C100/WIRC Observing Procedures

1. Starting Data Reductions Computer (Rigel)

2. Start Data Acquisition Computer (Arachne)

Username: wfirc
Password: check label on the screen
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)
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\data1\wfirc\20020914_15) and click OK
In Telescope Control Window open SkyMap (under File)
In Telescope Control Window open Airmass (under File)
Go to platform when it is dark, open Camera shutter, turn ON TV Guider, and make sure 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=Js, 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 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)
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

6.1 Observing Galaxies

Set Macro=pmc2_1_9 in Camera Control Window, ObjType=astro, Object="Field name", Chip=All
Set equinox to 2000 in Telescope Control Window
In Telescope Control Window, open ObjectList Window by clicking File, selecting 'lcir_sept00.objects', and clicking Open
In ObjectList Window highlight target name, click Preview to check airmass, and click SendTo
Ask NA to slew telescope
Check that telescope coordinates match requested ccordinates
In Telescope Control Window click Zero before starting the loop and select dx=190 and dy=190
Do not apply offsets for first position
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 click on the star to bring it to the center of the box
In Camera Control Window select Filter, ExpTime and Loops according to
- Jc=120sec, Loops=1
- Hc=100sec, Loops=1
- Ks=35-45sec, Loops=3 (make sure counts are below 30000 ADUs)
You need to apply telescope offset
- Jc: 0
- Hc: -10
- Ks: 0
In Camera Control Window click EXECUTE to begin exposure
Once loop is over, click N in Telescope Control Window, find guiding star, and EXECUTE.
Repeat the previous step after offseting telescope to the West
Repeat the previous step after offseting telescope to the South
Repeat the previous step after offseting telescope to the East to bring telescope to initial position

6.2 Observing Supernovae

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="SN2002xx", Chip=All
In Camera Control Window, select Filter and ExpTime according to
- Jc<120sec
- Hc<100sec
- Ks<35-45sec (make sure counts are below 30000 ADUs)
In Camera Control Window, set Macro to:
- pmc2_1_9 for faint SNe (9 dither positions)
- pmc2_1_5 for bright SNe (5 dither positions)
In Camera Control Window, set Loop to 1-3, depending on total exposure time required
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 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 star 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
- Jc = 5 sec
- Hc = 5 sec
- Ks = 5 sec
In Camera Control Window select Macro=pmc2_1_5
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)
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:
- Jc: 5 sec (10000 cts/pixel) voltage=300
- Hc: 5 sec (15000 cts/pixel) voltage=300
- Ks: 5 sec (16000 cts/pixel) voltage=280