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Procedure: Afternoon Activities
1. Check Schedules...
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Check technicians' support
schedule.
Determine if operations are limited, and responsibilities for opening
enclosure prior to sunset.
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Monitor
current
and
forecast
weather trends:
-
If LGS operations
scheduled, then before 16:00 on a weekday:
2. Verify Instrument Status...
3. Data Management...
If new observing run, then:
4. Enable System...
-
Execute the following command (enables brushless motors,
which can be vulnerable
to power fluctuations, and sets them to default positions):
user@shimmy /u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/daily_startup.tcl
Alternatively, in ShaneAO loop control GUI (saocon_gui):
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Use Instrument setups option to load approprate
configuration, e.g. ngs16cog
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Verify/set NGS mode explicitly via Python
prompt >>> ngs()
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Verify/set WFS camera rate, WFScam rate(Hz) to 250 Hz,
e.g. via Python prompt >>> rate(250)
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Verify/set TT Cam rate, TTcam rate(Hz)to 500 Hz,
e.g. via Python prompt >>> ttrate(500)
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Optional: Initialize software via Python prompt >>>
e.g. init(16)
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Optional: Enable woofer communications via Python
prompt >>> woof('on')
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Optional: Enable tweeter communications via Python
prompt >>> mems('on')
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Optional: Set centroiding algorithm e.g. via Python
prompt >>> cent('bin')
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Optional: Load appropriate refcent file via Python
prompt >>> e.g. refcent('data/hs-2014-08-13-BINQUAD_16xLGS.fits')
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In ShaneAO motor control GUI (saomot_gui):
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Verify/set TT Dichroic to Splitter
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Verify/set Lenslet to 16x
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In ShaneAO Power Controls GUI (saopower_ui),
verify/set the following:
| B5 |
Woofer |
ON |
| B6 |
Heartbeat failsafe |
ON |
| B7 |
635nm laser diode |
OFF |
| B8 |
White light |
OFF |
| C4 |
Argon Lamp |
OFF |
| C7 |
Galil 7 |
ON |
5. Align...
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Refresh mirror shape: Over time, successively saved mirror
flats acquire more and more problems. Therefore, periodically (every
few days, or more frequently if needed), the mirror status must be
refreshed by commanding the actuator voltages on both Woofer and
Tweeter to go to zero in 2 sequential phases.
In ShaneAO loop control GUI:
- Actions...
- Shape...
- Go to bias zero
- Actions...
- Shape...
- Go to zero
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Align and acquire new mirror flat:
-
In ShaneAO motor controls GUI (saomot_gui):
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Verify/set TT Dichroic to Splitter
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Insert calibration stage into the beam.
|
Cal X
|
White Light
|
|
Cal Y
|
Open or White Light
|
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Ensure the White light source is OFF,
via ShaneAO Power Controls GUI:
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Acquire new background sample:
WFS camera dark background,
via ShaneAO loop control GUI.
Alternatively (via Python prompt): dark()
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Illuminate the White light source,
via ShaneAO Power Controls GUI:
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Close WFS loop (Gain=0.2 for 16x;
Gain=0.1 for 8x),
via ShaneAO loop control GUI.
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Ensure woofer values ty and tx are each
less than 1.0 via ShaneAO - peeko GUI
(peeko).
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Adjust
Cal X and Cal Y stages in order for
ty and tx to converge to zero,
via ShaneAO motor control GUI (saomot_gui):
Cal X adjusts ty,
recommended move size: 150 load encoder counts.
Cal Y adjusts tx,
recommended move size: 5 load encoder counts.
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In ShaneAO loop control GUI, acquire new mirror flat:
- Actions...
- Shape...
- Save as flat
Alternatively (via Python prompt >>>) save_flat()
This should set the foc: value in
the ShaneAO - peeko GUI near to the expected value
of approximately +2.00 (+/- 1.5).
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Ensure Loops open on completion.
