133 research outputs found
Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) - The Prime Focus Subsystems: Requirements and Interfaces
MSE will be a massively multiplexed survey telescope, including a segmented
primary mirror which feeds fibers at the prime focus, including an array of
approximately four thousand fibers, positioned precisely to feed banks of
spectrographs several tens of meters away. We describe the process of mapping
top-level requirements on MSE to technical specifications for subsystems
located at the MSE prime focus. This includes the overall top-level
requirements based on knowledge of similar systems at other telescopes and how
those requirements were converted into specifications so that the subsystems
could begin working on their Conceptual Design Phases. We then discuss the
verification of the engineering specifications and the compiling of lower-level
requirements and specifications into higher level performance budgets (e.g.
Image Quality). We also briefly discuss the interface specifications, their
effect on the performance of the system and the plan to manage them going
forward. We also discuss the opto-mechanical design of the telescope top end
assembly and refer readers to more details for instrumentation located at the
top end.Comment: 14 pages; Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes +
Instrumentation 2018; Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management
for Astronomy VII
Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Advancing from Conceptual Design
The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) project has completed its
Conceptual Design Phase. This paper is a status report of the MSE project
regarding its technical and programmatic progress. The technical status
includes its conceptual design and system performance, and highlights findings
and recommendations from the System and various subsystems design reviews. The
programmatic status includes the project organization and management plan for
the Preliminary Design Phase. In addition, this paper provides the latest
information related to the permitting process for Maunakea construction.Comment: 15 pages; Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes +
Instrumentation 2018; Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI
The science calibration challenges of next generation highly multiplexed optical spectroscopy: the case of the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer
MSE is an 11.25m telescope with a 1.5 sq.deg. field of view. It can
simultaneously obtain 3249 spectra at R=3000 from 360-1800nm, and 1083 spectra
at R=40000 in the optical. The large field of view, large number of targets, as
well as the use of more than 4000 optical fibres to transport the light from
the focal plane to the spectrographs, means that precise and accurate science
calibration is difficult but essential to obtaining the science goals. As a
large aperture telescope focusing on the faint Universe, precision sky
subtraction and spectrophotometry are especially important. Here, we discuss
the science calibration requirements, and the adopted calibration strategy,
including operational features and hardware, that will enable the successful
scientific exploitation of the vast MSE dataset.Comment: Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2018;
Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems VI
Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE): Implementing systems engineering methodology for the development of a new facility
Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer will be a 10-m class highly multiplexed
survey telescope, including a segmented primary mirror and robotic fiber
positioners at the prime focus. MSE will replace the Canada France Hawaii
Telescope (CFHT) on the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The multiplexing includes
an array of over four thousand fibres feeding banks of spectrographs several
tens of meters away. We present an overview of the requirements flow-down for
MSE, from Science Requirements Document to Observatory Requirements Document.
We have developed the system performance budgets, along with updating the
budget architecture of our evolving project. We have also identified the links
between subsystems and system budgets (and subsequently science requirements)
and included system budget that are unique to MSE as a fiber-fed facility. All
of this has led to a set of Observatory Requirements that is fully consistent
with the Science Requirements.Comment: 20 pages; Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes +
Instrumentation 2018; Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management
for Astronomy VII
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
Construction progress of WEAVE: the next generation wide-field spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope
We present an update on the overall construction progress of the WEAVE next-generation spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), now that all the major fabrication contracts are in place. 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 effected 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 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. The project has experienced some delays in procurement and now has first light expected for the middle of 2019
Review of the "VPU algorithms requirements specifications" and "GAIA video processing algorithms (VPA) description": GAIA Report to ESA (PDH2-1500-SP-02)
International audienc
Review of the "Algorithms Performances Specification": GAIA Report to ESA (PDH2-1500-SP-001.01)
International audienc
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