Joseph Long – Page 2 – Extreme Wavefront Control Lab

MagAO-X 2024B Day 3: Good Omens

Well, folks, it’s been a few days but the content you crave is here. That’s right: viscacha photos! Just scroll past all this boring stuff.

Today was a sort of sneak preview of install day. MagAO-X exists as two separate and arguably equally important halves, the electronics rack and the optical table. We eventually need both halves on the platform. However, they must be sundered in two for transport, as they are connected only by a delicate umbilical of electronic cables.

We have started staging the main part of the instrument at the summit in the auxiliary building, which saves a fair bit of time on our install day. This means cables are coming off the day before.

As always, the most delicate part of the operation is the disconnection of the hand-soldered ribbon cables that carry commands to our MEMS deformable mirrors. Eden, Parker, and Katie carried out this fiddly task (along with removing many other, less fiddly, cables).

bean and cheese? carne asada? no, off-axis paraboloid — photo: Eden McEwen

Once the cables were disconnected and secured, MagAO-X had to be wrapped for transport. I always think it looks like a foil-wrapped burrito.

when you have tenure you can just climb on the instrument — photo: Sebastiaan Haffert

The burrito had to be lifted off its legs, which we did with the help of the staff here at LCO (and a big honking crane).

The legs are a little adaptive acoustics system of their own, which can remove vibrations transmitted from the ground before they mess up our images. The legs get a separate ride, while the main part of MagAO-X rides up to the telescope on its little cart. Which is in turn on a truck.

if you turn off the PEPS-II the Andes realign to the horizon — photo: Katie Twitchell

I cannot be sure, but I believe the above image was the result of Katie Twitchell imagining a world in which the active leveling system was able to keep the orientation of MagAO-X constant despite going uphill.

you could probably fit half an ExAO system in there — photo: Sebastiaan Haffert

Alas, the electronics rack is now lonely. It stays in the cleanroom overnight to be available for last-minute software work before we move it to the summit for installation on the platform.

Fortunately, I was there to keep it company.

i'm a computer fan. i mean not literally. we have a literal fan of course. it totally blows. — spot the bonus Laird

Literary Interlude

I have chosen the option to embed a quotation rather than lyrics from the Song of the Day (as per blog rules for 2024B). Many of us spent good chunks of this day in the library at Las Campanas trying to finish other related work in the lulls between major operations.

This quote from “The Library of Babel” seems relevant to exoplanet direct detection in general:

Visiblemente, nadie espera descubrir nada.

A la desaforada esperanza, sucedió, como es natural, una depresión excesiva.

For the obligate Anglophones:

Obviously, nobody expects to discover anything.

Naturally, this inordinate hope was followed by a profound depression.

Jorge Luis Borges is one of the quintessential magical realist writers, and “The Library of Babel” is one of my favorite short stories about … libraries, (in)finity, combinatorics, information theory, and perhaps cosmology? You should go read it (or en Español, si quieras).

Viscachas

The viscachas have been harder to spot this run, but we got a bumper crop today courtesy Laird and Parker, with five confirmed viscacha sightings.

my cat looks just like this, mostly, sort of — photo: Laird Close

Song of the Day

Today’s song of the day is unrelated.

“Kids Wanna Dance” by Gen and the Degenerates

Congratulations Dr. Logan Pearce!

It’s been quite a week for our intrepid veteran-turned-teacher-turned-professional-astrophysicist. The hardest part of the dissertation defense is usually scheduling it at a time all your committee members can attend, and this time was no different. In true Texan style, Logan lassoed her committee and roped them in to a defense in-person and online this June 11th, 2024.

Unfortunately, I was only able to watch the public portion of the defense from afar via Zoom. I also vicariously enjoyed Logan’s big day through the subsequent vignettes dropped context-free in our Slack’s #blog-ops channel.

(I think of these as a sort of wishful thinking. Posters wish a blog post into existence by posting things that might illustrate it. Well, who am I to deny them?)

