GEMINI -- A PROGRESS REPORT

September 1999 Equinox
Jean-René Roy, Canadian Gemini Project Scientist

DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR THE MAUNA KEA GEMINI TELESCOPE

The dedication ceremony took place at the Gemini Observatory on Mauna Kea and at the Hilo Headquarters on Friday June 25, 1999. A few hours earlier, very spectacular images obtained by Gemini with the University of Hawaii Adaptive Optics System (Hokupa'a) had been released to the public. Copies of these images can be obtained either from the Canadian Gemini web site or from the Gemini web site. Expanded versions of these images shows the telescope diffraction rings. It is quite astonishing that Gemini managed to produce near diffraction-limited images only about 100 days after putting the main components of the telescope together - all this within budget and following the schedule set four years ago.

The ceremony and other events were attended by Prince Andrew, Duke of York. I spoke with the Prince several times, and it was obvious that the he was extremely interested in the telescope and the technological achievement it represents. On the Thursday before the dedication ceremony he visited the Joint Astronomy Center and the Gemini Headquarters in Hilo, and met and spoke with each staff member.

The weather at the summit on inauguration day was perfect, so that the dome shutter could be opened during the summit ceremony (see the accompanying image of the opened dome as viewed from behind that I took just after the ceremony.) The closing words by Rita Colwell (Director of the National Science Foundation) were pronounced as the telescope moved, the dome was rotated and the side vents opened - actions that truely impressed the dignitaries and invitees. We could have used this magic moment to obtain funding for many new very ambitious projects....

Canada was represented by a small but effective group. Arthur Carty, President of the National Research Council, was the highest ranking Canadian representative. As Chair of the Gemini Board, I had many opportunities to put Canada's contributions into good light during private exchanges with several people. Don Morton, Jim Hesser and Andy Woodsworth (Canadian Gemini Project Manager) and Gordon Walker (former Canadian Gemini Project Scientist) also attended the summit ceremony. ``Discovery-Canada'' was present filming and making interviews, and they will prepare (or have prepared) something on Gemini for one of their broadcasts. Apart from the roughly 120 guests participating in the summit ceremony, more than 250 others followed the events from the Hilo Gemini Headquarters through a video link; Dennis Crabtree and Greg Fahlman (CFHT) were among them.

COMMISSIONNING OF THE GEMINI NORTH TELESCOPE

You may be wondering what has happened since the dedication ceremony. After a few more weeks of observing to check the primary mirror actuators and the wavefront sensors, the main components of the telescope (mirror, mirror support, secondary, etc.) were disassembled. The telescope is actually in pieces right now, with the primary mirror off the telescope so that actuators can be replaced and the primary can be degreased once more. It is expected to go back together early in October.

The Mauna Kea Gemini North Telescope is now officially in its commissionning phase, which entails completing and testing the full telescope assembly, and completing the complex integration program for the telescope, dome and all sub-systems. A great deal of finishing work and fine tuning is currently underway. The Near-Infrared Imager will be mounted soon on the telescope to serve as the main commissioning instrument through June 2000.

OBSERVING WITH GEMINI JUNE 2000 - JANUARY 2001

We expect the first call for observing proposals to be circulated in late 1999 for a deadline between 31st January and March 1st 2000. It is expected that 20 to 25 nights will be available to Canadian proposers in the first semester (June 2000 through 31 January 2001).

One facility instrument and three ``loaned'' instruments are likely to be available for this semester:

  1. The facility Near Infrared Imager (built at the University of Hawaii under the direction of Klauss Hodapp). This is a 1 - 5 micron imager, using a 1024 x 1024 InSb array, with three focal plane scales; grisms will also be available for low dispersion spectroscopy.
  2. The University of Hawaii AO system (Hokupa'a). This system uses a 36-element bi-morph mirror, and feeds a 1024 x 1024 HgCdTe array (the UH Quirc imager). This system is quite similar to the AOB on CFHT, and uses natural guide stars.
  3. CIRPASS. This is an uncooled 1 - 1.5 micron fiber-fed floor-mounted spectrograph, on loan to Gemini from the University of Cambridge. The spectrograph entrance aperture is an integral field unit, which could be fed by Hokupa'a.
  4. OSCIR. This is a mid-IR imager built at the University of Florida by Charlie Telesco.

Terms of the sharing agreement for the last two instruments are still being worked out.

For more details, check www.gemini.edu/sciops/instruments/instrumentIndex.html

PROGRESS AT CERRO PACHON

The assembly of the Cerro Pachón Gemini Telescope is making very good progress, and some of the key developments can be found on the Gemini web site (www.gemini.edu).

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