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Part of a WEAVE fibre configuration

Part of the WEAVE focal plane showing optical fibres positioned on a set of targets in the telescope focal plane.

Prof Gavin Dalton

Professor of Astrophysics

Research theme

  • Astronomy and astrophysics

Sub department

  • Astrophysics

Research groups

  • Astronomical instrumentation
  • Extremely Large Telescope
Gavin.Dalton@physics.ox.ac.uk
  • About
  • Research
  • Publications

Final assembly, metrology, and testing of the WEAVE fibre positioner

Proceedings of SPIE Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers 11447 (2020)

Authors:

Sarah Hughes, Ellen Schallig, Ian Lewis, Gavin Dalton, David Terrett, Don Carlos Abrams, Scott Trager, Matthew Brock, Georgia Bishop, Kevin Middleton, Piercarlo Bonifacio, Antonella Vallenari, Esperanza Carrasco, Alfonso Aguerri

Abstract:

WEAVE is the new wide-field spectroscopy facility for the prime focus of the William Herschel Telescope at La Palma, Spain. Its fibre positioner is essential for the accurate placement of the spectrograph’s 960 fibre multiplex. We provide an overview of the final assembly and metrology of the fibre positioner, and results of lab commissioning of its robot gantries. A completely new z-gantry for each positioner robot was acquired, with measurements showing a marked improvement in positioning repeatability. We also present the first results of the configuration soft ng, and discuss the metrology procedures that must be repeated after the positioner’s arrival at the observatory.
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MOSAIC: the high multiplex and multi-IFU spectrograph for the ELT

Proceedings of SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers 11447 (2020)

Authors:

Gavin Dalton, Rubén Sánchez-Janssen, Francois Hammer, Simon Morris, Jean-Gabriel Cuby, Lex Kaper, Matthias Steinmetz, Jose Afonso, Beatriz Barbuy, Myriam Rodrigues, Ian Lewis, Edwin Bergin, Chris Evans

Abstract:

MOSAIC is the planned multi-object spectrograph for the 39m Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). Conceived as a multi-purpose instrument, it offers both high multiplex and multi-IFU capabilities at a range of intermediate to high spectral resolving powers in the visible and the near-infrared. MOSAIC will enable unique spectroscopic surveys of the faintest sources, from the oldest stars in the Galaxy and beyond to the first populations of galaxies that completed the reionisation of the Universe–while simultaneously opening up a wide discovery space. In this contribution we present the status of the instrument ahead of Phase B, showcasing the key science cases as well as introducing the updated set of top level requirements and the adopted architecture. The high readiness level will allow MOSAIC to soon enter the construction phase, with the goal to provide the ELT community with a world-class MOS capability as soon as possible after the telescope first light.
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New Prime Focus Rotator System for the WHT

Proceedings of SPIE Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers (2020)

Authors:

Gavin Dalton, Ander San Vicente, Gaizka Murga
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Integration and early testing of WEAVE: the next-generation spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope

Proceedings of SPIE Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers 11447:2020 (2020) 1144714

Authors:

Gavin Dalton, Scott Trager, Don Carlos Abrams, Ian Lewis, Shoko Jin, Alireza Molaeinezhad, Ellen Schallig, Sarah Hughes, Matthew Brock, David Terrett

Abstract:

We present an update on the overall integration progress of the WEAVE next-generation spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), now scheduled for first light in early-2021, with almost all components now arrived at the observatory. We also present a summary of the current planning behind the 5-year initial phase of survey operations, and some detailed end-to-end science simulations that have been implemented to evaluate the final on-sky performance after data processing. WEAVE will provide optical ground-based follow up of ground-based (LOFAR) and space-based (Gaia) surveys. WEAVE is a multi-object and multi-IFU facility utilizing a new 2-degree prime focus field of view at the WHT, with a buffered pick-and-place positioner system hosting 1000 multi-object (MOS) fibres, 20 mini integral field units, or a single large IFU for each observation. The fibres are fed to a single (dual-beam) spectrograph, with total of 16k spectral pixels, located within the WHT GHRIL enclosure on the telescope Nasmyth platform, supporting observations at R~5000 over the full 370-1000nm wavelength range in a single exposure, or a high resolution mode with limited coverage in each arm at R~20000.
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Final assembly, metrology, and testing of the WEAVE fibre positioner

(2020)

Authors:

Sarah Hughes, Ellen Schallig, Ian J Lewis, Gavin Dalton, David Terrett, Don Carlos Abrams, J Alfonso L Aguerri, Georgia Bishop, Piercarlo Bonifacio, Matthew Brock, Esperanza Carrasco, Kevin Middleton, Scott C Trager, Antonella Vallenari
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