Large-format infrared detectors are at the heart of major ground and space-based astronomical instruments, and the HgCdTe HxRG is the most widely used. The Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) of the ESA’s Euclid mission launched in July 2023 hosts 16 H2RG detectors in the focal plane. Their performance relies heavily on the effect of image persistence, which results in residual images that can remain in the detector for a long time contaminating any subsequent observations. Deriving a precise model of image persistence is challenging due to the sensitivity of this effect to observation history going back hours or even days. Nevertheless, persistence removal is a critical part of image processing because it limits the accuracy of the derived cosmological parameters. We will present the empirical model of image persistence derived from ground characterization data, adapted to the Euclid observation sequence and compared with the data obtained during the in-orbit calibrations of the satellite.
KEYWORDS: Adaptive optics, Wavefront sensors, Telescopes, Linear regression, Data modeling, Control systems, Actuators, Vibration, Matrices, Point spread functions
The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is being equipped with an Adaptive Optics (AO) system, developed by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). The Institut d’Optique Graduate School-Laboratoire Charles Fabry (IOGS-LCF), through a collaboration with the IAC, integrated some high performance control solutions. In this proceeding, we present the first and promising on-sky results on a 10-meter class telescope for such a controller, namely a full Linear Quadratic Gaussian regulator (LQG). We start with a brief description of the GTCAO system, including the data-driven LQG regulator construction. Performance results are then presented with a full LQG regulator in line with the previous on-bench experiments, implemented in DARC, the GTCAO RTC. A comparison is performed with the integrator, the baseline controller, through the comparison of point spread functions acquired on the scientific camera and residual slopes recorded by the wavefront sensor.
The Adaptive Optics (AO) of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is a single conjugate postfocal system, integrated in one of the Nasmyth platforms of the telescope. GTC is located in the Observatory of Roque de Los Muchachos (ORM) in the island of La Palma, Spain. GTCAO is based on a single deformable mirror (DM) with 373 actuators, conjugated to the GTC pupil, and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (WFS) with 312 useful sub-apertures on an OCAM2 camera. The performance required for GTCAO is 65% Strehl Ratio in K-band under average atmospheric conditions and bright NGS. After finishing its laboratory testing and calibration in 2022, the laboratory acceptance and transport readiness review took place in April 2023. GTCAO integration in the telescope was carried out along June 2023. The GTCAO control software was integrated with the GTC observing software along July, to implement the optical derotation, the WFS positioning in the field and guiding, the WFS atmospheric dispersion compensation, and the tip-tilt correction loop implemented with the GTC secondary mirror. At the end of Summer 2023 started the on-sky commissioning. Since then, the AO loop has been closed on sky in different turbulence and guide star conditions. This paper presents the GTCAO integration results and first on sky commissioning results.
GTCAO is the instrument that implements Adaptive Optics on GTC. For atmospheric turbulence correction, GTCAO uses a deformable mirror. Unlike other AO systems, GTCAO does not include a dedicated mirror for low-frequency tip-tilt (TT) correction. In the absence of dedicated correction, the TT components of atmospheric turbulence are corrected by the deformable mirror (DM), using a significant portion of its working range and potentially leading to saturation. To mitigate this effect, GTCAO calculates low-frequency TT and offloads its correction to the telescope secondary mirror (M2) and primary axes. These actions optimize the use of the deformable mirror range for higher frequencies correction and extends the deformable mirror lifespan. This paper describes the approach implemented for calculating low-frequency TT from the information provided by the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and the state of the DM, in both open-loop and closed-loop operation modes. Laboratory tests and telescope real observation results are also presented.
An autonomous predictive regulator (Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG)) is being developed within the European H2020 ORP project, to be tested on the Gran Telescopio Canarias Adaptive Optics (GTCAO) system (about 400 actuators and 600 SH-WFS measurements). The system can run at 1kHz with 1.65ms loop delay in the predictive case, under DARC real-time computer. This LQG controller is based on a data-driven model identified using both machine learning and parametric identification techniques and automatically updated from telemetry data during operation. The complete procedure under OOMAO simulator is presented here (including calibration). The disturbance is generated thanks to StereoScidar measurements, with in addition turbulence bursts, windshake and vibrations. Specific mechanisms insure regulator stability. Performance in terms of Strehl ratio and stability is evaluated for both LQG and integrator regulators. These developments and results will serve the on-sky tests on GTC foreseen in 2024.
