Uniquely designed with two 8.4m mirrors, a 22.8m interferometric baseline, and the collecting area of an 11.8m telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO), has a narrow window of opportunity to exploit its status as the “first” of the ELTs. Prompted by urgency to maximum scientific output during this favorable interval, we undertook a multi-year project to reshape the user experience. The initial stage, implementing a new suite of software to facilitate proposal submission, script creation, binocular planning, and nighttime execution, is nearing completion. Reuse and adaptation of existing software, particularly Gemini Observatory’s cross-platform PIT and OT, proved critical, although as expected, we encountered many challenges presented by our one-of-a-kind binocular design and operations. We hope to leverage our success in the early phases of this project toward further improvement of our science operations model, specifically, augmenting our nighttime operations to include observatory-led observing. We plan to focus this observing mode primarily on instruments that require block scheduling and/or superb and rare conditions such as our newly commissioned GLAO system, ARGOS. In this paper, we outline our workflow, describe lessons learned, and present our resulting software products. We also detail future development toward our ultimate goal, improved efficiency and user interactions throughout every step of the observing experience.
In this paper we detail the process the LBTO followed to chose software for reuse and modification to support binocular queue operations. We outline the survey of initial candidate solutions, how and why the final selection was made, and describe our requirements gap analysis for LBTO binocular use. We provide details of our software development approach including a project road map and phased release strategy. We provide details of added LBTO functionality, discuss issues, and suggest some reuse lessons learned. We conclude with discussion of known desired enhancements to be addressed in future release cycles.
KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Observatories, Visualization, Camera shutters, Associative arrays, Databases, Human-machine interfaces, Data modeling, Adaptive optics, Data archive systems
To achieve highly efficient observatory operations requires continuous evaluation and improvement of facility and instrumentation metrics. High quality metrics requires a foundation of robust and complete observatory telemetry. At the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO), a variety of telemetry-capturing mechanisms exist, but few tools have thus far been created to facilitate studies of the data. In an effort to make all observatory telemetry data easy to use and broadly available, we have developed a suite of tools using in-house development and open source applications. This paper will explore our strategies for consolidating, parameterizing, and correlating any LBTO telemetry data to achieve easily available, web-based two- and three-dimensional time series data visualization.
Step 1 (Veillet et al.1), after a review of the development of the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO from the early concepts of the early 80s to mid-2014, outlined a six-year plan (LBT2020) aimed at optimizing LBTO's scientific production while mitigating the consequences of the inevitable setbacks brought on by the considerable complexity of the telescope and the very diverse nature of the LBTO partnership. Step 2 is now focusing on the first two years of implementation of this plan, presenting the encountered obstacles, technical, cultural and political, and how they were overcome. Weather and another incident with one of the Adaptive Secondaries slowed down commissioning activities. All the facility instruments should have been commissioned and offered in binocular mode in early or mid-2016. It will happen instead by the end of 2016. On a brighter side, the first scientific publications using the LBT as a 23-m telescope through interferometry were published in 2015 and the overall number of publications has been raising at a good pace. Three second generation instruments were selected, scheduled to come on the telescope in the next three to five years. They will all use the excellent performance of the LBT Adaptive Optics (AO), which will be even better thanks to an upgrade of the AO to be completed in 2018. Less progress than hoped was made to move the current observing mode of the telescope to a whole LBT-wide queue. In two years from now, we should have a fully operational telescope, including a laser-based Ground Layer AO (GLAO) system, hopefully fully running in queue, with new instruments in development, new services offered to the users, and a stronger scientific production.
The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory is a collaboration between institutions in Arizona, Germany, Italy, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia. The telescope uses two 8.4-m diameter primary mirrors mounted sideby- side on the same AZ-EL mount to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter aperture. Adaptive optics loops are routinely closed with natural stars on both sides for sided and combined beam observations. Rayleigh laser guide stars provide GLAO seeing improvement. With the telescope now in operation for 10 years, we report on various statistics of telescope performance and seeing-limited image quality. Statistics of telescope performance are reported in the areas of off-axis guiding, open-loop mount tracking, active optics and vibration. Delivered image quality is reported as measured by the DIMM and several guide cameras as a function of other parameters such as temperature and wind velocity. Projects to improve image quality and dome seeing are underway.
KEYWORDS: Observatories, Telescopes, Data archive systems, Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, Data storage, Prototyping, Databases, Data modeling, Data acquisition, Space telescopes
The Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) of the Paranal Observatory is the first component of the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF, [8]) entering routine operations: a laser beam avoidance tool to support operations of an observatory equipped with five lasers and several laser-sensitive instruments, providing real-time information about ongoing and future collisions. LTCS-Paranal interfaces with ESO’s observing tools, OT and vOT. Altogether, this system allows the night operators to plan and execute their observations without worrying about possible collisions between the laser beam(s) and other lasersensitive equipment, aiming at a more efficient planning of the night, preventing time losses and laser-contaminated observations.