6. Reference Centroids...
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In ShARCS wheel control GUI (saowheels_gui),
set the following:
| Filter #1 |
Open |
| Filter #2 |
FeII |
| Filter #3 |
Open |
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Ensure the White light source is OFF,
via ShaneAO Power Controls GUI:
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In sharcs_fe GUI, set:
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Exposure 0.11 seconds.
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Ncoadds 3.
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Window: Select Windows..., Window...
In resulting Sharcs Window GUI, set the following:
start x: 1085
end x: 1184
start y: 700
end y: 799
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In ShaneAO loop control GUI, acquire new background
sample: WFS camera dark background.
Alternatively dark()
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In ShaneAO Power Controls GUI,
illuminate the White light source:
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In ShaneAO loop control GUI, close WFS loop.
Alternatively close() or gain(0.2),
where 0.3 is the Tweeter+woofer gain.
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In Image Browser GUI, ensure fwhm tool is enabled.
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In sharcs_fe GUI, take exposure: Expose
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In sharcsdisp GUI,
inspect resulting image for Airy rings, circularity, aberrations.
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Sample performance of ShaneAO + ShARCS for each mode:
16x COG
16x BINQUAD
(16x QUAD)
8x COG
8x BINQUAD
(8x QUAD)
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In sharcsdisplay terminal:
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Inspect values of (x / y)fwhm" for
circularity and optimization.
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Inspect values of strehl ratio for optimization.
If strehl ≤ 0.56
perform Image Sharpening using scriptproc.tcl GUI.
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Record optimizations:
Shane Adaptive Optics Optimization.
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On completion, ensure Loops open.
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Ensure the White light source is OFF, via ShaneAO Power Controls GUI:
7. Disable System...
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Execute the following command (disables brushless motors,
making them less vulnerable to power fluctuations):
user@shimmy /u/user/observers/lgs/scripts/daily_shutdown.tcl
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In ShaneAO Power Controls GUI (saopower_ui),
verify/set the following:
| B5 |
Woofer |
OFF |
| B6 |
Heartbeat failsafe |
OFF |
| B7 |
635nm laser diode |
OFF |
| B8 |
White light |
OFF |
| C4 |
Argon Lamp |
OFF |
| C7 |
Galil 7 |
OFF |
8. Junk Files...
The ShARCS detector/electronics has the property that when the windowed is
re-sized from a small area to a larger or full frame, spurious electronic
signal/noise is introduced into the first data frame following the geometry
change.
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In sharcs_fe GUI, set:
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Exposure 1.5 seconds.
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Ncoadds 1.
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Window: Select Windows..., Window...,
Full
In the resulting Sharcs Window, the geometry should be
the following:
start x: 0
end x: 2047
start y: 0
end y: 2047
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Acquire at least one exposure with Object specified
as "Junk".
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Delete Exposure Information: Select Take Darks...,
Delete Exp Info..., Reload
9. Dome Flat Fields & Calibrations...
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Verify status of Shane 3-m Telescope Mirror Cover and Lights.
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Verify/set diagnonal mirror sdiagmir_fe to
position 3.
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Remove calibration stage from the beam,
via ShaneAO motor controls GUI (saomot_gui):
| Cal X |
White Light |
| Cal Y |
Open |
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In ShARCS wheel control GUI (saowheels_gui),
configure filter(s) and acquire dome flat field exposures:
| J |
Red |
60.0(2025-07-10) |
| H |
Red |
20.0(2025-07-10) |
| Ks |
Red |
12.0(2025-07-10) |
| BrG-2.16 |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
8.0(2025-07-10) |
| FeII |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
1.5(Pre-2020) |
| J + CH4-1.2 |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
6.0(2025-07-10) |
| J + CH4-1.2 + ND2 |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
240.0(2025-07-10) |
| H2-2.122 |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
1.5(Pre-2020) |
| CH4-2.4 |
Blue |
6.0(Pre-2020) |
| J + ND |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
24.0(2025-07-10) |
| BrG-2.16 + ND2 |
Sup_Blue Dimmer [100] |
160.0(2025-07-10) |
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Optional: Acquire accompanying Darks.
