Differences between revisions 95 and 96

Please find the results of the preliminary data redution at this link.

Contents

NIKA2 Re-Commissioning: NIKA2 run 80, Cryo run 92

NIKA2 Re-Commissioning: NIKA2 run 80, Cryo run 92

Observers on-site: Miren Muñoz, Mairi Nonhebel, Kaiyi Du, Stefano Berta, Ioannis Myserlis (remote), Angel Bongiovanni

Operators: Mario Cervera (day), Sergio Amaya (night)

Organization of shifts:
23:00-05:00 LT: Stefano + Kaiyi
05:00-11:00 LT: Mairi + all
11:00:17:00 LT: Angel + all
17:00-23:00 LT: Miren + Kaiyi + all

Initialization files:
run91*.ini (previous sweep)
run92*.ini (new sweep)

Tables (from 2026/03/24 ~15:00 LT to 2025/03/31 ~10:30:00 LT)

Focus sequences
Scan nr	Target	Ar2	Ar1	Ar3	Polarized?	Notes
20260324s153-157	Uranus	0.27	1.25	1.2	no	Started at 1.0 mm; tadadada; Ar2 good fit; Ar1 and Ar3 fit is marginal
158-162	Uranus	out	1.3	1.25	no	Started at 1.5 mm; Ar1 perfect fit; Ar2 out of range
163-167	Uranus	0.28	out	out	no	Started at 0.5 mm; Ar2 perfect fit; Ar1 out of range
171-175	Uranus	out	1.22	1.18	no	started at 1.5 mm; Ar1 perfect fit; Ar2 out of range
206-210	0851+202	out	1.36	1.31	no	Started at 1.4 mm; Ar1 and Ar3 perfect fit; Ar2 out of range
20260325s20-24	3C273	out	1.46	1.43	yes	Started at 1.5 mm; Ar2 out of range
s70-74	3C345	0.74	1.5	1.44	yes	Started at 1.5mm; Ar2 using fwhm only
s91-95	3C454.3	out	1.15	1.15	yes	Started at 1.5mm
s123-127	3C84	out	0.75	0.73	yes	Started at 1.mm
s134-138	3C84	out	0.5	0.49	yes	Started at 0.6mm; Ar1&3 beams distorting.
135-139	3C84		0.5		no	started at 0.6 mm
148-152	Mercury	-0.8	0.23	bad	0.18	Started at 0.6 mm; Ar2 marginal and based on FWHM only; Ar3 based on flux only
160-164	SMA_0348-278	out	out	out	no	started at 0.3
165-169	SMA_0348-278	-0.55	out	out	no	started at 0.0 mm; Ar2 perfect fit -> adding 1.0mm for the Ar1 focus, fullstop
191-195	Uranus	0.03	1.14	1.16	no	started at 0.5 mm, Ar1 and Ar3 based on flux only
196-200	Uranus	out	0.92	0.91	no	started at 1.14 mm
203-207	Uranus	0.16	1.21	1.19	no	started at 1.1 mm
232-236	3C273	out	1.35	1.30	no	started at 1.4 mm
237-241	3C273	0.40	out	out	no	started at 0.4 to pinpoint Ar2; Ar2 based on fluxes only

Beam maps (99 sub-scans)
Scan Nr	Target	Focus	Notes
20260324s169	Uranus	1.3	Focus optimized for Ar1
20260324s177	Uranus	1.22	Focus optimized for Ar1

Polarization beam maps (95 sub-scans)
Scan Nr	Target	Focus	Notes

Calibrators (calib_1scan)
Scan Nr	Target	Focus	Notes
20260324s170	Uranus	1.3	TP, Focus optimized for Ar1
178	Uranus	1.22	TP, Focus optimized for Ar1
182	Betelgeuse	1.22	TP, Focus optimized for Ar1
20260325s25	3C273	1.46	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
64	MWC349	1.46	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
65	NGC7027	1.46	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
66	CRL2688	1.46	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
75	3C345	1.5	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
86	3C345	1.5	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
88	Mars	1.5	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
96	3C454.3	1.15	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
99	Mars	1.15	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
114	Mars	1.15	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
116	Mercury	1.15	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
128	3C84	0.75	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3
129	Uranus	0.75	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3; timelines incomplete; repeating
131	Uranus	0.75	Pol, focus optimized for Ar1&3; Ar1&3 beams a bit enhanced
142	MWC349	0.5	TP, focus optimized for Ar1&3
143	NGC7027	0.5	TP, focus optimized for Ar1&3
144	CRL2688	0.5	TP, focus optimized for Ar1&3
209	Uranus	1.21	TP, focus optimized for Ar1&3

Preliminary plan

We wish to do the following:

OK start in total power: point, focus (!), point
OK analyze focus difference between Ar1 and Ar2
OK calib_1scan, beam maps (at least 2)
OK analyze (preliminary) beam maps and produce DAFs RPPs for the new Ar3. Install the new RPPs for Ar3
OK analyze the focus difference between Ar1 and Ar3
perform many focus sequences to have some statistics
polarimetry beam maps
more total power beam maps
out of focus total power beam maps
OK total power deep field (HLS 091828), to derive the new, final NEFD of NIKA2 TP -> 4.2h on 2026/03/24
OK polarimetry deep field (3C286), to derive the new IQU NEFD of NIKA2-Pol -> 3.7h on 2026/03/25
084-25 polarimetry
140-25, 146-25 polarimetry
196-25 total power
test long subscans with our favorite, total power, 100 arcsec/s
C/2025 R3 Panstarrs, polarimetry
deep field 03h32m31.75s −27d46m51.5s, total power, 14x14 arcmin2, 100 arcsec/s
test Sgr A* polarimetry scan strategy
... other wishes ...