The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO), a joint scientific venture between the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), LBT Beteiligungsgesellschaft (LBTB), University of Arizona, Ohio State University (OSU), and the Research Corporation, is one of the newest additions to the world’s collection of large optical/infrared ground-based telescopes. With its unique, twin 8.4m mirror design providing a 22.8 meter interferometric baseline and the collecting area of an 11.8m telescope, LBT has a window of opportunity to exploit its singular status as the “first” of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). Prompted by urgency to maximize scientific output during this favorable interval, LBTO recently re-evaluated its operations model and developed a new strategy that augments classical observing with queue. Aided by trained observatory staff, queue mode will allow for flexible, multi-instrument observing responsive to site conditions. Our plan is to implement a staged rollout that will provide many of the benefits of queue observing sooner rather than later -- with more bells and whistles coming in future stages. In this paper, we outline LBTO's new scientific model, focusing specifically on our “lean” resourcing and development, reuse and adaptation of existing software, challenges presented from our one-of-a-kind binocular operations, and lessons learned. We also outline further stages of development and our ultimate goals for queue.
For the LBT Observatory, the next couple of years promise to be both exciting and challenging. Exciting as the long awaited suite of first generation instruments and GLAO become available for binocular operations, while regular interferometric observations will make LBT the first operational ELT. Challenging because LBTO will have to handle maintenance and upgrades of instruments or key components like its adaptive secondaries about which it has much to learn. Step1 will outline a plan optimizing LBTOs scientific production while mitigating the consequences of the inevitable setbacks the challenges will bring.
The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) has eight Acquisition, Guiding, and wavefront Sensing Units (AGw units). They provide guiding and wavefront sensing capability at eight different locations at both direct and bent Gregorian focal stations. Recent additions of focal stations for PEPSI and MODS instruments doubled the number of focal stations in use including respective motion, camera controller server computers, and software infrastructure communicating with Guiding Control Subsystem (GCS). This paper describes the improvements made to the LBT GCS and explains how these changes have led to better maintainability and contributed to increased reliability. This paper also discusses the current GCS status and reviews potential upgrades to further improve its performance.
The control software of the Large Binocular Telescope's (LBT) double prime focus cameras (LBC) has been in use for a decade: the software passed acceptance testing in April 2004 and is currently in routine use for science. LBC was the first light instrument of the telescope. Over the last decade of use, the control software has changed as operations with the telescope have evolved. The major updates to the LBC control software since 2004 are described, including details for the upgrade to a single control computer from the current five computer architecture.
KEYWORDS: Information technology, Software development, Observatories, Telescopes, Adaptive optics, Efficient operations, Switches, Prototyping, Lab on a chip, Control systems
The LBTO software and IT group was originally responsible for development of the Telescope Control System (TCS) software, and build-out of observatory Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. With major construction phases of the observatory mostly completed, emphasis is transitioning toward instrument software handover support, IT infrastructure obsolescence upgrades, and software development in support of efficient operations. This paper discusses recent software and IT group activities, metrics, issues, some lessons learned, and a near-term development road-map for support of efficient operations.
The Large Binocular Telescope Observatory is a collaboration between institutions in Arizona, Germany, Italy, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia. The telescope uses two 8.4-m diameter primary mirrors mounted sideby- side on the same AZ-EL mount to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter aperture. Many science observations collect the light from the two sides separately. With the arrival of the second copy of the near-infrared spectrometer and the second copy of the optical spectrometer, the telescope is observing with both apertures a significant fraction of the time. The light from the two primary mirrors can be combined to produce phased-array imaging of an extended field. This coherent imaging along with adaptive optics gives the telescope the diffraction-limited resolution of a 22.65-meter telescope. Adaptive optics loops are routinely closed with natural stars on both sides of the telescope for combined beam observations. Twin laser guide star constellations have recently been installed for ground layer adaptive optics observations. Commissioning of new instruments and focal stations for high resolution spectroscopy and near-infrared phased-array imaging is underway.
