Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network 1

Las Cumbres Observatory

Global Telescope Network

Las Cumbres Observatory

Global Telescope Network

Mike FalarskiMike FalarskiVP of Operations

(www.LCOGT.net)

Presentation for Microlensing Workshop

November 13, 2008

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The LCOGT MissionThe LCOGT Mission

• Establish and build a durable scientific institution dedicated to time-domain astrophysics

• Use astronomical research to inspire critical thinking & technical understanding in young people

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About LCOGTAbout LCOGT• A privately funded observatory

– Astronomers and main office in Goleta (Santa Barbara,) CA– Engineering/ops offices in Goleta & Birkenhead, UK– Associated with University of California at Santa Barbara

• Build telescope observatory facilities to enable the science – We will make them available to the extended astronomical community– 30+ FTE engineering and operations staff

• Do original science – Encourage collaborations– Collaborate with others to study time-varying astronomical phenomena. LCOGT is

member of Pan- Starrs Consortium (with Harvard-CFA), LSST, Palomar Transient Factory

• Science Staff– Dr. Tim Brown is Scientific Director– Dr. Andrew Pickles is Assistant Technical Director– LCOGT has eight post-doctoral fellows– LCOGT has five astronomy PhD’s in Engineering, 17 PhD’s total.

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Main Science FociMain Science Foci

Extra-solar Planets, 20 found by LCOGT astronomers

Extragalactic transients

Stellar oscillations, variable stars

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Existing and Planned ObservatoriesExisting and Planned Observatories

• 2 x 2m telescopes (Hawaii & Australia)– These are our existing “Faulkes” telescopes– They are undergoing extensive upgrades and improvements– They will be used for science and advanced education

• 24 x 0.4m telescopes, in clusters of 2 or 4– These will form the educational network although a portion of their time will also be allocated to research, extinction, standards– They will usually be co-located in the 1.0m observatories

• 15 x 1m telescopes, in clusters of 2 or 3– These will form the research network. – Telescopes in a cluster will be independently mounted and controlled, and may point at different targets.

• 1x0.8m Sedgwick Observatory in Santa Ynez

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Observation CapabilitiesObservation Capabilities• Rapid response: ToO mode “normal”• Scheduled event monitoring• Moving (astronomical) objects• Periodic sampling• Long-term & continuous monitoring• Global and homogeneous photometric

system: identical filters, CCDs, calibration and reduction methodology

• Medium resolution (R30,000) common spectrograph fed by each 1m telescope cluster

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Our Proposed NetworkOur Proposed Network

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Equipment Bldg

Auxiliary Equipment

Typical Observatory ClusterTypical Observatory Cluster

• Typical 3 enclosure cluster• Three 1m and four 0.4m telescope• 10’x 30’ Services Bldg• Auxiliary Equip: Generator, chiller

• Roll-off roof and dome enclosures being considered

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Typical Roll-off EnclosuresTypical Roll-off Enclosures

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LCOGT Telescope InventoryLCOGT Telescope Inventory

2m Telescopes1m Telescope

0.4m Telescope

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2m Telescopes2m Telescopes

• Two telescopes designed by TTL

• Acquired by LCOGT in 2005

• Continuous improvement program• Improve reliability• Improve science output• Program complete winter 2008

• Both operational • Significant educational component

• Other TTL: Li Jang, Pune, La Palma

• Operate in open air, 30Kmph wind

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Faulkes Telescope South (FTS): Siding Spring, NSWFaulkes Telescope South (FTS): Siding Spring, NSW

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Faulkes Telescope North (FTN): Haleakala, HIFaulkes Telescope North (FTN): Haleakala, HI

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0.4m Telescope0.4m Telescope

• RELIABILITY + PERFORMANCE• Direct drive / friction rollers• Easy alignment• New bearing materials and specs• Sealed friction drive surfaces• High resolution (30mas) on-axis

encoders

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0.4m Telescope Status0.4m Telescope Status• First prototype working at SBA

- Validated concept and verified image quality (3rd night image below)

• 2 pilot telescopes in test as pre-manufacture verification

- Santa Barbara CA, and Liverpool UK offices

• Two 0.4M telescopes to be installed in each of FTS & FTN

• Primary early function is network software development but will do science and education observing as 2nd priority

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1m Telescope1m Telescope• Basic design concept:

– C-ring mount with fast response: 10deg/s– Light weight optics, thermally responsive– Stiff, light-weight assembly, carbon truss– Excellent imager – Simple, reliable, relatively inexpensive

• Currently in design phase• Mirror blanks in production• Prototype testing begins Q2 2009• 1st telescope deployed late 2009 to Chile

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• Fairchild 4K x 4K 486 CCD

• 4096x4096 15um back illuminated – High QE, Class 1 detectors, bulk order

• LCO developed (in house) controller– 4e RON in 40s, 12e in 4s (4 channels)– Closed-cycle cooling– 62mm square, Broadband u-Zs, Y?– Fast readout, multiple sub-frame region capability

• 2.0M: 10’x10’ FoV, 0.30” pixels (binned 2x2)– (Spectral Instruments version)– We may develop a 2x2 mosaic camera

• 1.0M: 26’x26’ FoV, 0.39” pixels– ugriZsY, UBVRcIc, Narrow band filters

• 0.4M: 29’x20’ FoV, 0.57” pixels– SBIG KAF-6303E, 3072 x 2048 for first units– Probably e2v BE CCD for full deployment

LCOGT CamerasLCOGT Cameras

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• Homogeneous and trustworthy photometry, coupled with long-term coverage is our primary goal

• Central cluster based scheduler will manage a global telescope (We are not trying to solve the problem of scheduling between autonomous distributed robots.)

• Traditional TAC procedures will allocate at top level

• The most important science always wins. Because we are private we do not need to be fair (Exception: host commitments)

• Local flash reduction cluster enables complex Python scripted observation agents

LCOGT Software & NetworkLCOGT Software & Network

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• LCOGT will comply and be an HTN compatible ‘telescope’

• Education will not be a different system – just a subset of professional astronomer capability

• Standard observation types will be automatically reduced to minimize image transport issues.

• 100% open source except for TPSOFT code, including mechanical and electronic design

• We expect to re-write the scheduler many times!

LCOGT Software & Network -IILCOGT Software & Network -II

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Current ScheduleCurrent Schedule• 2m improvement completed by Q1 2009 and doing

good science reliably

• Six 0.4m telescopes to be deployed as prototype network by Q1 2009

• Prototype 1m telescope operational by Q2 2009– 1st 1m network telescope deployed by Q4 2009 to CTIO

• Goal is to have agreements for key additional sites in place by end of 2008 -- CTIO, SAAO, La Palma

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In SummaryIn Summary

Our plan is to keep astronomy in the dark.

Clear skies!