McMathPierce Update

1
McMath-Pierce Update

2
McM/P Update

• The McM/P is a 1.6m all-reflecting windowless
  solar telescope
• It remains the only large telescope where mid-IR
  (2200?-5000nm) and thermal-IR (12000nm) solar
  data can be taken
• McM/P SOLIS observing and mountain support 2
  FTE KPNO and 2 FTE NSO (shutdown,etc)

3
McM/P Update

• NSO Array Camera
• Imaging tests granulation, night-time
• Spectroscopy at 2329nm (CO lines)
• Initial polarimetry at 1565nm
• Telescope Control System Upgrade
• Guider
• Clean-up storage and new work lab

4
NAC imaging tests
5
NAC imaging tests
Star 11.7mag
3 sec exposure H-band filter
6
NAC spectroscopy
7
NAC Spectropolarimetry
8
NAC problems

• Solved issues
• Spectrograph shake
• Data storage (admin?)
• Serial communication (slow)
• Old issues
• Higher noise level
• Scripting trouble (no loops)
• Spectrograph mounting

• New issues
• Fringes
• Well depth too low (electronics trouble)

9
TCS Goals

• Replace PDP 11 and relay cabinet (predates CAMAC
  technology by 10 years)
• Modern code support and interface with new
  instruments
• OTS components
• Hand-paddle, scripting abilities
• Integrate main spectrograph
• Telescope relative pointing arcsecond scale
• Solar coordinate pointing ability

10
TCS Upgrade - Status

• Request for quotes written soliciting final
  comments.
• Announcement target 1 Jan 2006
• Select Spring 2006
• Begin work Spring/Summer 2006
• Finish in one-year

• RFQ complete
• 13 vendors identified
• Mailed (15 Jan)
• Select Spring 2007
• Begin work Spring/Summer 2007
• Finish one-year

11
TCS Upgrade - Vendors

• (1) DFM Engineering, Longmont CO
  http//www.dfmengineering.com/index1.html
• No Bid because of the way the specs were written
• (2) Comsoft, Tucson AZ http//www.comsoft-telescop
  e.com/
• No Bid?
• (3) Astronomical Consultants Equipment Inc
  (ACE), Tucson http//www.astronomical.com/
• Submitted Bid does not address upgrade
  realistically, 1.7 times estimated cost
• (4) Optical Mechanics, Inc. (OMI), Iowa City, IA
  http//www.opticalmechanics.com/
• No Bid out of range of capabilities
• (5) EOS Technologies, Inc., Tucson AZ
  http//www.eostech.com/
• No Bid too much risk

• (6) The Pilot Group, Monrovia, CA
  http//www.the-pilot-group.com/index.html
• No Bid?
• (7) Observatory Sciences Ltd., Cambridge, United
  Kingdom http//www.observatorysciences.co.uk/
• No Bid out of range of capabilities
• (8) Cosylab, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  http//www.cosylab.com/
• Submitted Bid 1.5 times estimated cost

12
TCS Upgrade

• What do we do now?

13
Guider

• Goals
• Test and verify TCS upgrade
• Replace old limb guiders
• Allow pointing to 1.5 solar radii
• Provide full-disk solar image (?)
• Hardware CCD vs limb guider
• One flat pickoff mirror between M1 and M2
• Beamsplitter, H-alpha filter, 2 imaging lenses,
  CCD camera and video, PC control computer

14
Facility Clean-up

• Goals
• salvage or cannibalize any equipment which has
  not been used in the past 5 years
• empty east instrument storage room and convert to
  a clean lab space
• make new optics storage system
• use west instrument storage room for storage of
  visitor instruments

• Results
• New semi-clean instrument lab
• AO, NAC and visitor instruments now stored in
  west hallway
• New optics and equipment cabinets in east hallway
• Many truckloads of old equipment hauled away
• West library now a useful space with historic
  drawings, pictures and papers.

15
Notes

• E maintainence
• 3 guys total
• FTS?
• Spare AO planetary grant mercury end 2007
• Fringe merrill