README Template 73.1 (please do not delete the README Template Version line!) ESO Programme ID: 167.D-0492 Principal Investigator Name: Claes Fransson Principal Investigator E-mail Address: claes@astro.su.se Principal Investigator Telephone Number: +46 - 8 55 37 85 17 Principal Investigator Postal Address: Stockholm Observatory, Albanova University Centre, SE-106 91 Stockholm Sweden Instrument: VIMOS/VLT OPC Priority Class: A (large programme) OPC Approved Total Execution Time: 50h Estimated Total Execution Time (including overheads): 50h README File Submission Date: February 25, 2004 Programme Description ===================== IMPORTANT NOTES: SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF EVERY OB IN A UNIQUE TIME WINDOW IS ESSENTIAL. OBs THAT WERE NOT EXECUTED IN THEIR INTENDED TIME WINDOW WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE PROGRAMME AND CANNOT BE COMPENSATED BY OBSERVATIONS AT A LATER TIME. THEREFORE, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE OBSERVATIONS WILL BE TAKEN AS SOON AS THE CONDITIONS ARE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS WHEN A TIME WINDOW HAS OPENED. PLEASE READ "Time Critical Aspects" CAREFULLY. General Overview ---------------- Deep imaging observations of two separate fields (CDF-S and ELAIS-S) with VIMOS for detection and light curve determination of a number of high redshift supernovae. Each field is observed for 7 consecutive months (as long as they are visible) with intervals between the epochs of approximately 1 month. For classification, light curves in R and I will be obtained. IT IS THEREFORE VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE OBSERVATIONS ARE PERFORMED AT AS REGULAR INTERVALS AS POSSIBLE. THIS MEANS THAT THE DIFFERENT TIME WINDOWS FOR EACH OBSERVATION, AS GIVEN IN THE OBs, SHOULD BE RESPECTED. It is essential that the sequence of monthly imaging in I and R is not intrreupted, as this would have repercussions also for data obtained in adjascent epochs and significantly lower the SN detection success rate. Unlike most other programmes, observations for an intended epoch that were not obtained can-not be compensated by observations at a later time. This is a Large Program running since period 70 should therefore be given top priority. Note on guide stars: For both fields we have selected appropriate guide stars that produce minimal vignetting. For the CDF-field, should the proposed guide star, for any reason, not be possible to use, we suggest as an alternative (Ra 03:33:16.925, Dec -27:53:38.540) which has previously been used successsfully. Approved Waiver Request Summary ------------------------------- Waiver requested to use offsets larger than 30 arcsecs submitted and accepted. Submitted 20 Feb 2004, approved 23 Feb 2004. Critical Observing Condition Constraints ---------------------------------------- Seeing < 0.8" Different moon phase requirements for different filters (0.4 for I, 0.3 for R, 0.1 for V, 0.0 for B and V). Photometric conditions ideally preferred, but clear conditions acceptable. Time Critical Aspects --------------------- NB This information is very important. Observers/planners please pay attention to the following: ***** I and R band monitoring of the CDF-S and ELAIS-S fields: ***** The observations aim at obtaining light curves of a number of high redshift supernovae in several bands. The observations therefore have to be made at regular intervals, which means each dark period, as specified. Because each I band observation is 4 h and each R band is 2 h, each observing epoch in general has to be divided into two nights (or more). To preserve the color (R-I) information we would like to have the observations in the different bands done so that unless the total observation (4 + 2 h) can be done in one night, it is divided so that roughly the same percentage of time is given to each band per night, e.g. 2 h in I and 1 h in R over two nights. All the OBs of a given field and epoch should preferably be executed within a five day interval. Explicit time windows: Each OB is tagged with a specific time window. It is crucial to follow these, and we therefore explicitly state the time windows for each OB in the readme file. The time windows for the OBs are (format year.month.day end date is included in the window) OB start end (ending date included) elais-p73-epoch1-*-ob 2004-06-14 2004-06-25 elais-p73-epoch2-*-ob 2004-07-13 2004-07-23 elais-p73-epoch3-*-ob 2004-08-12 