Extremely Large Telescope

Abstract:

HARMONI, the High Angular Resolution Monolithic Optical & Near-infrared Integral field spectrograph is one of two first-light instruments for the European Extremely Large Telescope. Over a 256x128 pixel field-of-view HARMONI will simultaneously measure approximately 32,000 spectra. Each spectrum is about 4000 spectral pixels long, and covers a selectable part of the 0.47-2.45 μm wavelength range at resolving powers of either R=4000, 10000, or 20000. All 32,000 spectra are imaged onto eight HAWAII4RG detectors using a multiplexing scheme that divides the input field into four sub-fields, each imaged onto one image slicer that in turn re-arranges a single sub-field into two long exit slits feeding one spectrograph each. In total we require eight spectrographs, each with one HAWAII4RG detector. A system of articulated and exchangeable fold-mirrors and VPH gratings allows one to select different spectral resolving powers and wavelength ranges of interest while keeping a fixed geometry between the spectrograph collimator and camera avoiding the need for an articulated grating and camera. In this paper we describe both the field splitting and image slicing optics as well as the optics that will be used to select both spectral resolving power and wavelength range. © 2012 SPIE.

Abstract:

KMOS is a multi-object near-infrared integral field spectrograph being built by a consortium of UK and German institutes. We report on the final integration and test phases of KMOS, and its performance verification, prior to commissioning on the ESO VLT later this year. © 2012 SPIE.

Abstract:

Fiber Multi Object Spectrograph "FMOS" on Subaru Telescope is capable of configuring 400 fibers on the 30-arcmin diameter field of view at the prime focus for near-infrared (0.9-1.8 μm) spectroscopy, and this instrument has been open as a common-use instrument since May 2010. In this article, an overview of the instrument is given first, and then the typical operational sequence in science observation and a few notable features of the instrument are explained. In §§ 5, the instrument performance in terms of fiber positioning, auto guiding, and sensitivity to emission lines are highlighted. Recently (since March 2012) a Subaru Strategic Program (SSP) has started with FMOS to conduct a wide-field galaxy survey for a cosmological experiment. Upgrading fiber configuration by using a "metrology camera" has also been under discussion, which will enable to measure the positions of the 400 fibers quickly and shorten the fiber configuration time significantly. We will also report the status of these recent activities. © 2012 SPIE.

Abstract:

HARMONI is a visible and near-IR integral field spectrograph, providing the E-ELT's spectroscopic capability at first light. It obtains simultaneous spectra of 32000 spaxels, at a range of resolving powers from R∼4000 to R∼20000, covering the wavelength range from 0.47 to 2.45 ìm. The 256 ? 128 spaxel field of view has four different plate scales, with the coarsest scale (40 mas) providing a 5? ? 10? FoV, while the finest scale is a factor of 10 finer (4mas). We describe the opto-mechanical design of HARMONI, prior to the start of preliminary design, including the main subsystems - namely the image de-rotator, the scale-changing optics, the splitting and slicing optics, and the spectrographs. We also present the secondary guiding system, the pupil imaging optics, the field and pupil stops, the natural guide star wavefront sensor, and the calibration unit. © 2012 SPIE.

Abstract:

The Visible Integral-field Replicable Unit Spectrograph (VIRUS) consists of a baseline build of 150 identical spectrographs (arrayed as 75 units, each with a pair of spectrographs) fed by 33,600 fibers, each 1.5 arcsec diameter, deployed over the 22 arcminute field of the upgraded 10 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The goal is to deploy 82 units. VIRUS has a fixed bandpass of 350-550 nm and resolving power R∼700. VIRUS is the first example of industrial-scale replication applied to optical astronomy and is capable of spectral surveys of large areas of sky. This approach, in which a relatively simple, inexpensive, unit spectrograph is copied in large numbers, offers significant savings of engineering effort, cost, and schedule when compared to traditional instruments. The main motivator for VIRUS is to map the evolution of dark energy for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX‡) using 0.8M Lyman-α emitting galaxies as tracers. The full VIRUS array is due to be deployed by early 2014 and will provide a powerful new facility instrument for the HET, well suited to the survey niche of the telescope. VIRUS and HET will open up wide-field surveys of the emission-line universe for the first time. We present the production design and current status of VIRUS. © 2012 SPIE.