From Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au Mon Jan 27 13:10:45 2014 From: Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au (Paul Francis) Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 02:10:45 +0000 Subject: [ASA] 2.3m Call for proposals: May-July 2014 Message-ID: <98F4AB2B-4AB8-48C4-B4EF-86D155B40F7E@anu.edu.au> Dear Observer, The closing date for observing proposals for time on the ANU/RSAA 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in the quarter 1st MAY 2014 - 31st JULY 2014 is 23:59 March 15, 2014. Instruments available: Nasymth A: WiFeS Nasymth B: Imager or echelle. Observing proposals must be submitted electronically via the RSAA web pages. Full instructions are available at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/observing-rsaa. You will need the most recent versions of the template and style files which can be obtained from the web pages. *************************** PLEASE NOTE *********************************** (1) WiFeS users are requested to indicate on the proposal form whether they will be present at the telescope or observe remotely. Remote observing is available only to experienced WiFeS observers but can now be carried out from sites other than Mt Stromlo subject to technical feasibility. It is possible that remote observing (from Mt Stromlo only) will also be available in this quarter for the echelle and the Imager, under limited circumstances. If you would like to observe remotely with the echelle or the Imager, assuming it is possible, then please indicate this in your proposal. (2) Proposals for use of the 2.3m will only be considered if the PI is from the ANU or from another institution that contributes financially or has contributed financially and directly to the building and/or operations of the 2.3m telescope and its commissioned instruments. These institutions include those that collaborated on the successful ARC LIEF bid to fund the Blue Arm of the WiFeS spectrograph and the successful ARC LIEF bid for the WiFeS upgrade. All such proposals will be judged on their scientific merit alone. There will be no quotas placed on the amount of time available for qualifying institutions. These policies will remain in place for the present. Currently eligible (non-ANU) institutions are the AAO, UQld, UNSW and USyd as well as Swinburne, Monash and Macquarie. (3) Macquarie, Swinburne and Monash proposals have a certain amount of guaranteed time. All proposals wishing to claim this should state explicitly in the abstract how much of this time they wish to claim. (4) Limited first night support at the telescope is provided to new observers. Nevertheless new observers are strongly encouraged to be present at the telescope at least one night before their observing run to familiarise themselves with the telescope and instrument operating systems. The latest information on using the telescope and its instruments can be found at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/obsering-rsaa. (5) Proposers are reminded to limit their scientific case to TWO pages, including figures and references. *************************************************************************** If you have technical problems in using the web-based submission process, please email tacinfo at mso.anu.edu.au. Paul Francis Chair, RSAA TAC ============================= A/Prof. Paul Francis Astrophysicist Mt Stromlo Observatory, and the Physics Education Centre College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Building 38a, Tel 02 6125 2824 or 8031 The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia pfrancis at mso.anu.edu.au http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~pfrancis/ CRICOS Provider #00120C From Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au Mon Jan 27 19:08:53 2014 From: Paul.Francis at anu.edu.au (Paul Francis) Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 08:08:53 +0000 Subject: [ASA] Typo - 2.3m Call for proposals: May-July 2014 In-Reply-To: <30036_1390790464_52E5C740_30036_827_1_12569_1390790458_52E5C739_12569_122_1_98F4AB2B-4AB8-48C4-B4EF-86D155B40F7E@anu.edu.au> References: <30036_1390790464_52E5C740_30036_827_1_12569_1390790458_52E5C739_12569_122_1_98F4AB2B-4AB8-48C4-B4EF-86D155B40F7E@anu.edu.au> Message-ID: <8D0C8036-0D7E-4840-9DFF-5CEC308C7121@anu.edu.au> My apologies - the due date for 2.3m proposals should be 15th February, not 15th March. Corrected call for proposals attached. Paul Francis > Dear Observer, > > The closing date for observing proposals for time on the ANU/RSAA 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in the quarter 1st MAY 2014 - 31st JULY 2014 is 23:59 February 15, 2014. > > Instruments available: > Nasymth A: WiFeS Nasymth B: Imager or echelle. > > Observing proposals must be submitted electronically via the RSAA web pages. > Full instructions are available at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/observing-rsaa. You will need the most recent versions of the template and style files which can be obtained from the web pages. > > *************************** PLEASE NOTE *********************************** > > (1) WiFeS users are requested to indicate on the proposal form whether they will be present at the telescope or observe remotely. Remote observing is available only to experienced WiFeS observers but can now be carried out from sites other than Mt Stromlo subject to technical feasibility. It is possible that remote observing (from Mt Stromlo only) will also be available in this quarter for the echelle and the Imager, under limited circumstances. If you would like to observe remotely with the echelle or the Imager, assuming it is possible, then please indicate this in your proposal. > > (2) Proposals for use of the 2.3m will only be considered if the PI is from the ANU or from another institution that contributes financially or has contributed financially and directly to the building and/or operations of the 2.3m telescope and its commissioned instruments. These institutions include those that collaborated on the successful ARC LIEF bid to fund the Blue Arm of the WiFeS spectrograph and the successful ARC LIEF bid for the WiFeS upgrade. All such proposals will be judged on their scientific merit alone. There will be no quotas placed on the amount of time available for qualifying institutions. These policies will remain in place for the present. Currently eligible (non-ANU) institutions are the AAO, UQld, UNSW and USyd as well as Swinburne, Monash and Macquarie. > > (3) Macquarie, Swinburne and Monash proposals have a certain amount of guaranteed time. All proposals wishing to claim this should state explicitly in the abstract how much of this time they wish to claim. > > (4) Limited first night support at the telescope is provided to new observers. Nevertheless new observers are strongly encouraged to be present at the telescope at least one night before their observing run to familiarise themselves with the telescope and instrument operating systems. > > The latest information on using the telescope and its instruments can be found at http://rsaa.anu.edu.au/observers/obsering-rsaa. > > (5) Proposers are reminded to limit their scientific case to TWO pages, including figures and references. > > > *************************************************************************** > > If you have technical problems in using the web-based submission process, please email tacinfo at mso.anu.edu.au. > > Paul Francis > Chair, RSAA TAC > ============================= > A/Prof. Paul Francis > Astrophysicist > Mt Stromlo Observatory, and the Physics Education Centre > College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences > Building 38a, Tel 02 6125 2824 or 8031 > The Australian National University > Canberra ACT 0200 Australia > pfrancis at mso.anu.edu.au > > http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~pfrancis/ > CRICOS Provider #00120C > > > > _______________________________________________ > ASA mailing list > ASA at physics.usyd.edu.au > Change membership status or contact information via ASA's Edit Membership page > http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~asamail/asa_membership/asa_members_user_edit.php > ============================= A/Prof. Paul Francis Astrophysicist Mt Stromlo Observatory, and the Physics Education Centre College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Building 38a, Tel 02 6125 2824 or 8031 The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 Australia pfrancis at mso.anu.edu.au http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~pfrancis/ CRICOS Provider #00120C From john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au Tue Jan 28 10:52:12 2014 From: john.obyrne at sydney.edu.au (John O'Byrne) Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 10:52:12 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Call for registration: The 2014 AusGO/AAO Observational Techniques Workshop Message-ID: Apologies to those who receive this more than once. The Australian Gemini Office in conjunction with the Australian Astronomical Observatory will hold the 2014 AusGO/AAO Observational Techniques Workshop from midday on Tuesday April 1 to midday on Friday April 4, 2014 at the AAO Headquarters in North Ryde, Sydney. The workshop is designed to be an introduction to the optical and infrared facilities available to the Australian