LGS Project Meeting

November 9, 2006

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Outline

1. Project infrastructure

2. PALM-3000 update

3. LGS subsystem updates– Optical bench– LGS facility– AO software

4. CfAO retreat talks

5. LGS calendar

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LGS project infrastructure

• COO Twiki site is running smoothly again:http://www.oir.caltech.edu/twiki_oir/bin/view.cgi/Palomar/PalmLGS

• AO lab at Palomar has been been cleaned up, and outfitted with new cabinets and tools. Tool cabinet will be locked. Optics and optomechanics will be available to all with a check-out system.

• AO lab at JPL has been similarly outfitted.

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PALM-3000 update

• PALM-3000 kickoff meeting was held on Nov. 1-3.• Rich and Mitch are leading the project.• Primary activity this fiscal year is:

– Requirements definition.– LOWFS development.– Wavefront processor development.– Re-layout of the AO relay for SWIFT (design only).

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AO Bench Opto-mechanics• The MGSU has been removed

• For the December run– Dichroic

• Realign after MGSU removal– LOWFS

• Mount and realign LOWFS to the bench rather than the MGSU• Potentially change orientation to stay within the area of the bench and allow full range

of motion• Add focus/z adjustment

– Acquisition Camera• Mount and realign the field lens to the bench rather than the MGSU

• For January– Dichroic

• Separate reflecting spot and dichroic capabilities into 2 optics• Use a motorized stage to switch between the two optics• Optics will have adjustments for x and y tilt and translation

– LOWFS• Testing to determine the cause of the observed loss of light in the LOWFS path

– Acquisition Camera• Mounting acquisition optics on a single plate for ease of realignment • Potentially obtain a new acquisition camera to increase the FOV

– Requirement: Camera can be controlled via the current setup in the AO system

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Laser characterization and power improvements

• Laser power during Oct. engineering run was 4.2-5.5 W (down ~1 W after installation of the optical isolator).

• Renu has been researching clean room facilities and the laser optical design.

• Potential power improvements:– Replace 1.32 µm laser intracavity NLX (Renu: next few weeks).

– Measure laser bandwidth and pulse length (Ed, Renu: Dec. 3-7).

– Replace laser heads with Mach 3 design (Ed, Renu: Dec. 8-11).

– Clean laser optics (Renu: Jan-Feb?).

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Laser automation

• Thermal control of 6 optics (4 TEC and 2 heaters) has been implemented and tested. More channels may be needed.

• Micropulse phasing lock implemented in hardware and tested during October engineering run.

• New sodium cell components have been ordered, and will be assembled and tested next week (Renu, Chris: Nov. 13-15).

• LGS computer functionality is being defined:– Temperature control: enable/disable, display and log temps.

– Frequency lock: enable/disable, scan, offload to etalon temp.

– Power diagnostics: display and log 8 avg. power at ~10 Hz.

– Video diagnostics: log 6 channels at ~1 Hz, display 4 at 30 Hz.

– Program delay generator.

– Provide operator GUI (display data from database)

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Laser diagnostics and LLT

• Coude and Prime Focus diagnostics benches have been installed, with preliminary tests during Oct. engineering run.

• Goal is to finalize the diagnostics bench optical layouts, and camera and photodiode calibration by the December run.

• LLT modification plans for December run include a new “flip-out” mount for the LLT lens, better alignment tools, and a modified mirror cover (Hal).

• We decided against testing full LLT+PF bench in the Coude lab. Instead, PF bench will be tested alone (Anna, Antonin, Renu: 27-29 Nov.).

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Laser safety systems

• Communication/privilege problem between ASCAM and interlock system has been solved.

• IRCAM detection threshold has been reduced to eliminate false positives.

• Both cameras are ready to go “live” (run via VNC) for the Dec. engineering run.

• Main task ahead: Develop a test plan for camera sensitivity verification (Cromer, Bouchez).

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AO Software• System Start-up

– AO start-up problem (TT)– AO version switching (TT)

• AOCP (JA)– white light power save/restore (completed)– white light command bug – ASCII save/restore

• Wavefront Processing (HWFP/LWFP) (TNT/CS)– Add new centroiding capabilities to the LWFP – Modifications to use of centroid offsets

• Telemetry Subsystem (SG)– Add message IDs to "late message" warnings– BTO/aodr data recording "late message" error– Condense repeated "late message" of the same kind

• External Interface– BTO I/F

• TCS raw angle data to BTO (completed)• Receive BTO status data

– PHARO I/F• Update I/F document for PHARO (SWIFT)• take_image command/data (completed)• reset_foi command

• Control– Display both NGS/LGS status– Display BTO status

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AO User Interface

• Proposed Changes to the NGS GUI – December ‘06

– Adjusting the time to take a sky based on the framerate– Replacing slider in servo loop GUI with a text input box– GUI will show current values (servo loops, etc)– Method to load tables from the GUI– Default log rates set based on frame rate– GUI for choosing log rate and data types

• Proposed Additions and Changes for an LGS GUI – February ‘07* This list is in process *

– Separate mode/GUI from NGS– Additional buttons for new servo loops (UTT, LOWFS focus)– WFS camera settings (HOWFS and LOWFS) accessible from a single

GUI panel– All servo loop parameters accessible from a single GUI panel– Additional status displays for LOWFS, LGS loops, BTO

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CFAO Retreat

• Palomar TalksFriday

– Antonin Bouchez, Laser Guidestar Results

– Jenny Roberts, NGS Low Order Wavefront Sensor

– Sidd Bikkannavar, Phase Retrieval Results at Palomar

– Chris Shelton, Optimal Faint-Object AO

Saturday

– Gene Serabyn, ExAO and the Palomar well-corrected subaperture

• Other Projects– Kent Wallace, Calibration system testbed

– Ian Crossfield, ExAO contrast on segmented telescopes

• Poster– Chris Shelton, Atmospheric Dispersion Correctors for Extreme AO

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LGS Calendar

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LGS Calendar

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LGS Calendar