 |
Queued Service Observations ESPaDOnS
Phase 2 Proposal
Submission Tutorial
Updated 02/01/2008
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A- Introduction
B - Overview of the Phase 2 Tool (PH2)
C - PH2: A detailed Tutorial
D - A Few QSO Rules
E - Other Issues
A
-
Introduction
1) The QSO Project
The main concept behind the
queue observation scheme is to perform programs only during sky
conditions required to meet their science goals, as defined by the
investigators. This can be achieved if the programs are all
grouped together in a database and are selected appropriately according
to a set of constraints, rules and sky conditions. Each night
several queues, that is sequences of "observation blocks" of different
programs, are prepared to cover diverse sky conditions and constraints.
Observations are then carried out by a well trained, local team of
observers in a service mode.
During 1999, CFHT started a
project to implement the necessary software and to review all the
issues for achieving a queue/service observing mode with its CFH12K
mosaic camera. This Queued Service
Observing (QSO) Project has been developed
in parallel with other projects necessary for the data acquisition
(NEO),
processing and analysis (Elixir), and archiving and distribution
(DADS). The
software tools required for proposal submission, selection of programs,
database management, and execution of the observations have all been
developed within the QSO Project. Most of these software
components
are for internal use only except for two obvious exceptions: Poopsy,
the proposal submission tool developed and maintained at CADC, and
PH2, a Web based tool implemented and maintained by CFHT for
the second tier of proposal submission (see below).
Starting in January 2001, queue observations were
performed with the CFH12K camera for about 220 nights. By reaching good
statistics on completeness, image quality requirements, Agency time
balancing, and by meeting time constraints requirements for several
programs, the QSO mode has been quite successful. Since 2003, all of
the observations with MegaPrime have been conducted under
the QSO mode. Starting with the semester 2005B,
observations for WIRCam, the new wide-field near-IR imager, have
also been done through the QSO system. Now, it's time for ESPaDOnS! One
of
the main advantage of integrating ESPaDOnS within QSO is the frequent
time critical observations required for several science programs. Other
than to be able to handle priorities under sky conditions better than
in classical mode, QSO is particularly well adapted for this kind of
time constraints.
The actual tutorial describes
a version of PH2 developed specifically for observations with ESPaDOnS.
Following the
evaluation
of the different Time Allocation Committees (TAC), the successful
proposals
have received a certain amount of telescope time, a grade and a rank,
and are now ready to prepare detailed observations, the Phase 2
submission
period.
2) The Phase 2 Proposal Submission
The Phase 2 submission for proposals accepted for
the semester 2008A extends over a period of several weeks. The
two important dates to remember are given in the table below:
|
Event
|
Date |
| Phase 2 Starts for Semester 2008A |
February 5,
2008 14:00 (HST) (24:00 UTC) |
| End of Phase 2 for Semester 2008A |
February 28 ,
2008 14:00 (HST) (24:00
UTC) |
Please take these points into
consideration:
- It is very important that
the Phase 2 deadline is respected. Diverse issues must
be examined by the QSO Team prior to the semester regarding the
information provided by the investigators during the Phase 2 (e.g.
target positions, scheduling constraints, etc).
Observations will start shortly after the Phase 2 deadline.
- Even if PH2 is straightforward, preparation
of QSO observations for ESPaDOnS can be time consuming. This is VERY
IMPORTANT: We strongly
recommend that you prepare your observations during the Phase 2 well
ahead of the deadline. Preparing
your observations well in advance of the deadline
will allow you (and us!) to make sure that mistakes have been avoided.
It is also the first time that we offer ESPaDOnS under QSO
so it might
take longer for the users to get familiar with the different modes and
options offered for this instrument. Also, the QSO team will have
enough
time to react and find a solution if a problem occurs, since this
version of PH2 for ESPaDOnS might still have some bugs. Thanks for your
cooperation....
- PH2 is only available
from both the CFHT HQ Web site and a backup site located at the summit.
The CDS PH2 site has now been retired. However, to ensure data
integrity, only one session with the same user ID is allowed at the
same time.
3) Document Outline
This document presents the
complete information for the second submission Phase of the QSO
proposals accepted for ESPaDOnS. A general
description of the Phase 2 tool is first presented in the section
B. It includes a broad overview and, maybe more important, a
description of the "strategy" behind the tool itself: the creation of
the "observation blocks", subsequently leading to the "observation
groups", the entity scheduled at the telescope. A
brief discussion on the calibrations is also provided. The tool is
simple enough that this overview might be sufficient for users
accessing PH2 for the first time. Quick help files are also
available from the 
button in PH2. Of course, there are substantial differences
between the versions used for the different instruments at CFHT. A much
more detailed tutorial is
presented in Section C. For a complete description of the Phase 2
tool and other issues related to the Phase 2 submission, please
refer to this section. Finally, the last two sections include some
discussions already presented in the tutorial for the Phase 1
submission
but still very relevant to the preparation of the observations during
the Phase 2.
If you require more
information about
the Phase 2 submission, contact the QSO Team.
B -
Overview of the Phase 2 Tool (PH2)
1) PH2: Purpose
The Web based Phase 2 tool
(PH2) has been developed for one main purpose: Allowing the
investigators of accepted QSO proposals to prepare a full description
of their observations and to store this information in a database,
accessible to the CFHT QSO Team. Observations to be carried
out are extracted from this database during the QSO observing nights. PH2
represents the key element in the entire QSO mode scheme.
This is where the investigators tell the observers what observations
should be done, and how (and sometime when) they should be done.
PH2 is flexible enough to
accommodate many kinds of queue programs (but not all of them...) while
remaining relatively simple to use. It is also a work in
progress. We hope to introduce more options in the future versions to
add more versatility. And, of course, suggestions are always
welcome!
2) Some PH2 notes
Some important characteristics of the actual version of PH2 for the
general
user are:
- PH2 is compatible with Netscape, Internet Explorer, Safari and
Firefox
browsers. We highly
recommend the Firefox browsers. Due to the recent prolific
development
of browsers on several platforms, we cannot support all of them.
Browsers
on Unix, Linux and Windows platforms are usually the most reliable for
working
with PH2.
- Except for one optional tool, PH2 does not include any
Java
code. It is entirely developed around JavaScript and the ColdFusion
language. There are some differences in the way the PH2 code is
handled between the different browsers but all functionality should be
preserved.
- For all of the accepted QSO proposals, the most relevant
information
entered in Poopsy during the Phase 1 is transferred to the PH2 database
and is available for the user. So, if you have entered your
targets
in Poopsy, you won't have to do it again in PH2! The possibility
to upload a specifically formatted ASCII file instead of typing
everything
by hand for the targets is also provided in PH2.
- VERY IMPORTANT: There is a time-out
of 2 hours for inactivity periods (that is, between "save"
activations)
recorded on the server. A window reminds the user of this 2 minutes
before the expiration of the session. This is to ensure that in case
of a problem (e.g. local crash), you can always come back later and
log in again with your user ID. So, save your work frequently!
If you cannot access PH2 due to this but immediately must do so, send
us
an email and we will correct the situation.
- Of course, during the Phase 2 period allocated by CFHT, you can
access PH2 at all time and as many times as you want. All your work is
saved
in the database so you do not have to finish everything at once...
Also, there is no "submit" button: when you're satisfied with
the
preparation of your observations (for instance, what you see in your
program summary), that's all there is to it!
