sky use of the GeMS laser.
The October and December runs culminated in the
return of GeMS to queue
readiness, including the
first Classical time observations made with GeMS
in late December.
The GeMS team also completed the instrument’s first
operational
Acceptance
Review (AR) in November,
with the final review scheduled for January 2014. The
AR clearly defined the extra support personnel and
tasks needed prior to each
GeMS run to ensure that
the instrument is ready for
science. This effort includes
members of many groups
across Gemini — Science Operations, Optical Systems, Electronics and Instrumentation,
Systems Engineering, Software, Information
Systems, and, of course, the Adaptive Optics
group — and demands that they work together in a coordinated manner.
In addition, the AR stressed that every successful night of GeMS operation requires
careful communication between the telescope operator, observer, laser technician,
adaptive optics group support, and laser
spotters. The key to a successful transition to
routine queue operations of GeMS is communication between all of these highly technical and savvy individuals.
Finally, the GeMS AR also documented key
performance metrics and identified areas
where improvements can be made in 2014
and beyond. During queue operations the
roles and communications defined in the
AR will allow Gemini to navigate a clear path
to our goal of state-of-the-art adaptive optics success.
January2014
GHOS
Figure 4.
Since the loss of one of the proposed subcontractors for the Gemini High-resolution
Optical Spectrograph (GHOS), we have been
working closely with the instrument team
and our governing and advisory committees
to develop the best path forward. As these
plans finalize, we will make announcements
on the Gemini website.
GMOS
New Hamamatsu CCDs for the Gemini Multiobject Spectrograph (GMOS) are now successfully integrated in the Hilo lab with an
in-dewar electrostatic discharge protection
board. The system has been fully characterized at Gemini North and will be shipped to
Gemini South in early 2014, pending required
approvals from the U.S. government for some
of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) controlled components. We expect to install the CCDs into GMOS at Gemini
South in May 2014, with the revitalized instrument returning to science use in July.
GeminiFocus
Quantum Efficiency
(QE) comparison for
the legacy GMOS-N
CCDs, the current
GMOS-N e2v-DD
devices, the current
GMOS-S, and the
Hamamatsu detectors
planned for the
pending upgrade.
This plot considers
only the detector,
not the instrument
camera, telescope,
or atmospheric
transmission.
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