astronomical community, and will include tutorials and demonstrations where you can get your hands on real data and learn how to reduce it. A preliminary program for the workshop is available at http://www.aao.gov.au/conferences/OTW2014/OTW_ScheduleDraft_v1.2.pdf. Topics to be covered in the workshop include: * Overview of data acquisition, telescopes and calibrations * Imaging and spectroscopy data reduction * Hands-on tutorials and reduction demos The workshop will be open to all but places are limited, so preference will be given to students and early-career researchers. Thanks to generous sponsorship from AAL and the Australian government's Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme, there will be no registration fee. Workshop Website The workshop now has a website, which can be found here: http://www.aao.gov.au/conferences/OTW2014/. The page will carry the current draft program and links to software used during the workshop. Please check this site regularly for updates! Software There will be tutorial and demonstration sessions covering various software packages during the workshop. The primary tutorial reduction will be done using Gemini IRAF. We recommend that you install the Ureka software collection (http://ssb.stsci.edu/ureka/) on your laptop prior to the workshop. Sample data will be provided. Dining Lunch (Wednesday and Thursday), morning and afternoon teas will be provided to all registrants. In lieu of a workshop dinner, an evening at the Sydney Observatory featuring stargazing, 3D shows, pizza, wine and beer for a modest cost is planned for the Wednesday evening. Registration Registration is now open and it's free! To register your attendance, please fill out the on-line registration form (http://www.aao.gov.au/conferences/OTW2014/registration.php) before 26 March 2014. There will also be a limited amount of travel funding available to students. Please refer to the workshop website and/or email Caroline Foster (cfoster at aao.gov.au) for more details. Getting to the AAO Since August 2012 the AAO headquarters are now located at 105 Delhi Rd in North Ryde. It is most easily accessible by train (700m from North Ryde station) or bus (Route 545 between Chatswood and Parramatta). Note that due to security requirements, anyone not registered for the workshop will not be admitted to the workshop venue. Accommodation Suggestions for accommodation near the AAO and further afield are available at http://www.aao.gov.au/admin/travel-sydaccom.html. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (Caroline Foster, cfoster at aao.gov.au). Caroline Foster on behalf of the Organising Committee -- Dr. Caroline Foster AusGO Research Fellow - AAO Email: cfoster at aao.gov.au Homepage: www.carofoster.com Telephone: +61 (02) 9372 4894 From bryan.gaensler at sydney.edu.au Wed Jan 29 14:26:15 2014 From: bryan.gaensler at sydney.edu.au (Bryan Gaensler) Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 14:26:15 +1100 Subject: [ASA] PASA update Message-ID: <46FD47C1-CA1E-4088-AC3C-C4CB3FFBC576@sydney.edu.au> Dear ASA members, As you know, since January 2013 your society journal PASA has been published by Cambridge University Press (CUP). All PASA papers from 2013 and earlier are now hosted by CUP at http://journals.cambridge.org/pasa, and submissions to PASA are welcomed via http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/astro. Please let me know of any issues and concerns you encounter with regard to accessing your institutional subscriptions, submitting papers to the journal, or anything else. All ASA members get two benefits from our CUP partnership: * ASA members get a 20% discount on all Cambridge University Press book publications. I'll be emailing updated details on how to claim this discount shortly. * Free personal subscription to PASA. We assume that most ASA members will use their institutional subscription to PASA, and that you won't need or use details of your personal subscription. However, if you do not have access to an institutional subscription and don't yet have a personal subscription set up, please reply to this email and I will organise this for you. PASA is run by a hard-working and proactive editorial board. We are eager to hear your suggestions on things we can do to improve the journal, and we welcome enquiries as to possible papers, review articles or special issues that you might be interested in submitting or developing. regards, Bryan Gaensler Editor-in-Chief, PASA From bryan.gaensler at sydney.edu.au Wed Jan 29 14:51:18 2014 From: bryan.gaensler at sydney.edu.au (Bryan Gaensler) Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 14:51:18 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Dawes