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

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

New PaKo features for NIKA to be tested (2014-11)

to test these new features you have to start the PaKo test version in project t21 [or project nikas-14] on mrt-astro (!!!)

• → should start pakoDisplay and pako

• → this is the new pako version for NIKA

LISSAJOUS

Different types of Lissajous (focus, pointing, ...) can be identified by specific information in the NCS messages

Lissajous /Focus: maps at different focus positions done as subscans Lissajous /Focus uses the current focus as the reference value

Lissajous /Focus: maps at different focus positions done as subscans

• → This commands a scan with five subscans, each a lissajous curve, done with focusOffsets -2 -1 0 1 2 mm in the standard focus direction Z
  • These offsets are added to the focus value specified with SET FOCUS

• → 3 lissajous subscans with focusOffsets -1.5 0 1.5 mm in direction X

• → 3 lissajous with +2.2 -2.2 0.0 mm in direction Y

• → turn Lissajous option /focus off, i.e. command a scan with a single Lissajous curve

The values for the focus values set with SET FOCUS, the focus offsets in each subscan, and the focus direction are all in the pako/NCS XML file. ← contact HU if you need further information on this. In the NCS messages, Lissajous with /focus is distinguished from other lissajous by

<Data Name="observingMode">Lissajous</Data>
<Data Name="purpose">focus</Data>

e.g.,

<Notice LogId="scanInfo.overview" TimeStamp="2014-10-06T09:31:32.550" Process="coCS.py" Host="mrt-lx1"><Data Name="observingMode">Lissajous</Data><Data Name="sourceName">Jupiter</Data><Data Name="rx.use">E090</Data><Data Name="job">3893</Data><Data Name="purpose">focus</Data><Data Name="switcher.nPhases">1</Data><Data Name="project">tt-ncs</Data><Data Name="scanId">2014-10-06.89</Data><Data Name="p4p5">11.56 -4.2 (124 min)</Data><Data Name="rx.E090.lineName">CS(2-1)</Data><Data Name="switcher.timePerRecord">0.1</Data><Data Name="comments">my remarks</Data><Data Name="queue">tt-ncs</Data><Data Name="switcher.nCycles">1</Data><Data Name="switcher.mode">totalPower</Data><Data Name="subscans">6</Data><Data Name="switcher.timePerPhase">0.1</Data></Notice> 1272.8

observingMode and purpose are also in the XML file

NOTE: of course, the parameters (amplitude etc.) for the Lissajous curves can be specified the usual way

Lissajous /Pointing: designate Lissajous to be for Pointing

• → turn lissajous /pointing on

• → turn lissajous /pointing off

In the NCS messages lissajous with /pointing is distinguished from other lissajous by

<Data Name="observingMode">Lissajous</Data>
<Data Name="purpose">pointing</Data>

e.g,

<Notice LogId="scanInfo.overview" TimeStamp="2014-10-06T09:24:31.128" Process="coCS.py" Host="mrt-lx1"><Data Name="observingMode">Lissajous</Data><Data Name="sourceName">Jupiter</Data><Data Name="rx.use">E090</Data><Data Name="job">3892</Data><Data Name="purpose">pointing</Data><Data Name="switcher.nPhases">1</Data><Data Name="project">tt-ncs</Data><Data Name="scanId">2014-10-06.88</Data><Data Name="p4p5">11.56 -4.2 (117 min)</Data><Data Name="rx.E090.lineName">CS(2-1)</Data><Data Name="switcher.timePerRecord">0.1</Data><Data Name="comments">my remarks</Data><Data Name="queue">tt-ncs</Data><Data Name="switcher.nCycles">1</Data><Data Name="switcher.mode">totalPower</Data><Data Name="subscans">2</Data><Data Name="switcher.timePerPhase">0.1</Data></Notice> 851.3

observingMode and purpose are also in the XML file

NOTE 1: the only effect of lissajous /pointing is to set "purpose" to "pointing" in the XML and messages

