• Normal Spacecraft Tracking
• MIT/LL is still formulating plans for installing the high frequency (1.5 to 3 GHz) feed in January 2008.
• Top priority for pointing/gain tests is installation of a better detector system, at the 43m.

• Summer student Katie Chynoweth completed her qualifying exam last week. She is applying to the NRAO pre-doctoral program, to work at GB.
• Glen gave a GBT Astrobiology talk to the Vanderbilt Faculty.

PTCS program -- John

PTCS program -- PTCS Team Leaders

• • More testing on PLC upgrade completed

• Scott and Paul configured and tested the 10 Gigabit/s Ethernet links. Got more than 1 GigaBYTE?/second throughput.
• Scott, Paul, and Ron are making good progress on software for GUPPi
• Jason and Randy are working on data transmission from iBOB to BEE2
• Ran into a problem with the BORPH operating system not correctly starting FPGA processes.
• Wrote effort requests and quarterly summary

• instrument is in GB. Weather & associated EOS/access restrictions have prevented planned cold-trapping of lines, which we aim to do today.
• new helium feed through pipes being finalized in the shop today; instrument to start cooling this evening.
• Data reduction/simulation code has been updated & tested (with some remaining to do). New scan patterns are being implented in python to facilitate mapping extended sources efficiently
• DAQ computer configured for use at GB (gb network, NFS mounting, VNC sessions); RH2.6 kernel updated to handle the PCI driver. RH2.6 does not work with GPIB which needs looking into, but we have the option of running with RH2.4 on the telescope (just not for YGOR manager tests)
• Row mapping and column mapping for YGOR manager have been sorted out (for standard LUTs only--- nonstandard has been officially descoped)
• Crate messaging MR completed, work begun
• YGOR mgr FITS writer performance characterized with 3 DFBs and is fine; needs characterization with full system.
• YGOR mgr timestamping performance tested and validated. 0.15 ms jumps every 43 seconds tentatively traced to crate master clock wrapping (this is not a problem)

Commissioning Plans -- Ron

Commissioning Plans -- Ron/D.J.

Zpectrometer came off the telescope on Tuesday, Ku-band went up. I understand that there was some problem with the Ku checkout. C-band came down. MUSTANG goes up next week.

• Nov 2 : Decision on how to proceed with traditional holography. Which receiver will we remove? When will tests start? Do we need to cut a mounting plate?
• Nov 2-15 : C-band baseline tests, C weather, and X-band baseline tests, B weather, dynamically scheduled.
• Week of Dec 3 : C-band removed
• Week of Dec 3 : Mustang installed
• Dec 7 : Telescope at access for Mustang
• Dec 8 - week of Jan 15 : Mustang tests -- dynamically scheduled, A weather, nighttime.
• Week of Jan 21 : Mustang removed, C-band installed
• Feb 3-13: SDD software tests for Feb 13 release

We supported 17 projects in 32 observing sessions, including 3 VLB runs. The telescope was scheduled for 10 hrs of PTCS/servo tests, 23.5 hrs of maintenance, 5 hr for Scal measurments and 4 hr for receiver checkouts.

The wind and snow dominated the lost time (24.3 hrs or 16.8%).

• Wind/Snow : 24.3 hrs
• Observer error: one observer/two instances 1.5 hrs, VLB script error 0.3 hrs
• Ka receiver: 0.5 hrs
• PF focus motion: 0.4 hrs
• Astrid : 0.04 hrs (2 instances)
• SP hund in aborting : 0.04 hrs

We had one observer who was a no-show. The prior observer was also the next observer and we allowed the prior observer to continue observing so that we did not have any lost time.

One observer reported RFI which turned out to actually be that the spectrometer was not setup properly. The same observer also attempted to point and focus very near the sun.