- The actual version of PH2 does allow the observations of moving
targets (e.g. Solar System objects) by entering targets
ephemeris. However,
"non-sidereal guiding" is not possible at the moment. Programs
with moving targets can be complex so do not hesitate to contact us
during
the preparation of your observations.
- Due to some difficulties in
tracking the sizing activity applied
to a browser window from PH2, we recommend that
you size PH2 to the maximum allowed by your screen at the beginning
of the session (before logging in) and keep it that way.
All the necessary scroll bars have been implemented for navigating
within
the browser frames.
3) The PH2 Interface
The typical schematic presentation of the PH2 interface is shown
below:
HINT: You can change the
size of all the frames inside PH2 by dragging their side with the
mouse.
- Navigation Menu: The left frame is a navigation menu,
presented with buttons with the names of the different sections of
PH2. The button corresponding to the current form goes from blue
to white.
- Top Frame: When present, it displays diverse passive
information (e.g. list of target names). For two sections of PH2,
however, the user must select diverse entries from
several lists in order to create the observation blocks or groups
(see below).
- Middle Frame: This frame presents the different tables
for the targets, instrument configurations, etc. The maximum
number of rows displayed at once is 5 (restrictions due to the speed of
JavaScript) but buttons allow to navigate through different pages
inside
this frame. At the bottom of each table, a series of buttons allows the
manipulation of the data entry in the table. The purpose of each button
can be seen if the mouse is placed directly on it. The main function of
some of the most important buttons is illustrated in the table below.
- Bottom Frame: This frame includes the buttons for
saving the data to the database and a help button. The purpose of
each button can be seen if the mouse is placed directly on it.
The main function all the buttons is illustrated in the detailed
tutorial.
4) The Concept of
Observation Blocks
The entire architecture of PH2
and its database is based on the concept of "Observation Block"
(OB). As illustrated below, an OB is formed of one (and only
one) target, one (or many) instrumental configurations, and
one (and only one) constraint.
The idea behind PH2 consists
in several
tables where the user can define these targets, instrumental
configurations and constraints. Each row of these tables receives
a unique label so each target, configuration or constraint is an
"individual" entity. In other words, for example, one
instrumental configuration defined only once might be subsequently used
numerous times for observing different targets during the creation of
the OBs.
Important: Since it is
easier to schedule short observations at the telescope in a QSO mode, there is a limit of 2 hours (7200 seconds) for the
total integration time of one individual observation block. PH2 will remind you if this time is exceeded...
The following four main steps lead to
the creation of these observation blocks with ESPaDOnS:
i) Targets: When
this section is selected, a table with several entry fields is
presented (see below). The user can then define all the targets
in the program by adding the appropriate rows to the table.
Pointing coordinates can be entered in the table or grabbed from the
Aladin tool. When the "Save" or "Proceed" buttons are pressed, this
information is automatically saved in the database.
ii) Instrument Configurations: A table is presented for this
section and the user can define all the instrument configurations (e.g.
observing mode, readout, Stokes parameter, exposure time)
planned
to be used for observing the targets of the program (see below). Remember:
The same
configuration may be used for different targets over and over again so
you might have to define it just once!
iii) Constraints:
Finally, the last ingredient required for the creation of an OB is the
constraint. These requirements for the observation (e.g. seeing,
airmass) can be entered in a table similar to the one
below. Again, one constraint may be used several times for
different observations.
iv) Observation Blocks:
Here you are! It is now time to associate all the above individual
"entities" to create the observation blocks. This is very easy to do.
You must first select one (or several) targets in your list (mouse
click), then create a list of instrumental configuration(s) by
selecting one or several of them (can be ordered with the arrows in the
list), and finally, select one constraint. By clicking on the
"Create OB" button, you add automatically one (or several) row(s) to
the table of Observation Blocks. The creation of the OBs can be
done very quickly if many targets used the same configurations and
constraints because
these remain selected after creating an OB. Very Important:
The number of configurations that can be linked within an OB is
unlimited; however, we recommend to keep the OBs as simple as
possible to avoid additional overheads. You are almost
done.....
5) The Observation Groups
In principle, all the
information entered in the tables above and used for the OBs would be
enough for the operation of the QSO mode. However, to add more
flexibility to PH2, we have introduced the concept of "Observation
Groups" (OG). The OG will be
the unit actually scheduled at the telescope and executed by the QSO
Team. So, it is necessary to fill the observation
group form! The interface to prepare the groups is illustrated
below. Three different types of
groups are available, as illustrated below:
- Single OB (1OB): In this
case, a group is only constituted of one single OB. If this is
what is needed, all the groups can be created from all the OBs defined
earlier by clicking on the "Quick Create OG" button. This is the
recommended approach for the QSO mode.
- Sequence (SOB): It is
possible to create sequence of OBs, that is, to link different
OBs that should be executed successively, under the same constraint.
Contrary to the individual OBs, a sequence can include different
targets. However, since this procedure can introduce additional
overheads in telescope slewing time, so we do not recommend sequences
unless necessary for the program. The
limit of 2 hours of total integration time remains
also valid for a SOB.
- Monitoring (MOB): If an OB must
be observed several times at a regular period, a monitoring observation
group including this OB can be defined. There is a window on the right
(no showed) that allows the user to define the period (P), the number
of iterations (N) and the minimum number of iterations acceptable. Note
that is not possible to define monitoring parameters for sequences of
OBs. A new tool, the OG scheduler, is also available now and described
in the detailed tutorial.
I-Time Accounting. An important aspect of the
Observation Groups form is the accounting of the integration time
(I-Time). This calculation is presented in the third frame
and is automatically updated when an OG is created. The total readout
time for the OBs, and the total I-time for the monitoring OG (N(iter) x
I-Time (OB)) are
automatically taken into account. If the "I-time left" becomes
negative, a warning is
displayed and the OG(s) created cannot be saved in the database.
The preparation of your observations is now
completed! There are also other options available for the
observation groups (e.g. time constraints, relational execution link,
OG scheduler); that can be particularly helpful for some ESPaDOnS
programs;
information can be found in the detailed section below. A summary of
the information saved into the QSO database is also available and can
be sent by e-mail to the user. There is also a sophisticated HelpDesk
available for e-mail exchanges between the QSO team and the
investigators, if needed.
6) A word on observing
modes and data format with ESPaDOnS
ESPaDOnS has essentially two
different observing mode: Spectroscopic (with or without sky) and.
Polarimetric. For the spectroscopic modes, the data produced
consist in individual files (that is, independent odometer numbers)
where the intensity (I) is established against wavelength. For
the polarimetric mode, individual files are also produced. However,
for a given Stokes parameter, 4 different
files are generated. QSO will not produce data cubes with
ESPaDOnS. For both modes, exposures can be repeated according to the
number of sequences (N
seq)
defined by the user within PH2. The table below gives a summary.
The total I-time is automatically calculated in PH2, according to the
mode selected.
