We will be meeting at Stanford to discuss science with Boombox, an upcoming low-resolution companion spectrograph on the Via survey. This is an open meeting for anyone who is interested to discuss a range of low-resolution spectroscopic science cases and how we can best implement them on a new spectrograph. The meeting will focus on both exploring and solidifying Boombox science cases, along with high-level discussions of simulating and scheduling these different goals. You can expect discussions of transients, dwarf galaxies, asteroids, and more. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form. 

Boombox is a low-resolution spectrograph that works alongside the ViaSpec instrument, using 36 dedicated fibers in Via’s focal plane. Via is planning to be on-sky 150 nights per year on both MMT in the North and the Magellan telescopes in the South. Boombox will be used to study transients, their host galaxies, and other faint targets like metal-poor stars and dwarf galaxies. Its two-channel design covers wavelengths from 355 to 1010 nm, delivering R~1000 spectra with peak throughput over 40% and a limiting magnitude of G ≈ 23.9 at the Magellan Clay telescope. Boombox observations occur in two modes 1) during Via operations taking spectroscopy of objects in Via fields and 2) as Target of Opportunity interrupts to survey operations. 

The meeting will take place at Stanford/SLAC with more details to come. 

Hotel: there is a room hold for Sunday through Wednesday at the Stanford/SLAC guest house. To reserve, guests will need to use the following group code: BOOM. Guests can reserve online at guesthouse.stanford.edu, or by contacting our front desk for assistance at 650-926-2800