Euclid, the M2 mission of the ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program, aims to explore the Dark Universe by conducting a survey of approximately 14 000 deg2 and creating a 3D map of the observable Universe of around 1.5 billion galaxies up to redshift z ∼ 2. This mission uses two main cosmological probes: weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering, leveraging the high-resolution imaging capabilities of the Visual Imaging (VIS) instrument and the photometric and spectroscopic measurements of the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument. This paper details some of the activities performed during the commissioning phase of the NISP instrument, following the launch of Euclid on July 1, 2023. In particular, we focus on the calibration of the NISP detectors’ baseline and on the performance of a parameter provided by the onboard data processing (called NISP Quality Factor, QF) in detecting the variability of the flux of cosmic rays hitting the NISP detectors. The NISP focal plane hosts sixteen Teledyne HAWAII-2RG (H2RG) detectors. The calibration of these detectors includes the baseline optimization, which optimizes the dynamic range and stability of the signal acquisition. Additionally, this paper investigates the impact of Solar proton flux on the NISP QF, particularly during periods of high Solar activity. Applying a selection criterion on the QF (called NISP QF Proxy), the excess counts are used to monitor the amount of charged particles hitting the NISP detectors. A good correlation was found between the Solar proton flux component above 30 MeV and the NISP QF Proxy, revealing that NISP detectors are not subject to the lower energy components, which are absorbed by the shielding provided by the spacecraft.
KEYWORDS: Electronic design automation, Sensors, Digital signal processing, Signal detection, Microwave radiation, Inductance, Field programmable gate arrays, Signal processing, Design, Tunable filters
The IAC Electronics Department has developed a high-performance embedded Data Acquisition System (eDAS) to perform the readout of an array of microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) and to carry out hardware-based digital signal processing in real time. The eDAS has been developed using the Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC ZCU111 Evaluation Kit and PYNQ software framework. The ultimate goal is to be able to detect changes in the amplitude and phase of the MKID’s signal when a photon arrives at the detector, in order to observe a single photon signature. We have been able to identify the resonant frequency of individual pixels in total darkness.
The Gran Telescopio de Canarias Adaptive Optics System (GTCAO) is currently in its commissioning phase at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory (ORM). The GTCAO is a single-conjugated post-focal system equipped with a Shack- Hartmann Wavefront Sensor (WFS) and a Deformable Mirror (DM) conjugated to the pupil, achieving a Strehl Ratio of 65% in the K-band by utilizing a natural bright star. By early 2023, the development of the AO system concluded at the facilities of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), where acceptance tests were carried out. Subsequently, the entire system was integrated onto the Nasmyth platform of the telescope, replicating the controlled laboratory conditions. During maritime and land transportation, the system was handled with the optics train integrated and high-precision alignment. This involved the development of specific transportation tools to prevent accelerations beyond 2g, which could induce plastic deformations and misalignments in the opto-mechanical components. Extensive vibration analysis and different Power Spectral Densities (PSD) profiles were crucial to meet the requirements. A rigorous integration procedure was devised to ensure safe assembly, spanning four consecutive daytime shifts. This meticulous approach was adopted to guarantee that the telescope’s observing hours remained uncompromised. This article provides a comprehensive account of the integration process and emphasizes the mechanical aspects. It includes static and dynamic mechanical analyses and technical details of handling, transport, and integration from the lab to the telescope to ensure safety and high precision assembly of opto-mechanical components.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) will be soon equipped with an Adaptive Optics (AO) system. The GTCAO system is currently at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), where tests and performance assessment are ongoing. The Institut d’Optique Graduate School-Laboratoire Charles Fabry (IOGS-LCF), through a collaboration with IAC, is exploring high performance control solutions. In this proceeding, we present first bench results for such a controller, namely a Linear Quadratic Gaussian regulator (LQG). First, we briefly describe the GTCAO bench and the principle of the LQG regulator. Second, an aspect of this development is outlined, namely the wavefront sensor measurement noise variance characterization. It is conveniently based on the use of telemetry data (wavefront sensor closed-loop slopes power spectral densities and subapertures flux) allowing for an easy-to-update and best-tuned controller. Finally, on-bench performance results are presented with an LQG regulator in the line of the previous on-sky experiments with full LQG regulator, implemented in DARC,5 the GTCAO RTC. Comparison is performed with the integrator as baseline controller, through evaluation of the Strehl ratio from point spread functions acquired on the scientific camera, rejection transfer functions and stability margins.
