September 4, 2018 - The LSST 2018 Project and Community Workshop, held in Tucson August 13-17, provided a valuable opportunity for face-to-face interactions between geographically distributed LSST project team members and participants from the LSST science community. This year’s annual gathering boasted the highest registration to date, with more than 300 people attending the meeting. Photos from the event are available in the LSST Gallery.

Special guests at LSST 2018 included an enthusiastic group of student interns, whose participation was sponsored by the LSST Corporation. Each of the students gave a brief presentation of their LSST-related summer research at the workshop’s introductory plenary on August 13, and a poster session held that evening provided a forum for them to discuss their work with other workshop attendees. The LSST Corporation is seeking funding to continue to bring students to the annual LSST workshop.

An added feature at this year’s meeting was an integrated workshop, held August 14-16, on the impacts of blending on LSST science. In this workshop, participants from across the LSST community pooled their combined expertise in order to assess our current understanding of blending issues, and to explore strategies for addressing them.

Nobel Laureate Prof. Barry Barish, and Dr. Leanne Guy, LSST Data Management Scientist, were the keynote speakers at Tuesday’s plenary session. Both speakers described their experiences on other large projects (LIGO and Gaia, respectively), commenting on successes--and lessons learned—and how those might be applied to LSST.

At Wednesday morning’s plenary session, seven project members gave brief presentations about themselves and their work with LSST in a segment titled, “Lightning Stories.” Introduced at last year’s annual meeting, these popular talks highlight the diversity of expertise—and personalities—that make up the LSST team. After the talks, audience members were invited to share their own stories in the LSST Storytime Domain, a video recording booth facilitated by the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team. Footage from these videos will be edited for future use in EPO products, which are currently being developed.

This year’s public talk took place on Thursday evening, and was attended by an estimated 350-400 people. The presentation began with a brief project overview, framed for a public audience, by LSST Project Manager Victor Krabbendam. Victor then introduced Dr. Phil Marshall, who gave an inspiring talk titled “Exploring the Final Frontier with LSST.” LSST Education Specialist Ardis Herrold wrapped up the evening with a spirited presentation about the history of astronomy education, and how LSST is poised to revolutionize its future.

The dates for the LSST 2019 Project and Community Workshop were announced at the closing plenary; next year’s meeting will take place August 12-16 in Tucson. The venue for next year’s workshop will be announced when it is confirmed.
 

August 27, 2018 – The LSST 8.4-meter M1M3 Mirror Cell Assembly is a busy place. It includes the M1M3 monolithic steel surrogate mirror, the mirror support systems, the thermal control system, a laser tracker interface, the supporting steel structure, various mirror sensors, and the M1M3 control system. All of these components will work together to ensure the mirror holds its shape precisely as the telescope works through the night, pointing to various locations in the sky.

The accompanying 15-second video demonstrates the response of the mirror support system to “transient human forces” – that is, in response to a person walking on the surface of the surrogate mirror. Each “dot” in the video represents the force applied at the location of one of the 156 actuators, ready to respond in situations where help is needed to hold the mirror shape.

In the video, as the individual walks counter-clockwise around the surrogate mirror, you see green dots change to blue, representing the forces applied with the force balance system to counter the moving weight and keep M1M3 positioned accurately within the mirror cell. This is essential to counter forces such as those from changing gravity loads, slew inertial loads, and wind loads.

Senior engineer Ed Hileman explains that, “to achieve specified image quality, the force actuators and Hardpoint Force Balance Control System must work together in concert. Force actuator testing, both individually in our instrumented test stand, and as a controlled composite group within the mirror cell, demonstrates that the accuracy of the support system is within the budgeted error allocation, meaning that we expect to meet image quality requirements if all other budget contributors meet their error allocations also.” Further testing continues with the surrogate mirror and mirror cell positioned at an elevation of 15 degrees off-zenith, allowing us to verify support system performance under significant lateral loads. Surrogate testing is happening now at CAID industries, which will be followed by optical testing at the U of A Mirror Lab facility, leading to final verification and acceptance of the mirror cell later this year.

PROJECT & SCIENCE NEWS - NOTICIAS DEL PROYECTO & CIENTIFICAS

The LSST 2018 Project and Community Workshop is currently underway in Tucson, AZ, with over 300 people registered. The meeting concludes on August 17.

Please note that Summer Daylight Saving Time began in Chile on August 11, on that day clocks in Chile advanced by one hour.

The Call for White Papers on LSST Cadence Optimization continues, submittals must be received by November 30, 2018.

The NSF/DOE Joint Status Review for LSST took place from July 31-August 3 in Tucson, AZ. Plenary presentations and breakout sessions for all LSST subsystems were scheduled for the first four days. On the final day, the review committee issued its recommendations and congratulated the Project team on its excellent progress to date.

