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Science Operations

Science Operations. Philip Edwards Head of Science Operations 14 May 2009. ATNF Operations Structure. Science Operations. Telescope Operations. National Facility Operations. & Science Services. Computer Infrastructure. Scientific Computing & Archives.

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Science Operations

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  1. Science Operations Philip Edwards Head of Science Operations 14 May 2009

  2. ATNF Operations Structure Science Operations Telescope Operations National Facility Operations & Science Services Computer Infrastructure Scientific Computing & Archives Visitor services Engineering Operations Receivers, LO & Conversion Digital & Servo Electronics Cryogenics Mechanical, Drives, & Electrical

  3. Performance Goals • Parkes and ATCA: • Greater than 70% of all time used for astronomy observations, with selection based on scientific merit, and less than 5% unscheduled downtime as a result of equipment failures. • Mopra: • Greater than 40% of all time allocated for astronomical observations, with selection based on scientific merit and research skill development and less than 15% of unscheduled downtime as a result of equipment failures. • LBA • Operate the LBA for astronomical programs for at least 20 days per year, with time allocated on scientific merit. Less than 15% of scheduled time lost to equipment failures. CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  4. Usage stats (2008-JUL-01 to 2009-FEB-20 *) Differences in accounting between sites being examined CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  5. Science Operations • Telescope Operations and Science Services • Appointment of Jamie Stevens and Ettore Carretti (ATCA and Parkes System Scientists) • TAC met in February, schedules for 2009APRS released in March • Due to phased CABB implementation, division of ATCA semester into 2009APRS and 2009JULS • Not all arrays advertised for 2009APRS were scheduled • Call for ATCA proposals for 2009JULS (15-JUL to 30-SEP) in April • Preparations for CABB • ATCA User Guide undergoing major overhaul to include all mm and CABB information. Improved format for web version of ATUG. • Plans to roll out improved format for Parkes User Guide • New "ATNF Observability Tool“ provides time vs. elevation charts for multiple objects. • Water Vapour Radiometer project making good progress CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  6. Scientific Computing and Archives • CABB • CAOBS has been modified to work with CABB. • CABB computer controls CABB hardware and phases array. • CABBScheduler is a new, web based, scheduler – integrated with existing calibrator search and velocity calculator tools • The CABB version of miriad has now been merged with the main branch of miriad. • MoniCA • Monitoring for the compact array and Mopra is now done almost exclusively with MoniCA. • ASAP • Version 2.3.0, which includes a number of fixes and new export options, was released in March. A minor upgrade (2.3.1) has appeared since. • ATOA • Backlog of Mopra observations uploaded. • ATOA modified to process CABB observations. CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  7. Science Operations • Computer Infrastructure • New bigrock at Mopra • New kaputar at Narrabri • Increased data storage capability at Narrabri for CABB • New server at Narrabri for support on-line software support • Increased ATOA data storage at Marsfield • Rationalisation of general-use tape drives at Marsfield underway • New proxy server for ATNF website • Marsfield site power provision improved • Visitors Services • Meeting of all Visitors Services staff in April 2009 • Roll-out of software for bookings management • Use of taxis for travel to and from Parkes Observatory • Aeropelican now operating Sydney  Narrabri flight route CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  8. Parkes • Parkes participation in IYA webcast, and Ch.7 Sunrise weather • Parkes schedule in “classic” text format and also graphical format, scheduled in 30min quanta • OPAL coversheet being revised to better capture front-end and back-end requirements • 10/50 receiver to be removed for 6 weeks during 2009APR semester for engineering work • Parkes receiver fleet being reviewed • Two major development projects continuing: examining ways of scheduling observations so staff can focus more on project work • Larger maintenance blocks • Coordinated maintenance blocks between observatories • Fewer receiver changes • Advertise availability of receivers in Call for Proposals • Better manage arrival of new equipment • Schedule new observers to start on weekdays where possible CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  9. ATCA • CABB shutdown (Feb 23 ) Mar 2  Apr 22 • CABB hardware (almost all!) installed • CABB webpage at http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/CABB.html • CABB introduction sessions April 8 and May 13. • Still gaining experience with the best data processing paths for CABB data, e.g., full 2GHz versus divide-and-conquer approaches • Remote observing “clocks reset” • ATCA remote observing using VNC sessions being trialled • Simultaneous 6cm AND 3cm possible, but 20cm OR 13cm for now • RFI characterisation continuing • ATCA calibration being addressed by c007 and c2050 CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  10. CABB(brought to you by the friendly folk in Technologies) CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  11. Autocorrelations at 6cm Structure Missing channels Autocorrelations always available