The Adaptive Optics system of the 10-m class Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTCAO) is completing the acceptance tests in the laboratory at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, to be ready for its integration in the telescope at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) in 2023. The AO system has been designed with robustness and operability as its key characteristics, and will be a facility of GTC. It features a single deformable mirror (DM) with 373 actuators, conjugated to the telescope pupil, and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (WFS) with 312 subapertures, using an OCAM2 camera. The expected performance of the GTCAO system working on average atmospheric conditions and bright NGS is 65% Strehl Ratio in K-band. In this paper we present the characterization of the system and the tests that have been performed for its acceptance at the laboratory. A series of calibrations are required and methodically run to achieve its ultimate performance: flatten the DM, acquire the Interaction Matrix and the reference slopes, correct the non-common path aberrations etc. The WFS requires additional calibrations, to compensate the pupil displacement in all the 2 arcminutes patrol field of view, and to correct the atmospheric dispersion in the visible. Close loop gains and sampling frequency are adapted to the changing conditions, and lookup tables are created for that purpose. The compliance with the system specifications has been verified. After verification of the final software functionalities for telescope operation, the system will be shipped to the ORM, to be installed and aligned on the Nasmyth platform of the GTC, and to be integrated with the telescope control system.
The Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) of GTC will generate a laser guide star (LGS) in the high atmosphere for the GTC Adaptive Optics System (GTCAO) to measure and correct the effect of the atmospheric turbulence. The GTCAO LGS Wavefront Sensor (LWS) will be based on a Shack Hartmann WFS and placed on the GTCAO optical bench, where the Natural Guide Star (NGS) Wavefront Sensor is already installed. The science dichroic splits the light beam so that the visible range (0.47-0.9μm) is reflected to the NGS WFS, and the infrared range 0.9-2.5μm is transmitted to the science instrument. A new second dichroic (LWS DC) will be installed in the visible path, to reflect 589nm (FWHM 12nm) towards the LWS, and to transmit the rest of the visible light to the NGS WFS. In addition, the system will count on an LGS calibration source. The proceeding describes the opto-mechanical design of the LWS System, covering its different subsystems: LWS Dichroic, LWS Sensor and LWS Calibration Unit.
The Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) of Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) will be in charge of generating a Laser Guide Star (LGS) in the high atmosphere for the GTC Adaptive Optics System (GTCAO) to measure and correct the effect of the atmospheric turbulence. This proceeding analyses the thermal response of the LGS launch systems in operation under the direct action of the laser, and its interaction with respect GTC Telescope environment.
The GTC AO system designed and developed during the last years is based on a single deformable mirror with 21 x 21 actuators, conjugated to the telescope pupil, and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor with 20 x 20 subapertures, using an OCAM2 camera. The GTCAO system will provide a corrected beam with a Strehl Ratio (SR) of 0.65 in K-band with bright natural guide stars. This paper reports the updated status of the integration of GTCAO in the IAC laboratory, and the results obtained in the first tests carried out to evaluate the performance of the system, before the complete characterization and the verification of the requirements. The wavefront sensor verification has been completed, and it has been integrated in the optical bench together with the corrector optics including the CILAS deformable mirror. The calibration system, also mounted on the optical bench, includes light sources used to tune, characterise and calibrate the whole system. It also simulates the atmospheric turbulence and the telescope, delivering an aberrated wavefront used to debug the whole control system, and to test the real time control software, the servo loop and different servo control strategies. Finally the Test Camera has been also integrated at the science focus to evaluate the performance.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias Adaptive Optics (GTCAO) will measure the wavefront with a Shack-Hartmann sensor. This wavefront sensor (WFS) is based on the CCD220, an electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) that achieves sub-electron readout noise, increasing the signal to noise ratio when weak natural guide stars (NGS) are used as reference. GTCAO will start its operation in telescope with NGS, using only one wavefront sensor, and later it will incorporate a Laser Guide Star (LGS) and consequently a second WFS, also based on an EMCCD. Both EMCCDs and a third one used as spare, have been characterized and compared including the system gain, electron- multiplication gain, readout noise vs gain, excess noise and linearity. The EM gain calibration is important to keep all EMCCD channels in the linear regime and the camera manufacturer carries it out, but it is reported that the multiplication gain may suffer ageing and degradation even if the camera is not in use. This suggests the need to monitor this ageing. In this paper it is proposed and tested a procedure for predictive maintenance that re-characterize the system gain, electron- multiplication gain and linearity periodically in order to predict the eventual ageing of the EMCCD multiplying registers. This procedure can be carried out quickly while the detector is installed in the WFS and in operational status. In order to provide the required illumination, the GTCAO calibration system is used.