Logan began with a title slide crammed full of the stuff she’s been working on these past five years:

doesn't someone look pleased as punch — That’s me in the picture! I’m in the “18” by “Participants” on Zoom! (Photo by Eden McEwen)

She gave an overview of MagAO-X, for which she published the first ever peer-reviewed science paper using the instrument:

who the f**k is scraeming 'PUBLISH THE INSTRUMENT PAPER' at my house. show yourself, coward. we will never publish the instrument paper. — Twinkly star goes in, scienceable star comes out. Any questions? (Photo by Eden McEwen)

Gave the people what they crave (i.e. astronomical discoveries):

the science is riiiiiiight abouuuutttt... THERE! — We got one, folks! (Actually, eight.) (Photo by Eden McEwen)

And let us know where we can find her in the near future:

Please note that despite this bold territorial claim the state of Chile, and not Michigan, rules Las Campanas Observatory. — At the Michigellan Telescopes, of course (Photo by Eden McEwen)

Because we’ve never been sticklers about anything*, the party to celebrate Logan’s defense took place before the successful conclusion of the defense. Frankly, I’m gutted to have missed it. Fortunately, former-pastry-chef-future-Dr. Jay Kueny made Logan’s favorite pineapple buns in my stead. (No doubt with Melanie’s help!)

*Except label maker use, circus activities, and other important lab rules.

enthusiasm decreases with distance from pineapple bun following an inverse-square law — I’m told it was too hot outside already in Tucson so … party in the kitchen! (Photo by Jay Kueny)

ENTHUSIASM MAXIMIZED — I’m told it was too hot outside already in Tucson so … party in the kitchen! (Photo by Jay Kueny)

I’m told a pastry chef can make a pretty darn good pineapple bun (on the first try, too!)

Meanwhile, back in linear time, Logan was locked in a room(/Zoom) with four dangerous scientists and had to escape with only her wits. The labmates / COVID bubble-mates group chat—now scattered between California, New Mexico, Tucson, and New York—waited anxiously for word that Logan had surmounted her final academic trial.

Did she beat school?

Dear readers, of course she did.

you want a hover text on a screenshot? it's barely even a photo.

The group chat accordingly recognized the ascension:

A full program of celebrations was called for, beginning with further chef magic from Jay.

I believe the expression on Josh is "agog with anticipation" — By “chef magic” I am of course referring to how Jay just happened to have non-alcoholic Grand Marnier on-hand. (Photo by Eden McEwen)

The Cardboard Crowning of newly-minted Ph.D.s is a tradition as old as the academy itself. (Don’t quote me on that.) So, naturally, Logan was not about to get away without a hat pointing out what giant nerd just got all doctorfied.

Jared's allowed to do astronomy without a funny hat because he can hold all the science ideas in with sheer force of will. — From now on, you have to wear that getup to do astronomy. It’s the rules. (Photo by Eden McEwen)

Some more glamour shots of the extremely regal crown Eden made:

it's pride month after all — Turns out cardboard is actually *meant* for hats: “Corrugated (also called pleated) paper was patented in England in 1856, and used as a liner for tall hats” — Wikipedia (Photos and regalia by Eden McEwen)

the more plots you make, the longer your cloak gets. legend has it that senior astronomers can't even move any more under the weight of their publication records. — Turns out cardboard is actually *meant* for hats: “Corrugated (also called pleated) paper was patented in England in 1856, and used as a liner for tall hats” — Wikipedia (Photos and regalia by Eden McEwen)

Celebrations for Logan continued that evening with beers at the site of her triumphs, with a special guest appearance by the Director of Steward Observatory and head of the Department of Astronomy at University of Arizona: Dr. Buell Jannuzzi.

Scientists are just big kids with expensive toys — Logan’s miniature MagAO-X crafting project (Photo by Eden McEwen)

What’s that he’s looking at? Well, there might be a blog post about that soon. Sure looks like there’s a dang viscacha in that instrument.

Song of the Day

Today’s song of the day is brought to you by the temperature delta between June in Tucson (high: 109ºF) and Michigan (high: 84ºF).

“Too Darn Hot” by Ella Fitzgerald (really, the definitive version, don’t you think?)

Bonus Hedgehog

I modeled this hedgehog in a Ph.D. tam for Logan with the intent of getting it 3D printed. Turns out 3D metal printing is, like, expensive. But it was too good to keep to myself.

