Andy Adamson
with contributions by Sandy Leggett, Chris Yamasaki, Inger Jørgensen, Bernadette Rodgers, Rodrigo Carrasco,
and Benoit Neichel
Operations Corner
From visiting instruments, to changes in data checking and software
development, 2013 ushered in the reshaping of Gemini’s operations.
With powerful new instruments like the GeMS multi-conjugate
adaptive optics System, FLAMINGOS-2, and the Gemini Planet
Imager — all either progressing through integration, or approaching
operational status — our users can look forward to even more of the
most powerful discovery tools in astronomy today.
An Exceptionally Busy Year at Gemini South
2013 was one of the most event-filled years for operations at Gemini South in recent memory. Most of the activity followed a planned maintenance shutdown early in Semester 2013B
(see details in section below). During that time the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) was not only
delivered, integrated, and comissioned, but saw first light (see cover article in this issue).
GeMS/GSAOI (the multi-conjugate adaptive optics system and infrared imager) was also
accepted into scientific operations, and FLAMINGOS-2 began doing regular science; the
latter attracted many 2013B proposals (see update in the 2013 instrument development
article in this issue).
The flurry of new instrumentation at Gemini South meant that something had to give, and
with T-ReCS already removed from the complement, that something was the Near-infrared
Camera and Imager (NICI). Despite some hardware and computer problems in its last few
weeks of operation, 70 percent of the 2013A NICI programs received more than 75 percent
of their requested data.
Gemini South Shutdown
The Gemini South winter shutdown was completed successfully, with a wide variety of assignments carried out. One of the biggest jobs was a complete reworking of the summit data
center, which included replacing old obsolete racks with new ones. To achieve this, we had to
install the computer systems themselves in temporary racks while the old ones were swapped
out. We also did maintenance and improvement work on the telescope infrastructure, includ-
January2014
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