Jay is a sophomore studying Computer Science – Security Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. As a child, Jay developed a deep interest in computer systems, networking, and cyber security that has stuck with him to this day. He currently works for the University of Hawaii Information Technology Services where he helps maintain and operate the university’s main data centers. After graduating, Jay hopes to work in the field of cyber security and become a security engineer or researcher.

Home Island: Oahu

Institution when accepted: University of Hawaii at Manoa

Akamai Project: Development of an Integrated Status Monitor for the HSC

Project Site: Subaru Telescope – Hilo, Hawai’i Island HI

Mentors: Shintaro Koshida & Philip Tait

Project Abstract:

The Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC) is a large mosaic CCD imager instrument for the Subaru Telescope. It’s one of the main instruments for the organization because it’s so actively used—it takes up roughly 40% of Subaru’s observation time—and it yields very significant scientific results. It runs on a complex system with many components and electronics that cooperate to produce rich images of the night sky. However, operating and monitoring the instrument during observation are difficult tasks for astronomers because of its command-line interface (CLI) and the need for manual inspection over a remote SSH connection. Users are required to type complicated commands to access important information and tools that are scattered throughout the system which can waste valuable observation time for the organization. To enhance operations, I developed an integrated status monitor for the HSC. It implements a graphical user interface written in Python to replace the instrument’s CLI. The graphical components such as the window, buttons, and tables are rendered using the Tkinter toolkit to avoid importing third-party packages that may impact the network and system performance. The software also provides centralized status monitoring functionality by integrating all the necessary information and pre-existing tools in one program. This feature automates the process of monitoring the shutter position, filter exchange unit, and read-out status for the astronomers. The software was tested during a mock observation in which astronomers performed normal observational procedures with a noticeable decrease in time dedicated to monitoring and minimal impact to the system’s performance. Upon completion, the integrated status monitor will save the Subaru Telescope valuable observation time and optimize procedures for current and new operators of the HSC.