STScI

HST Phase II Proposal Instructions for Cycle 12 (RPS2)

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Chapter 2:
The Basics of Phase II Proposals

In this chapter . . .

 

2.1 How to Submit Phase II Information

The computer software used to schedule and execute HST observations can interpret the proposal information only if it is in the proper format. Therefore, proposals must be filled out accurately, completely, and in strict accordance with the instructions in this document. Observers now have the capability and responsibility (with the help of their Program Coordinator and Contact Scientist) for creating and submitting proposals that are not only syntactically correct but also feasible and schedulable. This is possible using the revised Remote Proposal Submission (RPS2) software.

An observer prepares the Phase II information at his or her home institution and then submits it electronically to STScI using the RPS2 software. They will be provided with a template RPS2 file which, for GOs, contains all relevant information from their Phase I submission (e.g. the title and abstract) already filled in. Observers should consult the RPS2 User's Manual for detailed instructions on how to install and use RPS2 at their home institutions. This will enable the proposal to be checked before electronic submission to STScI. (Observers without access to suitable computer equipment should contact their Program Coordinator to make other arrangements.) To get the User's Manual, go to:

The RPS2 software allows the proposer to create a Phase II program which is free from errors and is feasible and schedulable. However, observers are urged to discuss their proposals and any problems encountered in filling out the Phase II template or using the RPS2 software with their assigned Program Coordinator and/or Contact Scientist.

The RPS2 submission system will give the submitter an automatic electronic acknowledgment. This will generally be followed in a few days by an acknowledgment from the Program Coordinator.

If, at the time of submission, the proposal contains outstanding errors, the RPS2 submission system will give a warning, but will allow the proposal to be submitted. However, the proposal will be flagged as having outstanding errors, and the observer will be contacted by the Program Coordinator within a few days to discuss how to proceed (if they have not discussed this already).

The resolution of errors in the Phase II Program is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator. The fact that RPS2 may allow you to submit a program that contains errors does not mean that program can or will be scheduled. These Instructions are, essentially, a programming language, and therefore they need to compile successfully before they can execute.

We strive to make RPS2 useful and complete for preparing and checking your Phase II program, but it is nevertheless imperfect. On rare occasions syntax errors are not detected, and RPS2 does not check for guide stars. Caution and common sense are needed. In particular, many problems arise when programs are edited directly as text rather than using the facilities in PED. If you edit outside of PED, be sure to check the output from the DG to see if anything was lost, and consult with your Program Coordinator for advice.


 

2.2 What to Submit

Observers must submit the Remote Proposal Submission Two (RPS2) file to STScI by the Phase II deadline. It will contain the following:

2.3 General Instructions

In this section, we describe how to fill out the RPS2 template (the #.prop file, where # is the Phase II proposal identification number which will be supplied by your Program Coordinator). Information about retrieving samples of completed RPS2 files is presented in2.4 "Examples and General Advice", along with a discussion of common questions and problems observers might have when filling out the template.

Note the following general instructions and conventions when filling out the RPS2 template:

If you are unable to use the RPS2 software, please contact your Program Coordinator (listed in your notification letter) to make other arrangements.

2.3.1 Proposal Information [Proposal_Information]

This block contains basic information about the proposal including the

The template you receive from your Program Coordinator will have all the above filled out based on your Phase I submission.

For those Phase II submissions that are not based on a Phase I proposal (e.g., GTO programs), the Proposal_Category should be selected from one of the following:
GO (General Observer) GO/DD (Director's Discretionary time)
SNAP (snapshot proposals)

 

A Proposal_Category of SNAP is used for "snapshot" programs. By their nature these programs take advantage of otherwise-unused blocks of telescope time for relatively short exposures. SNAP exposures therefore must carry as few restrictions as possible. In particular, Special Requirements should not ordinarily be used with SNAP programs (consult with your Program Coordinator if you feel you need to do so). Also, less-restrictive guiding is ordinarily used for SNAP exposures because that is adequate for short exposures and because that helps extend FGS lifetimes. Some special policies apply to SNAP programs. In particular, STScI will not repeat failed SNAP exposures.

The Cycle should be 12; multiple values of Cycle are not permitted. In pure parallel proposals (see 6.2 "Pure Parallels"), the suffix /PAR should be added to the appropriate type from the above list. This identifies the proposal as a pure parallel. Please note that SNAP/PAR is not a valid proposal type.

2.3.2 Parallel Information [Parallel_Pointing_Tolerance]

This information is required with pure parallel proposals (those with a Proposal_Category ending in /PAR). It does not apply to primary proposals.

The Parallel_Pointing_Tolerance gives the maximum acceptable variation in pointing at the parallel aperture during a parallel visit. The units are arcsec but must be explicitly stated. The number must be non-negative (e.g., 10"). This will normally be set to the maximum pointing change that still allows exposures taken at slightly different pointings to be combined later during data analysis.

