Subject: APO 3.5-m Users Committee minutes 6/20/05
From: Bruce Gillespie
Submitted: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 17:58:29 -0600
Message number: 912
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APO 3.5-m Users Committee Phonecon, 6/20/05
Attending: Suzanne Hawley, Michael Strauss, Al Harper, Karl
Glazebrook, Bruce Gillespie, Fred Hearty, John Bally, Rene Walterbos
Absent: Russet McMillan, Jon Holtzman, Don York
Minutes taken by Bruce Gillespie
**********************************
User feedback, comments from Institutional representatives:
Colorado (John Bally, Fred Hearty)--John and Fred had no recent
feedback from CU users to share (but Fred has been working with
several NIC-FPS users from other ARC institutions lately). John said
that the proposed CU focal reducer for SPIcam has been on the back
burner, but will be revived this summer. The current plan is to
build the system with optics behind the focal plane, and an optical
design is being worked. Also a medium-resolution NIR spectrograph
add-on to NIC-FPS is in the concept phase. The integral-field
spectrograph, proposed last year, is on hold because of the probable
difficulties in finding funding. Fred reported that NIC-FPS will be
warmed up and returned to Boulder for repair work starting on 14
July, and return to APO around 20 August
to be ready for its engineering time on 27-28 August. The work
planned for it includes fixing the filter wheels, the vacuum-hold
time, detector vignetting, and noise problems. There is also the
hope to add a low-res grism (salvaged from GRIMII) to the instrument.
Princeton (Michael Strauss)--Michael had nothing much to report from
the users, other than to say that he is very happy so far with the
NIC-FPS data he has seen.
Johns Hopkins (Karl Glazebrook)--Karl mentioned that there was a
recent network blip experienced by a JHU remote observer, who didn't
know how to make a long-distance call to APO to work the problem.
That has been fixed procedurally at JHU. BruceG mentioned that this
loosely points to a problem at APO, in that we do not currently know
who all the institutional systems administrators are. We need to be
in contact soon with these people to provide tools and instructions
for the upcoming release and installation of TUI 1.0.
ACTION: All committee members should identify who their
local systems administrator (i.e. the person who would be in charge
of installing TUI and providing information on it to users)
is so we can contact them. Please send the name and contact
information to Bruce Gillespie (gillespi at apo.nmsu.edu).
Suzanne asked if the GRB program which used JHU time to payback an
alert recently had caused any problems and Karl said no.
NMSU (Walterbos)--Rene reported that Nancy Chanover had a very
successful first run of the NMSU Acousto-optical Imaging Camera
(NAIC) for narrow-band IR planetary imaging. He also said that
Nicole Vogt used and liked the improved user information on the APO
web pages. In addition, he said that a grad student, Pey-Lian Lim,
wants to know if there is tutorial for using the echelle with TUI.
There is user information about TUI in general, but if an instrument-
specific tutorial is needed, it might be possible that Pey-Lian could
help write it, since she is a frequent echelle user. BruceG will
talk to Jon Holtzman (Pey-Lian's advisor) about this. Suzanne asked
if NAIC will satisfy Nancy's needs for planetary observations, in
lieu of certain special filters that were not possible to fit into
NIC-FPS. Fred said he thought that some of the filters and short-
exposure modes in NIC-FPS do fit the bill for planetary work, but he
agreed to talk to Nancy to be sure.
UWashington (Balick, Hawley)--BruceB reported that the department
recently held an open meeting about APO, and no major users concerns
were raised. There seems to be a good level of contentment and
satisfaction with the observatory, but not enough time was available
in the meeting for extensive questions from users; another meeting is
planned.
UChicago (Harper)--Al said that he had heard no recent comments from
UChicago users, other than general discussion among the GRB folk
about the alert program, data reductions, etc. BruceG and Fred will
talk to Al this Wednesday about the salvage plans for GRIMII,
particularly on how, where, and when to remove its grism so that it
can be used in NIC-FPS. Suzanne mentioned that the GRB program seems
to be running very well at the observatory level, with all pre-empted
observers so far having been paid back with usable observing time.
Earlier in the quarter, there was an alert about every two weeks, but
the pace has slackened recently. She also mentioned that the payback
observing periods that are built into the schedule are dispensed
optimally from the science perspective, not by institutional priority
or sequence. Over time, this should result in the best science from
the paybacks, and any institutional inequities should balance out.
Also, the special schedule protection block in the proposal forms has
been used judiciously, so far. We will be evaluating the overall GRB
program at the end of the quarter.
