This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7014, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and the Conference Committee listing.

Developing new instruments and upgrading existing systems continues to be an important part of our science driven strategic plan at the W. M. Keck Observatory, now in its 14th year of operation. Our emphasis remains on high angular resolution astronomy and faint-object spectroscopy. The instrument development program is now in its third generation. The first of these, OSIRIS, was delivered in February 2005 and together with NIRC2 is now in routine operation with the laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO) system on the Keck II telescope. During 2007 new wave front controllers were installed in the Keck I and Keck II AO systems and over 70 nights per semester are now allocated to AO science. WMKO is collaborating with the Gemini Observatory on the development of a solid state laser for the Keck I telescope. The V² mode of the Keck Interferometer is offered for routine observing and the 10 micron Nuller is now being used for the NASA exo-zodiacal dust survey key project. The atmospheric dispersion corrector (ADC) for the Cassegrain focus of the Keck I telescope was installed in 2007 and is now in routine use. In addition, a detector upgrade is under way for the red channel of the LRIS instrument on Keck I. Our next third generation instrument will be MOSFIRE, a near-IR multi-object spectrograph, which is currently in the fabrication phase. A Visitor Port on Keck I is now ready to receive instruments, with the first one expected to be NIRES, a cross-dispersed echellette instrument for the near-infrared. Deployment of a large suite of new acquisition, guiding and image quality monitoring systems to replace all the existing CCD guiders and acquisition cameras at the Observatory is also under way. The first system has been retro-fitted to NIRSPEC. Finally, studies are in progress on the development of a next generation AO system and an associated suite of instruments, and there has been a recent call for concepts for new seeing-limited instruments.

ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Paranal mountain in northern Chile comprises four 8.2m diameter 'Unit Telescopes' (also used for interferometry); four 1.8m movable outrigger telescopes dedicated to interferometry and two survey telescopes - the 2.6m VST to be used in the visible and the 4m class, infrared VISTA telescope. Here I will give an overview of the accompanying large instrument development programme which has so far delivered 11 operational facility instruments for the UT's (leaving one visitor Nasmyth focus) and 2 major instruments for the interferometric focus. In addition, a laser guide star facility has been added on UT4 to generate artificial (sodium) stars for the adaptive optics assisted instruments NACO and SINFONI; the optical and infrared cameras for the survey telescopes are almost ready; four major second generation instruments for the UTs (X-Shooter, KMOS, MUSE and SPHERE) are at various stages of development throughout Europe; a fifth (high resolution spectrograph capable of 10cm/s radial velocity stability at the incoherent combined focus of the four 8m telescopes) is the subject of a Call for Proposals; UT4 is being converted to a fully adaptive telescope and three second generation interferometric instruments (MATISSE, GRAVITY and VSI) have been approved following successful completion of their Phase A studies.

The first generation instruments of Subaru are seven plus one Cassegrain AO system. After the nearly ten year operation, the second generation instrument construction has been conducted. MOIRCS, 7' × 4' FOV NIR multi-object camera and spectrograph has been in operation from 2005, and is now most popular instrument of Subaru. A LGS AO system at Nasmyth focus (AO188) had the first light in 2006. HiCIAO; near IR high dynamic range coronagraph instrument working with AO188 for exoplanet detection had recently the first light. FMOS; fiber multi-object spectrograph with 400 fibers is now in commissioning phase. Hyper Suprime- Cam with 1.5 degree FOV at the prime focus is now being developed and will be in operation in 2012.

At the present time, several new Gemini instruments are being delivered and commissioned. The Near-Infrared Coronagraph has been extensively tested and commissioned on the Gemini-South telescope, and will soon begin a large survey to discover extrasolar planets. The FLAMINGOS-2 near-IR multi-object spectrograph is nearing completion at the University of Florida, and is expected to be delivered to Gemini-South by the end of 2008. Gemini's Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics bench has been successfully integrated and tested in the lab, and now awaits integration with the laser system and the Gemini-South AO Imager on the telescope. We also describe our efforts to repair thermal damage to the Gemini Near-IR Spectrograph that occurred last year. Since the last update, progress has been made on several of Gemini's next generation of ambitious "Aspen" instruments. The Gemini Planet Imager is now in the final design phase, and construction is scheduled to begin shortly. Two competitive conceptual design studies for the Wide-Field Fiber Multi-Object Spectrometer have now started. The Mauna Kea ground layer monitoring campaign has collected data for well over a year in support of the planning process for a future Ground Layer Adaptive Optics system.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is an innovative large telescope of 9.2 meter aperture, located in West Texas at McDonald Observatory. The HET operates with a fixed segmented primary and has a tracker which moves the four-mirror corrector and prime focus instrument package to track the sidereal and non-sidereal motions of objects. The HET has been taking science data for nearly a decade. Recent work has improved performance significantly, replacing the mirror coatings and installing metrology equipment to provide feedback that aids tracking and alignment of the primary mirror segments. The first phase of HET instrumentation included three facility instruments: the Low Resolution Spectrograph (LRS), the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS), and High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS). The current status of these instruments is briefly described. A major upgrade of HET is in progress that will increase the field of view to 22 arcminutes diameter, replacing the corrector, tracker and prime focus instrument package. This wide field upgrade will feed a revolutionary new integral field spectrograph called VIRUS, in support of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX). VIRUS is a facility instrument that consists of 150 or more copies of a simple unit integral field spectrograph. In total VIRUS will observe 34,000 spatial elements simultaneously, and will open up wide-area surveys of the emission-line universe for the first time. We describe the HET wide field upgrade and the development of VIRUS, including results from testing the prototype of the VIRUS unit spectrograph.

The Southern African Large Telescope is nearing the end of its commissioning phase and scientific performance verification programmes began in 2006 with two of its First Generation UV-visible instruments, the imaging camera, SALTICAM, and the multi-mode Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS). Both instruments are seeing limited and designed to operate in the UV-visible region (320 - 900 nm). This paper reviews the innovative aspects of the designs of these instruments and discusses the commissioning experience to date, illustrated by some initial scientific commissioning results. These include long-slit and multi-object spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, Fabry-Perot imaging spectroscopy and high-speed photometry. Early spectroscopic commissioning results uncovered a serious underperformance in the throughput of RSS, particularly at wavelengths < 400nm. We discuss the lengthy diagnosis and eventual removal of this problem, which was traced to a material incompatibility issue involving index-matching optical coupling fluid. Finally, we briefly discuss the present status of the third and final First Generation instrument, a vacuum enclosed fibre-fed high resolution, dual beam, white pupil echelle spectrograph, SALT HRS, currently under construction.

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) 10.4m telescope received its First Light on July 13, 2007. At present the GTC is undergoing commissioning tests. Night time observations are being carried out routinely from Monday through to Thursday every week. The GTC will begin science observation by the end of the year, and will be offered to the community in September 2008 for the semester starting in March 09. The two first generation science instruments are getting ready to be mounted on the telescope. In this talk I will go through the main features of the first generation science instruments and describe their status of completion. I will also devote some time to the second-generation instruments that are currently at various states of advancement. These include EMIR, a wide field multi-object K band cryogenic spectrograph, and FRIDA, which is a near IR Adaptive Optics fed integral field spectrograph. Finally, I will describe a set of smaller instruments that will complement and indeed extend the observing capabilities of the GTC soon after the start of science operation.

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27' × 27') mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6 field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4' × 4') imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0.5' × 0.5') imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench near-infrared beam combiner utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC-NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support.

The Carnegie Institution operates the twin 6.5m Magellan Telescopes on behalf of the Magellan consortium (Carnegie Institution of Washington, Harvard University, the University of Arizona, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan). The two telescopes have been in routine operations at the Las Campanas Observatory since 2001 and 2002 respectively. We currently operate with a suite of instruments available at 6 active ports during regular night-time science operations. Here, we briefly describe the capabilities, operation, and performance of the suite of commissioned instruments including MagIC, PANIC, MIKE, MIKE-Fibers, LDSS3, IMACS, and MagE. Beyond the instruments that are presently installed on site, we will also introduce the large number of instruments that are in advanced stages of construction by teams throughout our consortium (FIRE, Four-Star, MegaCam, MMIRS, PFS, PISCO, MIRAC4).

