WIYN 3.5m Observatory

Information for NEID Users

Current NEID Status

Update! The NEID spectrometer and port adapter have both been installed and are currently being commissioned.

Both the NEID spectrometer and port adapter have successfully passed their pre-ship reviews. The port adaptor (built by Washburn Labs at the University of Wisconsin) arrived at WIYN on October 17 with on-site commissioning already commencing. On-sky commissioning is scheduled to begin October 28.

The NEID Port Adaptor installed at WIYN

The NEID spectrograph is scheduled to arrive in two shipments with the first arrival at WIYN on October 28. On-sky commissioning of the full NEID instrument assembly is scheduled to begin November 18.

Three NEID Queue Observers have started work at NSF’s OIR Lab in Tucson and are learning about WIYN operations and helping with operations planning. Sarah Logsdon has also joined the WIYN staff as the NEID Instrument Scientist.

Early commissioning will include a shakedown of basic hardware and software as well as a series of tests designed to understand the operational limits of NEID. A long baseline commissioning period will commence afterwards and run concurrently with shared risk science operations. Long baseline commissioning will measure NEID's capabilities to deliver on its performance requirements for a Spring 2020 operational readiness review.

Information for NEID Users

NEID users (e.g., PIs) for shared risk science programs will be given an account within the NEID queue software system. These accounts will provide them with access to a web interface where they can enter target and observation data prior to queue observing.

PIs will have proposed a set of targets or target selection methods in their observing proposals. Accepted programs will have been given an allocation of observing time and user accounts in a queue database at WIYN. Once logged in, users can start defining their observing program by entering instructions into the queue database. The steps to do this are:

Users enter target data, typically through a Simbad query. Users with GO programs should enter targets described in their observing proposals or propose new targets that match the plans described in their proposals.
Each target will be reviewed by WIYN staff, who will set a target’s status to "active" upon approval (or may contact the PI for more information if needed).
Once targets are approved, queue users may begin defining “observations” based on those targets. Observations specify how the targets will be observed and under what conditions. These observations are the basic schedulable unit of telescope use.
Creating observations, and later editing them, is how users exert control over their observing programs. New targets may also be entered for approval.