Herschel-Spot (HSpot) User's Guide
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Herschel-Spot (HSpot) User's Guide

Herschel Observation Planning Tool

version 1.3 (includes place holder for PACS-SPIRE parallel mode and some minor corrections), Document Number: HERSCHEL-HSC-DOC-0788
10th November 2006

Table of Contents

Preface: The Herschel Observation Planning Software (HSpot)
1. Purpose of this Document
2. What this Document Does Not Provide
3. How to use this manual
4. Acknowledgements
1. Chapter Guide
1.1. Chapter 2: Introduction to HSpot
1.2. Chapter 3: Hardware and software required to use HSpot
1.3. Chapter 4: Installing and starting HSpot
1.4. Chapter 5: General information
1.5. Chapter 6: HSpot menus
1.6. Chapter 7: HSpot main screen
1.7. Chapter 8: Entering an Astronomical Observation Request (AOR)
1.8. Chapter 9: The target entry dialogue
1.9. Chapter 10: Astronomical Observation Templates
1.10. Chapter 11: Astronomical Observation Templates for PACS
1.11. Chapter 12: Astronomical Observation Templates for SPIRE
1.12. Chapter 13: Astronomical Observation Templates for HIFI
1.13. Chapter 14: PACS-SPIRE parallel mode
1.14. Chapter 15: Tools for replicating AORs
1.15. Chapter 16: Constraints editing
1.16. Chapter 17: Proposal submission tool
1.17. Chapter 18: Spectral lines for planning purposes
1.18. Chapter 19: Visualising your target and observations
1.19. Chapter 20: Moving target and more advanced visualisation
1.20. Chapter 21: Sample HSpot target file
2. Introduction to HSpot
2.1. Overview
3. Hardware and Software Required to Use HSpot
3.1. Hardware Configurations Supporting HSpot
3.1.1. Sun Workstations: Sun Ultra 5 with 256 MB RAM
3.1.2. Windows PC (2000, NT): Pentium 3 processor with 256 MB RAM
3.1.3. Windows PC (XP): Pentium M processor at 1.73GHz with 504 MB and 1 Gbt RAM
3.1.4. Linux PC: Pentium 2 processor, with 256 MB RAM
3.1.5. Mac PC: G4 processor, with 256 MB RAM
3.2. Operating System Configurations Supported
3.2.1. UNIX: Solaris 2.8
3.2.2. Windows: NT, ME, 2000, XP
3.2.3. Linux: RedHat 7.X, 8.0, 9.0; Fedora Core
3.2.4. Mac: OS X
3.2.5. Summary of platforms and operating systems supported by HSpot
4. Installing and Starting HSpot
4.1. Windows Installation
4.2. Solaris or Linux Installation
4.2.1. Mac Installation
4.2.2. HSpot Automatic Update
5. General Information
5.1. Client-Server Software Interactions
5.2. On-line Help and Tool Tips
5.3. Time Estimates
5.4. Maximum Duration of AORs
5.5. General advice on AORs
5.6. Troubleshooting
6. HSpot Menus
6.1. File Menu
6.1.1. Read AORs and Targets
6.1.2. Save AORs and Targets
6.1.3. Import Fixed Single Target List
6.1.4. Import Moving Single Target List
6.1.5. Save Target Visibility Windows
6.1.6. Save Current Plotted Image as FITS file
6.1.7. Save Current Plotted Image and Overlays to JPEG, GIF, BMP, or PNG
6.1.8. View Accepted Proposal
6.1.9. Quit
6.2. Edit Menu
6.2.1. Undo [ctrl-Z]
6.2.2. Delete Current AOR [delete]
6.2.3. Modify Current AOR [ctrl-M]
6.2.4. Copy Current AOR [ctrl-C]
6.2.5. Delete All AORs
6.2.6. Delete All Targets
6.2.7. Enable All AORs
6.2.8. Disable All AORs without G/F Constraints
6.2.9. Toggle ON Flag (AORs without G/F Constraints)
6.3. Targets Menu
6.4. Observation Menu
