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uc:uc20220405_april_5_2022 [2022/04/13 15:51]
nchanove |
uc:uc20220405_april_5_2022 [2022/04/13 16:38] (current)
nchanove |
| * Georgia State - nothing to report (by email) | * Georgia State - nothing to report (by email) |
| * FGCU - no report | * FGCU - no report |
| * NMSU - MP received a comment from a KOSMOS user re: the internal flat lamps; they are in favor of decreasing the lamp brightness to reduce saturation in the flats. Russet reported that we tried to make the lamps fainter but puzzlingly the flats got brighter in the red. We are still thinking about how to address this issue (also see KOSMOS discussion below). | * NMSU - MP received a comment from a KOSMOS user re: the internal flat lamps; they are in favor of decreasing the lamp brightness to reduce saturation in the flats. Russet reported that we tried to make the lamps fainter but puzzlingly the flats got brighter in the red. We are still thinking about how to address this issue (see KOSMOS discussion below). |
| * Colorado - nothing to report | * Colorado - nothing to report |
| * BYU - nothing to report | * BYU - nothing to report |
| === Additional telescope and instrument discussion === | === Additional telescope and instrument discussion === |
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| We are still working to understand the unexplained motion of the secondary mirror, which has been happening occasionally (roughly once a month) since December. Now we have diagnosed this anomalous pointing change issue to the point that we know that motions of the secondary mirror are responsible, we have better plan to address it. **Observers should tell their observing specialist if they see a noticeable change in pointing (> 15").** This issue is accompanied by a change in collimation but that may be harder to detect. When this issue occurs the observing specialist can do a correction; it takes about 15 minutes. | We are still working to understand the unexplained motion of the secondary mirror, which has been happening occasionally (roughly once a month) since December. Now that we have traced this anomalous pointing change issue to motions of the secondary mirror, we have better plan to address it. **Observers should tell their observing specialist if they see a noticeable change in pointing (> 15").** This issue is accompanied by a change in collimation but that may be harder to detect. When this issue occurs the observing specialist can do a correction; it takes about 15 minutes. |
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| === KOSMOS Update === | === KOSMOS Update === |
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| Sarah Tuttle is working on a test multislit mask for a user; this is a high priority. She is also working on getting a new set of slits made. As was previously reported, the slitviewer camera has a sticky shutter in cold weather. The replacement is on order but has a long lead time. We may be able to get by with the current camera until the fall since the weather is warming up. The new KOSMOS Users Guide (UG)is online; send comments/edits to Russet. We installed order blocking broad band filters per the instrument specs. Since this happened very recently this information has not yet been added to the UG; it is included here and will be added to the UG soon: | Sarah Tuttle is working on a test multislit mask for a user; this is a high priority. She is also working on getting a new set of slits made. As was previously reported, the slitviewer camera has a sticky shutter in cold weather. The replacement is on order but has a long lead time. We may be able to get by with the current camera until the fall since the weather is warming up. The new KOSMOS Users Guide (UG) is online; send comments/edits to Russet ([[https://www.apo.nmsu.edu/arc35m/Instruments/KOSMOS/userguide.html]]). We installed order blocking broad band filters per the instrument specs. Since this happened very recently this information has not yet been added to the UG; it is included here and will be added to the UG soon: |
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| We are using the r2k and b2k prisms which means we would be using the following blocking filters GG-395, GG-455, OG-530 and OG-570. They can be used for the following instrument bandpasses: | We are using the r2k and b2k prisms which means we would be using the following blocking filters GG-395, GG-455, OG-530 and OG-570. They can be used for the following instrument bandpasses: |
| These are loaded into the instrument, filter wheel 1. There is also a large format ND5 filter loaded in filter wheel 2 for very bright objects in spectral or imaging modes. | These are loaded into the instrument, filter wheel 1. There is also a large format ND5 filter loaded in filter wheel 2 for very bright objects in spectral or imaging modes. |
