P2PP: FEROS Information

This page contains information specific to the creation of FEROS Observations Blocks (OBs) for Service Mode programs. For more general OB creation information, please see the P2PP Web page.

Requirement Compliance Policy: Observing runs which do not adhere to the procedures and policies presented in this document, or to the general policies on Service Mode observing, cannot be scheduled for execution. If you feel you must violate one of these procedures or policies, you must submit a Phase 2 Waiver Request before submitting any Phase 2 material.

Documentation
Target Definitions and Finding Charts Requirements
Calibrations
A final tip

Documentation

It is essential that all users read the following manuals:

Additional information and tools of interest, in particular the description of the Calibration Plan and the FEROS Exposure Time Calculator are available.

Target Definitions and Finding Charts Requirements

The field of view of the Fibre Head Viewing TCCD is approximately 6' x 4', so users are requested to provide finding charts covering a field of view of 10' x 10'. Users are strongly advised to use the Skycat-based finding chart tool, especially designed to easily produce finding charts that are compliant with Service Mode requirements. Images from the Version-II ESO Digitized Sky Survey, easily accessible from Skycat (menu

Data
Servers -> Image Servers

), are preferred. In addition to the standard Service Mode finding chart requirements, the finding charts for FEROS have to be provided in the North up - East left convention with the target clearly identified.

In case of crowded fields, multiple stars, or ambiguous target identifications, an additional finding chart covering a smaller field of view and showing the target with the necessary amount of detail so as to completely prevent mistakes in its identification must be provided in the same OB. No searches for targets will be performed if the object cannot be identified with the provided finding chart. Please refer to the P2PP User's Manual for finding chart examples and for instructions on how to attach finding charts to OBs.

Calibrations

The following calibrations are provided by the Observatory and executed every day that science observations with FEROS are made. Further details are available in the FEROS Calibration Plan Web page.

5 BIAS frames
10 FlatField frames with high signal to noise (S/N in extracted flats of 500-800 in the majority of the spectral orders).
6 ThArNe frames of three different exposure times in the ratio of 1:5:10 to give optimum S/N in different parts of the spectrum.
6 ThAr+Ne frames of three different exposure times in the ratio of 1:5:10 to give optimum S/N in different parts of the spectrum.
One 1-hr DARK exposure for each readout mode used during the night, only once every TEN days basis.
Three DomeFlat exposures for each readout mode used duirng the night, on a once every TEN days basis.
A set of CCDTest data using the RED LEDs for each readout mode used during the night.
Two exposures of the Solar Spectrum.
(At least) 1 SpectroPhotometric Standard star during the night.

All other possible types of nighttime calibrations (radial-velocity standards, telluric standards, spectral templates etc.) must be specifically requested by the users and OBs for these calibrations must be supplied as a part of the Phase 2 package. The time needed to execute these OBs will be taken from the total amount of time allocated to the project.

NOTE: In case that the highest possible wavelength calibration or flat-fielding accuracy is required (e.g. for radial-velocity studies or high S/N observations in the regime of CCD fringing) the use of attached calibrations at nighttime is possible. However, the execution time will be charged to the corresponding program. Wavelength or flat-field templates can be attached to science OBs provided that the user has submitted a Waiver Request and this has been granted by the Observatory.

A final tip

Users should remember that FEROS Service Mode OBs are performed in queued service mode along with WFI OBs. This means that the FEROS OBs most likely to get executed are those that are complementary to typical WFI OBs. Typical WFI OBs require excellent seeing and often require clear to photometric conditions and dark sky. Therefore FEROS OBs with seeing constraint of 2.0" or more, thin or even thick transparency conditions and/or bright time (or some combination of these constraints) have a higher probabiltiy of being executed. Moreover these conditions in most cases will not severely affect the quality of data except that longer exposure times may be needed to achieve the required S/N.