2024APR Observing Schedule Release Notes

Staged release: The Parkes/Murriyang schedule for 2024APR will be released in stages due to uncertainties in CryoPAF commissioning and spacecraft tracking commitments.

Receivers: At the start of the semester, the telescope allow observations with the Ultra Wideband Low (UWL) and Mars receivers. While the Cryogenic Cooled Phased Array Feed (CryoPAF) will be installed, it is not available for use outside of commissioning purposes until August 2024 on a shared-risk basis.

CryoPAF commissioning: The CryoPAF receiver is due to be installed in the second half of the 2024APR semester with commissioning to start shortly thereafter. Exact dates are yet to be decided but will be part of the second release of this semester's schedule.

Backends: The MEDUSA GPU cluster based system is the default system for use with the UWL.

The CryoPAF will be supported by the BOREAS GPU backend and will be availble to observers on a shared risk basis once the reciever is available for use.

Breakthrough Listen backend is available for scientific use up to 50hrs per semester, please see this webpage for details and contact Danny Price to enquire as to availability.

VLBI backends Multiple VLBI backends (LBADR, MEDUSA) are available for non-LBA VLBI and single dish voltage capture. The LBADR system allows you to capture up to 2 x 64 MHz (1 Gbps) or 8x16 MHz (512 Mbps) dual polarisation bands with 2-bit sampled raw voltage output, or 2x16 MHz dual polarisation bands with 8-bit sampled voltage. The MEDUSA GPU is now capable of a VLBI voltage capture mode. Data recording up to 8 Gbps should be available (2 GHz bandwidth with 2bit sampling). A bit depth of 2,4 or 8 bits/sample is supported. If you choose to use Parkes in this mode, without requesting any other LBA station or VLBI correlation by ATNF, you only need to write a Parkes proposal. These modes have restrictions: proposers who are interested in using this must contact Chris Phillips to discuss what is possible. You must include in your proposal a short description of how you will process the data and data transport logistics.

DFB4 is no longer available.

Murriyang observing: Parkes observers need to register in the PORTAL for their upcoming observations, ideally at least two weeks in advance, using the PORTAL. Access to the PORTAL requires CSIRO unix or nexus account details: for users who do not have an account, one can be requested from HERE. Account generation typically takes several working days.

Observing support: Starting 2023APR, we have moved away from having a desinated Project Expert, to a system where each project has their own Observing Expert who can provide support before, durng and after observations. To learn more about our new basic training and Observing Expert model, please visit the ATNF support page.

First-time observers are required to undertake a telescope orientation session to introduce them to observing systems and monitoring tools. These programs are held on set dates on a monthly cadence. Signup for training can be done HERE. For this reason, it is necessary to organise your training well in advance. When first-time remote observers register their upcoming observing session(s) on the PORTAL they are sent links to on-line documentation and training material to help them prepare. It is a requirement that the on-line documentation is read before the training session. A list of the essential documents is given on the 'Help' and 'Links' tabs of the PORTAL.

Please ensure that an observer is appropriately trained well in advance of observing. Responsibility lies with the Principal Investigator (PI) to ensure the observers on their team are trained and competent observers.

If anything remains unclear, please email ATNF-Parkes-Remobs[at]csiro.au for further clarification.

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): Where possible notifications of expected RFI will be posted on the PORTAL Alerts. Other listings of known RFI are given on the Parkes observers pages.

NAPA proposals: A number of NAPA (Non A Priori Assignable) proposals have been submitted for MUrriyang in 2024APR. We have a policy for dealing with NAPA over-rides, intended to ensure highly time-critical projects can be scheduled on the telescope. Any NAPA which received a grade equal to or higher than the grade at which most of the projects got most of their time, will be able to over-ride any scheduled project. For the 2024APR semester, this equates to a grade of 3.6 or higher.

If triggered, observatory staff will discuss with the proposers the best time for the over-ride to occur, which may not necessarily involve any project being displaced. Requests to trigger a NAPA proposal can be made by emailing the ATNF alert group, as described here.

Any observations displaced by a NAPA will be rescheduled if possible, but this is not guaranteed.

Investigators triggering NAPAs are reminded that claim staking is not permitted under ATNF policy.

In order to minimise the impact of multiple competing triggers to observe the same event, the TAC has recommended that we encourage data sharing between NAPA teams who nominate to observe the same coordinates with the same receiver configuration and observing strategy. Observatory staff will discuss this arrangement with the affected teams should this situation arise.

Spacecraft tracking: New agreements with companies for space craft tracking may continue during the 2024APR semester. Due to the nature of spacecraft launches the exact timing of allocations are subject to change.

Spacecraft tracking is treated like a NAPA trigger and may override scheduled astronomy observations. Observatory staff will contact affected observers 24hr before the scheduled launch and will work with projects to reschedule any lost time as promptly as possible.

Breakthrough Listen: The agreement between the Breakthrough Foundation and CSIRO to use the Parkes Telescope to Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) continues, identified as 'BL'. For the whole of the 2023OCT semester this will equates to approximately 200hrs.

FAST: The agreement with the collaboration associated with the Five hundred metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) continues, identified as 'PX500', and amounting to 144 hrs for the whole of this semester.

Green time: Directors Discretionary Time or 'Green Time' should be requested through the Portal and via email to Parkes Observatory support staff (ATNF-Parkes-Remobs@atnf.csiro.au) with a summary of what you are requesting to observe. Requests for green time can be made at any time during the semester, but the final allocation will not be made until ~1-2 weeks beforehand.

Only projects explicitly approved and that appear in the Portal schedule may be observed on the telescope. Under no circumstances can the telescope be used without prior permission from the Directors or the scheduler.

Maintenance: Starting the 2024APR semester, the CSIRO Parkes Observatory will adopting a once-a-month 1.5-day maintenance block.

There is a three-week site maintenance scheduled from 03 - 21 June, inclusive. No observations will be possible during this time.

Daylight Saving: Australian Eastern Standard Time will start at 3:00am (AEDT) on Sunday, 7 April 2024.

Public Holidays:

Version history:

Version 1 of the schedule, was released on 2024-Mar-04.

Version 2 of the scheulde was released on 2024-Apr-16 and corrects a repeating scheduling fault.

Updated: Jane Kaczmarek (04-Mar-2024)