Year: 2010
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a new fully-automated, wide-field survey conducting a systematic exploration \nof the optical transient sky. The transient survey is performed using a new 8.1 square degree, 101 megapixel camera \ninstalled on the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory. The PTF Camera achieved first light at the \nend of 2008, completed commissioning in July 2009, and is now in routine science operations. The camera is based on \nthe CFH12K camera, and was extensively modified for use on the 48-inch telescope. A field-flattening curved window \nwas installed, the cooling system was re-engineered and upgraded to closed-cycle, custom shutter and filter exchanger \nmechanisms were added, new custom control software was written, and many other modifications were made. We here \ndescribe the performance of these new systems during the first year of Palomar Transient Factory operations, including \na detailed and long term on-sky performance characterization. We also describe lessons learned during the construction \nand commissioning of the upgraded camera, the photometric and astrometric precision currently achieved with the PTF \ncamera, and briefly summarize the first supernova results from the PTF survey.
Authors: Law, N. M., Dekany, R. G., Rahmer, G., Hale, D., Smith, R., Quimby, R., Ofek, E. O., Kasliwal, M., Zolkower, J., Velur, V., Henning, J., Bui, K., McKenna, D., Nugent, P., Jacobsen, J., Walters, R., Bloom, J., Surace, J., Grillmair, C., Laher, R., Mattingly, S., Kulkarni, S. R.
Language: English
Subfield: Instrumentation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: Cosmic Explosions
OpenAlex ID: W1821157204