The Coating Chamber departed Deggendorf, Germany on a covered river barge headed to Antwerp, Belgium, with a planned arrival date of August 13. It is scheduled to begin its journey by ship to Chile from Belgium on August 30.

The Camera team has accepted an additional raft comprised of UA Imaging Technology Laboratory (ITL) sensors, and an additional raft with Teledyne e2v sensors. This makes a total of twelve rafts--over 1.6 gigapixels--now ready for integration into the cryostat. Six more ITL sensor rafts and four more e2v sensor rafts are scheduled to be completed at Brookhaven National Labs by January 2019.

The Integration and Test (I&T) group at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has integrated a mechanical test raft (MTR) within the production cryostat assembly that is now installed in the Bench for Optical Testing (BOT). Over the next few months, I&T will do integration exercises using the five MTRs and two engineering test rafts (ETUs). The exercises lead the way to integration of production rafts within the cryostat, currently expected to begin in early 2019. More information about the raft integration process can be found in this recent news item.

The Camera team has demonstrated a prototype shutter at SLAC that opens and closes test shutter blades at acceptable speeds. The test blades are heavier than production blades, which are under construction at San Diego Composites. On the Camera, the double-bladed guillotine-style mechanical shutter will lie tightly packaged between the L3 lens and the on-line lens filter.

LSST CORPORATION NEWS

The LSSTC Data Science Fellowship Program (DSFP) is now accepting applications for new students. The DSFP is a supplement to graduate education in astronomy, intended to teach astronomy students essential skills for dealing with big data. The program consists of three, one-week schools per year over a two-year period. Click here for more information and a link to the application; apply by August 22.

PERSONNEL NEWS

Carol Chirino has been promoted to Administrative Manager for LSST in Chile. In this role, Carol will be responsible for overseeing the functionality of all LSST’s outside-the-dome infrastructure for the benefit of LSST’s operations and people, and for the delivery of high quality administrative services to the LSST staff and user community.

Julio Constanzo joined LSST as IT User Support Help Desk Engineer in La Serena, Chile, on August 1. Julio will serve as the first point of contact for LSST users in Chile seeking technical assistance through JIRA, phone, or email.

Dr. Timothy S. Axelrod re-joined the Project as a Consultant on July 23. Tim will be assisting the Telescope & Site Software Team to address challenges in completing the construction and integration of the LSST observatory and preparing it for commissioning. Tim has been involved in LSST since 2005 in various positions such as Education and Public Outreach Project Scientist, Data Management Project Scientist, and LSST Calibration Science Lead.

UPCOMING MEETINGS with LSST INVOLVEMENT

(those with asterisk* are LSSTC funded):

NOTICIAS DEL PROYECTO & CIENTIFICAS

LSST 2018 El  taller del Proyecto y Comunitario está actualmente en marcha en Tucson, AZ, con sobre 300 personas registradas. La junta concluye este viernes 17 de agosto.

Tener en cuenta que el horario de verano comenzó en Chile el 11 de agosto, ese día los relojes en Chile se adelantaban en una hora.

La convocatoria de propuestas para la optimización de la cadencia LSST continua, las inscripciones deben ser recibidas para el 30 de Noviembre 2018.

La junta de revisión de status de NSF/DOE  tomo lugar desde el 31 de Julio al 3 de Agosto en Tucson, AZ. Las presentaciones plenarias y las sesiones de trabajo para todos los subsistemas del LSST se programaron para los primeros cuatro días. El último día, el comité de revisión emitió sus recomendaciones y felicitó al equipo del Proyecto por su excelente progreso a la fecha.

La Cámara de Recubrimiento partió de Deggendorf, Alemania, en una barcaza fluvial cubierta que se dirigía a Amberes, Bélgica, con una fecha de llegada prevista para el 13 de agosto.

Está programado que comience su viaje en barco a Chile desde Bélgica el 30 de agosto.

EL equipo de la cámara ha aceptado una plataforma adicional compuesta de sensores del UA laboratorio de tecnología de imagen (ITL), y además una plataforma con Teledyne e2v sensores. Esto hace un total de 12 plataformas --sobre 1.6 gigapixeles-- ahora listo para la integración en el criostato. Seis plataformas de sensores ITL mas y cuatro plataformas de sensores e2v están programadas para completar el Brookhaven National Labs para Enero del 2019.

El grupo de integración y prueba (I&T) en el SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory ha integrado una plataforma de prueba mecánica (MTR) dentro del ensamblaje criostato de producción que ahora está instalado en el banco para pruebas ópticas (BOT). En los próximos meses, I & T realizará ejercicios de integración utilizando los cinco MTR y dos plataformas de prueba de ingeniería (ETUs). Los ejercicios conducen a la integración de plataformas de producción dentro del criostato, que se espera que comience a principios de 2019. Se puede encontrar más información sobre el proceso de integración de plataforma en esta noticia reciente.

