1. Observations with AMBER  General overview  P2VM  OB preparation with P2PP P2PP / OB / templates Available templates for observation procedure Typical standard OB Outputs : FITS files  Guidelines for AMBER observations

2. General overview Proposal ACCEPTED P2PP Phase 2 Proposal Preparation BOB Broker for Observation Blocks AMBER software parameters for observation sequence sends Observation Blocks (OBs) VLTI telescopes ARAL finito delay lines … AMBER opto-mechanics detector execute templates control FITS files

3. P2VM  Pixel to visibility matrix  Needed to calibrate data  Destroyed by spectral instrument configuration modifications  May be time consuming  SENSITIVE POINT: precautions have been taken, all over the observation procedure to avoid loss of P2VM validity due to unfortunate handling to allow new P2VM calculation if necessary or required

4. OB preparation with P2PP (1) P2PP / OB / templates  P2PP Phase 2 Proposal Preparation Graphical tool to prepare Observation Blocks (OB)  OB Unitary entity for P2PP Sequence constituted of several templates Constraints: −an OB should contain at least an acquisition template and an observation template −only one object by OB (for the moment)  Template Set of files: parameter + reference + script files Get astronomer’s input parameters Actions sequence

5. OB preparation with P2PP (2) P2PP / OB / templates OB template 1template 2template 3template n … astronomer’s input parameters via P2PP actions OB realisation

6. OB preparation with P2PP (3) Available templates for observation procedure  Acquisition template VLTI preset P2VM check/realisation AMBER setup VLTI preset/guiding status check  Image optimisation template Flux centering on optical fiber heads with ARAL For each beam, automatic or manual alignment  Flux injection optimisation template Flux optimisation on optical fiber heads with AMBER detector Finito injection optimisation, if finito is used as fringe sensor

7. OB preparation with P2PP (4) Available templates for observation procedure  Fringes search template P2VM validity check Fringes tracking with finito, if finito is used as fringe sensor AMBER fringe search Fringes centering, if fringes have been found  Observation template P2VM validity check Check for fringes, if finito is used Dark exposure cycle Object exposure cycle Sky exposure cycle, if required

8. OB preparation with P2PP (5) Typical standard OB OB AMBER_3Tstd_acqAMBER_3T_cal_imgoptAMBER_3T_cal_injadj OB example in 3T mode AMBER_3T_cal_frnsrcAMBER_3Tstd_obs_1row acquisition image optimisation Flux injection optimisation fringes search observation

9. OB preparation with P2PP (6) Outputs : FITS files OB AMBER_3Tstd_acqAMBER_3T_cal_imgoptAMBER_3T_cal_injadj OB example in 3T mode AMBER_3T_cal_frnsrcAMBER_3Tstd_obs_1row spectral calibration 4 files P2VM 10 files + dark Nd files Nd * NDITd frames object Nobj files Nobj * NDITobj frames column adjustment 1 file + + + Sky, if required Ns files Ns * NDITs frames if fringe contrast SNR calculation is done from images, after each OPD step 1 file

10. Guidelines for AMBER observations  Save observation time minimizing telescopes pointing changes  telescopes movements instrumental configuration changes  motors movements / P2VM  Possibility to increase detector read-out speed to fix turbulence by limiting detector read-out window size  detector read window size   read pixel number   minimum DIT (Detector Integration Time)