Reviews in PASA Message-ID: <4DF94BCD-28B9-45B0-8F1B-809D1E9327F7@sydney.edu.au> Hi all, I'm writing to draw your attention to the Dawes Reviews, a new series of invited reviews being published by PASA. The Dawes Reviews are substantial reviews of topical areas in astronomy, published by authors of international standing at the invitation of the PASA Editorial Board. The reviews recognise William Dawes (1762-1836), second lieutenant in the Royal Marines and the astronomer on the First Fleet. Dawes was not only an accomplished astronomer, but spoke five languages, had a keen interest in botany, mineralogy, engineering, cartography and music, compiled the first Aboriginal-English dictionary, and was an outspoken opponent of slavery. I'm pleased to announce that Dawes Review #1: "Kinematic Studies of Star-Forming Galaxies Across Cosmic Time" by Karl Glazebrook has now been published in PASA, as available at http://adsabs.harvard.edu/doi/10.1017/pasa.2013.34. Dawes Reviews #2, #3 and #4 are all currently being refereed, and are expected to be published later in 2014. Bryan Gaensler PASA Editor-in-Chief From andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au Thu Jan 30 11:23:16 2014 From: andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au (Andrew Hopkins) Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:23:16 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Fwd: Science and Technology Australia's January Newsletter In-Reply-To: <91FCAA84-9A2F-4609-8F2E-D7996B4BA1FD@sta.org.au> References: <91FCAA84-9A2F-4609-8F2E-D7996B4BA1FD@sta.org.au> Message-ID: <52E99B74.8080105@aao.gov.au> -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Science and Technology Australia's January Newsletter Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:14:17 +1100 From: Catriona Jackson To: undisclosed-recipients:; Presidents, please forward this to your members. Not displaying correctly? View the web version CONNECT: MEMBER PROFILE *Name and title: *Dr Jeremy C Brownlie, Deputy Head, School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University *Discipline: *Insect Symbiosis *What lured you to science and/or technology in the first place?* As a kid growing up in the bush I always enjoyed asking questions, wondering how things worked and observing the natural world around me. When I worked out that I could keep doing this as a scientist the decision to become one wasn't that hard. Probably my father, who was a park ranger for many years, influenced me the most in that decision. *What keeps you there?* The School that I work in has academics from the major scientific disciplines, Physics, Chemistry, Biology; talking to them about new discoveries and learning about the world around us is exciting. Being able to direct my own research, to ask questions and uncover things that are totally unexpected are the best parts of the job. *What makes science different to other careers?* As a career it can be quite challenging at times, but having the freedom (if one has the funding of course!) to explore different ideas is quite unique. *What would you tell a 10-year-old about a career in science and technology?* If they are curious about the world around them, how it works and if they would like to help answer some of the big questions then being a scientist, an engineer or being based in a technology industry is the best career for them. NEWS & EVENTS Scientists concerned about ARC funding cuts READ MORE Building a smart, productive future READ MORE Congratulations to Ministers Macfarlane and Pyne READ MORE Dear STA friend/member, After 12 months as CEO I never cease to be pleasantly surprised by how much goodwill exists towards STA across so many groups -- from members, parliamentarians and policy makers to supporters from industry. We know we bear a heavy responsibility representing all those working in science and technology, and reinforcing the centrality of science and technology in virtually every aspect of modern life. 2013 was spent building new alliances, keeping science on the agenda during a particularly chaotic political year, and consolidating internally to be able to do a better job for you. This new newsletter is a small part of that change, and just the start of a communications overhaul. As always the STA executive and board thank you for your loyal support, as we work to bring together scientists, governments, industry and the broader community to advance the role, reputation and impact of science and technology in Australia. *Catriona Jackson* Chief Executive Officer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Science meets Parliament 2014 * SmP 2014 will be held