The Raptor system consists of a platform of 4 rapidly slewing robotic telescopes. RAPTOR A, RAPTOR S, and RAPTOR P are sited at Fenton Hill. RAPTOR B is sited at LANCE on the (LANL, TA-53)

The RAPTOR Platform

RAPTOR A and RAPTOR B comprise a multiple camera mount and a cluster of control computers. Each of these has an array of four wide field cameras surrounding a narrow field, fovea camera in the center. RAPTOR A and B are separated by 20 miles allowing for binocular vision. This set up allows for removing of false positives through comparison and parallax.

The outer cameras are Apogee AP10 CCDs mounted on 85mm Canon f/2.8 lenses. The fovea camera is also an AP10 mounted on a Canon 400mm f/2.8 lens. All lenses are manual focus with calipers connected to the focusing ring in order to have finer control of the focus. 

J. Wren and D. Casperson at RAPTOR A (April 2002)

The wide field cameras are each set at angles pointing outward from the central axis. This allows each to cover a selected field with a minimal overlap between each one. The fovea camera is aligned with the axis. Each of the wide field cameras has a field of view of  19.5 x 19.5 degrees with a single pixel resolution of 34 arcseconds. The overlap between each camera is  2 degrees.  Total coverage is 1500 square degrees. The fovea camera field of view is 4 x 4 degrees with a spatial resolution near 5 times that of the wide field. RAPTOR A fovea will include a Johnson I filter and RAPTOR B, a Johnson R filter.

The software will then allow for a composite image to be generated from the four wide filed cameras. Limiting magnitude for the wide filed cameras is m~12 for a sixty-second exposure.

Each system has an identical mount using a fork design custom made by Shier. The mounts are capable of slewing at extremely fast rates (speeds of 200 degrees/sec and an acceleration of 400 degrees/sec*sec ). In testing so far the mounts are extremely accurate in pointing and tracking. This rate allows the system to respond to alerts from one another or form outside sources quickly and accurately. Vibrations after motion are damped in ~1 second. in practice any point of the sky can be slewed to in under 1.5 seconds

    J. Wren standing next to mount prior to installation (Nov. 2001)

Each system (except RAPTOR S) consists of a cluster of computer systems for imaging and control. Each camera of the system is tied its own computer that controls cooling, exposure time and camera status. Each of these is the set up in a network hub to a master control computer. This system contains the main control software that responds to alerts, weather conditions, camera actuation and signals to the mount control computer. the mount has its own control computer that is triggered via socket commands from the master control computer. All systems can be accessed and controlled from a remote user.

RAPTOR P is a narrow field of view patrol system. In many respects it is the same as RAPTOR A and B, except that all of the 85mm lens are replaced with 400mm lens. As with RAPTOR A and B it can alert any of the other scopes to help confirm and follow up on any events it detects.

RAPTOR S consists of a single 16" Schmidt - Cassegrain telescope. The image is processed by an Finger Lakes MaxCam after the light is incident on a diffraction grating (Specs). The diffraction grating can be removed and replaced with a RULLI (Remote Ultra-Low Light Imaging) imager. The mount is the same as in the other RAPTOR systems. A cluster of computers is unnecessary with this system as the one main control computer can perform the task. 

D. Casperson and J. Wren at RAPTOR S - Fenton Hill site (April 2002) 

RAPTOR Q(a&b) iis an extreme wide field survey instrument. It consists of five 24mm, F1.4 lenses with Apogee Alta cameras. Each image system is mounted on a fixed bracket to the inside enclosures of RAPTOR A&B respectively. Four of the brackets are canted at 45 degree angles while one is pointed at zenith. This gives a full mosaic of the night sky, down to ~10th magnitude (depending on site).

RAPTOR T Our largest system and currently under instrument test and construction of the enclosure. It consists of four 0.4m OTAs co aligned on a single mount. Each imaging system will use a different color filter (B,V,R or I) to obtain simultaneous four color of target objects. While the system could be used as a survey instrument, it is expected that it will predominantly be used as a follow-up system.

J.Wren and T. Vestrand standing next to RAPTOR T system prior to installation at Fenton Hill (click for larger image)

RAPTOR Z  is an extremely fast mount, response system. Currently it is installed in one of the out buildings at Fenton Hill (with Roll-Off Roof), but eventually it will be moved to its own enclosure. Now undergoing testing it should join the main survey instruments on a limited basis by Summer of 2006. This system uses a 0.5m OTA and is configured to use a new Andor Camera with a very fast cadence for imaging (~1 sec exposures). It also has the capability of doing polarimetric studies and eventually may perform these as its major focus.

RAPTOR 16  This will be the new generation of RAPTOR wide field instruments, eventually taking over for RAPTOR A & B. These systems employee 16 cameras with larger lenses (200mm F2.4) to give the same sky coverage as A & B, but with limiting magnitudes on the order of 16 or 17 (depending on site). Currently these are in the instrument construction stages and are planned for testing deployment in 2007.

S. Evans with the 16 camera palette and mounted lenses on test stand

(click for larger image).

Imaging Systems

Finger Lakes  MaxCam CM2-1                   

Finger Lakes Instrumentation, LLC..   7298 West Main St..  Lima, NY 14485

Interface : USB Bus

CCD: Marconi CCD47-10 back illuminated  PDF information on the Marconi CCD47-10

Imaging Pixels: 1024 x1024

Cooling: thermo-electric                      Nominal temperature for cooling:    -10 C

Fast download speed (<8 seconds)

Apogee AP10                        

Apogee Instruments, Inc.   11760 Atwood Rd.  Auburn, Ca 95603

Interface : PCI Bus

CCD: Thompson 7889M chip with 14 micron pixels

Total Pixels: 2081 x 2058                    Imaging Pixels: 2048 x 2048

Cooling: thermo-electric                      Nominal temperature for cooling:    -10 C

Fast download speed

Apogee ALta                       

Apogee Instruments, Inc.   11760 Atwood Rd.  Auburn, Ca 95603

Interface : USB Bus

CCD: Thompson 7889M chip with 14 micron pixels

Total Pixels: 2081 x 2058                    Imaging Pixels: 2048 x 2048

Cooling: thermo-electric                      Nominal temperature for cooling:    -10 C

Fast download speed

Apogee AP6

Interface : PCI Bus

Total Pixels: 1040 x 1034                    Imaging Pixels: 1024 x 1024

Cooling: thermo-electric                      Nominal temperature for cooling:    -10 C

Fast download speed

RULLI Imager

Composed of a light sensitive photocathode, a stack of three microchannel plates (MCP), and a crossed delay line (CDL) readout, all hermetically sealed in a vacuum tube.

Photocathode: S-20 (sensitive to 750 nanometers)