Mode
|
Spectra
|
File
Format
|
Total
Number of Files
|
Spectroscopic
|
I vs. Lambda
|
1 ####.fits
file
|
[Nseq X 1 file]
|
Polarimetric
|
Q vs. Lambda
U vs. Lambda
V vs. Lambda
W vs. Lambda
|
4 ####.fits
file per
Stokes parameter
|
[Nseq X 4
files/Stokes] |
7) A Word on the Calibrations
To process the ESPaDOnS data, a calibration plan has
been developed by the QSO Team. The idea is to take all the necessary
calibrations to reduce the data, on a
nightly basis. This plan includes the necessary "detrend"
frames for removal of the instrument signatures (bias, flat-fields,)
and for calibrating the spectra (ThAr,
Fabry-Perot). For ESPaDOnS, you can consider
the following situations:
1- No programs under any
circumstances are allowed to request "detrend" calibrations, including
wavelength calibrations, during
Phase 1 or Phase 2. These calibrations are exclusively handled by
the QSO Team. It is, in fact, not possible to define
detrend calibrations through PH2 for the general users...
2- If your program
requires observing spectrophotometric standards (or any other
photometric calibrator), you must
include these observations in your program. No systematic photometric,
spectroscopic or polarimetric calibrations will be done by the QSO Team
with ESPaDOnS.
8) PH2:
ESPaDOnS and Recent Changes
The actual version, specifically developed for
ESPaDOnS observations, include some very significant differences with
the
previous versions available for CFH12K/MegaCam/WIRCam. The basic
functionality
remains the same (that is, assembling the blocks and transforming them
into observation groups) but PH2 now offers different options for
ESPaDOnS. Refer to the detailed
tutorial below for more information.
If you are already familiar with PH2 for the imaging
instruments, the
most
significant differences
implemented for ESPaDOnS are the following:
- New options in the Program Constraints page have been added,
including more time constraints possibilities, comments on S/N expected
for the spectra, etc.
- The Fixed Targets form has been significantly changed. Aladin
display the field of view for the ESPaDOnS guider, pointing offsets
have been removed and replaced by an optional entry for the magnitude
of the target.
- Is it possible for the users to define Finding Charts for each
target, in case it is located in a crowded field or it is very faint.
- The Instrument Configurations form has been completely changed,
to add the different observing mode for ESPaDOnS as well as the
different readout mode and Stokes parameters in polarimetric mode.
Repeats are defined using the number of sequences parameter. New I-time
calculation has been implemented.
- The Constraints form has been simplified, with less constraints
on seeing.
- A new tool, the OG scheduler, has been added for programs with
OGs that can be observed at several specific dates and times. The OG
form now also include the time for time constraints specifications.
C -
PH2: A detailed Tutorial
1) Accessing PH2
Accessing PH2 is limited to users having received
confirmation of telescope time in the QSO mode with ESPaDOnS for a
given
semester. Before accessing PH2 through an User ID/Password system, some
characteristics of PH2 should be known:
- PH2 can be accessed either from the CFHT HQ Web server or a
backup site located at the summit. The database is replicated in
real-time. The CDS site has now been retired.
- To preserve data integrity, only one
user with the same UserID is allowed at the same time.
This is valid for both PH2 sites,
since the verification is done through the replicated database.
- PH2 is compatible with Netscape, Internet Explorer,
Safari and Firefox browsers. It is usable with the version 4 of
these browsers but we highly recommend the Firefox browsers.
Netscape 4 on Unix will work well
except for a bug of the browser (nothing we can do about it!) affecting
the OB selection in the OG form. Depending on the speed of your
connection, it can take up to 30 seconds to upload a page in PH2. If
your are filling up a long list of entries in
a table, Save your work regularly!
- IMPORTANT: There is a time-out of
2 hour for inactivity periods recorded on the server. A window
reminds the user of this 2 minutes before the expiration of the
session. This is to ensure that in case of a problem (e.g. local
crash), you can always come back later and log in again with your user
ID. Beware: No "save" is performed if your session has
automatically
timed out. Save your work regularly!
- Of course, during the Phase 2 period allocated by CFHT, you can
access PH2 at all time and as many times as you want. All your work can
be saved in the database so you do not have to finish everything at
once... Also, there is no "submit" button: when you're
satisfied with the preparation of your observations (as seen in your
program summary), that's all there is to it!
- Due to some difficulties in tracking the sizing activity applied
to a browser window from PH2 (upon resize, the modifications to the
current form might be lost), we recommend that
you size PH2 to the maximum allowed by your screen at the
beginning of the session (before logging in) and keep it that way.
All the necessary scroll bars have been implemented for navigating
within the browser frames.
Access to PH2 is done through this small window:
- User ID: The User ID is the same one that was used for Poopsy
during the Phase 1, or was provided to you by e-mail by the QSO Team.
If you used PH2 before, it's the same User ID as before.
If you do not remember it, please contact the QSO Team (not CADC!).
- Password: The Password is the same one that was used for Poopsy
during the Phase 1, or was provided to you by e-mail by the QSO Team.
If you used PH2 before, it's the same password as before. If you do not
remember it, please contact the QSO Team (not CADC!).
2) Navigating within PH2
The left frame of PH2 is the Navigation Menu.
The user can easily go from one page to the other by just clicking on
the appropriate button. The button corresponding to the form
currently opened becomes white with blue fonts.
HINT: It
is
highly recommended to navigate through PH2 with the menu buttons
instead of the normal browser buttons. Activity in the
different forms is monitored so using the PH2 buttons ensure that all
the data are saved before moving to another section of the tool.
The navigation buttons and their corresponding
pages are described below.
3) Program Selection
This page allows the selection of your program for your session::
This page can be opened at all time; it is possible
to work on several programs at the same time without having to log out
from PH2. The programs are first sorted out according to the
semester (pull-down menu) and then are identified by the runID,
instrument and title. Be careful: always make sure that you are
editing the right program for the right instrument! For your
convenience, the
runID and instrument is shown on all the PH2 forms. Note:
Following recommendations by the Time Allocation Committee, it is
possible that a
program was split into different programs with some specific I-time and
grade/rank. If it's the case, the program with the higher ranking will
keep the same runID as assigned during Poopsy Phase 1 but the other
programs
will be assigned a different runID by the QSO Team. When you click
on
"proceed", the version of PH2 you will need (MegaCam vs WIRCam vs
ESPaDOnS) is
loaded.
HINT: It
is necessary to first select a program and click on the "Proceed"
button before being able to navigate through the other pages of PH2.
|
Button
|
Function
|
| |
Open the help files to the current page. |
 |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO database and
open the next form. |
4) Program Details
This page presents information regarding the program, the
investigators, and the TAC evaluation:
- Program Title: This is the program title as entered
with Poopsy during the Phase 1 proposal submission period (or through
the TOO form). This field cannot be edited. The program title is
available to the QSO Team at all time during the observations.
- Program Abstract: This is the abstract of the
program, as entered during the Phase 1 proposal submission period (or
through the TOO form). This field cannot be edited. The program
abstract is available to the QSO Team at all time during the
observations.
- Investigators:
- PI: Name of the Principal
Investigator for this program. It cannot be changed.
- Institute: Current
working institution of the PI. It must be up-to-date.
- Phone: The current hone
number of the PI. It must be up-to-date
and include the area code.
- Fax: The current Fax
number of the PI. It must be up-to-date and include the area code.
- E-mail: The
current e-mail address of the PI. It must be up-to-date and accurate. This is the main contact resource used
by the QSO Team for communication with the PI!
