The left hand image (1992) was taken with MAGIC, the MpiA General purpose near Infrared Camera. It is not cleaned in any way and shows me in reflected light at a wavelength of 1.25 micrometers (J-band).
The right hand image (2010) was taken with an engineering grade array of FourStar. It is not cleaned in any way and shows me in reflected light at a wavelength of 1.65 micrometers (H-band).

The following instruments and projects keep me busy:

Current Projects

Future Projects

Active Instruments

Past Projects

Retired Instruments

Current Projects:

• Control software and GUI for HENRIETTA at the Swope telescope.
• Control software for the rotator at the Swope telescope.
• ZWO-Guider/Andor-GUI for the new guiders. Support for installation and testing at a Clay folded port.
• Testing and verification of the CSU unit for MIRMOS (Clay).
• Porting the MagE GUI from X11 to macOS/Cocoa.
  Awaiting the upgrade of the instrument control computers at Baade.
• FourStar: macOS/Cocoa port of the FourStar GUI from macOS/Carbon
  Awaiting the move of FourStar to Clay.
  -- requires the move of LDSS3C to a folded port
  -- requires a new guider at the folded port

Future Projects:

• ZWO/ASI based camera controller and GUI for the Swope telescope. -- Cancelled ?

Active Instruments:

• 4Kx4K CCD camera and IMB controller (2 guiders, 2 filter wheels) for the Swope (1.0m) telescope.
• ADC - (Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator) at the Clay telescope.
• DCU (Deployable Calibration Unit) for the Clay telescope.
• Carnegie-DIMM - Differential Image Motion Monitor.
• DuPont-M2 - 5 axis controller for the secondary mirror of the DuPont telescope.
• FourStar - 4 * HAWAII-2RG IR Camera at the Baade telescope.
• TeleGUI/Gmap - a tool to find guide stars and maintain object lists at the DuPont telescope.
• IFUM GUI (CCD-server shared with M2FS).
• IMACS - 8k*8k CCD mosaic camera and spectrograph at the Baade telescope.
• LDSS-3 - Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph 3 at the Clay telescope.
• M2FS software (User GUI and CCD-server)
• MagE - Echellette spectrograph for the Clay telescope.
• MIKE - dual channel CCD spectrograph at the Clay telescope.
• PFS - Planet Finder Spectrograph at the Clay telescope.

  Retired or dormant during SDSS-V

• B&C - Spectrograph at the DuPont telescope.
• CAPSCam-South - HAWAII-2RG (HyViSi) camera at the DuPont telescope. -- Retired ?
• Direct CCD at the DuPont telescope.
• Echelle spectrograph at the DuPont telescope.
• RetroCam - HAWAII-1 IR camera at the DuPont telescope. -- Retired ?
• WFCCD camera and spetrograph at the DuPont telescope.

Past Projects:

• 2024: Slitviewer camera GUI - GcamZwo - for MIKE and PFS.

• 2023: Updated the IMACS software to support the Rosie-IFU.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11)

• 2022: GuidePaddle GUI for use by remote observers at the Magellan telescopes.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2022: IFUM GUI - integral field unit (IFU) for M2FS
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2021: macOS/Cocoa port of the LDSS3
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2021: macOS/Cocoa port of the MIKE
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2021: Software (GUI) and lab verification of the new Magellan guider prototype.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2021: Adapt the 'AndorGuider' software to use the ZWO/ASI294 camera: ZwoGuider and ZwoServer
  C -- Linux

• 2021: Updated the (Gaia-DR2 based) LCO guide star catalog to use Gaia EDR3.

• 2020: CASCA: New scheduler for the 'All Sky Camera' at LCO. It utilizes the ZWO-Server camera controller.
  C -- Linux

• 2020: WFCCD: Updated the GUI to use the the new filter- and aperture-wheel controller.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2020: Echelle: Added remote control (via a Raspberry Pi) of the mirror, lamp and aperture.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2019: ZWO-Server and ZWO-Finder supporting the new CASCA (All Sky Camera at LCO).
  C -- Linux

• 2019: ADC (Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator) at the Clay telescope.
  Used by MIKE, PFS and M2FS-IFU.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2019: macOS/Cocoa port of the Direct CCD GUI.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2019: macOS/Cocoa port of the C-DIMM GUI from Windows (XP).
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2018: Compiled a new guide star catalog from the Gaia DR2 sources.
  This catalog is used at the Baade, Clay, DuPont and Swope telescopes.

