Quality control

All NOTCam detector quality control data consist of darks and dome-flats while NOTCam is mounted on the telescope during daytime. There have been problems with variable lamps as well as variable daylight leakage in through the hatches that make exact calibrations, like linearity tests and shutter tests, difficult. A new dimmer was installed in September in the control room for remotely switching on and adjusting the light level of the lamp by the entrance door in the dome (see above). It is not yet sufficiently well tested for stability, since the data obtained in the last available quality control data set was corrupted by a data acquisition problem. However, there is some problem in tuning the intensity from the control room when not looking directly at the lamp. Also, the lamp itself needs to be changed to another type giving a flatter light distribution. We will further test the dimmer, and if it turns out to be useful we will proceed and change the lamp.