2.3.3 Investigators [Investigators]

This block contains the names of the Principal Investigator (PI_Name), all Co-Investigators (CoI_Name), and their institute affiliations (PI_Institution and CoI_Institution). This information has been filled out based on the Phase I submission. If one of the Co-Investigators (or other individuals) is to serve as the contact for a program, then the Contact keyword should be set to Y. The Contact is the person the Principal Investigator has designated to receive all (non-budgetary) questions/information on the program and to be the official voice for the team. Only one person may be designated as the Contact. Once designated, only the Contact may make Change Requests so that conflicting requests are not made.

If any of the Investigators have changed addresses between the Phase I and Phase II submissions (or any time after the Phase I submission), please contact your Program Coordinator with the updated address. You cannot use the Phase II submission to implement address changes.

For Phase II submissions that are not based on a Phase I proposal, please fill in the information accordingly.

2.3.4 Abstract [Abstract]

The Abstract from your Phase I submission has been included in your Phase II template. You may need to update this text based on your final TAC allocation. Although we have attempted to convert frequently-used special LaTeX symbols, you should review this text carefully. Also, you may need to reformat some tabular information.

If a Phase II submissions is not based on a Phase I proposal, please fill in missing information.

2.3.5 Proposal Text Sections [Questions]

These four sections are needed for STScI to execute your program properly. Not all questions will need to be answered by every observer, and note that the answers to these questions will be made public along with the rest of the RPS2 file. As with the Abstract, please review this text to make certain all special symbols have been correctly converted, and reformat tabular information if necessary.

Description of Observations [Observing_Description]

Provide a detailed description of your observing plans. Text from your Phase I proposal has been inserted, but it will need updating based on your final TAC allocation and on details worked out in Phase II.

Justification of Real-time observations and Special Scheduling Requirements [Real_Time_Justification]

Provide an explanation for any real-time or special scheduling requirements, if they have been requested. Information from your Phase I proposal (Item 14) has been inserted, but it is possible that the text will need updating based on your final TAC allocation, to include the details worked out in Phase II, and to remove any special calibration requirements (see below).

Justification of Special Calibration Requirements [Calibration_Justification]

Provide a justification for any special calibrations required for your program, if requested.

Additional Comments [Additional_Comments]

Provide any additional comments that you feel STScI needs to know in order to properly implement your program.

2.3.6 Target Information [Fixed_Targets, Solar_System_Targets, Generic_Targets]

Chapter 3: "Fixed and Generic Targets [Generic _Targets]" and Chapter 4: "Solar System Targets List [Solar_System_Targets]" describe how to fill out the Target Lists.

2.3.7 Visit Information [Visits]

Chapter 5: "Visits and Exposures" of this document describes how to fill out the Visit and Exposure Specifications. Instructions for submitting parallel observations are given in Chapter 6: "Parallel Science Exposures", and the detailed, instrument-specific parameters are described in Part II: "Supported Science Instruments".

2.3.8 Data Distribution Information

HST observers are now expected to retrieve their proprietary data via the web, using either the archive's web retrieval form interface or StarView. It is possible to request "hard" media (either an 8 mm or a DAT tape) by using one of these tools. Observation summaries (previously called "paper products") are also available, but only via the web.

The Principal Investigator (or the Contact identified by the PI; see 2.3.3 "Investigators [Investigators]")will be informed automatically by e-mail when observational data and observation summaries are ready for retrieval. Anyone requiring access to proprietary data should be both a registered user and an authorized user of the HST archive. If you are only a registered user, you have access only to public data via your archive username and a password. The registration address you provide is where any hard media will be sent, but the address is not otherwise used. You can become a registered user by filling out a registration form on the World-Wide Web

or by contacting the Archive Hotseat at archive@stsci.edu.

Authorization additionally allows a PI and individuals selected by the PI to have access to the PI's proprietary data and privileged web access to the observation summaries (which are PDF files). To become an authorized user, contact the Archive Hotseat. Authorization requests will be inspected very carefully. For this reason, authorization may take a little longer than simple registration. We strongly encourage PIs desiring this option to become registered and authorized well in advance of the execution of their program.

2.4 Examples and General Advice

2.4.1 Acquisitions and Pointings

Getting HST located and oriented properly lies at the heart of successful observations, especially when a small aperture is being used, and there are a number of ways to do that. The remarks here apply specifically to fixed targets, and mostly apply to the use of small apertures, although many of them can be applied to moving targets as well. For more information, see 3.4 "Target Position [Position]".

First, you have to acquire an object successfully that is at or near the position at which the science observation will be made. The object to be acquired should meet these conditions:

  1. It should be a point source or nearly enough to point-like that the centering algorithms can determine a precise centroid.
  2. The object's coordinates must be both precise and accurate and any proper motion must be known. This requirement boils down to the need for the object to fall within the search region at the time of the acquisition. For this to happen the coordinates must also be consistent with the Guide Star Catalog or they must fall within another system that can be related to the GSC. This is why the source of the acquired object's coordinates are required.
  3. The object must be neither too bright nor too faint for the instrument mode used. These conditions are described in the various Instrument Handbooks.

