  The arrival of the Keck Planet Finder (KPF) in 2022 represents a major
advance in the precision radial velocity (PRV) capabilities of the W. M. Keck
Observatory. In preparation for KPF science, our committee of PRV experts and
WMKO staff studied the current implementation of cadence observing at Keck and
other PRV facilities. We find that many of KPF's major science cases are not
feasible through Keck's standard allocations of full or half nights to
individual PIs. Pooling time among several PIs as is currently done by the
California Planet Search (CPS) collaboration with HIRES results in lower
quality science results than is possible when KPF is available at higher
observational cadence. This strategy also creates barriers to entry,
particularly for researchers wishing to lead small proposals.
  This report makes recommendations for optimizing PRV cadence at Keck subject
to the following constraints: preservation of clear boundaries between cadence
observations and classically scheduled time; and ensuring fairness and
scientific independence of different Keck TACs and different KPF PIs. We
recommend establishing a new category of Keck time allocation, "KPF Community
Cadence" (KPF-CC). In many ways, KPF-CC will formalize observing strategies
provided by CPS, but with higher observational cadence appropriate for KPF
science and with universal access to the program for all Keck users. We
recommend that KPF-CC time be scheduled classically into blocks as small as a
quarter night subject to considerations of bright/dark time, variations in
proposal pressure with the seasons, and the needs of non-KPF observing
programs. Within KPF-CC time, the Keck Observing Assistants would execute
observations generated by a dynamic scheduler. We recommend that Keck staff and
a board of PRV experts design and maintain the scheduling software.
