20170114

Twilight Tests

twilights with VIRUS with different tracker positions

Purpose: There is some interest in seeing what the long term illumination correction changes look like including what different track positions do to them. The script is "specialtwilight" in /home/mcs/astronomer/bin/. It takes a single argument which is the Observation number.

Procedure:

• Setup the guide camera for sky twilight (GC2, 0.1 sec, B filter)
• When you hit the correct flux level (biased to a slight higher value, perhaps 5k) execute the specialtwilight script

On-sky engineering:

Magnitude limits for CWFS, OWFS1 and OWFS2

Purpose: This is to come up with the minimum star magnitudes and optimal exposure time ranges for each wfs.

• Must be clear for this test
• Select a star of known magnitudes (preferably from the SDSS catalog or at least in a SDSS field
• run do_shuffle on the field and see what magnitudes have been selected for the WFS1 and WFS2.
• record the RA and DEC for the OWFS probes.
• look at the shout.probestars and report those stars and magnitudes (I think there should be 5 magnitudes for viable SDSS fields).
• setup on the field on the IHMP and then offset to the CWFS as done in the previous tests.
• near the center of the track please save images with CWFS and WFS with exposures of at least 15 seconds but not saturated.

Repeat this test with several stars with different SDSS CWFS target magnitudes (11th, 12th etc)

VIRUS observations of Globular cluster

Need to map out the IFU positions in space using a very rich wide GC. Want to put the center of the GC on the following IFU positions: 103, 94, 83, 74, 105, 96, 85, 76

Good globulars that we have used in past, that are up now, are:

NGC2419 (probably need 5 minute exposure for this) NGC4147 NGC5024 = M53 NGC5272 = M3

NGC5024 and NGC5272 would be ideal for this even though they are only in the East and CCAS will block some of the light.

• Use do_shuffle to set up on a globular cluster on one IFU
• Have TO setup guiding on gc1. This will put the guide probe close to the IFUs and will minimize the guider drag.
• After RA sets up at least one OWFS, have TO close focus loop
• offset the nearest bright star onto the BIB with the probes=true option.
  • If there are no BIB stars for that particular pointing move ahead without the BIB for this pointing. Need to get the BIB for a few IFU pointings.
• while at dither position 1, start saving bib images (you may have to manually open the PFIP shutter) and get the proper exposure time
• start saving bib images
• record start time in the log
• Run take a parallel exposure with a 120 seconds with the exposure number equal to the dither position
• Move to the next dither position
• when dither 3 is complete stop saving bib images
• record end time in the log
• setup on the next IFU.

Run for the following IFU: 103, 94, 83, 74, 105, 96, 85, 76

Characterize LRS2-B to LRS2-R offsets

• Start a trajectory
• setup on ACAM and one guide probe at the LRS2-B location.
• offset from LRS2-B to LRS2-R using: B2R: syscmd -T 'offset_trajectory(dx_ang=-103, dy_ang=+3, adjust_probes="true")'
  • Guider should stay in Active mode
  • Allow guider to catch the star and drag to the final position
• once the guider has settled to position measure the position on ACAM and report in the RA report.
• have the TO center the object on the LRS2-R and set new guider fiducial.
• offset from LRS2-R to LRS2-B using: R2B: syscmd -T 'offset_trajectory(dx_ang=103, dy_ang=-3, adjust_probes="true")'
  • Guider should stay in Active mode
  • Allow guider to catch the star and drag to the final position
• once the guider has settled to position measure the position on ACAM and report in the RA report.

Repeat this test 5 times.

CWFS+WFS Loop Control Tests

• Make sure your stack is pretty good (RSE < 250)
• Make sure GROC is pretty well set
• Select a 11th mag target near the start of the track for all probes and targetted on IHMP using shuffle and shuffle_config_matt4
• Setup on IHMP
• Center up both guide probes and start guiding on one of the guiders
• Set Exposure times for CWFS, WFS1 and WFS2 to about 5 seconds to assist in centering.
• Offset to CWFS using syscmd -T 'offset_trajectory(dx_ang=-5.5, dy_ang=0.0, adjust_probes="true")'
• Tweak up the position on the CWFS using further offset_trajectory commands.
• Center up both WFS using mgp -grid or mgp -poff. See mgp --help. This requires "Process Images" to be checked.
• Null out focus on WFS1. NOTE: WFS1 seems to perform better than WFS2 at the edges of the track
• Start metrology loop and Activate the loop on WFS1.
• As per normal please have the loops started for WFS2, CWFS even through they are not closed
• Increase the exposure time for the CWFS, WFS1 and WFS2 to greater than 20 seconds for data taking but do not saturate.
• Hit "store images" and "Start Metrology Loop" for GC1, GC2, WFS1, WFS2, TT, CWFS, DMI (although there are no images for DMI)
• Monitor the WFS1 and WFS2 to make sure the X and Y positions do not exceed 1.5". If they do then make a correction.
• Run until the end of the track.

Repeat test: choosing a new star at the next Az in the list: 180, 234, 292.

• For each test, please note the star and end time.

Closed dome or cloudy tests

See the list of long cals that could be done if the weather is bad ​https://het.as.utexas.edu:8001/trac/WFUCommissioning/wiki/NightOperations/SciencePlans/longcals

Closed dome trajectories

Purpose: Exercise the system to find any problems with the upgrades recently done to TMCS and TCS.

Procedure:

• Send a trajectory from do_shuffle
• Setup on trajectory, including moving all guide probes to position
• Put one some light in the dome
• Run all cameras.
• Run pipelines for WFS
• Make offsets on all guiders and ACAM.

Repeat multiple times during the night as long as the weather does not allow you to open. Report any problems with shuffle or TCS.