The Dark Energy Survey Collaboration has completed construction of the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), a 3 square degree, 570 Megapixel CCD camera which will be mounted on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at CTIO. DECam will be used to perform the 5000 sq. deg. Dark Energy Survey with 30% of the telescope time over a 5 year period. During the remainder of the time, and after the survey, DECam will be available as a community instrument. All components of DECam have been shipped to Chile and post-shipping checkout finished in Jan. 2012. Installation is in progress. A summary of lessons learned and an update of the performance of DECam and the status of the DECam installation and commissioning will be presented.

Neutral tribromo(2-phenyl-1,8-naphthyridine)gold(III), AuBr3(N-N), has been prepared by reaction of KAuBr4 with the ligand in CHCl3/C2H5OH and was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The molecular and crystal structure of AuBr3(N-N) · 0.5 THF (triclinic, P1̄, a = 11.314(2), b = 12.350(3), c = 14.628(3) A° , α = 107.96(3), β = 98.86(3), γ = 107.29(3)◦, Z = 4, 173 K) shows coordination of the N8 nitrogen atom situated in the unsubstituted pyridine ring to the planar four-coordinate AuIII center. Whereas the AuBr3N best planes and the coordinated naphthyridine rings are not far from orthogonal (ω ~ 105◦), the phenyl substituents were found in the crystal with a ca. 22◦ dihedral angle relative to the naphthyridine plane. Intermolecular Au· · ·Br distances close to the sum of the van der Waals radii indicate very weak interactions to form a quasi-dimeric arrangement in the crystal. Graphical Abstract Synthesis, Characterization and Structure of Tribromo(2-phenyl- 1,8-naphthyridine)gold(III)

The preparation of tetracoordinated copper (I) complexes with the pyrazolyl heterocyclic nitrogen ligand is reported. The new complexes of [Cu(pyrazolyl)(2)] X type with X = chloride, bromine, and iodine were characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The results obtained show that the heterocyclic nitrogen ligand is bonded in a bidentate fashion to form monometallic complexes. Exploratory homogeneous catalysis experiments of the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) have been accomplished by the use of copper complexes in 80% aqueous 4-picoline solutions. For such systems, formation of H-2 y CO2 was observed in the initial gas samples.

The Dark Energy Survey Camera (DECam), when completed, is going to have one of the largest existing focal planes, equipped with more than 70 CCDs. Due to the large number of CCDs and the tight space on the camera, the DECam electronics group has developed new compact front-end electronics capable of flexibly and rapidly reading out all the focal plane CCDs. The system is based on the existing MONSOON Image Acquisition System designed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), and it is currently being used for testing and characterization of CCDs. Boards for the new readout are being developed in USA and Spain, with the first prototypes already produced and tested. The next version with some improvements will be tested during 2008 and the system will be ready for production at the beginning of 2009. Custom MONSOON boards and the electronics path will be described.

Results of a survey of instrumentation and detector systems, either currently deployed or planned for use at telescopes larger than 3.5 m, in ground based observatories world-wide, are presented. This survey revealed a number of instrumentation design trends at optical, near, and mid-infrared wavelengths. Some of the most prominent trends include the development of vastly larger optical detector systems (> 109 pixels) than anything built to date, and the frequent use of mosaics of near-infrared detectors – something that was quite rare only a decade ago in astronomy. Some future science applications for detectors are then explored, in an attempt to build a bridge between current detectors and what will be needed to support the research ambitions of astronomers in the future.

The CCD and IR systems presently used at Cerro Tololo, as well as the planned upgrades and new instruments - both for CTIO and the new SOAR telescope- are reviewed.

This paper presents an approach for a partners search and selection system to support the creation of Virtual Enterprises from a cluster of existing companies. This process is carried out in an agile, smart and secure manner, three basic enabling elements to enhance trust building inside the cluster. This approach exploits the use of mobile agents in an open and large-scale system, as well as introduces some security mechanisms in the agents systems.

This article describes a security scheme, based on cryptographic protocols and SPKI/SDSI chains of trust, for protecting agent platforms and mobile agents in large-scale distributed systems. In addition, it proposes an approach on how trust building in mobile agent-based architectures can be reinforced by using security mechanisms in the process of searching and selecting partners to create a Virtual Enterprise.

The MONSOON Image Acquisition System is a scalable, multichannel, high-speed data acquisition system designed for the next-generation optical/infrared detectors and mosaic projects currently under development at NOAO. MONSOON is more than a controller; rather it is new image acquisition architecture, providing a total solution to “detector-limited” image acquisition for all astronomical detectors, scientific and technical, OUV to IR. MONSOON addresses detector-interface as well as the significant data flow and processing issues large-scale imaging systems require. The Monsoon effort is a full-disclosure “open-source” development effort by NOAO in collaboration with the CARA ASTEROID project for the benefit of the astronomical community.