The converted 6.5m MMT Observatory has a powerful suite of new instrumentation accumulated over the last eight years. Pre-conversion instruments still in use at the f/9 Cassegrain focus are the facility Red and Blue Channel spectrographs (R = 240 - 6600) and the visiting spectropolarimeter (SPOL). Instruments using the f/5 spectroscopic configuration are the bench mounted 300-fiber spectrographs Hectospec (R=1000) and Hectochelle (R=30,000), and the single slit, cross-dispersed spectrograph MAESTRO (R=28,000 - 93,000). The f/5 imaging configuration offers Megacam, a 24' x 24' CCD mosaic camera and SWIRC, a YJH NIR imager. The MMT's pioneering f/15 adaptive secondary mirror enables high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy in the infrared with the ARIES, CLIO, PISCES and BLINC/MIRAC instruments. The AO system will shortly be significantly enhanced with the addition of a Rayleigh laser guide star system which is currently being commissioned. Upcoming instrumentation will include slit mask spectrographs in the infrared (MMIRS) and optical (BINOSPEC). This review paper presents all the available instruments capabilities and demonstrates how the observatory has become highly efficient at managing multiple secondary mirrors and a large instrument suite.

The LSST camera is a wide-field optical (0.35-1μm) imager designed to provide a 3.5 degree FOV with 0.2 arcsecond/pixel sampling. The detector format will be a circular mosaic providing approximately 3.2 Gigapixels per image. The camera includes a filter mechanism and shuttering capability. It is positioned in the middle of the telescope where cross-sectional area is constrained by optical vignetting and where heat dissipation must be controlled to limit thermal gradients in the optical beam. The fast f/1.2 beam will require tight tolerances on the focal plane mechanical assembly. The focal plane array operates at a temperature of approximately -100°C to achieve desired detector performance. The focal plane array is contained within a cryostat which incorporates detector front-end electronics and thermal control. The cryostat lens serves as an entrance window and vacuum seal for the cryostat. Similarly, the camera body lens serves as an entrance window and gas seal for the camera housing, which is filled with a suitable gas to provide the operating environment for the shutter and filter change mechanisms. The filter carousel accommodates 5 filters, each 75 cm in diameter, for rapid exchange without external intervention.

The Pan-STARRS project has completed its first 1.4 gigapixel mosaic focal plane CCD camera, Gigapixel Camera #1 (GPC1). The mosaic focal plane of 60 densely packed 4k×4k MITLL CCD Orthogonal Transfer Arrays (OTAs) constitutes the World's largest CCD camera. The camera represents an extremely cost and time efficient effort with a less than 18 month production and integration phase and an approximate cost of $4 million USD (excluding NRE). The controller electronics named STARGRASP was developed to handle the 480 outputs at near 1Mpixel/sec rates with Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and can be scaled to even larger focal planes. Sophisticated functionality was developed for guide readout and on-detector tip-tilt image compensation with selectable region logic for standby or active operation, high output count, close four side buttable packaging and deep depletion construction. We will discuss the performance achieved, on-sky results, design, tools developed, shortcomings and future plans.

We describe the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), which will be the primary instrument used in the Dark Energy Survey. DECam will be a 3 sq. deg. mosaic camera mounted at the prime focus of the Blanco 4m telescope at the Cerro-Tololo International Observatory (CTIO). DECam includes a large mosaic CCD focal plane, a five element optical corrector, five filters (g,r,i,z,Y), and the associated infrastructure for operation in the prime focus cage. The focal plane consists of 62 2K x 4K CCD modules (0.27"/pixel) arranged in a hexagon inscribed within the roughly 2.2 degree diameter field of view. The CCDs will be 250 micron thick fully-depleted CCDs that have been developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Production of the CCDs and fabrication of the optics, mechanical structure, mechanisms, and control system for DECam are underway; delivery of the instrument to CTIO is scheduled for 2010.

A dichroic mirror/filter can divide light into two different wavelength bands by the principle of interference. We proposed to use more than a dozen of these mirrors, and make a simultaneous imager in many color bands. This also enables us to make a powerful spectrograph which uses many CCDs. We here report the first light of UT 15-band Dichroic-Mirror Camera. We successfully obtained the first light at the Cassegrain focus of the 1.5-m Kanata telescope in May 2007. We also carried out the second observing run in March 2008. Our instrument covers a wide wavelength range (390-930nm), and the field of view is about 4.5 arcmin in diameter with 0.27arcsec/pixel. Image quality was limited by seeing (~1.2 arcsec at best). We describe basic design, characteristics, and performance of our instrument as well as early observational results. Future prospect of dichroic mirrors instruments will also be briefly discussed.

We describe the redesign and upgrade of the versatile fiber-fed Bench Spectrograph on the WIYN 3.5m telescope. The spectrograph is fed by either the Hydra multi-object positioner or integral-field units (IFUs) at two other ports, and can be configured with an adjustable camera-collimator angle to use low-order and echelle gratings. The upgrade, including a new collimator, charge-coupled device (CCD) and modern controller, and volume-phase holographic gratings (VPHG), has high performance-to-cost ratio by combining new technology with a system reconfiguration that optimizes throughput while utilizing as much of the existing instrument as possible. A faster, all-refractive collimator enhances throughput by 60%, nearly eliminates the slit-function due to vignetting, and improves image quality to maintain instrumental resolution. Two VPH gratings deliver twice the diffraction efficiency of existing surface-relief gratings: A 740 l/mm grating (float-glass and post-polished) used in 1st and 2nd-order, and a large 3300 l/mm grating (spectral resolution comparable to the R2 echelle). The combination of collimator, high-quantum efficiency (QE) CCD, and VPH gratings yields throughput gain-factors of up to 3.5.

The University of Wisconsin Astronomy Department and the Space Astronomy Lab at UW are designing an SHS spectrometer for the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope on Kitt Peak and the SALT 10-meter telescope in South Africa. The new device will be mated to the Sparsepak, (Bershady et al, 2004, 2005) and/or the Hydra fiber array at WIYN, and fed by either the prime focus image at SALT or the High Resolution Spectrograph fiber-feed at SALT. The spectrograph will produce spectra at a reciprocal dispersion, R = 25,000 in 20 orders, each order covering an average wavelength band 250 km/s wide, for a total wavelength range of 5000 km/s. Spectra from approximately 82 fibers will be resolved. Once the system is proven at WIYN, and because the aperture size for this spectrometer does not scale with telescope size, we will be able to test this same prototype at the SALT 10-meter telescope. This will be the first application of this technique to large aperture astronomical observations.

SOPHIE is a new fiber-fed echelle spectrograph in operation since October 2006 at the 1.93-m telescope of Observatoire de Haute-Provence. Benefiting from experience acquired on HARPS (3.6-m ESO), SOPHIE was designed to obtain accurate radial velocities (~3 m/s over several months) with much higher optical throughput than ELODIE (by a factor of 10). These enhanced capabilities have actually been achieved and have proved invaluable in asteroseismology and exoplanetology. We present here the optical concept, a double-pass Schmidt echelle spectrograph associated with a high efficiency coupling fiber system, and including simultaneous wavelength calibration. Stability of the projected spectrum has been obtained by the encapsulation of the dispersive components in a constant pressure tank. The main characteristics of the instrument are described. We also give some technical details used in reaching this high level of performance.

