IRTF POETS Orange Preship review

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IRTF POETS (Orange)Preship review

• Anticipated shipment date 22 APR 2008
• Anticipated mounting 30 APR 05 MAY 2008
• 18 April 2008, aasg

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Outline

• Overview of POETS IRTF Project
• Lab testing results
• Packing plan
• Shipping Plan
• Mounting Plan

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POETS IRTF team

• MIT, Boston
• Amanda Gulbis (P.I.)
• Jim Elliot (Co-I.)
• Folkers Rojas (mechanical design and fabrication)
• Mike Person Matt Lockhart (instrument
  consultation observers)

• IfA, Hawaii
• Bobby Bus (observing and long term support)
• John Rayner (optical design, SpeX interface)
• Vern Stahlberger (mechanical design)
• Lars Bergknut (mounting work at summit)
• Alan Tokunaga (IRTF division chief)

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POETS IRTF Summary

• Our goal is to mount a high-speed, visible
  wavelength camera system on the IRTF (NASAs 3-m
  Infrared Telescope Facility)
• The instrument is based on existing MIT-Williams
  College POETS (Portable Occultation, Eclipse, and
  Transit Systems)
• The instrument will be mounted on the side-facing
  exit window of SpeX a dichroic allows entry for
  light lt 8000 Å or 9500 Å

• Fore-optics box uses 31 reducing optics to
  return f/9.32 beam and 60 FOV

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POETS IRTF Overview

• Schematic of full setup

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POETS IRTF Overview

• Schematic of full setup
• Optical path

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POETS IRTF Components

• Fore-optics box (28 pieces, 1 mirror, 3 lenses, 1
  filter wheel, 1 filter wheel motor, and assorted
  dowel pins and screws)
• Camera (Andor Ixon, 512 x 512 frame transfer BI
  E2V CCD with 16 ?m pixels including power cable
  computer cable)
• Computer (Shuttle including power cord, PCI
  card, keyboard, mouse)
• GPS (Spectrum Inst. including power supply, 25-m
  cable, control cable, and antenna)

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• Fore-optics box

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• Camera

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• Computer

• Two computers are shown here -- the top is a
  current POETS machine. The bottom is the IRTF
  machine, which we have yet to get functioning
  properly with the camera. We have ordered a new
  computer, as similar to the top machine as we
  possible. If that machine does not work, we will
  ship a current POETS computer and swap at a later
  date.

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• GPS

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Lab Testing

• Setup
• All components assemble and disassemble as
  planned
• Dowel pins are used for accurate alignment during
  assembly
• No play in components once assembled
• Light tightness cant be tested until mounted
  all components overlap
• Remaining issues
• attachment to SpeX (was tested onsite)
• Manual shutter (functions, but attachment not
  tested)
• Instrument Computer (original system wont work
  with the camera. new system ordered, ETA at MIT
  18 April 2008)
• Filter wheel (parts are in place, no filters or
  driving mechanism)
• Replacement lenses (lens 1 chipped at edges
  during initial fitting - doesnt seem to effect
  images, but spare lenses have been ordered)

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Lab Testing

• Calibrations
• Cooling TE cooler run for hours at -70º C at
  room temp
• Read Noise and Gain
• Were measured in lab prior to fore-optics box
  setup, are consistent with spec. sheet
• Difficulties in obtaining accurate flatfields
  while camera is attached to fore optics

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Lab Testing
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Lab Testing

• Vignetting
• Illuminated frames show slight vignetting at
  corners
• Vignetting pattern changes with adjustment of
  lens 2 3 positions, but cannot be eliminated

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Lab Testing

• As evenly illuminated as possible note
  vignetting (spots are dust on lenses)

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Lab Testing

• Images
• Test charts placed at approximate TFP (0.3 in
  front of lens 1) can be made to come into a clear
  focus
• Camera can be adjusted greater than 1 in
  z-extension for focusing adjustment threaded at
  32 threads per inch to allow fine tuning
• No distortions are apparent across the image,
  centering looks OK cant confirm without higher
  accuracy of TFP

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Lab Testing

• ? Test charts placed at TFP ? ? Images
  ?

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Packing Plan

• F. Rojas to be in charge of packing fore-optics
  box
• Preassembled, with lens mounts removed
• shipped in hard, ex-PCCD container
• All associated box hardware and camera cables
  can fit in this package
• Packages to ship
• Fore-optics box
• GPS (packaged as shipped to us)
• Computer (packaged as shipped to us)
• Some possibility for consolidation (i.e. GPS may
  fit in fore-optics box)

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Shipping Plan

• Online quote for DHL 2-day shipping from zip
  codes 02139 to 96720 is 500 (100 lb. box with
  rough dimensions of our fore optics box)
• Plan to ship no later than 23 April (Wed.) for
  mounting one week later (30 April)
• If computer testing takes longer, can ship as
  late as the 25th
• Hand-carried components
• Camera
• Optics

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Mounting Plan
B. Bus (observing, long term support), J. Rayner
(SpeX interfacing, testing), L. Bergknut
(mounting, summit work), A. Tokunaga (big
problems)
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Engineering Run Preparation

• Submitted plan to A. Tokunaga
• Verified plan is reasonable with B. Bus
• Completed ORF - requested lodging at PH and IRTF
  vehicle
• Faxed Drivers Clearance form
• Contacted George Koenig re instrument delivery
• Confirmed DHL 2-day shipping will work
• Confirmed shipping address
• Working on night plans for observations with C.
  Zuluaga

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Engineering Run Preparation

• Immediate to do
• Telecon with Hawaii to ensure were all on the
  same page
• Contact Miranda Hawarden-Ogata re network
  interface
• Confirm engineering observing times
• Longer term to do
• Compile documentation
• Engineering diagrams
• Setup and usage manual
• Basic version for observers and more advanced for
  supporters
• Maintenance manual

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The End

• Slides on possible observing targets to follow

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POETS IRTF Engineering Observations

• Calibrations
• On-telescope biases
• On-telescope flats (sky and dome)
• Focus
• standard star target?
• ensure co-focal with SpeX
• Image variations due to pointing
• Check variations with telescope pointing
• Check variations at different airmass

• Throughput exp. times
• standard star target grid range of stars from
  8 to 20 mag., B R stars, versus range of
  exposure times in conv.and EM modes

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Engineering Observations II

• Possible science targets
• KBO and star for 06 May 2008 appulse
• Other KBOs
• Occultation candidate stars