El equipo de la cámara ha demostrado un prototipo de obturador en SLAC que abre y cierra las hojas del obturador de prueba a velocidades aceptables. Los blades de prueba son más pesados que los blades de producción, están en construcción en San Diego Composites. En la cámara, el obturador mecánico de estilo guillotina de doble hoja se colocará bien empaquetado entre la lente L3 y el filtro de lente en línea.

LSST NOTICIAS CORPORATIVAS

El programa de becas LSSTC Data Science (DSFP) está aceptando solicitudes para nuevos estudiantes. El DSFP es un complemento de la educación de postgrado en astronomía, con la intención de enseñar a los estudiantes de astronomía las habilidades esenciales para manejar grandes cantidades de datos. El programa consta de tres escuelas de una semana por año durante un período de dos años. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información y encontrara un enlace a la aplicación; postular antes del 22 de agosto.

NOTICIAS DEL PERSONAL

Carol ha sido promovida a Gerente Administrativo de LSST en Chile. En esta función, Carol será responsable de supervisar la funcionalidad de toda la infraestructura de LSST fuera del domo en beneficio de las operaciones y personas de LSST, y para la entrega de servicios administrativos de alta calidad al personal y la comunidad de usuarios de LSST.

Julio Constanzo se unió a LSST el 1 de agosto como técnico de soporte de TI en La Serena, Chile. Julio servirá como el primer punto de contacto para los usuarios de LSST en Chile que buscan asistencia técnica a través de JIRA, teléfono o correo electrónico.

El Dr. Timothy S. Axelrod se reincorporó al Proyecto como Consultor el 23 de julio. Tim asistirá al Telescopio y al Equipo de Software del Sitio para abordar los desafíos para completar la construcción e integración del observatorio LSST y prepararlo para la puesta en servicio. Tim ha estado involucrado en LSST desde 2005 en diversos puestos, tales como el científico del proyecto de divulgación pública y de educación, el científico del proyecto de gestión de datos y el líder de ciencia de calibración LSST.

PRÓXIMAS REUNIONES con LA PARTICIPACIÓN DE LSST

(aquellas con asterisco * son financiados por LSSTC):

Arizona Daily Star - https://tucson.com

August 9 - Imagine you’re driving a ridiculously expensive sports car, and you have to park it in a space so tight there’s only an inch of clearance between you and the cars on either side, which, incidentally, are also ridiculously expensive sports cars. Feel the pressure? The Integration and Testing (I&T) Group at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory know this pressure well; they’re currently facing a comparable challenge as they work to integrate the 21 science rafts and the 4 corner rafts into the LSST Camera cryostat grid.

These rafts are the platforms that support the LSST Camera’s charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors; each science raft holds a 3x3 square of sensors. A raft and its accompanying tower of electronics comprise a raft tower module (RTM), and this whole structure is what must fit into each space in the cryostat grid. The widest part of an RTM is the CCD sensor, and it’s also the most delicate. In the assembled focal plane, only 500 microns of clearance exist between adjacent CCD sensor edges. For perspective, a human hair is about 75 microns in diameter, so you can imagine how fitting these pieces together so closely requires remarkable precision. 

The SLAC I&T team is using a specially-designed machine called the raft integration mechanism to carefully install the rafts into the cryostat grid while avoiding any contact between the sensitive CCD sensors. The raft integration mechanism (also called the integration gantry) is pictured below on the left. The cryostat assembly has been mounted on a test stand called the Bench for Optical Testing (BOT), which allows it to be suspended in the air above a staging platform. The cryostat is facing down to protect the CCD sensors from damage and particulates, so each RTM is lifted into the cryostat assembly from below. The RTM is placed on the platform, and attached to the arm of the integration mechanism. The raft integration mechanism arm has 648mm of travel up and down; enough to pull the RTM all the way up into the cryostat grid.

After the RTM’s protective features are removed, including a cover that protects the CCD sensors, the RTM is lifted by the arm towards its designated space in the cryostat grid. An I&T team member observes carefully from above the BOT to visually confirm that the RTM is on track. As the RTM gets closer to the cryostat grid structure, four cameras (pictured below, right) are installed on the base platform. Facing upward, the cameras' telecentric lenses record the RTM's position as it travels the last critical distance towards integration. A team member monitors the video camera footage, and another makes any necessary corrections to the raft integration mechanism arm’s position. 

