Workshop Overview

In the “Gemini 2008 User Survey”, it was suggested that the process of data reduction was a bottleneck in the production of publications from Gemini data. All other user surveys pointed in the same direction. The importance of providing training in the processes involved in the reduction of data obtained by the Gemini telescopes is thus a consensus among users.

In order to improve and facilitate the data reduction processes among the Gemini users, the National Gemini Offices (NGOs) of Brazil , Argentina , and Chile , with the support of the Gemini Observatory, are pleased to announce the  South American Gemini Data Workshop to be held in São José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, Brazil from 27-30 October 2011. The goal of this workshop is to promote training in the reduction of data obtained with the Gemini instruments.

The workshop is open to any interested astronomer, but is targeted more specifically to Gemini users of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

Program

The instruments covered in this workshop will be GMOS, NIFS, and GNIRS. There will also be an introductory training on the use of instruments that are currently being commissioned at Gemini South: FLAMINGOS-2 (Near-Infrared wide field imager and multi-object spectrometer) and GSAOI (Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager), with the goal of stimulating their use by the Gemini community.

The lectures will be under the responsibility of the Gemini astronomers, and the monitoring of practical activities will feature the collaboration of members of NGOs and other colleagues with extensive experience in the use of the Gemini telescopes.

For these practical lessons it is necessary that all participants bring their own laptop computers with IRAF Version 2.14.1, the Gemini package Version 1.10 and the associated external packages.

Presentations are not a requirement to attend this meeting, but for those who wish to present their work with Gemini data there will be a limited space for poster display. 

The final program is available here .

Financial Support

For participants affiliated to Brazilian institutions : The INCT-Astrofísica shall provide financial assistance for participants from outside the city of São José dos Campos. Due to the rules of funding agencies, we are not able to support expenses of CNPq Research Fellows - Level 1, graduate fellows of FAPESP, and doctoral fellows of CNPq.

For participants affiliated to Argentinian institutions : We remind to Argentinian participants, that we have money from MinCyt, FCAG-UNLP and Gemini, to use for financial support for the people that required it, once they have filled the inscription form at Registration .
The Argentinian LOC will contact via email all the people that  required the financial support, to ask for additional information and for finally to decide the participants that will be benefited.

For participants affiliated to Chilean institutions : The Chilean Gemini National Office and CONICYT through its Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales, will finance a limited number of interested Chilean astronomers and/or graduate and post-graduate students. Please find more information http://www.conicyt.cl/573/article-38643.html

Gemini will offer partial travel support for students and postdocs from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile that have no other form of financing, upon request and justification.

If you wish to apply for financial support, please select this option in the registration form and include a brief justification. The decision on who will receive financial support will be announced by September 20, 2011 by e-mail.
For undergraduate students of Brazilian institutions it is also required a reference letter from the his/her supervisor. The reference letter has to be sent by e-mail to sagdw(at)lna.br before August 31, 2011.

Scientific and Local Organizing Committee

Alberto Rodríguez Ardila (Brazilian Gemini Office, LNA)
Cassio Barbosa (UNIVAP, Brazil)
Cecilia Fariña (Argentinian Gemini Office, FCAG-UNLP)
Favio Faifer (Argentinian Gemini Office, FCAG-UNLP)
Guillermo Gunthardt (OAC, UNC, Argentina)
Jorge Meléndez (IAG/USP, Brazil)
Jose Gallardo (Chilean Gemini Office, Chile)
Marília Sartori (Brazilian Gemini Office, LNA)
Monica Oddone (OAC, UNC, Argentina)
Rogério Riffel (UFRGS, Brazil)
Thaisa Storchi-Bergmann (UFRGS, Brazil)
Wagner Corradi (UFMG, Brazil)

Contact e-mail: sagdw(at)lna.br