We are pleased to announce the availability of Director Discretionary Time (DDT) at the 10.4m GTC facility (GTC-DDT), which includes up to 10 nights per semester. To be eligible for GTC-DDT time, a proposal must pursue exceptional and high impact scientific goals and fall within one of the following categories:
- be an unforeseen phenomenon of particular importance requiring quick response;
- be the follow-up of recent ground-based or space observations, where urgent action might provide break-through results;
- be a high risk, high gain proposal. It is considered as an element of risk to request a limited amount of telescope time to test the feasibility of a potentially important program.
Members of any research centre of the GTC community (Spain, Mexico, and the University of Florida) can apply for GTC-DDT time. Proposers should provide a very clear justification why the program should be considered for the GTC-DDT scheme and is not suitable for submission to the corresponding TAC at the standard deadlines. The amount of time that can be requested by a single proposal is generally limited to a small number of hours. More time-expensive proposals should deal with exceptional science.
GTC-DDT proposals can be submitted at any time, using the corresponding form. Scientific appraisal will be done in the shortest possible time (typically 1-2 week) by a committee coordinated by the IAC Director (it includes CAT members and international experts in the field of research of the proposal). Technical assessment will be done by the GTC staff. GTC-DDT proposals can be carried out in service or visitor mode, although service (queue) mode is preferred. The list of the accepted GTC-DDT proposals will be made public, and is shown at the end of this page.
Within two months following the completion of observations, the Principal Investigator (PI) of an executed GTC-DDT program must submit a report on the achieved science and data publication plan to the Spanish CAT (catiac [at] iac.es). There is a limit of up to two GTC-DDT proposals that can be “open/active” per PI. Approved GTC-DDT proposals will be “closed” once the CAT receives and accepts this report.
Proprietary period for GTC-DDT raw observations is 12 months. The Principal Investigator of a GTC-DDT project will be asked to to put the reduced data into the GTC archive.
Any publications originating from GTC-DDT shall include a text of acknowledgement of the kind: “Based on observations made with the GTC telescope, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, under Director’s Discretionary Time”.
Accepted GTC DDT proposals since August 2014, in reverse chronological order.
| Code | Title | PI | Time allocated (h) | Publications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTC2022-194 |
Probing the ionised nuclear outflow in M81 |
Rubén García Benito |
1.8 h, Megara |
|
|
GTC quick follow-up observations for rapidly evolving transients discovered with Subaru |
Josefa Becerra |
10 h (kilonovas in 2023) 5 h (SNs, not executed) |
||
|
GTC2022-193 |
NIR spectroscopy of the HST z-11 galaxy GN-z11 |
Francisco Garzón |
5 h, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2022-190 |
Coordinated GTC and HST+Chandra Observations of the most energetic GRB ever observed |
Rubén Sánchez-Ramírez |
2 h, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2021-184 |
Near-infrared spectroscopy of the new young eruptive star candidate Gaia 20fgx |
David García-Álvarez |
4 h, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2021-182 |
Follow-up spectroscopy of the first detached, double eclipsing and double degenerate system inside a planetary nebula |
David Jones |
2 h, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2021-181 |
Unveiling the mode switching mechanism in PSR J1023+0038 with fast time-resolved optical spectroscopy |
Francesco Coti Zelati |
1.2 h, OSIRIS
|
|
|
GTC2021-180 |
Unveiling the inert Oort Cloud: recovering Atacama Cosmology Telescope candidates with GTC/OSIRIS |
R. de la Fuente Marcos |
0.5 h, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2021-177 |