6.5. Tools Menu
6.5.1. AOR Replication Tool
6.5.2. Target Replication Tool
6.5.3. Group/Follow-on Constraints
6.5.4. Timing Constraints
6.5.5. Proposal Submission Tool
6.5.6. Show Current Resource Estimates
6.5.7. Recompute All Estimates
6.5.8. Compute Backgrounds from File
6.5.9. Memory Monitor
6.6. Images Menu
6.6.1. ISSA: The IRAS Sky Survey Atlas
6.6.2. 2MASS: Two Micron All Sky Survey
6.6.3. MSX: Midcourse Space Experiment
6.6.4. DSS: Digitized Sky Survey
6.6.5. Memory and cleanup
6.6.6. Summary of HSpot permitted image sizes
6.6.7. SkyView: SkyView image data
6.6.8. NED: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
6.6.9. ISO Archive Database
6.6.10. FITS File
6.6.11. All Sky Images
6.7. Lines Menu
6.8. Overlays Menu
6.8.1. Catalogue Overlay
6.8.2. Current Fixed Target Overlay
6.8.3. Add Moving Target
6.8.4. Add Marks to Plot/User Created Catalogue
6.8.5. Distance Tool
6.8.6. Image Overlays
6.8.7. Generic Focal Plane Overlay
6.8.8. Herschel Focal Plane Overlay
6.8.9. AOR Overlays
6.8.10. Read AOR Overlay Mapping File
6.9. Options Menu
6.9.1. User Automatic HSpot Version Update
6.9.2. Sum Only Checked AORs
6.9.3. Visualisation: Coordinate System Preferences
6.9.4. Visualisation: Readout Prefs
6.9.5. Cache Prefs
6.9.6. Network Proxy Setup
6.9.7. Visualisation: Show Mouse Help
6.9.8. Visualisation: Show Side Bar on Current Frame
6.9.9. Visualisation: Show Side Bar on All Frames
6.10. Window Menu
6.11. Help Menu
6.11.1. Overview...
6.11.2. Tip Of The Day
6.11.3. AOR File Format Changes
6.11.4. AOT Field Descriptions
6.11.5. About...
6.12. HSpot Menu Command Summary
7. HSpot Main Screen
7.1. Icons
7.2. Observations Table
7.3. Bottom Bar
8. Entering An Astronomical Observation Request (AOR)
8.1. Start the HSpot software
8.2. Enter Target Information
8.3. Fill Out an Astronomical Observation Template
8.4. Unique AOR Label
8.5. Target Buttons
8.6. Observation Estimates
8.7. Other AOT Buttons
8.7.1. Comments
8.7.2. Visibility
8.7.3. Star tracker
8.7.4. Save AORs
9. The Target Entry Dialogue
9.1. Target entry dialogue window
9.2. Target Types
9.2.1. Fixed
9.2.2. Moving
9.3. Inertial Target Coordinate Systems
9.3.1. Coordinate Entry Formats
9.3.2. Coordinate Conversion
9.3.3. Entering Targets at the Celestial Pole
9.3.4. Moving Target Entry
9.3.5. Standard Ephemeris
9.4. Target Name Resolution
9.5. Bright Moving Object Avoidance
9.6. Target List
9.7. Visibility Windows
9.7.1. Visibility Windows for Inertial Targets
9.7.2. Moving Object Visibility Information
9.7.3. Herschel Planning with Horizons
9.7.4. Position Angle: Focal Plane
9.7.5. Estimating the Sky Background
9.7.6. IRAS Sky Maps
9.7.7. HSpot Background Estimate
10. Astronomical Observation Templates (AOTs)
10.1. Introduction
10.2. Unique AOR labels
10.3. Target
11. PACS AOTs
11.1. PACS Line Spectrometry AOT
11.1.1. Wavelength Settings
11.1.2. Observing Mode Settings
11.1.3. PACS Time Estimator messages
11.2. PACS Range Spectrometry AOT
11.2.1. Wavelength Settings
11.2.2. Instrument Settings
11.2.3. Observing Mode Settings
11.2.4. PACS Time Estimator messages
11.3. PACS Photometry AOT
11.3.1. Instrument Settings
11.3.2. Observing Mode Settings
11.3.3. PACS Time Estimator messages
12. SPIRE AOTs
12.1. SPIRE AOTs
