NaCo Documentation

In this page, you will find all the manuals needed to prepare and analyze your observations with NaCo.
Please be sure to download the one corresponding to the period in which the observations will take place.

All the manuals are in Adobe's Acrobat format.

• NaCo User's Manual
  All the informations about the instrument itself, its modes and their characteristics. Full templates description can also be found in this manual.
  • Period 89, Phase 2 user manual (v89).
  • Period 89, Phase 1 user manual (v89).
  • Period 88, Phase 2 user manual (v88) and the associated 0.2 templates table
  • Period 88, Phase 1 user manual (v88).
  • Period 87, Phase 2 user manual (v87).
  • Period 87, Phase 1 user manual (v87(1)).
  • Period 86, Phase 2 user manual (v86.5).
  • For Period 86, Phase 1 users should download the P86 0.0 version and the associated 0.2 templates table. APP and noAO modes will be further documented uppon commissioning results and reports, hopefully for Phase 2. 
  • For Period 85, Phase 1 and 2, users should download the P85 version and the associated table. The final SAMPol report is still missing unfortunately. The new manual has been updated to reflect the new calibration plan, to describe the seeing enhancer mode and the cube imaging in SM.
  • For Period 84, Phase 1 and 2 should use the P83.5 version; the version will change name when the final SAMPol commissioning report will be delivered by the commissioning team.
  • Period 83 and P82 to be used for Phase I preparation of proposals in the period [April 2009-September 2009] and for Phase II preparation of observations [October 2008 - March 2009].
  • Period 82 to be used for Phase II preparation of observations in the period [October 2008 - March 2009].This manual was updated on July 28th to explain the new use of the Return to Origin? flag in some templates.
  • Period 81 and 82, to be used for Phase II preparation of observations for the period [Apr. 2008 - Sep. 2008]. Can be used for Phase I preparation of P82 observations, with the exception of the new modes, which are still pending commissioning.
• NaCo calibration plan
  A variety of calibration frames are taken, archived and updated at regular intervals. This document gives detailed information on the calibration templates, systematic calibrations taken by Paranal Staff and others to be required (day and night time calibrations).
  • Period 88 Phase II calibration plan, valid for P89 and onwards.
  • Period 87 calibration plan, to be used for preparation of Phase II P87 and Phase I P88.
  • Period 84 calibration plan, used since preparation of Phase II P84 until Phase II P86.
  • Period 83, to be used for preparation of Phase II p82 and Phase I P83.
• NaCo Data Reduction Cookbook
  The data reduction cookbook, 24 Dec. 2007, by N. Ageorges.