Proposals for non-GRB Swift observations fall into three categories:
Each type has their own specific restrictions - see the sections in this FAQ on each for further details. In addition, there are limits on monitoring proposals and limits on the length of an observation.
Yes, you can submit as many proposals (observing or funding only) as you would like.
No. Swift does not perform proprietary observations. All observations will be publically available immediately. Non-GRB proposers are eligible for funds to help analyze the observations they propose.
Not during Phase 1. Both the scientific/technical proposal submission will be through ARK/RPS for Swift Cycle 20 Phase 1, including cover page, general form, target forms, and upload of proposal text. Successful Phase 1 proposers will then be told where to submit budget proposals for review in Phase 2. For more info on submitting proposals, see our Swift Cycle 20 GI page.
No. A proposal must be either ToO or non-ToO; it cannot be both. If you wish to perform both non-ToO and ToO observations of the same source, you must submit two separate proposals. Please make sure the proposals have different titles, so they can be easily distinguished (e.g., "ToO observations of SRC-XYZ" and "non-ToO observations of SRC-XYZ") Also, if the proposals should be reviewed together (e.g., if you will trigger the ToO based on results from the non-ToO), then please state in your abstract that one proposal is the companion to the other, and specify the title of the other proposal. We will use that information to make sure they are reviewed by the same panel.
No. A proposal for observation must be one of three types: ToO, non-ToO, or Fill-in. Targets in a proposal must all be of the given type. The ARK/RPS cover page form requires you to select one of these proposal types, and your targets will then be considered in that category.
Monitoring programs are defined as programs requiring two or more observations (or "visits", where each "visit" is a scheduled observation of a particular target) to the same object. No more than 2,000 visits will be accepted in Cycle 20 (total for all proposal categories). Please note the restrictions on the observations lengths and time windows below.
Requested observing time is limited to between 1 ks (minimum) and 40 ks (maximum) per observation. The total time requested for the source may consist of several observations. Use the "Number of Observations" field on the ARK/RPS form to state how many observations, and put the total time (ie., adding up all observations) in the target form. Don't worry if you don't want the total time divided evenly among the observations. For example, suppose you want the first observation of your source to be 40 ks, and 3 later observations of 5 ks each. On the ARK/RPS target form, you would put "num_obs" as 4 (4 total observations); "Total Observation Time" as 55 ksec (40+5+5+5); and in the "Remarks" section, you would put "First observation should be 40 ks, followed by 3 observations of 5 ks each." If the observations are to be constrained by time, phase, or other criteria, fill out the Constraints section of the form. Then, in the scientific justification, you should explain why this observing strategy is necessary for your science.
Also note that a single observation will most likely be broken up over several orbits, and involve multiple pointings, in order to accommodate Swift's schedule. Proposers should not assume continous, uninterrupted viewing of their targets for any observation longer than 2 ksec.
Time-constrained observations are defined as observations that have to be performed within a certain time window. These can be ToOs or non-ToOs, either monitoring or non-monitoring observations, but not Fill-in observations. These include phase-constrained proposals, coordinated observing campaigns with ground- or pace-based facilities, etc. Time-constrained observations are subject to the following limits:
For coordinated and constrained observations, it is the proposer's responsibility to inform the Swift Science Operations Team of the observing time window at least one week before observations commence.