86 research outputs found
MITS: the Multi-Imaging Transient Spectrograph for SOXS
The Son Of X-Shooter (SOXS) is a medium resolution spectrograph R~4500
proposed for the ESO 3.6 m NTT. We present the optical design of the UV-VIS arm
of SOXS which employs high efficiency ion-etched gratings used in first order
(m=1) as the main dispersers. The spectral band is split into four channels
which are directed to individual gratings, and imaged simultaneously by a
single three-element catadioptric camera. The expected throughput of our design
is >60% including contingency. The SOXS collaboration expects first light in
early 2021. This paper is one of several papers presented in these proceedings
describing the full SOXS instrument
Optical design of the SOXS spectrograph for ESO NTT
An overview of the optical design for the SOXS spectrograph is presented.
SOXS (Son Of X-Shooter) is the new wideband, medium resolution (R>4500)
spectrograph for the ESO 3.58m NTT telescope expected to start observations in
2021 at La Silla. The spectroscopic capabilities of SOXS are assured by two
different arms. The UV-VIS (350-850 nm) arm is based on a novel concept that
adopts the use of 4 ion-etched high efficiency transmission gratings. The NIR
(800- 2000 nm) arm adopts the '4C' design (Collimator Correction of Camera
Chromatism) successfully applied in X-Shooter. Other optical sub-systems are
the imaging Acquisition Camera, the Calibration Unit and a pre-slit Common
Path. We describe the optical design of the five sub-systems and report their
performance in terms of spectral format, throughput and optical quality. This
work is part of a series of contributions describing the SOXS design and
properties as it is about to face the Final Design Review.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, published in SPIE Proceedings 1070
The VIS detector system of SOXS
SOXS will be a unique spectroscopic facility for the ESO NTT telescope able
to cover the optical and NIR bands thanks to two different arms: the UV-VIS
(350-850 nm), and the NIR (800-1800 nm). In this article, we describe the
design of the visible camera cryostat and the architecture of the acquisition
system. The UV-VIS detector system is based on a e2v CCD 44-82, a custom
detector head coupled with the ESO continuous ow cryostats (CFC) cooling system
and the NGC CCD controller developed by ESO. This paper outlines the status of
the system and describes the design of the different parts that made up the
UV-VIS arm and is accompanied by a series of contributions describing the SOXS
design solutions.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, to be published in SPIE Proceedings 1070
PARSEC: stellar tracks and isochrones with the PAdova and TRieste Stellar Evolution Code
We present the updated version of the code used to compute stellar
evolutionary tracks in Padova. It is the result of a thorough revision of the
major input physics, together with the inclusion of the pre-main sequence
phase, not present in our previous releases of stellar models. Another
innovative aspect is the possibility of promptly generating accurate opacity
tables fully consistent with any selected initial chemical composition, by
coupling the OPAL opacity data at high temperatures to the molecular opacities
computed with our AESOPUS code (Marigo & Aringer 2009). In this work we present
extended sets of stellar evolutionary models for various initial chemical
compositions, while other sets with different metallicities and/or different
distributions of heavy elements are being computed. For the present release of
models we adopt the solar distribution of heavy elements from the recent
revision by Caffau et al. (2011), corresponding to a Sun's metallicity
Z=0.0152. From all computed sets of stellar tracks, we also derive isochrones
in several photometric systems. The aim is to provide the community with the
basic tools to model star clusters and galaxies by means of population
synthesis techniques.Comment: To appear on MNRAS. While the full database is still being prepared,
the first isochrones can be retrieved via http://stev.oapd.inaf.it/cm
The Acquisition Camera System for SOXS at NTT
SOXS (Son of X-Shooter) will be the new medium resolution (R4500 for a
1 arcsec slit), high-efficiency, wide band spectrograph for the ESO-NTT
telescope on La Silla. It will be able to cover simultaneously optical and NIR
bands (350-2000nm) using two different arms and a pre-slit Common Path feeding
system. SOXS will provide an unique facility to follow up any kind of transient
event with the best possible response time in addition to high efficiency and
availability. Furthermore, a Calibration Unit and an Acquisition Camera System
