FAR ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROSCOPIC EXPLORER (FUSE) 

GUEST INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS - Cycle 6



1 Guest Investigator (GI) Program Description
1.1 Overview
1.2 Observing Program Categories and Time Allocation
1.3 Mission Capabilities and Constraints During Cycle 5
1.4 General Guidelines and Policies
    1.4.1 Proposal Process
    1.4.2 Who May Propose
    1.4.3 Canadian and French Observing Time
    1.4.4 Late Proposals
1.5 Data Rights and Distribution
1.6 Proposals for Targets of Opportunity
1.7 Discretionary Observing Time
1.8 Targets For Observation
1.9 Proposal Evaluation and Selection Process
1.10 Funding for U.S. Investigators
1.11 Education and Public Outreach

2 Proposal Preparation and Submission
2.1 Proposal Preparation
    2.1.1 Proposal Format and Content
    2.1.2 Cover Page/Proposal Summary
    2.1.3 LaTeX Proposal Template
2.2 Obtaining the Phase 1 Proposal Form and Instructions
2.3 Notices of Intent to Propose
2.4 Proposal Submission

3 The FUSE Mission Overview
3.1 Mission Discription
3.2 Instrument Overview
3.3 Satellite Operations and Observation Planning
3.4 Data Processing, Calibration, and Distribution

4.0  Contact Information





Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer

Guest Investigator Program Description and Proposal Instructions - Cycle 6


1 Guest Investigator (GI) Program Description

1.1 Overview

This program element of the 2004 ROSS NRA (NNH04ZSS001N-FUSE) solicits proposals for the acquisition and analysis of new scientific data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE provides high-resolution (R ~20,000) spectroscopy at far ultraviolet (FUV) wavelengths (905-1187 �) with sufficient sensitivity to study a wide variety of objects, including many extragalactic lines of sight. FUSE was launched on June 24, 1999. This solicitation is for Cycle 6 of the FUSE Guest Investigator (GI) Program, to be carried out beginning on or around April 1, 2005, and lasting approximately 12 months. Section 2 contains instructions for proposal preparation. A brief description of the FUSE mission is provided in Section 3.

All observing time on FUSE during Cycle 6, except for calibration and Discretionary Observing Time (Section 1.7) and any observations carried over from previous cycles, will be selected through this NRA. FUSE GI proposals are for new observations, but the data analysis may utilize previous observations in the FUSE archive to help achieve the scientific objectives.

There are three proposal categories in Cycle 6. Standard and Legacy proposals, for which NASA intends to execute all observations associated with the allocated observing time, and Survey/Supplementary proposals, which will provide a pool of targets to maximize the science return and observing efficiency. Not all targets for Survey programs will be observed.

The Legacy proposal category, introduced in Cycle 5, places renewed emphasis on major observing programs that are expected to significantly enhance the scientific contributions of the FUSE mission. The FUSE Legacy Program is intended to facilitate a number of large, coherent scientific projects with a general and lasting importance to a wide astrophysical audience.

Proposals submitted in response to this NRA constitute the first phase of the FUSE GI proposal process. Information required during this proposal phase includes the scientific justification, observation descriptions, astronomical target data, exposure times, and any special operational requirements (e.g., orientation constraints, timing considerations, etc.). After selection by NASA, successful GI's must submit detailed observing plans to the FUSE Science Center at the John Hopkins University (JHU) so that detailed planning, feasibility assessment, and observation scheduling can be performed. Section 1.3 describes some important capabilities and constraints that affect how GI programs will be evaluated and implemented in Cycle 6.

There are two types of unscheduled observing time that can be made available with the approval of the FUSE Project Scientist. The first deals with major Targets of Opportunity (ToO), such as supernovae, novae, and comets (see Section 1.6). The second type, called Project Scientist's Discretionary Observing Time, is intended for observations of an urgent nature requiring a small amount of observing time and of sufficiently high scientific priority that they should not be delayed to the next observing cycle (see Section 1.7).

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1.2 Observing Program Categories and Time Allocation

FUSE observing time is allocated in on-target exposure time in units of kiloseconds (ksec). Proposals should request only the time needed for scientific exposures.

Observing Program Categories - Each FUSE observing proposal must be designated in one of three proposal categories at the time of submission, Standard, Legacy, or Survey, and this category must apply to all proposed targets in the proposal.