- Program Information:
-
RunID:
Identification number for your QSO program and instrument for which it
is assigned. This number is defined during the Phase 1 submission
process and is attached to all of the QSO programs. It is
important to remember your runID to communicate with the QSO Team (see
HelpDesk) and also to monitor the progress made on your program using
the night reports. The first three digits indicate the semester, the
letter
indicates the Agency and the last two digits is the number assigned
by Poopsy or the QSO Team.
-
Agency: Agency for which this telescope time has been
assigned, as specified during the Phase 1. The values are CNRS (F), NRC
(C), UH (UH), KAO (K), NTU (T), Opticon (O), CFHT (D-time).
-
Program Type: The type of the program, as requested in Phase 1 or
as assigned by the TAC. Three types are possible:
Regular, Target-of-Opportunity (TOO), and Snapshots. The specific
definitions of these programs is given in the Phase 1 tutorial.
-
TAC Grade: Grade assigned to your proposal by the Time
Allocation Committee (TAC) for your Agency. Four grades are
possible "A: must do", "B: prioritized"; "C: best
effort"; "S: snapshot". The corresponding priorities
of these program grades are highest, good, medium and lowest,
respectively. Grades C and S are considered for "overfilling"
the queues (that is, these programs would not have received
any time in a classical mode). See Phase 1 submission tutorial
for more information.
-
TAC Rank: Rank of your proposal within your program grade,
assigned by the TAC. See Phase 1 submission tutorial for more
information.
-
I-time: The total integration time allocated for your
QSO program by the TAC. This time is automatically calculated
during the preparation of your observation groups and cannot be
exceeded. The "readout time" and additional overheads are
calculated automatically for each individual
exposures within an observation block.
|
Button
|
Function
|
| |
Open the quick help files to the current page. |
 |
Cancel all the modifications done to the current page and
reload data stored in the database. |
 |
Save all the modifications done to the current page in the
database and reload current page. |
| |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO database
and open the next form. |
5) Program Constraints
This page requests some important information
regarding your QSO program. Depending of some of the answers you
provide here, options will become available in the subsequent pages of
PH2. This page is divided into several sections:
- Monitoring: If your program requires
several executions of the same observation spread over a specific
period, monitoring is required and you should indicate so
here. Monitoring is defined as executing an observation for a
certain number of iterations, Niter, within a specific
period, P. A date for the first observation can be specified but is
not obligatory. These parameters can be entered in the
observation groups form. Repeating an observation block for a certain
number
of times but without a specific period is not considered
monitoring. At present, it is not possible to have monitoring for
sequences of observation blocks (SOB), only individual blocks.
- Time Constraints: It might happen that some of your
observations will have to be performed within certain dates and times.
If this is
the case, you can indicate so here. The options will
then be available in the OG form. Note that time constraints
are the most demanding constraints on a queue system. Use
only if science depends on it!
- REEL: This is an option in PH2 that allows the user to
create specific links between observation groups. In short, we can
resume the REEL concept as: " if OGx is observed and validated, then
observe OGy within a certain opportunity window". The REEL are a
powerful way to prepare specific sequence of observations, if science
requires to do so. REEL must be used only if necessary, not for
instance in the context "the object should be observed
with this filter because it was observed with this other filter first".
- Moving Targets: If your targets (or some of them) have
changing coordinates with time (e.g. comet), you can define their
ephemeris in a special table located further in PH2. To access it, you
must indicate so here.
- Finding Charts: This is
a new option for ESPaDOnS. Evidently, we only observe one target
at the time with ESPaDOnS. the telescope pointing is accurate to about
10" on the sky so in some crowded fields, it might be important for the
PI to indicate what object should be put into the entrance fiber. This
is an optional tool but should be used by PI if their objects are not
easily found in the ~ 2' field of view of the guider.
- OG Scheduling: Some programs with ESPaDOnS require
that the OGs are observed at precise dates and times during the
semester. For instance, a target can be observed at 20 different dates
and times, all valid. The OG Scheduler tool allows the PI to define a
list of dates and times. This is an optional tool, only for specific
programs requesting special time constraints.
- Program Comments: It is important that the
investigators transmit any comments that they judge useful for
the QSO Team in their endeavor to carry out the observing
program. This space is reserved for general comments on the
program. These comments will be available at all time during the
preparation of the queues and while performing the observations.
If you have any special constraints, requirements, etc., they can be
included here.
HINT: Do not be
shy in this section! Examples of valuable comments include:
"Observations to be done in photometric conditions only"; "Thin cirrus
acceptable"; "Dark time requested but 20% Moon at more than 45 degrees
is acceptable"; "Observe high priority groups first", etc. We use
these comments all the time. The more we know, the better!
- Calibration Comments: It is important that the
investigators transmit any comments that they judge useful for
the QSO Team in their endeavor to carry out the observing
program. As explained above, the QSO team will execute a
calibration plan on a nightly basis to make sure that all data can be
appropriately reduced. However, feel free to indicate any specific
requests here regarding calibrations, if needed.
- S/N Comments: It is important that the
investigators transmit any comments that they judge useful for
the QSO Team in their endeavor to carry out the observing
program. This space is reserved for comments on the expected S/N
for your targets. The observing team will have the measured S/N
for each spectrum and can use this information as guideline to make sure that the
signal meets the requirements. Values of S/N for the different
orders can be obtained using the ESPaDOnS exposure time simulator. We strongly encourage to include some
values
in this comments field!
- Libre-Esprit Options:
The reduction pipeline is based on the Libre-Esprit package.
Several options are possible for the data reduction. The user should
consult the Libre-Esprit tutorial for a description of these options.
- Data Distribution:
CFHT is now offering only one option
for the data distribution: network distribution. Your raw and processed
data
will be placed in a special FTP site at CFHT for downloading over the
network.
- Several options are possible for indicating the moment you would
like to receive your data. Four options are available here:
1 - Quick Access: For certain programs, it
is important to evaluate the data soon after being gathered at the
telescope. If you ABSOLUTELY need access to the data during
the QSO run,
indicate so. We cannot promise that the observations will be
immediately available but the plan is to have the data fully processed
by the following noon of an observing night. Please
note
that this will be achieved ONLY for programs requesting a quick
access to the data and for which this procedure is entirely JUSTIFIED.
Please indicate also if onlt raw data are acceptable.
2
- After Each QSO Run: If your program is long and that you prefer to receive
data regularly through the semester, you can choose to receive the data
after each QSO run. Due to the data volume produced with ESPaDOnS, this
will be
done on a best effort only by the DADS Teams. Please
justify this request also in the entry field. The QSO Team will also
review this request and decide if it makes sense or not to prepare the
distribution after the run (for instance, in the case where only
a few files were acquired).
3 - 100% Completion: If you would like to receive your data only when your
program is completed, indicate so. If your program does not reach a
completion level of 100% at any time during
the semester, you will only receive the data at the end of
the semester, unless the QSO Team judges that no additional
observations will be performed for the rest of the semester due to
other constraints (i.e. target distribution on the sky).
4 - End of semester: If this option is selected, all data
accumulated during the semester for your program will only be
sent all together after the end of the semester. This is the default option.
- Data
Distribution Recipient: Only one copy of the data will be
distributed. By default, the PI will receive the files, unless an
"alternate" person is selected.
6)
Fixed Targets
This
page represents
the first step toward the creation of the observation blocks.