Spectral characterization of the VHE gamma-ray blazer PKS 1424+240 during a historical minimum |
Josefa Becerra González |
0.75, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2021-176 |
Investigating the origin of the BLR in the changing look AGN 1ES 1927+654 |
Josefa Becerra González |
0.7, OSIRIS |
Laha et al. (2022, submitted) |
|
GTC2021-174 |
Confirming the nature of the most-metal poor structure of the Galaxy |
Jonay I. González Hernández |
5, OSIRIS |
Martin et al. (2022, Nature, 601, 45) |
|
GTC2021-172 |
The pyhicial properties of a very nearby type-Ia SN: the case of SN 20215 |
Francisco Prada |
2.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-169 |
The nature of the rare transient ZTF20acifmwn: another GW electromagnetic counterpart? |
Alberto J. Castro-Tirado |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-168 |
A good one for the Webb? Possible solid-state emission from the extreme debris disk around TYC 4209-1322 1 |
Miguel Chávez Dagostino |
3, CanariCam |
not executed due to the low visibility window |
|
GTC2020-167 |
Confirmation of the most metal-poor globular cluster known |
M. Beasley |
3, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-164 |
Dark matter-less ultra-diffuse galaxies – an independent distance from the PNLF |
J. Alfonso L. Aguerri |
5.4, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-166 |
Temperature and binary of the nearest extreme metal-poor brown dwarf |
Nicolas Lodieu |
3, CanariCam |
not executed due to the low visibility window |
|
GTC2020-163 |
Characterisation of the nearest and brith extreme T subdwarf |
Nicolas Lodieu |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-162 |
Confirming the host galaxy of the nearest repeating fast radio burst with the GTC |
Aida Kirichenko |
1.9, OSIRIS-MOS |
Bhardwaj et al. (2021, ApJL, 919, 24) |
|
GTC2020-160 |
The role of magnetic fields in the shaping of mass outflow from evolved stars: disentangling emission and absorption dust emission |
Laurence Sabin |
2, CanariCam |
|
|
GTC2020-159 |
Spectroscopic confirmation of the first northern Blue Large-Amplitude Pulsator |
Paul R. McWhirter |
1.8, OSIRIS |
McWhirter & Lam (2022, MNRAS, 511, 4971) |
|
GTC2020-156 |
First detection of the HR8799 exoplanets in the mid-IR |
Víctor J. S. Béjar |
1, CanariCAM (only tech experiment) |
Not executed. |
|
GTC2020-158 |
Simultaneous GTC – HST (and XMM-Newton) observations of the most massive high mass X-ray binary |
José M. Torrejón |
2, MEGARA |
|
|
GTC2020-161 |
Optical spectroscopy of the first extreme T subdwarf |
Nicolas Lodieu |
1.75, OSIRIS |
Lodieu et al. (2022, submitted) |
|
GTC2020-154 |
Spectroscopy of the SN associated with GTV200613A |
Antonio de Ugarte Postigo |
1.6, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-153 |
The first low-mass black hole |
Jorge Casares |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2020-151 |
Continuous transit spectroscopy of HD189733 using MEGARA |
Carlos del Burgo |
1, MEGARA (only tech experiment) |
|
|
GTC2020-149 |
Identification of the first Gamma-ray Emitting BL Lac Object at the Cosmic Dawn |
Alberto Domínguez |
3.3, EMIR |
Paliya et al. 2020, ApJL, 903, L8 |
|
GTC2020-150 |
Identification of the first Gamma-ray Emitting BL Lac Object at the Cosmic Dawn |
Alberto Domínguez |
2.3, OSIRIS |
Paliya et al. 2020, ApJL, 903, L8 |
|
GTC2020-144 |
A GTC view of an unusual white dwarf eclipsing system |
Roi Alonso |
1.4, OSIRIS, 0.7, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2020-142 |
Characterizing the new X-ray transient Swift J0840.7-3516 |
Francesco Coti Zelati |
1.5, OSIRIS |
Coti Zelati et al. (2021, A&A, in press) |
|
GTC2020-141 |
Spectroscopic redshift determination of the candidate neutrino emitting blazer BZB J0955+3551 |
Alberto Domínguez |
2.3, OSIRIS |
Paliya et al. 2020, ApJ, 902, 29 |
|
GTC2019-139 |
The DO Tauri mocrijet and the new ringed pole-on outflow revealed by ALMA |
R. López |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2019-137 |
Inspecting the NIR spectral behaviour of the superluminous supernova SN2019neq |