1. Standard proposals correspond to the type of observing programs carried out during the FUSE prime mission (Cycles 1-3). These are regular observing proposals and may contain constrained or unconstrained observations (see Section 1.3). Standard proposals must request a minimum of 10 ksec of observing time. There is no upper limit to the amount of time that may be proposed for a Standard program. These observing programs are limited to one-year duration.
2. Legacy proposals provide the opportunity for large, coherent projects of general and lasting importance to a wide astrophysical audience. Legacy proposals may be for one or two years. These proposals should request a minimum of 200 ksec of observing time for a one-year program and 400 ksec for a two-year program. Legacy proposals must clearly state the amount of time requested in each year of a two-year program.
3. Survey/Supplementary proposals provide the opportunity for observations of a class of objects to be undertaken without the requirement that a specific object be observed. No constrained observations are allowed in Survey programs. Survey program targets may be located anywhere on the sky, except within a zone of restricted visibility defined by 06h<RA< 18h, -30º < DEC < +30º.

Legacy programs will be allocated up to one third of the total regular time (Legacy + Standard) in Cycle 6. NASA anticipates that ~6 Msec will be allocated to these two program categories in Cycle 6. Additional time will be allocated to Survey/ Supplementary programs, intentionally oversubscribing the available time by 20-30%. There is no assurance that any specific target in a Survey program will be observed, although NASA expects that data will be obtained for many targets in this category. It is possible that a Standard proposal could be recommended for acceptance in the Survey category, but only as a result of weaknesses identified in the proposal evaluation. In this case, only observations consistent with Survey program criteria would be accepted. It would be the proposer's option to accept or reject such reprogramming of a submitted Standard proposal.

Observing Program Size - Due to the overhead associated with carrying out very small programs, each proposal must request a minimum of 10 ksec of on-target exposure time. If the proposal has only one target, the total exposure time on that object must be at least 10 ksec. A proposal having multiple targets can have exposure times of less than 10 ksec per target provided the total exposure time for the proposal is at least 10 ksec.

Short Exposures - If a target has an exposure time less than 4 ksec, the program will be charged 4 ksec for that observation to account for the extra overhead associated with short-duration observations. The FUSE mission planning system was designed to support a pool of observations that requires an average of no more than three pointing maneuvers per day. Short exposures should not be arbitrarily extended to 4 ksec if the required signal-to-noise ration (S/N) is expected to be reached in a shorter time.

Observing Program Duration - Standard and Survey proposals may only request observations to be executed during the nominal 12-month period of Cycle 6. Multi-cycle proposals will be accepted only in the Legacy category.

Legacy proposals may be for observations to be carried out over one or two year periods. If accepted for two years, a scientific proposal will not be required for the second year. A progress report will be required after the first year.

Program Execution and Carryover - NASA intends that all observations for non-ToO Standard and Legacy observing programs will be performed. If necessary, observations will be carried over into the following cycle if they are not executed during the current cycle. GI's do not need to repropose for these observations, and they will be given priority for scheduling in the next cycle. However, ToO programs will not be carried over into the next Cycle. ToO programs that are not activated and executed within the nominal one-year observing cycle must repropose in order to be considered in the next observing year. NASA may decide to carryover unexecuted Survey program observations from the previous cycle only if it is advantageous for the scheduling flexibility of the FUSE observatory. GIs should consider reproposing a prior-cycle Survey program if additional observations of the class of objects are warranted on scientific grounds.

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1.3 Mission Capabilities and Constraints During Cycle 6


This section highlights several recent developments that should be considered by all FUSE proposers. Most aspects of the FUSE instrument are unchanged from previous observing cycles, including channel coalignment, spectrograph apertures, and spectral resolution. The sensitivity of the FUSE instrument remains high, but has decreased somewhat since early in the mission. These sensitivity changes have been included in the online Exposure Time Calculator available for Cycle 6 proposal preparation. Complete information on these and other topics is available from the FUSE Observer's Guide. Proposers should consult this web site to obtain the most up to date information on the mission's capabilities for the preparation of Cycle 6 proposals.

Expanded Sky Coverage - FUSE target visibility has improved markedly over the entire sky as a result of new mission planning software and observing techniques implemented in April 2004. Sky coverage at low declinations is significantly expanded, especially in the highly restricted region near 12h and 0º. However, observations in this region are still difficult and the amount of observing time available each year is very limited. The available observing time and the number of scheduling windows required to complete an observation remain important considerations in target selection and justification. The actual amount of observing time and the number of observations that can be obtained at a given RA & DEC during Cycle 6 can be determined with updated visibility software available at http://fusegi.pha.jhu.edu - click on Proposal Planning Tools.

Constrained Observations - A constrained observation is one with a total annual visibility of three weeks (21 days, or 1814 ksec) or less. This includes observations coordinated with other space observatories, targets of opportunity, observations with roll angle constraints, monitoring and ephemeris special requirements. Targets at lower declinations and observations that significantly impact the overall observing schedule, such as target monitoring campaigns, may also be classified as constrained observations. Further information and tools for assessing potentially constrained observations can be found at http://fusegi.pha.jhu.edu and click on Proposal Planning Tools.

