Robert Kibrick - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Robert Kibrick
Astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems are beginning to make extensive use of ~598 nm lasers p... more Astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems are beginning to make extensive use of ~598 nm lasers projected onto the mesospheric sodium layer in order create artificial guide stars. This technique allows increased sky coverage with improved AO system performance. This approach is also dependent on the abundance and distribution of sodium atoms in the mesosphere and as a result present a
Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes Iii, 1986
This report presents a design for an inexpensive and highly reliable dome position encoder which ... more This report presents a design for an inexpensive and highly reliable dome position encoder which has few moving parts and which eliminates the need for a mechanical engagement to the dome. This hybrid incremental/absolute optical encoder is now in use on the dome of the 1-meter Nickel Telescope at Lick Observatory, and will soon be installed on the dome of the Observatory's Shane 3-meter Telescope. This report discusses the costs and important points of the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of the encoder. It also explores the feasibility of using this encoder on the domes of large telescopes such as the Keck Observatory 10-meter.
We analyze the look and feel of each display and discuss its software design. Developed using the... more We analyze the look and feel of each display and discuss its software design. Developed using the Motif Toolkit, each display runs on an X windows work station. In the area of look and feel, we discuss the pros and cons of graphically depicting the instrument light path. In the area of software design, we discuss Motif and Xlib programming
We have previously described a system that derives the pointing coordinates of an equatorial tele... more We have previously described a system that derives the pointing coordinates of an equatorial telescope by measuring the angular position of a dual-axis tilt-table whose frame is rigidly attached to the telescope's primary mirror cell. In that system, two precision tilt-sensors aligned orthogonally and mounted in the plane of the table are used as nulling devices to close an active
Inexpensive optical rotary incremental encoders now available can provide resolution approaching ... more Inexpensive optical rotary incremental encoders now available can provide resolution approaching one arcsecond. However, several factors limit the accuracy of measurement that can be obtained. We report on test results of rotary incremental encoders obtained with a test setup that compared the output of two such encoders driven by the same shaft. Although intrinsic non-linear response of the encoders tested
Remote observing is now the dominant mode of operation for both Keck telescopesand their associat... more Remote observing is now the dominant mode of operation for both Keck telescopesand their associated instruments. Over 90% of all Keck observations arecarried out remotely from the Keck Headquarters in Waimea, Hawaii. The majority of Keck observers, however, are affiliated with research institutions located on the U.S. mainland, primarily in California. To observe with the Keck telescopes, most of these
R KIBRICK, T RICKETTS, L ROBINSON Instrumentation in astronomy III, 403-407, 1979. ... Other micr... more R KIBRICK, T RICKETTS, L ROBINSON Instrumentation in astronomy III, 403-407, 1979. ... Other microprocessor applications in operation or under development include spectrograph controllers and an inexpensive control system for the Shane 3 meter Telescope. ...
Remote observing is the dominant mode of operation for both Keck Telescopes and their associated ... more Remote observing is the dominant mode of operation for both Keck Telescopes and their associated instruments. Over 90% of all Keck observations are carried out remotely from the Keck Headquarters in Waimea, Hawaii (located 40 kilometers from the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea), and this year represents the tenth anniversary of the start of Keck remote observing from
We describe the remote observing capabilities currently provided at the Keck Headquarters in Waim... more We describe the remote observing capabilities currently provided at the Keck Headquarters in Waimea (located approximately 32 km from the Keck summit and at an elevation of 850 m) as well as the subset of capabilities now available from the mainland via the Internet. The bandwidth available between the telescope and the remote observing site determines which of several remote
Astrophys J, 1999
The planet orbiting τ Boo at a separation of 0.046 AU could produce a reflected light flux as bri... more The planet orbiting τ Boo at a separation of 0.046 AU could produce a reflected light flux as bright as 1×10-4 relative to that of the star. A spectrum of the system will contain a reflected light component which varies in amplitude and Doppler shift as the planet orbits the star. Assuming the secondary spectrum is primarily the reflected stellar spectrum, we can limit the relative reflected light flux to be less than 5×10-5. This implies an upper limit of 0.3 for the planetary geometric albedo near 480 nm, assuming a planetary radius of 1.2 RJup. This albedo is significantly less than that of any of the giant planets of the solar system and is not consistent with certain published theoretical predictions.
