Daily Reports (2026/10/13-20, NIKA2 run 81, Cryo run 93)

Important

Pool-Account usage: Accounting of observing times

Book-keeping of important scans

Focus sequences

Beam maps

Differences between revisions 1 and 3 (spanning 2 versions)

Observers on-site: ...

AoD: ...

Operators: ...

Focus offsets shall be measured on Ar1
Pointing offsets shall be measured on Ar2

Calibration observations like pointing, focus, and calib_1scan (the latter in case of NIKA2-Pol only, aimed at characterizing the instrumental polarization) which are conducted before and during project observations are part of the project time. Note that all proposals include such overheads in the time and sensitivity estimates. This holds for total power and polarimetry observations.
Other calibration observations which are important for all projects like beam maps, skydips, or calib_1scan for absolute flux calibration may be accounted under the pool account (nikaX-YY, where X = s,w and YY = year).
When conditions are unstable and it is unclear whether project observations make sense at all, calibrations may be accounted to the pool account.

We ask you to please keep track of focus sequences (as much as possible) and beam maps (always). Thanks.

Please fill the Table with the Ar1,2,3 focus values as follows. At best, make one table per day.

Focus sequences

Polarized?

Similarly, if any beam maps (total power) are taken:

Beam maps (99 sub-scans)

Scan Nr

Target

Focus

Notes

-  ⇤ ← Revision 1 as of 2026-10-08 11:19:20 → 
  Size: 11929
  Editor: NikaBolometer
  Comment:
+   ← Revision 3 as of 2026-10-09 09:40:13 → ⇥
  Size: 2018
  Editor: NikaBolometer
  Comment:
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
 Line 3:
-= Daily Reports (2026/10/6-13, NIKA2 run 81, Cryo run 93) =
+= Daily Reports (2026/10/13-20, NIKA2 run 81, Cryo run 93) =
 Line 5:
-Observers on-site: Rémi, Giorgos, Mairi, Miren
+Observers on-site: ...
 Line 7:
-AoD: Ioannis
+AoD: ...
 Line 9:
-Operators: Pedro, Sergio
+Operators: ...
 Line 11:
-Please fill the Table with the Ar1,2,3 focus values as follows. At best, make one table per day.
 |||||||||||||| Focus sequences ||
 || Scan nr          || Target  || Ar2   || Ar1   || Ar3   || Polarized? || Notes ||
 || 20261007s25-29   ||  Mars   ||   1.85 mm   ||  1.71 mm   ||   1.70 mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs||
 || 20261007s33-37   ||  Mars   ||  1.76 mm    ||   1.63 mm  ||   1.59 mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs||
 || 20261007s43-47   ||  1156+295   ||  2 mm ||  1.75 mm  ||   1.75 mm  || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs||
 || 20261007s48-52   ||  1156+295   ||  2.2 mm     ||  1.75 mm     ||    1.8 mm   ||  no ||with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s53-57 ||  1156+295  ||  2.05 mm  ||  1.78 mm    ||  1.8 mm  ||  no ||with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s58-62 ||  1156+295  ||  2.3 mm   ||   1.85 mm   ||  1.83 mm  ||  no ||with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s65-69 ||  1641+399  ||   2.35 mm  ||   1.7 mm   ||   1.74 mm  ||  no ||with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s70-74 ||  1641+399  ||   1.9 mm  ||   1.75 mm    ||   1.75 mm  ||  no ||with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s75-79 ||  1641+399  ||  1.9 mm ||    1.69 mm || 1.71 mm ||  no || with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
 || 20261007s80-84 ||  1641+399  || 2.22 mm ||  1.93 mm  ||  1.96 mm ||  no || with run92.ini and old DAFs, with the original focus script (0.4 mm steps)||
 || 20261007s97-101 || 1641+399 ||   2mm ||    1.5mm     ||   1.52mm    ||   no    ||  with run92.ini and old DAFs, with the original focus script (0.4 mm steps), a2 not well constrained  ||
 || 20261007s162-166  || 2200+420   ||   1.05 mm    ||   0.7 mm    ||   0.71 mm     || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs ||
+== Important ==
-Line 27:
+Line 13:
- |||||||||||||| Focus sequences ||
 || Scan nr          || Target  || Ar2   || Ar1   || Ar3   || Polarized? || Notes ||
 || 20261008s1-5   ||  Uranus  ||   1.36 mm   ||  1.09 mm   ||  1.09  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs||