Antonia Molares-Garoffolo |
1, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2019-134 + GTC2019-135 |
GRB 190829A |
David Alexander Kann + Alberto J. Castro Tirado |
6, OSIRIS |
de Ugarte Postigo et al. (2019, GCN, 25677, 1) |
|
GTC2019-133 |
Probing plasma acceleration zones in the inner jets of X-ray binaries |
Tariq Shabaz |
2, HIPERCAM |
|
|
GTC2019-128 |
NGC1052-DF4: a galaxy without dark matter? |
Ignacio Trujillo |
3.2, HIPERCAM |
Montes et al. (2020, ApJ, in press) |
|
GTC2019-130 |
Revealing a new type of supernova explosion via late-time nebular GTC spectroscopy” |
Avishay Gal-Yam |
3.4, OSIRIS |
Gal-Yam et al. (2021, Nature, 601, 201) |
|
GTC2019-129 |
Late-time spectroscopy of the faint Type Iax SN 2019gsc |
Nancy Elías de la Rosa |
2, OSIRIS |
Tomasella et al. (2020, MNRAS, in press) |
|
GTC2019-127 |
The unprecedented AT 2018hso: An Intermediate Luminous Red Transient or a Luminous Red Nova? |
Antonia Morales-Garoffolo |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2019-124 |
The unprecedented double-peaked type Ic supernova 2019cad |
Nancy Elias de la Rosa |
2, OSIRIS |
Gutiérrez et al. (2021, MNRAS, in press) |
|
GTC2019-126 |
Spectroscopy of the extraordinarily bright optical afterglow of GTB 190530A |
Alberto Castro Tirado |
0.6, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2019-123 |
Characterizing the Foreground Lens Amplifying a Bright Herschel Galaxy at z=2.95 |
Helmut Dannerbauer |
1.25, HiPERCAM |
Berta et al. 2020, A&A, in press |
|
GTC2019-121 |
The mysterious, possible radio counterpart to a short GTB |
Teo Muñoz Darias |
0.5, HiPERCAM |
|
|
GTC2019-119 |
Improving the orbit of 2019 DS1, one of the most dangerous asteroid known so far |
Javier Licandro |
1.5, OSIRIS |
M.P.E.C. 2019-J02 Issued 2019 May 1, 13:50 UT |
|
GTC2019-118 |
GRB1904204.29 OT discovered by MASTER |
Lipunov Vladimir |
0.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2019-114 |
Characterizing the foreground lens amplifying a bright Herschel galaxy at z=2.95 |
Helmut Dannerbauer |
10 min, OSIRIS |
Berta et al. 2020, A&A, in press |
|
GTC2019-113 |
The nature of intermediate-luminosity red transits as revealed at near-IR wavelengths |
Luca Izzo |
2, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2019-111 |
Search for atmosphere and rings around the big TNO Quaoar using a stellar occultation and HiPERCAM |
José Luis Ortiz |
0.3, HiPERCAM |
|
|
GTC2019-110 |
AT2019abn-A possible luminous red nova in M51 |
David Jones |
3, OSIRIS |
Williams et al. (2020, A&A, 637, A20) |
|
GTC2018-106 |
Optical characterization of the young planetary-mass wide companion 2MASS J0249-0557c |
Patricia Chinchilla |
2, OSIRIS |
Chinchilla et al. 2020, A&A, in press |
|
GTC2018-108 |
Diffuse gas of cosmological origin around the galaxy UM 260 |
Jorge Sánchez Almeida |
4, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2018-107 |
Probing a new “Einstein Cross” gravitational lens |
Riccardo Scarpa |
2.5, OSIRIS |
Bettoni et al. (2019, ApJ, 873, L14) |
|
GTC2018-105 |
Halpha imaging of the nebular region surrounding an ultra compact X-ray binary candidate |
Montserrat Armas Padilla |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2018-104 |
Probing plasma acceleration zones in the inner jets of X-ray binaries |
Tariq Shahbaz |
1, HiPERCAM |
|
|
GTC2018-103 |
3D-view of the unique gamma-ray Sy1/Sy2 merging system TXS 2116-07 |
Francisco Prada |
3.3, MEGARA |
Paliya et al. (2020, ApJ, 892, N.2) |
|
GTC2018-102 |
Witnessing the birth of a blazar |
Francisco Prada |
2.3, OSIRIS |
Paliya et al. (2020, ApJ, 892, N.2) |
|
GTC2018-101 |
Deciphering the distance to the only VHE gamma-ray blazar shinning though the galactic plane |
Josefa Becerra González |
1.5, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2018-100 |
Spectroscopic confirmation of the brightest and intrinsically most luminous eBOSS-selected lensed Lyman alpha emitter at z = 2-3 |
Ismael Pérez Forunón |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2018-099 |
Investigating the host galaxy from the newly discovered extreme gamma-ray blazar PGC2402248 |
