Useful information for observations: List of astronomical Target, Pako scripts, Real Time Analysis, Observing strategies

List of Astronomical Target for Nika November 2014 run10 = Open Pool2

FXD: First version (2 Nov 2014)

Back to the NIKA OP2/run10 page

The nominal NIKA frequencies for this run are 260 and 150 GHz (ie 1.15 and 2.00 mm).

References and results are written in this private page

1. Planets and Asteroids

Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune for photometric calibration (primary calibrators) and sky field-of-view geometry.

FluxMars NIKA1mm= 230.772 NIKA2mm= 77.7652

FluxUranus NIKA1mm= 42.9928 NIKA2mm= 18.0207

FluxNeptune NIKA1mm= 16.5436 NIKA2mm= 6.93438

Here are the ephemeris for all planets

The near and far sidelobes could be measured with Jupiter and Saturn.

MOON RA 07:14:50.5779 Dec 17:03:52.553 Az -134.55002 El -22.82794 Sun.D. 120.6 Vel. 0.045

SUN RA 15:07:24.8718 Dec -17:33:00.644 Az 84.63940 El -22.71966 Sun.D. 0.0 Vel. -0.393 SUN is within Sun avoidance ( 0.0 deg)

MERCURY RA 14:10:28.1623 Dec -11:13:40.212 Az 99.25574 El -30.43942 Sun.D. 15.2 Vel. 32.562

• DE= 1.23 DS= 0.37 Maj= 5.49 Min= 5.49 PA= 26.39 TB=450.00 S( 100.0)= 76.20 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 15.90 Flux 74.83 Size 24.2

VENUS RA 15:25:48.7523 Dec -18:17:27.031 Az 81.37757 El -19.48715 Sun.D. 4.4 Vel. -1.506

• DE= 1.71 DS= 0.72 Maj= 9.77 Min= 9.77 PA= 14.85 TB=350.00 S( 100.0)= 187.68 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 37.66 Flux 177.28 Size 24.7

MARS RA 18:53:43.1517 Dec -24:20:32.821 Az 44.94284 El 13.20044 Sun.D. 52.9 Vel. 8.120

• DE= 1.74 DS= 1.39 Maj= 5.38 Min= 5.36 PA= 20.01 TB=216.88 S( 100.0)= 34.91 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 7.29 Flux 34.31 Size 24.2

JUPITER RA 09:36:15.7977 Dec 14:58:09.693 Az -169.80201 El -37.36777 Sun.D. 87.8 Vel. -27.115

• DE= 5.25 DS= 5.30 Maj= 37.51 Min= 35.08 PA= 20.93 TB=170.00 S( 100.0)= 1243.32 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 132.42 Flux 623.36 Size 32.1

SATURN RA 15:33:07.7411 Dec -17:11:01.654 Az 81.31497 El -17.42276 Sun.D. 6.1 Vel. 2.897

• DE=10.93 DS= 9.95 Maj= 15.14 Min= 13.51 PA= 0.99 TB=150.00 S( 100.0)= 170.05 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 32.01 Flux 150.71 Size 25.4

URANUS RA 00:49:43.8163 Dec 04:34:52.841 Az -58.23928 El 41.11010 Sun.D. 143.9 Vel. 17.706

• DE=19.20 DS=20.01 Maj= 3.65 Min= 3.54 PA=255.46 TB=132.00 S( 100.0)= 9.41 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 1.98 Flux 9.34 Size 24.1

NEPTUNE RA 22:27:42.9850 Dec -10:26:29.060 Az -5.97253 El 42.30363 Sun.D. 105.5 Vel. 28.863

• DE=29.69 DS=29.97 Maj= 2.26 Min= 2.20 PA=330.00 TB=125.00 S( 100.0)= 3.42 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 0.72 Flux 3.41 Size 24.0

2. Usual bright quasars

• for image quality, linearity checks, and pointing sessions and photometry

Pointing quasars

3. Secondary calibrators

• for image quality, linearity checks, and pointing sessions and photometry

Strong Sources

Here is IRAM old published report: Secondary Calibrators Lisenfeld report, and, more recent list updated till the end of the MAMBO pool in 2010: Secondary Calibrators MAMBO pool database.

Here is the full detailed formatted list Full list with fluxes, which translates to this .sou file for pako

Here is a list of IRAM pointing sources with fluxes at 3mm and 2mm (I miss fluxes at 1mm, SL) FluxForPointingSources

Performance

Expected Q and U sensitivity 1 sigma 1 hour for a point source: Spec: 2mJy, Goal 1 mJy at 1.2 mm, and half of that at 2mm

Interface with the telescope: Pako

Short manual on useful "Pako for Nika" see on Granada computers on the NIKA directory Pako_helpv17.txt

- Pako scripts are in the Pako subdirectory

- Before starting the pointing session, we may be requested to move the azimuth by 60deg to reset the inclinometer of the az axis.

- Always stay at more that 1 deg from the Sun. There are internal safeties that prevent the antenna to point to the Sun, but we may not get error messages.

- try to get sources uniformly distributed on the sky, hence give priority to high elevation sources that are usually harder to reach.

- Do one focus at the beginning. No need to do more focus than one every 2-3hours.

The antenna can point between 60 and 460 degrees in azimuth, between 20 and 80 degrees in elevation.

- If a source is available both at low and high azimuth, use command SET TOPO LOW (or SET TOPO HIGH) to stay on the source without moving.

- The minimum number of sources to observe for the pointing model is 15. 30 is good enough.

- the pointing sources should be observed on 'short' period, e.g. 3-4 hours to avoid daily pointing variations