on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March. Plans for this flagship event are well advanced, with Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb confirmed to deliver the National Press Club address on day two. Invitations are also out for new Ministers Macfarlane and Pyne -- who between them carry responsibility for science, research, education and industry -- to address the two day event. FIND OUT MORE For sponsorship opportunities please contact Wayne Evans . *Communications revamp* This newsletter kicks off a major communications revamp for STA, which will roll out in 2014. We're not interested in the whizz-bang, but in offering you better ways to engage with each other on the issues you care about, and easier ways to find the information you're interested in. A better website with more visible and vibrant social media options, as well as a YouTube channel featuring STA events, starting with the last Member Services Workshop, are just two of the new features. *Practical skills workshop* The Member Services Workshop held in November 2013 focussed on the many practical issues so many of us face as we run science and technology organisations on a shoestring. Experts on web-design, legal and governance issues, publishing, event planning and social media offered advice on the best and simplest ways to do a better job for members. One of the most popular presentations was Dr David Yeates' warts-and-all account of the big changes the Australian Entomological Society made after the last workshop, and the impact they have had. He promises to come back next time to continue the story. For those who couldn't get there, check out all the presentations on the STA YouTube channel , and keep your ears open for a group that will form in the wake of the workshop to share information and ideas. *A big year ahead* March's SmP will kick off a huge year for STA, with a range of forums, workshops and publications. A Women in Science Workshop and Toolkit will provide a practical guide on ways to improve the participation of women in the workforce, national forums will connect science and technology with business and parliament, and as usual we will continue to advocate for you at all levels. Further details about activities and ways you can be involved will come in the February newsletter. *Other items of interest* Academy launches immunisation app READ MORE Chief Scientist's free eBook /The Curious Country/ READ MORE STA welcomes new members and executives READ MORE You have received this email from Science & Technology Australia. ? 2013 - Science and Technology Australia -- A.Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of AAT Science Australian Astronomical Observatory P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia ph: +61 2 9372 4849 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au Fri Jan 31 10:32:19 2014 From: andrew.hopkins at aao.gov.au (Andrew Hopkins) Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 10:32:19 +1100 Subject: [ASA] Fwd: Astronomical Society of India - Vainu Bappu Gold Medal In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <52EAE103.60107@aao.gov.au> Hi all, Please consider nominating outstanding young Australian researchers for this award. It is open to any nationality, and typically restricted to researchers younger than 35. Andrew Hopkins -----Original Message----- From: singh at iucaa.ernet.in [mailto:singh at iucaa.ernet.in] Sent: Thursday, 30 January 2014 4:15 PM To: H.P. Singh (DU) Subject: Astronomical Society of India - Vainu Bappu Gold Medal Dear Colleague, Please find enclosed announcement for Vainu Bappu Gold Medal of the Astronomical Society of India. Please forward it to members of your Society who may nominate a young researcher they know for the award. With best regards H P Singh Vice-President Astronomical Society of India Prof. Dr. H. P. Singh Department of Physics & Astrophysics University of Delhi Delhi - 110 007 India -- A.Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of AAT Science Australian Astronomical Observatory P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia ph: +61 2 9372 4849 fax: +61 2 9372 4880 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: VB_Award_2012.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 44485 bytes Desc: not available URL: From aatac at aao.gov.au Fri Jan 31 11:33:25 2014 From: aatac at aao.gov.au (AAT Technical Secretary) Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 11:33:25 +1100 Subject: [ASA] AAT Proposal Call (Semester 2014B): deadline 5PM, 17 March 2014 Message-ID: <52EAEF55.9020403@aao.gov.au> Call for AAT proposals in Semester 2014B The proposal deadline for AAT time in Semester 14B (1 August 2014 to 31 January 2015) is: **Monday, 17 March 2014, at 17:00** (AEDT, i.e. UTC + 11 hrs) Proposals can be submitted from the 1st of March 2014 using the AAT online proposal form, and are welcome from astronomers worldwide. General information on applying for AAT time can be found at: http://www.aao.gov.au/astro/apply/ATAC_AAT.