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==== APO 3.5-m Users Committee Meeting, 3/05/2024 ====

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Attending: Nancy Chanover (NMSU), Jamey Eriksen (APO), Joanne Hughes (Seattle U), Kevin Schlaufman (JHU), Aleksandr Mosenkov (BYU), Moire Prescott (NMSU), Mukremin Kilic, (OU), Ben Williams (UW), Adam Kowalski (CU), Eric Bellm (UW), Anne Verbiscer (UVa), Derek Buzasi (FGCU), Misty Bentz (GSU), Bill Ketzeback (APO), Sarah Tuttle (UW)


=== User feedback and comments from institutional representatives ===

  * Wyoming - no report
  * Washington - nothing to report
  * UVa - nothing to report except feedback on DIS/KOSMOS issue
  * Seattle - nothing to report
  * Oklahoma - nothing to report
  * NMSU - nothing to report
  * NAPG - no report
  * JHU - nothing to report
  * Georgia State - nothing to report
  * FGCU - nothing to report
  * Colorado - nothing to report except feedback on DIS/KOSMOS issue
  * BYU - nothing to report

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=== Telescope and Instruments Report === 

The detailed site report is included below, followed by additional information discussed during today's meeting.

// 3.5-m Telescope and Instruments Highlights, 2/07/2024 – 3/04/2024 //

1) Overview

February has seen improving weather at APO except for a recent snow storm at the end of month. The telescope has continued to work well. Weather has been turning from the continual winter storm cycle to a more moderate pattern.

We had the DSSI team at APO for observing in February, but otherwise things were quiet at the site. March is going to start off with a class from CU during the first full week of the month. 

2) Operations

3.5m Telescope: Telescope is working well; motion errors seem to be of the seasonal type.
 
0.5m Telescope: Nothing to report
 
KOSMOS new slits (high/center/low for both 1.25 and 20 arcsecond widths) have arrived and are being further tested/modified (captive screws, covers, dowel pins). 
 
ARCTIC diffuser’s rotator service is being planned for later in the spring.
 
Agile Instrument TEC controls failed. Attempted repairs have so far been unsuccessful so far.
 
ARCES fill system is repaired and the instrument was cooled down. The inter-order light has been degrading steadily since it was returned to service.
 
DIS red camera readout failure was fixed and the camera was returned to service.  

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=== Additional telescope and instrument discussion === 

Kevin France's CU class is on site right now. The weather is improving but a storm is coming this weekend. We have seen seasonal motion errors with the telescope but nothing out of ordinary. KOSMOS has been vacuum pumped and is now working normally. The 1.25 and 20" slits are being worked on/tested. DIS red camera has been recovered. The echelle was taken out of service for a partial warm-up to warm up detector and keep the inter-order light from getting too bad. It was subsequently returned to service.

Someone asked whether the warm-up of the echelle is related to the previous issue it had? Bill replied yes. There is some water vapor condensing on some surface that the CCD is seeing. In the past we have seen this after a pumping cycle and cool down, but it doesn't happen every time. This time, the contamination grew rapidly after the last pumping cycle and subsequent cool-down. In the past we have had success with just warming the inner dewar that contains the CCD while keeping other one cold; we think this forces the condensate to migrate to the coldest thing in the vacuum vessel. We will do this for about a week and then cool it back down, hoping to have better success. One observing program that had the echelle as their primary instrument was affected but KOSMOS was used as a backup instrument instead.

Someone asked how the DIS red channel was brought back to life given that the prognosis sounded pretty bad last month. Bill replied that finding the right order of restarting the software and hardware was the solution. The new 20" KOSMOS slits have been added to the suite of slits and returned to service. The 1.25" slits had some machining issues and are being shipped back to UW to be remade; we hope that they will be available soon. The 2.1" is still most popular width.

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=== Future instrumentation update === 

Sarah Tuttle gave an update on the current status of Ocotillo. They have all 3 channels designed and are working through the refinement/definition stage before presenting everything in a Critical Design Review (CDR). The in-lab efforts include completing a first pass of a design of the fiber bundles and the interface with the observatory infrastructure. They will do the CDR with the observatory before getting everything off the ground. They have an optical test bench with the first camera up and running; this is an off the shelf camera that can be used for any of 3 channels (Andor had one built and available so we jumped on it). This means that we can build and bring online a single channel without being held up by camera purchases. The current plan is for a staged deployment; they are spec'ing robots for a robotic option (as opposed to a fully packed IFU bundle). The CDR will take place in the spring. Sarah is on sabbatical starting in September (but is not scheduled to teach this summer). Once the pace picks up she will provide regular updates to the Users Committee. Another effort underway is that we are working to support the finalization of a data reduction package for KOSMOS. Adam asked what the timeline is for the instrument to reach first light? Sarah replied that she expects at least for the IFU channel it should be within 18 months. She is aiming to have 1-2 channels on sky and in place by the time her sabbatical is over. Next up is to get quotes on optics. 

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=== 2024 Q1 3.5m scheduling ===

There was some remaining OPEN time in Q1, but it has since been assigned. At the time of this writing there is no more available time in Q1.

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=== 2024 Q2 3.5m scheduling ===

The Q2 schedule is in the works. Note added in proof: the Q2 schedule is now posted.

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=== 2024 Q1 0.5m scheduling ===

The Q2 call for proposals will be issued in mid-March. Note added in proof: the call for Q2 ARCSAT proposals has been distributed.

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=== ACTION ITEMS === 

Open action items from previous meetings:

  * UC reps: ask your users what capabilities KOSMOS lacks that makes some people still want to use DIS.
    * Colorado report: they did not have any users who would be upset if DIS were no longer available. One user said that the capability they really need is full spectral cover with a lower resolution prism. Another user said they needed higher resolution for planetary nebula projects. A third user said they could use both or either of those options, but they really emphasized the need for good sensitivity in the blue.
    * UW report: their users require blue sensitivity, high spectral resolution, and Halpha coverage.
    * NMSU report: their users need high resolution for line profile analysis, and could also make use of having a lower res mode that provided full spectral coverage in one go.
    * OU report: their users find it frustrating that in the current KOSMOS configuration if you include Halpha then you don't get all of the blue.
    * UVa report: they have one user who wants to continue using DIS.
  * Nancy: get ROM costs for new KOSMOS grisms. STATUS: OPEN 
  * UC reps: remind your users to review the Q1 schedule and request OPEN/DD time if they can make a good case for it. STATUS: CLOSED

Open action items from this meeting: None.

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=== All Other Business ===

None.

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=== Next meeting ===

The next meeting will be on April 2 at 10:30 MDT.

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