SALT HRS is a fiber-fed cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph designed for high resolution and high efficiency seeing-limited spectroscopy on the Southern African Large Telescope. The spectrograph, which has a dual channel white pupil design, uses a single R4 echelle grating, a dichroic beam-splitter, and volume phase holographic gratings as cross-dispersers. The echelle grating has 41.6 grooves/mm and is illuminated with a 200mm diameter beam. This allows R = 16,000 with a 2.2" fiber and complete wavelength coverage from 370 nm to 890 nm. Resolving powers of R ≈ 37,000 and 67,000 are obtained using image slicers. The dichroic beam-splitter is used to split the wavelength coverage between two fully dioptric cameras. The white pupil transfer optics are used to demagnify the pupil to 111mm which ensures that the camera dimensions are kept reasonable whilst also allowing the efficient use of VPH gratings. The spectrograph optics are enclosed inside a vacuum tank to ensure immunity to atmospheric pressure and temperature changes. The entire spectrograph is mechanically and thermally insulated. Construction of SALT HRS began at Durham University's Centre for Advanced Instrumentation in August 2007 and is expected to be complete in 2009. The spectrograph optical design is largely based on work completed at the University of Canterbury's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

We intend to construct SixPak, a wide-field fibre-based IFU for the 4.2-meter William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. The fibre bundle will consist of 238 fibres, each 3.0 arcsec in diameter, piping light from the Nasmyth focal plane of the WHT to the existing WYFFOS bench spectrograph. A total of 217 fibres will be densely packed to span a hexagonal field of view of 64 × 55 arcsec. The remaining 21 fibres will collect light from the sky background. SixPak is optimized for 2-dimensional spectroscopy at intermediate resolutions of extended objects of low surface brightness. At Nasmyth focus, a focal reducer matches the f-ratio of the telescope (f/11) to the "optimal" f-ratio of the fibres (f/3) to reduce the losses due to focal ratio degradation in the fibres. Microlenses convert the output f-ratio of the fibres to the f-ratio of the WYFFOS collimator (f/8.2). By means of an exchangeable slit at the pupils of the microlenses, a spectral resolution of R = 10,000 can be achieved. The intention is that SixPak will be open for general use in order to allow easy access to the broadest possible astronomical community.

To achieve very-high spectral resolutions (R>100,000) with large telescopes (D>8m) new optical solutions have been investigated in the context of the ESPRESSO project for the VLT, starting from the initial design of CODEX for the E-ELT. ESPRESSO is a high-efficiency, high-stability, high-resolution visible spectrograph for the combined Coude focus of the VLT. Among these new solutions, we can mention: free-form optics, used to design an all-mirror anamorphic pupil slicer, large mosaic echelle grating, slanted VPH gratings, super-corrected atmospheric dispersion corrector. All these solutions have been usefully applied to design the spectrograph for ESPRESSO, and its Coude relay system.

We present the status of PEPSI, the bench-mounted fibre-fed and stabilized "Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument" for the 2×8.4m Large Binocular Telescope in southern Arizona. PEPSI is under construction at AIP and is scheduled for first light in 2009/10. Its ultra-high-resolution mode will deliver an unprecedented spectral resolution of approximately R=310,000 at high efficiency throughout the entire optical/red wavelength range 390-1050nm without the need for adaptive optics. Besides its polarimetric Stokes IQUV mode, the capability to cover the entire optical range in three exposures at resolutions of 40,000, 130,000 and 310,000 will surpass all existing facilities in terms of light-gathering-power times spectral-coverage product. A solar feed will make use of the spectrograph also during day time. As such, we hope that PEPSI will be the most powerful spectrometer of its kind for the years to come.

We present the design of a compact module that converts the HARPS instrument at the 3.6-m telescope at La Silla to a full-Stokes high-resolution spectropolarimeter. The polarimeter will replace the obsolete Iodine cell inside the HARPS Cassegrain adapter. Utilizing the two fibers going into the spectrograph, two dual-beam systems can be positioned in the beam: one with a rotating superachromatic quarter-wave plate for circular polarimetry and one with a rotating superachromatic half-wave plate for linear polarimetry. A large polarimetric precision is ensured by the beam-exchange technique and a minimal amount of instrumental polarization. The polarimeter, in combination with the ultra-precise HARPS spectrograph, enables unprecedented observations of stellar magnetic fields and circumstellar material without compromising the successful planet-finding program.

In this paper we present the Medium Resolution Spectrograph ESOPO, an instrument designed and built for the 2.1m Telescope at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional at San Pedro Mártir. We discuss the Scientific Goals and the High Level Requirements necessary to translate these goals to optical, mechanical and control specifications. We make an introduction to its conceptual dual-arm design. The optical design is based on a non-classical configuration. The gratings are illuminated in a conical mode working in a quasi Littrow configuration which has the advantage of optimizing the efficiency and the pupil area on the grating. We show here the results of an experimental evaluation of the concept. The optical design, mechanical structure, slit-mask and acquisition system, control systems, and a study of thermal compensators, are discussed briefly, references to more extended contributions in these proceedings are made. The management schematics of the project are briefly discussed.

HAWK-I is the newly commissioned High Acuity Wide-field K-band Imager at the ESO Very Large Telescope. It is a 0.9-2.5 micron imager with a field of view of 7.5×7.5 arcmin sampled at 106 mas with four Hawaii2RG detectors. It has a full reflective design that was optimised for image quality and throughput.We present an overview of its performance as measured during the commissioning and first science runs. In particular, we describe a detector read-out mode that allows us to increase the useful dynamic range of the detector, and a distortion calibration resulting in <5mas relative astrometry across the field.

CanariCam is the facility multi-mode mid-IR camera developed by the University of Florida for the 10-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) on La Palma. CanariCam has four science modes that provide the GTC community with an especially powerful research tool for imaging, grating spectroscopy, coronagraphy, and dual-beam polarimetry. Instrument commissioning in the laboratory at the University of Florida indicates that all modes perform as required, and the next step is on-telescope commissioning. After commenting on the instrument status, we will review key features of each of these science modes, with emphasis on illustrating each mode with science examples that put the system performance, particularly the anticipated sensitivity, into perspective.

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.

FIRE (the Folded-port InfraRed Echellette) is a prism cross-dispersed infrared spectrometer, designed to deliver singleobject R=6000 spectra over the 0.8-2.5 micron range, simultaneously. It will be installed at one of the auxiliary Nasmyth foci of the Magellan 6.5-meter telescopes. FIRE employs a network of ZnSe and Infrasil prisms, coupled with an R1 reflection grating, to image 21 diffraction orders onto a 2048 × 2048, HAWAII-2RG focal plane array. Optionally, a user-controlled turret may be rotated to replace the reflection grating with a mirror, resulting in a singleorder, longslit spectrum with R ~ 1000. A separate, cold infrared sensor will be used for object acquisition and guiding. Both detectors will be controlled by cryogenically mounted SIDECAR ASICs. The availability of low-noise detectors motivates our choice of spectral resolution, which was expressly optimized for Magellan by balancing the scientific demand for increased R with practical limits on exposure times (taking into account statistics on seeing conditions). This contribution describes that analysis, as well as FIRE's optical and opto-mechanical design, and the design and implementation of cryogenic mechanisms. Finally, we will discuss our data-flow model, and outline strategies we are putting in place to facilitate data reduction and analysis.

We report on the design and status of the FLAMINGOS-2 instrument - a fully-cryogenic facility near-infrared imager and multi-object spectrograph for the Gemini 8-meter telescopes. FLAMINGOS-2 has a refractive all-spherical optical system providing 0.18-arcsecond pixels and a 6.2-arcminute circular field-of-view on a 2048×2048-pixel HAWAII-2 0.9-2.4 μm detector array. A slit/decker wheel mechanism allows the selection of up to 9 multi-object laser-machined plates or 3 long slits for spectroscopy over a 6×2-arcminute field of view, and selectable grisms provide resolutions from ~1300 to ~3000 over the entire spectrograph bandpass. FLAMINGOS-2 is also compatible with the Gemini Multi- Conjugate Adaptive Optics system, providing multi-object spectroscopic capabilities over a 3×1-arcminute field with high spatial resolution (0.09-arcsec/pixel). We review the designs of optical, mechanical, electronics, software, and On- Instrument WaveFront Sensor subsystems. We also present the current status of the project and future plans, including on-sky delivery planned for late 2008.

CRIRES is a cryogenic, pre-dispersed, infrared Echelle spectrograph designed to provide a nominal resolving power ν/Δν of 10⁵ between 1000 and 5000 nm for a nominal slit width of 0.2". The CRIRES installation at the Nasmyth focus A of the 8-m VLT UT1 (Antu) marks the completion of the original instrumentation plan for the VLT. A curvature sensing adaptive optics system feed is used to minimize slit losses and to provide 0.2" spatial resolution along the slit. A mosaic of four Aladdin InSb-arrays packaged on custom-fabricated ceramic boards has been developed. It provides for an effective 4096 × 512 pixel focal plane array to maximize the free spectral range covered in each exposure. Insertion of gas cells is possible in order to measure radial velocities with high precision. Measurement of circular and linear polarization in Zeeman sensitive lines for magnetic Doppler imaging is foreseen but not yet fully implemented. A cryogenic Wollaston prism on a kinematic mount is already incorporated. The retarder devices will be located close to the Unit Telescope focal plane. Here we briefly recall the major design features of CRIRES and describe the commissioning of the instrument including a report of extensive testing and a preview of astronomical results.

