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uc:uc20250805_august_5_2025 [2025/08/26 21:06]
nchanove 		uc:uc20250805_august_5_2025 [2025/08/26 21:48] (current)
nchanove
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   * Seattle - nothing to report (by email)   * Seattle - nothing to report (by email)
   * Oklahoma - nothing to report   * Oklahoma - nothing to report
-  * NMSU - There is still an interest in trying to understand/mitigate the abnormally high background seen when taking long (20-30 min) exposures with KOSMOS. It manifests as a snow pattern in the background pixels. The engineering staff is still working to address this issue, but if other users have seen this in their data it would be really helpful to know.+  * NMSU - There is still an interest in trying to understand/mitigate the abnormally high background seen when taking long (20-30 min) exposures with KOSMOS. It manifests as a snow pattern in the background pixels. The engineering staff is still working to address this issue but if other users have seen this in their data it would be really helpful to know.
   * NAPG - no report   * NAPG - no report
   * JHU - nothing to report (by email)   * JHU - nothing to report (by email)
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-=== Additional site, telescope and instrument discussion === +=== Additional site, telescope and instruments discussion === 
  
 The summer shutdown is complete; it was fairly short this year. We accomplished daytime engineering in the first week and used the second week for on-sky engineering. All of the necessary baseline tasks in order to return the telescope to scientific operations were completed. This includes handwashing all the mirrors, a  spring cleaning of the enclosure and instrumentation, greasing/lubricating various moving parts, and vacuum servicing KOSMOS and ARCES. The summer shutdown is complete; it was fairly short this year. We accomplished daytime engineering in the first week and used the second week for on-sky engineering. All of the necessary baseline tasks in order to return the telescope to scientific operations were completed. This includes handwashing all the mirrors, a  spring cleaning of the enclosure and instrumentation, greasing/lubricating various moving parts, and vacuum servicing KOSMOS and ARCES.
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 The 0.5m telescope is working as expected but the cameras (FlareCam and dcam-spare) continue to have problems. There was a loss of vacuum in the CCD canisters, which resulted in frosting/icing within the dewar. Cary serviced dcam-spare and got it back to reliable performance but FlareCam is less reliable and continues to get worse with age. The 0.5m telescope is working as expected but the cameras (FlareCam and dcam-spare) continue to have problems. There was a loss of vacuum in the CCD canisters, which resulted in frosting/icing within the dewar. Cary serviced dcam-spare and got it back to reliable performance but FlareCam is less reliable and continues to get worse with age.
  
-APOLLO had numerous laser and optical alignment issues over the last month and a NASA team came back to the site to work on it. We believe the instrument is now back to working order but there may be additional work to be done to address a recent laser frequency issue.+APOLLO had numerous laser and optical alignment issues over the last month and a NASA team came back to the site to work on it. We believe the instrument is now functional but there may be additional work to be done to address a recently discovered laser frequency issue.
  
 As a reminder, we have a current opening (covered by two different job postings) for the 3.5m chief telescope engineer. We are currently reviewing applications for telescope operator/support astronomer position. As a reminder, we have a current opening (covered by two different job postings) for the 3.5m chief telescope engineer. We are currently reviewing applications for telescope operator/support astronomer position.
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 === 2025 Q4 3.5m scheduling === === 2025 Q4 3.5m scheduling ===
  
-All allocations for Q4 have been sent to the institutional schedulers; proposals are due on August 25. Note that in the allocation emails we noted that our ability to offer a virtual training in Q4 is less certain; we indicated that we MAY offer it.+All allocations for Q4 have been sent to the institutional schedulers; proposals are due on August 25. Note that the allocation emails stated that our ability to offer a virtual training in Q4 is uncertain due to staffing limitations; we indicated that we MAY offer it in Q4.
  
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 === Status of new instrument initiatives ===  === Status of new instrument initiatives === 
  
