B.R. Granett (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), K.C. Chambers (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), E.A. Magnier (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), K. Fletcher (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), and the Pan-STARRS Project Team (University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy)
Keywords: Pan-STARRS
Abstract:
Photometric performance is limited by systematic errors introduced by uncertainty in the transparency of the Earth’s atmosphere. Precision photometry required for programs including the characterization of supernovae and photometric redshifts can especially benefit from independent knowledge of the atmospheric transmission. In particular, multicolor near-simultaneous observations are able to constrain the impact of aerosol, dust, and water vapor on the atmospheric transparency.
To measure the atmospheric transmission function in real time, the Pan-STARRS PS1 prototype system will utilize auxiliary instruments: imaging, spectroscopic, and potentially u-band sky probes. These instruments will act synchronously with the primary survey camera to provide calibration data for the Image Processing Pipeline (IPP), and will also generate significant all-sky science data. For the Imaging Sky Probe (ISP), the broad-band transparency of the atmosphere will be measured in 5 survey bands matched to the Pan-STARRS grizy filter set. Atmospheric absorption and transmission models will then be generated to produce a best-fit characterization of the atmosphere at the time of observation. Armed with measurements of the atmospheric transmission from the sky probe instruments, the Pan-STARRS IPP can precisely solve for the intrinsic source photometry. Such a system is unprecedented, and the Pan-STARRS PS1 system will act as the test bed for future development. The intent of this talk is to describe in detail the design and testing of the ISP which is the first Pan-STARRS sky probe, and we will present ISP images collected during the early commissioning of PS1.
Date of Conference: September 10-14, 2006
Track: Pan-STARRS