ABSTRACT We describe the current status of efforts to establish a high-bandwidth network from the... more ABSTRACT We describe the current status of efforts to establish a high-bandwidth network from the U.S. mainland to Mauna Kea and a facility in California to support Keck remote observing and engineering via the Internet. The California facility will be an extension of the existing Keck remote operations facility located in Waimea, Hawaii. It will be targeted towards short-duration observing runs which now comprise roughly half of all scheduled science runs on the Keck Telescope. Keck technical staff in Hawaii will support remote observers on the mainland via video conferencing and collaborative software tools. Advantages and disadvantages of remote operation from California versus Hawaii are explored, and costs of alternative communication paths examined. We describe a plan for a backup communications path to protect against failure of the primary network. Alternative software models for remote operation are explored, and recent operational results described.
We report the discovery of two super-Earth mass planets orbiting the nearby K0.5 dwarf HD 7924 wh... more We report the discovery of two super-Earth mass planets orbiting the nearby K0.5 dwarf HD 7924 which was previously known to host one small planet. The new companions have masses of 7.9 and 6.4 M$_\oplus$, and orbital periods of 15.3 and 24.5 days. We perform a joint analysis of high-precision radial velocity data from Keck/HIRES and the new Automated Planet Finder Telescope (APF) to robustly detect three total planets in the system. We refine the ephemeris of the previously known planet using five years of new Keck data and high-cadence observations over the last 1.3 years with the APF. With this new ephemeris, we show that a previous transit search for the inner-most planet would have covered 70% of the predicted ingress or egress times. Photometric data collected over the last eight years using the Automated Photometric Telescope shows no evidence for transits of any of the planets, which would be detectable if the planets transit and their compositions are hydrogen-dominated. We detect a long-period signal that we interpret as the stellar magnetic activity cycle since it is strongly correlated with the Ca II H and K activity index. We also detect two additional short-period signals that we attribute to rotationally-modulated starspots and a one month alias. The high-cadence APF data help to distinguish between the true orbital periods and aliases caused by the window function of the Keck data. The planets orbiting HD 7924 are a local example of the compact, multi-planet systems that the Kepler Mission found in great abundance.
The Deep Extragalactic Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) is a powerful multi-object spec... more The Deep Extragalactic Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) is a powerful multi-object spectrograph that is optimized for taking spectra of faint-object populations densely distributed on the sky. The spectrograph saw first light at the Keck II telescope on June 3, 2002, and has been commissioned during the summer. This paper will summarize the basic performance characteristics of DEIMOS, including image quality, number of spectra, throughput, and flexure. As of this writing, all major performance goals appear to have been met. DEIMOS is the work-horse instrument of the DEEP2 distant galaxy redshift survey.
DEIMOS (the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) began producing scientific data from the Keck... more DEIMOS (the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) began producing scientific data from the Keck II telescope in 2002 June. The instrument is extremely configurable, and the form of the output data is highly variable. Filters and gratings may be swapped, gratings and mirrors tilt, readout modes and active amplifiers of the 8-CCD mosaic change, and numerous field-specific astrometric slitmasks may be inserted. For archival purposes and to enable fully-automated data reduction, FITS files from DEIMOS document the instrument state, all aspects of the slitmask design, and multiple world coordinate systems for the mosaic images. The FITS files are compatible with existing local conventions for mosaic image display systems and also with incipient FITS WCS standards.
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
During all phases of the Planck mission (Design, Development, Operations and Post-operations), it... more During all phases of the Planck mission (Design, Development, Operations and Post-operations), it is necessary to guarantee proper information management among many Co-Is, Associates, engineers and technical and scientific staff (the estimated number of ...
Astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems are beginning to make extensive use of ~598 nm lasers p... more Astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems are beginning to make extensive use of ~598 nm lasers projected onto the mesospheric sodium layer in order create artificial guide stars. This technique allows increased sky coverage with improved AO system performance. This approach is also dependent on the abundance and distribution of sodium atoms in the mesosphere and as a result present a
Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes Iii, 1986
This report presents a design for an inexpensive and highly reliable dome position encoder which ... more This report presents a design for an inexpensive and highly reliable dome position encoder which has few moving parts and which eliminates the need for a mechanical engagement to the dome. This hybrid incremental/absolute optical encoder is now in use on the dome of the 1-meter Nickel Telescope at Lick Observatory, and will soon be installed on the dome of the Observatory's Shane 3-meter Telescope. This report discusses the costs and important points of the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of the encoder. It also explores the feasibility of using this encoder on the domes of large telescopes such as the Keck Observatory 10-meter.
We analyze the look and feel of each display and discuss its software design. Developed using the... more We analyze the look and feel of each display and discuss its software design. Developed using the Motif Toolkit, each display runs on an X windows work station. In the area of look and feel, we discuss the pros and cons of graphically depicting the instrument light path. In the area of software design, we discuss Motif and Xlib programming
We have previously described a system that derives the pointing coordinates of an equatorial tele... more We have previously described a system that derives the pointing coordinates of an equatorial telescope by measuring the angular position of a dual-axis tilt-table whose frame is rigidly attached to the telescope's primary mirror cell. In that system, two precision tilt-sensors aligned orthogonally and mounted in the plane of the table are used as nulling devices to close an active
Inexpensive optical rotary incremental encoders now available can provide resolution approaching ... more Inexpensive optical rotary incremental encoders now available can provide resolution approaching one arcsecond. However, several factors limit the accuracy of measurement that can be obtained. We report on test results of rotary incremental encoders obtained with a test setup that compared the output of two such encoders driven by the same shaft. Although intrinsic non-linear response of the encoders tested
Remote observing is now the dominant mode of operation for both Keck telescopesand their associat... more Remote observing is now the dominant mode of operation for both Keck telescopesand their associated instruments. Over 90% of all Keck observations arecarried out remotely from the Keck Headquarters in Waimea, Hawaii. The majority of Keck observers, however, are affiliated with research institutions located on the U.S. mainland, primarily in California. To observe with the Keck telescopes, most of these
R KIBRICK, T RICKETTS, L ROBINSON Instrumentation in astronomy III, 403-407, 1979. ... Other micr... more R KIBRICK, T RICKETTS, L ROBINSON Instrumentation in astronomy III, 403-407, 1979. ... Other microprocessor applications in operation or under development include spectrograph controllers and an inexpensive control system for the Shane 3 meter Telescope. ...
Remote observing is the dominant mode of operation for both Keck Telescopes and their associated ... more Remote observing is the dominant mode of operation for both Keck Telescopes and their associated instruments. Over 90% of all Keck observations are carried out remotely from the Keck Headquarters in Waimea, Hawaii (located 40 kilometers from the telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea), and this year represents the tenth anniversary of the start of Keck remote observing from
We describe the remote observing capabilities currently provided at the Keck Headquarters in Waim... more We describe the remote observing capabilities currently provided at the Keck Headquarters in Waimea (located approximately 32 km from the Keck summit and at an elevation of 850 m) as well as the subset of capabilities now available from the mainland via the Internet. The bandwidth available between the telescope and the remote observing site determines which of several remote
Astrophys J, 1999
The planet orbiting τ Boo at a separation of 0.046 AU could produce a reflected light flux as bri... more The planet orbiting τ Boo at a separation of 0.046 AU could produce a reflected light flux as bright as 1×10-4 relative to that of the star. A spectrum of the system will contain a reflected light component which varies in amplitude and Doppler shift as the planet orbits the star. Assuming the secondary spectrum is primarily the reflected stellar spectrum, we can limit the relative reflected light flux to be less than 5×10-5. This implies an upper limit of 0.3 for the planetary geometric albedo near 480 nm, assuming a planetary radius of 1.2 RJup. This albedo is significantly less than that of any of the giant planets of the solar system and is not consistent with certain published theoretical predictions.
