Useful information for observations

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List of Astronomical Targets for NIKA2 (from NIKA2R1.sou)

last edited by CK 1-Mar-2016, FXD 14-SEP-2016, LP 20-JAN-2017

Here is the full detailed formatted list Full list with some fluxes. Rename it to NIKA2R5.sou to use it in Pako.

For Run6 onward, there is the detailed list file which is converted to a source file in the pako directory as NIKA2R6.sou .

LST coverage created for JAN-2017

  1. Planets planets

  2. Strong Galactic sources for OCT-2016 Strong Gal. Sources

  3. Strong pointing sources for OCT-2016 Strong Pointing Sources see also Strong_point_sources_4oct.png

  4. Secondary Calibrators (from Lisenfeld+2000) for OCT-2016 Secondary_calibrators_4oct.png

From previous runs:

Details on planets and asteroids

Uranus and Neptune are well known primary calibrators for photometric calibration and for beam maps. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn can be used for the errorbeams or to map the satellites.

Rough fluxes from Gildas (as for the 10th of October), FXD 14/9/2016

The following table gives only rough numbers for the fluxes. Note that some are varying in R.A./Dec, distance, flux and brightness temperature.

Name

Right Ascension

Declination

Diam (arcsec)

Flux @ 1.15 mm Jy

Flux @ 2.00 mm

TB K

MERCURY

11:51:44.9196

02:56:00.150

5.93 x 5.93

597.5

200.1

450

VENUS

14:47:06.2781

-16:34:10.983

12.35 x 12.35

2591.6

867.7

350

MARS

18:23:47.8701

-25:40:05.564

8.56 x 8.52

586.4

197.6

216.19

JUPITER

12:22:15.7663

-01:12:49.785

30.56 x 28.58

170

SATURN

16:42:35.4635

-20:48:14.213

15.74 x 14.04

150

URANUS

01:25:44.5719

08:18:55.917

3.69 x 3.58

43.96

18.42

93 @1mm, 113 @2mm

NEPTUNE

22:46:40.7347

-08:42:41.192

2.30 x 2.24

17.143

7.185

93 @1mm, 113 @2mm (yes, same as Uranus)

Accurate fluxes

For accurate fluxes, use the following predictions from recent planetary models:

For asteroids, please check the information compiled here on the Pointing sources and calibrators wiki page by IH.

Fluxes of quasars used as pointing source

IRAM conducts several observatory programs at the 30-m Pico Veleta telescope to monitor the time variability of extragalactic continuum sources. A webpage dedicated to these flux monitoring programs has been created. The fluxes are mainly monitored at 3 and 2 mm, but there's also several 1 mm measurements.


Interface with the telescope: Pako

Short manual on useful "Pako for Nika" see on Granada computers on the NIKA directory Pako_helpv??.txt ==> Obsolete. Has been replaced by much simpler procedures listed on the control computers screen wallpaper:

NIKA2_Wallpaper.PNG

- 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.

- 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.

Commissioning requirements and observations plan

see the private wiki

ListOfAstroTargetNika2Run8 (last edited 2017-01-20 15:28:38 by NikaBolometer)