GBT Operations & Commissioning Meeting
AGENDA
Activities List
Last Week
=========
Observations for proposals
GBT08A-020, GBT08A-054, GBT07C-084,
GBT08A-043, GBT08A-021, GBT07B-031,
GBT08A-077, GBT07B-020, GBT08A-011,
GBT08A-014, GBT07B-034, GBT06A-013,
GBT08A-015, GBT07C-014, GBT07B-037,
GBT08A-017, GBT07B-029, GBT08A-072,
GBT08A-073, GBT08A-062, GBT07C-060
Completed proposals
GBT07B-031, GBT07B-020, GBT08A-011,
GBT07B-034, GBT06A-013, GBT08A-015,
GBT07B-037, GBT08A-017, GBT08A-072
Next Week
=========
Observations scheduled for **
GBT08A-020 [F ] Jason Hessels
Completing the GBT350 Pulsar and Transient Survey
of the North Galactic Plane
BB240 [F ] Geoff Bower
RIPL: Radio Interferometric PLanet Search
GBT08A-076 [ B] Nissim Kanekar
The nature of damped Lyman-alpha systems, as
traced by their spin temperatures
GBT08A-021 [F ] Jeff Mangum
Formaldehyde Densitometry of IR-Bright Galaxies
GBT08A-033 [ B] Mike Blanton
Testing the cold dark matter mass function with
dwarf disk galaxies
GBT08A-077 [F ] Fernando Camilo
Studying the magnetar XTE J1810-197
GBT07A-087 [F ] Paul Demorest
Detecting nHz Gravitational Radiation using a
Pulsar Timing Array
BD120 [F ] Shep Doeleman
A Search for Central Gravitational Lens Images
using Digital VLBI Backends
GBT08A-068 [ B] Ryan Johnson
Detecting merger activity among galactic cluster
pairs
GBT08A-013 [F B] Thushara Pillai
The magnetic field in High Mass InfraRed Dark
Clouds probed by OH Observations
GBT07A-101 [ P ] Clive Dickinson
Ka-band CCB high-resolution mapping of spinning
dust
GBT07C-033 [F ] Jason Hessels
Follow-up Studies of Recent GBT Pulsar Discoveries
GBT07C-013 [ B] Nissim Kanekar
Conjugate OH lines in the z ~ 0.886 gravitational
lens towards 1830-21
GBT07C-079 [FP ] Antonio Crapsi
Testing the thermodynamics of dense starless cores
GBT06A-026 [F ] Nissim Kanekar
A search for 21cm absorption towards MgII
absorbers in the redshift desert
GBT07C-014 [ P ] Keivan Stassun
Angular Momentum and Chemical Evolution of
Pre-Stellar Cores in Ophiuchus
GBT06C-048 [F ] Nissim Kanekar
HI 21cm absorption in strong MgII and CI
absorbers in the redshift desert
GBT07B-029 [F ] Michael Kramer
Timing and General Relativity in the Double
Pulsar System
GBT05A-029 [ P ] Paul VandenBout
Search for Cold Molecular Gas at High Redshift
GBT08A-082 [ B] Min Yun
Probing Distribution and Physical
Characteristics of HI Clouds in Galaxy Halos
GBT08A-072 [ B] Helene Courtois
Bulk motions of filaments in the Local Universe
BB242 [ P ] Jim Braatz
The Megamaser Cosmology Project
GBT08A-073 [ B] Viswesh Marthi
A deep search for associated HI 21cm absorption
in red quasars
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 05/29/2008 - 06/12/2008
=======================================
Proposal PI Bands Email [NRAO contact]
---------- ------------------ ----- --------------------
BB240 Geoff Bower X gbower@astro.berkeley.edu []
GBT07C-084 Laura Kasian LS kasian@physics.ubc.ca [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-077 Fernando Camilo S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-033 Mike Blanton L blanton@nyu.edu [Jules Harnett]
GBT07A-087 Paul Demorest L pdemores@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07A-066 Jim Braatz K jbraatz@nrao.edu [Jim Braatz]
GBT08B-023 Robert Ferdman L ferdman@phas.ubc.ca [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-014 Jay Lockman L jlockman@nrao.edu [Jay Lockman]
GBT06A-013 Jim Braatz U jbraatz@nrao.edu [Jim Braatz]
