Tonight was our last night this run. I’m really happy with all the progress we made! It was definitely helped by the fact that this is our best-weather run ever, with the highest percentage of useable time: We were open for 5.6/6 nights, or 93% efficiency!
We solved many problems this run (don’t worry, we also discovered new ones). Jarron fixed his BLINC issues to get a good pupil on MIRAC and he and Jared even got its display on the AO computer so we successfully fulfilled our dream of using MIRAC as a high-speed PSF viewer for AO. MMTO’s Ben and Tim got us aligned to the optical axis (again) but this time we worked hard to all understand each others’ terminology and tolerances so that when we do it again we do it right. Brian kept us safe by monitoring the wind limits. Grant (in-person), Oli (remotely), Bianca, and Manny got the dichroic and periscope re-aligned so we had good AO pupils. Amali poked the edge actuators until they listened better. Amali, Jared, Olivier, Andrew, and I got CACAO working with both the Vis and IR WFS’s. Bianca, Lauren, and Orlando learned more about the Top Box. Jacob and Suresh got DO-CRIMES working with 20 modes and optimized gains. Manny supervised us all and provided insight about all our hardware issues. Dan and Ruby installed (with the help of MMTO day crew) and connected MAPS and I got to see that side of the operations. And the MMTO staff provided a clean and cozy lifestyle. Thanks to all!
On this last night we focused on the IR WFS and trying to understand our hardware problems that we’ll need to fix for next run, as well as to try and get a 20 modes comparison between CACAO and DO-CRIMES. Unfortunately the MIRAC dataset we took with the CACAO loop was pointing into the wind and just when we realized we had to close, and we weren’t able to get a better one. The DO-CRIMES dataset was in better conditions, but they may not be identically comparable. As far as the hardware problems go, we rotated the instrument rotator by 60 degrees and saw that the raggedy edges of the pupil rotated too, therefore (at least in the IR WFS) they are more due to the ASM than to pupil misconjugation. We didn’t have time to switch back to Vis WFS and try the same test, so we should do that next run. The contamination has definitely been a problem and will have to be removed before the next run.
The best 15 minutes of today were around 3am after we saw that the wind was steady below our limits and we got to re-open. This was a first for Jacob and very much need as it enabled him to get that last bit of DO-CRIMES testing and data!
The song of the night is “Hold Me Closer” by Elton John & Britney Spears (2023)