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DECam in Chile

• Intro to Dark Energy

Survey & DECam Project

• Status of arrivals in Chile

• Instrument checkout in Chile

• Schedule for first light

The Dark Energy Survey

• Science goal : Measure the time dependence of the dark energy equation of state, improving the figure of merit defined by the Dark Energy Task Force by a factor of 4-5 compared to present knowledge.

• Method: Conduct a 5000-square degree survey in 5 optical/near IF wavelengths in the Southern Hemisphere, down to ~21st -24th magnitude. Will observe 3 x 108 galaxies and 3 x 104 galaxy clusters, plus 4 x 103 Type Ia supernovae.

• Time scale: Requires ~ 500 observing nights over 5 years on a 4-meter telescope.

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The DECam Project

• 519 Megapixel CCD camera with 3sq deg FOV

• Low noise readout system• DAQ system• Support systems: cooling,

mirror handling, instrument handling

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A reminder of the site in Chile

• Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory• 2215 m elevation• V.M. Blanco Telescope – 4 meter mirror,

completed in early 1970’s• Excellent astronomical ‘seeing’

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Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

Shipping I.

• 2,501 emails directly related to shipping • 1,034 emails related to coordinating and allowing

shipments• 62 people who have been directly involved. There are • 45 shipments listed (including 5 which have not yet

arrived at CTIO)• Stats (lower limit):

89 boxes17,069 cubic feet147,089 pounds$7,227,159 in shipping value

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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Shipping II.

Large heavy parts were shipped by boat

• Oct 2010 F/8 handling system

• June 2011 Cooling system parts

• Aug 2011 Cage, NW platform, etc.

•Dec 2011 Final cooling sys parts

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Flaugher July 2011

More delicate pieces by truck and air

•May 2011 RASICAM•June 2011 Hexapod, Filter Changer and Shutter•June 2011 Parts of LN2 Cooling system•July 2011 i and z filters (from Japan to Chile) [delayed by volcano eruption]•Aug. 2011 r and y filters (from Japan to Chile)•Nov 2011 The Imager (with CCDs installed!)•Dec 2011 The corrector (enroute now!)

Imager with all Science grade CCDs. Testing completed at Fermilab at end of July

Cooling installation at CTIO July 2011

• Herman, Andy, Rolando, Brenna and Tom went to Chile

• July 7-21 LN2 tank and piping was installed on console roof,

• LN2 circulated to Coude room (where imager will be serviced and tested)

July 7th

July 20th

July 25-Aug. 5: Shutter, FCM, HexapodKen Schultz and Cheryl Jackson replace Herman Andy and Rolando

• Tom Diehl exercising the shutter

• Filter changer operating in the Coudé room

Flaugher July 2011

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• Hexapod operating at CTIO

• Limit switch issues with hexapod – now resolved

Hexapod

August 3, 2011

• The boat shipment with the prime focus cage, cage cart, imager handling system etc … arrived on the mountain top

• It had been unloaded from the shipping container onto the flatbed shortly after it was taken off the ship, making it possible for Gale & co. to unload the boxes using a forklift.

•Installing Barrel in cage (no shroud on barrel)Barrel weighed (2200 kg)

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September Trip for Cage Assembly

DECam cage complete!

Training

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Troublemaker in the Coude room, tests debugging skills of trainer and trainee

The Imager’s Trip

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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• Left Fermilab Nov 17• Arrived CTIO Nov 23• Unpacked Nov 30• Under vacuum Dec 2• Cooled down Dec 5• Good full image Dec 6 !!

Shock Logger from Imager Trip

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Left Ferm

ilab

Landed Santiago

Unloaded at C

TIO

Imager Checkout Team

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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Cooled down & Reading Out!

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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Dec 5 18:10

Later on Dec. 5

Dec. 6: Beautiful flat field Image!!

Corrector Leaving UCL Earlier Today

• Barrel travels in two pieces: Body with C2,C3,C4,C5Cone with C1

• Left UCL this morningArr Santiago Thurs, CTIO Fri-Sat

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Still to Do

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Corrector needs to arrive and have alignment of lenses checked at CTIO

Final filter needs to be completed – 4 of the 5 filters have been manufactured by Asahi in Japan and are at CTIO.