Travis Lange, Lead Mechanical Engineer for the I&T Group, reports that to date the group has completed many cycles of successful installation and removal of Mechanical Test Rafts (MTRs), which don’t have functioning sensors, from a mockup of the cryostat grid. The photo above shows multiple MTRs installed in the mock-cryostat. The production cryostat grid was recently completed and has been installed in the BOT frame; next steps include installing and removing Mechanical Test Rafts from the cryostat grid, and then testing installation and removal of two Engineering Test Units, which are full science rafts but with sensors that won’t go in the final Camera. After a few more months of testing, and after additional work on the cryostat assembly is completed, the I&T team will be prepared to install the real science rafts. Travis estimates this work will begin in early 2019.

Financial support for LSST comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Agreement No. 1258333, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded LSST Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The DOE-funded effort to build the LSST camera is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC)

Credit: LSST Camera Project

Credit: LSST Camera Project

PROJECT & SCIENCE NEWS - Noticias del Proyecto & Científicas 

LSST 2018, The Project and Community Workshop is just two weeks away! The meeting agenda is available at this link.

A reminder that the call for white papers for LSST cadence optimization is ongoing, and the deadline is November 30, 2018.

An LSST Town Hall has been approved for the 233rd AAS Meeting, January 6-10 in Seattle, WA. The Town Hall will take place on Wednesday, January 9 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. More details, including speakers and location, will be announced as they are available.

The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team hosted a teacher focus group in Tucson on July 16-18. This was the second in a series of events to collect feedback from educators about the formal education products being developed by the EPO team. Read more about the event in this recent news post, and view photos in the LSST Gallery.

The washing station, which will be used to regularly wash LSST’s mirrors during operations as described in this news post, shipped from Germany to Valparaíso, Chile, where it arrived in the early hours of July 26.

The Camera cryostat, which was recently completed, was successfully installed on the Bench for Optical Testing (BOT) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (click here for a photo). This marks the transition to integration of the rafts with the cryostat. In the next few months, the Camera team will complete the pump plate and vacuum system, practice raft integration with mechanical and engineering rafts, complete the quad Box, and prepare for integration and testing of the refrigeration system.

LSST team members from across subsystems recently met in Tucson to run an early integration activity. In this exercise, multiple commandable devices were orchestrated to take several images from the Auxiliary Telescope (AT) Spectrograph, which is currently located in the LSST Project Office workshop. The objective of this activity was achieved, with several images read out over the three days, as well as some issues raised and resolved. A group photo from the event is available here.

The 1st LSST Solar System Readiness Sprint, which was funded by the LSSTC's Enabling Science Grant and with some sponsorship from the B612 foundation, was held in Seattle, WA on July 10-12. A summary of outcomes from this meeting is available here, and a group photo is available in the LSST Gallery.

The LSST Communications team works hard to keep Project members and the LSST Science Community informed about policy updates, project news, upcoming events, professional opportunities, and more! We encourage you to contact us at communications-team@lists.lsst.org if you have information to share. A photo of the team is available in the LSST Gallery.  

PERSONNEL NEWS

The Princeton University Department of Astrophysical Sciences invites applicants for one or more postdoctoral research positions in weak lensing cosmology within the Princeton Astronomical Data Group. Visit the LSST is Hiring webpage for more information on these and other open positions with LSST.

UPCOMING MEETINGS with LSST INVOLVEMENT

(those with asterisk* are LSSTC funded):

NOTICIAS DEL PROYECTO & CIENTIFICAS

LSST 2018,  El  taller del Proyecto y Comunitario esta a dos semanas de comenzar! La agenda de la reunion esta disponible en este link.

Un recordatorio de que la convocatoria de propuestas para la optimización de la cadencia LSST está en curso, y la fecha límite es el 30 de Noviembre de 2018.

El LSST Town Hall ha sido aprobado para la Reunión AAS 233, del 6 al 10 de Enero en Seattle, WA. El Town Hall se llevará a cabo el Miércoles 9 de Enero de 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Se anunciarán más detalles, incluidos oradores y ubicación a medida que estén disponibles.

El equipo de Educación y Difusión Pública (EPO) organizó un grupo de enfoque docente en Tucson del 16 al 18 de Julio. Este fue el segundo de una serie de eventos para recopilar comentarios de los educadores sobre los productos de educación formal que está desarrollando el equipo de EPO. Lea más sobre el evento en esta publicación reciente y vea las fotos en la Galería LSST.

El brazo de lavado, que se usará para lavar los espejos del LSST durante las operaciones como se describe en este nuevo artículo, se envió desde Alemania a Valparaíso, Chile, donde llegó en las primeras horas del 26 de Julio.

El Criostato de la Cámara, que se completó recientemente, se instaló con éxito en el Banco de Pruebas Ópticas (BOT) en el Laboratorio Nacional de Aceleración SLAC (haga clic aquí para una foto). Esto marca la transición a la integración de las balsas con el criostato. En los próximos meses, el equipo de la Cámara terminara la placa de la bomba y el sistema de vacío, practicará la integración con balsas mecánicas y de ingeniería, completará la caja cuádruple y se preparará para la integración y prueba del sistema de refrigeración.