 || 20261008s11-15   ||  Uranus  ||   1.55 mm   ||  1.09 mm   ||  1.10  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A1 value. Not great at 2mm. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s16-20   ||  Uranus  ||   1.55 mm   ||  1.18 mm   ||  1.18  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A2 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s25-29   ||  Uranus  ||   1.51 mm   ||  1.09 mm   ||  1.11  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A1 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s31-35   ||  Uranus  ||   1.41 mm   ||  1.14 mm   ||  1.14  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A2 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s40-44   ||  Uranus  ||   1.47 mm   ||  1.09 mm   ||  1.08  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A1 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s45-49   ||  Uranus  ||   1.51 mm   ||  1.17 mm   ||  1.17  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting on A2 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s56-60   ||  Uranus  ||   1.32 mm   ||  1.11 mm   ||  1.11  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting close to A2 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s67-71   ||  Uranus  ||   1.43 mm   ||  1.05 mm   ||  1.06  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting close to A1 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s67-71   ||  0316+413  ||   1.34 mm   ||  0.99 mm   ||  0.99  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting close to A1 value. Using peak values||
 || 20261008s75-79   ||  Uranus  ||   1.43 mm   ||  1.05 mm   ||  1.06  mm   || no || with run92.ini and old DAFs. Starting close to A1 value. Using peak values||
+'''Focus offsets shall be measured on Ar1''' <<BR>>
'''Pointing offsets shall be measured on Ar2'''
-Line 41:
+Line 16:
-Similarly, if any beam maps (total power) are taken:
 |||||||| Beam maps (99 sub-scans)||
 || Scan Nr || Target || Focus || Notes ||
 || 20261007s30   ||  Mars  ||   1.71 mm (Ar1)  ||   run93, new sweep    ||
 || 20261007s39   ||  Mars  ||   1.63 mm (Ar1)  ||   run93, new sweep    ||
 || 20261007s181  ||  0316+413  || 0.8 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on ???    ||
 || 20261008s8    ||  0316+413  || 1.1 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar1    ||
 || 20261008s23    ||  Uranus  || 1.18 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar1    ||
 || 20261008s38    ||  Uranus  || 1.14 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar1    ||
 || 20261008s52    ||  Uranus  || 1.51 mm (Ar2) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar2    ||
 || 20261008s63    ||  Uranus  || 1.11 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar1    ||
 || 20261008s90    ||  Uranus  || 1.05 mm (Ar1) ||   run93, new sweep, pointing on Ar2    ||

Please keep track of sweep changes: it makes our life easier when building the DAFs/Kidpars.
 |||||||| Changes of sweep||
 || Sweep || Scan Nr || Time || Notes ||
 || OLD   || up to 20261007s29  ||   ||  for pointing & focus   ||
 || NEW   || 20261007s30   ||   ||   beammap  ||
 || OLD   || 20261007s31-38     ||       ||   for pointing & focus    ||
 || NEW   || 20261007s39   ||   ||   beammap  ||
 || OLD   ||  20261007s42- ||       ||   for pointing & focus    ||
 || NEW   || 20261007s180- ||   ||  beammap     ||
 || OLD   || 20261007s182       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||
 || NEW   || 20261008s7-  ||   ||  beammap     ||
 || OLD   || 20261008s9       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||
 || NEW   || 20261008s22-  ||   ||  beammap     ||
 || OLD   || 20261008s24       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||
 || NEW   || 20261008s37-  ||   ||  beammap     ||
 || OLD   || 20261008s39       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||
 || NEW   || 20261008s51-      ||       ||  beammap     ||
 || OLD   || 20261008s55       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||
 || NEW   || 20261008s62-      ||       ||  beammap     ||

