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How & when to use the ROC |
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How to use the Spitzer Reserved Observations Catalog (ROC)Remember, the ROC is a dynamic list, consisting of the set of planned and executed Spitzer observations.Both Spot and Leopard can search the ROC. Leopard provides more flexibility and is the preferred tool, but Spot is what you use for observation planning, so quick checks for a given target/mode can be done easily via Spot.
Example 1: Has someone already planned an observation of X?Search for targets in the ROC using Leopard.Leopard is available for download as part of Spitzer Pride, and there is also a User's Guide. Once you have Leopard running, select "By Position" from the "Query" menu or type Ctrl+U. There you can enter the name of the target and any additional info, resolve the coordinates of the target using NED or SIMBAD, and click "OK". A list of AORs queried from the archive will then be loaded into the Leopard window, and you will be able to see the status of the observation, the date the data was released into the archive, and the date the observation was scheduled. You will be able to download the data if it is not proprietary. Note that the AOR Status field value of "available" means "available for scheduling," not "the data are available." If the data have been observed and released into the archive, the status is "nominal." If the data are publicly accessible, then Leopard will show you the wavelengths of data that are available for download. The list of the full program titles and principal investigators can be useful if you want to search by topic or PI; also a simple search on our site will turn up hits from the entire set of abstracts that are online. Leopard can also bring up a list of PIs.
Example 2: Downloading programs into Spot, part 1: how to do itYou can view all of the approved programs via Spot or Leopard, but to view all of the contents of a specific program, you need to know the program name or number. These are both provided via a Leopard or Spot search. To load a program in Spot, choose "View Program" from the File menu and enter the corresponding name or number. Or, in Leopard, search by program and enter the program number.If you want to find all of the Legacy AORs, see the Legacy Science page to get the P.I. All of the FLS AORs are listed under P.I. Soifer (because the FLS is Director's Discretionary Time). The GTO program abstracts are online, as are the GO program abstracts. Example 3: Downloading programs into Spot, part 2: why you would want to do itThe "download program" feature is incredibly useful for two primary reasons. (1) When learning how to use Spitzer, it is useful to see what options other investigators chose. Using the online abstracts, you might find a program similar to your planned observations, and you can then see if their AOT options will work for your purposes. (2) Some of the maps can be quite big, and the date on which it was observed (or the range of dates in which it might be observed) can be important. To see if your target is already observed, Leopard (or Spot) will return a range of possible hits; Leopard can also easily visualize the AORs for the specific date and time on which it was observed (if it has been observed). You should load and examine programs (using either Spot or Leopard) for nearby targets and see if the existing map covers the region you want.When to use the ROCThe ROC should be used to determine if any observations you are planning to do with Spitzer are in conflict with those already reserved by any of our approved programs. In general the SSC will not allow a duplication of observations listed in the ROC. Refer to the Spitzer Observing Rule #2 for details on what constitutes a candidate for duplication of observations.
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