12.2. SPIRE Photometer AOT
12.3. SPIRE Spectrometer AOT
12.3.1. Pointing Mode
12.3.2. Image Sampling
12.3.3. Spectral Resolution
12.3.4. Raster Map Parameters
12.3.5. Repetition factor
12.3.6. Source Flux Estimates
12.3.7. Observation Time Estimation
13. HIFI AOTs
13.1. Description of HIFI AOTs
13.2. HIFI Single Point AOT
13.2.1. Instrument Settings
13.2.2. Frequency Settings
13.2.3. Pointing Mode Selection
13.2.4. Time Estimator Settings
13.2.5. Getting the Observing Time Estimate
13.3. HIFI Mapping AOT
13.3.1. On-the-fly (OTF) Mapping setup
13.3.2. DBS Raster Mapping mode
13.4. Spectral Scan AOT
13.4.1. Setting up the Frequency Range
13.4.2. Selecting the Redundancy
13.4.3. WBS Selection
13.4.4. Fast Chop and Continuum Timing
13.4.5. Time Estimator Settings
14. PACS-SPIRE Parallel Mode AOT
14.1. Description
14.2. Warning
15. Tools for Replicating AORs
15.1. AOR Replication Tool
15.2. Target Replication Tool
16. Constraints Editing
16.1. Description
16.2. Timing Constraints
16.3. Grouping/Follow-on Constraints
16.3.1. Description
16.3.2. Caveats for Grouping Constraints
16.3.3. Creating New Grouping and Follow-on Constraints
16.3.4. Linking AORs to a Grouping Constraint
17. Proposal Submission Tool
17.1. What it does
17.2. Proposal Submission Tool Main Window
17.2.1. File Menu
17.2.2. Open Proposal
17.2.3. Save Proposal
17.2.4. Save Proposal As...
17.2.5. Print Cover Sheet
17.2.6. Print Cover Sheet to File
17.2.7. Prepend Cover Sheet onto Sci Just File
17.2.8. Clear
17.2.9. Close proposal window
17.3. Registration
17.4. Submit Menu
17.4.1. Submit proposal to HCSS
17.4.2. Update proposal at HCSS
17.4.3. Retrieve Latest Proposal from HCSS
17.5. Help
17.6. Add Co-Investigators
17.7. Add Proposal Abstract
17.8. Add Scientific Justification File
17.9. Add Science Category Information
17.10. Add any Extra Text
17.11. The Final Stretch: Submitting the Proposal
17.11.1. The Prologue
17.11.2. Updating an Existing Proposal
17.11.3. Submitting a Herschel Observing Proposal: Review
18. Spectral Lines for Planning Purposes
18.1. Managing Lines
18.2. Adding, Modifying or Deleting an Individual Line
18.3. Import or Include Line Lists
18.4. Adding Lines from On-line Catalogues
19. Fixed Target and AOR Visualisation
19.1. Overview
19.2. Displaying and Manipulating Images
19.2.1. Image Control
19.2.2. Cursor Readout
19.2.3. Layer Control
19.2.4. Three-Colour Image Display
19.2.5. Current Fixed Target Overlay
19.2.6. Overlaying a Coordinate Grid
19.2.7. Overlaying a Catalogue
19.2.8. Overlaying an Image
19.2.9. Overlaying AORs
20. Moving Target Visualisation
20.1. Overview
20.2. Getting Started
20.3. Selecting a Background Sky Image
20.4. Selecting an Observation Date
20.5. Resizing and Zooming Your Image
20.6. Getting Fancy
20.6.1. Highlighting Points and Displaying Date Markings on a Moving Target Trajectory
20.6.2. Adding Your Own Marks/Labels to a Trajectory or Image
20.6.3. Adding a Grid
20.6.4. Displaying Multiple Moving Targets
20.6.5. The Distance Tool
20.6.6. Displaying the Herschel Focal Plane
20.6.7. Displaying Moving Target AORs
20.6.8. Displaying an AOR
20.7. An Illustrative Example
21. Sample HSpot Target File
A. Example AOR and Target files
B. Default Line List Used in HSpot

List of Figures