• Accomplishments:
  • Software:
    • Time usage for project/session is now recorded
    • Missing observer availability and science grade from scoring; all else done
    • swap space done; working on scheduler
    • RSS feed added for user notification
    • Rudimentary algorithm for fixed and windowed sessions
    • Eric Sessoms here this week
  • Science:
    • Nothing to report
  • Project management
    • Biweekly status meeting held
    • Working with Bill we have almost completed a hand out for AAS
    • Completed new public front page for DSS
    • Newsletter article submitted * Upcoming events
  • Software: Next release for testing Friday Dec 14
  • All: GB review Dec 13 from 9-noon; CV review Dec 14 noon-1pm

• Servo
  • Test data acquired to determine optimal tanh() coefficient for friction compensation
• Instrumentation
  • Accelerometer 4 has been installed and checked out.
• OOF Holography
  • Meeting held on OOF with Mustang
• Pointing
  • Quarterly report written.
• Traditional Holography (and small-scale surface characterization)
  • Signficantly better fits to the Q-band lunar scans are being obtained by using a more detailed lunar brightness model, and fitting for the baseline simultaneously with the surface model. Method still under development. Fitting the recent Ka/CCB lunar scans should be interesting.
  • One fast, holography-like elevation scan (4 deg in 2 minutes) was obtained to compare motions detected by Accelerometer 1 (rxCabin) with 4 (opticalCameraMount). Not yet analyzed.

%META:FILEATTACHMENT{name="run3.gif" attr="" comment="Lunar brightness model convolved with Q-band beam" date="1196980776" path="run3.gif" size="14474" user="ToddHunter" version="1.1"}%

• Operational Support:
  • BOS User Support
• C8 Plan of Record - PlanOfRecordC82007

• Accomplishments since last report:
  • Zpectrometer Tone Calibrations and linearity tests performed.
  • Zpectrometer removed from GBT
  • Project Completion punch list created.
• Upcoming activities:
  • None.
• Risks
  • None at present.
• Comments:
  • None.

Activities List

Activities List

Last Week =====

Observations for proposals BB240 , GBT07C-072, GBT07C-020, GBT05B-030, GBT07A-034, BG168 , GBT07C-044, GBT07C-033, GBT07C-045, GBT07C-067, GBT07B-003, GBT07C-057, GBT06A-015, BG170 , GBT07C-091, GBT07C-080, GBT07A-094, GBT07A-051

Completed proposals GBT07C-072, BG168, GBT07C-057, GBT07C-029

Next Week ===== Observations scheduled for ** BB240 [ P ] Geoff Bower RIPL: Radio Interferometric PLanet Search GBT07C-084 [ P ] Laura Kasian GBT Timing of a Young Highly Relativistic Binary Pulsar GBT07C-073 [F B] Joeri van Leeuwen A search for radio pulsars around low-mass white dwarfs GBT04A-040 [ P ] Steve Myers Anomalous Microwave Emission from Spinning Dust Grains? GBT07C-020 [FP ] Fernando Camilo Studying the magnetar XTE J1810-197 GBT05B-030 [ P ] Fabian Walter The Molecular Gas Content in z~6 Quasars: Probing the End of Cosmic Reionization GBT07A-034 [ P ] Jim Braatz The Megamaser Cosmology Project: A Survey for H2O Masers in SDSS and 2MRS AGNs GBT07C-044 [F ] Maura McLaughlin? Continued Radio Timing Observations of RRAT Sources GBT07B-034 [F B] Robert Ferdman Timing Binary and Millisecond Pulsars from the Parkes Multibeam Survey GBT07C-045 [ B] Shea Brown Probing Magnetic Fields on the Largest Scales GBT07C-067 [ B] Helene Courtois Bulk Motions of Filaments in the Local Universe GBT07C-068 [F B] Amy Lovell OH Observations of Short- and Long-Period Comets GBT07B-003 [ B] Neeraj Gupta Search for HI 21cm absorption in a complete sample of DLAs at z>2 GBT07A-029 [ B] Dick Crutcher A Definitive Test of Star Formation Theory GBT07C-091 [F ] Scott Ransom A Rare Mass Measurement of an Eccentric Binary Millisecond Pulsar GBT03C-028 [ P ] Fabian Walter The Molecular Gas Content in z>6 Quasars: Probing the End of Cosmic Reionization BB242 [F ] Jim Braatz The Megamaser Cosmology Project GBT07C-082 [ B] James Aguirre Searching for Dark Matter Annihilations in Draco GBT07C-060 [F ] Fernando Camilo GLAST timing at GBT: six key radio-faint pulsars GBT07A-040 [ P ] Larry Weintraub Detecting the Origin of Arcminute Scale CMB Anisotropy ** Scheduled as F-ixed, P-rimary, B-ackup

