FRAM telescopes and their measurements of aerosol content at the Pierre Auger Observatory and at future sites of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

A FRAM (F/(Ph)otometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) telescope is a system of a robotic mount, a large-format CCD camera and a fast telephoto lens that can be used for atmospheric monitoring at any site when information about the atmospheric transparency is required with high spatial or temporal resolution and where continuous use of laser-based methods for this purpose would interfere with other observations. The original FRAM has been operated at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina for more than a decade, while three more FRAMs are foreseen to be used by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The CTA FRAMs are being deployed ahead of time to characterize the properties of the sites prior to the operation of the CTA telescopes; one FRAM has been running on the planned future CTA site in Chile for a year while two others are expected to become operational before the end of 2018. We report on the hardware and current status of operation and/or deployment of all the FRAM instruments in question as well as on some of the preliminary results of integral aerosol measurements by the FRAMs in Argentina and ChileComment: Proceedings of AtmoHEAD 201

Four Years of Realtime GRB Followup by BOOTES-1B (2005-2008)

Four years of BOOTES-1B GRB follow-up history are summarised for the first time in the form of a table. The successfully followed events are described case by case. Further, the data are used to show the GRB trigger rate in Spain on a per-year basis, resulting in an estimate of 18 triggers and about 51 h of telescope time per year for real time triggers. These numbers grow to about 22 triggers and 77 h per year if we include also the GRBs observable within 2 hours after the trigger.Comment: 16 pages, Accepted into Proceedings of AstroRob Malaga 200

Recent GRBs observed with the 1.23m CAHA telescope and the status of its upgrade

We report on optical observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) followed up by our collaboration with the 1.23m telescope located at the Calar Alto observatory. The 1.23m telescope is an old facility, currently undergoing upgrades to enable fully autonomous response to GRB alerts. We discuss the current status of the control system upgrade of the 1.23m telescope. The upgrade is being done by the ARAE our group, based on members of IAA (Instituto de Astrofiisica de Andalucia). Currently the ARAE group is responsible to develop the BOOTES network of robotic telescopes based on the Remote Telescope System, 2nd Version (RTS2), which controls the available instruments and interacts with the EPICS database of Calar Alto. Currently the telescope can run fully autonomously or under observer supervision using RTS2. The fast reaction response mode for GRB reaction (typically with response times below 3 minutes from the GRB onset) still needs some development and testing. The telescope is usually operated in legacy interactive mode, with periods of supervised autonomous runs under RTS2. We show the preliminary results of several GRBs followed up with observer intervention during the testing phase of the 1.23m control software upgrade.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in the Special issue "Robotic Astronomy" of Advances in Astronomy. It includes two iterations with the referee

Design, Manufacturing, and Commissioning of BIRCAM (Bootes InfraRed CAMera)

This paper covers the various aspect of design, manufacturing and commissioning of the infrared camera BIRCAM, installed at BOOTES-IR, the 60 cm robotic infrared telescope at Sierra Nevada Observatory (OSN, Granada, Spain). We describe how we achieved a quality astronomical image, moving from the scientific requirements

A decade of GRB follow-up by BOOTES in Spain (2003-2013)

This article covers ten years of GRB follow-ups by the Spanish BOOTES stations: 71 follow-ups providing 23 detections. Follow-ups by BOOTES-1B from 2005 to 2008 were given in the previous article, and are here reviewed, updated, and include additional detection data points as the former article merely stated their existence. The all-sky cameras CASSANDRA have not yet detected any GRB optical afterglows, but limits are reported where available

New developments in aerosol measurements using stellar photometry

The idea of using stellar photometry for atmospheric monitoring for optical experiments in highenergy astrophysics is seemingly straightforward, but reaching high precision of the order of 0.01 in the determination of the vertical aerosol optical depth (VAOD) has proven difficult. Wide-field photometry over a large span of altitudes allows a fast determination of VAOD independently of the absolute calibration of the system, while providing this calibration as a useful by-product. Using several years of data taken by the FRAM (F/(Ph)otometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor) telescope at the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina and about a year of data taken by a similar instrument deployed at the planned future Southern site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array in Chile, we have developed methods to improve the precision of this measurement technique towards and possibly beyond the 0.01 mark. Detailed laboratory measurements of the response of the whole system to both the spectrum and intensity of incoming light have proven indispensable in this analysis as the usual assumption of linearity of the CCD detectors is not valid anymore for the conditions of the observations

GAMMA RAY BURST FOLLOW-UPS WITH BOOTES-4

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES), is a global robotic observatory network, which started in 1998 with Spanish leadership devoted to study optical emissions from gamma ray bursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. We present shot history and current status of BOOTES-4 telescope. Some details  of 38 GRBs followed-up with BOOTES-4 are discussed.The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES), is a global robotic observatory network, which started in 1998 with Spanish leadership devoted to study optical emissions from gamma ray bursts (GRBs) that occur in the Universe. We present shot history and current status of BOOTES-4 telescope. Some details  of 38 GRBs followed-up with BOOTES-4 are discussed.