Populate the table using either Microsoft Excel or the freeware OpenOffice package. Insert further table rows if required.
Copy/paste or encapsulate the table into the submission package between the science justification/technical management section and the PI's biography.
Rename the Excel spreadsheet according to the format propid-PIname.xls, where propid is the proposal ID number assigned to the proposal by NSPIRES at the time of submission and PIname is the surname of the PI. An example would be 09-KEPLER09-0097-SMITH.xls
Attach the renamed spreadsheet to an email and send it to the
.
Kepler has great flexibility in target scheduling. Long
cadence (30-minute) targets must be observed for at least 93
consecutive days (one quarter, between spacecraft rolls) and for as long
as a whole year in a given GO cycle. A target can be swapped out for
different target on a quarterly basis. Short cadence (1-minute)
targets must be observed for at least 31 consecutive days and as long
as a whole year in a given GO cycle. They can be swapped out for
different targets on a monthly basis. Target uploads for both long and
short cadence occur on a quarterly basis, during the
spacecraft rolls that reorient the solar panels.
The target table provides all the information needed by the
Kepler Science Office to incorporate GO sources within the
observing list. Table fields are described below with an example.
ATTRIBUTE
DESCRIPTION
Object
The Kepler Input Catalog (KIC) ID number. This attribute can be determined by searching the Kepler target list for on-silicon KIC sources by name or right ascension and declination. If the object is not in the KIC please choose a unique identifier, common name or catalog name for the object, but ensure that all proposed targets reside within the field of view by using the available proposal tools.
RA, Dec
The J2000 Right Ascension and Declination of the center of the desired aperture. Coordinates are not required if the target has a KIC ID. KIC coordinates will override coordinates provided here if a KIC ID is provided. Adhere to sexagesimal format with hours, minutes and seconds separated by a colon.
mkep
The apparent magnitude of the object or feature being measured, as predicted through the Kepler bandpass. The Kepler magnitude can be retrieved from the KIC. Target apertures are calculated by the Kepler Science Office based upon this magnitude. If an object does not have a KIC ID then the Kepler magnitude can be estimated using approximate color relations. In cases where large magnitude variations are predicted, list the maximum expected magnitude and give the expected amplitude in the comments field so that reviewers are aware of the dimmest and brightest range of expected magnitudes. If the provided magnitudes are measured limits, indicate this within the comments. If a region of an extended object is what is being measured then the expected magnitude integrated within the specified aperture is the magnitude that should be listed here.
On-source monitoring
Specifies the cadence rate (1-minute or 30-minutes) during the respective quarters (each quarter=93 days) and 31-day increments within a quarter (Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, Q2-4, etc) over which the target should be monitored. Long cadence targets may be monitored in quarterly units of time only; short cadence targets may be monitored in monthly (31-day) units of time. A '30' should always appear three consecutive times within a given quarter, in the table. A '1' can appear once, twice or three times within a quarter. A '0' (zero) should be listed for time increments in which no monitoring is intended.
Flag
The AVAILABILITY FLAG attribute from the Kepler Target Search Form at MAST. This will be an integer number from 0 to 2. A non-zero flag indicates that the target has been observed by the Kepler photometer and can be found in the Kepler Target Catalog (KTC). AVAILABILITY FLAG = 2 means that the target is protected by the Kepler Science Team for its exoplanet survey and is not available to Guest Observers. AVAILABILITY FLAG = 1 means that the target has been observed previously but is not restricted to or protected by the Kepler Science Team. The target may be observed again by Guest Observers with scientific justification. AVAILABILITY FLAG = 0 or a blank entry indicates that the object has not been observed previoiusly by Kepler. Note that the AVAILABILITY FLAG is not the same attribute as the FOV FLAG contained within the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC).
Comment
A brief description of non-standard table entries e.g. non-KIC sources, sources with finite availability flag values, extended sources or custom apertures. All comments should be expanded upon within the text of the science justification and technical management section of the proposal.
If you have a question about the Kepler GO program, please contact us via the
address.
