Smart Focal Plane Technologies for VLT Instruments

As we move towards the era of ELTs, it is timely to think about the future role of the 8-m class telescopes. Under the OPTICON programme, novel technologies have been developed that are intended for use in multi-object and integral-field spectrographs. To date, these have been targeted at instrument concepts for the European ELT, but there are also significant possibilities for their inclusion in new VLT instruments, ensuring the continued success and productivity of these unique telescopes.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the ESO Workshop "Science with the VLT in the ELT era

PILOT–where to next from here?

The Phase A design study of PILOT–the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope–has demonstrated that a wide-field 2.5 m optical/IR telescope can be constructed at Concordia for a reasonable cost. There are no technical “show stoppers”, and the cost of logistics is also quantifiable and reasonable. A strong science case has been developed and published as three separate papers. In order to proceed further, the next step is to undertake a detailed design study and identify potential manufacturers

Dome C site testing: implications for science and technology of future telescopes

Site testing data provides an essential part of the justification for funding any new astronomical facility by defining the technological design and determining the telescope performance, thus allowing the scientific objectives to be prioritised. Here we review the current status of site testing at Dome C by examining the range of instruments that have been, or are planned to be, deployed to the site. We then investigate in more detail preliminary data which has so far proven crucial for telescope design, data for which discrepancies exist between two or more instruments, and required data for which there are no current plans to obtain. We discuss the implications of this data on the technical design, expected performance, and the scientific capabilities for a 2.5 m class optical/infrared telescope. Finally, we identify the site parameters that require further study, and define the experiments necessary to determine these parameters

FMOS - the fiber multiple-object spectrograph IV: current status of OHS-based spectrograph

The Fiber Multiple-Object Spectrograph for Subaru Telescope (FMOS) is quite large instrument composed of the prime focus unit, the fiber bundle unit, and the two infrared spectrographs. Among these units, a part of the prime focus unit and one of the spectrograph were transported from Kyoto University to the Subaru observatory in the middle of 2005. We present the optical and the mechanical components of the spectrograph, which was reassembled on the new floor of the Subaru dome. We also show the preliminary results of the optical alignment and the cooling test of the instrument at the summit of Mauna Kea

FMOS: the fiber multiple-object spectrograph: Part VI. Onboard performances and results of the engineering observations

FMOS: the Fiber Multiple-Object Spectrograph is the next common-use instrument of the Subaru Telescope, having a capability of 400 targets multiplicity in the near-infrared 0.9-1.8μm wavelength range with a field coverage of 30- diameter. FMOS consists of three units: 1) the prime focus unit including the corrector lenses, the Echidna fiber positioner, and the instrument-bay to adjust the instrument focus and shift the axis of the corrector lens system, 2) the fiber bundle unit equipping two fiber slits on one end and a fiber connector box with the back-illumination mechanism on the other end on the bundle, 3) the two infrared spectrographs (IRS1 and IRS2) to obtain 2×200 spectra simultaneously. After all the components were installed in the telescope at the end of 2007, the total performance was checked through various tests and engineering observations. We report the results of these tests and demonstrate the performance of FMOS