• 2018: Andor guide camera prototype -- installed as MIKE's slit viewer.
  'C' -- Linux (X11)

• 2018: PFS CCD (10Kx10K) upgrade and ported the X11-GUI to macOS/Cocoa PFS-GUI.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2017: macOS/Cocoa port of the WFCCD GUI.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2017: macOS/Cocoa port of the BnC GUI.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2017: macOS/Cocoa port of the CAPSCam GUI.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2016: Five axis (X,Y,tip,tilt,focus) controller for the secondary mirror of the DuPont telescope.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2014: Instrument Mounting Base (IMB) and CCD-GUI at the Swope telescope. The Swope-GUI controls the guider stages (2), filter wheels (2) and the 4Kx4K CCD instrument.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2014: Ported RetroCam from Windows-XP to MacOS-X.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2014: LDSS3 CCD upgrade: LDSS3-C.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11)

• 2013: Integration of the Swope guider stage software (GDR40) into the TeleGUI/Gmap.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2013: 4Kx4K CCD camera for the Swope (1.0m) telescope.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11)

• 2013: M2FS software (User GUI and CCD-server)
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2013: DCU (Deployable Calibration Unit) software.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2013: Adaptation of all instrument software (B&C, CAPS-Cam, Direct-CCD, Echelle, WFCCD, TeleGUI/Gmap) at the DuPont telescope to the new (Linux) TCS.

• 2012: Temperature Meta controller for PFS.

• 2011: Mosaic3 - f/4 focus mechanism and and CCD upgrade for IMACS.

• 2011: Upgrade of the MIKE GUI to control the slit, camera focus and calibration lamp via the PLC.

• 2011: Add macro/scripts to the CAPS-Cam software. These simplify standartized calibration procedures and enable automated dithered observations.

• 2011: Adapt the RetroCam software to run at the DuPont telescope.

• 2011: Update the GMap tool for use with the TCS at the DuPont and Swope telescopes.
  'objective-C' -- MacOS-X (Cocoa)

• 2011: Upgrade the Carnegie-DIMM software to control the dome and power-up/down the telescope and CCD camera. Read weather information from the Magellan TCS to allow mostly autonomous operation. Automatic reporting of status and logfiles.

• 2010: FourStar (4*2048*2048) IR Camera for the Baade telescope.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (Carbon), WindowsXP (Software Documentation).

• 2010: Adapt the PFS software for a new photon counter.

• 2010: CAPSCam-North: Use the guide-window exposures for guiding the 100" Hooker Telescope on Mount Wilson.

• 2009: DuPont CCD systems upgrade:
  • WF4K/SITE2K arrays for the Direct+Echelle+WFCCD instruments.
  • Upgrade of the B&C GUI to include the functionality of the the Tk/Tcl-GUI.
  • Conversion of all serial lines to TCP/IP.
  'C' -- Linux (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2009: Planet Finder Spectrograph (4064*4064 array, charge-shuffling, time-delayed integration) for the Clay telescope.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11) / Linux (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2009: CAPSCam-North: A copy of CAPSCam for the 100" Hooker Telescope on Mount Wilson.
  'C' -- Linux (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2008: Mosaic/2: A 2nd dewar for IMACS. This addition avoids dewar changes between the two (f/2, f/4) foci and allows switching between the two cameras within seconds.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11) / Linux

• 2007: MagE is an echellette spectrograph for the Clay telescope.
  'C' -- MacOS-X (X11) / Linux (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2007: GISMO (Gladders Image-Slicing Multislit Option) for IMACS.
  'C' -- Linux

• 2007: CAPSCam - (2048*2048 HyViSi array 'H2RG', 4 outputs, independent guide-window readout) for the DuPont telescope.
  CAPSCam is used for the Carnegie Astrometric Planet Search.
  Some pictures taken during the comissioning run at the telescope.
  'C' -- Linux (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2006: MMTF - Maryland-Magellan tunable filter for the IMACS f/2 mode. This picture was taken after the successful installation at the telescope.
  'C' -- Linux

• 2006: B&C (Boller & Chivens) spectrograph upgrade and integration into the DuPont (2.5m) telescope enivironment at at LCO.
  'C' -- Linux, ~20k lines

• 2005: RetroCam: (1024*1024 IR Camera) for the Swope (1.0m) telescope at LCO.
  'C' -- WindowsXP/Windows98

• 2005: LDSS-3 - Upgrade of LDSS-2 using the new CCD controller (cf. IMACS, MIKE), absolute encoders and a new GUI.
  'C' -- Linux, ~23k lines (Screenshot)