Los miembros del equipo LSST de todos los subsistemas se reunierón recientemente en Tucson para ejecutar una actividad de integración temprana. En este ejercicio, se orquestaron múltiples dispositivos para tomar varias imágenes del Espectrógrafo del Telescopio Auxiliar (AT), que actualmente se encuentra en el taller de la Oficina de Proyectos LSST. El objetivo de esta actividad se logró, con varias imágenes leídas durante los tres días, así como algunos problemas planteados y resueltos. Una foto grupal del evento está disponible aquí.

El 1er LSST Solar System Readiness Sprint, que fue financiado por LSSTC's Enabling Science Grant y con algún patrocinio de la fundación B612, se llevó a cabo en Seattle, WA, del 10 al 12 de Julio. Un resumen de los resultados de esta reunión está disponible aquí, y una foto grupal está disponible en la Galería LSST.

El equipo de Comunicaciones LSST se esfuerza por mantener informados a los miembros del Proyecto y a la Comunidad Científica LSST sobre las actualizaciones de las políticas, noticias del proyecto, próximos eventos, oportunidades profesionales y más! Le recomendamos que se comunique con nosotros en communications-team@lists.lsst.org si tiene información para compartir. Una foto del equipo está disponible en la Galería LSST.

NOTICIAS DEL PERSONAL

El Departamento de Ciencias Astrofísicas de la Universidad de Princeton invita a los postulantes para uno o más puestos de investigación posdoctoral en Cosmologia Weak Lensing dentro del Grupo de Datos Astronómicos de Princeton. Visite la página web de LSST para más información sobre estos y otros puestos vacantes con LSST.

PRÓXIMAS REUNIONES con LA PARTICIPACIÓN DE LSST

(aquellas con asterisco * son financiados por LSSTC):

July 27, 2018 - The Education and Public Outreach (EPO) team hosted a teacher focus group in Tucson on July 16-18. This was the second in a series of events to collect feedback from educators about the formal education products being developed by the EPO team. Twelve teachers with students in advanced-middle school through college attended the focus group; their comments and survey results will inform the EPO team as they continue to refine the online resources provided for teachers during LSST Operations.

The central priority of the meeting was to present teachers with the first of six themed investigations being developed by the EPO team, using an online notebook platform. The teachers were given the opportunity to interact with a prototype notebook, analyzing a data set to answer questions about star properties as their students would in the classroom. A discussion followed in which teachers commented on how they might implement the activity, which elements of the investigation worked well, and which could be improved.

In addition to using the science notebooks, teachers also reviewed instruction and assessment videos, teacher guides, and other prototyped resources developed by the EPO team during the last year. A discussion period also followed each segment in which teachers were invited to give verbal feedback. EPO Evaluation Specialist Ellen Bechtol also guided the teachers through an online survey to capture written opinions and comments throughout the workshop.

The success of the meeting was the result of hard work by the entire EPO team; to get useful feedback it was necessary to provide teachers with significant investigation content on a technologically stable platform. LSST Education Specialist Ardis Herrold remarked that the meeting was incredibly productive, and will help the team with a lot of impending decisions that need to be made. "We have finite resources, and we obviously can't do everything," she commented at the workshop's conclusion. "But having a better understanding of what teachers want--and what they need--makes it easier to establish our priorities and move forward."

Additional photos from the event are available in the LSST Gallery.
 

July 16, 2018 - In Paris, France, the Filter-Exchange team is currently performing combined testing of the prototype filter exchange components at the Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies (LPNHE). The filter exchange is the result of the collaborative work of five French IN2P3/CNRS laboratories.

There are three components in the filter exchange system: the auto-changer, the carousel, and the filter loader. The prototype auto-changer and carousel (featured in the photo above) are being used to test the many individual components of the system and how they perform in the assembled unit. Addressing challenges with this prototype system will greatly reduce issues encountered once the production system is assembled.

The LSST Camera has a total of six filters, with five filters in the camera at one time. During nightly observations, the auto-changer will efficiently swap the filter in place over the lens with another filter from one of the five storage positions on the carousel. The system has less than two minutes to change a filter, so the auto-changer has been designed to move smoothly and quickly. The graphic at this link shows the action of the auto-changer.

The filter-exchange system is compact but robust; 200kg (≈441lbs) of weight is moved whenever the carousel rotates. The filters self-clamp into their storage positions, but a mechanical action is required to release them. The clamps hold the filters securely, but not too tightly--in case of seismic activity the delicate filters need a bit of "wiggle room" to reduce the risk of damage.

