nation by lasers and enables passive monitoring of Aircraft Transponders.
The Base Facility Operations team has successfully installed TBAD hardware and electronics at both Gemini sites; these are now
being integrated into the Laser Guide Star
systems for aircraft detection. The TBAD antenna is located on the top ring of the telescope and bore-sighted with the laser (Figure 1). In this position, TBAD tracks with the
telescope and laser throughout the night.
In addition, an external device, TSIM (Transponder Simulator), has been mounted inside of the dome for TBAD operational tests
and verification.
Gemini is a partner with the W.M. Keck and
Subaru observatories in the development
and acceptance of the TBAD system. TBAD is
a result of a study conducted by W.M. Keck
Observatory. In that study, Keck successfully
installed, tested, and incorporated the TBAD
system on the Keck 2 telescope. They also
received a letter of “No Objection” from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow the use of TBAD as their primary aircraft
detection system. Keck has since purchased
TBAD for Keck 1. At the same time, Gemini
and Subaru were invited to participate in the
purchase, building, and installation of TBAD
systems for their telescopes.
GIFS RfP Now Released!
Gemini Observatory is pleased to announce
the release of the Gemini Instrument Feasibility Studies (GIFS) Request for Proposals
(RfP). The project is part of a program that
will present to the Observatory several study
reports and presentations on communitycreated, science-driven instrument designs
that conform to desired principles identified
by Gemini’s Science and Technology Advisory Committee.
A total of U.S. $300,000 has been budgeted
for this project. Gemini intends to award
three or more fixed-price GIFS contracts, with
the maximum budget for each study limited
to U.S. $100,000. Gemini is currently looking
for science-driven, feasibility studies based
on a facility instrument that will cost between U.S. $8,000,000 and U.S. $12,000,000
to design, build, test, and commission in six
years or less. The RfP was issued on September 19th and is open worldwide, and not restricted to the Gemini community. The study
Figure 2.
Tom Murphy (center,
behind computer
screen), who
designed the TBAD
system, provides
on-site training and
characterization
of TBAD in Hilo
for Gemini and
other Mauna Kea
observatories.
16
GeminiFocus
October 2014