5.1. Net up symbol
5.2. Net down symbol
5.3. Tool tip display
6.1. The "Read AORs and Targets" dialogue
6.2. Save AORs and targets dialogue
6.3. Save targets dialogue
6.4. ASCII target import file
6.5. Target list input for moving single targets
6.6. dialogue to enter a program ID number or name to View Program
6.7. ”Recompute All Estimates” dialogue
6.8. ISSA dialogue
6.9. 2MASS dialogue
6.10. MSX dialogue
6.11. DSS dialogue
6.12. Skyview catalogue dialogue
6.13. NED image availability for M31
6.14. List of ISO images available for M31
6.15. FITS file selection dialogue
6.16. The selection dialogue for All Sky Images
6.17. HSpot currently serves seven IPAC catalogues that can be overlaid onto the image display
6.18. The 2MASS and MSX catalogues overlaid on the IRAS - ISSA 25 micron image of M31
6.19. Catalogue listing for the MSX points found in a search around M31
6.20. HSpot currently serves catalogues from SkyView that can be overlaid onto the image display
6.21. Local catalogue selection
6.22. The coordinate grid overlay dialogue allows selection of the desired type of grid
6.23. Generic focal plane selection
6.24. Herschel Focal Plane overlay
6.25. Focal Plane overlay control dialogue
6.26. AOR overlay dialogue
6.27. The dialogue for showing target visibility
6.28. The dialogue for obtaining a previously saved set of pointings for overlaying on the current image.
6.29. HSpot cursor information
6.30. dialogue for selection of displayed coordinates for images
6.31. Disk cache dialogue
7.1. Shortcut icons used on the main screen of HSpot
7.2. Zoom and centring icons
7.3. Observations table
7.4. Information at the bottom of the HSpot screen
9.1. Target entry dialogue
9.2. Moving target entry dialogue
9.3. NAIF IDs for Dione
9.4. Visibilities and backgrounds for a target list
9.5. Visibility/Orientation dialogue
9.6. Moving target visibility dialogue
9.7. Herschel field-of-view on the sky
9.8. Herschel background estimate dialogue
9.9. Background estimate for a given date
11.1. The Line Spectroscopy AOT main window
11.2. Window to add- and modify spectral line entries
11.3. "Add Lines to the Observation Request" dialogue
11.4. The Observing Mode Settings window in its start-up status
11.5. Options for the Pointed observing mode
11.6. Options for the Pointed with Dither observing mode
11.7. Options for the Mapping observing mode
11.8. PACS Time Estimator main window
11.9. PACS Time Estimator messages window
11.10. The Range Spectroscopy AOT main window
11.11. Window to add- and modify spectral range entries
11.12. The Observing Mode Settings window in its start-up status
11.13. Options for the Pointed observing mode
11.14. Options for the Pointed with Dither observing mode
11.15. Options for the Mapping observing mode
11.16. PACS Time Estimator main window
11.17. PACS Time Estimator messages window
11.18. PACS Time Estimator messages window (cont.)
11.19. The Photometry AOT main window
11.20. The Photometry AOT main window
11.21. The Observing Mode Settings window in its start-up status
11.22. Point Source Photometry tab
11.23. Small Source Photometry tab
11.24. Chopped Raster tab
11.25. Scan map tab
11.26. PACS Time Estimator main window
11.27. PACS Time Estimator messages window
12.1. The SPIRE Photometer AOT, as it appears on first opening.
12.2. The SPIRE Photometer AOT with point source selected. Note the "Chop Avoidance" panel.
12.3. The SPIRE Photometer AOT, as it appears when opened.
12.4. Time estimation panel for point source observation.
12.5. Source flux estimates panel for small sources.
12.6. Small map time estimation results.
12.7. Small map time estimation results with some source flux estimates previously entered.
12.8. The SPIRE Photometer AOT with large map selected and map sizes filled in.
12.9. Large Map time estimation where no source flux estimates have been provided
12.10. Large Map time estimation where source flux estimates have been provided.
12.11. The SPIRE Spectrometer AOT, as it appears when opened.
12.12. Panel to enter source flux estimates for "high", "medium" and "high and low" resolution.
12.13. Panel to enter source flux estimates for "high", "medium" and "high and low" resolution.