Tuesday, 24th March 2026

The team arrives safely to the observatory we are all thrilled and super excited to test and use the new NIKA2++!

During maintenance, the new make-imbf is transformed into the default one. From now on we will use only the new make-imbf and the old one will be kept inactive. We verify that the directory where the make-imbf wrote is now the "production" directory and that users can read its content. We also run the PIIC QL manually on a couple of old scans, of which William newly produces the files using the new make-imbf and writing them here. The QL reads and processes these scans regurlarly. Well done!

We take over after maintenance at 14:45 UT. All is ready. We start with total power (TP). And we stop at scan nr zero, because we are in the clouds and the humidity is at 100%. The rain alarm rings loud!

Progress of the day (whole team together) and night (Stefano and Kaiyi):

@17:45 UT we start!!! Total power, KIDs lost 17/8/14 (Ar3 without counting Box S)
Uranus... the moment of reckoning... pointing... both Ar2 and Ar1 are out of focus, which is promising! ... focus ... the focus difference Ar1-Ar2 is +1.0 mm.
two beam-maps on Uranus, focused on Ar1 (scans 169 and 177)
calib_1scan (170, 178, 182)
deep field (TP) on HLS091828: 12 repetitions (1 rep = 4 scans of 4 minutes each - actually it takes roughly 5.25 minutes per scan)
@00:40 UT the beam maps have been reduced, the Ar3 RPPs are ready and installed.
Now we go back to the focus sequences taken so far and we check the Ar3 focus. We update the Table above consequently.
The focus difference Ar3-Ar1 seems to be roughly -0.05 mm
@01:30 UT we switch to NIKA2-Pol. Lost KIDs 17/7/11 (Ar3 without counting Box S). The 1.5 Hz frequency peak is still there (Ar2, see image below).
the new make-imbf does not produce the files of scan 20260325s18
- explanation by Jean in the morning: This scan does not have a subscanDone syncMsg for subscan 9. Was this scan cancelled by mistake maybe, if not, then there's an NCS-related problem that resulted in an incomplete scan. SB: the scan was not cancelled.
deep field (Pol) on 3C286: 8 repetitions (1 rep = 4 scans of 5.7 minutes each - actually it takes roughly 7 minutes per scan)

Please find the results of the preliminary data redution at this link.

Wednesday, 25th March 2026

04:00-10:00 UT Mairi. This is the progress of the shift:

taking over from Stefano, letting the deep field on 3C286 finish
pointing on 3C286, Ar1 fairly circular so no need for focus
calib_1scan on 3C286
another deep field (pol) on 3C286, again 4 reps
pointing on MWC349
calib1_scan on MWC349, NGC7027, CRL2688 (s64, 65 and 66)
skydip, scan 67
pointing and focus on 3C345
switching to project 084-25, calib_1scan (s75) on 3C345
pointing on 1923+210 near science target
1 repetition on S87IRS1
pointing and calib_1scan (s86) on 3C345
pointing and calib_1scan (s88) on Mars
pointing, focus and then calib_1scan (s96) with new focus on 3C454
pointing and calib_1scan (s99) with new focus on Mars
pointing on 1923+210 near science target
set off repetition of S87IRS1 but cancelled as vertex petals closed
returned to 1923+210 for pointing, cancelled again due to petals closing
successful pointing of 1923+210 with issue seemingly resolved for now, returned to science target for repetition

10:00-16:00 UT; Mairi & Angel + Stefano

Fourth rep. on S87IRS1 successfully finished. Continuing on project 084-24. A couple of scans on IRAS23385 are intended. But problems with 2 petals of the vertex appeared again. Changing to topo high meanwhile.
Focus on 3C84 and calib_1scan maps on Uranus (s129, 129 & 131). From them and following pointing corrections, we got an enhancement of the beam for Ar1: 11.7" x 14.3". Aborting intentions.
Switching to TP, project t22. Bad KIDs (Ar1, 2, 3): 15/1000 5/574 17/749. Focus correction Ar1 even smaller: 0.5 mm. Even so, beam size Ar1 is 11.5" x 14.8".
Getting calib_1scan maps on MWC349, NGC7027 and CRL2688 (s142, 143, 144). El. ~40 deg. and setting. Skydip (scan 145). Mercury (scan ...)
after lunch very hard to focus, it takes almost 2 hours
deep field (JADES-ID1) at low elevation with scan speed 100 arcsec/s; one rep (6 scans, ~10.5 minutes each)

16:00-22:00 UT; Miren + Stefano + Kaiyi

deep field (JADES-ID1) at low elevation with scan speed 100 arcsec/s; one new rep (6 scans, ~10.5 minutes each)
not easy to focus on Uranus, but we end up adopting 1.21 mm (optimised for ar1)
calib1_scan on Uranus (209) and skydip (210)
M8182, M8182a, and M8182b observations, total power, 100 arcsec/s, to be compared to the maps obtained during the previous commissioning runs, since the upgrade of the control system

22:00 - 4:00 UT: Stefano + Kaiyi

@22:30 UT Study of main beam and side lobes for finding a focus compromise (for the distant future, if nobody will manage to fix NIKA2++) on 3C273 [see table below]

Study of side lobes (TP)

General

Ar1

Ar2

Scan nr

Target

Focus (mm)

Notes

MB %

Side lobes %

FWHM min

FWHM max