Only five of the Camera's six filters will be used in the Camera on any given observing night, but during the day, the filter loader can exchange one of these filters for a different one. The filter loader doesn't have to work as quickly as the auto-exchanger, but it must still handle the delicate filters carefully. Additionally, it's important that the inside of the filter loader be kept clean and free of dust. Two loaders and two auto-changers will be built; if one requires maintenance the other can be used so there's no disruption in activity.

In a separate clean room at LPNHE, the production carousel is being assembled and will soon be attached to the back flange of the Camera, which was shipped to Paris from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in June 2018. The combined unit will be returned to SLAC in January 2019, ready for Camera integration.

PROJECT & SCIENCE NEWS - Noticias del Proyecto & Científicas 

Registration for LSST 2018 is now closed. Approximately 320 people registered for the meeting, the highest attendance number to date. The block agenda for the meeting is available at this link.

The Camera team reports a major project accomplishment: in late June, construction of the Cryostat assembly was completed at SLAC. The assembly was moved to the SLAC IR2 Cleanroom Facility, where the Cryostat pump plate was attached, and the assembly underwent early vacuum-testing. A photo of the completed Cryostat is available in the LSST Gallery.

The Camera team received the last sensor to be provided by the UA Imaging Technology Laboratory (ITL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on July 12. The second sensor vendor, which is providing the balance of sensors required by the project, has fewer than 25 sensors to complete. At BNL, assembly of science-raft tower modules (RTMs) using these sensors is moving quickly toward completion of 21 production units by the end of 2018.

In June at Arizona Optical Systems (AOS), the L2 lens for the LSST Camera successfully completed a bonding process that attached the lens to the pads that will mount to the composite ring of the L1-L2 assembly. The assembly is the mechanical structure that holds the L1 and L2 lenses, maintaining the correct separation between the two. The L1 lens is at REOSC in France, waiting for Broadband Anti-Reflection (BBAR) coating. Photos of the L2 lens at AOS are available in the LSST Gallery.

Following vacuum-integrity testing, Thales SESO (TSESO) delivered the L3 Camera lens test window to SLAC IR2 in late June. The test window is an optical flat that stands in for the L3 lens during RTM testing using the Bench for Optical Testing (BOT) at IR2. The BOT enables the Integration and Test team (I&T) to install RTMs within the Cryostat and to do follow-on metrology and electro-optical testing.

From Spain, a new video in the LSST Gallery shows the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) rotating on its azimuth at full speed (10.5 degrees per second). This successful test indicates that TMA team will soon be ready to start verifying the most stringent performance requirements in preparation for disassembling and shipping the TMA to Chile later in 2018.

LSST CORPORATION NEWS

A reminder that July 20 is the application deadline for the LSST Cadence Hackathon at the Flatiron Institute in Manhattan, September 17-19. There is no registration fee; apply at this link. More details about the event are included on page 10 of the Call for White Papers.  

PERSONNEL NEWS

Christopher Waters joined the Data Management Subsystem on July 1 as Scientist and Pipelines Developer, based at Princeton. Chris will be working on various aspects of the LSST Science Pipelines; initially he’ll be focusing on adapting the Pipelines code to work with the new data access and pipeline execution middleware, and contributing to algorithmic development and testing.  

LSST currently has several open positions, including Senior Optics Lead, Telescope & Site Software Manager, and Deputy Project Manager. Visit the LSST is Hiring webpage for more information.

UPCOMING MEETINGS with LSST INVOLVEMENT

(those with asterisk* are LSSTC funded):

NOTICIAS DEL PROYECTO & CIENTIFICAS 

La inscripción para el LSST 2018 ya está cerrada. Aproximadamente 320 personas se registraron para la reunión, el número más alto de asistencia a la fecha. La agenda de la reunión está disponible en este enlace.

El equipo de la Cámara informa sobre un importante logro del proyecto: a fines de Junio, se completó la construcción del montaje de Criostato en SLAC. El montaje se movió a la instalación SLAC IR2 Cleanroom Facility, donde se unió la placa de la bomba de Criostato, y el montaje se sometió a una prueba de vacío temprana. Una foto del Criostato completado está disponible en la Galería LSST.

El equipo de la Cámara recibió el último sensor que proporcionará el Laboratorio de Tecnología de Imágenes UA (ITL) en el Laboratorio Nacional Brookhaven (BNL) el 12 de Julio. El segundo proveedor de sensores, que proporciona el equilibrio de sensores requerido por el proyecto, tiene menos de 25 sensores a completar. En el BNL, el montaje de modulos de detectores de ciencia (RTM) que usan estos sensores se estan moviendo rápidamente hacia la finalización de las 21 unidades de producción para fines de 2018.

