GBT Operations & Commissioning Meeting
AGENDA
Activities List
Last Week
=========
Observations for proposals
BB240 , GBT07B-034, GBT07C-044,
GBT07C-045, GBT07B-025, GBT06C-045,
GBT07C-036, GBT05C-003, GBT07A-029,
GBT05A-029, GBT07C-029, GBT07A-050,
GBT07A-094, GBT07C-071, GBT07A-051
Next Week
=========
Observations scheduled for **
GBT07A-063 [ P ] Amanda Kepley
Magnetic Fields in Irregular Galaxies
GBT07C-084 [ B] Laura Kasian
GBT Timing of a Young Highly Relativistic Binary
Pulsar
GBT07C-062 [F B] Scott Ransom
Terrestrial-mass planets around pulsar NGC6440C?
GBT07C-020 [ B] Fernando Camilo
Studying the magnetar XTE J1810-197
GBT06C-020 [ P ] Rachel Friesen
Probing the initial conditions of star formation
in Ophiuchus
GBT07B-034 [F B] Robert Ferdman
Timing Binary and Millisecond Pulsars from the
Parkes Multibeam Survey
GBT07C-044 [F ] Maura McLaughlin
Continued Radio Timing Observations of RRAT
Sources
GBT07C-033 [F ] Jason Hessels
Follow-up Studies of Recent GBT Pulsar Discoveries
GBT07C-067 [ B] Helene Courtois
Bulk Motions of Filaments in the Local Universe
GBT07C-045 [F B] Shea Brown
Probing Magnetic Fields on the Largest Scales
GBT07B-036 [ P ] Jeff Mangum
Cyanoacetylene Densitometry of External Galaxies
GBT07B-025 [F B] Scott Ransom
Continued Timing of the Millisecond Pulsars in
M28, NGC6440 and NGC6441
GBT07C-036 [ P ] Yancy Shirley
Probing Starless Core Chemical Evolution with
Multiply Deuterated Molecules
GBT06A-049 [ P ] Tony Readhead
Definitive Detection of Excess Arcminute Scale
CMB Anisotropies
GBT05C-003 [ P ] Paul VandenBout
Search for Dense Molecular Gas at High Redshift
GBT07A-029 [FP ] Dick Crutcher
A Definitive Test of Star Formation Theory
GBT05C-026 [ P ] Tom Devlin
Polarization of 30 GHz emission from
extra-galactic sources
GBT07C-029 [ P ] Amanda Kepley
Magnetic Fields in Irregular Galaxies
GBT07A-050 [ P ] Claudia Cyganowski
Kinematics of Ionized and Molecular Gas
Associated with IR Dust Bubbles
GBT07C-071 [ P ] Antonio Hales
The 1 cm continua of HAeBe stars
GBT07A-051 [FP ] Mike Hollis
A GBT Legacy Survey of Prebiotic Molecules Toward
SgrB2(N-LMH) and TMC-1
** Scheduled as F-ixed, P-rimary, B-ackup
Contact Information for 10/25/2007 - 11/08/2007
=======================================
Proposal PI Bands Email [NRAO contact]
---------- ------------------ ----- --------------------
BB240 Geoff Bower X gbower@astro.berkeley.edu []
GBT07A-063 Amanda Kepley X kepley@astro.wisc.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT05A-040 Andrew Baker B ajbaker@physics.rutgers.edu [Dana Balser]
GBT07C-062 Scott Ransom S sransom@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-074 Jeremy Darling S jdarling@origins.colorado.edu [Ron Maddalena]
GBT07A-087 Paul Demorest 8 pdemores@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-085 Zaven Arzoumanian S zaven@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-020 Fernando Camilo S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07A-066 Jim Braatz K jbraatz@nrao.edu [Jim Braatz]
GBT07A-100 Pat Thaddeus KUX pthaddeus@cfa.harvard.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT07B-034 Robert Ferdman L ferdman@phas.ubc.ca [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-044 Maura McLaughlin 8 maura.mclaughlin@mail.wvu.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-033 Jason Hessels 8 jhessels@science.uva.nl [Scott Ransom]
GBT07A-102 Lincoln Greenhill Q greenhill@cfa.harvard.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT05C-032 Yancy Shirley B yshirley@as.arizona.edu [Ron Maddalena]