The proposal must clearly identify any constrained observations. The proposal review panels will assess the criticality and potential benefits of these observations when evaluating the scientific merit of the proposal (see Section 1.9). Only a limited number of constrained observations can be supported during the Extended Mission (~3 per month).

Some targets are classified as constrained solely by their celestial coordinates. In general, longer observations at low declinations are more difficult to accomplish than shorter observations. In extreme cases, an observation may not be feasible, depending on the required exposure time. In order to be considered feasible, an observation must be fully schedulable in no more than 4 or 5 visibility windows during the nominal Cycle 6 period (April 1, 2005 - March 31, 2006).

All requests for constrained observations contemplated during Cycle 6 must be identified in the proposal submitted in response to this NRA. Late requests (after proposal selection) will be critically reviewed by NASA. Approval of late requests for constrained observations depends on the availability of observatory resources and will be made on a case-by-case basis. Priority will be given to those constrained observations defined in the proposals.

Exposure Times and Observations Obtained During Orbital Night - Observations of fainter objects in the LWRS aperture may be adversely affected by terrestrial air glow emission. These effects can be significantly reduced by analyzing only the night-time portion of the obtained data set. Because FUSE cannot easily be retargeted within orbits, the scheduling of night-only observing is extremely inefficient. Therefore, there is no "night-only" mode of observing with FUSE. If an observation requires a significant amount of night-time data, the requested exposure time must be increased by a factor of 1.6 to obtain the desired exposure during the night-time portion of the orbit. See the FUSE Observer's Guide section 3.6.3 for details.

Sensitivity Limits - There are fundamental detector performance limitations for both faint (F <  5x10E-15 erg/cm2/s/Å) and bright (F > 3x10E-11 erg/cm2/s/Å) targets. Proposers expecting to observe objects near either extreme should consult the FUSE Observer's Guide for further information and restrictions. Potential proposers are alerted to new developments that under certain circumstances permit sensitivity limits to be pushed toward fainter and brighter flux levels.

Faint Object Sensitivity: Observations of objects as faint as ~1x10E-15 erg/cm2/s/Å, depending somewhat on wavelength, have been successfully observed. This is about a factor of ~2-3 fainter than was previously thought possible. Exposure times must be long enough so that the background can be determined within the data set itself. Special data processing techniques are also necessary. See the FUSE Observers Guide sections 3.1.2 and 2.5.1 for details.

FUV-Bright Targets: New observing techniques are being developed that extend the ability to observe targets above the nominal brightness limit (1x10E-10 erg/cm2/s/Å). Observations of bright targets with fluxes of up to ~5x10E-10 erg/cm2/s/Å will be supported in Cycle 6.  Techniques for higher FUV flux levels are still being tested and calibrated.  Consequently, proposed observations that require them will not be accepted for Cycle 6.  Details about these techniques can be found in the FUSE Observers Guide section 3.6.2. 

High-Count-Rate Observations - Effective in June 2004, MDRS is the default aperture for high-count-rate observations (HISTOGRAM mode). Use of the LWRS aperture for observations in this mode will be permitted only for strongly justified scientific reasons, for example high precision spectrophotometry. Recent data indicate that the cumulative effect of observations performed since the beginning of the mission has measurably depleted the available charge on the FUSE detectors at certain wavelengths at the location of the LWRS aperture. This new policy was implemented in order to maintain the sensitivity of LWRS observations for faint targets that cannot be observed in MDRS.

An observation of a bright target in the MDRS aperture requires approximately twice the exposure time as the same target in the LWRS aperture due to alignment shifts during the exposure. Proposers should take this effect into account when estimating exposure times for Cycle 6. For observations requiring ONLY data in the LiF1 channel, this doubling of exposure time is not valid or needed. See the FUSE Observers Guide sections 2.3 and 3.2.2 for details.

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1.4 General Guidelines and Policies

1.4.1 Proposal Process

Proposers should submit a Notice of Intent to Propose (see the NRA Summary of Solicitation and Section 2.4) in order to facilitate the timely selection of peer review panels. Note that Notices of Intent are not required to propose for the FUSE GI program.

Proposals submitted in response to this NRA should provide the scientific justification and feasibility analysis, which form the basis for selection by NASA. Proposals that are awarded observing time based on the evaluation process described in Section 1.9 will subsequently be required to submit observation specifications following guidelines provided by the FUSE Project. These data will provide the FUSE Science Center with the detailed definition of each observation to be executed for the program. In addition, U.S. proposers will be invited to submit a budget based on funding guidelines provided by NASA - see Section 1.10.

Proposal submission steps are summarized in Section 2.4.