C1 lens in the cone – Nov 29 at UCL

Filters

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Asahi Filter Plant

50 Mile zone

Safety Issue

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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Summary of Current Status

The Imager has arrived undamaged. It is cold and reading out. The Corrector is enroute to CTIO.

By late January the imager and corrector should be reassembled and checked out completing the DECam Project after only 8 years!

Next: The Stars (and Galaxies)!

• CTIO will take the telescope out of service in February.• The old cage will be removed and the new cage (empty) will

be installed/uninstalled to check its fit and the installation procedure

• Next the DECam corrector, hexapod and dummy imager will be put in the cage and it will be reinstalled on the telescope.

• Finally the Imager will be installed, and we will be ready to observe the Southern sky – probably late Spring/early Summer.

• The Dark Energy Survey will start its 5-yr run this Fall.

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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DECam Shipping Status

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En route to CTIO At CTIO Being Packed

Category Shipment Carrier % of total Forecast Date StatusReady for

CD4Filters 1st 2 filters (i, z) Air 40% done At CTIO Y

2nd 2 filters (r,Y) Air 40% done At CTIO YLast filter (g) Air 20% 1/31/2012 In production

RASICam RASICam Air 100% done At CTIO Y

Corrector BarrelCorrector

Air 100% 12/12/2011En route to CTIO Y

SISPI SISPI hardware n/a 90% n/a At CTIO YRemaining S-Links Air 10% done At CTIO Y

Imager Imager & full focal plane Air 100% done At CTIO YFEE Boards & Cables Air 100% done At CTIO Y

Camera Support Equipment

May Boat/CSE 1 Boat 8% done At CTIO Y

May Air/CSE 1/Hexapod Air 25% done At CTIO YBoat/CSE 2 Boat 56.5% done At CTIO Y

May Air CSE 1/Shutter Air 10% done At CTIO YAir/CSE 3 / Crate Cooling Air 0.5% done At CTIO Y

F/8 F/8 Platform Boat 100% done At CTIO Y

CCDs Full focal plane Air 100% doneAt CTIO

Y

Spare CCDs Air? ?LN2 Cooling June Air/LN2 Cooling Air 45% done At CTIO Y

May Boat/LN2 Cooling 1 Boat 25% done At CTIO YAir/ Telescope Utils for LN2 Air 20% done At CTIO Y

Boat/ Telescope Utils for LN2 Boat 20% done At CTIO Y

DECal Shipment 1 Air 10% done At CTIO Y

Shipment 2Air 90% done

En route to CTIO Y

PreCam PreCAM & assoc equip Air 100% done At CTIO done

DECam Shipment Acceptance Status

12/12/2011Acceptance for Export

RASIcam in Action at CTIO

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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f/8 Handling System at CTIO

• f/8 Handling System shipped to Chile in Sept. 2010 – first large DECam system completed

• Designed and built at Argonne

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Cooling Installation – July 2011

July 20, 2011

• Training in shifts on cool down.

• LN2 reached the Coude room and the Jorge/Rolando copper by pass frosted up as planned.

Congratulations to everyone!!

More Scenes from Imager Checkout at CTIO

Merritt All Experimenters Meetting Dec 12 2011

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Alignment Frame for Corrector Completed at UCL

• Ken Schultz• David Brooks• Brenna

Rotary table alignment frame and laser system in UCL Optics Lab

Plates added for precision x-y motions required for installing lenses in corrector barrel

Oct. 5: C2/C3 are installed in the Body!

C2/C3Next week C4 goes in (from the top) then C5.At that point we will know if our mechanical alignment and pins produce acceptable optical alignment. If so, shipping in early Nov. is on track. Ken and I go back to UCL Oct 24th in case we can help.

DECal part 1: the new flat field screen from TAMU is installed

It was installed by CTIO in October and has been tested with Mosaic – the new screen has 5 times more reflectance in u-band than the old screen.

ConeC1 lens is protected

behind this coverDec. 5

C1 lens