1. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat1 1 Future, past and present of PB 301 at AIP Thomas Granzer Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP)

2. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat2 2 STELLA First robotic, high-resolution spectrograph in the world. Consists of two telescopes, SES & WiFSIP. Routine operation of SES since 2006, WiFSIP since 2010. 2 nd generation instrumentation & hardware upgrade planned.

3. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat3 3 STELLA (cont.) STELLA: 22 ref. Publications (2001) Liverpool Telescope: 68 ref. Pub. (2001) Faulkes Telescopes: 51 ref. Pub. (2004) MoNeT: 7 ref. Pub. (2004) REM: 41 ref. Pub. (2001) Las Cumbres: 7 ref. Pub. (2008) ROTSE I-III (a-e): 52 ref. Pub (2001) Fairborn observatory, T1- T16: 49 ref. Pub. (2001)

4. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat4 4 AGW@LBT 4 AGWs delivered (2007-11) Used for commissioning of TCS, LUCI & MODS. Guiding cadence 2.5sec. FWHM < 0.35arcsec. Shack-Hartmann mask with 15x15 sub-apertures. Wavefront sensor updates every 30sec.

5. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat5 5 ARGOS for LBT AIP builds tip-tilt sensors for the LBT laser guide star facility. 6 lasers to create reference stars (ground layer AO). Tip-Tilt signal from natural star. Tip-Tilt at several hundred Hz. Photon counting Avalanche Photo Diode, fiber fed. Installation and commissioning 2014.

6. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat6 6 STELLA@Monet Since July 2013 the two MoNeT Telescopes use the STELLA Control System. Possible target input file exchange. May be used for joint projects (imaging)

7. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat7 7 PEPSI & SDI Merge SCS with SDI –Take advantage of robotic scheduling –Also to issue calibrations@day? Precursor for VATT robotization

8. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat8 8 GREGOR@night First automated operation of telescope Dec. 2012. Need hardware for dome control. Use as an RV machine.

9. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat9 9 New facility >2015 ~2m 'light bucket' RV-machine for satellite follow-up Together with Bocum at base of Cerro Armazones?

10. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat10 Network after Song/Las Cumbres?

11. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat11 The Extragalactic Distance Scale The effect of metallicity on the Cepheid PL-relation using the near-IR surface brightness method –ESO Large programme on-going for 20 SMC Cepheids Determining the distance to the LMC to better than 1% using eclipsing binaries –Calibrate the near-IR surface brightness relation for late type stars. STELLA rv curves for galactic eclipsers with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes (GAIA!) –Problem to get new V and K band light curves for bright sources, Polish group considers to built a V and K photometer for the 1m Swope. STELLA? RR Lyrae stars with near-IR surface brightness method and GAIA, again problem to get V and K light curves for bright (nearby) sources Calibrating the Cepheid PL relation using the maser galaxy IC10 (LBT w. LBC ongoing) J. Storm

12. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat12 Achievements/research plans 2nd stage of STELLA/WiFSIP pipeline working for color photometry. IC4756 science case mostly resolved, reobservation scheduled (paper in prep.) IC4756, NGC2236: Stellar activity in CoRoT OCs. (2014) GREGOR@night redesign (-2016) SOCS data reduction (- 2017) Stellar activity of PLATO field stars (2022-) J. Weingrill

13. 29.01.2014Branch I retreat13 Impressions during retreat Quest for polarimetric capabilities either at STELLA and/or GREGOR raised by at least two people. More targets for long-term activity monitoring requested to have statistical leverage on testing theoretical models. Overall speaking, we ARE building the right instruments for branch-I research.