1.4.2 Who May Propose

Participation in the FUSE GI Program is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, nonprofit institutions, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies. Each FUSE GI proposal must identify a single Principal Investigator (PI) who assumes full responsibility for the conduct of the scientific investigation. Proposal Co-Investigators must have well-defined roles in the investigation, which will be evaluated as part of the proposal review process. Following selection by NASA, the FUSE Science Center at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) will communicate formally only with the PI (or his/her designee) of each proposal. It is this person's responsibility to provide JHU with the necessary data that defines each observation in a timely manner and to respond to any questions concerning observational constraints or configurations.

1.4.3 Canadian and French Observing Time

As part of their participation in and contribution to the FUSE mission, Canada and France each receive a minimum of 5% of the mission's observing time as defined in Letters of Agreement between NASA and their respective space agencies. This observing time is selected competitively via the GI proposal peer review process.

1.4.4 Late Proposals

Consistent with NASA policy, a late proposal may be considered only if it is judged to be in the best interests of the Government. However, a proposal submitted after the published deadline is unlikely to be considered of uniquely greater value to NASA than the proposals that are submitted on time. A proposal is considered to have been submitted on time only if all necessary components, including electronic material, have been received by the published deadline. Finally, note that processing delays at the proposer's home institution, the method of shipment of the proposal, or Internet delays do not excuse the late submission of a proposal.

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1.5 Data Rights and Distribution

Data rights for FUSE GI observations (Legacy, Standard and Survey programs) reside solely with each observing program's Principal Investigator six months following delivery of the processed data to the FUSE archive (http://archive.stsci.edu/fuse). GI's will be notified electronically when their data are available from the archive. After this period, the data become available for public access through the FUSE data archive (see Section 3.4).

Observations of calibration targets generally have no proprietary period and will be released through the FUSE archive as soon as the processed data products are available. The FUSE Project reserves the right to use any FUSE observation to assist in assessing the performance of the instrument, but the confidentiality of data obtained for scientific programs will be maintained.

1.6 Proposals for Targets of Opportunity


Proposals for Targets of Opportunity (ToO), such as supernovae, novae, cataclysmic variables in outburst, comets, etc., will be supported in Cycle 6. Scientists wishing to observe such targets should prepare and submit proposals according to the procedures for Standard programs (see Section 2). Note that a proposal must not contain a mixture of ToO targets and non-ToO targets. Target of Opportunity status should be noted in the Special Requirements section of the proposal. The proposals will be reviewed in the regular review cycle, and successful proposals will be approved but will not be allocated specific amounts of observing time. (However, the review panels may recommend a maximum amount of observing time that should be allocated to a given ToO program.) Up to four ToO programs requiring a response time of one month or less will be approved for Cycle 6.

The lack of a real-time observing capability restricts the speed with which a ToO observation can be implemented. The FUSE ToO response time for prompt events is expected to be 2-7 days during Cycle 6. ToO proposals must clearly state the required response time. It will be the GI's responsibility to notify the FUSE Project Scientist and the FUSE Science Center at JHU when any approved opportunity has occurred. The Project Scientist will consult with the GI, the FUSE PI, and other members of the FUSE Project to determine the feasibility of observing the particular event and the impact of disrupting ongoing observations before deciding whether or not to activate the ToO program and approve the observation.

1.7 Discretionary Observing Time


Project Scientist's Discretionary Observing Time (DOT) is intended for observations of an urgent nature for which no approved observing program exists, which are of sufficiently high scientific merit and priority that they should not be delayed to the next observing cycle. The total amount of DOT available during Cycle 6 is extremely limited. The FUSE Project Scientist may approve DOT in those cases where the scientific timeliness of the project is such that it should be done quickly, the need for the observation could not have been foreseen and proposed for in the current observing cycle, and the observation does not duplicate or infringe on approved GI programs. A proposal for DOT may be submitted to the Project Scientist in the form of a letter (printed or electronic) and should describe the observations and their feasibility and scientific objectives, and explain why DOT should be granted in lieu of consideration during the next proposal cycle. All requests for DOT will be reviewed for scientific merit and technical feasibility.

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1.8 Targets For Observation


The Cycle 6 proposal opportunity primarily seeks to identify new targets for observation with the FUSE satellite. A list of all previously observed science and calibration targets (as of June 2004) and those Legacy and Standard program targets planned for observation in Cycle 5 is available from the FUSE GI Program home page. This listing does not include pending observations for Cycle 5 Survey programs because there is no assurance that a given Survey target will actually be observed. There is, however, a separate listing of all Survey program targets on the FUSE GI web site.

Proposers should bear in mind that FUSE has essentially one observational mode. Aside from small differences resulting from the choice of aperture, the exposure time alone defines the achievable signal-to-noise ratio for a given spectral resolution for observations of point sources. A target's name and celestial coordinates (right ascension and declination in epoch J2000) will be considered when judging any potential target duplications.

