Previous Article Next Article Table of Contents
Hydra Usage Proves Amazing (1Dec92) (from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 32, 1 December 1992) Hydra and the Bench Spectrograph have been receiving considerable use at the Mayall 4-m telescope this semester. The demand for this instrument, which performs multiple-object spectroscopy on up to about 100 objects in a 45 arcmin field of view, has been steady over the past two semesters and for the proposals recently submitted for the upcoming spring semester. The following table lists the number of proposals submitted, the total number of nights requested, and the total number of "science" nights actually scheduled. Proposals Nights Proposals Nights Semester Submitted Requested Granted Scheduled Spring 92 26 94.5 11 36 Fall 92 26 87 17 52 Spring 93 26 91 -- -- The instrument has proven to be quite reliable, and we are currently finishing a trouble-free, 36-night continuous Hydra block, possibly the longest instrument block on the 4-m telescope since the heyday of prime-focus photography! Needless to say, there are now many happy astronomers with a large backlog of data. Recent improvements in the instrument have focused on software issues related to the user-level interaction with the positioner. We have been developing an OpenWindows version of the simulator which provides a graphics display with zoom, pan, and cursor readback capability. The next step is to implement a "hand" assignment capability utilizing the new graphics which would allow the observers to augment their fiber assignments with additional skies or objects. We are also ready to upgrade the TV camera that views the field orientation probes. The current camera has insufficient sensitivity to allow these probes to be placed on stars fainter than 14th magnitude. Unfortunately, due to problems with the procurement of the new camera, we do not know when the upgrade will take place. Additional work has also been done on the Bench Spectrograph. The automated filter insertion/ retraction mechanism has been completed, interfaced with Bench automation software, and commissioned. We have also been acquiring order-separation filters for use with the 316 line/mm echelle grating. Eleven such filters, isolating orders that contain frequently observed features, have been procured and tested. Work continues on the high throughput spectrograph camera, the higher-level automation software, and the simultaneous comparison sources. A new version of the Hydra manual was completed on 27 August, reflecting a number of enhancements to the instrument. We plan to release another version of the manual prior to the next Hydra block, which starts on 28 December. Copies may be obtained by anonymous ftp as explained in the article by Bill Schoening elsewhere in this Newsletter. Sam Barden, Taft Armandroff
Previous Article Next Article Table of Contents