This is where the user defines all the targets of the program and their
precise pointing coordinates. The main section of this page
is composed of a table and a few buttons for the manipulation of the
entry fields:
HINT: The
maximum number of rows displayed at once is five. The "Next
Page", "Previous Page" buttons can be used to navigate between the
different pages. The blue hyperlinks FT# represent the first row of
each individual pages and can also be used for moving quickly from a
page to another.
-
Top Row:
- RunID: Identification of the program you
are currently working on.
- Table Status: List of
the current rows and the total number of configurations already defined
in the current table.
- Instrument: Link to the ESPaDOnS Web page.
- Table (1):
- Label: The label
identifies a row in the table. The fixed targets are simply identified
as FT#. The label is automatically updated if the rows are changed.
- Name:
The name of the target, as given by the user. A mnemonic name (e.g.
Virgo Field1) will make the subsequent steps easier. The name
must be shorter than 20 characters.
- Aladin: Aladin is an
efficient software to display sky images. It has been developed
by CDS and can be very useful for different tasks in PH2.
However, it is optional: pointing coordinates can be entered
directly in the target table. First, if you know the real astronomical
name of your target, Aladin can find the coordinates for you.
Just enter the name (e.g. NGC 4258) and click on the Aladin "FOV"
buttons (Note: To search by name, the coordinates entry
fields have to be empty). The CDS database will be contacted and
a window showing an area surrounding the pointing coordinates will be
displayed. If you know already the coordinates of
your target and want to verify the positioning or transform the
target coordinates into pointing coordinates, you can enter the
coordinates and click again on the Aladin button.
The "FOV" option displays an
15 x 15 arcmin image of the field (1 pixel = 1.7"); on this image you
have a blue square of about 2' illustrating the field of view of the
ESPaDOnS guider. The 1.6" entrance fiber is represented by the little
blue circle within the red cross, centered on the target coordinates.
This HR image can
be used for accurate positioning. However, due to the display
limitations and the astrometry of the plates, the pointing
accuracy of Aladin will never be better than 3-4". ATTENTION:
Aladin works only with coordinates for J2000.0. The
coordinates sent back are automatically in J2000.0. As an
example, the field around the quasar 3C273 would be represented as
follow:
Stars in the field are
identified from the GSC
(red circles) catalogs. The coordinates indicated at the top left
refer to the position
of the cross, which represent the entrance fiber of the spectrograph.
By clicking and holding the left button of
the mouse, the blue circle can be moved across the field to
position exactly
the object where it should be. To be very precise, the zooming
option can be used. When the object is correctly positioned,
the pointing coordinates (that is, the center of the mosaic showed
as the red cross) can be transferred to PH2 by simply clicking on
the "Grab" button in the PH2 table, before closing the Aladin
window. The coordinates will be included in the table.
That's it!
-
Coordinates: Coordinates of the targets can be entered
manually through these entry fields, or with Aladin. The "check"
and "save" options always verify that no typos resulting in illegal
coordinates values (e.g. RA=26h) have been entered. No values
lower than -60 degrees in DEC are allowed.
-
Epoch: The Epoch of the coordinates of the target.
It can be fractional (e.g. 2001.3). All epochs between 1900.0 an
2050.0 are allowed.
-
Magnitude:
This field is optional although we recommend that this
information is given by the user. It will be very useful for
the QSO Team to know what target brightness to expect during the
observations.
-
Select: Row selection
for manipulation of the table with the "Duplicate", "Delete", etc.
buttons.
Downloading/Uploading Target Files. At the bottom of the
page, an option is available to download/upload a PH2 target list:
- Astrores: Astrores is a special XML
format that is becoming standard in astronomy for this kind of
application. <![CDATA[ ]]>
The
"Download" option allows you to transform a list of target in the table
of PH2 into an Astrores formatted file. For instance, if you have
already a list of targets in a program that you would like to transfer
to another program with a different runID, you can first go to the
program with the target list, download it to an file on your local
machine, edit it if necessary, and
upload it in the appropriate program with the "upload" button. You can
use also this button to create a template for further use: for
instance, first enter a target, click "download", and you'll see the
correct format for the Astrores template.
To
upload a file, you can first save the example on your local machine by
clicking on the "Astrores" button. All you have to do is to copy
this template to your local machine within your favorite editor and
then edit the ASCII table with your targets (do not change the
XML code!). It is essential that you keep the appropriate format.
Use the vertical lines as references for the number of spaces
allowed. Most editors will keep this format automatically so it
should not be a problem. Important Note: Versions 6 and 7
of Netscape have an unfortunate bug affecting the translation of the
XML template downloaded and ruins the format of the file. There is a
workaround: 1 -
After opening the Astrores template, go to "view page source" in the
top menu. This will shows the HTML code. 2 - With the mouse, copy all
the code between the" XMP and /XMP lines and paste to an editor. 3 -
Edit
the two occurrences of lowercase "table" appearing in the code to
uppercase
"TABLE", and save. The file is now ready to be edited and is
uploadable. You can upload the file to PH2 by giving the right
path and by clicking on the "Upload" button. We strongly
encourage you to verify carefully your target list after that!
|
Button
|
Function
|
 |
Add N rows to the table. |
 |
Duplicate the selected rows N times. |
 |
Select all the rows in the table. Clicking again on it
deselect all the rows. |
 |
Delete the selected rows. A confirmation window is
displayed. |
 |
Check the entries for errors. The errors found are
displayed in a separate window and are indicated by a red frame in the
table. An automatic check is done also when the form is saved or when
the "proceed" button is activated. |
 |
Display the next rows of the table. |
 |
Display the previous rows of the table. |
| |
Cancel all the modifications done to the current page and
reload data stored in the database. |
| |
Save all the modifications done to the current page in the
database and reload current page. Regular saving of the
current form is recommended! |
| |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO
database and open the next form. |
7) Ephemeris
This form allows the
user to
define targets for which coordinates might rapidly change with time.
The form is only accessible if requested in the Program Constraints
section. Before explaining how to use the form, here are two important
caveats: 1 - For the moment, no extrapolation of any sort is conducted
on the ephemeris entered; that is, coordinates used during the
observations will be the ones matching the closest ephemeris entered
for that date. 2 - Differential tracking (e.g. rates) is NOT possible
right now; telescope tracking will be sidereal, with guiding
(as can be indicated later in the OB form).
The general
idea behind the ephemeris form is very simple: define a series of
coordinates for a specific time for a given target. The
table
below shows the entry fields for the ephemeris of the target specified:
The top of the
form allows the user to first give a name to a
target. For
instance, in the
pull-down menu on the left, you can select "New". In the central
window, you
can then give a name to your target. When
you click on "Update", the table in the middle frame window is
then created and your target receives a label "ET#" (for "ephemeris
target").
Each row in the table is
an ephemeris labeled "E#" and includes the UTC Date (beginning
of
a night in Hawaii is ~ 05:00:00 UT) and the coordinates of the target
for this date (in J2000.0). As many ephemeris as wanted can be entered
for a target and as many targets as wanted can be entered for a
program. After defining all of the ephemeris for the target, we recommend
that you save it immediately before starting defining the ephemeris
for the next target (if needed). When saved, the ET will appeared in
the list of targets used for defining the observation blocks (below).