The ESO Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) will transform UT4 of the VLT into a laser driven adaptive telescope in which the corrective optics, specifically the deformable secondary mirror, and the four Laser Guide Star units are integrated. Three instruments, with their own AO modules to provide field selection capabilities and wavefront sensing, will make use of this system to provide a variety of observing modes that span from large field IR imaging with GLAO, to integral field visible spectroscopy with both GLAO and LTAO, to SCAO high Strehl imaging and spectroscopy. Each of these observing modes carries its specific demands on observing conditions. Optimal use of telescope night-time, with such a high in demand and versatile instruments suite, is mandatory to maintain and even improve upon the scientific output of the facility. This implies that the standard VLT model for operations must be updated to cover these partly new demands. In particular, we discuss three key aspects: (1) the need for an upgrade of the site monitoring facilities to provide the operators with real-time information on the environmental conditions, including the ground layer strength, and their evolution throughout the night; (2) a set of tools and procedures to effectively use these data to optimize the short-term scheduling (i.e. with granularity of one night) of the telescope and (3) the upgrade of the current laser beam avoidance software to better cope with the AOF operational scheme, where the four laser units are continuously operated as long as the atmospheric conditions allow.
The Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) is a software solution to the problem of laser beam avoidance, using priority
based collision resolution and an optional built-in laser shutter command interface. LTCS uses static site survey
information, dynamic telescope pointing and control data, and a configurable "rules" scheme, to monitor laser beam
geometry (Rayleigh and LGS) and warn or prevent undesired emission at participating institutions. LTCS was developed
for use on Mauna Kea in 2001, but through collaborative efforts with multiple institutions, has since been enhanced and
installed at several sites around the world. Functional implementations, either operational or in prototype form, exist for
Mauna Kea, La Palma, Cerro Pachon, Cerro Paranal, and Haleakala. Since the last LTCS SPIE update in 2006, many
important features have been added. There has also been some new site testing activity that has resulted in lessons
learned and the development of new analysis/test tools. Finally, an important lasing operations paradigm shift has
emerged on Mauna Kea and is anticipated for Paranal. The trend is clearly away from static collision priority rule
determination, toward dynamic "negotiated" priority determination. The implications of this paradigm shift, discussion
of forced collision test results and lessons learned, and a status update on development activities since the last update
will be presented in the paper.
With the much anticipated delivery of the Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology Quasi-CW laser, the W. M. Keck
Observatory was able to complete the installation and integration of the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System on the
Keck I telescope. The Keck I LGSAO system was developed to provide redundancy for the Keck II system as well as
balancing the instrumentation load between the two telescopes and interferometers. With the improved sodium coupling
efficiency of the laser and a center launching system, the Keck I laser performance is expected to exceed those on the
Keck II system.
We present the challenges of integrating the Keck I Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System on an operational
telescope. We will present issues and performance data related to the primary subsystem components such as the laser
itself, the Selex Galileo Avionica launch telescope, the Mitsubishi fiber transport, and the Adaptive Optics System. The
paper will also focus on the integration and testing performed at the W. M. Keck headquarters as well as the summit of
Mauna Kea. We will present initial first light performance of the Keck I LGSAO System and compare those to the
existing Keck II LGSAO System.
Natural Guide Star (NGS) and Laser Guide Star (LGS) Adaptive Optics (AO) have been offered for routine science
operations to the W. M. Keck Observatory community since 2000 and late 2004, respectively. The AO operations team
is now supporting ~100 nights of AO observing with four different instruments, including over fifty nights of LGS AO
per semester. In this paper we describe improvements to AO operations to handle the large number of nights and to
accommodate the recent upgrade to the wavefront sensor and wavefront controller. We report on the observing
efficiency, image quality, scientific productivity, impact analysis from satellite safety procedures and discuss the support
load required to operate AO at Keck. We conclude the paper by presenting our plans for dual LGS AO operations with
Keck I - Keck II LGS, starting in 2009.
Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) has been offered to Keck II visiting astronomers since November 2004. From the few nights of shared-risk science offered at that time, the LGS AO operation effort has grown to supporting over fifty nights of LGS AO per semester. In this paper we describe the new technology required to support LGS AO, give an overview of the operational model, report observing efficiency and discuss the support load required to operate LGS AO. We conclude the paper by sharing lessons learned and the challenges yet to be faced.
The image quality obtained using laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO) is degraded by the fact that the
wavefront aberrations experienced by light from the LGS and from the science object differ. In this paper we
derive an analytic expression for the variance of the difference between the two wavefronts as a function of angular
distance between the LGS and the science object. This error is a combination of focal anisoplanatism and angular
anisoplanatism. We show that the wavefront error introduced by observing a science object displaced from the
guide star is smaller for LGS AO systems than for natural guide star AO systems.
A Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) for laser beam avoidance has been in use at the W. M. Keck observatory on Mauna Kea since 2002. Subsequent LTCS installations have occurred at Gemini North (2003), and at the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma, Canary Islands (2005). Gemini North laser tests in 2005 necessitated algorithm changes to provide support for multiple laser configurations. Operational differences for how laser-telescope priority resolutions occur on La Palma vs. Mauna Kea necessitated algorithm changes to address more generic specification of priority rules, collision event queries, and better display feedback. A joint collaboration between the W. M. Keck observatory and the Isaac Newton Group, to install the LTCS at La Palma and enhance its priority processing algorithm and display functions, occurred in 2005. The changes made should be sufficient to support LTCS software implementations at many different sites, current and future, where multiple laser/telescope configurations are planned. This paper will describe the algorithm changes, review outstanding issues, and describe planned development activities supporting a broader use potential to include sites with ELTs.
The Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) at the W.M. Keck Observatory is the first system of its kind being used to conduct routine science on a ten-meter telescope. In 2005, more than fifty nights of LGSAO science and engineering were carried out using the NIRC2 and OSIRIS science instruments. In this paper, we report on the typical performance and operations of its LGS AO-specific sub-systems (laser, tip-tilt sensor, low-bandwidth wavefront sensor) as well as the overall scientific performance and observing efficiency. We conclude the paper by describing our main performance limitations and present possible developments to overcome them.
The purpose of this paper is to report on new adaptive optics (AO) developments at the W. M. Keck Observatory since the 2004 SPIE meeting.1 These developments include commissioning of the Keck II laser guide star (LGS) facility, development of new wavefront controllers and sensors, design of the Keck I LGS facility and studies in support of a next generation Keck AO system.
The purpose of this paper is to report on new adaptive optics (AO) developments at the W. M. Keck Observatory since the 2002 SPIE meeting. These developments include continued improvements to the natural guide star (NGS) facilities, first light for our laser guide star (LGS) system and the commencement of several new Keck AO initiatives.
The W. M. Keck Observatory Adaptive Optics (AO) team recently celebrated a milestone first AO-corrected image with the new Laser Guide Star (LGS) system. This paper details focus and pointing changes implemented for the LGS AO system. The combination of variable sodium altitude, elevation-dependent distance to the LGS, off-axis projection, and equipment flexure require both focus and pointing adjustments to keep the laser spot located and its size minimized on the wavefront sensor. We will describe the current approach to LGS focus and pointing-compensation adjustments, and provide some insight into issues seen thus far during engineering activities at the W. M. Keck Observatory.
In this paper we describe the operational strategy and performance of the Keck Observatory laser guidestar adaptive optics system, and showcase some early science verification images and results. Being the first laser guidestar system on an 8-10 m class telescope, the Keck laser guidestar adaptive optics system serves as a testbed for observing techniques and control algorithms. We highlight the techniques used for controlling the telescope focus and wavefront sensor reference centroids, and a wavefront reconstructor optimized for use with an elongated guidestar. We also present the current error budget and performance of the system on tip-tilt stars to magnitude R=17. The capability of the system to perform astronomical observations is finally demonstrated through multi-wavelength imaging of the Egg proto-planetary nebula (CRL 2688).
The idea of achieving Adaptive Optics over the majority of the sky using sodium laser guide stars is reaching maturity on Mauna Kea. However, Mauna Kea is a shared astronomical site with 13 institutions and 11 telescopes. Coordination between observatories with laser guide stars and facilities without laser guide stars must be accomplished to prevent sodium light (Rayleigh scatter and the laser guide star itself) from interfering with science observations at the non-laser facilities. To achieve this goal, a technical working group was organized with participation from several Mauna Kea observatories to discuss and agree upon an automated system for avoiding laser “beam” collisions with other telescopes. This paper discussed the implementation of a Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) for Mauna Kea including a brief history of the coordination effort, technical requirements and details surrounding implementation of laser beam avoidance software, critical configuration parameters, algorithmic approaches, test strategies used during deployment, and recommendations based upon experiences to date for others intending to implement similar systems.
This paper describes the upgrades to the Keck II Adaptive Optics (K2 AO) system needed for laser guide star observing. The upgrade, including integration with the laser, is scheduled for completion in the winter of 2003. This upgrade includes the addition of a Low Bandwidth Wavefront Sensor (LBWFS) measuring focus and higher order terms, and a Lawrence Livermore National Lab quad-lens avalanche photodiode detector which monitors tip/tilt. Both observe a dim natural guide star. LBWFS corrections are applied as corrections to the high bandwidth wavefront sensor, which is observing the laser beacon. These subsystems drive focus stages, a deformable mirror, a tip/tilt mirror for the incoming starlight, and a tip/tilt mirror for pointing the propagating laser beam. Taken together, and in concert with the rest of the components of the K2 AO system, they provide the tools and the means to observe the universe as never before.
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