Josefa Becerra |
0.25, OSIRIS |
Becerra González et al. (2020, MNRAS, 494, 6036) |
|
GTC2018-098 |
The most metal-rich Damped Lyman-alpha Absorber at z> 3. |
Stefan Geier |
2, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2018-096 |
Spectral properties ofthe 2nd known interstellar visitor A/2018 F4 (Pan-STARRS) |
Javier Licandro |
1.5, OSIRIS |
A&A |
|
GTC2018-095 |
HiPERCAM observations of an X-ray binary in outburst |
Tariq Shahbaz |
3, HiPERCAM |
|
|
GTC2018-094 |
Confirming the presence of water in the atmosphere of a unique super Neptune |
Guo Chen |
6, OSIRIS |
Bad weather |
|
GTC2018-093 |
Deep GTC observations of a z=5.9 GRB field and its line of sight |
Alberto Fernández Soto |
5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2017-092 |
Detection of an ultra-diffuse galaxy in a low density environment using as prior distance its globular cluster sstem. Spectroscopic confirmation |
Javier Román |
3, OSIRIS |
Román et al. (2019, MNRAS, 486, 823) |
|
GTC2017-091 |
Accurate determination of the orbital parameters, shape, mass and density of NASA’sLucys mission target: the Patroclus-Menoetius system. |
Javier Licandro |
3, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2017-089 |
Testing a new strategy to unveil quiescent Black Holes |
Jorge Casares |
2.25, OSIRIS |
Casares & Torres (2018, MNRAS, 481, 4372) |
|
GTC2017-087 |
Chasing the redshift of QSO J0509+0541, the first cosmic neutrino source |
Daniel Rosa González |
2.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2017-086 |
Tracing the Triton Atmosphere |
Julia de León |
0.5, EMIR |
|
|
GTC2017-083 |
Is Kiso5639 the least metallic galaxy known having CO emission? |
Jorge Sánchez Almeida |
1.2, OSIRIS |
Elmegreen et al. (2018, ApJL, 859, 22) |
|
GTC2017-077 |
Late-time spectrum of a new phase in the evolution of the type IIb SN 2013df |
Antonia Morales-Garoffolo |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2017-074 |
Spectral mapping of dips in the edge-on Black Hole Swift J1357-0933 |
Jorge Casares |
2.5, OSIRIS |
Jiménez-Ibarra et al. (2019, MNRAS, 489, 3420) |
|
GTC2017-073 |
GTC/CIRCE Simultaneous Observations of PSR J1023+0038 with XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, TNG and NOT (and VLA to be confirmed) |
Nanda Rea |
1.5, CIRCE |
|
|
GTC2017-071 |
Fast photometry and spectroscopy of white dwarf eclipses |
Roi Alonso |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2017-070 |
Looking for the true radius of a disappearing planet |
Enric Pallé |
3, OSIRIS |
Colón et al. (2018, AJ, 156, 227) |
|
GTC2017-068 |
Determining the redshift of an ultra-bright NIR-MIR/Planck selected Dusty Starburst Lensed Galaxy |
Anastasio Díaz Sánchez |
2, OSIRIS |
Díaz-Sánchez et al. (2017, ApJL, 843, L22) |
|
GTC2016-064 |
Early Steps of the Milky Way Assembly: Old Stars as Tracers of the Formation and Evolution of the Galactic Halo |
David Sánchez Aguado |
3.6 on-source, OSIRIS |
Aguado et al. 2018, ApJ, 854, L34 |
|
GTC2016-063 |
A new galaxy in the Local Group |
Michael Beasley |
2.5, OSIRIS |
Martínez-Delgado et al. 2018, A&A, in press |
|
GTC2016-062 |
Probing the inner Ooort Cloud population |
Julia de León |
0.5, OSIRIS |
– |
|
GTC2016-061 |
An object of unknown nature in the Stripe82 |
Ignacio Trujillo |
1, OSIRIS (not completed) |
|
|
GTC2016-059 |
A massive globular cluster in the lowest mass galaxy to date |
Michael Beasley |
2, OSIRIS |
in prep. |
|
GTC2016-058 |
GTC/OSIRIS spectroscopy of the lensed type Ia supernova iPTF16geu |
Zach Cano |
4.5, OSIRIS |
Cano et al. (2018, MNRAS, 473, 4257) |
|
GTC2016-057 |
Simultaneous IR and X-ray short-term variability observations of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 using GTC/CIRCE and NuSTAR. |
Josep M. Paredes |
2, CIRCE |
|
|
GTC2016-055 |
Visible spectroscopy of two Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects: 2004 VN112 and 2013 RF98. |
Julia de León |
2.5, OSIRIS |
de León et al. 2017, MNRAS, 467, L66 |
|
GTC2016-054 |
GTC/OSIRIS spectroscopy of a bright, unique, strongly lensed Lyman alpha emitting galaxy at z=2.825. |
