In this issue:

1. CALL FOR OBSERVING PROPOSALS FOR PERIOD 84
2. SECOND CALL FOR ESO/GTC PROPOSALS
3. WORKSHOPS
4. EMAIL DISTRIBUTION OF ESO-ENEWS

1. CALL FOR OBSERVING PROPOSALS FOR PERIOD 84

The Call for Proposals for observations at ESO telescopes during Period 84 (1 October 2009 - 31 March 2010) has been released. In this Period, two new instruments, X-SHOOTER on UT2 and CHAMP+ on APEX, are offered for the first time, the latter only in collaboration with the instrument team. ISAAC will be transferred from UT1 to UT3. On UT4, the Laser Guide Star is offered both in Service Mode and in Visitor Mode; however, the amount of time that can be allocated to programmes requiring this facility is limited. Policies relating to the use of laser guide stars are detailed here. Starting with Period 84, a streamlined operation model is being introduced in La Silla. Visiting Astronomers will not have a specific support astronomer assigned on the mountain; technical and logistical support will be delivered as usual by ESO staff. While the minimum length of 3 nights for runs to be conducted with La Silla telescopes remains in force, additional flexibility has been introduced for combined EFOSC2 and SOFI observations to be carried out contiguously, and for Visitor Instruments. Large Programme proposals are encouraged on the the 3.6-m telescope and the NTT, with a maximum duration of four years.

The deadline for proposal submission is 1 April 2009, 12:00 noon CEST. The full Call for Proposals and the ESOFORM electronic submission package can be obtained here. In order to avoid last-minute problems, users are strongly encouraged to fully verify their proposal well ahead of its actual submission, using a preliminary version including all necessary fixed-format technical information, but possibly incomplete or with non-final text (see the ESOFORM manual for details).

2. SECOND CALL FOR ESO/GTC PROPOSALS

Together with the regular ESO Call for Proposals, ESO invites users to submit proposals for observations at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) within the framework of the accession agreement of Spain into ESO. For this second call for ESO GTC programmes, the available instruments will be the optical imager and multi-object spectrograph OSIRIS (the availability of the blue arm is subject to its successful commissioning in 2009) and the mid-IR imager-spectro-polarimeter CanariCam, also subject to successful commissioning in 2009. Observations will be conducted either in Service or in Visitor Mode and should be prepared using the information available. Proposals should request a minimum of 10 nights, equivalent to 90 hours of Service Mode observations. The ESO rules for Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) will apply to the ESO/GTC programmes recommended by the OPC.

GTO programmes from the instrumentation teams will have priority over ESO/GTC proposals. In order to avoid duplication, the abstracts and lists of targets from these GTO teams are posted on the GTC web pages and should be read by the prospective applicants to avoid duplication. Deadline for submission of ESO/GTC proposals is 01 April 2009, 12:00 noon CEST, as for standard ESO proposals. More information can be found in the ESO Call for Proposals. The special version of the ESOFORM electronic submission package that must be used for ESO/GTC proposals can be accessed through the User Portal.

3. WORKSHOPS

The following are open:

Detectors for Astronomy 2009

ESO Workshop, Garching, 12-16 October 2009

The 2009 Workshop Detectors for Astronomy continues a series of similar meetings in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999 (all at ESO-Garching), 2002 (Waimea), and 2005 (Taormina). The 2009 meeting will address all aspects of detector technology, control systems, cryo-vacuum technologies, testing and calibration, together with scientific applications and results that depend on high performance detectors. Contributions are invited irrespective of wavelength and deployment on the ground or in space. The main focus will be on the optical and infrared domain.

Registration and further details here.

IR and sub-mm spectroscopy: a new tool for studying stellar evolution

Special Session 1 at the IAU General Assembly, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-6 August, 2009

This IAU Special Session aims to foster collaboration between various fields and bring together experts from theoretical and observational astrophysics, instrumentation and laboratory spectroscopy. In combination, these fields hold the key for the scientific success of current and planned facilities, such as VLT, ALMA and E-ELT, in the field of stellar evolution.

For details please visit the website.

The list of forthcoming workshops organised by ESO can be found at http://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/.

4. EMAIL DISTRIBUTION OF ESO-ENEWS

This issue of the Newsletter is being sent to all persons with an activated ESO User Portal account (using the e-mail address in their User Profile). Users can manage their subscription to the ESO Electronic Newsletter e-mails by means of the tick box located at the bottom of their User Profile. After logging into the ESO User Portal select Administrative Options > Manage Profile.

The current ESO Electronic Newsletter and back issues are always available on the ESO Web pages here.