Overview of engineering activities at the SMA

R. D. Christensen; D. Y. Kubo; Ramprasad Rao

doi:10.1117/12.787673

12 July 2008 Overview of engineering activities at the SMA

R. D. Christensen, D. Y. Kubo, Ramprasad Rao

Proceedings Volume 7016, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems II; 701608 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787673
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2008, Marseille, France

Abstract

The Submillmeter Array (SMA) consists of 8 6-meter telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. The array has been designed to operate from the summit of Mauna Kea and from 3 remote facilities: Hilo, Hawaii, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Taipei, Taiwan. The SMA provides high-resolution scientific observations in most of the major atmospheric windows from 180 to 700 GHz. Each telescope can house up to 8 receivers in a single cryostat and can operate with one or two receiver bands simultaneously. The array being a fully operational observatory, the demand for science time is extremely high. As a result specific time frames have been set-aside during both the day and night for engineering activities. This ensures that the proper amount of time can be spent on maintaining existing equipment or upgrading the system to provide high quality scientific output during nighttime observations. This paper describes the methods employed at the SMA to optimize engineering development of the telescopes and systems such that the time available for scientific observations is not compromised. It will also examine some of the tools used to monitor the SMA during engineering and science observations both at the site and remote facilities.

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R. D. Christensen, D. Y. Kubo, and Ramprasad Rao "Overview of engineering activities at the SMA", Proc. SPIE 7016, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems II, 701608 (12 July 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787673

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KEYWORDS

Receivers

Antennas

Shape memory alloys

Optical correlators

Cameras

Ozone

Telescopes

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