Next Generation SOFIA Science Instrument Call for Proposals Kimberly Ennico-Smith NASA SOFIA Project Scientist Alan Rhodes NASA SOFIA Science Instrument Development Manager NASA Ames Research Center
Outline What is SOFIA Timeline for Next Generation Solicitation Philosophy of this Solicitation What has changed in this call 2
3
SOFIA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Planet Atmospheres Revealing Our Dynamic Universe Galactic Center Dust Around Black Hole Star Formation Planetary Nebula Supernova Flight Operations Planet Formation Magnetic Fields
SOFIA Key Science Objectives The Birth of Planets and Stars Origins: Path to Life Extreme Environments Finally Charting the Infall Water, Organics, Dust Stepping Stones to AGN and Starbursts
How did we get here? Are we alone? How does our universe work? 6
Joint US and German Observatory Telescope Illuminated Aperture: 2.5 m Elevation range: 20 60 degrees Wavelength range 0.3 to 1600 microns Flies up to 13.7 km (45,000 ft), above 99.9% of water vapor in the atmosphere Operational capability: > 8 research flight hours per flight > 70 Guest Observer (GO) programs per year > 800 research flight hours per year Access to the entire sky SOFIA Specifications Twenty year operational life to 2034 7
Our International User Base Cycle 6 PI & Co-I Institutions 8
The Time For What s Next Use what we ve learned to help Flexible call for proposals Science leads the way A team on the inside to help Come Explore With Us All leading to the Legacy of Your science 9
Interchangeable Instrument Suite FPI+ High Speed Visible Camera GREAT Heterodyne Spectrometer EXES High Resolution IR Spectrometer FORCAST Mid-IR Camera & Spectrograph FIFI-LS Integral Field Spectrometer HAWC+ Far IR Camera & Polarimeter 10
HIRMES 25-122 µm with four spectroscopic modes High-res mode R ~ 100,000 Mid-res mode R ~ 10,000 Low-res mode R ~ 300-600 Imaging spectroscopy mode R ~ 2000 Background limited bolometers Fabry-Perot Interferometers and gratings I&T at Goddard begins in spring 2018 Delivery to Observatory in spring 2019 PI S.H. Moseley (Goddard) Cryostat Feb 28, 2018 Detectors for Low-Res Optical Bench Apr 10, 2018 Ennico-LabAstro Workshop 11
Instrument Update 2 Channel Cryo-cooler upgrade installed in March/April 2017 HAWC+ achieves 8+hr hold time Sep 2017 Acceptance Review Dec 2017 PI: D. Dowell/JPL HAWC+ upgreat 4GREAT and LFA/HFA configurations commissioned July 2017 PI: R. Güsten/MPIfR 12
13
SOFIA Senior Review (SR) Proprietary Do not copy, forward, or share outside of the Blue Team Reviewers SOFIA covers a lot of infrared real estate
SOFIA Senior Review (SR) Proprietary Do not copy, forward, or share outside of the Blue Team Reviewers SOFIA covers unique & complementary infrared real estate JWST ends ALMA begins
Cycle 7 is calling! Cycle 7 Annual Call for Guest Observers (GO) Call coming out soon, Proposals due early Sept, for observing mid-2019 to mid-2020 Well-funded GO investigations ($10K for each awarded hour for US PIs) Thesis Enabling Program ($100K/student; US Institutions) Connections with JWST highly encouraged Introduction of SOFIA Legacy Science Program (with $$$) call coming out along with Cycle 7 Large >99 hr coherent science projects, not reproducible by any reasonable number or combination of smaller GO investigations; multiple instruments allowed; may be carried out over multiple cycles. https://sofia.usra.edu/science
Next Gen Science Instrument (SI) Timeline The Call for Proposals has been released! Pre-proposal Workshop: 17 MAY 2018 2PM (Eastern) Optional Notice of Intent to Propose Due: 1 JUN 2018 Phase 1 Proposals Due: 1 AUG 2018 Selections Announced / Concept Study Phase starts: ~1 OCT 2018 Concept Studies Due: ~1 MAR 2019 Instrument(s) selected for development: ~ JUL 2019 Instrument(s) delivered for commissioning: ~ JUL 2022 17
Timeline 18
Timeline 19
Philosophy of Solicitation Science Leads the Way Selected team(s) must execute and deliver well-defined Legacy Science Program(s) Prioritize instruments that enable broad community usage and/or data of high archival value, but also allow for agile, niche instruments to solve important / outstanding science questions Technology to Meet the Needs of Science Solicitation allows for: new instruments upgrades/modifications to existing instruments Allow for flexibility for future enhancements and modifications to NGSI Flexibility to Propose What The Science Needs Allow for a nominal three-year development period after funding begins but also allow for longer or shorter development timescales for optimal science return Allow for schedule and budget flexibility; make selections based on science return on investment Reduce requirements for the Instrument Concept Study (ICS) phase compared to previous solicitations Make instrument development and acceptance process easier for teams (using lessons learned from past experience) 20
Legacy Science Programs (LSP) - Requirements The LSP must contain: A detailed scientific justification An observing plan which clearly describes the science targets, instrument modes and the time required to achieve the scientific goals The roles and expertise of the science team that will execute the LSP. It should be executable within a two year period following commissioning Nominally LSP data have no period of exclusive use In the ICS phase and after commissioning, the proposing team(s) may refine the needed observing time (possibly based on a better understanding of the instrument) but may not change the scope of the scientific investigation. What Legacy will Your science leave? 21
What Has Not Changed This Time Solicitation issued and selections made by NASA HQ Instrument development overseen by the NASA SOFIA Program Proposals are solicited from universities, industry and NASA centers Instrument upgrade proposals are also encouraged Foreign instrument proposals from countries other than Germany are solicited, on a no exchange of funds basis 22
What Has Changed This Time The instrument development period is longer than the last time (nominal ~3 yrs vs. 2 yrs) Solicitation strongly emphasizes a Legacy Science Program (LSP) to be executed by proposing team that motivates the new instrument(s) Intent is to make the instrument development and acceptance process easier Instrument Concept Study phase requirements significantly reduced compared to last time Funding profile not to exceed ~$15-20M over three years starting after ICS phase, unless strongly justified Science Exploitation Period (SEP) following commissioning for up to 2 years SI team conducts their Legacy science Science community will also do science with SI team support New SI is turned over to the Program after the SEP 23
Please Review the Solicitation Solicitation at: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=610959/solicitationid =%7B1ABFE215-9C65-3204-9B6F- 8E97A9A01E36%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/D.14%20SOFIA%204th%20Gen%20Instruments %20Amend%202_rev.pdf SOFIA Science Instrument Library and frequently asked questions (FAQ) (more information on SOFIA and Instrument Development Requirements https://www.sofia.usra.edu/science/instrument-call Pre-proposal workshop: 17 M Questions: Specific to Solicitation send to Kartik Sheth: kartik.sheth@nasa.gov General SOFIA or Instrument Development send to SOFIA Science Instrument Development: arcsofia-sidev@mail.nasa.gov Tell your friends and colleagues 24
Green et al 2016 ApJ 25