GBT07C-045 Shea Brown L brown@physics.umn.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT07C-057 Jeremy Darling L jdarling@origins.colorado.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT07B-025 Scott Ransom S sransom@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07B-036 Jeff Mangum OKXBQ jmangum@nrao.edu [D.J. Pisano]
GBT07C-068 Amy Lovell L alovell@agnesscott.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT06A-015 Sandrine Bottinell B sandrine@ifa.hawaii.edu [Dana Balser]
GBT07B-037 Farhad Yusef-Zadeh KQ zadeh@northwestern.edu [Jim Braatz]
GBT06A-049 Tony Readhead B acr@astro.caltech.edu [Brian Mason]
GBT05C-035 Andrew Baker B ajbaker@physics.rutgers.edu [Dana Balser]
GBT04B-014 Paul Kondratko K pkondratko@cfa.harvard.edu [Jim Braatz]
GBT07C-005 Jeff Mangum CU jmangum@nrao.edu [Ron Maddalena]
GBT07A-029 Dick Crutcher L crutcher@uiuc.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT05C-003 Paul VandenBout B pvandenb@nrao.edu [Ron Maddalena]
GBT07B-029 Michael Kramer L mkramer@jb.man.ac.uk [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-029 Amanda Kepley C kepley@astro.wisc.edu [Toney Minter]
GP044 Zolt Paragi C zparagi@jive.nl []
GB062 Michael Bietenholz C mbieten@yorku.ca []
GBT05C-028 Mike Hollis B jan.m.hollis@nasa.gov [Phil Jewell]
GBT07C-080 Vlad Kondratiev 8 vlad.kondratiev@mail.wvu.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-060 Fernando Camilo 8S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-082 James Aguirre L jaguirre@nrao.edu [Brian Mason]
GBT07A-051 Mike Hollis 8LSCX jan.m.hollis@nasa.gov [Larry Morgan]
Scheduled hours [backup]
========================
Category/Month-> October November December January
Astronomy ~ 618 [280] 579 [410] 558 [530] 617 [428]
Maintenance ~ 43 [034] 29 [068] 22 [068] 8 [119]
Test & Comm ~ 80 [009] 55 [032] 99 [001] 107 [016]
Shutdown ~ 0 36 36 0
Un-assigned ~ 4 24 29 12
Proposal Checkouts #[hrs]*
=========================
Awaiting checkout - 0[0]
Active checkout - 0[0]
On Hold - 0[0]
Schedule - 115[4030]
Completed - 491[6289]
* All but completed queue applies to GBT only proposals
Current backlog of Reg & RRS proposals [hours prior to 07C*] = 1421
[2005:349(14), 2006:345(16), 2007:727(30)]
Backlog includes 155 hrs of monitoring projects
196 hrs of vlbi projects
Total time to discharge [hours] = 5928
Includes 300 hours++ of monitoring (not Large or Spec) after trimester 07C
2342 hours of Regular & RRS proposals
3209 hours of Large proposals
378 hours of VLBI proposals
* Includes projects that are on hold for trimester 07C
++ Time is counted in other break down as well. 07C
We supported 15 projects in 31 observing sessions, a slightly higher load than has been typical. The telescope was also scheduled for 16 hrs of maintenance, 9.5 hrs of Zpectrometer tests, 8 hrs of PTCS pointing and servo tests, 4.5 hrs of CCB/Ka-band tests, and 3.5 hrs for Ka-band/Spectrometer commissioning and Q-band checkout.
Lost time (7.9 hrs; 5%) was higher than typical and most items require a bit of explanation:
- Unknown problem with project 7A29 : 2.5 hrs
- Zpec configuration/integration : 1.5 hrs (2 incidents)
- Spectral Processor Hangups : 1.0 hr (7 incidents)
- Cabling file : 0.9 hrs
- Spigot : 0.7 hrs
- MCB failure : 0.4 hrs
- Operator error : 0.2 hrs
- Others (Astrid, scheduling) : 0.2 hrs
For one of their many sessions, 7A29 was not seeing their strong lines. After over an hour of struggling, they finally called for support (Paul) but the cause of their problem couldn't be diagnosed. We arranged some test time during which all appeared OK. All their runs both before and after that incident have been OK.