GM064 James Miller-Jones K jmiller@nrao.edu []
GBT07B-025 Scott Ransom S sransom@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07C-068 Amy Lovell L alovell@agnesscott.edu [Toney Minter]
GBT07C-079 Antonio Crapsi K crapsi@strw.leidenuniv.nl [Toney Minter]
GBT08B-005 Bruce Campbell S campbellb@si.edu [Frank Ghigo]
GBT07C-014 Keivan Stassun K keivan.stassun@vanderbilt.edu [Larry Morgan]
GBT08B-006 Fernando Camilo S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08B-017 Julia Deneva S deneva@astro.cornell.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT07B-029 Michael Kramer L mkramer@jb.man.ac.uk [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-062 Jeremy Darling L jdarling@origins.colorado.edu [Jules Harnett]
GBT07C-060 Fernando Camilo S fernando@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom]
GBT08A-041 Jeremy Darling S jdarling@origins.colorado.edu [Ron Maddalena]
Scheduled hours [backup]
========================
Category/Month-> May June July August
Astronomy ~ 638 [225] 300 255 229
Maintenance ~ 52 [034] 165 191 168
Test & Comm ~ 37 [003] 7 18 46
Un-assigned ~ 17 255 282 301
Proposal Checkouts #[hrs]*
=========================
Awaiting checkout - 0[0]
Active checkout - 0[0]
On Hold - 0[0]
Schedule - 114[1961]
Completed - 537[6517]
* All but completed queue applies to GBT only proposals
Current backlog of Reg & RRS proposals [hours prior to 08A*] = 949
[2005:49(5), 2006:182(7), 2007:718(32)]
Backlog includes 112 hrs of monitoring projects
246 hrs of vlbi projects
Total time to discharge [hours] = 4679
Includes 276 hours++ of monitoring (not Large or Spec) after trimester 08A
2189 hours of Regular & RRS proposals
2130 hours of Large proposals
360 hours of VLBI proposals
* Includes projects that are on hold for trimester 08A
++ Time is counted in other break down as well. 08A
We supported 21 projects in 36 observing sessions. The telescope was also scheduled for 16.5 hrs of maintenance, 14.3 hrs of M&C tests, 4 hrs of PTCS tests, 2 hrs of Scal measurements, 1 hr of project tests, and 1 hr of hardware tests. Lost time is again low -- 5.2 hrs, 3.8% -- half of which was due to Sunday's power failure. Lost time was due to:
- Power failure - 2.5 hrs
- Bad Spectrometer card (2 instances) - 1.7 hrs
- Astrid (2 instances) - 0.4 hrs
- Az brake fault - 0.4 hrs
- User error (catalog syntax error) - 0.1 hrs
The Spectrometer problems happened soon after the power failure, suggesting that the power failure may have triggered the Spectrometer problem.
BTW... The period over which we had no lost time lasted 10 days, 23 hrs and was brought to a close by the power failure.
GBT Telescope Operations -- Bob
I'll be away on Friday.
We conducted another power outage test on Wednesday, and it was satisfactory.
We replaced the X1 and Z subreflector actuator motors this week as well. All other activities were routine PM.
- Donna called me in Sunday night around 12:00 midnight, reporting that the Spectrometer was experiencing problems. I arrived at 12:20 AM and worked with her to diagnose the problem by running "Testing With Interrupts"; finding that LTA #1 in Quadrant #3 was reporting memory problems in both its DRAMS and SRAMS. I replaced this LTA card with a backup spare, ran several "Testing With Interrupts" tests with no errors reported, and waited until the remote Observer began their session and made several successful scans. The failed card is now undergoing testing and repair.
