TNG HARPS-N Manuel utilisateur

Telescopio Nazionale Galileo

HARPS-N Operation Guide

Draft Manual version 2.6

TNG-MAN-HARPN-0003

Date: 23/03/2020

Prepared R. Cosentino

Change Record

Issue/Rev.

Date

Section/Page affected

Reason/Remarks

V1.0

14-12-2012

First version

V1.1

14-01-2013

Autoguider added

V1.2

04-02-2013

V2.0

12-02-2013

New sequencer and Labview SW

V2.1

V2.2.3

22-05-2013

All document

Paragraph 3.5 added

V2.2.4

19-11-2013

All document

V2.2.5

15-01-2014

New sequencer and expmeter

V2.2.6

18-03-2014

Double star guiding procedure added

V2.2.7

11-09-2014

Minor changes

V2.3.0

22-07-2015

Change sequencer figure

New sequencer version

V2.4.1

13/12/2016

some warnings was added

V2.4

23/08/2017

LCU paragraph

New LCU

V2.6

23/03/2020

AG paragraph

New AG

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 3 
 
Contents 
1Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................4 
1.1 Scop
e
 ...............................................................................................................................................................4 
1.2 Additional information .............................................................................................................................4 
1.3 
Contact 
information ..............................................................................................................................4 
1.4
 
Reference documents
 ...................................................................................................................4 
2Before the observations ...................................................................................................................................5 
2.1 The Observation blocks preparation...................................................................................................5 
2.2 The Sequencer GUI (initialization and operation) .........................................................................6 
2.2.1 Initialization .........................................................................................................................................7 
2.2.2 Sequence Control buttons...............................................................................................................8 
2.2.3 Instrument control buttons............................................................................................................8 
2.2.4 Other changes......................................................................................................................................8 
2.2.5 Before the calibration.......................................................................................................................9 
2.2.6 The standard calibration (daily calibration) ........................................................................ 10 
3Observations...................................................................................................................................................... 11 
3.1 The start night........................................................................................................................................... 11 
3.2 The focus procedure ............................................................................................................................... 11 
3.3 The pointing model procedure........................................................................................................... 12 
3.4 The science OB execution ..................................................................................................................... 12 
3.5 The Observing Control Software (OBS)........................................................................................... 13 
3.5.1 The pointing/tracking sends the telescope to the limit switch..................................... 13 
3.6 The Exposure meter................................................................................................................................ 15 
3.7 The Autoguide........................................................................................................................................... 15 
3.7.1 Starting the autoguide................................................................................................................... 15 
3.7.2 Parameter for the acquisition and centroid computation............................................... 16 
3.7.3 Corrections......................................................................................................................................... 16 
3.7.4 Telescope offset ............................................................................................................................... 16 
3.7.5 Piezo operations .............................................................................................................................. 17 
3.7.6 Some examples................................................................................................................................. 17 
Appendix A - Useful Harps-N webpages........................................................................................................ 18 
Appendix B - Actions of multi task commands........................................................................................... 18 
Appendix C - Actions of focus procedure commands............................................................................... 19 
(While the user can execute actions: repoint, expose, get info, etc)................................................. 19 
Appendix D –List of acronyms ......................................................................................................................... 19 
 
 

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 4 
1Introduction 
1.1 Scop
e
 
This User Manual is 
i
n
t
e
nd
e
d
 
to 
give all necessary 
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
io
n
 
to 
p
o
t
e
n
t
i
a
l
 users of 
the 
HARPS-N 
i
n
s
t
r
u
m
e
n
t
,
 
t
o
 help 
t
h
e
m 
to 
use 
the 
i
n
s
t
r
u
m
e
n
t 
and manages the observation 
at the TNG telescope. 
The following 
d
oc
u
m
e
n
t
s are closely 
r
el
a
t
e
d
 
to 
t
h
i
s manual and should be 
co
n
s
u
l
t
e
d
 as well: 
 
The HARPS-N User Manual (
TNG-MAN-HARPN-0002
) 

The 
HARPS-N Startup M
anua
l (TNG-MAN-HARPN-0001)
 

The New Short Term Scheduler User Manual (NSTS)
 

 
The DRS User Manual (
OG-MAN-HAN-13-0004
) 
HARPS-N Autoguide Manual 
The standard calibration 
B
o
t
h
 are available through 
the 
TNG
 web 
pa
ge 
 
http://www.tng.iac.es/instruments/harps/ 
 
1.2 Additional information 
The 
latest 
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
io
n
 
upda
t
e
s 
about the 
HARPS-N 
i
n
s
t
r
u
m
e
n
t
 can be found on 
the 
HARPS-N web 
pa
ge
s 
 
http://www.tng.iac.es/instruments/harps/ 
 
1.3 
Contact 
information 
Feedback on 
t
h
i
s User Manual from users is encouraged. Please email 
to 
[email protected] 
 
1.4
 
Reference documents 
 HARPS-N User Manual 
 HARPS-N Quick Start Guide 
 HARPS-N LCU Manual 
 New Short Term Scheduler User Manual (NSTS) 
 DRS User Manual 
 Ucam User manual 
 Templates Reference Guide 
 Thorium-Argon Atlas 
 Design of the LCU for HARPS-N 
 HARPS-N Autoguide Manual 
 The standard calibration 

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 5

2Before the observations

Starts up the system following the instructions of the “HARPS-N Quick Start Guide” and take

care to read all the advices reported at the beginning of the manual.

2.1 The Observation blocks preparation

From the NSTS the observer can prepare the sequence of observation blocks of the night

(Figure 1).

The target can be inserted directly in the NSTS or by using a catalog file that contains the

objects information. The format of the catalog file is an ascii file and the fields separator is a

TAB (ascii code = 9).

