Information on all our current instrumentation can be found at our Web page or at the UK mirror at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/AAO.
Electronic submissions
As with last semester, all applications for time must be made electronically. The relevant output from FORMLOAD and any postscript files should be sent to aatpatt@aaoepp.aao.gov.au.
Given our experience with last semester I would like to highlight the following points:
If you have very large graphics files, please compress them before mailing them. The preferred method is to use gzip to compress the file, and then uuencode it to send it (ie gzip file.ps, then uuencode file.ps.gz file.ps.gz > temp.uu and mail the latter file separately).
Do not send anything as a Pine attachment.
For the AAO only (ie don't do this for applications for time on ING telescopes), we are willing to accept FORMLOAD output modified to include encapsulated postscript files. However, we only accept postscript files included using either the epsf or psfig style files. If you have multiple postscript files that have been encapsulated in this fashion, combine them all into a single tar set, and then follow the guidelines above for mailing them.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that any graphics files produced can be printed locally at the AAO. If you use a package that includes non standard postscript, then it's likely that the file you send will fail to print. You only need to send one copy of each proposal, to me at the above email address. Don't send anything, either electronic or hard copy, to RGO or Swindon.
Lastly, if you have any queries, please contact me directly at sll@aaoepp.aao.gov.au.
2dF news
A full progress report on the 2dF commissioning is given in the January issue of the AAO Newsletter, which can be found on our Web page. 2dF is now acquiring science grade spectra, though has not reached its full capability, since only 200 fibres are currently available.
Key points to note for 2dF next semester are that the full system is only expected to be available from roughly mid-semester, and that we have updated the system sensitivities. The new sensitivities can be found by using the interactive Web-based signal-to-noise calculator at http://www.aao.gov.au/cgi-bin/2dfsn.cgi.
3D
From Semester 97B until Semester 99A, the MPE integral field IR spectrometer 3D will be available at the AAO for general use for a limited period each semester. Further details regarding the use of 3D on the AAT can be found here and further details of 3D itself here.