The following summarizes the technical accomplishments achieved under the Science Initiative Grant awarded by The Kresge Foundation over the time period March 1, 1999 to March 1, 2000. The tasks itemized below are listed in the same format as they appeared in the original Vatican Observatory Foundation proposal, for consistency. Of course, a few tasks have been added or modified as suggested by further experience. All tasks listed have been fully completed, or nearly so, with the exception of a small number that are contained in brackets [ ]. The latter are very promising tasks that are presently underway and that were advanced considerably during the Kresge Grant. It has been very exciting and rewarding to experience the rate of progress on the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT: Fig 1 and Fig 2) afforded by the Kresge Grant and the concurrent successful fund raising by the Vatican Observatory Foundation.

Principal contributors during the past year include scientists Richard Cromwell and Matt Nelson, engineers Dan McKenna, Amar Brar, Richard Cordova, Warren Davidson, Jeff Landgreen and Karl Lilje, technicians Ned Franz, Randy Swift and Bruce Phillips, several other technical people from the Steward Observatory Technical Services group, directed by Scott DeRigne, and people from the Mount Graham International Observatory operations crew, directed by John Ratje.

Photographs are presented in figures that follow, and show a sample of the projects completed. Their format gives a relatively simple introduction to the technicalities of the engineering.

PRIMARY MIRROR AND CELL/SUPPORT STRUCTURE

• Install new air seal around edge (Fig 3).
• Improve temperature sensor reliability, calibration, distribution, and implement remote sensing of humidity.
• Construct mirror cleaning apparatus and implement mirror cleaning procedures.
• Remote position metrology.
• Monitor flow, pressure, humidity in air support system, with error reporting.
• [Dry air system for cell.]

SECONDARY MIRROR

• Improve mounting hub and test for astigmatism (Fig 4).
• Mirror position metrology (Fig 4).
• Safer access coarse mechanical positioners (Fig 4).

LIGHTNING PROTECTION, WEATHER MONITORING, AND OTHER DOME AND BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS

• Remote monitoring and warning where appropriate of weather, temperatures, relative humidity, wind and precipitation (Fig 5).
• Dome drive wheel modification (Fig 6).
• Seal slit water/snow leaks.
• Additional sky baffling of telescope optics.
• Detailed lightning protection survey. Dome grounding system installed. Lightning suppression system installed. Obtain and install communications systems protection.
• [Encode counterweight position and dome slit and mirror cover status.]

AZIMUTH BEARING (AND ELEVATION BEARING)

• Add AZ rotation safety hard stops (Fig 7).
• Encoder mountings reviewed and wipers added (to both AZ and EL axes).
• Re-engineer and rebuild oil system, including controls, new charge and high-pressure pumps, replace accumulator, re-plumb system for quicker emergency response and easier maintenance, and document all. Fix bypass sensor (Figs 8,9,10).
• Implement metrology of bearing and pier (re: settling). Monitor oil thickness.
• Add absolute encoder with safety monitors to AZ axis (this obviates need to improve historic electrical "vee" rotation limit sensors and rotation break-away switch) (Fig 11).
• [Monitor oil system flows, temperatures and pressures, with error reporting.]

DEROTATOR

• [Investigate oscillations and servo tuning of derotator axis and EL and AZ axis as well.]

OFFSET GUIDER

• Improve reliability of filter wheel positioning.
• Investigate improved motor drives for moving stages.
• Construct handling fixtures for instruments and guider (Fig 12).
• Improve filter changing access port.

NEW GUIDER CAMERA

• Maintain unsupported ATC5, improve mounting method, until replaced with new guider ccd.
• [Obtain and install new guider camera.]

OPTICAL ALIGNMENT, IMAGE QUALITY, AND SEEING

Note: While the brackets around all of the tasks listed below indicate that they are still underway, some of the most important advancements in performance of the VATT have already been accomplished through the efforts made thus far. Early experiments with extra focal images and their analysis have resulted in the highest level of optical alignment and image quality obtained thus far at the VATT, and such performance will before long become automated and routine. (Fig 13)

• [Use new guider camera with accompanying modifications to guider optics to aid telescope optical alignment using extra focal analysis.]
• [Implement wave front optics and detector for real-time auto guiding, auto focus, auto collimation, image quality analysis and seeing analysis for observer.]
• [Use IR thermometer and high sensitivity anemometer to determine troublesome heat sources inside dome.]
• [Investigate telescope axes servo performance, wave front sensor frequency data, image motion data, integrated image data, etc. to gain understanding and correct the controllable sources of image degradation.]

INSTRUCTIONS

• Keep them updated as changes are made to telescope.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

• Provide engineering telemetry and commanding interfaces, with display and analysis, for all remote sensors (oil system, optical support, temperatures, wind speed and direction, precipitation, telescope status indicators, etc.).
• [Provide on-line image quality analysis for auto collimation, focus, and auto guiding.]

MAINTENANCE

• Develop maintenance record and schedule.

DOCUMENTATION

• Collect, create and electronic file all old and new VATT documentation.

SPARE PARTS

• Identify and order.

SPECTROGRAPH

• [Obtain Pocket Spectrograph and integrate into telescope.]