Rui Marques-Chaves |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2016-053 |
Unconvering the host galaxy of a bright gamma-ray emitting NLSy1 nucleus. |
José Acosta-Pulido |
1, CIRCE |
|
|
GTC2016-052 |
GTC/CIRCE simultaneous observations of Sgr A* flares with Spitzer and Chandra. |
Stephen Eikenberry |
4, CIRCE |
|
|
GTC2016-051 |
The nature of dark matter probed by a once in a lifetime event: observing a single B star at z=1.5 magnitied thousands/millions of time by the MACS1149 Hubble Frontier Field cluster. |
Pablo G. Pérez-González |
8, OSIRIS (only 6 were executed) |
|
|
GTC2016-049 |
Spectroscopic exploration of the most extreme evolved planetary system |
Pablo Rodríguez-Gil |
2.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2016-046 |
Completing the near-infrared characterization of the nearest and coldest free-floating exoplanet. |
Nicolas Lodieu |
5, CIRCE (not completed) |
– |
|
GTC2016-045 |
Discovery of a lensed SNIa at z=2.2 to measure the equation of state of dark energy at z=2.2. Kight curve in Ks. |
Pilar Ruiz Lapuente |
1, CIRCE |
|
|
GTC2016-044 |
Early steps of the Milky Way: Old stars as tracers of the formation and evolution of the Galactic halo. |
David Sánchez Aguado |
2.5 on-source, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2016-042 |
A test to confirm or disprove the detection with GTC of the most spectacular example to date of a giant quasar outflow |
Montserrat Villar Martín |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
– |
Is J033644-205849 the most high-redshifted radio galaxy? |
R. Herrero-Illana |
1 |
|
|
GTC2015-039 |
Spectrophotometry of disintegrating planetesimals around a white dwarf |
Roi Alonso |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-038 |
Spectroscopic confirmation of a newly discovered optical Einstein ring in the Sculptor constellation |
Margherita Bettinelli |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-033 |
Measuring the mass of the fastest known accreting millisecond pulsar to constrain the neutron star equation of state and the behavior of matter at the highest possible density |
Alessandro Papitto |
1, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-032 |
First imaging of the elusive, cold, metal-rich gas at the origin of the abundance discrepancy problem in planetary nebulae |
Jorge García Rojas |
1.2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-031 |
Searching for light echoes of the 2015 outburst in the black hole binary V404 Cyg |
Jorge Casares |
2, CanariCam |
|
|
GTC2015-030 |
Mapping mass outflows during the 2015 outburst of the black hole V404 Cyg |
Teo Muñoz Darias |
5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-028 |
Dark matter in the most diffuse galaxies |
Michael Beasley |
4.2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-026 |
Confirmation and details of a micro-quasar in M81 with approaching/receding jets at c~0.15 |
Jifeng Liu |
3, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-023 |
Searching for missing links between galaxies and dark halosq |
Giuseppina Battaglia |
3, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2015-020 |
Detailed spectroscopic monitoring of a bright M31 nova |
Peter Pessev |
0.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2014-015 |
Monitoring of a Great Storm in Uranus |
Ricardo Hueso Alonso |
2, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2014-014/16 |
A search for cosmic accretion on the periphery of local spiral galaxies |
Johan Knapen |
1.7, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2014-013 |
Discovering new gravitationally lensed quasars from the Pan-STARRS1 survey |
Luis J. Goicoechea |
1.25, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2014-012 |
Proving s record massive neutron star in the millisecond pulsar PSR J2214+5135 |
Jorge Casares |
4.5, OSIRIS |
|
|
GTC2014-011 |
CanariCam observations of Type Ia SN 2014J |
Charles Telesco |
1, CanariCam |
|
|
GTC2014-010 |
Imaging and spectra of a Great Storm on Uranus |
Ricardo Hueso Alonso |
3.7, OSIRIS |
|