C100/WIRC Observing Procedures

Last updated Jan 01, 2010 (Nidia)

Please Note:

Please avoid to reset the Frame counter in the Telescope Control Window at any time during the
night to the number of a previous frame, even if that previous frame is junk and is not going to be used.
This is because the previous frame may have had more loops than the new one and therefore some of the loops
will not be overwritten. Those loops, corresponding to the junk frame will remain in disk. Thus, the set of loops
stored for a given pointing may correspond to different fields in the sky.

0. Before you start observing <--- NEW!!

• Check that the 60-Hz noisy pattern doesn't appear.
• When the dome is dark, take one dark frame in any filter and examine the result.
• Check that the image has a mode of not more than a few tens of ADU.
• If you see a "picket-fence" pattern with an amplitude greater than a few counts, call the
  technicians and ask them to fix the ground connections of the instrument.
• You can delete the dark image afterwards.

1. Starting Data Reductions Computer (Rigel)

• Username: wfirc
• Password: check label on the grey WIRC rack or on the 'Mac Mini Rigel Manual' on top of Rigel desktop.
• From a Rigel xgterm: cd /Volumes/Data_Rigel
• mkdir 20101001_02 (e.g.). This directory has to be selected under DataPath on the Camera Control window in Arachne. Data will be automatically transferred there.
• Start IRAF and DS9 from the IRAF and Sunburst buttons on Rigel's dock.
• The IRAF WIRC scripts will automatically be loaded once IRAF starts.
• For a list of the available scripts type 'ls /Users/wfirc/iraf/wirc_scripts'. For a description of each of them refer to the 'Mac Mini Rigel Manual' or to the WIRC manual at LCO website (under du Pont --> Instruments).

2. Start Data Acquisition Computer (Arachne)

• Username: wfirc
• Password: same as in Rigel
• Open Database Initialization Window by clicking on Camera icon
• Check that everything is ON LINE and click OK
• When Camera Control Window appears on the screen go to Modules and start
  • Telegui
  • Display
  • Guider (only when it is dark)
  • Dichroic
  • Temperature Controller
  • Thermometers
• Turn ON the heater in Temperature Contr (should be 258 K)
• Click on every temperature control channel until the Messages window pops up.
• Check Temperatures (CH-8 is important and should be between 75-80 K; Likewise CH-6 and CH-7 should be between 220-229 K)
• In Camera Control Window set readmode to DOUBLE
• Enter datapath in Options Menu (\\rigel\Data_Rigel\20100101_02 i.e. the directory you've just created) and click OK.
• In Telescope Control Window open SkyMap (under File)
• In Telescope Control Window open Airmass (under File)
• When it is dark, your telescope operator will open the Camera shutter, turn ON TV Guider, and check that all 3 buttons are set to AUTO.
• Open Guider from Camera Control (under modules)

3. Telescope Pointing

• Point telescope to bright star
• In Telescope Control Window set equinox to today
• Set dx=192, dy=192 and click NE to send star to Chip 2
• Set Filter=Jc, ExpTime=3, and click GO
• Display image, get (x,y) coordinates of star
• Enter dx and dy values in Telescope Control Window and offset telescope accordingly to bring star to frame center
• Set dx=192, dy=192 and click SW to bring star to center
• Ask NA to do a CSET
• Click GET
• In Telescope Control Window set equinox to 2000.0.
• Ask the NA to set the equinox to 2000.0 in console

4. Guider Pointing

• Go to Dichroic-Control Window, left-click on a star followed by "MOVE". This should move the guider to that star and hopefully you will see the star in the Guider Window
• If you do not see the star you can search for it using the East, West, South, buttons in Dichroic Control Window
• Once the star appears in the Guider window, left-click on "Center Star" and left-click on the star to bring it to the center of the box
• Once star is centered, click File, choose RESET, which centers the box at the center of the Guider frame