The coordinates for the acquired object can be specified in several ways:

Second, once the acquisition has been made, the telescope must be repositioned to the precise point desired. This step is unnecessary, of course, if the object acquired in the first instance is the object to be observed. Repositioning can be implicit or explicit.

By an implicit offset is meant the case where a target such as "XX-OFFSET" is acquired with some ACQ mode, and then "XX" is observed via a science exposure. This often leads to confusion because no specific motion of the telescope has been provided, but that motion is implied by specifying the separate targets with different coordinates. "XX-OFFSET" is specified for the acquisition because it is bright enough and point-like enough to be acquired successfully, but the coordinates specified by "XX" are what is to be observed.

An explicit offset means using a Special Requirement such as POS TARG (see POSition TARGet <X-value>, <Y-value>) to move the telescope away from the position acquired. In this scheme, the position specified in the acquisition is placed at the fiducial point for the aperture requested (in general the geometric center of the aperture). The POS TARG then moves the telescope relative to that nominal position. Thus POS TARGs are not cumulative, and always refer back to the original acquired position.

2.4.2 Examples

Examples of HST observing programs are available as RPS2 formatted files on the STScI web pages. Many of the most popular observing techniques are represented. Once these files are downloaded, they may be easily edited for the specific targets and wavelengths desired. Start by going to the web page for the instrument you are using:

For those observers who wish to try an observing sequence not shown there, help may be obtained from your Program Coordinator.

2.4.3 Common Problems

Incorrect Proposal Format

The formats described in this document must be followed exactly, since the information in the forms is interpreted by computer software. Some items that warrant repetition are:

For more information on coordinates, see3.13 "Getting Coordinates Coordinated".

Imprecise Target Positions

See the discussion of required position accuracies in Table 3.11: Required Coordinate Accuracies. The requirements are much more stringent than is typically the case for ground-based observations.

Lack of Acquisition Exposures with Small Apertures

When exposures are requested in very small apertures or fields of view (e.g., STIS), a separate acquisition exposure is generally required.

2.4.4 Consideration of Limited Resources

Proposers should be aware that several of the Special Requirements impose serious constraints on the scheduling system because they require the use of limited resources; for example, RT ANALYSIS requires real-time use of the TDRSS that is only available some of the time. Hence these Special Requirements should be requested only if they are absolutely necessary to achieve the scientific goals of a project. It is quite possible that some proposals will be impossible to schedule because of their resource requirements, rather than a lack of scientific merit. The limited-resource Special Requirements can force the planning system to schedule the observations at a less than optimal time. The use of limited-resource Special Requirements by many observers can reduce the overall efficiency with which the planning system can schedule the science program. For these reasons, these Special Requirements should only be used when necessary to achieve the science objectives of the program. The STScI will review the necessity for the Special Requirements and in some cases may suggest removing them, or using alternate methods to obtain the same goal.

The following table summarizes the Special Requirements that involve seriously limited resources. The need for many of these Special Requirements must be justified in the Questions section of the RPS2 template. Note that several of these Special Requirements must have been justified in the Phase I Proposal in order to be used legitimately in Phase II; those are CVZ, SHADOW, LOW-SKY and Targets of Opportunity.

Table 2.1: Limited-Resource Special Requirements
Limited Resource Reason for constraint
ON HOLD [FOR <visit-list>] Require special handling.
RT ANALYSIS,
REQuires UPLINK		 Requires real-time TDRSS links, which are difficult to schedule and may be withdrawn at last moment.
ORIENTation <angle1> TO <angle2>,
SAME ORIENTation AS <visit>		 A specific orientation can be available for as little as a one-week period every six months.
SHADOW,
LOW-SKY,
CVZ		 Available for only a fraction of orbits.
AFTER <date>,
BETWEEN <date1> AND <date2>,
BEFORE <date>,
SEQuence <visit-list> WITHIN <time>,
SEQuence <exposure-list> NON-INTerruptible,
PHASE <number1> TO <number2>,		 Constrain scheduling opportunities. Can be mutually incompatible.

 

2.5 Proposal Template

Your proposal template should include the following and in the order given. Optional blocks are in square brackets ([]). The use of colons is required in the form given. Note that at least one of the three target types (Fixed, Solar System, or Generic) must be present.

2.5.1 Proposal_Information

2.5.2 [Parallel_Information

Investigators

2.5.3 Abstract:

2.5.4 Questions:

2.5.5 [Fixed_Targets

2.5.6 [Solar_System_Targets

2.5.7 [Generic_Targets

2.5.8 Visits

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