GBT Operations & Commissioning Meeting
AGENDA
Activities List
Last 3 Weeks
=============
Observations for proposals
BB240 , GBT08A-076, GBT07C-084,
GBT07C-030, GBT08A-066, GBT08A-077,
GBT07A-087, GBT07B-020, GBT08A-056,
GBT07A-066, GBT08A-057, GBT07A-101,
GBT08A-014, GBT07B-034, GBT08A-058,
GBT06C-033, GBT08A-006, GBT08A-018,
GBT07C-049, GBT07A-029, GBT05A-029,
GBT08A-082, GBT08A-083, BM270 ,
GBT08A-073, GBT07A-051, GBT07C-060
Completed proposals
GBT08A-066, GBT08A-058, GBT08A-018
Next Week
=========
Observations scheduled for **
BB251 [F ] Edo Berger
An Astrometric Search for Close Companions to
Radio Active M and L Dwarfs. A Possible Magnetic
Dynamo Mechanism?
GBT07C-072 [F ] Marcel Agueros
Detecting Pulsar Companions to Very Low-Mass
White Dwarfs
GBT07A-086 [ P ] Joel Bregman
The Detection of the Missing Baryons with the
NVII Line
GBT08A-011 [ B] Maura McLaughlin
Continued Radio Timing Observations of RRAT
Sources
GBT07C-030 [ P ] Joel Bregman
The Detection of Redshifted Hot Baryons with the
NVII Line
GBT08A-077 [F B] Fernando Camilo
Studying the magnetar XTE J1810-197
GBT07A-087 [F ] Paul Demorest
Detecting nHz Gravitational Radiation using a
Pulsar Timing Array
GBT07C-086 [ P ] Pat Thaddeus
A Survey of C6H- and C6H in Carbon Chain Sources
in the Galaxy
GBT07A-066 [ P ] Jim Braatz
The Megamaser Cosmology Project
GBT08A-056 [ P ] Simon Dicker
Observations with MUSTANG on the GBT at 3.3mm
GBT07B-034 [ B] Robert Ferdman
Timing Binary and Millisecond Pulsars from the
Parkes Multibeam Survey
GBT08A-047 [ B] Chris Carilli
First limits to the IGM during cosmic
reionization using the H 2p-2s transition
GBT08A-014 [ B] Jay Lockman
On the Trail of Smith's Cloud
GBT06C-033 [FP ] Andy Harris
A CO(1-0) Survey of Dusty Galaxies with Elusive
Redshifts
GBT08A-090 [F ] Maura McLaughlin
Contemporaneous Radio and X-ray Observations of
RRAT J1819-1458
GBT07A-029 [ B] Dick Crutcher
A Definitive Test of Star Formation Theory
GBT07C-049 [ P ] Jaime Pineda
The COMPLETE GBT Ammonia Mapping of Perseus
GBT08A-082 [ B] Min Yun
Probing Distribution and Physical
Characteristics of HI Clouds in Galaxy Halos
GBT08A-083 [F B] Daniela Goncalves
The North Celestial Pole Loop
GBT07A-094 [ B] Scott Ransom
Continued Timing of the 33 Millisecond and Binary
Pulsars in Terzan 5
GBT07A-051 [ P ] Mike Hollis
A GBT Legacy Survey of Prebiotic Molecules Toward
SgrB2(N-LMH) and TMC-1
GBT07C-060 [F ] Fernando Camilo
GLAST timing at GBT: six key radio-faint pulsars
** Scheduled as F-ixed, P-rimary, B-ackup
Contact Information for 04/10/2008 - 04/24/2008
=======================================
Proposal PI Bands Email [NRAO contact]
---------- ------------------ ----- --------------------
GBT08A-020 Jason Hessels 8 jhessels@science.uva.nl [Scott Ransom]
BB240 Geoff Bower X gbower@astro.berkeley.edu []
GBT08A-054 Esteban Araya CUK earaya@nrao.edu [D.J. Pisano]
GBT08A-021 Jeff Mangum U jmangum@nrao.edu [Paul Ruffle]
GBT07C-084 Laura Kasian LS kasian@physics.ubc.ca [Scott Ransom]
GBT07A-087 Paul Demorest S pdemores@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-077 Fernando Camilo XCS fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-033 Mike Blanton L blanton@nyu.edu [Jules Harnett]