We report the performance of Triplespec from commissioning observations on the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. Triplespec is one of a set of three near-infrared, cross-dispersed spectrographs covering wavelengths from 1 - 2.4 microns simultaneously at a resolution of ~2700. At Palomar, Triplespec uses a 1×30 arcsecond slit. Triplespec will be used for a variety of scientific observations, including moderate to high redshift galaxies, star formation, and low mass stars and brown dwarfs. When used in conjunction with an externally dispersed interferometer, Triplespec will also detect and characterize extrasolar planets.

We present a conceptual design for a Precision Radial Velocity Spectrograph (PRVS) for the Gemini telescope. PRVS is a fibre fed high resolving power (R~70,000 at 2.5 pixel sampling) cryogenic echelle spectrograph operating in the near infrared (0.95 - 1.8 microns) and is designed to provide 1 m/s radial velocity measurements. We identify the various error sources to overcome in order to the required stability. We have constructed models simulating likely candidates and demonstrated the ability to recover exoplanetary RV signals in the infrared. PRVS should achieve a total RV error of around 1 m/s on a typical M6V star. We use these results as an input to a simulated 5-year survey of nearby M stars. Based on a scaling of optical results, such a survey has the sensitivity to detect several terrestrial mass planets in the habitable zone around nearby stars. PRVS will thus test theoretical planet formation models, which predict an abundance of terrestrial-mass planets around low-mass stars.We have conducted limited experiments with a brass-board instrument on the Sun in the infrared to explore real-world issues achieving better than 10 m/s precision in single 10 s exposures and better than 5 m/s when integrated across a minute of observing.

FIFI-LS is a Field-Imaging Line Spectrometer designed for the SOFIA airborne observatory. The instrument will operate in the far infrared (FIR) wavelength range from 42 to 210 μm. Two spectrometers operating between 42-110 μm and 110-210 μm allow simultaneous and independent diffraction limited 3D imaging over a field of view of 6" × 6" and 12" × 12" respectively. We have developed a telescope simulator to test the imaging and spectral performance of FIFI-LS in the FIR. Here, we present the telescope simulator as well as the performance verification of FIFI-LS using the simulator. Finally we compare the measurements with the theoretical expected performance of FIFI-LS.

GREAT (German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz frequencies) has been selected as first-light instrument for the early science flights of SOFIA, scheduled for early 2009. In its first-light configuration GREAT will allow observations in two out of three FIR bands: two low frequency channels 1.25-1.5 THz and 1.82-1.92 THz for observations of, e.g., highly excited CO and of ionized carbon, and a 2.7 THz channel focusing on the ground-state transition of deuterated molecular hydrogen HD. A forth channel, centered on the 4.7 THz transition of atomic oxygen will become available later. The observatory schedule asks for delivery of the instrument in early 2009. At the time of the conference system level assembly, integration, and verification (AIV) is ongoing, and we report on the performance of the integrated system. Shipment to NASA/DAOF (Dryden aircraft operations facility) in Palmdale/California for aircraft integration is currently planned for mid December 2008.

FLITECAM is a 1-5 micron spectrometer and camera developed at UCLA for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). On SOFIA, FLITECAM will take advantage of lower backgrounds from 3-5 microns and will provide access to spectral regions completely or partially absorbed by water vapor at even the best ground-based sites. FLITECAM employs large cryogenic optics and an ALADDIN III 1024 × 1024 InSb detector to inscribe an 8 arcminute field of view with 0.48 arcsec/pixel spatial resolution. The optical components are cooled with liquid nitrogen and a liquid helium reservoir is used to establish an operational temperature of 30 K for the InSb array. FLITECAM has two primary observing modes, imaging and spectroscopy. A pupil-viewing mode, for examination of the primary mirror surface, and a high-speed snapshot mode for occultation observations are also provided. Ground-based commissioning of the instrument using the Shane 3-meter telescope at UCO/Lick Observatory has been completed successfully. In addition to broad-band filters, the imaging mode accommodates several narrow-band filters. A data reduction pipeline processes dithered image sets in real-time during the flight. The grism spectroscopy mode employs three direct-ruled KRS-5 grisms and fixed slits of either 1" × 60" or 2 × 60" to yield resolving powers (FWHM) of R~1700 and 900 respectively. Observations are scripted using AORs (Astronomical Observation Requests) in both modes. A pilot survey of 3.3 micron emission in planetary nebulae performed with FLITECAM at UCO/Lick Observatory demonstrates the potential of the grism mode.

The telescope of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) uses three CCD based visible light cameras for target acquisition and tracking. All three cameras use the TH7888A CCD chips which are quite suitable in terms of their geometry and readout speed. However, their quantum efficiency and dark current are not comparable to newer high-sensitivity CCD chips now widely used in astronomy. The Deutsche SOFIA Institute (DSI) under contract of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has therefore initiated an upgrade project of the cameras with back-illuminated, high-sensitivity and low dark current CCD chips, e2v 47-20. The expected improvements in sensitivity range between 1.2 and 2.5 stellar magnitudes for the three cameras. In addition, DSI and DLR plan to provide a high-speed camera which can monitor stellar images of the SOFIA main telescope in the visible spectral range at frame rates of up to ~ 300 frames per second. Analysis of image movements at such speeds will help to identify sources of instabilities in flight, such as vibrations and wind loads. Knowledge of such disturbances and their influence on the telescope system will be essential to achieve the requirement of 0.6 arc-seconds (rms) pointing stability.

The Chromospheric Telescope (ChroTel) is a 10 cm robotic telescope to observe the full solar disk with a 2k × 2k CCD at high temporal cadence. It is located at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain, next to the 70 cm German Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT). ChroTel contains a turret system that relays a stabilized image of the solar disk into a laboratory within the VTT building. The control design allows a fully robotic operation. Observations are carried out in three chromospheric wavelengths (CaK: 393 nm, Ha: 652 nm, HeI 1083 nm).

Imaging spectroscopy of the Sun is a challenging task usually performed with Fabry-Perot etalons. The common setup is a combination of two or three etalons in series and a narrow-band prefilter. The requirement of one, usually expensive prefilter for every desired wavelength limits the number of spectral regions that can be observed. We present a novel instrument combination consisting of two Fabry-Perot etalons and a grating spectrograph, which allows for observations in any wavelength between 390 nm and 660 nm without the need for narrow-band prefilters. Furthermore, two or more adjacent monochromatic images are projected on the detector, each image corresponding to a different spectral transmission peak of the Fabry-Perot filtergraph. Together with our Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (ZIMPOL) the system is installed at the telescope of the Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno (IRSOL) where it will be used for two-dimensional spectropolarimetry. We present a description of the instrument and test observations.

An apodized aperture should make it possible to observe the solar corona without the need of a Lyot coronagraph. We show in this communication that Sonine functions are much better apodizers for the observation of the solar corona than the generalized prolate spheroidal functions previously proposed. For a perfect circular aperture of diameter unity operated in space, a simple Sonine apodization of the form (1 - 4r²), with |r| ≤ 1/2 should sufficiently reduce the diffraction halo produced by the solar disc to observe the corona very close to the solar limb (a few arcsec). The throughput is just one third of the clear aperture.

We are constructing a spectro-­polarimeter using the 40-­cm coronagraph at the Evans Solar Facility of the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, NM for the purpose of measuring the vector magnetic field in prominences and filaments. The Prominence Magnetometer (ProMag) is comprised of a polarization modulation package and a spectrograph. The modulation optics are located at the prime focus of the coronagraph along with calibration optics and a beamsplitter that creates two beams of orthogonal Stokes states. The spectrograph resides at the coude focus of the coronagraph. The polarizations of the two chromospheric lines of neutral helium, at 587.6 nm and 1083.0 nm, are to be observed simultaneously. We present details of the design of the spectro-­polarimeter.