-A replacement high speed imager, SoonerCam, is under development. A survey of all past/present/future users of such an instrument (i.e. current and former Agile users, or those who want to use a modern high speed imager) was distributed. We really need to hear from users concerning anticipated needs for frame rate, binning, etc. as this information will drive some design decisions. We plan to add a focal reducer but the pixels are currently very small. Here is the email sent to 35m-general requesting survey responses: +  * SoonerCam: we received a modest number of survey responses and will proceed using the information we have. The camera was purchased and a meeting is scheduled in two weeks to discuss the next steps. 
- +  * KOSMOS grisms: we are still awaiting a decision on the proposal we submitted for funds to support the purchase of three new grisms for KOSMOS. 
- +  * ASPEN: we are still awaiting a decision on the proposal we submitted for funds to support the development of the new echelle spectrograph. Work on the design of the new optical echelle spectrograph continues with the goal of completing the Preliminary Design Review in early 2026. 
-''Dear APO 3.5m users, +  * Ocotillo: a number of purchase orders were executed and we expect the first batch of hardware to come in within the next month or so.
- +
-We are purchasing a new qCMOS high-speed camera, **SoonerCam**, to replace the old camera on Agile. This camera provides a read-noise of 0.3 e- in the ultra-quiet scan mode. It's a 4096x2304 pixel camera with 4.5 micron pixels. It can provide up to 25 frames/s in this mode.  Using Agile's current setup, the camera provides **0.05 arcsec per pixel (or a field of view of 115" x 205")**.'' +
- +
-''Before finalizing the design and installation at the telescope, we would love to hear your thoughts or feedback on what would make this new camera suitable for your science needs.'' +
- +
-''If you are interested in using this new capability, can you please provide feedback on: +
-[[https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJG6zQg7YtGxGhAtaKULHyzZVZe29uHCiegcHdM0edglN1gw/viewform?usp=sharing]]'' +
- +
-''Thank you,'' +
-''On behalf of the SoonerCam team (including the Astro group at OU, Sarah Tuttle, Bill Ketzeback and the APO engineering/software team, and Nancy Chanover),'' +
-''-Muk'' +
- +
-**We really need users to complete this survey by the end of June. If anyone has specific requests or suggestions regarding desired capabilities for SoonerCam, that should be noted in the final question of the survey.** +
- +
-Work on the new optical echelle spectrograph continues with the goal of completing the Preliminary Design Review this calendar year. Another grant proposal is in the works. +
- +
-Regarding Ocotillo, we are trying to get final quotes so that we can start purchasing materials and optics to assemble the first channel. Some vendors are slow in responsiveness these days.+
  
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-=== Future of ARCSAT Working Group ===+=== Open Positions at APO ===
  
-This group is still meeting and exploring various options for the future of ARCSAT. +Please see the site report above.
- +
----- +
- +
-=== Annual Request to Update Publication Record === +
- +
-Please send Nancy any references for 3.5m-related publications (anything published from Jan 1 2024 to now). The deadline is June 30. Understanding the scientific usage and impact of the telescope is critical for evaluating future projects, initiatives, instrument concepts, etc., thus we need your help in updating our publication record! We are now participating in a cross-observatory analysis of scientific impact of ground-based telescopes, so it is especially important that we capture all publications resulting from APO observations. Any publications resulting from ARCSAT data are also requested. The listing should include refereed publications and student theses and dissertations (not conference abstracts unless they are peer reviewed) that made use of data acquired with the 3.5m and/or ARCSAT, published from 2024 to the present. If a paper has been submitted to a journal but has not yet completely gone through the review process, please include that as well, with the name of the journal and “submitted.”+
  
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 Open action items from previous meetings: Open action items from previous meetings:
-  * Nancy: get Mt. Cuba Foundation proposal for new KOSMOS grisms submitted. STATUS: OPEN. Nancy and Sarah are awaiting updated quotes from the grism vendor and then the proposal will be submitted. +  * UC reps: ask your users to complete the survey regarding needs/desires for a high speed imaging capability. The link to this survey was sent out to 35m-general on May 6, 2025 by Mukremin Kilic. STATUS: CLOSED. 
-  * UC reps: ask your users to complete the survey regarding needs/desires for a high speed imaging capability. The link to this survey was sent out to 35m-general on May 6, 2025 by Mukremin Kilic, and is also included above. STATUS: OPEN.+  * UC reps: ask your users to send Nancy the bibliographic information for any papers published in 2024-2025 that are resulting from 3.5m or ARCSAT data. STATUS: CLOSED 
 +  * UC reps: ask your users to complete the survey from FAWG (per Nancy’s email sent on 7/23/25). Status: OPEN. 
  
 New action items from this meeting: New action items from this meeting:
-  * UC reps: ask your users to send Nancy the bibliographic information for any papers published in 2024-2025 that are resulting from 3.5m or ARCSAT data.+  * None.
  
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 === Next meeting === === Next meeting ===
  
-The next meeting will be on July 1, 2025 at 10:30 MDT.+The next meeting will be on September 2, 2025 at 10:30 MDT.
  
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uc/uc20250805_august_5_2025.1756242416.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025/08/26 21:06 by nchanove

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