First you need a user account, which requires your name, institution, contact information, and accepting a user agreement that you will only submit real sources.
The site to set up a user account is here.
Then login and proceed to Submit a ToO Request. The request form is composed of multiple pages that depend somewhat on previous answers (UVOT modes, monitoring). Below are those pages so that you know what will be asked before you start. Farther below that are the instructions one would see after logging in but before submitting a new ToO request.
Welcome to the Swift Explorer Target of Opportunity Web Site.
Response Priorities:
- A "Highest Urgency" ToO will immediately page the Swift PI and Science Operations team, even in the middle of the night.
- "High Urgency" ToO requests will page the PI and Science Operations team immediately during working hours.
- "Medium Urgency" requests will be handled during daylight hours.
- "Low Urgency" requests will be handled at the daily planning meeting which is 9-10am Eastern Time (USA) M-F.
Please avoid using the Highest Urgency unless absolutely essential, for example
- Galactic or local-group supernova
- High-probability gravitational wave event
- High-probability neutrino event
- Highly exceptional GRB or SGR
Normal Planning Timeline: Below is the typical schedule for producing and submitting the observing schedules. Please give a few extra days for submitting ToOs around the holidays.
| Day of the Week | Submit the Schedule for* | Create the Schedule for | |||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | |||
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | |||
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday & Saturday | |||
| Thursday | Friday & Saturday | Sunday & Monday | |||
| Friday | Sunday & Monday | Tuesday | |||
All times are in Eastern Time (USA).
*Schedules are submitted in the mornings. | |||||
GI Cycle: As of April 1st, 2012, Swift Cycle 7 (AO7) is officially closed. GI ToO programs from AO7 and earlier can no longer be triggered. We are currently accepting triggers of accepted Swift Cycle 8 (AO8) ToO programs.
Pre-approved ToOs: ToO requests satisfying the trigger criteria for programs approved through the Swift GI program must be identified by filling in the proposal number at the bottom of the ToO Request page. This is necessary to trigger funding of your proposal.
GRBs: ToO requests may be made to follow up Gamma Ray Bursts detected by other satellites. We do receive the GCN notices of such events, but appreciate knowing of special circumstances for which immediate Swift followup is desirable.
Tiled Observations: Swift's tiling capabilities are aimed at quickly localizing astrophysical transients, such as GRBs and other transients, with positional error circles that cannot be covered by a single XRT 23.6 arc-min diameter field of view. More information on our tiling capabilities can be found here.
ToO Evaluation Criteria (revised October 3rd, 2011):
ToOs are approved by the Swift PI using the evaluation criteria listed below.
- Does not impair Swift's capability for GRB detection and follow up.
- Requires fast turn-around observations (one day to one month).
- Produces high impact science (publication to follow).
- Makes good use of Swift data, i.e. Swift data are a major component of the results.
- Requires unique Swift capabilities (response time or UV).
- Makes use of more than one instrument.
- Constraints: The Swift spacecraft can point anywhere in the sky except within 46 degrees of the Sun, 21 degrees of the moon, and 6 degrees of the orbit pole, which precesses slowly. To check target visibility, please use the HEASARC or UKSSDC target visibility calculators.
- Anti-Sun Pointing: ToO targets located between 8 and 4 hours in RA from the Sun are much less likely to be accepted. ToO targets in this range may be accepted for scientifically compelling reasons, but are scheduled for limited exposure times of typically <4 ks per day (with 2 ks per day a standard value). The purpose of this restriction for ToOs is to keep the observatory pointing as much as possible toward the night sky to optimize ground-based follow-up observations of GRBs.
- Requestors that have a high and rapid publication rate (ATELs and papers) will be given extra consideration.
Registration: Anyone may request a Target of Opportunity. Requestors are asked to complete a New User Account Form for informational purposes and to simplify entry of future requests. Completion of the ToO Request Form requires a basic understanding of astrophysical sources and the capabilities of Swift's instruments. Information on the latter is available from the links for the XRT, UVOT and BAT. If you are uncertain of the nature of a celestial phenomenon you have witnessed, please contact your local astronomical society or one of the many astronomical publications for assistance in determining if a Swift ToO should be requested. Contact information is provided by Sky & Telescope and other publishers on their Web sites.
Submitting ToO Request: Requests are relatively simple to complete. Swift's Burst Alert Telescope selects observing modes autonomously. The X-ray Telescope normally selects observing modes autonomously, but a specific observing mode (either WT or PC) can be requested in the "Science Justification" section if required. The UV-Optical Telescope uses pre-defined observing sequences. You may request specific UVOT filters and modes, subject to a safety check, or leave the selection to the Science Operations Team. Unless otherwise specified, UVOT observations will be performed using the "Filter of the Day" (either U band or one of the 3 UV filters). Special UVOT filter requests can by made in the text box titled "UVOT Filter Justification."
After you submit your request, you will receive an automated acknowledgement within a few minutes, followed by our evaluation and observation plan within one business day (24 hours for time-critical observations).
You must submit (a) a scientific justification and (b) feasibility justification in the text box titled "Science Justification" to facilitate evaluation of your request. Clear statements about (a) the result(s) to come from this observation, and (b) a numerical calculation about the feasibility must be given (countrate * obs_time yields the significance needed to achieve the result). For coordinated observations, (a) click that button in the "Requested Observations" section and (b) include the date/time windows of observation in the "Science Justification" section. This justification can include links to figures if they are essential to support your request. Science justifications can be viewed only by the Swift PI and operations team - they are not made publicly available.
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