GBT07C-030 Joel Bregman B jbregman@umich.edu [D.J. Pisano]
GBT07A-066 Jim Braatz K jbraatz@nrao.edu [Jim Braatz]
GBT07C-086 Pat Thaddeus K pthaddeus@cfa.harvard.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT08A-057 Jennifer Donovan L jen@astro.columbia.edu [Jules Harnett]
BL156 Laurent Loinard X l.loinard@astrosmo.unam.mx []
GBT08A-047 Chris Carilli L ccarilli@nrao.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT07A-101 Clive Dickinson B cdickins@astro.caltech.edu [Brian Mason]
GBT08A-014 Jay Lockman L jlockman@nrao.edu [Jay Lockman]
GBT08A-069 Jean-Luc Margot X jlm@astro.cornell.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT07C-066 Jack Hewitt C j-hewitt@northwestern.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT08A-037 Stanislav Edel S sedel@mix.wvu.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-057 Jeremy Darling C jdarling@origins.colorado.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT08A-027 Jeremy Lim B jlim@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw [D.J. Pisano]
GBT07B-025 Scott Ransom S sransom@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-039 Dana Balser C dbalser@nrao.edu [Dana Balser]
GBT07C-049 Jaime Pineda K jpineda@cfa.harvard.edu [Jules Harnett]
GBT07B-029 Michael Kramer L mkramer@jb.man.ac.uk [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-081 Kevin Bandura 8 kbandura@andrew.cmu.edu [Paul Ruffle]
GBT05C-027 Jeff Mangum QUB jmangum@nrao.edu [Dana Balser]
GBT08A-082 Min Yun L myun@astro.umass.edu [Jules Harnett]
GBT08A-072 Helene Courtois L h.courtois@ipnl.in2p3.fr [Rick Fisher]
BB242 Jim Braatz K jbraatz@nrao.edu []
GBT08A-040 Pat Thaddeus K pthaddeus@cfa.harvard.edu [Larry Morgan]
GBT07C-060 Fernando Camilo S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07A-051 Mike Hollis 3468A jan.m.hollis@nasa.gov [Larry Morgan]
Scheduled hours [backup]
========================
Category/Month-> March April May
Astronomy ~ 656 [062] 603 [473] 599 [361]
Maintenance ~ 53 17 [085] 42 [051]
Test & Comm ~ 35 56 [040] 43 [032]
Un-assigned ~ 0 44 60
Proposal Checkouts #[hrs]*
=========================
Awaiting checkout - 0[0]
Active checkout - 0[0]
On Hold - 0[0]
Schedule - 114[2583]
Completed - 537[6539]
* All but completed queue applies to GBT only proposals
Current backlog of Reg & RRS proposals [hours prior to 08A*] = 1263
[2005:63(5), 2006:207(10), 2007:993(44)]
Backlog includes 67 hrs of monitoring projects
290 hrs of vlbi projects
Total time to discharge [hours] = 4343
Includes 114 hours++ of monitoring (not Large or Spec) after trimester 08A
1696 hours of Regular & RRS proposals
2310 hours of Large proposals
338 hours of VLBI proposals
* Includes projects that are on hold for trimester 08A
++ Time is counted in other break down as well. 08A
This report covers the last two weeks of observing, which were very good weeks for us. We supported 25 projects in 68 observing sessions, including 4 VLB sessions. The telescope was scheduled for 25.5 hrs of maintenance, 4 hrs of PTCS tests (OOF with Mustang), and 2 hrs of receiver checkouts.