---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - other version:''' ----
 || OLD   || 20261008s65       ||       ||   for pointing & focus     ||

---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - your version:''' ----

---- /!\ '''End of edit conflict''' ----

=== Pool-Account usage: Accounting of observing times ===
+== Pool-Account usage: Accounting of observing times ==
-Line 89:
+Line 24:
-== October 6th, 2026, Tuesday ==
-Line 91:
+Line 25:
-:30-15:30 : 3/4 observers arrived at the telescope. Rémi planned to arrive later today. Weather horrible. Maintenance ongoing.
+== Book-keeping of important scans ==
-Line 93:
+Line 27:
-Antenna parked all day, clouds, wind, and rain.
+We ask you to please keep track of focus sequences (as much as possible) and beam maps (always). Thanks.
-Line 95:
+Line 29:
-== October 7th, 2026, Wednesday ==
+=== Focus sequences ===
-Line 97:
+Line 31:
-:00LT: pointing and focus tests with old sweep (run92). Difference between Ar2 and Ar1 ~0.35 mm. Difference between Ar3 and Ar1 practically 0.
+Please fill the Table with the Ar1,2,3 focus values as follows. At best, make one table per day.
 |||||||||||||| Focus sequences ||
 || Scan nr          || Target  || Ar2   || Ar1   || Ar3   || Polarized? || Notes ||
 ||    ||    ||     ||    ||     || || ||
 ||    ||    ||     ||    ||     || || ||
 ||    ||    ||     ||    ||     || || ||
 ||    ||    ||     ||    ||     || || ||
-Line 99:
+Line 39:
-:00 - 11:30LT: new sweep by M. Calvo. We now have new run93.ini files.
+=== Beam maps ===
-Line 101:
+Line 41:
-:45LT: starting NIKA2 observations to get beammaps for the new sweep. 
Back to run92 for pointing and focus on Mars. DAQ started, lost KIDs Ar1/Ar2/Ar3: 129/6/14; traces look fine. 
Opacity between 0.3 - 0.5. Peak-to-peak in Ar2 +/- 4-5 Jy/beam. Focus differences: Ar1 - Ar2 = -0.14 mm, Ar1 - Ar3 = 0.01 mm. 

12:45LT: moving to run93 for beammaps. Lost KIDs Ar1/Ar2/Ar3: 21/8/30. To be understood if box I is lost or not.
Beammap (20261007s30) focused on Ar1.

13h25LT: back to run92 for pointing and focus before another beammap. Lost KIDs Ar1/Ar2/Ar3: 140/7/15.
Moving back to run93 for beammaps. 
Beammap (20261007s39) focused on Ar1.

14h30LT: focus tests with run92. 
Using the original focus script (with 0.4 mm step) starting from scan 20261007s80.

16h55LT: we try a mini pointing session making use of the sources in the PCCS catalogue provided by S. Berta (we have had to remove the "G" from the names in the end... 13 characters otherwise...)
Opacity is ~ 0.35 (tau225 GHz), but a lot of clouds. We can not point, p2p fluctuations @Ar2 of +/- 20 Jy/beam. 

19h00LT: We resume. Sky is stable (<5 Jy/beam) and tau around 0.3.  