En junio, en el Sistema Optico de Arizona (AOS), el lente L2 para la cámara LSST completó con éxito un proceso que unía el lente a las almohadillas que se montarán en el anillo compuesto del conjunto L1-L2. El montaje es la estructura mecánica que contiene los lentes L1 y L2, manteniendo la separación correcta entre los dos. El lente L1 está en REOSC en Francia, esperando el Recubrimiento Anti-Reflejo de Banda Ancha (BBAR). Fotos del lente L2 en AOS están disponibles en la galería LSST.

Tras las pruebas de integridad al vacío, Thales SESO (TSESO) entregó la prueba en el tiempo oportuno del lente de la cámara L3 a SLAC IR2 a fines de Junio. La prueba otorgada es un plano óptico que representa el lente L3 durante la prueba RTM usando el banco para Pruebas Opticas (BOT) en IR2. BOT permite al equipo de Integración y Prueba (I&T) instalar RTM dentro del Criostato y realizar pruebas de metrología y electro-ópticas.

Desde España, un nuevo video en la galería LSST muestra el Montaje del Telescopio (TMA) girando en su azimut a toda velocidad (10.5 grados por segundo). Esta prueba exitosa indica que el equipo TMA pronto estará listo para comenzar a verificar los requisitos de desempeño más estrictos en preparación para el desmontaje y envío del TMA a Chile más adelante en el 2018.

NOTICIAS CORPORATIVAS LSST

Un recordatorio de que el 20 de Julio es la fecha límite para la solicitud del LSST Cadence Hackathon en el Instituto Flatiron en Manhattan, del 17 al 19 de Septiembre. No hay tarifa de registro; aplicar en este enlace. Se incluyen más detalles sobre el evento en la página 10 de la Convocatoria de Propuestas sobre el LSST Cadence Optimization.

NOTICIAS DEL PERSONAL

Christopher Waters se unió al Subsistema de Administración de Datos el 1 de Julio como Científico y Desarrollador de Pipelines, con sede en Princeton. Chris trabajará en varios aspectos de LSST Science Pipelines; inicialmente se enfocará en adaptar el código de Pipelines para trabajar con el nuevo acceso a datos y ejecución de canalización middleware, y contribuir al desarrollo algorítmico y las pruebas.

LSST actualmente tiene varios puestos vacantes, entre los que se incluyen Senior Optics Lead, Telescope&Site Software Manager y Deputy Project Manager. Visite la página web de contratación LSST para obtener más información.

PRÓXIMAS REUNIONES con LA PARTICIPACIÓN DE LSST

(aquellas con asterisco * son financiados por LSSTC):

PROJECT & SCIENCE NEWS - Noticias del Proyecto & Científicas

The LSST science community is invited to play a key role in the definition of LSST’s Observing Strategy. The LSST Project is now soliciting white papers to  help plan various aspects of the survey strategy. The deadline for white paper submission is November 30, 2018. Click here for more details.

The registration deadline for LSST 2018 is July 9; if you haven’t already registered, it’s time! A detailed block agenda for the meeting is now available.

An LSST team recently visited the Coating Plant vendor Von Ardenne in Germany in mid-June to confirm coating functionality and to approve packaging and shipment of the Coating Plant to Chile. As a result of this successful visit, transport arrangements are underway; a vessel to transport the Coating Plant has been booked for August 22, 2018. The Washing Station, another deliverable in the Coating Plant contract, shipped on June 24 and is now in transit to Chile.

Testing of the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA) has begun at the Asturfeito factory in Spain. This short video, showing servo testing of the TMA’s elevation axis at 3.5 degrees per second, illustrates that the safety interlocks, hydrostatic bearings, motors, encoders, and servo are all successfully working together. Testing of the TMA is scheduled to continue over the next two months; these early results are very encouraging.

The Telescope and Site (T&S) software team achieved a milestone during the first multi-instrument control test on June 7. This early integration activity successfully integrated three Auxiliary Telescope instruments: the monochromator, electrometer, and Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) spectrometer, by operating them in concert. Photos taken during this activity are available in the LSST Gallery.

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) hosted a workshop June 19-21 titled Data Visualization and Exploration in the LSST Era. Supported in part by the LSST Corporation, the three-day event brought together a group of experts to discuss strategies and methods for data visualization and exploration with the help of current cloud and container technologies. A group photo taken at the workshop is available in the LSST Gallery.

Alex Withers, LSST Information Security Officer at NCSA, presented a talk titled “Security Program at LSST” on June 25 at the NSF Trusted CI workshop. A video of his presentation can be found on YouTube, and the slides are archived at this link.

LSST CORPORATION NEWS

LSST Corporation and the Simons Center for Computational Astrophysics announced an LSST Cadence Hackathon at the Flatiron Institute in Manhattan, September 17 and 18, with an optional 3rd day September 19. There is no registration fee. Travel support will be provided for attendees from LSSTC member institutions and for other attendees as funds allow. More details about the event are included on page 10 of the Call for White Papers. Apply by July 20 at this link.