The influence of thin film multilayer coatings of Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI) on polarimetric measurements is investigated. Because the oblique ray reflectivity of the coatings in general is polarization dependent, the transmission profile is slightly different for the s- and p-components of light passing through the FPI, resulting in weak artificial polarization signals. The difference increases with larger angles of incidence and higher design reflectivity of the coatings. In order to estimate the magnitude of the effect, we perform numerical calculations with different coating designs and different optical configurations. We conclude that while current slow focal ratio solar FPI spectrometers are safe, high-precision polarimetric measurements with large aperture solar telescopes which may require considerably steeper focal ratios may suffer from spurious polarization effects.

Direct detection and spectral characterization of extra-solar planets is one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging areas in modern astronomy. The challenge consists in the very large contrast between the host star and the planet, larger than 12.5 magnitudes at very small angular separations, typically inside the seeing halo. The whole design of a "Planet Finder" instrument is therefore optimized towards reaching the highest contrast in a limited field of view and at short distances from the central star. Both evolved and young planetary systems can be detected, respectively through their reflected light and through the intrinsic planet emission. We present the science objectives, conceptual design and expected performance of the SPHERE instrument.

The High-Contrast Coronographic Imager for Adaptive Optics (HiCIAO), is a coronographic simultaneous differential imager for the new 188-actuator AO system at the Subaru Telescope Nasmyth focus. It is designed primarily to search for faint companions, brown dwarves and young giant planets around nearby stars, but will also allow observations of disks around young stars and of emission line regions near other bright central sources. HiCIAO will work in conjunction with the new Subaru Telescope 188-actuator adaptive optics system. It is designed as a flexible, experimental instrument that will grow from the initial, simple coronographic system into more complex, innovative optics as these technologies become available. The main component of HiCIAO is an infrared camera optimized for spectral simultaneous differential imaging that uses a Teledyne 2.5 μm HAWAII-2RG detector array operated by a Sidecar ASIC. This paper reports on the assembly, testing, and "first light" observations at the Subaru Telescope.

LINC-NIRVANA is an innovative imaging interferometer fed by dedicated multi-conjugated adaptive optics systems. The instrument combines the light of the two, 8.4-meter primary mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on a single focal plane, providing panoramic imagery with 23-meter spatial resolution. The instrument employs a number of innovative technologies, including multi-conjugated adaptive optics, state-of-the-art materials, low vibration mechanical coolers, active and passive control, and sophisticated software for data analysis. LINC-NIRVANA is entering its final integration phase, with the large adaptive-optics and imaging subsystems coming together in the clean room in Heidelberg. Here, we report on progress, including insights gained on integration of large instruments.

To study properties of cold dark matter (CDM), which can only be observed through its gravitational interaction with galaxies, spatially resolved spectra at least to the K-band are desirable. We started designing a spectrograph which observes multiple targets spatially resolved in a telescope field of view fed with multi-object adaptive optics (MOAO). The current design either places field lenses on the telescope field of view to image the pupil onto steering mirrors, or uses a single set of field lens to deliver beams to pick-off arms. The steering mirror on the pupil image tilts and selects a sub-field from each of the telescope field of view physically split by the field lenses. This allows cheaper and more robust construction of a method to select the target fields with a limitation in selections of the target fields. On the other hand, the pick-off arm implementation allows more flexibility in assigning targets to fields of the integral field units (IFUs) especially when targets are clustered. The IFU arranges spatial elements of each of sub-field of view to be fed into the spectrograph. If enough pixels are afforded, using microlens arrays, which image pupils of spatial elements onto the object plane of the spectrograph is ideal in robustness. Otherwise, an image slicer is to be located to arrange the sub-field of view onto the entrance slit. The instrument should be built as modules to allow expeditious scientific results.

Faint object diffraction limited imaging in the visible from the ground has recently been demonstrated on a 5 m telescope with more than twice the resolution of Hubble for the first time. It has shown the way towards diffraction limited imaging in the visible with the next generation of large telescopes. This paper describes the results of experiments to show how this is achieved and what is needed to work well with faint natural guide stars. The importance of a large isoplanatic patch size is also emphasised. In particular, we will describe a new approach to the design of high efficiency, low order adaptive curvature sensors which use photon counting CCD detectors. Such systems used on larger telescopes together with image segmentation and resynthesis techniques using closure phase techniques are shown to have an important place in achieving these goals. The optimum combination of these different techniques will be explained for a variety of different applications.

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project will provide diffraction limited and seeing limited capabilities that will be highly synergistic with JWST and other planned astronomy missions. TMT will thus be poised to tackle most of the questions confronting scientists today and for the next several decades. The early light instrumentation will provide NIR imaging and integral field spectroscopy designed to sample even the tiny 7mas images provided at 1.2 microns by a multi-conjugate laser guide star AO system, near-infrared multi-slit spectroscopy over a 2 arcmin field (fed by the same AO system, tuned for wide field performance), and wide field multi-object spectroscopy in the 0.3 - 1 micron wavelength region. TMT is being designed, as a system, to take advantage of the observational opportunities that a diffraction limited 30m telescope will afford. Results of detailed end-to-end modeling demonstrate excellent performance in both seeing-limited and diffraction-limited modes. TMT is also being designed to operate in a very efficient manner. Details of how this will be accomplished, descriptions of the planned instrumentation with focus on the early light instruments, new technologies that will be implemented, and a summary of the anticipated observing programs and how these will complement observations from other facilities are described.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is conducting a phase B study of a European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The baseline concept foresees a 42m primary, 5 mirror adaptive telescope with two of the mirrors giving the possibility of very fast correction of the atmospheric turbulence. In parallel to the telescope study, ESO is coordinating 8 studies of instruments and 2 of post-focus Adaptive Optics systems, carried out in collaboration with Institutes in the member states. Scope of the studies, to be completed by 1Q 2010, is to demonstrate that the high priority scientific goals of the E-ELT project can be achieved with feasible and affordable instruments. The main observing modes being considered are: NIR wide field imaging and spectroscopy to the diffraction limit or with partial correction of the atmospheric seeing; high spectral resolution, high stability visible spectroscopy; high contrast, diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy; DL mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy. The status of the 8 current studies is presented.

The title of this paper was chosen to highlight the fact that the installation and operation of instrumentation on Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) will not be entirely simple or straightforward. The cost of construction and operation of ELTs will be such that substantial pressures will develop for proportional increases in the level of performance of the instrumentation, using as much of the electromagnetic information arriving at the focal plane as possible. This in turn will require complex instruments using adaptive optics, multiple channels or highly spatially multiplexed instruments. In the case of the European ELT, it will be a facility much in demand by ESOs 4000+ community of astronomers. The instrument infrastructure must therefore be able to accommodate the full range of projects likely to be undertaken. In this paper, we will discuss the instrument interfaces and infrastructure as envisioned in the current baseline for the European ELT and the requirements underpinning them.

We describe a preliminary optical design for a multi-object, wide-field, optical echellette spectrograph that is intended to serve a broad range of science. It will produce low-resolution, single-order spectra for survey-mode programs targeting as many objects as possible and also moderate-resolution, multiple-order spectra for a reduced number of targets. The design uses all refracting optics. The first optical element of the spectrograph is a wide-field corrector for the telescope that causes the chief rays to be perpendicular to the focal plane. The collimator, which has been designed on-axis, can then be duplicated to target multiple, off-axis fields in a multiple-barrel configuration. The collimator optics include an achromatic field lens group that forms a sharp pupil over the full optical band-pass (320-1000 nm), followed by a dichroic which splits the beam into a red and a blue channel. All remaining optical elements of the collimator, the gratings, the cameras, and the detectors are then optimized for red or blue wavelengths. Both red and blue channels of each beam of the spectrograph use reflection gratings to produce either a single-order spectrum at resolutions around R=λ/Δλ=1000 or a five-order, R>5000 echellette spectrum with prism cross-dispersion. Both modes can target objects anywhere in the collimated field of view. A direct imaging mode will also be provided.