The number of SP hangups is high only because it was heavily used this week (again, 7A29). We discovered during one of 7A29's setup that an IF module needed to be replaced. The observers noted the problem during earlier runs but had not brought the problem to our attention. So, 7A29 may have lost even more time than recorded here. Another module may also have been 'fixed' during test time.
The Zpec configuration leaves the system in a state that does not conform to what our other backends need. Two projects that followed Zpec tests lost time due to two items in the unconventional Zpec setup. Emails have been sent out to operators and support staff describing the symptoms and remedies.
The spigot problem was also reported as coming from an unknown cause and had an unknown solution. In exploring the cabling file problem, the proper practices appear to have been executed, another mystery as to why the file changes were not successfully loaded into the system.
Two thoughts here: Both observers and operators should be more aggressive in seeking aid when there appear to be problems that might arise in significant (> 30 min?) lost time. And, the Halloween gremlins have arrived earlier than usual.
This week, we finished commissioning the Ka-band receiver for both CCB (Brian M) and Spectrometer (Ron M) observing. All looks great and reports are in the works. Zpec tests went well but were frustrated by bad weather. We rearranged the telescope schedule so that the Zpec group would receive a few more hours during good weather this weekend. Everything looks to be in line for a decision on Oct 18 to 'go' with the current Ka-band design for the rest of the season.
I also had time for the final tasks in the Q-band receiver checkout. C-band was installed in preparation for recommissioning later this month. We will try to schedule C-band functional tests next week.
-
Aug 31 - Sept 15 (originally Aug 17 - Aug 30, the end of shutdown to 2 weeks later) : Contingency test time for any remaining S-, X-, and Q-band receiver checkouts. (K-band was added after these plans were formed.) One nighttime 4 hr sessions per week. Dynamically scheduled.
- Aug 31 (originally Aug 17, the end of track shutdown) : start of PTCS recommissioning of the track
- No later than Sept. 3 : K-band pumped and cooled
- No later than Sept. 10 but no sooner than 1 week after K-band is cold: K-band receiver checkout. Dynamically scheduled.
- No later than Sept 7 : Mustang removed
- Sept 28 (originally Sept 14, four weeks after the end of track shutdown) : End of PTCS recommissioning of track
- Week of Sept 17 or Sept 24 : Install Ka-band. Contingent on Aug 10 decision.
- Before Sept 24 : Ku-band removed to make room for Zpec. No need to cool Ku until it is reinstalled (Nov?). Contingent on Aug 10 decision.
- Week of Sept 24 or Oct 1: Install Zpec. Contingent on Aug 13 decision.
- No later than the week of Sept 24 : Q-band reinstalled and receiver checkout (8 hrs)
- Sept 23 - Sept 30 : SDD software tests for Oct 3 release
- Week of Sept 24, Oct 1, and Oct 8: Ka-band/Spectrometer recommissioning. Contingent on Aug 10 decision. One 8 hr sessions per week of A-class weather (nighttime, dynamically scheduled).
- Oct 1 - Oct 13 : Zpec commissioning, A and B weather, dynamically scheduled. Contingent on Aug 10 decision.
- Oct 7 - 15 : CCB/Ka testing, A-class weather (nighttime, dynamically scheduled).
- No later than week of Oct 15 : Install C-band .
- Oct 18 : Decision as to whether to continue using the Ka-band single-pol configuration. Whether to schedule 100 hrs of Zpec observing. Whether to remove Ka and convert back to old configuration. Whether to proceed with Ka/Spec/CCB observing.
- Oct 21-Nov 2 : C-band astronomical commissioning, C-class weather
- Nov 2 : C-Band observing can start
- 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, 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
GBT Telescope Operations -- Bob
* The mechanics are making progress on the re-commissioning of the 20m telescope. The feed hoist was placed back in service on Wednesday, and replacement of the focus mounting guide rods should finish on Friday. We can then check focus travel.
- C band installed this week and is ready for tests.
- Ku band HEMT amplifier installed this week.