10. Sky Flat Fields & Calibrations...
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Configure ShaneAO and ShARCS for sky calibrations and arrange for
enclosure to be
opened, e.g. via electronic mail to: mh-techs@ucolick.org.
Optionally, circulate to shane-observers@ucolick.org,
notifying of any acquired
dome flat fields and/or dark frame calibrations:
Subject: Conditions permitting, please open 3m + M1 cover ca 1-hr pre-sunset
Conditions permitting, please open Shane enclosure and mirror cover circa 1-hour before sunset to enable enclosure to thermalize and (if desired) observer(s) to acquire sky flat fields.
System is configured for sky flat fields, pending input of observer contact information.
Expect to commence on-sky optimization circa 20--30 minutes post-sunset.
Scheduled observers: Please note the following afternoon calibrations:
0XXX--0XXX Dome Flat J 60.0 s counts~10000 (Red lamp).
0XXX--0XXX Dome Flat H 12.0 s counts~11000 (Red lamp).
0XXX--0XXX Dome Flat BrG-2.16 3.0 s counts~13000--14000 (Sup Blue Dimmer 100%).
0XXX--0XXX Dark 3.0 s.
0XXX--0XXX Dark 12.0 s.
0XXX--0XXX Dark 18.0 s.
0XXX--0XXX Dark 60.0 s.
11. Process PAM Files...
If LGS operations scheduled, process Predictive Avoidance
Authorization Message (PAM) files.
It is important to process PAM files promptly (before 16:00) to allow for
Laser Clearing House (LCH) to be contacted for a resolution during regular
business hours.
Normal LCH hours are 08:00--17:00 PT Mo-Fr.
(805) 605-4763 or (805) 606-7410.
For emergency actions outside regular business hours the phone number is
(805) 605-3514 to request on-call support.
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Save PAM files and copy to appropriate destination, e.g:
PAM_Lick_589nm_13kHz_T-003_30JUN2023_For_JDAY185_AZEL-1.txt;
PAM_Lick_589nm_13kHz_T-003_30JUN2023_For_JDAY185_RADEC-1.txt;
PAM_Lick_LLAMAS_355nm_T-000_23AUG2023_For_JDAY236_AZEL-1.txt;
PAM_Lick_LLAMAS_355nm_T-000_23AUG2023_For_JDAY236_RADEC-1.txt;
PAM_Lick_Arete_589nm_T-000_17MAR2025_For_JDAY077_AZEL-1.txt;
PAM_Lick_Arete_589nm_T-000_17MAR2025_For_JDAY077_RADEC-1.txt
and copy to appropriate destination:
scp PAM_Lick_*589*_JDAYXXX_*.txt user@shimmy.ucolick.org:/u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/
or,
scp PAM_Lick_LLAMAS_JDAYXXX_*.txt user@noir.ucolick.org:/u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/
- Parse PAM files:
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_*_JDAYXXX_AZEL-1.txt
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_*_JDAYXXX_RADEC-1.txt
user@noir.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_LLAMAS*_JDAYXXX_AZEL-1.txt
user@noir.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_LLAMAS*_JDAYXXX_RADEC-1.txt
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse-Arete /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_Arete*_JDAYXXX_AZEL-1.txt
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmParse-Arete /u/user/observers/lgs/PAM/PAM_Lick_Arete*_JDAYXXX_RADEC-1.txt
- Check UT date vs JDAY:
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmCheck 2023MonXXUT
user@noir.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmCheck 2023MonXXUT
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmCheck-Arete 2025MonXXUT
- Match object names for UT date:
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmNames 2023MonXXUT
user@noir.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmNames 2023MonXXUT
user@shimmy.ucolick.org: /usr/local/lick/bin/lsmNames-Arete 2025MonXXUT
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Monitor electronic mail for notifications of additional closures due to
recent space events, circulated to mh-laser.ucolick.org.
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