NOTE 2: if neither /focus nor /pointing is selected, "purpose" in XML is set to "map"

NOTE 3: -- TBD: -- include purpose in TAPAS

allows to set "purpose" more generally, e.g., also for OTF maps.

clears (unsets) "purpose"

/TUNE

optional tune subscan as first subscan for observing modes: Lissajous, Otfmap, Pointing, Focus

• → command a Lissajous scan with a "tune" subscan before the Lissajous subscan
  • -22 and 33 are the position offsets for the tune subscan the offsets are in the system specified by /system 15 is the time for the tune subscan

• → OTFMAP with a tune subscan at the start
  • (other notes as for Lissajous)

• → POINTING with a tune subscan at the start offsets for the tune subscan are in the horizontalTrue system (same as the pointing subscans)

• → FOCUS with a tune subscan at the start
  • offsets for the tune subscan are in the horizontalTrue system

In all these 4 observing modes /tune NO turns the tune subscan off

look-up tables for Nasmyth offsets of NIKA pixels

• → clear all explicitly set offsets

• → select NIKA pixel 666
  • paKo finds Nasmyth (receiver) offsets 36.900 -27.600 [arc sec]

    in file /ncsServer/mrt/ncs/configuration/receiver/NIKAkidOffsetB.config IMPORTANT: compare notes below on configuration files

• → start a pointing scan with Nasmyth offsets 36.900 -27.600

• → start a pointing scan with Nasmyth offsets 33 -44 → offsets set explicitly with OFFSETS /system Nasmyth take priority
  • over values from look-up

NOTE 1: the sample configuration files NIKAkidOffsetA.config and NIKAkidOffsetB.config are based on those in the email from Xavier 2014-07-08

DIY- Tip

special version of the source command to do the scan at the current azimuth

in scripts for DIY tips use a source command of the form:

The special source name TipCurrentAzimuth indicates that for the execution of the scan the specified azimuth 180 [deg] will be replaced by the current azimuth.

OTFMAP short subscans

• → small tOtf is now allowed from paKo, however: NOTE: no changes have yet been made in antenna Mount Drive for the execution of subscans. Therefore the concerns in the email from Robert Zylka on 2014-06-12 remain valid.

Message W-LISSAJOUS, WARNING--CONDITION

||<#DDFF88> PAKO> set level 5 5
PAKO> lissajous /def
PAKO>||

• → the message W-LISSAJOUS, WARNING--CONDITION can be turned off with
  • set level 5 5

NOTE: NIKA configuration files / lookup tables

pako looks for configuration files first in its working directory, then in the global configuration directory /ncsServer/mrt/ncs/configuration/receiver/

This means that pako tries to find the Nasmyth offsets in the file
NIKAkidOffsetA.config
NIKAkidOffsetB.config
/ncsServer/mrt/ncs/configuration/receiver/NIKAkidOffsetA.config
/ncsServer/mrt/ncs/configuration/receiver/NIKAkidOffsetB.config

Pako stops this search as soon as it finds offsets for the selected pixel. If there are no configurations files in its working directory, it uses only the configuration files in the global directory.

In the directory /ncsServer/mrt/ncs/configuration/receiver/:

This means that NIKAkidOffsetA.config and NIKAkidOffsetB.config are (symbolic) links to NIKAkidOffsetA-v0.1.config and NIKAkidOffsetB-v0.1.config

Changes / updates to the global configuration files should be made in coordination with IRAM staff (computer group, WB).

All NIKA .config files are under RCS:

NOTE: selected known minor items remaining to be improved

• -- SET PURPOSE "" should not generate a message
  • E-SET PURPOSE, keyword "" not unique
  -- set purpose "none" should not generate a message
  • E-SET PURPOSE, keyword "none" not valid
  -- set level 5 5 should also turn off the messages
  • W-OTFMAP, WARNING--CONDITION: Elevation must be less than 64.42 [deg] W-POINTING, WARNING--CONDITION: Elevation must be less than 85.00 [deg]
  -- . . . etc