- No significant events to report this week.
- No work was done on the Active Surface this week.
RFI Group Operations -- Carla
- PlanOfRecordC72007
- Operational support was light this week and included some SDFITS and BOS support.
Nothing to report.
- Hunting Ending Today
- Year End Complete
- Thanks to GB Ops and Tim Weadon, they had a work around, then fix to some servo errors.
- Continued space object tracking.
- Working on Real-Time trajectory interface document, have done some preliminary tests.
- Need to hold a project meeting to prioritize infrastructure improvements to the 43m.
- Accomplishments:
- Worked on initial version of web based scheduler, using some new technologies (darcs, prototype, scriptaculous, genshi, and firebug)
- Eric Sessoms was on site for the week
- Dana and Jim working on weather prediction memo and formal response to user's and external review committees
- Upcoming activities:
- Risks:
- As this is the first piece of the project, our software time estimates are still uncertain
MUSTANG -- Brian
- GB Software
- PCI/DFB parser has been incorporated into the manager.
- commanding issues being looked into
- FITS writing being worked on
- Simon working on OOF simulations
- pt407 @ cryomech diagnosed as "broken" and being fixed, shipping we hope next week.
- Cardiff will put the wideband filter and neutral density filter in the mail soon
- UPenn may get array 3 as soon as next week.
- Upcoming work at upenn
- test pt407 in test dewar
- resinstall fixed series array, reinstall thermometers in real dewar
- characterize new array, bp filters
- Only 6 weeks until we are at GB again
PTCS program -- John
- Servo
- gathered more servo data at constant acceleration to be used to derive acceleration feed forward gain
- Held a servo team meeting to go over progress and plans
- Pointing
- Offset pointing performance of PFM5c not yet complete. Preliminary analysis of a few hours of early evening data (only) shows 1.4" rms in Xel and 2.5" rms in El for source separation < 10 deg. Need to process overnight data and compare to March/April 2007 data.
- Initial, short Ka/CCB pointing run shows comparable rms LPCs to X-band. Prepoint processes 1 of 4 bands. Need to look into the best way to get it to process all four. Also, we should consider whether we want GFM to process and apply the cal data. (Is there a plan for this?)
- quarterly report drafted
- OOF holography
- Issue resolved with CV/CASA pgplot 5.3.1 rpm distribution (support for PNGs now present). All features of Bojan's Zernike-fitting code now working. Next step is a rewrite of baseline-removal code.
- quarterly report drafted
- Traditional holography
- SMA holography sample data and analysis software has been obtained from T.K. Sridharan in Cambridge (Todd's former officemate). Fred is reviewing.
- Comments received from Bojan on PTCS Project Note 59 (Lunar scan modeling and holography simulations). Fred will redo the lunar scan fits with a more accurate lunar model (perhaps from Jeff Mangum's 1993 paper) in hopes of obtaining better fits to the entire scan. Will check to see if actuator error remain the dominant term.
CICADA program -- John
- We (Jason and Randy) performed a very detailed diagnostic test of the BEE2.
- We then moved on to working with Simulink, working toward getting a XAUI link working. We first got it working on the iBOB alone, then we successfully built two projects (one for the iBOB, one for the BEE2) and connected their XAUI's together and transferred a counter value from the iBOB, through the BEE2, and back to the iBOB. That was a good end of the day yesterday.
- 2nd development workstation Xilinx and mathworks software installed. Lacks IP modules for completion, but the licenses are in hand now. Toolset will build a simple simulink model.
- Scott asked for our data collections systems to run 64 bit Linux. We currently do not use 64 bit Red hat, so Wolfgang and Scott will figure out what to use on these 2 systems.
- FPGA's for the new iBOBs are in
- Held weekly telecon
- GBT newsletter article ready for submission.
- Meeting of technical personnel to identify responsibilities and needed specifications.
BYU-20m
- Antenna successfully moved under Field System (Computer) control this week.
- Repair of focus mount going well.
- BYU Team scheduled to be here ~29 Oct - 9 Nov 2007.
-- RichardPrestage - 11 Oct 2007
Revision r1.17 - 12 Oct 2007 - 14:41 GMT - CarlBignell
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