12.14. Time estimation panel for the "High" and the "Medium" Resolution.
12.15. Time estimation panel for the "High and Low" resolution, without any source flux estimates entered.
12.16. Time estimation panel for the "Low" resolution, without any source flux estimates entered.
12.17. An example of the time estimation panel with source flux estimates results for the "Low" resolution.
13.1. The Single Point AOT, showing the instrument setup dialogue.
13.2. The Frequencies window where HIFI frequency settings are displayed
13.3. The Frequency Editor for setting up the local oscillator and HRS sub-band offset setting for HIFI.
13.4. An example of a setup around the CS 10-9 line in Band 1a of HIFI.
13.5. Warning pop-up that comes up if there is a large LO frequency move requested.
13.6. Example setup for using the Wide-band (WbS) and High resolution (HRS) spectrometers of HIFI simultaneously.
13.7. Illustration of typed-in frequency setting for HIFI
13.8. "Frequencies" window indicating the frequency settings stored for the current observation.
13.9. HIFI pointed observation mode selection. Simply click a tab to select the mode required.
13.10. Options for the HIFI Dual Beam Switch mode.
13.11. Options for the HIFI Position Switch mode.
13.12. Dialogue window for identifying the OFF position for the HIFI modes.
13.13. Options for HIFI Frequency Switch pointed mode.
13.14. Options for HIFI Load Chop pointed mode.
13.15. HIFI time estimator settings window.
13.16. Time return information from the HIFI time estimator
13.17. HIFI sequencer information
13.18. Time estimator messages
13.19. HIFI Map AOT window
13.20. HIFI mapping mode choice window
13.21. HIFI On-The-Fly map setup window.
13.22. HIFI raster map setup window
13.23. HIFI spectral scan setup window and options
16.1. Timing windows dialogue
16.2. Timing constraint addition
16.3. Constraint editor
16.4. Editing a sequence constraint
16.5. Creating a chain constraint
16.6. Creating a group within constraint
16.7. Completed addition of constraints
16.8. Linking AORs to a sequence constraint
16.9. Indication of constraint on AOR
17.1. Proposal Submission Tool window.
17.2. Proposal types
17.3. Proposal submission registration page.
17.4. Proposal Co-I window
17.5. Proposal Co-I information addition
17.6. Proposal Co-I information completed
17.7. Proposal abstract window
17.8. Proposal tool Science Justification dialogue
17.9. Proposal tool Science Justification addition
17.10. Proposal tool science categories
17.11. Proposal tool Science Justification dialogue
17.12. Username and password request for proposal submission.
17.13. Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information
17.14. Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information
17.15. Dialogue for saving coversheet/proposal information
18.1. The HSpot "Lines" pulldown menu
18.2. The HSpot line management capability
18.3. The HSpot spectroscopic line addition screen
18.4. The HSpot line information modification window.
18.5. The HSpot line information storage window
18.6. A ".lines" file
18.7. JPL molecular line database interaction window
18.8. OH lines returned from JPL molecular line database
19.1. The HSpot screen after downloading ISSA 25 micron and 2MASS K-band images.
19.2. A three-colour composite image display for M51
19.3. Current target position mark
19.4. Grid overlay example
19.5. Dialogue for IPAC catalogue selection
19.6. 2MASS PSC overlay
19.7. Catalogue details display
19.8. Image overlay example
20.1. ISSA image request dialogue
20.2. Target visibility for Comet 2P/Encke
20.3. Track of Comet 2P/Encke
20.4. Visualisation frame icons
20.5. Position/date list for Comet 2P/Encke
20.6. Adding marks to an image
20.7. Using the distance tool
20.8. Display of the Herschel Focal Plane
20.9. Moving target AOR overlay
20.10. ***x*** SPIRE/PACS Map
A.1. Example '.aor' file in XML format.
A.2. Example '.tgt' file in XML format.

List of Tables

16.1. Examples of timing constraints that can be specified in the timing window.
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   Preface: The Herschel Observation Planning Software (HSpot)