GMOS SV program 60

	Status: Completed Data link: not yet available Assessment: not yet available

Title:	Dynamics and Stellar Populations of Nearby E and S0 Galaxies
Modes:	Longslit
Additional instrument verification:	Data reduction pipeline for longslit data, especially flat fielding and sky subtraction techniques for extended objects at faint surface brightnesses.
Telescope verification:	Acquisition and guiding with GMOS for tested mode.
Proposed observing sequence:	Longslit: Multiple 30min exposures with small dithers along the slit.
OT program file:	Not yet available
Science background:	The main science driver is to study of dark matter and stellar populations in the outer parts of near by E and S0 galaxies. The required data are spectroscopy to as faint surface brightness as possible, with sufficient S/N and resolution to derive velocity dispersions, rotation velocity and absorption line strengths. The observations will make use of the full length of the long-slit and test the flexure and distortion effects on the full length. Gemini's large aperture is needed to reach very faint surface brightnesses (at radii larger than 1.5 x the effective radius). The image quality is not critical.
Target(s):	Nearby E or S0 galaxy
	Object	RA (J2000)	Dec (J2000)
	NGC1132	02:52:51.8	-01:16:27.5
	NGC4406	12:26:11.7	12:56:46
Observing condition constraints:	image quality: Any sky transparency (clouds): 50%-ile, 70%-ile sky transparency (water vapour): Any sky background: 50%-ile max air mass: 1.5
Instrument configuration:	Longslit: B600, central wavelength=600nm, 0.75" slit, CCD binned 4x2
Observing time requirements:	Longslit: 8x30min
SV team member(s) responsible for assessment:	Inger Jørgensen

Last update October 12, 2001; Inger Jørgensen