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias Adaptive Optics (GTCAO) is a single-conjugated post-focal system with a Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor, and one Deformable Mirror (DM) conjugated to the pupil. The optical design for tip-tilt correction includes two different mirrors, DM and the telescope M2, being M2 also used for off-loading the DM to avoid reaching its stroke limits. This optical configuration is open to different control strategies that have been simulated with Matlab. Later it has also been simulated using Durham Adaptive optics Real-time Controller (DARC) and its AO simulator, DASP. Finally some preliminary laboratory results are presented.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias Adaptive Optics (GTCAO) is a single-conjugated post-focal system with a Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor working at visible wavelength and one Deformable Mirror (DM) conjugated to the pupil. GTCAO does not include a fast tip-tilt mirror in its optical bench so it relies on the telescope secondary mirror (M2) to correct low frequency tip-tilt and offload the DM. This paper describes specific details of the software implementation of the mirror control for GTCAO, analyses its computational needs, presents the series of tests performed on the newly designed AO closed loop, and summarises software optimizations and operating system configurations set in order to optimise computer performance in the available hardware architecture
This contribution is focused on the innovative aspects of the design of the Laser Guide Star (LGS) Facility for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) Adaptive Optics (GTCAO) System [6]. After a trade-off process considering different alternatives, a preliminary opto-mechanical design was defined, based on a “TOPTICA SodiumStar” laser to be launched on-axis. To maximize throughput, different novelties around the optical, and mechanical design of the Laser Launch System, including the Laser Head, the Beam Transfer Optics and the Launch Telescope are emphasized in this paper. In particular, all the elements of the Laser Launch System have been compacted to be placed at the backside envelope of the GTC M2 mechatronics. To fit in that envelope the thermal enclosure of the Laser Head had to be redefined to avoid mechanical interferences and science beam vignetting. An innovative closed-loop Laser Head cooling approach was defined to be also arranged at the backside of GTC M2. Performance simulations running in parallel to the on-axis LGS design could not determine any difference in performance between the on-axis and the off-axis launch. Hence, considering the higher packaging and maintenance complexity required by the on-axis launch, GTC decided to define the off-axis configuration as the new baseline approach. All the solutions already defined for the on-axis approach that were applicable to the new off-axis baseline were reused. To reduce the cost of future upgrades, the LGS design allows generating and launching several LGS with just one launch telescope splitting the light from the Laser Head. In parallel with keeping the volume of the facility to a minimum, an effort to keep its maintenance as simple as possible has been also made to avoid the impact on the telescope operational costs.
EMIR is the NIR imager and multi-object spectrograph common user instrument for the GTC and it has recently passed its first light on sky. EMIR was built by a Consortium of Spanish and French institutes led by the IAC. EMIR has finished its AIV phase at IAC facilities and it is now in commissioning on sky at GTC telescope, having completed the first run. During previous cool downs the EMIR subsystems have been integrated in the instrument progressively for verifying its functionality and performance. In order to fulfil the requirements, prepare the instrument to be in the best conditions for installation in the telescope and to solve unexpected electronics drawbacks, some changes in the implementation have been accomplished during AIV. In this paper it is described the adjustments, modifications and lessons learned related to electronics along AIV stages and the commissioning in the GTC. This includes actions in different subsystems: Hawaii2 detector and its controller electronics, Detector translation Unit, Multi object slit, wheels for filters and grisms, automatisms, vacuum, cryogenics and general electronics.
Since the beginning of the development of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), an Adaptive Optics (AO) system was considered necessary to exploit the full diffraction-limited potential of the telescope. The GTC AO system designed during the last years is based on a single deformable mirror conjugated to the telescope pupil, and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor with 20 x 20 subapertures, using an OCAM2 camera. The GTCAO system will provide a corrected beam with a Strehl Ratio (SR) of 0.65 in K-band with bright natural guide stars.
Most of the subsystems have been manufactured and delivered. The upgrade for the operation with a Laser Guide Star (LGS) system has been recently approved. The present status of the GTCAO system, currently in its laboratory integration phase, is summarized in this paper.
Rafael Toledo-Moreo, Carlos Colodro-Conde, Jaime Gómez-Sáenz-de-Tejada, David Pérez-Lizán, José Javier Díaz-García, Óscar Tubío-Araujo, Cayetano Raichs, Jordi Catalán, Rafael Rebolo-López
KEYWORDS: Control systems, Electronics, Calibration, Sensors, Near infrared, Power supplies, Clocks, Light emitting diodes, Interfaces, Field programmable gate arrays
The Near Infrared Spectrograph and Photometer (NISP) is one of the instruments on board the ESA EUCLID mission. The Universidad Polit´ecnica de Cartagena and Instituto de Astrof´ısica de Canarias are responsible of the Instrument Control Unit of the NISP (NI-ICU) in the Euclid Consortium. The NI-ICU hardware is developed by CRISA (Airbus Defence and Space), and its main functions are: communication with the S/C and the Data Processing Unit, control of the Filter and Grism Wheels, control of the Calibration Unit and thermal control of the instrument. This paper presents the NI-ICU status of definition and design at the end of the detailed design phase.