• 2004: MOE - A combination echellette and cross-dispersing prism for the IMACS f/4 mode.
  'C' -- Linux

• 2004: Carnegie-DIMM (Differential Image Motion Monitor): Site testing for the Giant Magellan Telescope.
  'C' -- Windows XP, ~16k lines (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2003: IFU - Add software support for the 'Integral Field Unit' into the IMACS control software.
  'C' -- Linux

• 2003: IMACS - (8k*8k CCD mosaic camera and spectrograph) for the Baade telescope at LCO.
  'C' -- Linux, ~87k lines (Software documentation and screenshots)

• 2003: PANIC - (1024*1024 IR Camera) for the Baade telescope at LCO.
  'C' -- Windows2000/Windows98 (~24k lines)

• 2002: MIKE - User interface and data acquistion for MIKE (dual channel CCD spectrograph) at the Clay telescope.
  'C' -- Linux (~14k lines) (GUI documentation)

• 2001: WIRC/IR4 - Replacement of CIRSI (new dewar, arrays and electronics).
  'C' -- WindowsNT/Windows98

• 2001: LDSS-2: Integration into the Magellan environment. Development of a GUI for mask-, grism-, filter-wheel and focus control.
  'C' -- Linux/Solaris, ~5k lines (screenshot)

• 2001: GMap tool for the calculation and display of guide star positions at the Swope and DuPont telescopes.
  'C' -- Linux/Solaris

• 2001: Compilation of an extensive (~500e6 entries) guide-star catalog from the USNO-A2 catalog by re-indexing and re-formatting, optimized for high-speed access. This catalog is used with the IMACS mask cutting software and the Magellan telescope guider system.

• 2001: Add TCS communication to the CCD instrument software at the Swope telescope.
  'C' -- LynxOS (real-time UNIX) and SunOS/Solaris

• 2000: WIRC : a K-Band extension to CIRSI
  'C' -- WindowsNT/Windows95 (~31k lines)

• 1999: Integration of CIRSI (4*1024*1024 IR camera) into the 100" telescope enivironment at LCO.
  'C' -- WindowsNT and Solaris

• 1999: Add telescope dithering to the software of the IR-camera at the 60" telescope at Mt. Palomar Observatory.
  'C' -- LynxOS (real-time UNIX) and SunOS/Solaris

• 1998: Add TCS control to the software of the IR-camera at the 60" telescope at Mt. Palomar Observatory.
  'C' -- LynxOS (real-time UNIX) and SunOS/Solaris

• 1998: Add serial communication to the DuPont telescope control system allowing instruments to retrieve telescope status information.
  'Fortran' -- MS-DOS

• 1997: Upgrade the (now retired) CCD software at the DuPont telescope (screenshot).
  • Multiple-subrasters feature added.
  • Added control of the WFCCD filter- and aperture wheels.
  'C' -- LynxOS (real-time UNIX) and SunOS/Solaris

Retired Instruments:

• 2011: CAPSCam-North - HAWAII-2RG (HyViSi) camera from the Hooker Telescope on Mount Wilson.
• 2011: WIRC (from the DuPont telescope)
• 2010: PANIC (from the Baade telescope)
• 2009: LynxOS CCD software (from the DuPont and Swope telescopes)
• 2003: IR-camera (from the 60-inch telescope at the Mt. Palomar Observatory)

Projects at MPIA:

• OmegaCass: 1024*1024 cassegrain-focus near-infrared camera at Calar Alto, Spain (1996-1997)
  The GUI was written in C and ran under Unix (SunOS/Solaris).
• OmegaPrime: 1024*1024 prime-focus near-infrared camera at Calar Alto, Spain. (1996)
  The GUI was written in C and ran under Unix (SunOS/Solaris).
• MAX: Mid-infrared camera for UKIRT, Mauna Kea, Hawaii. (1995-1996)
  The GUI was written in C and ran under Unix (SunOS/Solaris).
• MAGIC: Near-infrared camera at Calar Alto, Spain. (1992-1993)
  The GUI was written in C and ran under Unix (SunOS/Solaris).
• Chopping Secondary Mirror for the 3.5m telescope at Calar Alto, Spain. (1988-1990)
  The control system was written in M6809 assembler (4 M6809 CPUs).
• Chopping Secondary Mirror (ESO Messenger) for the 2.2m telescope at ESO, La Silla, Chile. (1986-1987)
  The control system was written in M6809 assembler.

Publications

• Phone: (626) 304-0218
• Fax: (626) 795-8136
• E-mail: birk AT obs DOT carnegiescience DOT edu
• Postal: Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101, U.S.A.