Back to Pool page: PoolObserving

Important: these notes are specific for observation in the Pool -- they are not the general Pako Cookbook!

(!) IMPORTANT: The bolometer is refill once every ~2 days and then backup-heterodyne projects will be observed for about 5 hours or until the bolometer temperature is cooled down - This is independent of atmospheric conditions

Bolometer Observation

Currently we are using the 117 channels MAMBO2 bolometer built at the MPfR in Bonn (Germany) by the group of Ernst Kreysa. The most important commands of the old system have been adapted to the NCS. Here is a typical starting sequence for the bolometer.

Setup the Bolometer

Pako> @wbolo ! Mambo2, central pixel 53, short onoff (onf4), setup the bolometer commands

Sources Catalog

Pako> catalog source pool ! Setup the project source catalog
Pako> catalog source ihet ! Setup the pointing/calibration source catalog

<!> Pointing sources: J1419+240 not 1419+240.

Skydip, pointing, focus

Pako>bt !Skydip at the current azimuth+start going down from high to low elevation

Do NOT use at present:

'''From Pako version 1.0.10 onwards we can also do skydips in continuus slew motion.'''

Pako> '''btslewu'''  !''Skydip at the current azimuth+start going up from low (~15º or 3.5 airmass) to high (~65º or 1.1 airmass) elevation'' [[BR]]
Pako> '''btslewd'''  !''Skydip at the current azimuth+start going down from high (~65º or 1.1 airmass) to low (~15º or 3.5 airmass) elevation''

(!) Every 2 hours in stable atmospheric condition.

<!> NOTE: For NCS testing use p90 or p120 for pointing
Pako> p40 !Short pointing for weak sources+start
Pako> p60 !Long pointing for strong sources+start
Pako> set pointing azcor elcor !Correct the pointing with azcor and elcor. Correction from MOPSIC (@p or @psn for weak source)

Pako> bf Perform the focus
Pako> set focus sfcz !Correct the focus with sfcz. Correction from MOPSIC (@f or @fsn for weak sources)
(!) Do a focus when atmospheric conditions are changing, typically after sunset/sunrise

<!> Before an Onoff, be sure you are pointing with the right pixel (20).
<!> Do a pointing before each Onoff or map if they are longer than 30 mn.

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Calibration

Calibration on a [primary|secondary] calibrator

Pako> catalog source ihet
Pako> source Calibrator_Name
Pako> p60
Pako> set pointing azcor elcor
Pako> onf4 ! Short Onoff integration (4 Subscans of 10 s) with central pixel 53

<!> You may do a short onf4 after a normal pointing to monitor the pointing source flux.

Onoff and Map

Pako>onf 20 30 !Perform an on-off integration of 20 subscans of 60s with a wobbler throw of 30"
Pako> @onf30 !Some project may have their own on-off macro

<!> Don't try to make very long integration, you may loose the complete scan. In such a case use a loop.

Pako> bsw throw !Setup the wobbler throw
Pako> bmap laz lel elstep azv !Setup an OTF map of laz azimuth length, lel elevation length, elstep elevation step and azv azimuth speed (arcsec/s).
Pako> bmapskew laz lel elstep azv skew !Setup an OTF map of laz azimuth length, lel elevation length, elstep elevation step, azv azimuth speed (arcsec/s) and a skew (step) in azimuth (arcsec).
Pako> start !Start the map after you checked it is correct (it gives you the total integration time).

<!> You should consider doing a pointing before AND after the map to check the tracking during the map.

Maps with the wobbler rotated [between -60 and 60 degrees]:

Pako> set 2nd wobblerRotation !Setup the wobbler rotation with the angle wobblerRotation [degree]
Pako> ... Do a pointing before with the wobbler rotated
Pako> bmap-rotate laz lel elstep azv wobblerRotation ! Setup an OTF map of laz azimuth length, lel elevation length, elstep elevation step, azv azimuth speed (arcsec/s) and the wobblerRotation angle [degree]
Pako> start
Pako> ... Do a pointing after the map Pako> set 2nd 0. !Setup the wobbler rotation back to zero.