Summary: 

|| ''Scan'' || '''Source'''||'''Azimuth'''||'''Elevation'''||'''tau_225GHz'''||'''Azimuth Corr.'''||'''Elevation Corr.'''||
|| 91 || 034.61+11.84 ||  164   ||  59 ||  0.3   ||  -5     ||      -5       ||
|| 92 || 039.53+28.08 || 202    || 69  ||  0.28   ||  -3 ||   -6 ||
|| 94 || 022.98+42.17    || 232  ||  53   || 0.28   ||   -3   || -7 ||
|| 96 || 1641+399     || 285 || 71 || 0.28 || -5   || -8 ||
|| 104 || 039.28+62.77    || 274 || 43 || 0.26 || -2.5   || -7 ||
|| 109  || 1641+399 || 287 || 60 || 0.28 ||  -4.5  || -9 ||
|| 141  || 071.50+55.61   || 305 || 28 || 0.24 || -2   || -4.2 ||
|| 143 || 133.77+42.32  || 351 || 21 || 0.26 || -0.5  || -5 ||
|| 145 || 141.27+25.05  || 372 || 24 || 0.27 || 0  || -2 ||
|| 147 || W3OH  || 396 || 41 || 0.26 || -2.8  || -4.2 ||
|| 154 || 121.67-05.69  || 400 || 57 || 0.26 || -6 || -4 ||
|| 157 || 112.91-09.88  || 401 ||68 || 0.26 || -6.5 || -3 ||
|| 159 || 098.48-15.81  || 402 || 84 || 0.27 || -8.7 || -1 ||
|| 161 || 2200+420  || 307 || 81 || 0.24 || -3 || -4.3 ||
||  ||   ||  ||  ||  ||   ||  ||
||'''Average'''|| || || '''??''' || '''??''' || '''??'''|| ||
||'''SD'''|| || || '''??''' || '''??'''|| '''??'''|| ||


== October 8th, 2026, Thursday ==

00:30LT Stable (=/-2 Jy/beam) and good opacity (~ 0.25). Better beammaps are needed. We move to 0316+413 for first beammaps, waiting Uranus to be high. 

1am --> 7am (Rémi) : stable weather, clear sky and opacity ~ 0.25 for the entire shift.

   * 2 beam maps on 0316+413 with focus and pointing optimized for A1, plus several pointing and focus 

   * 2 beam maps on Uranus with focus and pointing optimized for A1, plus several pointing and focus 

   * 1 beam map on Uranus with focus and pointing optimized for A2, plus several pointing and focus

   * 1 skydip (using the new sweep): scan 20261008s53 

   * 1 beam map on Uranus with focus and pointing optimized for A1, plus several pointing and focus 

  Remarks: 
   1) the focus offset difference between A1/3 and A2 is about 0.3. However, the A2 (FWHM_x x FWHM_y)^1/2 is alway >21" and the beam is elongated: at best we have ~20"x25". The shape is not the same as the one we use to have. Issue with the current DAFs? The dichroic? Lateral focus (but this should also affect A1/3)? Other?
   2) The best focus can vary by up to 0.1mm for A1/3 depending if we start from the current A1/3 or A2 value: systematic positive shift when starting with A2 value.

1am --> 7am (Giorgos) : 


---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - other version:''' ----
   * finish the beammap of Remi's shift, do a skydip, and back to old sweep

---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - your version:''' ----

---- /!\ '''End of edit conflict''' ----

---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - other version:''' ----

---- /!\ '''Edit conflict - your version:''' ----
7am --> 1pm (Giorgos) : 

   * finish the beammap of Remi's shift and back to old sweep
   * start test scans of project 092-26. Opacity increasing. Ar2 beam very elongated.


---- /!\ '''End of edit conflict''' ----


== October 9th, 2026, Friday ==

== October 10th, 2026, Saturday ==

== October 11th, 2026, Sunday ==

== October 12th, 2026, Monday ==

== October 13th, 2026, Tuesday ==
+Similarly, if any beam maps (total power) are taken:
 |||||||| Beam maps (99 sub-scans)||
 || Scan Nr || Target || Focus || Notes ||
 ||   ||   ||     ||     ||
 ||   ||   ||     ||     ||
 ||   ||   ||     ||     ||
 ||   ||   ||     ||     ||