C21H17AuBr4N2, monoclinic, P12(1)/n1(No. 14), a = 13.718(1) Angstrom, b = 16.262(2) Angstrom, c = 10.132(1)Angstrom, beta = 93.80(1)degrees, V = 2255.3 Angstrom(3), Z = 4, R-gt(F) = 0.055, wR(F) = 0.028, T = 293 K.

C21H17AuBr3N2, triclinic, P (1) over bar (No. 2), a = 10.296(2) Angstrom, b = 12.875(3) Angstrom, c = 8.901(2) Angstrom, alpha = 105.84(2)degrees, beta = 109.52(1)degrees, gamma = 74.66(2)degrees, V = 1050.1 Angstrom(3), Z = 2, R-gt(F) = 0.046, wR(F) = 0.042, T = 293 K.

C21.5H16.5AuCl4.5N2, monoclinic, P12(1)/n1 (No. 14), a = 9.777(2) Angstrom, b = 18.734(4) Angstrom, c = 12.339(2) Angstrom, beta = 101.87(3)degrees, V = 2211.7 Angstrom(3), Z = 4, R-gt(F) = 0.034, wR(F) = 0.031, T = 293 K.C21.5H16.5AuBr3Cl1.5N2, monoclinic, P12(1)/n1 (No. 14), a = 9.775(2) Angstrom, b = 19.063(4) Angstrom, c = 12.621(3) Angstrom, beta = 103.07(3)degrees, V= 2290.9 Angstrom(3), Z = 4, R-gt(F) = 0.056, wR(F) = 0.044, T = 293 K.

The title compound 1 was obtained from Re(CO)5Br and the binaphthyridine in heptane. Its X-ray crystal structure determination shows a molecular structure with the two nitrogen atoms in positions 1 and 1' acting as a bidentate chelate ligand to the Re atom. 1H NMR, UV−vis, and IR spectroscopic data are reported and assigned.

Several BrRe(CO)3L complexes (where L groups are 2,2'-biquinoline substituted in the 3 and 3' positions) were prepared. Their pseudooctahedral fac structure was established by using FTIR, UV-vis, and H-1-NMR and confirmed by X-ray analysis. A good correlation between the electrochemical parameters and the MLCT electronic transition was found. The crystalline compound, BrRe(CO)3(3,3'-trimethylene-2,2'-biquinoline) belongs to triclinic space group P1BAR with a = 9.113(11) angstrom, b = 10.192(4) angstrom, c = 12.825(5) angstrom, alpha = 73.23(4)degrees, beta = 81.30(7)degrees, and gamma = 66.55(5)degrees. The volume of the unit cell is 1048(1) angstrom3 with Z = 2. The structure was refined to R = 0.040.

This work reports on the advantages of using thiourea as a leaching agent to recover gold from auriferous ores containing 10.55 gr. Au/Ton. In terms of gold recovery, leaching time and chemical consumption, the use of carbon-in-pulp in the leaching process with thiourea is more efficient than a normal process. Using carbon in pulp, the gold recovery percentage in 13 hours of leaching was 97.5% of the gold contained in the auriferous ore.

Complexes of BrRe(CO)3L (where L corresponds to the 3,3'-methylene-2,2'-biquinoline (2,2N) and 3,3'-trimethylene-2,2'-biquinoline (3,2N)) type were synthesized and characterized by Ir, UV-Vis and H-1-NMR spectroscopy and by cyclic voltammetry. The results permit to evaluate the stereochemistry of the molecules.

The preparation and spectroscopic properties of monometallic complexes of rhenium(I)tricarbonylbromide coordinated to 6,7-dihydrodipyrido-[2,3-b : 3′,2′-j]-1,10-phenanthroline (2-4N), 7,8-dihydro-6H-cyclohepta-[2,1-b : 3,4-b]-di-1,8-naphthyridine (3-4N), 2,2′-bi-(3-methyl)-1,8-naphthyridine (Me2O-4N), 2,2′-bi-1,8-naphthyridine (O-4N) and 2,7-di(2′-pyridyl)-1,8-naphthyridine (bpnp) are described. The complexes show a low energy electronic absorption band which is solvent sensitive and has been assigned as a t2g → π* rhenium-to-ligand charge-transfer band. The CO stretching frequencies were in accord with facial geometry for the complexes. The NMR properties agreed with the IR results, showing the equivalence of the two naphthyridine fragments in the complexes. Electrochemically all the complexes display two reductions and two oxidations in the potential region from + 2.0 to - 1.6 V. The reduction potential, Ered, for the ReI/Re0 couple shows a good relationship with the lowest energy absorption band.

Two new complexes were obtained by the reaction of ReBr (CO)5 with polypyridinic ligands bidented. The complexes were characterized by IR and UV spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry.

A matrix formed by reaction of styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer with thiourea has been prepared and studied. The thiourea is covalently bound to the polymer matrix through the sulfur atom. The properties of the prepared resin have been studied with respect to the uptake of some ionic species such as: Cu(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), Au(III), Re(VII) and As(III).