Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
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Information that Must Be Provided for NRAO Joint Proposal

If you are proposing for observing time on one of the NRAO telescopes under the 'joint proposal opportunity,' specifically the GBT, VLA or VLBA, you must provide summary information on the RPS cover page, and detailed information on an additional page of the Phase 1 proposal (science justification). Errors in specifying the total time requested on these telescopes might result in an award of less observing time than your program needs. The observation specifications will be evaluated for technical feasibility by NRAO experts.

On this additional page of the science justification you must provide the following instrument-specific information:

  • GBT:
    • Frontend
    • Backend
    • Observing mode
  • VLA:
    • Array configuration
    • Sky frequency
    • Observing mode
  • VLBA:
    • Sky frequency
    • Observing mode
    • Recording rate

Note that the items listed above are similar in nature for the different telescopes, but different in detail. For example, the GBT may actually have a different backend instrument, while the specification for VLA or VLBA may just be a particular setup for the correlator.

In addition, you must provide the following details (if applicable) when proposing for observations on any of the NRAO telescopes:

  • Required spatial/spectral resolution and noise level
  • Any time constraints (e.g., night, winter, same time as Chandra)
  • Repetition interval for multi-epoch observations
  • required response time for any triggered observations
  • Any other special instrumental requirements

For detailed information about the telescopes, backend properties, frequencies, observing modes, etc., please use the following resources:

Potential proposers who require further NRAO technical assistance with proposals should contact the following:

  • GBT: Ron Maddalena—rmaddale@nrao.edu
  • VLA: VLA Help Desk—vlahelp@nrao.edu
  • VLBA: Craig Walker—cwalker@nrao.edu