Q-Spec is a concept for the Giant Magellan Telescope High Resolution Optical Spectrograph. It is a seeing limited, four channel spectrograph designed for high efficiency, high resolution spectroscopy from 305 to 1060 nm. Overall instrument dimensions are minimized with anamorphic preslit optics, pupil slicing, and white pupil beam demagnification. Q-spec uses two 300 × 1600mm R4 echelle grating mosaics of either 2 or 4 individual gratings, with 41.6 and 31.6 grooves/mm line densities. Two beam sizes are selectable in the preslit optics. A 450mm beam yields Rφ = 30,000 while a 900mm beam reaches Rφ = 60,000. Both beams are anamorphised before echelle dispersion, and the larger beam is pupil sliced. The post-echelle white pupil transfer optics demagnify the beam by 3. This allows the use of efficient vph grating cross-dispersers, and unvignetted f/1.5-2.0 dioptric cameras with optical element diameters under 250 mm. The bandwidth is split by a dichroic prior to the entrance slit, and by dichroics near the intermediate foci of the two sets of white pupil transfer optics. The four fixed spectral formats have 2-pixel resolving powers of ~200,000 and it is anticipated that resolving powers of R = 150, 000 or greater will be possible. The largest ccd is 6k × 6k with 15 μm pixels, and the minimum order separation is around 10 arcseconds. Q-spec can be fed with fibers in either multiple-object and/or precision radial velocity modes. Excluding the gravity-invariant thermal and vacuum enclosures, the instrument volume is a modest 5 × 2.5 × 2m in size.

A number of outstanding scientific problems require a high resolution, visual spectrograph at the E-ELT. Measuring the dynamics of the universe, finding earth-like planets with radial velocity techniques, determining the chemical evolution of the intergalactic medium and if physical constants varied in the past, all require a superior capability of measuring exceedingly small Doppler shifts. We have started a Phase A study for CODEX at the E-ELT. We present here the scientific cases, the requirements, the basic technical choices and trade offs, as well as a couple of design under evaluation. We aim at a super stable instrument, capable of obtaining a radial velocity precision of 2 cm/sec over several decades. It will be located at the coude focus. The design will make use of anamorphosis, pupil slicing, slanted VPH gratings and a novel calibration system based on laser frequency combs. Several CODEX-related R&D activities are running, and, in addition, a Call for Proposal for a precursor at the VLT has been issued.

One of the main science objectives of the European ELT is the direct imaging of extrasolar planets. The large aperture of the telescope has the potential to significantly enlarge the discovery space towards older gas giant exo-planets seen in reflected light. In this paper, we give an overview of the EPICS system design strategy during the phase A study. In order to tackle the critical limitations to high contrast, extensive end-to-end simulations will be developed since the start to test different scenarios and guide the overall design.

EAGLE is an instrument under conceptual study for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). EAGLE will be installed at the Gravity Invariant Focal Station of the E-ELT, covering a field of view between 5 and 10 arcminutes. Its main scientific drivers are the physics and evolution of high-redshift galaxies, the detection and characterization of first-light objects and the physics of galaxy evolution from stellar archaeology. The top level requirements of the instrument call for 20 spectroscopic channels in the near infrared, assisted by Adaptive Optics. Several concepts of the Target Acquisition sub-system have been studied and are briefly presented. Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) over a segmented 5' field has been evaluated and compared to Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO). The latter has higher performance and is easier to implement, and is therefore chosen as the baseline for EAGLE. The paper provides a status report of the conceptual study, and indicates how the future steps will address the instrument development plan due to be completed within a year.

This paper summarizes the different optical concepts developed for the EAGLE Phase A design. EAGLE will be an MOAO (Multi-object AO) IFU spectrometer operating between 0.8 and 2.5μm. The EAGLE consortium have developed different concepts for the challenging problem of acquiring more than twenty objects in the patrol field of view (FOV), correcting the wavefront along the line of sight to each of the objects and analyzing each object spatially and spectrally with an Integral Field Spectrograph. The target selection FOV will be ≥20 square arcmin and the individual target FOV can be selected to be either 1.65×1.65arcsec or 1.65×3.3arcsec. They will be sampled spatially at 75mas and with spectral resolutions of 4000 and 10000. Optical designs for target acquisition systems, integral-field unit, and spectrographs have been developed. These will be compared and the expected performance will be described in terms of the number of targets, overall patrol field of view, individual field of view, throughput, spectral resolving power and image quality.

METIS, the Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph (formerly called MIDIR), is a proposed instrument for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), currently undergoing a phase-A study. The study is carried out within the framework of the ESO-sponsored E-ELT instrumentation studies. METIS will be designed to cover the E-ELT science needs at wavelengths longward of 3μm, where the thermal background requires different operating schemes. In this paper we discuss the main science drivers from which the instrument baseline has been derived. Specific emphasis has been given to observations that require very high spatial and spectral resolution, which can only be achieved with a ground-based ELT. We also discuss the challenging aspects of background suppression techniques, adaptive optics in the mid-IR, and telescope site considerations. The METIS instrument baseline includes imaging and spectroscopy at the atmospheric L, M, and N bands with a possible extension to Q band imaging. Both coronagraphy and polarimetry are also being considered. However, we note that the concept is still not yet fully consolidated. The METIS studies are being performed by an international consortium with institutes from the Netherlands, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Belgium.

High resolution (HR) near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is one of the youngest and less explored fields of astronomical research. The few dedicated instruments which are presently available worldwide have remarkably limited capabilities in terms of spectral coverage. In this paper we discuss some of the most important scientific applications of HR-NIR spectroscopy and present the design of "SIMPLE", a simple (hence its name) and very powerful instrument specifically designed for the E-ELT but which can be easily interfaced to existing 8-10 m class telescopes. We also provide detailed information on the expected performances and limiting magnitudes of SIMPLE on different telescopes.

We describe the present status of the development of a very high-dynamic range, diffraction limited imaging instrument FIRST (Fibered Imager foR Single Telescope), among which goals is the detection of nearby extra-solar planets at visible to near-infrared wavelengths from the ground. We have started to develop a prototype system which consists of a number of novel designs such as a segmented micro mirror array and silicon micro machined single-mode fiber arrays. Furthermore, we have proposed to build a FIRST instrument for the CFHT, which will be complementary to high-dynamic range instruments developed for 8m class telescopes at near-infrared wavelengths.

We had developed three types of large VPH grisms (110×106 mm²) for FOCAS of the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope with high efficiency, high dispersion and small wavefront error in visible region. However, it has been highly difficult to fabricate VPH gratings for longer wavelength due to thickness of the grating. In order to overcome this problem, by optimizing exposure condition and introducing active phase control technique, we had successfully developed VPH grating for optical communication wavelength (1550 nm) with diffraction efficiency over 90% (TE mode) and a high refractive index modulation of 0.047. We extend these techniques to the device for astronomical observation, aiming at the application of K band VPH gratings for MOIRCS of the Subaru Telescope. The resultant grating has attained high diffraction efficiency of 91.5%, spectral bandwidth (FWHM) 320 nm, and small wavefront error 0.03 waves in r.m.s. at 2200 nm. This VPH grism is a promising dispersion device for astronomical observation in near-infrared region.

Many existing astronomical spectrographs have been retrofitted with volume phase holographic gratings (VPHGs), since at higher line density they are significantly more efficient than surface relief transmission gratings. Designing the spectrograph around the VPHG offers additional advantages. In this paper we describe slanted fringe VPHG that are considered as cross-disperser / beam expander in high-resolution echelle spectrographs for the Combined Incoherent Focus of the VLT and the E-ELT. We will present simulations of diffraction efficiency of slanted fringe VPHGs that explore the useful parameter space of these devices in terms of efficiency, line density and anamorphic beam expansion.

We present the development and first astronomical applications of VPH grisms which are now operated at cryogenic temperature in MOIRCS, a Cassegrain near-infrared instrument of the Subaru Telescope. We designed and fabricated the VPH grisms with a resolving power ~3000 for the use in near-infrared bands. The VPH grating, encapsulated in BK7 glass, is glued between two ZnSe prisms with vertex angle of 20 deg. After repeating several thermal cycles down to ~100 K carefully enough not to cause irreparable damage on the grism during cooling, we evaluated the performance at cryogenic temperature in the laboratory and found no deterioration and no large difference in the performance from that measured in room temperature. Based on commissioning observations with MOIRCS, we have confirmed the high efficiency (~0.8) and the resolving power of the original design. Common use of the grisms is due to start in the second semester of 2008.

