The 50-m Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) invites members of Mexican astronomy community and members of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Massachusetts and the Five College Astronomy Department to participate in the first call for Early Science observing proposals.

Announcement of Opportunity (2013-ES1)

Early Science with the Large Millimeter Telescope

Observing Period 2013-ES1 : 1st May – 17th July 2013
Application Submission Deadline: 19th April 2013

The 50-m Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) invites members of Mexican astronomy community and members of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Massachusetts and the Five College Astronomy Department to participate in the first call for Early Science observing proposals. The LMT is currently scheduled to begin scientific observations in the spring of 2013. The LMT will operate in this initial phase as a 32-m diameter telescope with a passive surface, and consequently this first call for Early Science proposals will be restricted to astronomical targets that are available within a limited range of telescope elevations. The Early Science programme will have a duration of approximately 11 weeks during the months May to July 2013. It is expected that the successful observations will result in the first refereed journal publications that demonstrate the scientific value of the LMT with an emphasis on scientific topics for which the LMT provides a unique capability. The active control of the primary reflector surface will be introduced and commissioned later this year, offering a broader range of feasible projects in future calls for proposals.

The first call for Early Science projects is made with the understanding that all successful proposals and scheduled observations are considered as “shared-risk”. During this first period of scientific observations the LMT user-community should be aware that the feasibility of the proposed observations may change due to differences in the instrument sensitivities and the efficiency of the telescope performance compared to those that are advertised in this call. Early Science observations may be rescheduled or cancelled according to the need for additional commissioning and engineering activities.

Scientific collaboration is encouraged between the research communities of the LMT partners. Further details regarding the schedule, submission and selection process are included in the Early Science Announcement of Opportunity. The instrument sensitivities, observation modes and the procedures to submit proposals are available on the Early Science Phase page.