MagAO-X 2024Ab Day 13: When the rain starts bouncing, you know it’s bad

This is my seventh trip to Las Campanas Observatory (I think?) and the first time I’ve seen actual, bona-fide precipitation in the Atacama desert. I woke up at 2pm to the gentle patter of rain on my windows, and emerged blinking into daylight. I did try to document it with my phone, but in my sleep-addled state I apparently double-tapped the “record” button and ended up taking some neat videos of the ground.

Fortunately, the early shift was up and could take some pictures.

caution wet floor — This would be the spot for a lodge hot tub (Photo by Eden McEwen)

if you're cold, they're cold. bring your viscachas inside. — This would be the spot for a lodge hot tub (Photo by Eden McEwen)

this is where the hot tub actually goes — Over to the west we have some low cumulus and to the east we have oh my god run it’s coming (Photo by Logan Pearce)

Vizzy Viscacha was wise to stay under cover as the storm rolled in. Even MagAO-X had to be tucked in safe and dry.

maybe you should have made magao-x ip67 — Note that additional measures were taken to ensure MagAO-X aridity. (Photo by Laird Close)

Then, it started really snowing.

Optical depth illustrated (Video by Laird Close)

Laird is the only one brave enough to venture forth from the lodge. He had to get MagAO (not -X) packed up for its international shipment.

"I was actually quite trapped!" — Where is the sciatic nerve, anyway? (Photo provided by Laird)

After the snow, we got a snow-bow!

what does it mean? — I should request a room change. It’s not fair that the rainbow is only at the La Silla apartments.

Unfortunately, our guest observers Gabriele Cugno from Michigan and Jensen Lawrence from MIT have had just about the worst weather I’ve ever seen here. In fact, this brief break in the clouds after dinner was when Gabriele got his best chance to observe:

anyone know what the seeing was? — Finally, some stars! (Photo by Logan Pearce)

Then the hailstorm started.

(Or maybe it was a graupelstorm?)

Today, by the numbers:

New SSH/VPN questions: 2
Spurious Python environments purged: 11
Night lunches recovered from shutdown: 4
Stars: 14 ish?
Hailstones and/or graupelstones: ≫14
Adaptive secondary mirrors: 1 (slightly used)

Best 15 Minutes of the Day

Probably the rainbow. I swear, natural phenomena here look just the way they are depicted in children’s book illustrations.

Song of the Day

This song of the day is not observer-approved.

“Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage

Remarks overheard

“So, by the way, how does a pyramid wavefront sensor actually work?”
[rueful laughter in response]

“Whatever. I have no excuses, but I’m also not sorry.”

MagAO-X 2024Ab Day 7: Chilly in Chile

Greetings from the downstairs lounge, where you can see exactly as many stars as upstairs. That’s right: it’s another cloudy evening here at Las Campanas Observatory, but one ray of bright starshine has broken through: Dr. Alycia Weinberger! She had to spend a night in Miami, and another night in Santiago, but she has finally arrived!

We all forgot to document her arrival for the blog, so have a condor instead.

Since the clouds stubbornly remained at sunset, we went on an expedition beneath the Magellans.

Bad observing = pretty sunset — Okay, that’s enough natural beauty. (Photo: Alycia Weinberger)

There was a fad in the 90s for two-for-one telescope deals, along with vague plans for interferometers (some realized). True to form, the two Magellans are connected by a tunnel.

real, raw, candid moments #lifeatLCO — This is where I’d put my interferometer… if I ***had*** one.

We also explored the maze of twisty passages.

once Jared gets to the bottom, we pull the ladder up — Reminiscent of her majesty’s navy?

We descended into the oubliette.

is it really a bilge if there is no bilge wine — If someone messes up the instrument alignment, they will be confined below.

There are removable floor grates to confound your enemies.

betcha'd get $20 at the scrap yard in tucson for these — Legend has it that a secret sub-sub-basement exists, hiding untold riches.

Here’s a view upwards through the central core where all the wires and hoses snake up to the telescope platform, eventually entering a cable wrap.

remain completely still as the MRI is performed. you may hear some noise. — Don’t look up.

There is a two meter thermal exhaust port:

you wouldn't put the universe into a tube — Ask not about the biblical mouse plague.

Evidence of researcher enthusiasm underneath 100 tons of telescope.

Eden Standard Pose #3 — Evidence of Dr. Weinberger’s arrival, upper left in gray.

