SEEDS and the Proposed NAOJPrinceton Collaboration

1
SEEDS and the Proposed NAOJ-Princeton
Collaboration

• Ed Turner
• Princeton University Observatory
• _at_ SEEDS Workshop
• February 1, 2008

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Specifics of the Collaboration Plan I

• PU will provide US10 million to NAOJ for upgrade
  of Subarus top-end to support HSC and other
  possible future (heavy) prime focus instruments,
  e.g., a wide-field, multi-object spectrograph
• PU will provide US4 million of in-kind
  contributions to the HSC and HiCIAO
  instruments/projects
• PU astronomers will join and participate on the
  science teams carrying out large survey projects
  with these instruments on an equal and
  collaborative basis
• PU will work with NAOJ to promote collaborative
  projects, large and small, between Japanese and
  Princeton astronomers, including organization and
  facilitation of long and short term visits for
  research purposes in both directions.

3
Organizational Plan II

• A Collaboration Council will have management,
  oversight, implementation reporting
  responsibilities for the collaboration and its
  activities
• NAOJ Director appoints 4 representatives Chair
• PU Dean of Research appoints 3 reps Vice-Chair
• Council meets once per year in-person as needed
• Council does not have authority over scientific
  and technical decisions they are the
  responsibility of the science team carrying out
  each research project.
• Council will operate in an open and collegial
  manner that promotes consensus that advances
  the goals interests of both parties on an equal
  basis.
• Council does not have any legal authority
  otherwise belonging to NAOJ or PU

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SEEDS is a little different

• 1 - Proposal planned, written, submitted and
  maybe approved before collaboration formally
  initiated.
• 2 - SEEDS is in the context of a previously
  existing (even before the idea of the NAOJ-PU
  institutional collaboration) informal connection
  between the NAOJ Exoplanet group and the PU
  high-contrast group (TPF group) initiated by
  Tamura-san in May 2005.
• 3 - SEEDS observations will occur early in the 10
  year duration of the proposed NAOJ-PU
  collaboration and may well, by itself, satisfy
  the 100 night NAOJ commitment before HSC is ready.

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Are the differences a problem? ? No

• 1 - Signing of the MOU will adopt SEEDS as a
  Collaboration project as far as joint NAOJ-PU
  efforts are concerned.
• 2 - This is an advantage and no problem at all,
  of course, but we should remember that in this
  sense, the Collaboration was not entirely a PU
  initiative. Tamura-sans idea and leadership was
  the first step.
• 3 - The 100 nights are only an MOU formality,
  and the actual intention is to rely on the Subaru
  time allocation process for all Collaboration
  projects, so HiCIAO and HSC projects are
  independent.

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Is the Collaboration an advantage for SEEDS ? Yes
(but not essential)

• 1 - Allows the use of significant internal
  Princeton University funds ( US1-2 million).
• 2 - Perhaps provides some level of protection
  of the project from budget risks and level of
  effort reductions on both sides.
• 3 - Council could provide some level of political
  support and advocacy for the project if needed.
• 4 - It may give some marginal additional
  visibility for the project and its scientific
  results on both sides.

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Is the Collaboration a disadvantage for SEEDS ?
No, or only very little

• 1 - Collaboration Council will exercise no
  control or influence over the scientific conduct
  of SEEDS (or any other science project). All
  such authority continues to reside with the PI
  and Science Team.
• 2 - A (minor) reporting requirement annual
  progress reports from Science Team to the
  Council. This may be a bother but can also be a
  useful opportunity for evaluation of the
  situation, recognition of problems that need
  attention. It can also be a minor schedule
  driver to finish tasks and meet goals.
• 3 - Places weak constraints on form of
  collaboration of other partner groups and
  individuals.

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Is SEEDS an advantage for the Collaboration ?
YES, YES, YES!!

• 1 - Some major survey programs or project with
  HiCIAO is a necessary condition for PU interest
  in the Collaboration.
• 2 - SEEDS is likely to provide the first
  important scientific results associated with a
  Collaboration project during the early years
  while HSC is being constructed.
• 3 - SEEDS leads the Collaborations involvement
  in the most rapidly growing area of astrophysical
  research.
• 4 - In conjunction with the HSC work, SEEDS
  establishes the Collaborations research agenda
  as including a wide range of frontier research
  areas of astrophysics.

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Conclusion

• Issho ni gambari-masho
• on SEEDS!