO with the LBT

• No policy currently in place.

• Discussed by Science Advisory Committee (SAC) in May 2002.

• Some partners may be interested in receiving notifications and acting on them.

• Consortium-wide agreements may be difficult to achieve.

• Models from similar partnerships may be helpful in formulating a LBTO policy.