Of the 28 operator shifts in the last two weeks, 17 had no problems, including two unprecedented continuous and problem-free observing blocks of 72 and 60 hrs!! Lost time amounted to 6.6 hrs, about 2.1% (close but no doughnuts, maybe 
Lost time was due to:
- VNC connection problems (2 instances): 1.7 hrs
- Spectral Processor (4 instances): 1.3 hrs
- Staff No-show: 1.2 hrs
- Winds (3 instances): 0.9 hrs
- Spectrometer Setup: 0.7 hrs
- Astrid/GFM (3 instances): 0.6 hrs
- Others (Zpec software, low temperatures): 0.2 hrs
We are already trying to reduce the lost time from VNC connections by reminding observers they need to provide contact information for all observing sessions. There might be a mistake in the time reported for one of the Spectral Processor problems. We were at half speed due to low temperatures for 2.8 hrs. Toney's emails yesterday reported how we were able to scheme ourselves around a problem with CM15.
No news this week.
GBT Telescope Operations -- Bob
We were unable to change the elevator cable this week because of the rain. We will do this first thing on the first maintenance day with good weather next week.
- During routine maintenance a faulty PIN switch in CM 15 was found. There is not a spare CM, but a spare switch has been located.
- C band is ready to be installed.
- Mustang will be removed next maintenance and hauled back to UPenn.
No significant events to report this week.
RFI Group Operations -- Carla
- Operational Support:
- Online sdfits filler support
- BOS Account Reconciler support
- Fixed bug in PointingFocusCorrections (gfm)
- Helped with RXLab issue
- PlanOfRecordC22008
- PlanOfRecordC32008
- Normal Spacecraft tracking
- On Monday Bob and Kenny looked at the Feed box. Looks like adding a refrigerator door is possible.
- We'll need some shop help on Tuesday/Wednesday April 15,16 with adding the door.
- We've refined the trajectory interface and are switching from Hour-Angle dec coords to RA,Dec J2000.
- Tim W. is performing 43m Servo tests on Monday March 31. Rich Bradley is examining MIT/LL feed box in the afternoon.
- Accomplishments
- The statistical tests are now complete
- Crud 2.0, the clean up of the interface (amoungst other things) is almost complete - all that is left is unit tests and sponsor testing;
- The backlog projects are now all uploaded
- Larry is almost done with version 0 of the user's manual (will be done today)
- All material for VC meeting was submitted
- Upcoming
- Dana is coming next week to begin workign with them and looking at the effects of e.g.
- Eric will be here next week; His primary task is to complete the lookahead calendar
- Next week we will also work on completing the database so that all backlog projects can be fully uploaded
- Once Crud 2.0 and backlog ar complete, astronomers will begin going through old projects (2nd week in April)
- Concerns
- We are about 1 week behind schedule. The result is we will have less time for testing (3 weeks) before release
- We are still short staffed for the summer, but are holding out hope we will get a good applicant for our open position
MUSTANG -- Brian
- Successful MUSTANG observation tests with YGOR
- MUSTANG removal from telescope next week
- Preliminary schedule for activities surrounding removal and departure of MUSTANG for UPenn
PTCS program -- Marty
- Servo Replacement
- Multiple team review/drafting sessions on specification
- OOF Holography
- A final set of Mustang holography (for the current season) was obtained on Monday night, both with and without the new active surface actuator offset file. The new file is now active for observations.
CICADA program -- John
- GUPPI
- Set date of next Wednesday to take first observations with guppi system and 43m telescope.
- Good progress on software and firmware. 10 Gb Ethernet block remains to be integrated.
- No other CICADA work this week
- Accomplishments since last report
- Upcoming activities
- Next Week: Removal of Zpectrometer from GBT
- The final CDR report was received, commented upon, and sent to the committee.
-- RonMaddalena - 26 Mar 2008
Revision r1.16 - 28 Mar 2008 - 13:54 GMT - DennisEgan
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