**********************************
Discussion of telescope/instruments report:
Suzanne said that two highlights for the month were the continuation
of unusually good seeing, and the implementation of the new echelle
ICC. BruceB asked about the possibility of using the old top end for
mid-IR work (3 to 10 microns) as was originally envisaged for the
site. Al Harper said that he had no immediate interest in this (but
"never say never"), because most of the capability for mid-IR is
handled by the bigger telescopes at higher and drier locations.
BruceB suggested APO still could find a niche in mid-IR monitoring
programs, and Al said maybe. BruceB reminded us that APO was
originally touted as a good mid-IR site in winter. Suzanne said this
was a good topic for discussion by the Futures Committee, and BruceG
mentioned that APO could be a good place for testing new mid- IR
instruments prior to going to more remote locations. Al said he'd
think about it.
[Below is the monthly telescope/instrument attachment submitted to
the committee prior to the meeting]:
3.5-m Telescope, Instruments, and CIF Projects Highlights, 5/18
through 6/16/05
Bruce Gillespie
0) Overview
The telescope and instruments continued to give generally good
performance during the period, with some lengthy periods of good
observing weather and excellent seeing. A handful of telescope and
instrument problems were encountered and addressed, with little, if
any, lost observing time. One GRB alert was observed, and pay-back
observing time to all previous GRB pre-empts was accomplished. A new
visiting instrument run was successfully supported.
1) Telescope
o cleaned drive surfaces, and made minor repairs;
o enclosure drive/servo problems (reported last month) did not
recur;
o some minor anomalies in NA2 guider performance addressed;
o tested enclosure shutter emergency closure procedures;
2) Instruments
o echelle controller upgrades implemented and tested--ready for
user test drive
o NIC-FPS degassed, ion gauge failure fixed;
o NMSU Acousto-optic Imaging Camera (NAIC) visiting instrument
used successfully on sky by
Nancy Chanover and colleagues;
o DIS upgrade study underway (JHU & Jon Holtzman), possible
replacement red chip studied.
3) Engineering and CIF projects
o New top-end: Detailed design and fabrication cont'd, and
tests of scattered light using new
vane design done on telescope;
o TUI: Ready for release of version 1.0 shortly;
o On-sky engineering tests: new TUI guide s/w, fastcam data
taken, pointing model, checked
instrument blocks and pointing model;
o New drive boxes: Being made ready for installation during
upcoming shutdowns.
**********************************
Q3 schedule comments, rescheduled shutdown:
Suzanne reported that the Q3 schedule is now out. It was somewhat
delayed because the July shutdown needed to be shifted to a week
later at the last minute to accommodate a people-resource issue
between SDSS and KPNO for realuminizing the 2.5-m primary mirror. We
shifted our shutdown so that people critical to both our shutdown and
the 2.5-m aluminizing were not double-booked. Shifting our shutdown
required some compromises but in the end was not a major problem,
other than the extra work it took to adjust the schedule.
**********************************
CIF projects status:
Suzanne said that the new top-end project, which is the big CIF
effort this year, is moving along fairly well. We will decide by 1
August if the new top end will be ready for installation during
October bright time. Also, Jon Holtzman and JHU are working up a plan
for various DIS upgrades, which may include improved UV response, new
gratings, and moving the dichroic split. Other DIS upgrades we are
considering are buying a new red chip to address the fringing
problems with the current chip, and fixing the red noise problem.
BruceG mentioned that the new telescope drive boxes are nearly
finished and are scheduled for installation during the summer
shutdowns. Also, TUI 1.0 will be released shortly, and users should
become facile with it quickly because Remark will be retired sometime
over the coming months.
**********************************
APOLLO update:
BruceG mentioned that the APOLLO lunar laser ranging experiment is
moving from construction to commissioning phase beginning next
month. In-the-enclosure and aircraft/satellite safety issues are
being addressed, and first tests of the system are planned for July
and August. Once fully operational, the program will operationally
resemble Ed Turner's lens monitoring program; two or three half-hour
lunar ranging runs per week, typically near twilight or at the middle
of night shift change.
**********************************
CorMASS update:
BruceG reported that CorMASS is in transit back to APO from Chile. We
plan to have this low-res NIR spectrograph available for ARC users
during Q4 this year. CorMASS may stay at APO into 2006. More
information will be available for prospective 3.5-m telescope users
over the summer.
**********************************
Next phonecon will be on Monday, 19 Sept., at 8:30 AM Pacific
Daylight Time. Agenda and other materials will be sent to the Users
Committee members during the preceding week. Telescope/Instrument
monthly reports will be sent to members in July and August. Users
topics will also be discussed in person at the upcoming Seattle
meeting of the Futures Committee (August 14-15, 2005).
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