Paranal STEREO-SCIDAR Long Term Monitoring

Information regarding the STEREO-SCIDAR at Paranal

The site characterization campaign for the European Extremely Large Telescope pays much attention to the study of the vertical distribution of the atmospheric turbulence. The Paranal Astronomical Site Monitor was upgraded in 2016 to include limited profiling capacity with SLODAR and MASS-DIMM instruments. Among the available profiling methods, the Generalized SCIDAR (SCIntillation Detection and Ranging) technique is the most comprehensive, but needs apertures above 1 m diameter. A modern application, the STEREO-SCIDAR was developed by Durham University and a copy was installed at the focus of one of the VLTI Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) with ESO E-ELT Project funding. The aim is to establish long term statistics of turbulence profiles above Paranal/Armazones for use by the Consortia designing the next generation of Adaptive Optics instruments to estimate the performance of full vs. partial correction modes.

The STEREO-SCIDAR had first light at Paranal on April 29, 2016. An upgrade was performed in December 2017 with the implementation of an autoguider allowing automated observation once the target has been aquired (user manual)
The SCIDAR is permanently installed inside one of the VLTI stations (see actual station coordinates and distances) waiting for an available AT to be parked over.

Pictures:

The STEREO-SCIDAR in the VLTI integration pit ready for 1st light

The first profiles of the STEREO-SCIDAR in the VLTI control building, to the satisfaction of James Osborn who developed the instrument

The whole team celebrating in the VLTI control building

All the Quick Look Results 2016-2017(pdf)

Completed runs

2016 April 25th to 29th (commissioning 1)

2016 July 22nd to 26th (commissioning 2)

2016 October 29th to November 2nd: AT3 in E0

2016 December 7th to 13th: AT3 in E0

2017 January 15th to 20th : AT3 in E0 cancelled

2017 February: cancelled

2017 March 5th to 9th: AT3 in E0a Observer: Dougie

2017 April 12th to 18th: AT3 in E0 Observer: Miska

2017 May 5th to 11th: AT3 in E0 Observer: James & Ollie

2017 June 4th to 10th: AT4 in E0: Observer: Dougie

2017 July 3th to 9th: AT4 in E0 Observer: Ollie

2017 August 2th to 8th: AT3 in E0 Observer: Arlette

2017 November 4th to 9th: AT3 in E0 Observer: Arlette

2017 November 18th to 20th: AT3 in E0 Observer: Arlette

2017 November 28th to December 2nd: AT3 in E0 Observer: Marc

2017 December 5th to 19th: AT3 in E0 Observer: James & Miska (AG commissionning)

2018 January 6th to 8th: AT3 in E0 Observer: cancelled

2018 January 13rd to 24st: AT3 in E0 Observer: Jan 13-Julien Milli Jan 14-15-Julio Navarrete Jan 16-22-Paolo La Penna

2018 March 6th to 8th: AT3 in E0 Observer: Julio

2018 March 24th to 28th: AT3 in E0 Observer: cancelled

2018 April 25th to 29th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2018 May 24th to 28th: AT4 in E0 Observer: TiO

2018 June 23th to July 5th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2018 July 24th to 27th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2018 November 17th to 20th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 February 14th to 16th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 March 27th to 30th: AT3 in E0 Observer: no data, AT alignment problem

2019 April 18th to 22th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 May 12th to 16th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO (14 & 15 May lost for clouds)

2019 June 14th to 18th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 July 14th to 18th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 August 12th to 16th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 September 11th to 15th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2019 October 4th to 14th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO + Miska

Next runs (tentative)

2020 April 4th to 11th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2020 May 5th to 9th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2020 June 30th to July 3rd AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2020 July 30th to 31st: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2020 August 28th to 29th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

2020 September 27th to 30th: AT3 in E0 Observer: TiO

Send comments to <Marc.Sarazin@eso.org>