Target Duplication - Any duplication of targets between Cycle 6 GI programs and those observed in previous Cycles must be strongly justified in the proposal. The review panels will receive a summary of any duplication between pending and existing observations and those proposed for Cycle 6. The panels will also receive a summary of target duplications between different Cycle 6 proposals. In general, a given target will be allocated to only one observing program. Failure to provide accurate target data in the proposal may result in disallowing a target if a conflict with another program is discovered after proposal acceptance and the target conflict was missed as a result of the inaccurate target data. Lists of previous and pending FUSE observations are provided on the FUSE GI Web site. Unobserved targets for Survey programs will not be considered a target duplication.

Target List Modifications - After selection of Cycle 6 programs, changes to a program's target list may be made with the approval of the FUSE Project Scientist. Any new target must be consistent with the program's scientific objectives and must not already be allocated to another program.

Calibration Targets - Astronomical targets are used for photometric, flat-field, and wavelength calibration. Most, but possibly not all, of the calibration targets identified on the GI web site and click on Target Lists) will be observed for calibration purposes. Proposers may include calibration targets as scientific targets in their programs. The FUSE Project may continue to use these objects for calibration, even if the target is allocated to a GI program.

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1.9 Proposal Evaluation and Selection Process


Proposals submitted to NASA in response to this opportunity will be evaluated in a competitive peer review conducted by NASA Headquarters using review panels organized by research area. The panel membership will include scientists from the U.S., Canada, and France. Upon completion of the review by the individual panels, a final cross-discipline panel review chaired by a NASA HQ representative will synthesize the results of the individual panels. Legacy proposals will first be reviewed with other FUSE proposals in the same scientific discipline. Each scientific panel will have the option to forward a small number of Legacy proposals for final evaluation by the chairs of the FUSE peer panels, who will formulate the final recommendations to NASA for the Cycle 6 observing program.

Based on these results, the FUSE Program Scientist will then develop a recommendation for the total program to be submitted to the Selection Official. The final proposal selection will be made by the Director, Astronomy and Physics Division, Office of Space Science.

The following factors, listed in descending order of importance, will be used in evaluating proposals for their scientific merit and technical feasibility for the FUSE Guest Investigator Program.

1. The overall scientific merit of the proposed investigation;
2. The suitability and feasibility of using the FUSE observatory for the proposed investigation;
3. The feasibility of accomplishing the objectives of the investigation;
4. The feasibility and scope of the data analysis plans;
5. The competence and relevant experience of the Principal Investigator and any collaborators to carry the investigation to a successful conclusion, including timely publication of the research in peer reviewed journals.

The scientific review panels will be given an assessment of the technical feasibility of each proposal as determined by the FUSE Project. After acceptance of an observing program by NASA, successful proposers must prepare detailed observing plans for submission to JHU, which are required for scheduling purposes. These plans, referred to as "Phase 2" plans, will again be assessed for feasibility. Should there be any question regarding the safety or feasibility of individual observations, the FUSE Project Scientist, in consultation with FUSE Project personnel, will make the final decision as to whether or not to attempt or postpone a particular observation, based on the latest information available regarding the satellite's on-orbit performance.

NASA reserves the right to offer to select only a portion of a proposer's investigation, in which case the investigator will be given the opportunity to accept or decline such partial selection.

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1.10 Funding for U.S. Investigators


Limited funds for awards under this NRA are expected to be available to investigators at U.S. institutions subject to the annual NASA budget cycle. Successful proposers at U.S. institutions, including U.S. Co-Investigators on successful non-U.S. proposals, will be eligible for funding. However, budgets should not be submitted with research proposals submitted in response to this NRA. Instead, the selected investigators will receive a funding guideline from NASA based on the scope of the approved observing program and the available budget for the FUSE GI program. The primary factor for the funding guideline is a programÕs total time allocation. Secondary factors include proposal ranking, scope of data analysis plans, and the number of targets or observations. A budget summary and narrative description of how these funds will be used must be submitted after the receipt of the guideline. An institutional signature will be required when a budget is submitted.

1.11 Education and Public Outreach


The policy of NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) continues to be to encourage strongly the participation by the space science community in education and public outreach activities with the goal of enhancing the nation's formal education system and contributing to the broad public understanding of science, mathematics, and technology. A significant national program in space science education and outreach is now underway, and OSS's demonstrated contributions to education and outreach have now become an important part of the broader justification for the public support of space science (for further details click on "Education" on the OSS homepage). Education is also one of the core missions of NASA.