  12. Cross-correlation amplitudes at 6cm

  13. Coming soon For 2009JULS, we expect that three observing modes will be available as follows: • 1. A bandwidth of 2 GHz with 2048 x 1-MHz channels • 2. A bandwidth of 2 GHz with 32 x 64-MHz channels (from mid-July) • 3. Option 1 with an additional one to four “zoom” bands, each with a bandwidth of 1 MHz split into 2048 channels (from September) • When CABB is fully implemented, up to 16 zoom bands per IF will be available in addition to the 2-GHz spectrum. There will, in time, be four configurations: • CFB 1M-0.5k: coarse resolution 1 MHz, fine resolution 0.5 kHz, • CFB 4M-2k: coarse resolution 4 MHz, fine resolution 2 kHz, • CFB 16M-8k: coarse resolution 16 MHz, fine resolution 8 kHz, • CFB 64M-32k: coarse resolution 64 MHz, fine resolution 32 kHz CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  14. CABB zoom bands CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  15. Mopra • New Mopra "Current Issues" page. • Online tools to make schedule files have been updated • New SiO maser database and monitoring program at 7-mm & 3-mm for Mopra pointing. • New version of ASAP now has the capability to export data in a format that can be read into popular data-reduction packages such as GILDAS (class) and XSPEC • ASAP tutorials from the Astro-Informatics School held at Sydney Uni in April will be made available on the ASAP website. • New GUI tool now available for observers to do quick-look “point and click” data reduction (thanks to Cormac Purcell). • Beam mapping and efficiency measurements in progress CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  16. Mopra Beam Maps at 7mm (courtesy James Urquhart) 31-37 GHz 43-49 GHz CSIRO. Mopra Calibration CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  17. Tidbinbilla • Understanding between ATNF and ICTC for continued use of Tidbinbilla facilities for radio astronomy • Service observations for single-dish radio astronomy announced in ATNF Call for Proposals. • ATNF contact, Jimi Green, liaising with CDSCC Radioastronomy Engineer, Shinji Horiuchi. • A four month maintenance period on the 70m has just ended. Normal service is expected to resume later this month. • A new12mm filter box enabling dual polarization capability is expected to be installed on the 70m by the end of July. Until then 12mm observations are limited in frequency range. • A paper on Extragalactic H2O Masers in Southern Bright IRAS Sources has recently been accepted by A&A (0904.4816) • Use of CDSCC facilities for VLBI is continuing. CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  18. LBA • e-VLBI demo to Curtin in March 2009 (2 x 512 Mbps from each ATNF antenna + 128 Mbps from Hobart). Aggregate data rate of 3.2 Gbps across the Nullabor. • Feb’09 LBA session transferred from ATNF to Curtin via ARCS (Australia Research Collaboration Service). No disk shipping from ATNF telescopes. Data stored in IVEC petabyte store awaiting correlation. • IYA participation with EXPReS in Jan‘09 and April’09. • Record over-subscription on LBA last round. • LBA paper in Science in January (Deller et al.) • Recent ToO requests: • eVLBI to Asia and Europe for a Fermi source. • New SN with VLBA, yet to be scheduled. CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  19. LBA usage statistics • In 2008 there were 5 LBA sessions: • LBA allocated time: 26.4 days (633h) • Scheduled proposal time: 496h (78%) . • Includes 47hrs e-VLBI (~10% of scheduled time) • Test observations (networks; eVLBI development; polarisation testing): 82.5h (13%) • Real-time fringe checking: 35h (5.5%). • About ~20hrs remaining for receiver changes etc (3%) • Successful observing rate 92%. CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

  20. Operations summary • The new Operations structure is settling down • Annual Performance Goals are being met • Increasing focus on Parkes development projects • Increasing productivity of Mopra • Increasing demand for LBA • Major (on-going) effort across ATNF to implement CABB CSIRO. ATUC report May 2009: ATNF Science Operations

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