Date and operator


Operator(s):

Startup Index

A. Startup (SA)

Startup AO software:

  1. Use VNC viewer software to connect to the k2aoserver-new:3 (k2ao-k2obsao-control1). The VNC viewer software available to you, e.g RealVNC or Tiger VNC may vary depending on what your location is and which computer you have access to.
  2. Within the k2ao-k2obsao-control1 VNC desktop, from the pulldown menu, select:
    LGS-AO Control Menu → Start all LGS-AO software
  3. Wait about 1 minute for all the GUIs to come up and position themselves.
  4. Load the file idl_opensYYMMDD.sav in the Spiral Tool.
  5. Load laser starlist into the Aoacq GUI by hitting the button Load under the field Target.

VNC viewers for tonight's NIRC2 user account:

  1. On the MAGIQ GUI running on the control2 VNC:
    File → Map OA Starlist
  2. Start and configure the Strehl tool:
    • On the background menu:
      NIRC2 Control → Interface Subcomponents... → Start Strehl Tool
    • Select AUTOFIND OFF.
    • Select AUTO UPDATE IMAGE ON.
      • You may still need to press GO! to display images.

Use this page to record values.

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B. Startup (Summit)

Follow similar instructions to Startup (HQ) to bring up the the k2aoserver-new:3 (k2ao-k2obsao-control1) VNC. Instructions may vary depending on the specifics of the computers used on the summit or on the OA station in Remote Ops.

Start AO nigthtime software if the SA has not started it yet.

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C. Setup NIRC2 for Checkout

In any of the waikoko-new terminals available in tonight's VNCs, type:

  1. Type user lgsao
  2. Type aocheckout

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D. NGS-AO Checkout

  1. From MAORI Menu → Scripts → Night-time setup
      Select options:
    • LGS-AO
    • Beam splitter
  2. Select an engineering star from the starlist (about an hour to the East)
  3. Slew to calibration star
  4. In AoAcq widget:
    • Set:
      AO ModeNGS-AO
      DAROff
      RefNIRC2
    • Setup Bench
  5. From MAORI Menu → Start Fault Detector
  6. On K2 CLS Sequencer GUI, select Scripts → Start of Night to enable night time mode.
    • a pop-up may ask Are you sure. Answer yes.
    • A second pop-up may inform you that All updates are complete.

  1. Ask the OA for the NIRC2 PO.
  2. Click Acquire Star in the Aoacq GUI.
  3. Wait till loops are closed and watch for varying WFS intensity (if sky is bright and changing).
  4. If WFS intensity decreases with time, hit Record bkg 30" E in the WFS Intensity GUI.
    5. Repeat until WFS intensity is constant.
  5. Once WFS intensity is fairly constant, take a new background
  6. Hit return in the waikoko-new terminal where you launched aocheckout to start taking NIRC2 calibration images with the BrGamma filter:
    • Measure and record the NGSAO-corrected NIRC2 FWHM from the Quicklook GUI:
      • Plot → Gaussian Fit.
      • Measured FWHM: milli-arcsec.
      or from the Strehl Tool.
    • Measure and record the NGSAO-corrected Strehl with the Strehl Tool:
      • Hit GO! to refresh the image.
      • Click on the star to measure the Strehl.
      • Measured Strehl: %.
    • Record telescope focus from FACSUM: mm.
  7. Hit return in the waikoko-new terminal to start recording NIRC2 seeing with the Kp filter (the script will open the DM loop and will keep the TT loop closed).
  8. Measure and record the open-loop NIRC2 FWHM from the Quicklook GUI:
    • Plot → Gaussian Fit.
    • Set X FWHM to 150.
    • Set Y FWHM to 150.
    • Measured FWHM: arcsec.
  9. Record star FWHM from the ACAMTOOL:
    • Set tint to 1.0 sec.
    • goi.
    • Measured FWHM: arcsec.
    • File number:
  10. In the AO acquisition GUI, Loops → Open.

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E. Laser Alignment at Zenith

