Process overview - abstract

1. Process overview - abstract Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes Start Acquire field images - Reference - Target Calibrate images Extract magnitudes Choose plot • Reduce • Transforms • Color index • Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes Entire lightcurve phase obtained ? yes no Gather more lightcurve phase data to fill-out the curves entire phase End

2. Process overview – package based MPO Canopus Start Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes Calibrate images Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Choose plot Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes Extract target magnitudes import import PhotoRed Acquire field images - Reference - Color Index - Extinction • Reduce - Target • Color index • Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index • Extinction Extract reference magnitudes Calibrate images

3. Acquire images – two alternative workflows Basic hi-low method High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden <2º Continuous target field – V or C, V preferred Continuous VRC method Best comparison star in target field High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden <2º Best comparison star in target field High-low extinction reference field – V,R,C Landolt Continuous target field – V, R, C Low extinction “reference” field – V,R,C “High” extinction “reference” field – V,R,C

4. PhotoRed reduction coefficients set from acquired images Basic hi-low method Transforms High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden <2º Continuous target field – V or C, V preferred Comps Standard Mags First-Order Comps Best comparison star in target field Color Index (Comps/Target) Target Standard Mags High-low extinction reference field – V,R,C Landolt First-Order All Sky

5. PhotoRed reduction coefficients set from acquired images Continuous VRC method Transforms High color index reference field – V,R,C Landolt, Henden “High” extinction “reference” field – V,R,C <2º Continuous target field – V, R, C Comps Standard Mags First-Order Comps Best comparison star in target field Color Index (Comps/Target) Target Standard Mags Low extinction “reference” field – V,R,C First-Order All Sky

6. Process – overview – Three methods to convert to standard magnitudes • Only one of the three methods – the basic “rigorous” method is graphed here, using only the basic “high-low” imaging method. PhotoRed • Reduce - Target • Color index • Extinction Calibrate images Convert target field to standard magnitudes • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index • Extinction Extract reference magnitudes • Basic rigorous • can use • in all cases • Binzel • use where • comp stars • of same color index • are in target field Quick Mags - use for long-period AAVSO variables Report to MPO Center Report to AAVSO

7. Extract target field image data MPO Canopus Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Extract target magnitudes Calibrate images Extract data (Lightcurve wizard) Comparison stars variable? Target field image in V and/or C Make observations *.FF2 files Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C Choose other comparison stars or reshoot session Choose other comparison stars or reshoot session View raw comparison plots View raw comparison plots yes no Quick peek target lightcurve with raw target instrumental magnitudes Choose best comparison star Save image of comp stars & note best comp star or Continue – import data to PhotoRed

8. Extract reference field data - reduce transform coefficients PhotoRed Acquire field images - Reference - Color index - Extinction Extract target magnitudes • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index Calibrate images Deselect outliers yes Extract data (Photometry wizard) Comparison stars plot bad? Reference field image high color-index Make observation *.obs files • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C View transforms plot no Set transform coefficients Transform error plot bad? • Reduce - Reference • Errors View errors plot yes Deselect outliers no Continue – To set rough extinction

9. Extract reference field data - reduce rough extinction coefficients PhotoRed Acquire field images - Reference - Color index - Extinction Extract target magnitudes • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index Calibrate images Deselect outliers yes Extract data (Photometry wizard) Extinction plot bad? Reference field image high-low extinction Make observation *.obs files • Reduce - Reference • Extinction • “First Order – • All Sky” Reference Field image low-high in V,R and C View extinction plot no Set rough extinction coefficients Continue – To set target extinction

10. Reduce target field – fine-tune extinction (modified Hardie) MPO Canopus PhotoRed • Reduce - Target • Color index • Extinction Extract target magnitudes import Make observation *.obs file Make special single group table Store special observation *.obs file Import target field data from MPO Canopus Reimport original target field data from MPO Canopus Deselect outliers yes Extinction plot bad? • Reduce – Target • Extinction • “First-Order • Comps” Continue – To set target color index coefficients View extinction plot no Set target fine extinction coefficients Note on best comp star in target field Use only 1 - best of 5 possible comp stars

11. Reduce target field – set color index coefficients MPO Canopus PhotoRed • Reduce - Target • Color index • Extinction Extract target magnitudes import Deselect outliers yes Color index plot bad? Reduce – Target color index “Color-index (Comps/Target)” Original target field data from MPO Canopus Continue – To set standard magnitudes View color index plot no Set target color index coefficients

12. Reduce target field – standard magnitudes of comparison stars PhotoRed • Reduce - Reference • Transforms • Color index • Extinction • Reduce - Target • Color index • Extinction Convert target field to standard magnitudes Coefficients in Reductions dialogue Coefficients in Reductions dialogue Convert target comp stars to standard magnitudes “Comps Standard Mags” Convert target to standard magnitudes “Target Standard Mags” Target field - stored special observation *.obs file Target field - original observation *.obs file Save the Reductions tab coefficients Make standard mag *.FF2 archive file Continue – To plot lightcurve

13. Plot lightcurve PhotoRed MPO Canopus Convert target field to standard magnitudes Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes import Extract choose sessions to plot Standard mag *.FF2 File from PhotoRed Import standard mag target field data from PhotoRed to MPO Session Multiple session data Best period estimate? Estimate period Plot refined target magnitudes with aligned phases (phase scale) Plot raw target magnitudes (Julian Day scale) Print/save aligned lightcurve plot yes no

14. Acquire more images until lightcurve phase is filled-out MPO Canopus End yes Acquire field images - Target - Comparisons - Object Plot target lightcurve with standard magnitudes Entire lightcurve phase obtained ? Gather more lightcurve phase data to fill-out the curve’s entire phase no Identify missing phase portions Find next opportunity to Image missing phase segment with time-of-minimum calculator Data for entire phase plotted? no Get Julian Date of minimum point Print/save aligned lightcurve plot yes End To start – acquire more images