The table below contains a procedure I use to locate and publish the location of Gamma Ray Burst Transients. The chart contains procedures for location and initial determination of color information. I consider location to be the primary mission here. The determination of color may never actually be accomplished at this site due to the limitations imposed by local sky conditions.
Three colors are used in the steps which follow:
Red is used to indicate steps that are required just to begin image capture. I have worked this timeline down over the past two years and can pretty consistently be at the image point in 13 minutes. If notification is received within the first three hours after burst, the loss of magnitude during this 13 minutes should amount to no more than a couple tenths at most. Since time is of the essence, these steps have been carefully crafted to reduce the time needed to execute them.
Blue (only one) is the business end of the process. Accurate imaging is the point of the whole process. The sooner this step occurs, the better the chance of capturing the image.
Black is background stuff, or stuff that is supplementary.
| Step | Step Description | Step Time in Min | Step Notes | Time sum |
| 1 | Join the AAVSO GRB discussion group. | (done once) | aavso-grb-list@mailman.McMaster.CA This discussion group provides notification of the burst, coordinates, and error box data. You may also receive this information on a pager. Time: Done Once. GCN notices provide RA/DEC and error box information among other things. | |
| 2a | Prepare camera for operation | 1 | Roll camera/laptop rig into position | 1 |
| 2b | Power up camera and laptop | 0.5 | This takes about 2 minutes elapsed | 1.5 |
| 3a | Roll telescope onto polar aligned pier and lock down | 2 | This achieves polar alignment as well | 3.5 |
| 3b | flip on tracking motor and Digital Setting Circles | 0.25 | 3.25 | |
| 3c | Set Dec=0 on scope to begin 2 star alignment of digital setting circles | 0.5 | 3.75 | |
| 2c | Start CCDSoft and TheSky | .25 | 4.0 | |
| 3d | locate first alignment star | .25 | , | 4.25 |
| 2e | Start Camera Cooling | .25 | 4.5 | |
| 3e | Register first alignment star with DSS | .1 | 4.6 | |
| 3f | Locate second alignment star and complete DSS procedure | .4 | 5 | |
| 3g | Mount camera on telescope | 0.5 | 5.5 | |
| 3h | Check registration marks for focusing and image registration | .25 | 5.75 | |
| 3i | position telescope on 1st mag star using Telrad | .25 | 6 | |
| 2f | Set CCDsoft in focus mode and image 1st mag star | 1 | (note camera still cooling) and position star until it is in the imaging frame | 7 |
| 2g | Perform detailed focus by registering the spider vane diffraction patterns | 2 | At completion, camera is at temp | 9 |
| 2h | Enter Burst coordinates into TheSky and set up Image Link | 1 | 10 | |
| 3j | Locate GRB using setting circles | .5 | Locate using RA/DEC setting | 10.5 |
| 4 | Bring GRB field onto imaging chip | 3 | This process uses a 10 second image of the field pointed to by the telescope. This image is imagelinked, and the scope is moved using the controls to position the GRB error box onto the chip. the process is described here. | 13 |
| 5 | Take Deep unfiltered image | 25 | 4 5 minute exposures | 38 |
| 6 | Begin Deep Field JC Red image | 31 | 30 minute exposure with Johnson-Cousins Red filter. Re-focus is not needed because clear glass filter was used during focus step. | -- |
| 7 | Get AAVSO image of error circle (this step done in parallel with step 5. | 0 | ||
| 8 | Publish error circle and deep frame on www.highenergyastro.homestead.com | |||
| 9 | Notify AAVSO GRB group that image has been taken. | .The intent of this step is to put any available person to work looking for the transient. | ||
| 10 | Compare AAVSO image and unfiltered Deep Field image from camera | Depending on the number of stars in the image, this can take from 15 minutes to one hour | -- | |
| 11 | If transient not found proceed to step.R0 | |||
| 12 | Possible Transient found: Perform image link using deep image using TheSky. Read out the RA and DEC from TheSky directly. | 3 | ||
| 13 | Publish RA/DEC of transient from unfiltered image on AAVSO GRB e-mail channel. Go to step R5 | 1 | ||
| R0 | This step begins when the JC Red 30 minute image is complete. | |||
| R1 | Deep Red image is saved to disk, and V filter is installed. The camera is set to take a 50 minute exposure | 50 | V exposure begins. Time has passed, transient is less bright, and the camera is not as sensitive to the V band. Again, ST-9 tracking automates this process. | |
| R2 | Deep Red image is compared to NOFS image as in step 17. If transient not found, proceed to step V0. | |||
| R3 | Possible Transient found: Perform image link using deep image using TheSky. Read out the RA and DEC from TheSky directly. | |||
| R4 | Publish RA/DEC of transient from unfiltered image on AAVSO GRB e-mail channel. | |||
| R5 | Deep Red image is published on www.highenergyastro.homestead.com | |||
| R6 | Notify GRB AAVSO list of existence of Red mage | |||
| V0 | Repeat R0 thru R6 for V image | During this step, the B image taking is begun. This exposure should run for at least 2 hours here to make up for the lack of sensitivity of the camera, and the continued fading of the transient. | ||
| B0 | Repeat R0 thru R6 for B image | Shut down telescope system | ||
| end of procedure | ||||