2004-08-21 elais-p73-epoch4-*-ob 2004-09-10 2004-09-20 cdf-p73-epoch1-*-ob* 2004-08-12 2004-08-22 cdf-p73-epoch2-*-ob* 2004-09-10 2004-09-21 NB: It is ESSENTIAL for the programme that all OBs are actually executed, within the specified time window. Any gap in the monitoring will have repercussions also on the data for adjascent epochs !!! To lower the risk for gaps in the monitoring, we recomend that observations should be attempted as soon as the time window is open and conditions permit. SHOULD THE END OF THE TIME WINDOW CLOSE IN WITHOUT ANY OBSERVATIONS HAVING BEEN OBTAINED, WE WILL CONTACT ESO TO ENSURE THAT SOME DATA CAN BE GATHERED EVEN IF CONDITIONS ARE SUB-OPTIMAL. ***** U, B and V imaging of the ELAIS-S field ***** The UBV OBs for the ELAIS field are not strictly time critical. However we would like you to take the following info into consideration: Scientifically, it would be very VALUABLE if the UBV data could be obtained in close connection to the I and R band data. For the first epoch, this may be difficult as the target visibility is poor, but for later epochs the aim should be to obtain one or two passbands close in time to the RI monitoring. This will allow some supernovae to be studied also in these colours at no additional cost, and e.g. detect shock breakout UV emission from very high redshift SNe. The preferable scheme is: month epoch monitoring UBV-data ---- ------- --------- -------------- June Epoch 1 I and R July Epoch 2 I and R V-band 4 hours = 4 OBs Aug Epoch 3 I and R B-band 4 hours = 4 OBs Sep Epoch 4 I and R U-band 5 hours = 5 OBs If the associated U,B or V OBs cannot be executed as indicated above (e.g. due to weather) these OBs can be exectued in the following epoch. For sensitivity reasons, it is preferable to obtain all the U, B or V OBs close in time. For the CDF-S field, we will not obtain UBV images but use public data. Special Calibration Information ------------------------------- No special calibrations ToO Information --------------- Not a ToO programme Pre-Imaging Requirements ------------------------ Source of preimaging: No preimaging OB Information ============== List of Science OBs ------------------- (for ISAAC imaging, please indicate the magnitude of the brightest star in the field for each OB) ob-name: number of OBs: finding chart: -------- -------------- -------------- cdf-p73-epoch*-*-ob* (12 time critical OBs) 167.D-0492C.001.jpg elais-p73-epoch*-*-ob* (24 time critical OBs) 167.D-0492C.002.jpg elais-p73-*-ob* (13 "normal" OBs) 167.D-0492C.002.jpg Total Number of Submitted Science OBs: 49 List of Calibration OBs with Associated Science OBs --------------------------------------------------- Total Number of Submitted Calibration OBs: 0 OB Compliance Checks ==================== (Y = Yes, N = No, NA = Not Applicable) Do all your OBs comply with the instrument specific requirements listed on the instrument specific Phase 2 Web pages ? [Y/N/NA] Y Do all your Finding Charts comply with the both the general and instrument-specific finding chart requirements? [Y/N/NA] Y If you submitted OBs for standard stars, did you specify the magnitude and spectral type of all standard stars ? [Y/N/NA] NA Have you included OBs for any calibrations that you need but which are not a part of the Calibration Plan? [Y/N/NA] NA [UVES only] Do all your UVES OBs use only the allowed templates listed on the UVES Phase 2 Web pages ? [Y/N/NA] NA [ISAAC only] Did you indicate the magnitude of the brightest star in the field for ISAAC imaging observations? [Y/N/NA] NA [ISAAC only] If you submitted OBs for standard stars, did you use the provided StandardStar templates? [Y/N/NA] NA [FLAMES only] Did you specify the hour angle range for which your Target Setup files are valid ? [Y/N/NA] NA [VIMOS only] Did you specify suitable guide stars for all your OBs using Guidecam? [Y/N/NA] Y [VIMOS only] Did you check that the chosen guide stars are suitable for all the offset positions and that they do not produce unacceptable vignetting of the field of view? [Y/N/NA] Y [MIDI only] Did you indicate for each science star OB the corresponding calibrator star OB name in the ReadMe file as well as in the comments of the OB ? [Y/N/NA] NA [MIDI only] If you use calibrator stars which are not in the CalVin database, did you specify their characteristics in the ReadMe file and in the OBs ? [Y/N/NA] NA If you answered "NO" to any of these questions, please revise your OBs *before* submission.