ArcVIEW: a LabVIEW-based astronomical instrument control system

TL;DR: In this article, the authors search for evidence of water vapor in the transmission spectrum of the Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26b using data acquired by LDSS-3C and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors search for evidence of water vapor in the transmission spectrum of the Neptune-mass planet HAT-P-26b using data acquired by LDSS-3C and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Abstract: The Dark Energy Camera is a new imager with a 2.2-degree diameter field of view mounted at the prime focus of the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope on Cerro Tololo near La Serena, Chile. The camera was designed and constructed by the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration, and meets or exceeds the stringent requirements designed for the wide-field and supernova surveys for which the collaboration uses it. The camera consists of a five element optical corrector, seven filters, a shutter with a 60 cm aperture, and a CCD focal plane of 250 micron thick fully-depleted CCDs cooled inside a vacuum Dewar. The 570 Mpixel focal plane comprises 62 2kx4k CCDs for imaging and 12 2kx2k CCDs for guiding and focus. The CCDs have 15 microns x15 microns pixels with a plate scale of 0.263 arc sec per pixel. A hexapod system provides state-of-the-art focus and alignment capability. The camera is read out in 20 seconds with 6-9 electrons readout noise. This paper provides a technical description of the camera's engineering, construction, installation, and current status.

TL;DR: The SOAR Optical Imager (SOI) as discussed by the authors is the commissioning instrument for the 4.2m SOAR telescope, which is sited on Cerro Pachon, and due for first light in April 2003.

TL;DR: A Rapid Prototype and full development plan of the SOAR TCS is reviewed to show advances in Prototyping speed, which makes implementation and test of features faster than specification under older methods.

TL;DR: The SOAR Telescope Project has developed a highly integrated Telescope and Observatory Control System, written in the LabVIEW graphical "G" language, that gives the operators flexibility, ease of use and a clear visual insight into the complex interactions of the many subsystems of a modern telescope.

TL;DR: The implementation details that have proved to be most useful for the development of the SOAR TCS are described, resulting in a software package of great flexibility.

TL;DR: The SOAR telescope will begin science operations in 3Q 2003, and layout and hardware costs of the Remote Observing Center at UNC are shown, where instruments on SOAR, SALT, and other telescopes available to UNC-CH astronomers will be operated.