The ING Service Programme

The ING Service Programme (on the William Herschel Telescope only) aims at providing astronomers with a rapid and flexible tool to obtain small sets of observations (up to 8 hours). This can be used to try new ideas, or complement a regular observing programme allocated on the ING telescopes. We can accept proposals from principal investigators working in an institution located in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands or Spain, but we also welcome proposals regardless the nationality of the host institution. Monthly deadline for application submission takes place at midnight on the last day of each month. Proposals are generally withdrawn from the scheme after a one year period. A more detailed description of the ING Service Programme is available.

The statistics provide an overview of the use of the observing time, and this compilation of papers published in major refereed journals using data obtained on service nights, provide an approach to the scientific productivity of the programme.

The Spanish CAT committee also runs a Spanish Service Time programme on the INT. These nights are referred as 'CAT S' nights on the ING schedules.

Step-by-Step Proposal Submission and Follow-up

First check the available service nights and instruments coming up on the WHT:

PHASE 1

Select and submit a suitable instrument application form below. The provided tools in the 'Preparing for Observing' section of ING's astronomy web pages can be useful to plan your observations.

IMAGING

ACAM VIS Form Cassegrain focus, 8 arcmin FoV, narrow- and broad-band filters. Spectroscopy allowed.

PFIP VIS Form Prime focus, 16 arcmin FoV, narrow- and broad-band filters.

LIRIS IR Form 4.3 arcmin FoV, narrow- and broad-band filters. Imaging polarimetry and spectroscopy allowed.

NAOMI/INGRID IR Form 40 arcsec FoV, narrow- and broad-band filters. Natural guide star AO.

NAOMI/INGRID/OSCA
IR Form Natural guide star AO coronography.

SPECTROSCOPY

ACAM VIS Form Cassegrain focus, slit low-resolution. Imaging allowed.

AF2 VIS Form Prime focus, fiber optics multi-object.

ISIS VIS Form Cassegrain focus, slit double-arm low- and medium-resolution.

NAOMI/OASIS VIS Form Nasmyth focus, natural guide-star AO integral field.

LIRIS IR Form Slit low- and medium-resolution. Imaging and imaging polarimetry allowed.

We allow some flexibility in respect to the non-standard instrument setups provided in the forms but they need be scientifically justified. Upon submission your proposal will be sent to the Service Manager for acceptance and scientifically appraised at the start of the following month to the proposal submission. If you mark your proposal as urgent, then it will be accepted and scientifically appraised as soon as possible.

PHASE 2

After the scientific assessment of your proposal as submitted through the phase-1 form, you will be contacted by email and asked to complete a phase-2 service-observing request form, which will include the detailed instrument setup and observing information (eg. finding charts).

ACTIVATION

As soon as you submit the phase-2 form, your proposal will be technically assessed by members of the ING staff (you can expect some interaction with the respective instrument specialist). When this process is over, then your programme becomes active in the observing queue for the service nights coming up.

TRACKING

You will be contacted by email everytime your proposal is attempted, providing details of the observations, the status of your proposal and asking you to retrieve the data by ftp and feedback. If your programme is not completed within a year from the submission date, then it will be automatically withdrawn.

You can track the progress being made on your proposal selecting below the semester in which it was submitted:

PUBLISHING

The ING asks users of the Service Programme to give proper acknowledgement to this effect in the papers that they publish.