Optical configuration and analysis of the AMBER/VLTI instrument

This paper describes the design goals and engineering efforts that led to the realization of AMBER (Astronomical Multi BEam combineR) and to the achievement of its present performance. On the basis of the general instrumental concept, AMBER was decomposed into modules whose functions and detailed characteristics are given. Emphasis is put on the spatial filtering system, a key element of the instrument. We established a budget for transmission and contrast degradation through the different modules, and made the detailed optical design. The latter confirmed the overall performance of the instrument and defined the exact implementation of the AMBER optics. The performance was assessed with laboratory measurements and commissionings at the VLTI, in terms of spectral coverage and resolution, instrumental contrast higher than 0.80, minimum magnitude of 11 in K, absolute visibility accuracy of 1%, and differential phase stability of 1E-3 rad over one minute.Comment: 14 page

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

Operations of and Future Plans for the Pierre Auger Observatory

Technical reports on operations and features of the Pierre Auger Observatory, including ongoing and planned enhancements and the status of the future northern hemisphere portion of the Observatory. Contributions to the 31st International Cosmic Ray Conference, Lodz, Poland, July 2009.Comment: Contributions to the 31st ICRC, Lodz, Poland, July 200

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

LHC Interaction region upgrade

The thesis analyzes the interaction region of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It proposes, studies and compares several upgrade options. The interaction region is the part of the LHC that hosts the particle detectors which analyze the collisions. An upgrade of the interaction region can po- tentially increase the number of collision events and therefore it is possible to accumulate and study a larger set of experimental data. The main object of study are the focus systems that consist of a set of magnets in charge of concentrating the particle beams in a small spot at the interaction points. The thesis uses the methods of beam optics and beam dynamics to design new interaction regions. Two design schemes are compared with a detailed analysis of the performance of several implementations. The design of the layouts takes into account the technical limitations that will affect possible realizations. Either analytical or numerical methods are used to evaluate the perfor- mance of the proposed layouts. The thesis presents new general methods that can be used for problems beyond the scope of the thesis. An analytical method has been developed for finding the intrinsic limitations of the focus systems. It allows to perform an exhaustive scan of the accessible parameter space and thus presents an efficient tool for guiding the design process. A numerical optimization routine and several enhancements have been imple- mented in MADX, a code for beam optics design. The routines simplify the solution of several optimization problems of beam optics. Keywords: accelerators design, beam optics, beam dynamics

Power factor correction stage and matrix zero voltage switching resonant inverter for domestic induction heating appliances

The technology of flexible cooking surfaces applied to domestic induction heating (IH) appliances offers several advantages that improve the experience of the users, not only because the safety or cleanness, but also due to the fast heating and flexibility. These cooktops have more challenging design requirements because of different mains connections, efficiency requirements, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards, control complexity, and cost. In previous works, the use of a front-end power factor corrector (PFC) rectifier has been proposed to overcome these restrictions. In order to get a cost-effective implementation, this paper proposes the use of a front-end PFC stage and a matrix resonant inverter, which features zero voltage switching (ZVS), to achieve a reduced number of power devices, and get a high performance and reduced power losses in the converter. Finally, an experimental prototype with four outputs of 3.6 kW has been implemented to prove the feasibility of this proposal