Proposers awarded observing time for FUSE Cycle 6 will have an opportunity to submit a supplemental E/PO element to their research proposal in conjunction with the budget phase of the proposal process. These E/PO proposals will be due 60 days after the date of the selection letter for the Cycle 6 scientific proposal. Complete information about and instructions for preparing and submitting E/PO proposals is available in Section I(b) of the ROSS-2004 NRA.

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2 Proposal Preparation and Submission

2.1 Proposal Preparation

2.1.1 Proposal Format and Content

Proposals must be concisely written in English. The length of each section of the proposal should not exceed the page limits indicated below, using single-spaced 8.5x11 inch or A4 format paper with 1 inch (2.5 cm) margins. Proposals must be printed with a font size no smaller than 11 points (about 6 characters per cm). Reviewers will be instructed to base their review only on the portion of each proposal that complies with the page limits given below in this NRA. Double-sided copies are encouraged. Illustrations contained in the printed proposal may be in black and white or color.

2.1.2 Cover Page/Proposal Summary


All proposals must be prefaced by an integrated Cover Page/Proposal Summary that contains important, required information. This item is produced by first entering the requested information electronically through the NASA Peer Review Services (NPRS) Web site and then printing the form by the proposer. Note that the Cover Page may be printed at any time for preliminary inspection and revised as necessary up to the proposal deadline. The printed copy of the electronically submitted form must be signed by the PI and submitted as part of the original proposal and all copies.

The Cover Page/Proposal Summary includes the following information: Proposal title (both abbreviated and full length); PI name, institution, address, and telephone number; Co-I name(s) and institution(s); proposal summary (restricted to about one-half page of text); proposal category (see Section 1.2); scientific category (see further below); and total requested observing time. The PI and any Co-Is must be registered in the NPRS database in order to appear on the Cover Page.

Since budget information for the FUSE GI program is not required until after proposal selection, proposers should enter a placeholder value of $1 for the proposed cost of the proposed investigation in order to allow submission of the Cover Page.

The Cover Page may ask for the name of an authorizing official at the PI's institution. This information is not required at this stage and may be omitted. An institutional signature is not required with the scientific proposal. Only when a budget is submitted by U.S. proposers who are awarded observing time (after proposal selection) will the signature of an institutional official be required.

The last three digits of the identification number assigned to your proposal by the NASA Peer Review Services Web site must also be included in the required LaTeX proposal form. This identifier is displayed on the Web page and printed at the upper right-hand corner of the Cover Page/Proposal Summary. For example, in the proposal identifier "FUSE6-0000-0123," the ID number is the last three digits "123."

2.1.3 LaTeX Proposal Template


The FUSE proposal form uses an ASCII LaTeX file that allows the proposer to supply important information via keywords, including the proposed target list. Some keywords are required (e.g., proposal title, PI name and address, abstract, total observing time requested, etc.) and some are optional (e.g., special requirements). For proposers familiar with LaTeX, the proposal form may also be used to format the final printed proposal. Electronic submission of the LaTeX proposal form (without figures) is required of all proposers, since this file will be part of the database used to support the proposal review. Instructions for obtaining the proposal form are given in Section 2.2, and submission procedures are described in Section 2.4.

The FUSE LaTeX proposal form defines a number of sections, or subject areas, including the proposed target list and exposure times. These proposal sections are listed below and should be contained in the proposal in the order indicated.

Summary Information - Proposal summary information, the same as that submitted to the NASA Peer Review Services Web site for the Cover Page/Proposal Summary, must also be supplied in the LaTeX proposal form. In addition, the three-digit proposal identification number is required for the proposal form.

Scientific Category - Each proposal must identify one of nine primary research areas as listed below that is used to guide assignment of the proposal to the appropriate scientific review panel. These nine research areas (and some examples) are:

Proposal Sections - The proposal must contain the following Sections and be addressed in the order indicated for each proposed observing program. The page length limits are indicated. Please do not use any colons (:) in the proposal text (sections 1-6 below), as this character is used by the FUSE proposal parser as a special character.

