UKIRT Fast-Track Imager

UFTI is a 1-2.5um camera with a 1024x1024 HgCdTe array and a plate scale of 0.091 arcsec per pixel, giving a field of 92 arcsec. Subarrays (i.e. fewer pixels read out and so lower overheads) may also be used. Standard broad and narrow-band filters are available. For direct imaging with 0.5" images UFTI is more sensitive than the reconfigured IRCAM (TUFTI) at all of JHK. UFTI was built at Oxford University.

Chris Davis (c.davis@jach.hawaii.edu) is the instrument scientist responsible for UFTI, and should be contacted with all UFTI enquiries. The Guide below is largely confined to two pages for ease of printing. The "Parameters" page is designed for reference (when preparing proposals, etc.). The "Observing" page should be read by first-time UFTI users before coming to observe; use this as an introduction to UFTI imaging with the ORAC software. You can finalise your observing strategy once you have met your Support Scientist in Hilo. Note that these pages may be updated at any time with new characterisation information.

The current status of the instrument is given here, although for those writing PATT proposals the information below should be up-to-date. For possible future instrument changes check the Availability of instruments on UKIRT web page.

Instrumental Parameters (all links below to the same page)

• Basic Optical Parameters
• Current Filter Set
• Sensitivity Tables
• Readout Modes - Speeds, Read Types, Read Areas and Overheads
• System Gain, Noise, Linearity and Persistence
• Count Rates, Exposures and Sky Brightnesses

• Run-up and Run-down
• Preparing an Observing Programme - the ORAC OT
• Available Template Sequences (separate page)
• Loading and running a Sequence - the ORAC OM
• On-line data reduction - the ORAC DR
  • Available DR Recipes (separate page)
• Data Format and Location at UKIRT

• UFTI and the FP
• UFTI Polarimetry

• UFTI Trouble-Shooting Incl. anomalous features on the array.
• General ORAC Trouble-Shooting
• Engineering Appendices Anomalous features on array, Warmup/cooldown timescales, aligning UFTI, bad pixel masks, Hartmann mask tests.

Tables of standard stars and other calibration information are available on separate pages.