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- Important notes for 14B applicants: * Time available for new proposals: Because of existing Large Programs and other obligations, there are 73 nights available for new proposals in Semester 14B (14 dark, 37 grey, 22 bright). Details of existing Large Programs can be found on the long-term programs page (http://www.aao.gov.au/astro/apply/longterm.php). * Instrument upgrades during Semester 14A: AAO is planning to upgrade the CCDs in AAOmega during Semester 14A. It is expected that the quantum efficiency will be significantly higher in the red channel, and that both CCDs will be cosmetically improved. More details can be found on the instrument status page (http://www.aao.gov.au/astro/apply/inst-status.html) * HERMES status: Following successful commissioning of the HERMES spectrograph (http://www.aao.gov.au/HERMES/) during Semester 13B, AAO is making it available as a general-user instrument starting in Semester 14B. Questions about expected instrument performance should be directed to the HERMES Project Scientist, Gayandhi de Silva (gayandhi.desilva - at - aao.gov.au). * KOALA status: Starting in semester 14A, KOALA (Kilo-fibre Optical AAT Lenslet Array) is replacing SPIRAL as the integral-field capability to AAOmega. KOALA has a 2x areal increase in the field-of-view over SPIRAL (at the same spatial resolution), a selectable spatial resolution of 0.7" or 1.25", an increase in throughput at all wavelengths, particularly at the extreme blue, and simplified field rotation. Information on KOALA performance can be found in the February 2013 AAO newsletter (http://www.aao.gov.au/library/newsletter/feb13.pdf). Questions about expected performance should be directed to the KOALA instrument scientist, Andy Green (andrew.green - at - aao.gov.au). * Remote observing: Since Semester 13A the AAO has been encouraging remote observing from AAO headquarters as an option for all AAT facility instruments. We are developing a framework for offsite remote observing at a later stage, in order to allow astronomers across Australia to observe from their home institutions. Until that system is ready, observers who wish to travel to Sydney to carry out remote observations can continue to access the existing Travel and Accommodation support offered to AAT observers. * AAO-CTIO time-swap arrangement: The AAO and NOAO/CTIO have initiated a time-swap arrangement, to allow our respective communities to maximise their scientific opportunities through access to a broader range of facilities. The f/8 secondary in the 4m Blanco telescope has been repaired and reinstalled. In Semester 14B, the DECam imager, the ISPI IR imager and the COSMOS spectrograph are available for Australian proposals. COSMOS is scheduled for commissioning in semester 14A, and will consequently be offered in shared-risk mode in 14B. Imaging and longslit spectroscopy (slit width of 0.6" or 0.9") are available. All scheduled observations in 14B will be carried out in classical mode with observers required to travel to the telescope. In Semester 14B there will be 5 nights available to the Australian community to apply for CTIO time. Those who wish to apply for this time should do so using the regular AAT proposal form, selecting CTIO/DECam, CTIO/ISPI or CTIO/COSMOS in the "instrument" section. Links to the CTIO webpages for further information about the telescope and instrument capabilities are given below, and will also be available from the proposal form: http://www.ctio.noao.edu/noao/content/dark-energy-camera-decam http://www.ctio.noao.edu/noao/content/ispi http://www.noao.edu/nstc/kosmos/news.html The standard proposal page limits and recommendations regarding technical justifications should be followed. The proposals will be assessed by ATAC, and graded proposals provided to CTIO for scheduling. * Proposal page limits: ATAC reminds the community that page limits and formatting requirements for AAT proposals are strictly enforced. The main science case of your proposal should be no more than three pages long, with a maximum of two pages for the Science Case and a maximum of one page for Technical Justification. All figures and references must also fit within those three pages. Excessively long or dense proposals will be rejected without review. -- Sarah Martell AAT Technical Secretary aatts - at - aao.gov.au