ABSTRACT We describe the current status of efforts to establish a high-bandwidth network from the... more ABSTRACT We describe the current status of efforts to establish a high-bandwidth network from the U.S. mainland to Mauna Kea and a facility in California to support Keck remote observing and engineering via the Internet. The California facility will be an extension of the existing Keck remote operations facility located in Waimea, Hawaii. It will be targeted towards short-duration observing runs which now comprise roughly half of all scheduled science runs on the Keck Telescope. Keck technical staff in Hawaii will support remote observers on the mainland via video conferencing and collaborative software tools. Advantages and disadvantages of remote operation from California versus Hawaii are explored, and costs of alternative communication paths examined. We describe a plan for a backup communications path to protect against failure of the primary network. Alternative software models for remote operation are explored, and recent operational results described.
We report the discovery of two super-Earth mass planets orbiting the nearby K0.5 dwarf HD 7924 wh... more We report the discovery of two super-Earth mass planets orbiting the nearby K0.5 dwarf HD 7924 which was previously known to host one small planet. The new companions have masses of 7.9 and 6.4 M$_\oplus$, and orbital periods of 15.3 and 24.5 days. We perform a joint analysis of high-precision radial velocity data from Keck/HIRES and the new Automated Planet Finder Telescope (APF) to robustly detect three total planets in the system. We refine the ephemeris of the previously known planet using five years of new Keck data and high-cadence observations over the last 1.3 years with the APF. With this new ephemeris, we show that a previous transit search for the inner-most planet would have covered 70% of the predicted ingress or egress times. Photometric data collected over the last eight years using the Automated Photometric Telescope shows no evidence for transits of any of the planets, which would be detectable if the planets transit and their compositions are hydrogen-dominated. We detect a long-period signal that we interpret as the stellar magnetic activity cycle since it is strongly correlated with the Ca II H and K activity index. We also detect two additional short-period signals that we attribute to rotationally-modulated starspots and a one month alias. The high-cadence APF data help to distinguish between the true orbital periods and aliases caused by the window function of the Keck data. The planets orbiting HD 7924 are a local example of the compact, multi-planet systems that the Kepler Mission found in great abundance.
The Deep Extragalactic Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) is a powerful multi-object spec... more The Deep Extragalactic Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS) is a powerful multi-object spectrograph that is optimized for taking spectra of faint-object populations densely distributed on the sky. The spectrograph saw first light at the Keck II telescope on June 3, 2002, and has been commissioned during the summer. This paper will summarize the basic performance characteristics of DEIMOS, including image quality, number of spectra, throughput, and flexure. As of this writing, all major performance goals appear to have been met. DEIMOS is the work-horse instrument of the DEEP2 distant galaxy redshift survey.
DEIMOS (the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) began producing scientific data from the Keck... more DEIMOS (the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) began producing scientific data from the Keck II telescope in 2002 June. The instrument is extremely configurable, and the form of the output data is highly variable. Filters and gratings may be swapped, gratings and mirrors tilt, readout modes and active amplifiers of the 8-CCD mosaic change, and numerous field-specific astrometric slitmasks may be inserted. For archival purposes and to enable fully-automated data reduction, FITS files from DEIMOS document the instrument state, all aspects of the slitmask design, and multiple world coordinate systems for the mosaic images. The FITS files are compatible with existing local conventions for mosaic image display systems and also with incipient FITS WCS standards.
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
During all phases of the Planck mission (Design, Development, Operations and Post-operations), it... more During all phases of the Planck mission (Design, Development, Operations and Post-operations), it is necessary to guarantee proper information management among many Co-Is, Associates, engineers and technical and scientific staff (the estimated number of ...