20170509 Commissioning Plan

Priorities for test are in the order listed in the plan below.

twilight tests

Standard LRS2 twilight for any science frames that might be taken

VIRUS special twilights

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 exposure, B filter)
• When you hit the correct flux level (biased to a slight higher value, perhaps 5k) execute the specialtwilight script

Night time engineering:

Image quality tests

Purpose: The purpose of this test is to determine if there are any dome seeing constraints of the HET image quality. Thus this test should be done under good stable conditions, typically DIMM < 0.9" and not while the temperature is dropping, ie. the start of the night.

Procedure:

• Make sure conditions are stable and DIMM < 0.95.
• Select a target into the wind in the first half of the track. Use do_shuffle for all probes probably using the --use_brightness true option.
• Setup on the target on the ACAM and guide
• Set imagers with exposures of at least 5 seconds and WFS with exposures at least 15 seconds.
• Make sure metrology and images are being saved for 5 minutes.
• Pull out the ACAM and guide on the BIB with exposures of at least 5 seconds.
• Save images and data for 5 minutes.
• repeat for the full track.

Stacking Tests

Purpose: There have been a number of reports of problems with 1:1 and 1:2. To try to identify the nature of the problem we would like to conduct a few tests to see if there is any improvements. Note that some work has already been done on the segments and this may have fixed it already.

Procedure:

• Stack normally.
• Call Jerry if you see any problems with the positioning of 1:1 and 1:2
• If you don't have any problems end with the tracker on the right to make sure that 1:1 and 1:2 are very well stacked.
• Leave SAMS running and the AOA looking at the primary. Watch the mirror and see if mirror 1:1 or 1:2 pops out. If it does call Jerry.
• If it does not pop out just sitting there try keeping up the GROC with GROC moves (do not restack but stay in focus with the DMI). See if this causes 1:1 or 1:2 to pop out. If it does call Jerry.
• If after a while and several GROC changes you don't have any problems with 1:1 or 1:2, try slewing the tracker to the 4 corners and then back to the lower right. If you see any problems with 1:1 or 1:2 call Jerry.
• If you don't see any problems with 1:1 or 1:2 after all of that then send out an e-mail documenting that the test was done and the results.
• Continue with other tests but keep a look out for problems with 1:1 and 1:2 including finishing all stacks on the lower right.

Science Targets

• PSU17-2-002 bright time western targets at the start of the night. Might need to make a short/quick stack to get them.

Testing Probe offsets

Purpose: We want to see how accurately we offset using probe offsets with the same tools that we used for the guide probe measurements.

Procedure:

• Setup on For VIRUS on IFU 095 for Globular cluster ngc6205 in the east early in the track.
• Setup on GC1 (You can also run a WFS to keep good IQ).
• Expose VIRUS for 180 seconds syscmd -v -V 'expose( seconds=180, x_binning=2, y_binning=1, type="sci", object="ngc6205_095_E", observation=2, exposure=1 )'
• Wait for the shutter to close syscmd -l 'wait_for_shutter_close(observation=2, exposure=1 )'
• Move to 2nd dither position with a probe offset move mgp -toff=-1.27,0.73
• Expose VIRUS for 180 seconds syscmd -v -V 'expose( seconds=180, x_binning=2, y_binning=1, type="sci", object="ngc6205_095_E", observation=2, exposure=2 )'
• Wait for the shutter to close syscmd -l 'wait_for_shutter_close(observation=2, exposure=1 )'
• Move to 3rd dither position with a probe offset move mgp -toff=0.0,-1.46
• Expose VIRUS for 180 seconds syscmd -v -V 'expose( seconds=180, x_binning=2, y_binning=1, type="sci", object="ngc6205_095_E", observation=2, exposure=3 )'
• Wait for the shutter to close syscmd -l 'wait_for_shutter_close(observation=2, exposure=3 )'
• Move back to the start with a probe offset move mgp -toff=1.27,0.73

• Repeat the test but guiding on GC2 Be sure to change the observation number to 3
• Repeat the test but guiding on GC1 Be sure to change the observation number to 4
• Repeat the test but guiding on GC2 Be sure to change the observation number to 5

Closed dome engineering for bad weather, or while stacking:

Full set of LRS2 and VIRUS cals.

Special cals that need to be done:

• VIRUS 10 darks of 360 seconds
• 200 ldls flats
• FeAr? 1800s red x4

See and update ​longcals when done.