FIREBall (Faint Intergalactic Redshifted Emission Balloon) had a successful first engineering flight in July of 2007 from Palestine, Texas. Here we detail the design and construction of the spectrograph. FIREBall consists of a 1m telescope coupled to a fiber-fed ultraviolet spectrograph flown on a short duration balloon. The spectrograph is designed to map hydrogen and metal line emission from the intergalactic medium at several redshifts below z=1, exploiting a small window in atmospheric oxygen absorption at balloon altitudes. The instrument is a wide-field IFU fed by almost 400 fibers. The Offner mount spectrograph is designed to be sensitive in the 195-215nm window accessible at our altitudes of 35-40km. We are able to observe Lyα, as well as OVI and CIV doublets, from 0.3 < z < 0.9. Observations of UV bright B stars and background measurements allow characterization of throughput for the entire system and will inform future flights.

The W. M. Keck Observatory has completed the development and initial deployment of MAGIQ, the Multi-function Acquisition, Guiding and Image Quality monitoring system. MAGIQ is an integrated system for acquisition, guiding and image quality measurement for the Keck telescopes. This system replaces the acquisition and guiding hardware and software for existing instruments at the Observatory and is now the standard for visible wavelength band acquisition cameras for future instrumentation. In this paper we report on the final design and implementation of this new system, which includes three major components: a visible wavelength band acquisition camera, image quality measurement capability, and software for acquisition, guiding and image quality monitoring. The overall performance is described, as well as the details of our approach to integrating low order wavefront sensing capability in order to provide closed loop control of telescope focus.

The DECam instrument, for the 4m Blanco telescope at CTIO, is a 5 lens element wide field camera giving a 2.2 degree diameter field of view. The lenses are large, with the biggest being 980mm in diameter, and this poses challenges in mounting and alignment. This paper reports the status of the production of the optics for the DECam wide field imager Also presented are the design and finite element modelling of the cell design for the 5 lenses of the imager along with the proposed alignment process.

We describe recent progress toward developing optical frequency laser combs and tunable laser to the problem of more precise calibration of high dispersion astronomical spectra, thus permitting radial velocity determinations in the few cm/sec regime. We describe two programs in progress to calibrate both a cross dispersed echelle spectrograph with a laser comb and to calibrate a multiobject echelle spectrograph with a tunable laser.

X-shooter is a new high-efficiency spectrograph observing the complete spectral range of 300-2500 nm in a single exposure, with a spectral resolving power R>5000. The instrument will be located at the Cassegrain focus of one of the VLT UTs and consists of three spectrographs: UV, VIS and Near-IR. This paper addresses the design, hardware realization and performance of the Near-IR spectrograph of the X-Shooter instrument and its components. Various optical, mechanical and cryogenic manufacturing and verification techniques are discussed. The cryogenic performance of replicated light weight gratings is presented. Bare aluminium mirrors are produced and polished to optical quality to preserve high shape accuracy at cryogenic conditions. Their manufacturing techniques and performance are both discussed. The cryogenic collimator and dispersion boxes, on which the optical components are mounted, feature integrated baffles for improved stiffness and integrated leaf springs to reduce tension on optical components, thereby challenging 5 axis simultaneous CNC milling capabilities. ASTRON Extreme Light Weighting is used for a key component to reduce the flexure of the cryogenic system; some key numbers and unique manufacturing experience for this component are presented. The method of integrated system design at cryogenic working temperatures and the resulting alignment-free integration are evaluated. Finally some key lab test results for the complete NIR spectrograph are presented.

The Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager (NICI) is a high-contrast AO imager at the Gemini South telescope. The camera includes a coronagraphic mask and dual channel imaging for Spectral Differential Imaging (SDI). The instrument can also be used in a fixed Cassegrain Rotator mode for Angular Differential Imaging (ADI). While coronagraphy, SDI, and ADI have been applied before in direct imaging searches for exoplanets. NICI represents the first time that these 3 techniques can be combined. We present preliminary NICI commissioning data using these techniques and show that combining SDI and ADI results in significant gains.

Traditional dome flat fielding methods typically have difficulties providing spatially uniform illumination and adequate flux over a telescopic instrument's entire spectral range. Traditional flat fielding screens, with an illumination source at least the size of the primary, can be difficult or impractical to mount and uniformly illuminate. The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGTN) will consist of approximately 50 robotic telescopes of 0.4 m, 1.0 m, and 2.0 m apertures with instrument bandwidth ranging from 350 - 1800 nm. The network requires a robust flat-field solution to fit in compact enclosures. A scanning illuminated flat fielding bar, Lambert, was developed to meet these requirements. Illumination is from a linear arrangement of sources that are spatially dispersed by a narrow holographic or glass diffuser equal in length to the primary's diameter. We have investigated a linearly scanning, enclosure mounted, deployable unit, and a rotary scanning, telescope mounted unit. For complete visible-light bandwidth, a set of different color LEDs is used. The source density, scan speed, and variable intensity tunes the flux to the instrument wavelength and bandwidth. The Lambert flat fields in comparison to sky flats match pixel to pixel variations better than 0.5%; large scale illumination differences, which are stable and repeatable, are ~1%.

FLEX is a concept for a fully OH suppressed near infrared integral field spectrograph, being developed at the AAO. FLEX will be the first instrument to employ fibre Bragg gratings for OH suppression, a radical new technology which cleanly suppresses the atmospheric OH emission lines at 30dB whilst maintaining a high overall throughout of ~90%. In this paper we simulate the expected performance of FLEX, and discuss its impact on the science case. FLEX will effectively make the near-infrared sky 4 mags fainter in the H band and 3 mags fainter in the J band, offering unprecedentedly deep views of the near-infrared Universe. The FLEX concept is optimised for the identification of the sources of first light in the Universe - high redshift galaxies or quasars identified through Lyman-alpha emission or a Lyman break in the continuum spectrum. As such it will consist of a 2x2" integral field unit, composed of a 61 lenslet hexagonal array, feeding an existing moderate spectral resolution spectrograph, via an OH-suppression unit. We have simulated the performance of FLEX and show that it can provide robust identification of galaxies at the epoch of reionisation. A FLEX-like instrument on an ELT could measure the ionisation and enrichment of the inter-galactic medium beyond a redshift of 7 via metal absorption lines.

We present designs for compact near-IR spectrometers with mid to high resolving powers. They use an innovative combination of integral-field units and immersed gratings, both with and without cross-dispersion. The advent of ELTs with scientific requirements for multi-channel instruments (e.g. EAGLE) with high resolving powers has led to designs for spectrometers which are made more compact by using immersed gratings and are capable of high spectral resolving power by including cross dispersion and an arrangement of the IFU output that provides the requisite short slit.

VISIR is the VLT mid-infrared (mid-IR) Imager and Spectrometer. Since 2004, it provides data at high spatial and spectral resolutions in the N (8-13 μm) and Q (16-24 μm) atmospheric windows. VISIR observations have provided unique constraints on targets such as central regions of nearby galaxies, or protoplanetary disks. We review here VISIR Imager and Spectrometer characteristics, emphasizing on some current limitations because of various undesirable effects. Its successor on an ELT will provide data with a unique sharpness (0.05") and sensitivity (35 μJy source detectable in 1 hour at 10 σ level), thus allowing a characterization of exoplanetary disks and inner exoplanets with an unprecedent precision. At the light of VISIR experience, we discuss how the lessons learned from VISIR can be turned to good account for designing and operating the future mid-IR instrument on the European ELT.

We present two design concepts and the science drivers of a proposed near-infrared interferometric integral field spectrograph for the LBT. This instrument will expand the capabilities of the currently-under-construction interferometric camera LINC-NIRVANA with spectroscopy by means of an integral field unit (IFU) located inside the LINC cryostat. Two instrument concepts have been studied in detail: a microlens array IFU with a spectrograph built entirely inside LINC (the LIINUS approach), and a lenslet+fibers IFU feeding an external spectrograph (the SERPIL approach). In both cases, the instrument incorporates imaging interferometry with integral field spectroscopy, an ideal combination for detailed studies of astronomical objects down to below 10mas angular resolution in the near-infrared. The scientific applications range from solar system studies and spectroscopy of exoplanets to the dynamics of stars and gas in the central regions of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies.