Since entering a large
number of ephemeris can be cumbersome the Astrores format template can
be used at the bottom of the page to upload ephemeris for a given
target (that is, one upload per target is necessary). To do so, apply
first the procedure described above (create a new target name and
click on update), since the name of the target cannot be
defined from the Astrores template. Below there is a Astrores template
(XML) that can copied on your local machine and then used to upload
ephemeris to the table in the middle frame. (You can also create your
own template on your local machine by first defining a target and
click on "download". However, see important note in the fixed target
section if you are using Netscape 6 and 7). It is important that the
format is respected. You can then prepare the ephemeris for the target
as seen in the lower part of the template and save the template under a
specific name. When saved on your local machine, you can then upload it
by specifying the path. Check that everything is fine and then save the
ephemeris table for that target. Repeat if necessary!
<?xml version = "1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE ASTRO SYSTEM "http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/xml/astrores.dtd">
<ASTRO ID="v0.8" xmlns:ASTRO="http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/doc/astrores.htx">
<TABLE ID="Table">
<NAME>Ephemeris</NAME>
<title>Ephemeris for CFHT QSO</title>
<!-- Definition of each field -->
<FIELD name="DATE_UTC" datatype="A" width="19" format="YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss">
<DESCRIPTION>UTC Date</DESCRIPTION>
</FIELD>
<FIELD name="RA_J2000" datatype="A" width="11" unit="h" format="RAh:RAm:RAs">
<DESCRIPTION>Right ascension of target</DESCRIPTION>
</FIELD>
<FIELD name="DEC_J2000" datatype="A" width="11" unit="deg" format="DEd:DEm:DEs">
<DESCRIPTION>Declination of target</DESCRIPTION>
</FIELD>
<!-- Data table -->
<DATA><CSV headlines="4" colsep="|">
<![CDATA[
DATE_UTC |RA_J2000 |DEC_J2000 |
YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss|hh:mm:ss.ss|+dd:mm:ss.s|
1234567890123456789|12345678901|12345678901|
-------------------|-----------|-----------|
2003-06-04 06:30:00|09:34:00.00|+16:38:00.0|
2003-06-05 06:30:00|09:35:15.00|+16:31:50.0|
2003-06-06 06:30:00|09:36:33.00|+16:25:40.0|
]]></CSV></DATA>
</TABLE>
</ASTRO>
11) Finding Charts
Since
ESPaDOnS is a fiber-fed instrument, it is important to make sure that
right target is put into the entrance fiber. Pointing of the telescope
is limited to an accuracy of
about +/- 10" on the sky so in crowded fields or when the target is
faint, it might become difficult to identify the right object to put
into the fiber. PH2 now offers a new optional tool where
the user can precisely identify their targets in finding charts
reproducing the field of view of the guiding window seen at the
telescope. This tool is based on the Aladin system and is very easy to
use. The idea is that the user first identifies his/her target with a
little red arrow in the Aladin field and save the chart (as a .gif
file) in the QSO database. When a finding chart is available, it is
automatically displayed next to the guiding window for the QSO observer
at the telescope. For obvious reasons, finding charts can only be
defined for fixed targets; moving fields are not possible.
The top frame allows the user to first select one of the fixed target,
as defined in a previous form. Then the user can click on "FOV" which
will open a Aladin window, displaying the
2' x 2' field of view of the ESPaDOnS guiders and a DSS image of the
sky:
An example of such a field is displayed
below. Contrary to the Aladin version available for the Fixed
Targets form, the field of view marked with a blue square cannot be
moved around.
The user can then select
the last button at the bottom right called "point". This enables
an
option implemented by QSO so a little red arrow can be positioned in
the field of view, next to the right target, by one click of the mouse.
When this is done. the user goes back to PH2 and clicks on the "grab"
button. When this is done, the table in the middle of the form is
updated with the finding chart:
- Label: Identification of the finding chart,
for each individual target.
- RA/Dec: Coordinates of the
fixed target. The field of view is centered on these coordinates.
- Comments: Comments on the finding charts, target, etc. Anything
useful!
- Status: Two values are available: Pending/Ready.
"Pending" means that the chart was prepared but not saved in the
database yet. Clicking the save button at the bottom of the page will
do just that and the status will be changed to "ready".
Note that the finding charts are displayed in the summary of the
program.
12)
Instrument Configurations
This is
the second mandatory step in the creation of the observing
blocks. This page allows the user to define all the instrumental
configurations necessary for the program. The same configuration
can be used several times with different targets. The main
section of the page is a table with different options under pull-down
menus or editable entry fields. Some entry fields are dynamically
linked, that is, a selection in one of the pull-down menu will change
the options in another one.
But, first the top frame
can be used to help in the preparation of these configurations by
offering the following elements:
- List of
Targets: This little window displays the name of the targets
defined in the previous form. It is just available as a mnemonic
resource so that the user does not have to navigate back and forth
between pages to look at the list of targets. Nothing to click
on,
it's just a scrolling display!
- Stokes
Parameters Primer: This window presents the three main
Stokes parameters and their meaning in terms of polarization of the
light.
- Exposure Time
Calculator: There is an exposure time calculator available for
ESPaDOnS. It is maintained by J.F. Donati, in Toulouse, and the
interface is
automatically opened when this link is activated. We strongly recommend
that you use the calculator during the preparation of your
observations. By doing so, you will be able to specify the right
parameters for your observations (exposure time, S/N, seeing) in order
to achieve your science goals.
- Defaults
Observing Mode/Readout Mode: This presents some defaults
that can be used to pre-populate the instrument configuration table,
prior to creating the individual rows. This can save quite a bit
of time if a lot of configurations need to be defined.
The
middle frame of the configuration page consists in a table and buttons
to
manipulate the entry fields:
- Top
Row:
- RunID: Identification of the program you
are currently working on.
- Table Status: List of
the current rows and the total number of configurations already defined
in the current table.
- Instrument: Link to the ESPaDOnS Web page.
- Table:
- Label: The label
identifies a row in the table. The instrument configurations are simply
identified as I#. The label is automatically updated if the rows
are changed.
- Name: The name of the instrument configuration, as given by
the user. A mnemonic name (e.g. 3C273 Q, Polar Q Normal) will
make the
subsequent steps easier. The name must be shorter than 20 characters.
-
Observing Mode: Three observing modes are offered with
ESPaDOnS: Polarimetry, Spectroscopy (Star only), Spectroscopy
(Star+Sky). This entry field allows the user to define exactly which
mode should be used. For more details on these modes, pleaser refer to
the ESPaDOnS Web page.
- Readout Mode: The current CCD can be used under
three different readout modes: Fast, Normal and Slow. Each mode
has its own readout time (charged), gain and readout noise. Note that
the overheads charged are more than the readout time; operational
overheads to start and finish an exposure are necessarily larger than
just the readout time. The table below presents the necessary
information.
Readout
Mode
|
Noise/Gain
|
Overhead
|
Fast
|
8.0e ;
1.8e/ADU
|
40s
|
Normal
|
4.5e ;
1.4e/ADU
|
60s
|
Slow
|
2.9e ;
1.2e/ADU
|
85s
|
- Stokes
Parameter: In polarimetric mode, four Stokes
parameters are available for ESPaDOnS:
QUVW. Only one parameter can be selected for a given instrument
configuration; if two parameters must be observed consecutively on a
given target, this can be arranged at the OB/OG level. In spectroscopy
modes, only the I (intensity) parameter is made available.
- Exptime: This is to define the exposure time
(in seconds) for each individual exposure of the instrument
configuration. Minimum exposure time is 1 second and maximum is 7200
seconds. Note: Fractional exposure
times are not possible with ESPaDOnS.