  1. Slew to LASER ZENITH at OPT AXIS PO
  2. In AoAcq widget:
    • Set:
      AO Mode LGS-AO
      DAR Off
      Ref OPT AXIS
    • Wait until telescope is slewing to LASER ZENITH
    • Setup Bench
      Select Sodium Dichroic
  3. The rotator should be set automatically to 0 degrees in vertical angle mode (90.02 on the drive angle). If not, type rotate -0.7 vertang in any waikoko-new terminal.
  4. When bench setup is done, click Cal Setup in ACAM. A popup window indicates that the TELFOCUS value will change by about +3.5mm to correct for the sodium height. Click on Yes and wait for the Acamtool to display: Ready to take image
  5. WAIT FOR 12 DEG TWILIGHT, THEN REQUEST PROPAGATION
  6. Propagate laser from CLS Sequencer GUI:
    • Click INITIALIZE and wait for status to indicate initialized.
    • Click ALIGN and wait for status to indicate aligned.
    • Click PROPAGATE.
  7. Run laser alignment procedure in the ACAM Tool:
    1. Set Tint (s) to 10 seconds.
    2. Take an exposure by hitting goi.
    3. Click COARSE to center spot on ACAM. IMPORTANT NOTE: Currently, automatic coarse alignment is unstable. Please, use the UTT Geev um! tool to walk the laser beam until you see the WFS uniformly illuminated.
    4. Take an exposure by hitting goi to check the laser spot position on ACAM once you are happy with the laser beam centering on the WFS.
    5. Click HOME.
    6. A popup will ask to update the LGSAO POs. The answer is YES.
    7. Review the ACAM image:
      • If the laser spot is roughly circular and its size is ∼2.0 arcsec or smaller, then skip to fine alignment.
      • If the laser spot too elongated and/or its size is much larger than ∼2.0 arcsec try to refocus the laser using one of the following methods:
        • Automated method:
          1. Click on Focus LTA on ACAM Tool. This will take a series of sub frames centered on the laser spot. Focus will change between images.
          2. Plot will display the focus curve for both the x and y axis.
          3. In the xterm that pops up, enter your estimated BTOB focus value or the best fit BTOB focus value provided in the terminal output.
        • Manual method (RECOMMENDED):
          1. Disable temperature compensation:
            • on CLS sequencer GUI, click on the focus icon located on right hand side to bring up the BTOB Focus Compensation GUI
            • At the top fo the BTOB Focus compensation GUI toggle Enabled to disabled.
          2. On a k2aoserver-new terminal type s lsxf to determine intial focus value.
          3. Modify the LSXF value by 0.5mm (m lsxf = new_value) and repeat the ACAM image.
          4. Take ACAM image by hitting the goi button on the ACAM Tool.
          5. Analyze images for smallest spot (between 1.0-2.0 arcseconds FWHM, seeing dependent).
          6. Set LSFX to best focus value (m lsxf = best_focus_value)
          7. In the BTOB Focus Compensation GUI, click Set Base Focus (light blue button on GUI).
          8. In the BTOB Focus Compensation GUI, toggle back to Enabled (button at top of GUI). XF value should remain fixed.
        • Record BTOB Focus Compensation mm
    8. Click FINE.
      Wait for Offload complete or Alignment complete.
    9. Click DONE.
  8. In the AO acquisition GUI, Loops → Open.
  9. Shutter the laser by clicking SHUTTER on the CLS Sequencer GUI.
  10. Ask the OA to return TELFOCUS back to the value recorded during the NGS checkout.

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F. LGS-AO Checkout

  1. Type rotate 0 in any waikoko-new terminal to set AO rotator to position angle mode with a PA=0.
  2. Slew to a 10-14 magnitude star (from the observer's target list or close to the observer's first target)
  3. Set the telescope PO to NIRC2
  4. In AoAcq widget:
    • Set:
      AO Mode LGS-AO
      DAR Acq & Track
      Ref NIRC2
    • Setup Bench
      Select sodium Dichroic
  5. Acquire star and wait for the LBWFS RmsWF and Defoc to settle in the LUI
  6. In the Optimization Tool:
    • Set the optimizer mode to STRAP.
    • Hit TRIGGER to run a diagnostic.
    • When completed, click SET OPT GAIN.
    • Hit TRIGGER to run another diagnostic.
    • Repeat until current TT gain matches recommended TT gain... Then:
      • Copy DIAG # into TURB PS field in optimization tool.
      • Record
    • Set the optimizer mode to LGS:
      • Tweak Frame Rate & DM gain in MAORI, try again
      • If rate changed, take another sky with reclose loops
  7. Hit enter in the waikoko-new terminal where you launched aocheckout to check the closed-loop image quality in LGS-AO mode.
  8. Measure Strehl Ratio and FWHM using the Strehl Tool.
  9. Press r in the waikoko-new terminal if you need to tweak the AO loop parameters and take additional images with NIRC2.
  10. Once you are happy with the image quality, press enter to exit from the aocheckout script.
  11. Record LGSAO-corrected FWHM and STREHL:
    • FWHM: milli-arcsec
    • Strehl: %
  12. In the AO acquisition GUI, Loops → Open.
  13. Shutter the laser by clicking SHUTTER on the CLS Sequencer GUI.

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G. Submit the form

Please, hit the SUBMIT button to store data ⟹

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