Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics FLWO Ridge Telescopes Periodic Report Issue No. 8, March 2008

The present memo is another report from the F. L. Whipple Observatory. We chronicle FLWO activities and the status and progress of telescopes, instruments and related equipment. The telescopes involved are the 1.5m Tillinghast, the 1.2m, the 1.3m PAIRITEL and the HATs. This belated report covers the period Dec 2006-Mar 2008. All issues of these reports are posted at tdc-www.harvard.edu/flworeport/.

If you have any comments, or for further information on any of the projects below, please contact us.

Telescope projects:

1. The FTS chiller system for the primary mirror has continued performing well since Spring 2003. The system maintains the mirror temperatures within about 0.2C of the telescope chamber ambient temperature under observing conditions (see the link to temperatures on the 1.2m web page). The chiller has been operating at high efficiency since its upgrade in early Feb 2006.

2. Remote observing remains popular. Observers who plan to observe remotely should ensure to read the documentation and to contact the staff well before their scheduled runs. It is essential for observers who have never conducted remote observing, who are changing configurations, or who have not used the system in the past year to conduct a dry run of their computer platform before the start of their observations.

3. Installation of the telescope safety brakes was completed in September 2006. These brakes are a fail-safe system, to be applied only when a user pushes a panic button. The system consists of a pump that maintains N2 pressure to the brakes (keeping them off) until a panic button is pressed. We will enable the system as we approach completion of the automation project.

4. We are proceeding with automation of the 1.2m, to allow queued operation similar to that of PAIRITEL. We expect we will have several components ready after the 2008 summer shutdown. We are currently planning software development for queued observations.

Instrument projects:

1. The Keplercam CCD camera continued performing extremely well. There were two episodes early in 2008, when the CCD temperature control failed to maintain the temperature at operating values. However, the problems were solved in time so there was no need for a "bake."

2. In November 2007, the new U filter was found to be leaking CuSO4, which blocks the "red leak." Custom Scientific repaired the filter at no cost; it has been available again since 02/04/08.

3. PAIRITEL is now available to the CfA community for IR observations instead of the decommissioned Stelircam.

Telescope status and projects:

1. We monitor the sensitivity of FAST and the telescope optics by observing a small set of standard stars with a 5" slit and the 300gpm grating. Visit www.sao.arizona.edu/FLWO/60/fast/fast_updates.html for details.

2. We re-aluminized the primary mirror during the 2007 shutdown. We used the UA Sunnyside facility as usual. Because of their time constraints, we did not have a chance to also re-aluminize the secondary, but its appearance remains quite good. The quality of the coating was excellent.

3. Dial indicators are now mounted permanently on the cell, to show any motion of the primary relative to the cell. These proved useful as we optimized the collimation of the telescope in November 2007. The primary had not been in an optimal position which degraded the throughput. It is now back to the expected throughput.

Instrument status and projects:

1. The FAST3 CCD for FAST has performed very well. There were two inadvertent warm-ups that required baking the CCD, but it returned to its previous high sensitivity.

2. The Echelle continued producing useful data, with only occasional, relatively minor hiccups. In the near future, it will be replaced with TRES.

3. The new high-throughput, fiber-fed TRES (Tillinghast Reflection Echelle Spectrograph) saw first light in June 2007, thanks to the leadership of Andy Szentgyorgyi and Gabor Furesz. Working with Gabor, Ted Groner developed software required for the CCD, the TCS interface and the motorized instrument stages. Wayne Peters configured a controller for a stepper motor, along with an encoder, limit switch, and power supply. Doug Mink wrote quick-reduction scripts to allow the observer to examine the data at the telescope and is working with Gabor on a reductions pipeline to process the data in Cambridge. TRES is now available as a facility instrument that observers can propose to use.

4. Deb Woods modified the WFS that she built for the 1.2m, to use it on the 1.5m telescope. It saw first light on 10/15/07, but a detailed analysis of the data remains to be completed. Because of the difficulties with the software we have used, we are pursuing acquisition of an upgrade to our existing software key for Sensoft (made by SpotOptics for their Puntino Shack-Hartmann WFS). We expect to use the WFS regularly to monitor the collimation.