1. Scientific Justification (3 pages for Standard and Survey proposals, 5 pages for Legacy proposals) - Fully describe the scientific objectives of the proposed investigation, clearly stating its goals, its significance to astronomy, and why FUSE data are essential to the investigation. The page limit includes all text, figures, tables, and references for this Section.
2. Feasibility and Safety (2 pages) - The proposed program must justify the need for the requested exposure time for each target, noting the required signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and spectral resolution, expected flux, channel requirements, and any other information relevant to the observation (e.g., wavelength region of interest, spectral flux distribution, emission line intensities). This Section forms the basis for technical assessment of the feasibility of the proposed observations. Describe the basis for and accuracy of the flux estimates, including any assumptions made or extrapolations into the FUSE spectral range from other wavelengths.
3. Description of Observations (1 page) - Describe the observations. All special requirements (e.g., usage of MDRS or HIRS apertures, Target of Opportunity, monitoring program, specific aperture orientation) must be summarized and justified. These requirements encompass any information affecting the scheduling of the target, such as pointing constraints (e.g., observations at specific times), scheduling constraints (e.g., coordinated observations, phase coverage, contiguous observations, etc.), Targets of Opportunity, and basic moving target data. However, actual ephemeris data for Solar System targets are not required for this phase of the proposal process.
4. Additional Information (1 page) - This Section may be used to provide any relevant information concerning data analysis plans, modeling capabilities, plans for supporting observations to be conducted using other telescopes, etc.
5. Previous FUSE Observing Programs (1 page) - Summarize the status, results, and publications arising from FUSE observing time allocated to the PI in previous FUSE GI observing cycles. The presentation of this information for Co-I's is optional.
6. Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator Biographical and Publication Data (1 page) An abbreviated biographical sketch for the PI should be provided and include a list of the most recent refereed publications relevant to the scientific proposal. Additional biographical or publication data may be provided for any of the Co-I's.
7. Proposed Target List - Each proposal must include a table of the proposed targets for observation that includes all the requested target and exposure information and parameters described in the instructions for the proposal template. Proposers are strongly encouraged to use the LaTeX proposal form to prepare this formatted table of targets and exposure times. In all cases, these data must also be submitted electronically using this template. No LaTeX formatting (e.g. $1\times 10^{-12}$) is permitted in the target data entries.

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2.2 Obtaining the Phase 1 Proposal Form and Instructions


The FUSE LaTeX proposal form and style file may be retrieved automatically via E-mail by sending a message to fuseprop@pha.jhu.edu with the word "help" as the subject of the message. The necessary files will automatically be sent by E-mail. These files, plus the instructions for preparing the proposal form, are also available electronically from the FUSE GI web site.

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2.3 Notices of Intent to Propose


In order to expedite the proposal review process and the timely selection of scientific peer review panels, investigators intending to submit proposals for participation in this program should submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to propose by
August 6, 2004.
The NOI is submitted via the NASA Peer Review Services Web site.  The NOI page will request the tentative title of the investigation, name and affiliation of the PI and any Co-I's, and a brief summary of the objectives of the proposed investigation.

2.4 Proposal Submission A complete proposal submission consists of the following three steps.


1. Provide basic summary information through the NASA Peer Review Services Web site and print the Cover Page/Proposal Summary. Note that the proposal number in the upper right-hand corner of the Cover Page must be inserted it in the LaTeX proposal form in the appropriate keyword.
2. E-mail the LaTeX proposal form to fuseprop@pha.jhu.edu. An acknowledgment of receipt will be sent to the proposal submitter by return E-mail.
3. Send 12 printed copies of the proposal to the address given below. The PI must sign the printed Cover Page/Proposal Summary (see Section 2.1.2) and attach it as the front of the proposal. Copies of the Cover Page/Proposal Summary must also be attached to the other 11 copies of the proposal that are be submitted (i.e., one original and 11 copies must be submitted).

                FUSE GI Program - Cycle 6
                Office of Space Science
                NASA Peer Review Services
                500 E Street, SW, Suite 200
                Washington, DC 20024
                USA

                Telephone: 202-497-9030

All printed and electronic proposal materials must arrive at the above address by

4:30 pm EDT on September 17, 2004

in order to be included in the proposal review for this cycle of the FUSE Guest Investigator program.

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3 The FUSE Mission

3.1 Mission Overview

FUSE is a PI-class mission, developed by NASA in collaboration with the space agencies of Canada and France. The FUSE Principal Investigator, Dr. Warren Moos of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, Maryland, is responsible to NASA for the mission design, development, and operations. FUSE is controlled from the FUSE Satellite Control Center located on the JHU campus in Baltimore, Maryland. The FUSE PI is responsible for achieving the several important scientific objectives of the mission. These are the study of (1) the abundance of deuterium in a variety of astrophysical environments, from the local interstellar medium to distant gas clouds along the lines of sight toward quasars and active galactic nuclei, and (2) the amount, distribution, and kinematics of hot gas (as traced by the O VI ion) in the Milky Way disk and halo and in the Magellanic Clouds in order to understand the origin and dynamics of hot gas in these galaxies. About half of the observing time during the FUSE prime mission was allocated to the PI Team, and the initial scientific results have been disseminated in the refereed literature.

The spectral window covered by FUSE permits the study of many astrophysically important atoms, ions, and molecules that cannot otherwise be investigated. This wavelength range is extremely rich in spectral lines arising within the interstellar gas. Proposers are encouraged to take full advantage of the capabilities of FUSE to address important problems in astrophysics. The FUV spectral range provides an opportunity for unique studies of many types of astrophysical objects, such as AGN's and quasars, massive stars, supernova remnants, nebulae, the outer atmospheres of cool stars, planets and their satellites, and comets, as well as interstellar and intergalactic material.