<!> The speed should not be larger than ~8 arcsec/sec

NOTE:
roff20 : set the pixel 20 for on-off (most sensitive one).
roff53 : set the central pixel 53 (default with @wbolo)

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Typical Bolo Session

A typical starting session could be as following:

Pako> @wbolo
Pako> source Mars
Pako> gain 2                    ! special case for Mars,  normal gain is 10
Pako> p60
Pako> set pointing x y
Pako> bt                        !skydip
Pako> p60
Pako> set pointing 2. -6.       ! From @psn in the mopsic monitor, ask AoD.
Pako> bf                        ! focus
Pako> set focus -3.5            ! From @fsn in the mopsic monitor, ask AoD.
Pako> onf4                      ! Measure the flux of Mars or the calibrator.
Pako> gain 10.
Pako> catalog source ihet
Pako> source J0854+201           ! Pointing source
Pako> roff20                     ! Most sensitive pixel, used for onoff observations. Pixel 53 is the central pixel and used for maps
Pako> p40
Pako> set pointing 0.4 -6.4     ! From @psn in the mopsic monitor, ask AoD.
Pako> onf4                      ! Why not ?
Pako> catalog source pool       
Pako> source 0927+2001           !Project source
Pako> onf 20 35                 ! Do an on-off integration of 20 subscans of 60s
                                 ! with a wobbler throw of 35¨.
Pako> Ad Nauseam ...

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List of Commands

These commands are specific of the Pool observations with the bolometer.

Command

Description

@wbolo

Setup the default configuration and the commands.

bf

Perform a focus.

bmap Az El Elstep Azvel

Perform an OTF map with an extent Az x El (arcsec), an elevation step Elstep (arcsec) and a scan velocity Azvel (arcsec/s)

bmapskew Az El Elstep Azvel Skew

Perform an OTF map with an extent Az x El (arcsec), an elevation step Elstep (arcsec), a scan velocity Azvel (arcsec/s) and a skew in azimuth of Skew (arcsec)

bmap-rotated Az El Elstep Azvel wobblerRotation

Perform an OTF map along the direction of the wobbler throw with an extent Az x El (arcsec), an elevation step Elstep (arcsec), a scan velocity Azvel (arcsec/s) and a wobbler rotated of wobblerRotation (degree).
You must notify the operator before using the rotator

bsw Throw

Setup the wobbler Throw (arcsec).

bt

Perform a bolotip at the current azimuth.

btaz Az

Perform a bolotip at the azimuth Az.

gainVal

Setup the bolometer gain at Val: use gain 10 for all but 2 for Mars, Mercury (Venus, Saturn, Jupiter).

onf4

Quick 1 minute onoff on a strong source (calibrator).

onf Nsub Throw

Perform an onoff of Nsub subscans of 1 minute with a wobbler Throw (arcsec).

p40

Perform a pointing (40 arcsec) on a week source.

p60

Perform a pointing (60 arcsec) on a strong source. <!> To be preferred

roff20

Set the reference channel 20, the most sensitive on MAMBO2 (onoff).

roff53

Set the reference channel 53, the central one on MAMBO2 (mapping).

Heterodyne Observation

Pako scripts

<!> VESPA: Note that by default the receivers are in wide mode, except the 3mm receivers. The sky frequency that you specify appears at 598MHz in the IF which is close to the upper limit of VESPA. The receivers should be configured in narrow mode for VESPA for normal observations.

== Typical observing session

A typical observing session:

Pako> @setup-186_05-1850                   ! Setup the frequencies/receivers.
Tuning...
Pako> source Mars
Pako> pointing                             ! Check if continuum backends are set
Pako> start
Pako> set pointing -1. 2.                  ! The correction are given using the mira program
Pako> focus 2.0
Pako> start
Pako> set focus -2.2                       ! The correction is given using the mira program
Pako> cata source ihet
Pako> source J2240+245                     ! Pointing source
Pako> pointing
Pako> start
Pako> set point -1. 0.5
Pako> catalog source pool
Pako> source N821
Pako> @backends-186_05                     ! maybe included in the following macro
Pako> @target-wsw-186_05
Number of Loops= 5                         ! according the indications of the PI.
Pako> @setup-186_05-1850                   ! Setup the continuum backend.
Pako> source J2240+245
Pako> pointing
Pako> start
Pako> set point -1. 0.5
Pako> catalog source pool
Pako> source N822
Pako> @backends-186_05
Pako> @target-wsw-186_05
Number of Loops= 5
Pako> Ad Nauseam ...

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CookbookPako (last edited 2009-11-05 18:49:41 by lt-gq)