- Nseq:
This is the number of sequences, in other words, the number of times
the
exposures should be done for a given instrument configuration. For
polarimetry, Nseq = 1 means that 4 exposures will be taken for the
Stokes parameter specified.
- I-time:
The total I-time calculated for a given configuration, in seconds. The
value is calculated and displayed after a save. The calculation uses an
algorithm defined below. Total I-time for one configuration cannot
exceed 7200 seconds.
-
Select: Row selection
for manipulation of the table with the "Duplicate", "Delete", etc.
buttons.
Integration
Time
Calculation
The integration time (I-time) calculation is done for each instrument
configuration (IC) according to the general formula:
I-time
(IC) = Nseq x [S(Obs.mode) x [Exptime + Overheads (readout)]]
where
Nseq = Number of sequences
S(Obs.mode) = Number of exposures generated, depending on
the observing mode selected. For polarimetry, S=4. For spectroscopy, S=1
Exptime = Exposure time defined for each individual exposure
Overheads (readout) = Overhead charged for each individual
exposure. It includes the readout time + some operational overheads, as
defined in the table above.
Example: In
polarimetric mode, the user requires 5 sequences with the Q parameter,
the normal readout mode and exposure time of 100 sec/exp. We get:
IC = 5 x [4 x (100 + 60)] = 3200 seconds (20 files generated).
|
Button
|
Function
|
| |
Add N rows to the table. |
| |
Duplicate the selected rows N times. |
| |
Delete the selected rows. A confirmation window is
displayed. |
| |
Select all the rows in the table. Clicking again on it
deselect all the rows. |
| |
Check the entries for errors. The errors found are
displayed in a separate window and are indicated by a red frame in the
table. An automatic check is done also when the form is saved or when
the "proceed" button is activated. |
| |
Display the next rows of the table. |
| |
Display the previous rows of the table. |
| |
Cancel all the modifications done to the current page and
reload data stored in the database. |
| |
Save all the modifications done to the current page in the
database and reload current page. Regular
saving of the current form is recommended! |
| |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO database
and open the next form. |
13)
Constraints
This page presents the
table designed for defining the sky constraints under which the
observations should be undertaken. The top frame displays
information about the targets and instrument configurations defined
previously:
- List of
Targets: This little window displays the name of the targets
defined in the Fixed Targets form. It is just available as a
mnemonic resource so that the user does not have to navigate back and
forth between pages to look at the list of target. Nothing to
click on, it's just a scrolling display!
- List of
Instrument Configurations: This window displays the names of
the instrument configurations and some of their content defined in the
previous form. It is just available as a mnemonic resource so
that the user does not have to navigate back and forth between pages to
look at the list of configurations. Nothing to click on, it's
just a scrolling display! The different times between parenthesis
indicate how the calculation for the total I-time of the instrument
configuration was made.
- Exposure Time
Calculator: There is
an exposure time calculator available for ESPaDOnS. It is maintained by
J.F. Donati, in Toulouse, and the interface is
automatically open when this link is activated. We strongly recommend
that you use the calculator during the preparation of your
observations. By doing so, you will be able to specify the right
parameters for your observations (exposure time, S/N,
seeing) in order
to achieve your science goals.
The middle frame
presents the
table for the constraints:
- Top Row:
-
RunID:
Identification of the program you are currently working on.
-
Table Status:
List of the current rows and the total number of constraints already
defined in the current table.
-
Instrument: Link to the ESPaDOnS Web page.
-
Table:
-
Label: The label identifies a row in the table. The
constraints are simply identified as C#. The label is automatically
updated if the rows are changed.
-
Name: The name of the constraint, as given by the user. A
mnemonic name (e.g. Best Conditions) will make the subsequent
steps
easier. The name must be shorter than 20 characters.
-
Seeing: Pull-down menu for indicating the seeing constraint. The seeing
constraint has normally the highest priority in the
selection of the program to be executed by the QSO Team.
However, for ESPaDOnS, this criterion does not have the same weight
because the seeing is not a major parameter affecting ESPaDOnS
observations. So the seeing bands proposed are rather broad. The
next table illustrates some statistics on the
image quality on Mauna Kea. Note that if you select for instance the
seeing to be between 1" and 1.5", it is quite possible that the
observations will be performed under 1" anyway, depending on the
program ranking and the pressure from other programs. Important: If your program includes very
restrictive time constraints, it is strongly suggested to request
modest constraint on the seeing!
-
Airmass: Constraint on the airmass for the observations. The
weight of this constraint is usually not very strong in the selection
process
of the program to be undertaken, although we always try to respect it
as much as possible. Four options are available: <
1.2, < 1.5, < 2.0, any. Unless absolutely necessary, < 2.0 or
"any" are the preferable options. We will
aim for < 1.5 but beware that scheduling constraints might forbid
the QSO Team to reach this goal for all of the observations.
-
Select: Row selection for manipulation of the table with
the "Duplicate", "Delete", etc. buttons.
A
word
on the Seeing. The constraint on the seeing is usually
the strongest criterion for the selection of a program to
be undertaken. Our goal is to
never try observations during conditions exceeding the upper limit
defined by your constraint by more than
10%, and at most 20%. The probability that your program is
executed depends somewhat on this constraint, even with ESPaDOnS; the
table below offers some statistics. Be realistic! In
particular,
for Programs with the C grade, it would be much preferable not to
specify a seeing better than 1.0". It is important that you
request a realistic IQ also when your
targets do not reach a low airmass. For instance, asking for better
than 1" when
the airmass is never smaller than 2.0 is not very likely to happen....
By definition, snapshots programs MUST request IQ >
1.5".
Image Quality (IQ) on Mauna Kea
|
Frequency (%)
|
| IQ < 1.0" |
70-80
|
| 1.0" < IQ < 1.5" |
20-30
|
| IQ > 1.5" |
0-5
|
|
Button
|
Function
|
| |
Add N rows to the table. |
| |
Duplicate the selected rows N times. |
| |
Delete the selected rows. A confirmation window is
displayed. |
| |
Select all the rows in the table. Clicking again on it
deselect all the rows. |
| |
Check the entries for errors. The errors found
are displayed in a separate window and are indicated by a red frame
in the table. An automatic check is done also when the form is saved
or when the "proceed" button is activated. |
| |
Display the next rows of the table. |
| |
Display the previous rows of the table. |
| |
Cancel all the modifications done to the current page and
reload data stored in the database. |
| |
Save all the modifications done to the current
page in the database and reload current page. Regular saving of the current
form is recommended! |
| |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO database and
open the next form. |
13)
Observation Blocks
This is it! This
page allows the user to link all the previously defined entities within
observation blocks (OB). The main page is divided into two main frames:
HINT: The
number of rows displayed at once is only a few. The "Next Page",
"Previous Page" buttons can be used to navigate between the different
pages. The blue links OB# represent the first row of each individual
pages and can also be used for moving quickly from a page to another.
- Top Frame:
-
Target Selection:
The first element to enter in the
creation of the OB is one target. This window lists all the
targets previously defined. To select one, simply click on it with the
mouse. The selection is then highlighted by a darker
background. It
is also possible to select several targets in the list by
holding the "control" button. An OB will be created for each
target selected when the "Create OB" button is pressed. The selection
remains visible after the creation of the OB with the "Create
OB" button.