3.2 Instrument Overview


FUSE obtains spectra in the 905-1187 Å far-UV band with high resolving power (R~20,000) and high throughput. FUSE has four optical channels, each of which is fed by separate off-axis parabolic mirrors that serve as the primary mirrors for four co-aligned telescopes, all of which simultaneously view the same astronomical field at the same magnification. A Focal Plane Assembly (FPA) is at the focus of each mirror and consists of a flat mirror mounted on a precision two-axis micromotion stage. There are three entrance apertures built into each FPA. The combined effective area of all four channels ranges from ~20 cm2 to ~70 cm2, depending on the wavelength.

The high throughput results from the use of an efficient multichannel optical design and reflective coatings optimized for wavelength coverage in the FUSE range. The spectrograph gratings disperse and refocus the light onto two 2-dimensional delay-line microchannel plate detectors. The entire wavelength range is simultaneously covered on each detector by combining data from two optical channels. Two of the optical channels (one LiF and one SiC) feed one detector, the other LiF and SiC channels feed the other detector. The channels with SiC-coated optics cover ~905-1100 Å, and the channels having LiF-coated optics cover ~990-1185 Å. The resulting spectral images are highly astigmatic in the cross-dispersion direction.

Further details on the FUSE instrument can be found the FUSE Observer's Guide.

3.3 Satellite Operations and Observation Planning


FUSE is in a nearly circular orbit with a mean altitude of 768 km, an orbital inclination of 25°, and an orbital period of ~100 minutes. The plane of the orbit precesses with a period of ~60 days. Typically, FUSE is in contact with the ground station for 10-12 minutes per orbit for seven consecutive orbits, followed by eight orbits (~12 hours) with no contact. All FUSE scientific observations are conducted autonomously by the onboard instrument data system.

One of the main observational constraints is the restrictions in beta angle, defined as the angle between the anti-Sun direction and the telescope boresight, which is restricted to values between 15º and 105º. However, observations are normally scheduled in the range 30º < beta < 90º in order to maintain coalignment of the four spectroscopic channels. Since the channel alignment is sensitive to changes in the instrument's thermal environment, the beta angle is an important scheduling parameter. Observations outside the normal beta angle range are possible but must be carefully planned in advance. See Section 1.3 and the FUSE Observers Guide for further information.

3.4 Data Processing, Calibration, and Distribution


The FUSE data processing pipeline corrects the two-dimensional raw data for instrumental effects and produces one-dimensional, calibrated, extracted spectra. Each exposure produces independent SiC and LiF spectra on each of four detector segments (two segments for each FUSE detector) for a total of eight independent spectra. The data processing system is described in the FUSE Data Handbook.

The wavelength calibration maps pixel coordinates into the wavelength domain. The relative wavelength accuracy is ~10 km/s, depending on the channel. There is a zero- point shift in the wavelength scale, which depends on the relative locations in the aperture of the science target and the calibration object used to calculate the dispersion solution. For observations made in the LWRS aperture this offset can be as large as 50 km/s. The FUSE photometric calibration has an absolute accuracy of ~10% and a rms relative uncertainty of no more than 5%. However, the accuracy realized during an observation depends critically on the stability of the target within the aperture of a particular channel.

FUSE data are archived at the Multi-mission Archive at Space Telescope (MAST). Access procedures for proprietary and public data are similar to those for Hubble Space Telescope data. Only the PI of each GI program (and their designees) can access that program's data during the proprietary period. The distribution of FUSE data is made by electronic file transfer from the FUSE archive. Observations of calibration targets generally have no proprietary period. See Section 1.5 for additional information about FUSE data rights.

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4.0  Contact Information

Scientific and technical questions concerning the FUSE GI Program should be directed to:
Dr. George Sonneborn
FUSE Project Scientist
Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics
Code 681
Goddard Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Greenbelt, MD 20771-0001  USA
 Telephone  301-286-3665
 Facsimile:  301-286-1753
 E-mail: george.sonneborn-1@nasa.gov


 Programmatic information may be obtained from the FUSE Program Scientist:

Dr. Hashima Hasan
Astronomy and Physics Division
Code SZ
Office of Space Science
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546-0001   USA
 Telephone  202-358-0692
 Facsimile:  202-358-3096
 Email:  hhasan@hq.nasa.gov

Technical information about the FUSE mission, the proposal template, and electronic form submission should be obtained from:
Dr. B-G Andersson
FUSE Guest Investigator Officer
Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21218   USA
Telephone:  410-516-8378
Facsimile:   410-516-5494
E-mail:  fuse_support@pha.jhu.edu
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