The fields of the catalog are shown in Table 1, the mandatory fields are shown in bold format.

An example of catalog file is shown in the HARPS-N webpage:

(http://www.tng.iac.es/instruments/harps/data/SpStdHARPSN.cat)

Table 1- Catalog file entries

name

object code

alpha

right ascension (nn:nn:nn.nn)

delta

Declination (nn:nn:nn.nn)

mualpha

proper motion alpha(arcsec/year)

mudelta

proper motion delta (arcsec/year)

magnitude V

TypSp

spectral type

radvel

mean radial velocity (KM/sec) or -99999

snr

Signal/Noise (550nm)

spectr

spectral type for the mask(two chars only)

remarks

Remarks

acquisition

Acquisition template (es. HARPN_ech_acq_objA)

equinox

Equinox

progid

program identificator (es. TAC_xx)

piname

PI name

exptime

Exposure time

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 6

Figure 1 - Short Term Scheduler

2.2 The Sequencer GUI (initialization and operation)

After the startup of HARPS-N the instrument is ready to the initialization of the subsystems

and the start of operation.

The sequencer GUI (Figure 2) is divided into several sections:

The sequence control buttons, for the interaction with the observing blocks

The Instrument control buttons, for the interaction with the HARPS-N’s subsystems

The observation Execution logs window, where the commands execution and the

errors are shown

The acquisition control buttons, (expose, repoint, etc), allows to do actions related

with the autoguider’s image visualized by the DS9 application.

The DS9 application shows the autoguider’s image and interacts with the sequencer.

During the command execution the status is visualized into the observing status

window and, at the end of execution, a bell sound confirms the correct execution of the

command (if the sound is a horn noise, this means that something goes wrong and an

error should be shown in the observing status window).

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 7

2.2.1 Initialization

From the instrument control section, click on the LCU Init button and wait until the

command ends.

The system now is ready to calibrations (but not for the observations).

Figure 2 - The Sequencer GUI

Note-1: The red log “Failed to fetch data from telemetry!” is not an error and can be ignored as error if

appears during calibrations or in acquisition with exposure time less than 5 seconds.

Note-2: The yellow log “[…] Warning Final AG guide FITS file not found!” is a warning that don’t affect

the observation (we are working to fix this bug)

Table 2 - Acquisition Control buttons

Add magnitude

Increases/decreases the value of the magnitude of the selected star

Save Focus

send to OCS the command that update the serrurier focus

Cancel Focus

Moves M2 to the position prior to the focus procedure execution

Expose

Take a new image with the AG camera

Re-Start DS9

Restart the DS9 window (when the DS9 window crash)

Get infos from DS9

Take coordinates and FWHM from the point clicked in the DS9 image

Get DSS fields in

DS9

Visualize the compass in the DS9

Repoint

put the point clicked in the DS9 image into the fiber position and acquire a

new image

put the point clicked in the DS9 image into the fiber position and start the

autoguider

Automatic

acquisition

Selects , put in the fibre and start the acquisition of the brightest star of the

field

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 8

2.2.2 Sequence Control buttons

Next OB executes the next block available of the NSTS

Single OB if checked executes one block when the user click on Next OB button

Queue Mode if checked executes a series of NSTS blocks (according with the NSTS rules)

when the user clicks on Next OB button

Terminate exposure ends the current exposure and save the scientific frame

Abort block aborts the current block

2.2.3 Instrument control buttons

Start Night button executes the Telescope Start night and open the dust cover

Start Tel button executes the Telescope Start night

Dust Cover buttons Open and Close the dust cover

Start EM button starts the exposure meter and open the GUI

Note: The Start Night button includes the preparation to observation of the telescope and of

the instrument.

More details about the instrument control buttons are shown in Appendix B - Actions of

multi task commands

2.2.4 Other changes

The sequencer now has a feedback with the NSTS. If the NSTS is not in execution the

sequencer visualizes a warning.

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 9

Figure 3 - DS9 terminal with a binary star in the field

The compass is represented by the yellow axis, with the orientation shown in Figure 3.

2.2.5 Before the calibration

Few minute before the start of calibration (about 10 minutes), the observer has to turn on the

thorium lamps. If the elapsed time is less then 10 minutes a warning windows appears; in this

case the observer has to wait the time indicated in the popup window. The observer can

ignore this warning but can compromise the quality of observation.

In the Instrument control section:

1. Click on the Turn ON button of THO1 lamp

2. Click on the Turn ON button of THO2 lamp

3. On the LCU Device Monitor verify the lamps status (Figure 4)

Figure 4 - LCU Device Monitor

TNG-MAN-HAN-0003 10

A bell sound confirms the correct execution of the command

2.2.6 The standard calibration (daily calibration)

The daily calibration is very important to do in the afternoon (about 1 hour before the start of

observation).

1. From the NSTS selects the ‘standard calibration’ OB

2. From the sequencer GUI, click in the ‘Next OB’ button.

3. Verify in the DRS if the calibration goes without errors

Figure 5 - Thorium1 lamp warm warning

Figure 6 - Thorium lamp1 turn off warning

During the command execution the status is visualized into the observation Execution logs

window and, at the end of execution, a bell sound confirms the correct execution of the

command (if the sound is a horn noise, this means that something goes wrong and an error

should be shown in the observation Execution logs window).

The standard calibration procedure is about 11 minutes long.

Very important: When the calibration ends, turn off the thorium 1 lamp:

1. Click on the Turn OFF button of THO1 lamp

2. Click on the Turn OFF button of THO2 lamp (if you will not observes in thorium

simultaneous mode)

3. On the LCU Device Monitor verify the lamps status (Figure 4)

Note: If the TH1 lamp remains in the on state, after a while a warning window appears.

The observer can decide if maintain the lamp in on (only if he is using it) or turn off it.

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