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| As mentioned above, we attempted to dim the internal lamps to avoid saturating the flats. We used a bulb with the same wattage as the old one but with a bluer color temperature, which was advertised to have half the lumens of the old bulb. However, we found that this new bulb was brighter in red. To mitigate this we added an ND2 filter at the output of the integrating sphere to reduce the brightness of all bulbs. We plan to add additional ND material to further cut the brightness; tentatively that work is scheduled to take place in ~ 1.5 weeks from now. Moire asked how people can get involved with tests of the multi-slit mask capability or whether requests for such masks are being handled on a case by case basis. Sarah replied that the slit mask generation software that came with the instrument is not working, so for now we are doing a simple test with an individual user but the goal is to make it more automated. The nature of slit masks is case by case since they are all designed for a specific and unique application, but if the software can be made to work then the entire process would require less lead time. | As mentioned above, we attempted to dim the internal lamps to avoid saturating the flats. We used a bulb with the same wattage as the old one but with a bluer color temperature, which was advertised to have half the lumens of the old bulb. However, we found that this new bulb was brighter in red. To mitigate this we added an ND2 filter at the output of the integrating sphere to reduce the brightness of all bulbs. We plan to add additional ND material to further cut the brightness; tentatively that work is scheduled to take place in ~ 1.5 weeks from now. Moire asked how people can get involved with tests of the multi-slit mask capability or whether requests for such masks are being handled on a case-by-case basis. Sarah replied that the slit mask generation software that came with the instrument is not working, so for now we are doing a simple test with an individual user but the goal is to make it more automated. The generation of slit masks is by its nature case-by-case since they are all designed for a specific and unique application, but if the software can be made to work then the entire process would require less lead time. |
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| === Q2 3.5m scheduling === | === Q2 3.5m scheduling === |
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| First open time in q2 is end ofaprill (most B time), already have requests. quite a bit in June. | The first OPEN/DD time that is available in Q2 is at the end of April; we have already received some requests for it. There is quite a bit of OPEN time in June. The early OPEN time is in B half, whereas there are some A halves available in June. Interested users are encouraged to request any OPEN or DD time through the standard procedure, i.e. by emailing Ben, Russet, Nancy, and their institutional scheduler. |
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| Interested users are encouraged to request any OPEN or DD time through the standard procedure, i.e. by emailing Ben, Russet, Nancy, and their institutional scheduler. | |
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| === Q2 ARCSAT scheduling === | === Q2 ARCSAT scheduling === |
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| Ready to be posted. not fully populated so there will be open time that can be requested. ST: is Shelyyak available for testing/shared risk? Requires a lot more access than we have been allowing imaging users. Derek BK open to training 1-2 more ppl in current configuration. Quite a far way from turning over to students, esp. unsupervised. ST - wants to take template data. | The Q2 ARCSAT schedule is ready to be posted. It is not fully populated so there will be open time that can be requested. Sarah asked whether the Shelyak is available for testing or shared risk use? Bill replied that it requires a lot more access to the computer systems than we have been allowing regular users, but he is open to training 1-2 more people in the current software configuration. In his estimation we are still a long way from being able to turn it over to students, especially if they are unsupervised. |
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| === Q3 discussion === | === Q3 Discussion === |
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| Approximate summer shutdown dates Aug 8-12. roughly Aug 1-19. May go farther into next week. ks: does it pay to stay open in July given weather? BK: early in monsoon season bad weather is earlier in the day. B halves prob still useful. rM; lower odds but still better than zero. can also get good seeing. limitations on how much we can get ahead on engineering tasks. BK - needs to look at maintenance spreadsheet - several items that may be very far away from rotation, but maybe a few smaller items that have been delayyed/put off that we do want to address. Last week of July is dark time - wouldn't;t want to give that up | The primary mirror realuminization is scheduled to take place the week of Aug 8-12, so //a rough estimate// of our summer shutdown dates is Aug 1-19. It may go farther into the following week. We are mainly sharing this information now so that users can plan ahead. There was a question of whether it pays to stay open in July given the weather, and instead perhaps we should try to get ahead on some engineering tasks. The response was that we should not extend the shutdown into much of July for the following reasons: a) Early in monsoon season the bad weather is earlier in the day, so B halves are often still useful. b) Although the chances of a totally clear (half) night are lower than other times of year, they are still better than zero, and we can also get instances of good seeing. c) There are limitations on how much we can get ahead on engineering tasks because several items on Bill's maintenance spreadsheet are still pretty very far away from the rotation of needing to be done this year (although Bill acknowledged that there may be a few smaller items that have been delayed or postponed that we do want to address). d) The last week of July is dark time, and we wouldn't want to give that up. |