-
Configuration List: The second element to enter in the creation of
the OB is the configuration list. An OB can
have one or several configurations. To achieve that, you
must create a list with first selecting the configurations and second,
by adding them to the list on the right. You can change
the order of the configurations with the up and down arrows. The
configurations will be executed in the order given
in this list. The total integration time for the instrument
configuration is indicated; the calculation is made using the algorithm
defined earlier. NOTE: With ESPaDOnS,
it is NOT possible to define an block using two different observing
modes. This is to avoid problem with getting the right
calibrations.
-
Constraint
Selection: The final entity to create
an OB is the constraint. As with the target, the selection is
done with the mouse and remains highlighted after the creation of the
OB.- Defaults: It's
possible to define the defaults of certain parameters
defining the observing blocks. Photometric:
Should your observations be done during photometric time only? See
below for details. Tracking: At the moment, only one option is
available but when non-sidereal guiding becomes available, it will be
possible to specify it here as well.
- Middle Frame:
-
Label: The label identifies a row in the table. The
observation blocks are simply identified as OB#. The label is
automatically updated if the rows are changed. By clicking on the label
in
the table, the selections are displayed again in the windows of the top
frame.
-
Target: Target label used for this observation block.
-
Configuration(s): List of configurations used for this
observation block. Individual configurations are separated by the "+"
sign and the order of execution goes from left to right.
-
Constraint: Constraint label used for this observation block.
-
OB I-Time: Total integration time (I-time) requested
for the execution of this observation block. Since it is much
easier to schedule short observation blocks, the total I-time for
one OB cannot exceed 2 hours.
-
Tracking: Only one option is currently offered here: Sidereal,
guiding.
This is the typical exposure and the default selection. When
non-sidereal is implemented, it will be possible to define it here.
-
Type: Type of observation. Only "object" is available. This
entry is not available for users other than the QSO team.
-
Photometric: Does this OB require to be done during photometric
time only? The definition for this flag for ESPaDOnS differs from
MegaCam. For certain ESPaDOnS programs, the science goals might require
that the observations must be done under photometric sky only.
This flag is
disabled by default. Note that only about 50% of the time on Mauna Kea
is photometric so use with discretion....
-
Comment: You can enter a comment for each individual OB.
These comments are visible at all time during the observations. The
comment associated to the OB is included in the FITS headers of the
images (keyword:CMMTOBS).
-
Select: Row selection for manipulation of the table with the
"Delete" button.
|
Button
|
Function
|
 |
Create an Observation Block, after selecting one target,
one or several instrument configurations, and one constraint. |
 |
Modify an observation block. After selecting one or several
OBs in the table ("select" column in the table), the OBs will be
modified according to the parameters defined by the top lists after
clicking this button. Thus, it is possible to
change the content of an OB without having to delete it and create it
again. Important: You must make sure that the total
I-time allocated for your program has not been exceeded after modifying
the
OB. |
| |
Delete the selected rows. A confirmation window is
displayed. |
| |
Select all the rows in the table. Clicking again on it
deselects all the rows. |
| |
Check the entries for errors. The errors found are
displayed in a separate window and are indicated by a red frame in
the table. An automatic check is done also when
the form is saved or when the "proceed" button is activated. |
| |
Display the next rows of the table. |
| |
Display the previous rows of the table. |
| |
Cancel all the modifications done to the current page and
reload data stored in the database. |
| |
Save all the modifications done to the current page in the
database and reload current page. Regular
saving of the current form is recommended! |
| |
Save the content of the current page in the QSO database
and open the next form. |
14)
Observation Groups
This
page presents
the last step in the preparation of your observations: the creation
of the observation groups (OG). The OGs will be the entities scheduled
at the telescope so this step is necessary, even if you have
previously defined all the observation blocks. The OG page is presented
below:
- Top
Frame:
-
Observation Group
Type: Three
types of Observing Groups (OG) are possible: 1) 1OB (Single
OB)
means that the observation blocks previously prepared are transformed
into individual OGs. If all the OBs should be transformed into
OGs, this can be done automatically by selecting the "Quick Create OGs"
button; it is the recommended
approach for the QSO mode. 2)
Monitoring
OG (MOB) means that one
specific OB will be observed a certain number of times within a given
period. The selection of the
OB is done through the list on the right and the OG monitoring
parameters are entered in the window on the right. 3)
OBs can be linked together to form a sequence
(SOB). The list of OBs to link
can be done with the entry field on the right. Beware: only OBs
requesting the same constraint can be linked together. We
also want to discourage the use of SOBs as much as possible:
shorter 1OB OGs are easier to schedule and execute!
-
OB List: Except when one desires to transform all the OBs
into OGs with the "Quick Create OGs" button, the creation of an OG
of any type requires a list of OBs. This can be done using this
window. The order of the OB within the list can be altered with
the arrows. When clicking on an OB from the list, the window
on the right displays a summary of its content. There is a new feature
in
PH2: it is now possible to do multiple selection of the OB in the left
window before clicking on the "add" button. This can diminish
greatly
the number of clicks necessary to create a sequence of OBs for
instance.
If multiple OBs are found in the list (on the right) and the "single
OB"
option was selected, one OG per OB in the list will be created if you
click on "Create OG(s)" in the table. If "monitoring OG" is selected
and
multiple OB are in the list, each OG created will have the same
monitoring parameters.
- Observation Groups Options:
See Below
- Middle Frame:
-
Label: The label identifies a row in the table. The
observation groups are simply identified as OG#. The label is
automatically updated if the rows are changed.
-
Type: Identifies
the type of groups: 1OB (single OB); MOB (monitoring OB); SOB (sequence
of OBs).
-
OB: Identifies the observation block(s)
used to create this specific observation group. Clicking on an OB from
this entry field display again the content of the block in the top
frame.
-
Group I-time: Total integration time in seconds for
this Observation Group. If monitoring, I-time (OG) = N(iterations) x
I-time (OB). Maximum I-time for a 1Ob or SOB is 7200 seconds.
-
Priority: Priority (high, medium, low) of this
observation group for your program. This will be used by the QSO Team
during the selection process leading to the execution of the
observations for your program. Selecting "lowest" does not mean that
this
OG will never be done; we aim for the completion of programs. It is
only a way to ensure that if the completion level of your program
is not 100%, that at least the most important targets have been
observed.
-
Comment: Any comments you might think would be useful
for the QSO Team.
-
Select: Row selection for
manipulation of the table with the "Delete" buttons.
- Third Frame:
- I-Time Allocated: Integration time
allocated by the Time Allocation Committee for your program. This
time cannot be exceeded!
- I-Time Calculated: Total
integration time requested for all the observing groups defined in this
page. It automatically includes the charged overhead for
all of the individual exposure in the OG. The I-time is automatically
calculated after the creation of
an OG.
- I-Time Left:
I-time allocated) - (I-time calculated); it cannot be negative.
If I-time left < 0, a warning window
button in PH2. Of course, there are substantial differences
between the versions used for the different instruments at CFHT. A much
more detailed tutorial is
presented in Section C. For a complete description of the Phase 2
tool and other issues related to the Phase 2 submission, please
refer to this section. Finally, the last two sections include some
discussions already presented in the tutorial for the Phase 1
submission
but still very relevant to the preparation of the observations during
the Phase 2. 
