Summary of IRCS+AO188 optical alignment work and distortion solution for each period.

Update History:

2013.4.10 initial version (YM)
2013.10.4 added distortion solution for 52mas on 2008.10.21 (YM)

This history summarize the date when AO188 optical alignment was modified. IRCS cold replacement works, which could change the alignment between AO188 and IRCS, are also included. The observations of globular clusters to measure the field distortion due to the AO optical components (mainly from the pair of off-axis parabolla mirrors) and the measured distortion solution are summarized below each alignment work. This data can be used to identify which distortion solution should be used in accordance with the date of science observations.

2008/08/03-26 AO188 Science path alignment.

2008/09/08 M15 (20mas, 52mas; K-band; PA=0)

2008/09/11-10/1 Re-install AOIMR K-unit, Science path alignment

2008/10/21 M15 (52mas; K-band; PA=0)

52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_20081021ut_distortion.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

2009/03/02 IRCS cold head replacement

2009/04/26-28 Re-install AOIMR K-unit for replacement of one mirror.

2009/05/06-08 Re-install AOIMR K-unit for replacement of two mirrors.

2009/06/05 M5 (20mas, 52mas; K-band, PA=0)

2009/06/15-07/22 Re-install AOIMR K-unit for mirror inspection, Install BS exchanger

2009/08/27 M15 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band, PA=0,45,90,135,-45)

20mas: TBD

52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_20090827ut_distortion.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

2009/09/02 M15 (20mas; Kp-band, PA=53)

2009/12/29-2010/01/15 Re-install AOIMR K-unit for mirror replacement, Science path alignment.

2010/01/28 AO188 DM was broken, no observation had been conducted until new DM was delivered

2010/08/26-9/25 New DM installatoin, Re-install AOIMR K-unit, Science path alignment.

2010/10/22 M15 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band; PA=0, 90)

20mas: ircs+ao188_20mas_20101022ut_distortion.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)
52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_20101022ut_distortion.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

2011/06/14 M15 (52mas; Kp-band; PA=0, 60, 120)

2011/07/29 M15 (20mas; JHK-band; PA=0)

2011/09/30 M15 (LOWFS AQCam; no-filter; PA=0)

2011/10/06 M15 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band; PA=0; NGS, LGS)

2012/04/26 M5 (20mas; Kp-band; PA=90, 60, -60)

2012/09/04-25 AO188 was temporary operated with NsOpt Secondary mirror

2012/09/16 M15 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band; PA=0)

20mas: ircs+ao188_20mas_20120916ut_distmap.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)
52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_20120916ut_distmap.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

2012/6/20 IRCS cold head replacement:

2012/10/28 Palomar2 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band; PA=0, 60)

20mas: ircs+ao188_20mas_distmap_20121028.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_distmap_20121028.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

2013/03/20 M5 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band, PA=90, -90)

2013/06-08 IRCS overhaul:

2013/11/18 M15 (20mas, 52mas; Kp-band; PA=0)

20mas: ircs+ao188_20mas_distmap_20131118.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)
52mas: ircs+ao188_52mas_distmap_20131118.dbs (map: distortion, corrected)

How to use the distortion solution

The distortion solutions listed above are in the format of IRAF geomap database.
To correct the distortion in the IRCS+AO188 image, please download the distortion solutions from the above link and apply it to the flat corrected images using a script (distcor.cl). The following is an instruction to use the scipt for correcting the distortion.

cl> task distcor = '[full path to the script]/distcor.cl'
cl> distcor [flat corrected image or image list with @mark] [output distortion corrected image or list with @ mark] [distortion solutions from the above links]