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MASS

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MASS Campaign March '03 : 10-24 March 2003

MASS was installed at Paranal in February 2003 (test nights) under the guidance of A. Tokovinin (Assembly and Check-up). It is located at ground level close to the automated DIMM (West and East views). Mass is protected during daytime by a reflective blanket.

1.-Campaign Summary

Full data set (ascii).
Historical Data Plot
Dimm vs. MASS total seeing
Dimm vs. MASS tau0
Estimation of the turbulence in the first km, statistics of DIMM minus MASS total seeing
Relative contribution of each layer, fraction of total Cn2, sequential concatenated
Relative contribution of each layer, fraction of total Cn2 below, cumulative distribution
Relative contribution of each layer, fraction of total Cn2 within, cumulative distribution
Relative contribution of each layer, fraction of total Cn2 below, syncronized layers
2.-Daily Reports Description of the graphs

The central thumbnail is a hardcopy of the user configurable real-time MASS display showing, from top to bottom: the average flux in aperture D, the scintillation indices in apertures A, D, and differential A-B, the 0.5-25km seeing, tau0, teta0 and a false colour representation of Cn2 vertical distribution as a function of time.
The post-processing graphs are obtained using scripts developped by A. Tokovinin:
-The floating layer reconstruction assumes 3 layers of unknown altitude and intensity.
-The fixed layer reconstruction assumes 6 layers of known altitude (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 km) but of unknown intensity.
-The integrated seeing of the Paranal DIMM is compared to the sum of the turbulence detected by MASS in the layers 0.5-25km and 2-25km
-The coherence time computed from the Paranal DIMM (using local and ECMWF high altitude wind speed) is compared to the MASS tau0. The floating and fixed layer representations include cloudy sky periods while the boundary layer and free-atm. seeing plots are built only from data filtered along:
i) relative background < 3% ii) Chi2 < 50 and iii) seeing error < 0.1.
Night beginning
Graphic data
Operations log
Report by Brice-Olivier Demory
(See also a comparison of MASS profiles to the height of the critical inversions forecasted by a global meteorological model)
2003-09-16
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

0042UT:Beginning of operations, pointing Alpha Grucis,Alpha Hydrus, Alpha Columba according to DIMM pointings.
0900UT:End of operations.
Rem: this night was an excellent example of the presence of active ground layers, unseen by MASS but felt by DIMM.
2003-09-17
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

0026UT : beginning of measurments with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0800UT : end.
2003-09-18
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

0024UT : beginning of measurments with alpha Grucis (DIMM alf-pav).
0104UT : alpha psa (according to DIMM). Strong wind conditions (G13ms-1)
0800 : end.
2003-09-19
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

Weather : fair, wind 5-9m/s
2359UT : beginning of measurements (pointed stars according to DIMM)
0800UT : End of operations, no significant event to report.
2003-09-20
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : partially cloudy at the beginning of the night.
0035UT : beginning of measurments with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0800UT : End of operations, no significant event to report.
2003-09-21
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair at the beginning, then clouds coming from north.
0014UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0600UT : clouds NOT FORECASTED in Weather watch bulletin!!! Stopping mass temporarily.
0735UT : DIMM closed, sky overcast. End of operations.
2003-09-22
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair, strong wind.
0025UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0800UT: End of operations.
2003-09-23
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : cloudy to overcast many lacks of measurements.
0010UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0823UT : End of operations.
2003-09-24
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair, no significant event to report.
0007UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0810UT : End of operations.
2003-09-25
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair, no significant event to report.
0000UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0830UT : End of operations.
2003-09-26
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair and then cloudy...
0014UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0310UT : stopping meausrements due to clouds.
0805UT : End of operations.
2003-09-27
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : windy, then calm.
0003UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0820UT : End of operations.
2003-09-28
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair.
0000UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0845UT : End of operations.
2003-09-29
Floating Layers, Fixed Layers, Seeing, Tau0

weather : fair
0017UT : beginning of measurements with alpha Grucis (according to DIMM).
0755UT : End of operations, end of campaign!


Send comments to <Marc.Sarazin@eso.org>
Last update: May 5, 2003
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