Maggie Kautz bid a fond farewell to MagAO-X, as she will be leaving in the morning. Maggie has graduated, which means she probably needs to defend her dissertation soon.

Hard to believe her parents named her MaggieO-X before they even knew about the instrument — anTop? What’s an anTop?

Then she came back and replaced a picomotor that had gone on strike due to the cold conditions.

lights: on, covers: open, astronomy: on hold — It could be Professor Laird Close under that getup, for all we know. (Photo: Jared Males)

Once she finishes up her doctorate, she will be starting a new job… as a staff engineer at Steward Observatory, home of MagAO-X! (And some other stuff I guess.)

After we bid our actual farewell to Maggie-O-X, it was time for Josh to drive. We found that all of Sebastiaan’s notebooks were still on the old ICC data drives, so some surgery was required to get them back into place on the new and improved SSD array.

“Well *you* getting shocked, I don’t find interesting” — Okay, keep an eye out: we’re looking for a 500GB folder called “SYH_notebooks”

As I write, there’s some serious disk pic analysis happening in the lounge, so maybe this night won’t be a complete bust…

Highlight of the Day

Per 2024Ab rules, the best part of the day… might be the underground Magellan tour, actually! So, you already read all about it.

Song of the Day

“Black Moon” by Screaming Females

(Technically a waxing gibbous, but I can’t see shit.)

Our semi-occasional recurring feature: “Overheard at LCO”

“We’re just roadies for a metal band called MagAO-X.”

“At least on the internal source I can’t break anything.”
“Why would you say that?!“

“It’s a dissertation. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

MagAO-X 2024Aa Day 11: Wanderer above the sea of fog

“Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (Viscacha Edition)” by Caspar David Friedrich and an AI

The day-to-day operation of an experimental extreme adaptive optics instrument, pushing all the boundaries at once, can feel like lurching from crisis to crisis. We need to get better airflow in the bowels of our electronics rack. We need to automate the fifty-three step alignment process. We need to debug this segmentation fault in our control software. We desperately need to do laundry, but we’re unwilling to sacrifice sleep or work time.

Today, a portentous wind blew all through dinner. Jialin and Laird got on right at sunset, and it looked for a minute like we’d have an okay night. Windy.com predicted calm conditions. In fact, it’s continuing to predict calm conditions.

However:

the ASM would have long since blown off to Argentina — Yes, the wind line is going into the humidity plot.

We have to close the telescope for average wind speeds of 35 mph, and it’s gusting to 52 mph. Jialin is no longer allowed outside without a tether in case she blows away.

megadesk more like microdesk — Some days you feel mega and some days not so mega.

sad observer is sad — Some days you feel mega and some days not so mega.

We tried to open the door to the outdoors but nature said “no. ❤️”

Sebastiaan in the spotlight once again — The conditions at Las Campanas will blow you away.

At times like these, the hard-working AOistas thank Mother Nature for delivering exceptionally bad conditions so that we can focus on what’s important: software development, esprit de corps, and blog #content.

We did take some data before we got shut down, though. And, who knows, maybe this will all just blow over. Meanwhile, Jared was not satisfied with the amount of wind and went to get some extra fans for our instrument. Armed with a couple of graduate students, he went to hunt in the storage building between telescopes.

Inside a box cryptically labeled VisAO (possibly some viscacha-themed instrument?) were some fans for cannibalization. This will hopefully help us even out temperatures in the electronics rack.

2024-04-24 00:00 CLST

Sparkles “Eden” McEwen turned 25 today! We only use UTC for consistency in our instrument, but birthdays are celebrated in local time.

We’re happy you were born!

2024-04-24 01:27 CLST

Wind’s dying down! Finally!

Jared took some data down at the lodge while he was checking on his laundry. Seems like he got a bit of sky rotation.

If you visit the southern hemisphere you can see the Magellanic Telescopes, discovered by astronomers in 2001.

Tomorrow’s a half-night for me, so I’m taking advantage of my last full night to file my second and final blog post for 2024Aa. Until next time, enjoy some hair-metal revival from STARBENDERS.

Song of the Day

We can face the darkness, baby. It’s all in the way you play the game.

“The Game” by STARBENDERS

#content

I know we’re not the first ones to use AI image generation, but its ability to capture South American animals has greatly improved since I last tried it out.