of GPI public data (viewable here) from the
2013 runs. Further public release data will be
available following future Verification and
Commissioning runs.
In February, Gemini announced a GPI early
call for science proposals. A number of proposals were received before the month’s end.
Sixteen of these proposals were selected and
awarded time (view here). A variety of exciting programs will use three different instrument observing modes: direct, coronagraphic, and polarimetric observing. Observations
will have begun on April 20th. The proprietary
period for Early Science data is two months.
GPI has been offered for general use in
2014B. At the same time, the GPI Exoplanet
Survey (GPIES) will commence. GPIES is an
890-hour exoplanet survey campaign to observe ~600 stars spanning a range of spectral
types from A-M. The team will use published
young association catalogs and a proprietary
list that adds several hundred newly discovered young (<100 million years (Myr) old,
<245 light-years (ly) distant) and adolescent
January 2015
(<300 Myr, <115 ly) stars. The latter, older but
closer than the known young associations,
allow our survey to probe within the 5 astronomical units ice line, where it is cold enough
for hydrogen compounds such as water, ammonia, and methane to condense into solid
ice grains. Simulations predict this survey
will discover approximately 50 exoplanets,
increasing the number of exoplanet images
by an order of magnitude, enough for statistical investigations. (More information can be
found here.)
There is still much work to be completed
both at Gemini South and among the groups
working on the Verification and Commissioning tasks. This work is due to ramp down towards the end of 2014 and GPI will become
an operational instrument. Given the early
science programs, the GPIES, and the general
2014B observations, it shouldn’t be too long
before GPI discovers its first exoplanet!
For the latest information stay connected to
the Gemini Facebook page.
2014 Year in Review
GeminiFocus
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