Useful information for observations: List of astronomical Target, Pako scripts, Real Time Analysis, Observing strategies
Contents
List of Astronomical Target for Nika January-February 2015 run11 = Open Pool3
FXD: First version (28 Dec 2014)
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
Mars, Uranus, Neptune for photometric calibration (primary calibrators) and sky field-of-view geometry (Fluxes in Jy).
FluxMars NIKA1mm= 159.587 NIKA2mm= 53.7744
FluxUranus NIKA1mm= 38.0048 NIKA2mm= 15.9300
FluxNeptune NIKA1mm= 15.3072 NIKA2mm= 6.41612
Here are the ephemeris for all planets
The near and far sidelobes could be measured with Jupiter and Saturn.
MOON RA 03:26:25.1292 Dec 15:20:21.483 Az -134.60325 El -25.02045 Sun.D. 105.3 Vel. 0.054
SUN RA 20:42:16.2775 Dec -18:13:31.527 Az -38.62256 El 24.82006 Sun.D. 0.0 Vel. 0.198
- SUN is within Sun avoidance ( 0.0 deg)
MERCURY RA 20:57:56.1869 Dec -13:56:28.998 Az -44.72209 El 26.31557 Sun.D. 5.7 Vel. -17.619
- DE= 0.67 DS= 0.32 Maj= 9.97 Min= 9.97 PA=344.46 TB=450.00 S( 100.0)= 251.71 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 50.39 Flux 237.21 Size 24.7
VENUS RA 22:14:22.6249 Dec -12:34:29.720 Az -60.78088 El 15.20882 Sun.D. 22.9 Vel. -6.603
- DE= 1.52 DS= 0.73 Maj= 10.95 Min= 10.95 PA=340.18 TB=350.00 S( 100.0)= 235.56 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 46.59 Flux 219.33 Size 24.8
MARS RA 22:56:45.3308 Dec -07:39:31.730 Az -71.70670 El 10.78045 Sun.D. 34.3 Vel. 7.832
- DE= 2.09 DS= 1.40 Maj= 4.47 Min= 4.44 PA=342.62 TB=216.19 S( 100.0)= 23.96 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 5.03 Flux 23.67 Size 24.1
JUPITER RA 09:26:22.5346 Dec 16:03:45.607 Az 130.71221 El -20.47825 Sun.D. 169.3 Vel. -4.832
- DE= 4.36 DS= 5.33 Maj= 45.17 Min= 42.24 PA= 20.27 TB=170.00 S( 100.0)= 1802.87 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 149.81 Flux 705.23 Size 35.2
SATURN RA 16:06:30.0283 Dec -18:51:42.494 Az 34.36756 El 26.30645 Sun.D. 64.9 Vel. -26.151
- DE=10.34 DS= 9.96 Maj= 16.01 Min= 14.28 PA= 1.61 TB=150.00 S( 100.0)= 190.09 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 35.29 Flux 166.15 Size 25.6
URANUS RA 00:49:27.2105 Dec 04:36:09.911 Az -98.75836 El -3.89745 Sun.D. 65.0 Vel. 27.057
- DE=20.40 DS=20.00 Maj= 3.43 Min= 3.33 PA=255.47 TB=132.00 S( 100.0)= 8.34 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 1.76 Flux 8.28 Size 24.1
NEPTUNE RA 22:32:59.4444 Dec -09:54:43.483 Az -66.01588 El 13.71879 Sun.D. 28.1 Vel. 14.265
- DE=30.83 DS=29.97 Maj= 2.17 Min= 2.12 PA=329.08 TB=125.00 S( 100.0)= 3.17 Frequency 100.0: Beam 24.0 Tmb 0.67 Flux 3.16 Size 24.0
2. Usual bright quasars
- for image quality, linearity checks, and pointing sessions and photometry
3. Secondary calibrators
- for image quality, linearity checks, and pointing sessions and photometry
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