Contact Information for 12/20/2007 - 01/03/2008 =================================== Proposal PI Bands Email [NRAO contact]

Scheduled hours [backup] ==================== Category/Month-> December January Astronomy ~ 561 [396] 574 [420] Maintenance ~ 43 [051] 8 [119] Test & Comm ~ 93 107 [016] Shutdown ~ 36 0 Un-assigned ~ 12 55

Proposal Checkouts #[hrs]* ===================== Awaiting checkout - 0[0] Active checkout - 0[0] On Hold - 0[0] Schedule - 115[3339] Completed - 491[6281] * All but completed queue applies to GBT only proposals

Current backlog of Reg & RRS proposals [hours prior to 07C*] = 1056 [2005:224(11), 2006:294(14), 2007:539(23)] Backlog includes 155 hrs of monitoring projects 181 hrs of vlbi projects Total time to discharge [hours] = 6094 Includes 224 hours++ of monitoring (not Large or Spec) after trimester 07C

1. 1. 1. 1. hours of Regular & RRS proposals
         2. hours of Large proposals
         3. hours of VLBI proposals

• There were several feed changes/receiver changes on the telescope that we supported, that took most of the available maintenance time. The mechanics have several tasks they hope to catch up Friday. Weather has reduced productivity this week as well.

• We observed the telescope operate in the snow, and the track wipers tend to push the snow out between the track bolts, which is good.

• Problems which developed with the Lab Spectrometer following its relocation have now been resolved and the instrument is now fully functional.

• Ku band installed.
• C band removed.
• MUSTANG arrived.

• Thermal Analysis complete.
• Mechanical Design started.
• Mandrels for 45 twist and circular to square transistion finished.

%META:TOPICINFO{author="RichardPrestage" date="1196954906" format="1.0" version="1.1"}% %META:TOPICPARENT{name="CommissioningMeetings"}%

GBT Operations & Commissioning Meeting

07 December 2007

GB137 and by video-con from CV-Conf

AGENDA

• Upcoming Activities -- Carl
• Operations
  • Scheduling Status -- Carl
  • Observing News -- Ron
  • Commissioning Plans -- Ron
  • GBT Telescope Operations -- Bob
  • Mechanical Division Operations -- Dennis
  • Microwave Electronics Operations -- Steve
  • Digital Electronics Operations -- Randy
  • RFI Group Operations -- Carla
  • Software Operations -- Amy
  • Computing Operations -- Chris
  • Business Services -- Mike
  • 43m Operations -- Glen
• Project and Development Work
  • Dynamic Scheduling -- Karen
  • MUSTANG -- Brian
  • PTCS program -- John
  • CICADA program -- John
  • Ka-band Rx / Zpectrometer -- Galen
  • K-band Focal Plane Array -- Steve
  • Other Project Notes
• Any other Business

Upcoming Activities -- Carl

Operations

Scheduling Status -- Carl

Observing News -- Ron

Commissioning Plans -- Ron

GBT Telescope Operations -- Bob

Mechanical Division Operations -- Dennis

Microwave Electronics Operations -- Steve

Digital Electronics Operations -- Randy

RFI Group Operations -- Carla

Software Operations -- Amy

Computing Operations -- Chris

Business Services -- Mike

43m Operations -- Glen

Project and Development Work

Dynamic Scheduling -- Karen

MUSTANG -- Brian

PTCS program -- John

CICADA program -- John

Ka-band Rx / Zpectrometer -- Galen

K-band Focal Plane Array -- Steve

Other Project Notes

Any other Business

-- RichardPrestage - 06 Dec 2007