PERSONNEL NEWS

Daihana Spencer joined LSST as an Administrative Assistant on June 20; she will assist the admin team in Chile with daily administrative tasks for the next six months.

Eric Coughlin joined the Telescope & Site subsystem as an Integration Software Specialist on July 2. In this role, Eric will assist with the design, implementation, verification, and operation of hardware components and their control software.

UPCOMING MEETINGS with LSST INVOLVEMENT

(those with asterisk* are LSSTC funded):

NOTICIAS DEL PROYECTO & CIENTIFICAS

Se invita a la comunidad científica de LSST a desempeñar un papel clave en la definición de la estrategia de observación de LSST. El Proyecto LSST esta ahora solicitando un libro blanco para ayudar a planificar diversos aspectos de la estrategia de la encuesta. La fecha límite para la entrega de las propuestas es el 30 de Noviembre del 2018. Haga clic aquí para obtener más detalles.

La fecha limite de inscripcion para el LSST 2018 es el 9 de Julio; si aun no se ha registrado, ¡es hora! Una agenda detallada para la reunion esta ahora disponible.

Un equipo de LSST visitó recientemente al proveedor de la Planta de Revestimiento, Von Ardenne en Alemania a mediados de junio para confirmar la funcionalidad del revestimiento y aprobar el embalaje y envío de la Planta de Revestimiento a Chile. Como resultado de esta exitosa visita, los arreglos del transporte están en progreso; una embarcacion para transportar la Planta de Revestimiento ha sido reservada para el 22 de Agosto del 2018. El Brazo de Lavado, otro producto del contrato de la Planta de Revestimiento, se envió el 24 de junio y ahora está en tránsito hacia Chile.

La Prueba del Montaje del Telescopio (TMA) ha comenzado en la fábrica de Asturfeito en España. Este breve video, que muestra la prueba servo del eje de elevación del TMA a 3,5 grados por segundo, ilustra que los enclavamientos de seguridad, cojinetes hidrostáticos, motores, codificadores y el servo estan trabajando juntos exitosamente. La prueba del TMA está programada para continuar durante los próximos dos meses; estos primeros resultados son muy alentadores.

El equipo de software del Telescopio y Sitio (T&S) logró un hito durante la primera prueba de control de múltiples instrumentos el 7 de Junio. Esta actividad de integración temprana incorporo con éxito tres instrumentos del Telescopio Auxiliar: el monocromador, electrómetro y el espectrómetro de Distribución de Energía Espectral (SED), para operarlos en conjunto. Las fotos tomadas durante esta actividad están disponibles en la Galería LSST.

El Centro Nacional de Aplicaciones de Supercomputación (NCSA) organizó un taller del 19 al 21 de Junio nombrado Visualización de Datos y Exploración en la era LSST. Apoyado en parte por la Corporacion LSST, el evento de tres días reunió un grupo de expertos para discutir estrategias y métodos para la visualización y exploración de datos con la ayuda de las tecnologías actuales de la nube y contenedores. Una foto grupal tomada en el taller está disponible en la Galería LSST.

Alex Withers, Oficial de Seguridad de la información de LSST en NCSA, presentó una charla titulada "Programa de Seguridad en LSST" el 25 de Junio en el taller de NSF Trusted CI. Se puede encontrar un video de su presentación en YouTube, y las diapositivas están archivadas en este enlace.

NOTICIAS CORPORATIVAS LSST

La Corporacion LSST y el Centro para la Astrofisica Computacional Simons anunciaron un LSST Cadence Hackathon en el Instituto Flatiron en Manhattan, el 17 y el 18 de Septiembre, con un tercer día opcional el 19 de Septiembre. No hay tarifa de registro. Se brindará apoyo de viaje para los asistentes de las instituciones miembros de LSSTC y para otros asistentes en la medida que los fondos lo permitan. Se incluyen más detalles sobre el evento en la página 10 de la Convocatoria de Propuestas. Postule antes del 20 de Julio en este enlace.

NOTICIAS DEL PERSONAL

Daihana Spencer se unió a LSST como Asistente Administrativa el 20 de Junio; Ella asistira al equipo de administración en Chile con tareas administrativas diarias durante los próximos seis meses.

Eric Coughlin se unió al subsistema del Telescopio y Sitio como Especialista en Software de Integración el 2 de Julio. En este puesto, Eric ayudará con el diseño, implementación, verificación y la operación de los componentes de hardware y su software de control.

PRÓXIMAS REUNIONES con LA PARTICIPACIÓN DE LSST

(aquellas con asterisco * son financiados por LSSTC):