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The KPNO 4m “Mayall” Telescope

The KPNO 4m “Mayall” Telescope. Arjun Dey (NOAO). National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Mission: provide the best ground-based astronomical capabilities to ALL astronomers promote public understanding and support of science help advance all aspects of US astronomy.

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The KPNO 4m “Mayall” Telescope

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  1. The KPNO 4m “Mayall” Telescope Arjun Dey (NOAO)

  2. National Optical Astronomy Observatory • Mission: • provide the best ground-based astronomical • capabilities to ALL astronomers • promote public understanding and support of science • help advance all aspects of US astronomy • Peer-review access to current OIR facilities: • KPNO, CTIO, Gemini Observatory • Keck, Magellan, MMT, HET • New Initiatives (future facilities): • Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (NEO, SNe,etc.) • Extremely Large Telescopes (e.g., GSMT) Arjun Dey

  3. NOAO and its users • NOAO is run by AURA under cooperative agreement with the NSF • Peer-review merit-based access to all astronomers • Open skies policy • Community of users is very diverse (few night runs to surveys to large experiments) • Current NSF context is the ReSTAR Report, but Decadal Survey can help here Arjun Dey

  4. Kitt Peak National Observatory Arjun Dey

  5. Kitt Peak National Observatory • Founded 1958 • Mayall 4m (1973) • WIYN 3.5m (1994) • 2.1m (1964) & many smaller telescopes Summit 6875ft Arjun Dey

  6. The Mayall Ritchey-Chretien design Clear aperture of primary = 3.797m Two secondaries: f/7.8 and f/15 Prime focus corrector option (currently MOSAIC camera) Primary has active support Aging instrument complement – needs something new! New design options can result in >3 degree field http://www-kpno.kpno.noao.edu/kpno-misc/mayall_params.html Arjun Dey

  7. The Mayall • Telescope control system is old, but functional, and under computer control • 4MAPS 33-pt active mirror support system • Dome has had some seeing improvements done during the last decade • Control room near telescope (should probably be moved) • All observing is done “classically”, with observers at summit with telescope operator (but instruments have been run remotely from Tucson)

  8. The Mayall in Context About 10% of public access time now; less in future Arjun Dey

  9. How much time is available? • NOAO will not give up all the time on the telescope – (as stated in PASAG) • DES model seems realistic (~100 nights/yr) • Can we get more? Need offsets … • Need broad-based community* support *US Astronomy

  10. Kitt Peak Weather Statistics Arjun Dey

  11. Kitt Peak Weather Statistics Crawford 1983 Need to analyze more recent data – In progress! (But little has changed) Arjun Dey

  12. Kitt Peak Weather Statistics http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azkitt

  13. Seeing at the WIYN Telescope(same mountain, modern telescope) Aug 2004 – Apr 2006 Arjun Dey

  14. Seeing at the Mayall Massey et al. 1999 Arjun Dey

  15. Kitt Peak Site Monitoring Suite • Initial Instrument suite • Differential image motion monitor (DIMM) • KPNO All Sky Camera (KASCA) • Weather stations (WS, WD, RH, T, P) • Data • Real time web page • Data archive(s) • Match CTIO system KPNO Weekly Project Meeting From Bob Blum

  16. Kitt Peak Site Monitoring Suite • DIMM • 10'' Meade LX200 • ST5 SBIG CCD • Two 9 cm pupil apertures, 15 cm apart • Image motion: achromatic, no filters • Almost operational … KPNO Weekly Project Meeting From Bob Blum

  17. Kitt Peak Site Monitoring Suite • KASCA • Nikon fisheye • SBIG CCD • Blue, Red, Na filters • Web server • Image database • Admin roof KPNO Weekly Project Meeting From Bob Blum

  18. Process for Survey OptimizationKnut Olsen • Survey definition: area, magnitude limit, S/N, wavelength range, source catalog • Fiber assignment • Develop optimized survey plan From Knut Olsen

  19. Inputs for optimization procedure • Pick fields from tiled celestial sphere • Make array of time t sampled at one-hour intervals • Calculate position of sun at all t • Calculate position of moon at all t • Calculate distance between moon and all fields at all t --> sky brightness for all fields at all t • Observing time as function of stellar magnitude, sky brightness, airmass, S/N, wavelength resolution, system throughput, slew distance • Pick starting field order, optionally optimize through simulated annealing • Fold in weather statistics as final step From Knut Olsen

  20. Example of Scheduling • Start with low resolution stellar survey: • S/N per pixel of 10, l=6100 Å, R=1560, G star template • Average seeing of 0.8, 1 arcsec fibers • 1253+218+25+25 1.5 degree fields (~2660 sq. degrees of sky) Weather losses increased time by x1.7 From Knut Olsen

  21. Prime Focus Option 1Designs by Ming Liang (NOAO) From Ming Liang

  22. Prime Focus Option 3Designs by Ming Liang (NOAO) From Ming Liang

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