- This Thursday, we had to revive the temperature sensor system and the active surface after a power outage test. There was a network switch in the actuator room that didn't recover from the outage. We manually cycled the power (via the breaker on the shielded rack in the actuator room). There was also one termperature sensor (under the surface) that didn't recover. We cycled the power on the temp sensor by pulling/replacing the picofuse at the concentrator.
RFI Group Operations -- Carla
- Operational Support:
- Power failure recovery
- Spectrometer failure, referred to electronics, hardware failure.
- Release of v8.3 - Release Notes
- 08 May 2008 - Integration Testing, 19:45-23:45, Report
- 09 May 2008 - Integration Testing, 10:15-14:15, Report
- 11 May 2008 - Regression Testing, 07:45-14:15, Report
- Still in Cycle 3 through this week, PlanOfRecordC32008
- Next week, Cycle 4 - PlanOfRecordC42008
- Normal spacecraft tracking
- Working on 400 MHz spectrometer backend for polarization mapping with 43m.
- Thanks to Randy, Jason, John, Patrick and JD for help in getting IBOB 10GE working
- Thanks to Peter McMahon? for design and Paul and Scott for pulsar processing and displays.
-
Four Polarization mode Spectra (I,Q,U,V) using Guppi Stokes Blocks
- Meeting with Phil Erickson and Eric Phelps on Mapping project in two weeks.
- Working towards a test of warm version of Rohit and Rich's feed on May 30 to June 2.
- Accomplishments
- Release of version 1.0 to all observers
- Made 1st "schedule" of the released database
- TelOps? instructions just released
- Have had numerous (positive) interactions with internal and external observers
- overall release has gone very well
- Primary issue of observers is with calendar - tmeporary fix in place
- Coming up
- Still working on weather probabilities, predictions
- Hopefully we'll get a corrected calendar up
- Enhancements (primarily) and bug fixes (ocasionally) occuring daily
- Concerns
- Still working on weather probability
- Need solution to getting ical, rss feed problems sorted out (with computing group)
- Only 2 more weeks !
MUSTANG -- Brian
- The latest version of the Penn Array Receiver software has been released in M&C v.8.3
- Researching utilizing the Archivist application as methodology for capturing MUSTANG cryogenic information into a FITS file.
PTCS program -- Marty
- Servo
- PLC Interlock acceptance testing completed (Az/El)
- Additional active surface tests
- Items added via M&C v.8.3
- The analog sampling of the Servo Monitor has been changed from 50Hz to 200Hz to meet Nyquist rate requirements
- The logging program sampler2log now supports options for insertion of a low-pass filter on logged data.
- Holography/Surface
- Project note 62 released: Geometric Phase Correction for GBT Holography Data
- Last Friday's Active Surface test of the new offset Zernike term was successful -- a Zernike bump was recovered in a Ku OOF map. Usage of this feature will be further explored and streamlined this summer.
- Review focus heuristics to understand why focus scans that should be rejected are being stored
- Integrating MUSTANG into the procedures for doing OOF scans via a single configuration in the config tool to support for Rcvr_PAR
CICADA program -- John
- GUPPI
- Working on timing and synchronization issues.
- Glen, Paul, and Scott got another spectrometer and support software working for the 43m. Found a known pulsar! This will be used in production to do pointing work in the face of harsh RFI conditions.
- CICADA
- Arrangements with Nimish Sane of U of MD completed for his work to start on simulations of the cicada hardware and software with UofMD? dataflow simulations. Specifically, he is designing a digital downconverter for the ibob to allow selections of portions of the band for fine-grained analysis. He will also support conceptual design efforts for the FPA spectrometer.
- User's committee May 20, 21
- LMI review here May 29, 30
- AUI Board meeting here July 18, 19
-- RonMaddalena - 15 May 2008
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Revision r1.14 - 16 May 2008 - 13:51 GMT - DennisEgan
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