NIKA run #4 (28 May - 5 June 2012)

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Goals of the run

Test the NIKA prototype in its final position in the Nasmyth cabin of the 30m telescope. Full characterization of the system on sky, not an astronomical oriented run.

1. Test the new NIKA optics that should have better optical quality and less optical distortion.
2. Test the new IRAM optics designed to allow NIKA and GISMO to co-exist as permanent guest continuum receivers. Simply turning the mirror M4 to 2 different positions can allow using the two instruments alternatively.
3. Qualify the 1mm channel. The band-pass filters have been modified that should allow three times more photons on the Kids than on run3.
4. Test the quick-look offline processing scripts: Raw to fits, fits to IMBfits, IMBfits to plots (via Mopsic).
5. Test automation of Kid tunings.
6. Suppress the electronic cross-talk that induced common glitches and the Mars “plateau”....
7. Have a training session on how to start the NIKA cryogenics.
8. Test detectors with a better cosmetics (many missing pixels in the last run).
9. Test more canonical procedures (Focus, Skydip).

Preparation and run schedule

Details of the run preparation and plan

Telescope Schedule

Summary schedule of the run:

|| Dates || Main Event ||

|| 31.05. Thursday || ~ 2 hours telescope time required for test and preparation (alignment…)||

Staffing of the run

* NIKA staff

• Samuel Leclercq (coordinator), IRAM/Grenoble, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• Robert Zylka, IRAM/Grenoble, single room.
• Alain Benoit (PI), Institut Néel, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• Martino Calvo, Institut Néel, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• Philippe Camus, Institut Néel, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• Juan Macias-Perez, LPSC, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• François-Xavier Désert, IPAG, shared room/hotel Kenia.
• Nicolas Ponthieu, IPAG, shared room/hotel Kenia.

• IRAM/Granada:
  • 2 rooms: Operators: Juan / Salvador.
  • 1 room: Astronomers of Duty: Sandra / Nicolas.
  • 2 rooms: cooks and cleaning personal.
  • 1 room: receiver engineer.
  • 2 rooms: several from various groups.
• Visitors astronomers (heterodynes):
  • 2 rooms.

The total number of rooms at the Pico is 14 => always full with above room attribution + at least one hotel room.

For more details on traveling and presences dates see the color table of the NIKA staff schedule.

Detectors information

COMMON FILTERS: IR-blockers at 150 K and 50 K; 13 cm-1 low-pass at 50 K; 11 cm-1 low-pass at 4 K; 10 cm-1 low-pass at 1 K.

BAND 1.25 mm (dichroic in transmission) - NICA_8e (224 pixels array, Hilbert dual-polarisation design, pixels pitch 1.6mm on both x and y <=> 0.8 Fλ), 20-25nm (IRAM film), substrate 0.18 mm, backshort 0.47-0.49 mm. Amplifier SiGe Caltech LF4 (S/N 84, IRAM batch, Vd = 1.5 V). From laboratory measurements we estimate an NET of about 2-3 mK/sqrt(Hz) per pixel at 1 Hz. Central frequency 240-250 GHz (measured with the MpI). Resonances at 1.9-2.6 GHz (about 100 resonances, at the center, within the ROACH electronics band of 275 MHz). Two almost equivalent arrays are available (small differences in film thickness and backshort). Final decision will be made just before the run.

BAND 2 mm (dichroic in reflection + 5.7 cm-1 low-pass + 3.9 cm-1 high-pass) - NICA_8c (132 pixels array, Hilbert dual-polarisation design, pixels pitch 2.3 mm on both x and y <=> 0.77 Fλ with the current optics), 20 nm (IRAM film), substrate 0.3 mm, backshort 0.7 mm. Amplifier SiGe Caltech LF4 (S/N 70, IRAM batch, Vd = 1.5 V). From laboratory measurements we estimate an NET of about 3-5 mK/sqrt(Hz) per pixel. Resonances at 1.3-1.5 GHz. Three almost equivalent arrays are available (same thickness, same backshort). One easy option is to use the same array mounted in 2011.

FOV = 2.3’ diameter for each of the arrays if fully used (rq: potential of the new optical system & cryostat = 2.8’).

Day to day log book of observations

ObsLogBook

Offline processing results

Offline processing

Daily reports