with all the necessary relay optics will be connected to the Common Path
sub-system. The Acquisition Camera, working in optical regime, will be
primarily focused on target acquisition and secondary guiding, but will also
provide an imaging mode for scientific photometry. In this work we give an
overview of the Acquisition Camera System for SOXS with all the different
functionalities. The optical and mechanical design of the system are also
presented together with the preliminary performances in terms of optical
quality, throughput, magnitude limits and photometric properties.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, SPIE conferenc
ERIS: revitalising an adaptive optics instrument for the VLT
ERIS is an instrument that will both extend and enhance the fundamental
diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy capability for the VLT. It will
replace two instruments that are now being maintained beyond their operational
lifetimes, combine their functionality on a single focus, provide a new
wavefront sensing module that makes use of the facility Adaptive Optics System,
and considerably improve their performance. The instrument will be competitive
with respect to JWST in several regimes, and has outstanding potential for
studies of the Galactic Center, exoplanets, and high redshift galaxies. ERIS
had its final design review in 2017, and is expected to be on sky in 2020. This
contribution describes the instrument concept, outlines its expected
performance, and highlights where it will most excel.Comment: 12 pages, Proc SPIE 10702 "Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation
for Astronomy VII
The MAORY ICS software architecture
The Multi Conjugate Adaptive Optics RelaY (MAORY) for ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is an adaptive optics module offering multi-conjugate (MCAO) and single-conjugate (SCAO) compensation modes. In MCAO, it relies on the use of up to six Laser Guide Stars (LGS) and three Natural Guide Stars (NGS) for atmospheric turbulence sensing and multiple mirrors for correction, providing high Strehl and high sky coverage. In SCAO mode, a single natural source is used as reference, providing better correction but in a smaller field. MAORY will be installed at the Nasmyth focus of the ELT. It will feed the MICADO first-light diffraction limited imager and a future second instrument. MAORY is being built by a Consortium composed by INAF in Italy and IPAG in France and is currently approaching end of phase B. In this paper we describe the preliminary design of the MAORY Instrument Control System Software (ICS SW). We start with an overview of the MAORY module and then describe the general architecture of the MAORY control network and software. We then describe the main software components, with particular emphasis to those managing the NGS and LGS wavefront sensors functions and the AO off-load and secondary loops, and the main interfaces to subsystems and external systems. We then conclude with a description of the software engineering practices adopted for the development of MAORY ICS SW
SHARK-NIR, the coronagraphic camera for LBT, moving toward construction
SHARK-NIR is one of the two coronagraphic instruments proposed for the Large
Binocular Telescope. Together with SHARK-VIS (performing coronagraphic imaging
in the visible domain), it will offer the possibility to do binocular
observations combining direct imaging, coronagraphic imaging and coronagraphic
low resolution spectroscopy in a wide wavelength domain, going from 0.5{\mu}m
to 1.7{\mu}m. Additionally, the contemporary usage of LMIRCam, the
coronagraphic LBTI NIR camera, working from K to L band, will extend even more
the covered wavelength range. In January 2017 SHARK-NIR underwent a successful
final design review, which endorsed the instrument for construction and future
implementation at LBT. We report here the final design of the instrument, which
foresees two intermediate pupil planes and three focal planes to accomodate a
certain number of coronagraphic techniques, selected to maximize the instrument
contrast at various distances from the star. Exo-Planets search and
characterization has been the science case driving the instrument design, but
the SOUL upgrade of the LBT AO will increase the instrument performance in the
faint end regime, allowing to do galactic (jets and disks) and extra-galactic
(AGN and QSO) science on a relatively wide sample of targets, normally not
reachable in other similar facilities.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, AO4ELT5 conference proceeding
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