Telescope status and projects:

1. The robotic telescope continues performing extremely well, performing queued observations.

2. The Vaisala WXT510 weather station has replaced the less reliable RainWise unit, thanks to software by Dan Starr and Josh Bloom. Wayne Peters has been tracking problems with the rain sensing in this and the MEarth unit, but these units are reliable for measurements of wind speed and direction, relative humidity and temperature.

3. PAIRITEL joined the other Ridge telescopes as a FLWO facility telescope. Josh Bloom (at Berkeley) remains PI of the project and continues overseeing PAIRITEL operations and data flow, while FLWO staff provide maintenance and support with observations as needed. The operations remain automatic and queue-based. Observers may now submit proposals to the CfA TAC to use PAIRITEL. CfA has an allocation of 48% of the time available, Berkeley (Josh Bloom et al.) 48% and U. of Virginia 4% (Mike Skrutskie).

1. Gaspar Bakos continued regular observations with the HATNet, including the FLWO HATs.

2. 7 transiting planets, HAT-P-1b through HAT-P-7b have been confirmed and published since 2006, with more in the pipeline.

3. The program to monitor sky brightness (see previous FLWO Reports) and monitor the effect of light pollution continues.

The telescopes are being installed in the old APT building, which includes a spacious chamber with a roll-off roof. Preparations, starting with cleanup of the building which had become a warehouse, started in fall 2007. Currently, 2 of the telescopes are installed and undergoing tests. The telescopes and their CCD cameras are being integrated as a robotic system. We expect the full system to be in use within the next few months.

Wayne Peters and Bob Hutchins have led activities such as running optical fiber, purchasing and installing data communications, designing and installing controls for the roll-off roof, and installing a new Vaisala WXT510 weather station, with EF coordinating. Support staff, including Rodger Harris, Dennis Jankovsky and Dave Martina were essential in many of the steps necessary for the success achieved so far. We expect that once the system is running, the impact on the ridge staff will be minor.

1. Please refer to the MMT's own quarterly report.

2. Mike Calkins and Perry Berlind continued assisting production observations as fiber-Meisters and all-around observers with Hectospec and Hectochelle. They occasionally assisted with Megacam observations. That has meant requesting that observers, especially graduate students, come to FLWO to observe with FAST, the Echelle and TRES. We are thankful to the many dedicated observers who have been willing to travel here. But we will continue needing help.

3. Ridge staff continued providing assistance with SAO instrument and computer and network installation and maintenance, as required.

1. We continue to update online documentation as changes occur, often thanks to observers' comments.

2. Mike Calkins continues serving as safety officer and Perry Berlind as property officer.

3. Dan Brocious and EF continued working on containing light pollution. See www.sao.arizona.edu/FLWO/whipple.html for updates on our efforts to contain light pollution near FLWO. Santa Cruz County is about to adopt the updated outdoor lighting code that we (EF and DB) have proposed. We developed the code with county staff assistance over the past 3 years. The code is a greatly simplified version of the Pima County code, adapted for the much smaller Santa Cruz County. The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) considered it in a study session on 02/21/08. It was well received, so the next step is a public hearing with P&Z on 03/27/08, where it will likely be approved, and the final step after that will be an appearance at a Board of Supervisors hearing where we hope for adoption.

Several new projects likely will have a significant impact on FLWO:

a) Proposed developments in Santa Cruz County, just south of Amado: Las Mesas and Sopori. These could bring over 10,000 new houses and commercial areas.

b) Commercial development in the Sahuarita area just north of Green Valley continued, including the Rancho Sahuarita shopping district, with a new 195,000 sq. ft. Fry's supermarket.

c) Augusta Resources of Canada has proposed a new open-pit copper mine (Rosemont) in the Santa Rita mountains, about 10 miles NE of FLWO in Pima County. The proposal has encountered significant opposition, see www.scenicsantaritas.org. It has also prompted Congressional action toward modifying the outdated 1872 mining law. As the mine would use Coronado National Forest land, the Forest Service, as required by regulations, is currently proceeding with the NEPA process.

d) Border Patrol activities including a permanent checkpoint on the I-19 freeway in the Amado area, with extremely bright lighting.