5. Telescope Focus

• Pick standard star (V~12) from coordinate file (ir_standards.objects), highlight coordinates and click SEND TO
• Set equinox to 2000 in Telescope Control Window
• In Telescope Control Window, click NE to send star to Chip 2
• Use paddle to set Focus to 4770
• Set Filter=Jc, ExpTime=10, Chip=2, ObjType=test, and click GO
• In Rigel display image and measure stellar profile
• Lower focus by 10 units, take a new frame, and measure stellar profile
• When you find best value ask NA to do FSET (the actual value in green and the model value in black should be the same)
• Use the following focus offsets:
  • Jc = Hc = Yc = 0
  • Ks = +10
• In Dichroic window click on bright star
• Ask the NA to move micrometer back and forth. You must visually inspect the focus in Guider Window

6.2 Observing Supernovae and Templates

• Current SNe:
  • Open ObjectList Window by clicking File in Telescope Control Window, click File, select 'CSP.objects', and click Open
  • In ObjectList Window highlight the SN and click SendTo
• New SNe:
  • Type in RA and DEC in Telescope Control Window, Equinox=2000, and click Send
  • Ask NA to slew telescope
    
    
• In Camera Control Window, set ObjType=astro, Object="SN2004xx", Chip=All
• In Camera Control Window, select Filter, ExpTime and Loop according to what's specified in the exposure time list.
• Make sure counts are below 30000 ADUs
• In Camera Control Window, set Macro to: csp_sn_9 (9 dither positions) or csp_sn_5 (5 positions), depending on instructions given in the exposure time list.
• In Telescope Control Window click Zero before starting the loop and select dx=192 and dy=192
• In Telescope Control Window click NE to move object to Chip 2
• You need to apply telescope focus offsets
  • Yc, Jc, Hc: 0
  • Ks: +10
• In Dichroic Window pick guiding star between 13-14th magnitude, not too close to the edge, and click Move
• In Guider Window click Center Star, and left-click on "Center Star" and left-click on the star to bring it to the center of the box
• In Camera Control Window click EXECUTE to begin exposure
• Once loop is over, click W followed by W in Telescope Control Window to bring object to Chip 3, find guiding star, and EXECUTE.
• Total exposure time is : (ExpTime x Loops x Dither Positions x 2) seconds

6.3 Observing Flux Standards

• Open ObjectList Window by clicking File in Telescope Control Window, click File, select 'ir_standards.objects', and click Open
• In ObjectList Window highlight a star which should be in this list of suitable Y-band standards and click SendTo
• Ask NA to slew telescope
• In Camera Control Window, set ObjType=standard, Object="Star name", Chip=All
• Set equinox to 2000 in Telescope Control Window
• In Telescope Control Window click Zero before starting the loop and select dx=192 and dy=192
• In Telescope Control Window click NE to move object to Chip 2
• In Camera Control Window select Filter, ExpTime and Loops=3 according to
  • Yc = 5 sec
  • Jc = 5 sec
  • Hc = 5 sec
  • Ks = 5 sec
• In Camera Control Window select Macro=csp_std_5 (no guiding)
• In Camera Control Window click EXECUTE to begin exposure

7. Dome flats

• Ask NA to turn ON quartz light at the platform and adjust voltage (see table below)
• Ask NA to point telescope to 3:30 W; DEC = -30 deg and set Dome position to 5000
• In Camera Control Window set ExpTime, Filter, ObjType=dflat, Loops=15, object to "Dome_Flat"
• Start sequence with GO botton
• After taking sequence turn lamp OFF and take a sequence of 15 darks. Repeat the ON-OFF sequence for each filter.
• Lamp voltage and exposure times:
  • Yc: 5 sec (10000 cts/pixel) voltage=370
  • Jc: 5 sec (10000 cts/pixel) voltage=315
  • Hc: 5 sec (10000 cts/pixel) voltage=290
  • Ks: 5 sec (10000 cts/pixel) voltage=270
• Note: Do not change the Filter between "on" and "off" exposures.

8. Darks

• In Camera Control Window set Filter=dk, ObjType=dark, Loops=15, object to "Dark"
• Set Exptime to each of the exposure times used during the night
• Start sequence with GO botton

mhamuy@lco.cl