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| === Discussion of Users' Wiki === | === Discussion of Users' Wiki === |
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| trying to address the wiki situation, Zach identifies a new wiki platform, DokuWiki, that we are migrating to. You should have just gotten an account notification for the new apo-wiki. It should be straightforward to migrate users from the old wiki. | The 3.5m users wiki needed to be migrated to a different platform because the old one (''trak'') was not compatible with python 3. We identified a new wiki platform, ''DokuWiki'', which we are migrating to. It should be straightforward to migrate users from the old wiki to the new one, and most of the old content was migrated from trak to DokuWiki. |
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| | Because we are in the midst of revamping the wiki, this is a good time to reevaluate its purpose, organization, content, and utility. A quick poll of the Users Committee reps indicated that most people either don't use it or have used it in the past as a reference for data reduction guidance. While it is not intended to supersede information that is on the APO web pages (maintained by APO staff), the user contributed wiki is viewed as a path towards documentation, i.e. a repository where users can report things that work, issues they have had with data reduction, etc. |
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| at your convenience, take a look. I’ve migrated most of the content apart from users committee minutes, and any items I might have missed. This might be a good opportunity to reconsider the purpose, organization, content (e.g., removing obsolete things), etc. | **The UC reps were asked to disseminate the link to the new wiki ([[http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/apo-wiki/]]) and ask users for feedback** concerning the following: |
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| Chip -doesn't look at it | * content: what is missing (what do you wish were there that you can't find)? are there obsolete items that can be removed? |
| Russet - use for referring guidance for data reduction | * organization: does the structure make sense? is it easy to find what you are looking for? |
| Kevin, Moire - has used in the past | * utility: how can we make the wiki more useful for user community? |
| Joanne - use for data reduction - distributed responsibility/opportunity, communicate strategies with each other, might want to have someone with maintenance | |
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| | The UC reps should plan to report the feedback they receive from their department members at our next meeting. |
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| === ACTION ITEMS === | === ACTION ITEMS === |
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| **Open action items from previous meetings:** | Open action items from previous meetings: |
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| * Nancy: start investigations re: short wavelength throughput (climate data, other facilities). Status: OPEN. Nancy reached out to some colleagues at other observatories to ask about short wavelength performance degradation of their optical coatings. Still waiting to hear back. She will consult with Bill to make sure we are asking the right people. | * Nancy: start investigations re: short wavelength throughput (climate data, other facilities). Status: OPEN. Nancy reached out to some colleagues at other observatories to ask about short wavelength performance degradation of their optical coatings. Still waiting to hear back. She will consult with Bill to make sure we are asking the right people. |
| * Nancy: coordinate with Candace on revisions to training feedback form | * Nancy: coordinate with Candace on revisions to training feedback form |
| * Bill: add issue about debris in slits to KOSMOS section of instrument news web page. -> CLOSED | * Bill: add issue about debris in slits to KOSMOS section of instrument news web page. -> CLOSED |
| * Joanne: provide Sarah with KOSMOS cals and also desired slit mask configuration - take cals from her account, haven't finished with slit mask to use yet and will get in touch soon - end of summer | * Joanne: provide Sarah with KOSMOS cals and also desired slit mask configuration. Status: she provided the links for people who want to take the cals from her observing account. She hasn't finished deciding what slit mask to use yet and will get in touch with Sarah when she is ready. -> CLOSED |
| * UC reps: notify your users of remaining open/DD time in Q1 -> CLOSED | * UC reps: notify your users of remaining open/DD time in Q1 -> CLOSED |
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| **New action items from this meeting:** | New action items from this meeting: |
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| * UC reps: notify your users of remaining open/DD time in Q2 | * UC reps: notify your users of remaining open/DD time in Q2 |
| * UC reps: wiki feedback | * UC reps: get feedback from users on wiki (see above) |
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