The Adaptive optics for GTC is a single conjugated post focal AO system placed in the Nasmyth platform over a static optical table. It has been designed initially for natural guide star and in the later project phase adapted to one laser guide star. The AO system is composed of the following subsystems: wavefront corrector, wavefront sensor, structure, calibration system and test camera. This paper presents the hardware electronics to support all these subsystems including a real time control introduction.
Cryostats are closed chambers that hinder the monitoring of materials, structures or systems installed therein. This paper presents a webcam-based measurement and monitoring system, which can operate under vacuum and cryogenic conditions to be mainly used in astrophysical applications. The system can be configured in two different assemblies: wide field that can be used for mechanism monitoring and narrow field, especially useful in cryogenic precision measurements with a resolution up to 4 microns/pixel.
Rafael Toledo-Moreo, Carlos Colodro-Conde, José Javier Díaz-García, Óscar Manuel Tubío-Araujo, Jaime Gómez-Sáenz, Antonio Peña-Godino, Tirso Velasco-Fernández, Sebastián Sánchez-Prieto, Isidro Villó-Pérez, Rafael Rebolo-López
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Field programmable gate arrays, Calibration, Light emitting diodes, Power supplies, Control systems, Electronics, Near infrared, Spectrographs, Position sensors
The Near Infrared Spectrograph and Photometer (NISP) is one of the instruments on board the ESA EUCLID mission. The Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena and Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias are responsible of the Instrument Control Unit of the NISP (NI-ICU) in the Euclid Consortium. The NI-ICU main functions are: communication with the S/C and the Data Processing Unit, control of the Filter and Grism Wheels, control of the Calibration Unit and thermal control of the instrument. This paper presents the NI-ICU status of definition and design at the end of the preliminary design phase.
In order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of HARMONI (E-ELT first light visible and near-infrared integral field VIR
spectrometer), a pupil mask has been identified to be included at the fore-optics to limit the background radiation coming
into the spectrographs. This mask should rotate synchronously with the telescope pupil during observations, taking into
account the combined effects of the telescope tracking and the de-rotation of the FOV. The implementation of the pupil
mask functionality will require complex movements with high precision at cryogenic temperatures which implies an
important technological challenge.
This paper details a set of experiments completed to gain knowledge and experience in order to accomplish the design
and control of cryogenic mechanisms reaching this type of pupil motion. The conceptual design of the whole mechanism
started from the feedback acquired from those experiments is also described in the following sections.
KEYWORDS: Asynchronous transfer mode, Transceivers, Clocks, Gallium arsenide, Logic, Standards development, Error control coding, Field effect transistors, Logic devices, System on a chip
This paper describes an ATM transceiver implementation with add/drop function over SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) able to handle STM-16c (OC-48c) signals. The design has been developed using Vitesse HGaAs-IV technology using DCFL (Direct Coupled FET Logic) standard cells and obtaining, in this way, a logic gate level description which could be easily exportable to any technology.
KEYWORDS: Image processing, Mathematical morphology, Signal processing, Gallium arsenide, Video processing, Computer architecture, Real time image processing, Clocks, Video, Semiconductors
Mathematical Morphology appears as a theory that can solve some drawbacks of the classical lineal image processing. Linear filters generate a spatial distortion from initial image, what gives as a result that specific algorithms are usually needed for each process with a complexity that can not be implemented in VLSI systems for Real Time Image Processing. Mathematical Morphology is an alternative method to overcome the inherent drawbacks of the linear processing based on the comparison of an initial image with some well known geometric figures. In this paper we present the implementation of a specific processor that computes Mathematical Morphology (MM) basic operations. Using a clock frequency of 250 MHz this processor is able to handle real time 512x512 pixels video images. Mathematical Morphology allows the nonlinear processing of images and it is based on Dilation and Erosion operations using a geometric figure called Structural Elements (SE). More complex image processing can be performed using these basic operations. In this implementation the structural element of 3x3 pixels was chosen. 0.6micrometers HgaAsIV standard cells technology, from Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation, has been used achieving a logic level gate description with the possibility of migration to another technologies.
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