Mid Infrared Spectrometer with an Image Slicer (MIRSIS) is a compact mid-infrared spectrometer with an image slicer as a testbed of techniques for efficient observations with next generation telescopes. MIRSIS is a 10-micron band spectrometer for ground-based observations. Optics of MIRSIS is mostly composed of reflective ones. A key point of the development of MIRSIS is a fabrication of slicer optics, which consists of slice mirrors, pupil mirrors and pseudo slit mirrors. It is necessary to develop fabrication technique of slicer optics, because shapes and alignment of these mirrors are special. Here it is also important to choose the design matched to the processing method. In this paper, we report our fabrication of the slicer optics elements in detail. As a result, we achieved the slice mirror with the micro-roughness of RMS 12nm and the angle accuracy of under 0.0041deg, the pupil mirror with the micro-roughness of RMS 20nm and the shape accuracy of PV 3micron, and the pseudo slit mirror with the angle accuracy of 0.02deg. All of the parts fabricated satisfy the required specification.

We are developing a new infrared camera MAX38 (Mid-infrared Astronomical eXplorer) for long mid-infrared (25-40 micron) astronomy for the Univ. of Tokyo Atacama 1.0-meter telescope which is the world highest infrared telescope at 5,640m altitude. Thanks to the high altitude and dry weather condition of the Atacama site we can access the 30-micron wavelength region from ground-based telescopes for the first time in the world. We employ a Si:Sb 128×128 array detector to cover the wide mid-infrared wavelength range from 8 to 38 micron. The development of the MAX38 has been almost completed. Test observations in N-band wavelength at Hiroshima Kanata telescope (Hiroshima, Japan) was successfully carried out on June 2007 and March 2008. The first 30-micron observation at Atacama is scheduled in the spring of 2009.

Imaging- and spectropolarimetry in the thermal infrared (~ 5-30 μm) can inform us about two important open questions in modern astrophysics - namely the role of magnetism in the formation of stars, and the life-cycle of cosmic dust. These are key questions outlined in the document "A Science Vision for European Astronomy" by de Zeeuw & Molster (2007). Thermal IR polarimetry is the only technique that can peer into the heart of star forming cores, where an infant star heats its immediate surroundings to temperatures of several hundred Kelvin. The polarization itself is induced by a preferential alignment of the spin axis of cosmic dust grains, a process ultimately controlled by the ambient magnetic field. The spectrum is sensitively dependent on the grain optical properties, structure and shape, thus providing information not otherwise obtainable by conventional spectroscopy. The MIRI instrument on the JWST will not have a polarimetry mode, thus leaving open the possibility of an ELT mid-IR instrument being able to make substantial progress on these fundamental issues. Before describing the advantages of a mid-IR spectropolarimeter on an ELT, we first present some preliminary results from our polarization observations with the TIMMI2 mid-IR instrument between 2004 and 2006. The experience gained with TIMMI2 - in terms of technical issues and observing strategy - will inform the design of any future instrument. Following this we will describe the science that could be done with an ELT instrument, and some of the basic design parameters. For instance, with a resolution of ~ 70 milli-arcseconds (FWHM at 10 μm) it will become possible to resolve the magnetic field configuration in the circumstellar disks and bipolar outflows of young stars at a spatial scale of less than 10 AU in the nearest star formation regions. This will strongly constrain hydromagnetic models - the favoured means of extracting angular momentum and allowing accretion to proceed - for bipolar jets emanating from a range of compact astrophysical objects. Further, with a resolving power of order 200, and sensitivity of 100σ in 1 hour integration on a 0.5 mJy point source, the evolution of cosmic dust - and the governing physical and chemical processes - from its formation in old stellar outflows to its deposition in planet-forming disks, will become amenable to detailed polarization studies.

One technique for mapping the polarization signature of the cosmic microwave background uses large, polarizing grids in reflection. We present the system requirements, the fabrication, assembly, and alignment procedures, and the test results for the polarizing grid component of a 50 cm clear aperture, Variable-delay Polarization Modulator (VPM). This grid is being built and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center as part of the Polarimeter for Observing Inflationary Cosmology at the Reionization Epoch (POINCARE). For the demonstration instrument, 64 μm diameter tungsten wires are being assembled into a 200 μm pitch, free-standing wire grid with a 50 cm clear aperture, and an expected overall flatness better than 30 μm. A rectangular, aluminum stretching frame holds the wires with sufficient tension to achieve a minimum resonant frequency of 185 Hz, allowing VPM mirror translation frequencies of several Hz. A lightly loaded, flattening ring with a 50 cm inside diameter rests against the wires and brings them into accurate planarity.

Mid-Infrared Spectrometer with an Image Slicer (MIRSIS) is a 10micron band spectrometer for ground-based observations. Based on the optical design reported in Okamoto et al. (2006), we recently developed most of optical elements and their mounts. There, we adopted designs based on an ultra-precision cut for the slice mirrors and the pupil mirrors. We also designed and partly manufactured the optical parts with switching/adjusting mechanism with cryogenic step motors. Since MIRSIS has a very complicated stereoscopic configuration of optical elements, we developed a method to adjust the optical alignment where relative positional markers and a three-dimensional measuring system are combined. We confirmed that we can achieve position and angular adjustment with error down to 0.1mm and 0.05degree through alignment test with a pair of mirrors.

We have designed and fabricated a suite of grisms for use in FORCAST, a mid-infrared camera scheduled as a first-light instrument on SOFIA. The grism suite gives SOFIA a new capability: low and moderate resolution spectroscopy from 5μm to 37μm, without the addition of a new instrument. One feature of the optical design is that it includes a mode using pairs of cross-dispersed grisms, providing continuous wavelength coverage over a broad range at higher resolving power. We fabricated four silicon (n = 3.44) grisms using photolithographic techniques and purchased two additional mechanically ruled KRS-5 (n = 2.3) grisms. One pair of silicon grisms permits observations of the 5 - 8μm band with a long slit at R~ 200 or, in a cross-dispersed mode, at resolving powers up to 1500. In the 8 - 14μm region, where silicon absorbs heavily, the KRS-5 grisms produce resolving powers of 300 and 800 in long-slit and cross-dispersed mode, respectively. The remaining two silicon grisms cover 17 - 37μm at resolving powers of 140 and 250. We have thoroughly tested the silicon grisms in the laboratory, measuring efficiencies in transmission at 1.4 - 1.8μm. We report on these measurements as well as on cryogenic performance tests of the silicon and KRS-5 devices after installation in FORCAST.

The phase A study of a mid infrared imager and spectrograph for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), called METIS, was endorsed in May 2008. Two key science drivers of METIS are: a) direct thermal imaging of exo-planets and b) characterization of circumstellar discs from the early proto-planetary to the late debris phase. Observations in the 10μm atmospheric window (N band) require a contrast ratio between stellar light and emitted photons from the exo-planet or the disc of ~ 10⁵. At shorter wavelengths the contrast between star and reflected light from the planet-disc system exceeds ≳ 10⁷ posing technical challenges. By means of end-to-end detailed simulations we demonstrate that the superb spatial resolution of a 42m telescope in combination with stellar light rejection methods such as coronagraphic or differential imaging will allow detections at 10μm for a solar type system down to a star-planet separation of 0.1" and a mass limit for irradiated planets of 1 Jupiter (M_J) mass. In case of self-luminous planets observations are possible further out e.g. at the separation limit of JWST of ~ 0.7", METIS will detect planets ≳5M_J. This allows to derive a census of all such exo-planets by means of thermal imaging in a volume limited sample of up to 6pc. In addition, METIS will provide the possibility to study the chemical composition of atmospheres of exo-planets using spectroscopy at moderate spectral resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 100) for the brightest targets. Based on detailed performance and sensitivity estimates, we demonstrate that a mid-infrared instrument on an ELT is perfectly suited to observe gravitationally created structures such as gaps in proto- and post- planetary discs, in a complementary way to space missions (e.g. JWST, SOFIA) and ALMA which can only probe the cold dust emission further out.

CanariCam is the facility multi-mode mid-IR camera developed by the University of Florida (UF) for the 10.4- meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). CanariCam contains a 320 × 240-pixel Raytheon array, which will Nyquist-sample the diffraction-limited point-spread-function at wavelengths longer than 8 microns, yielding a field of view of 26"×19". In Aug. 2007, the University of Florida instrument team held a successful Acceptance Testing (AT) of CanariCam. We describe key performance requirements, and compare these to the actual performance during formal AT. Among the results considered are detector noise characteristics, image quality, and throughput. We focus particularly on the unique dual-beam polarimetric modes. We have demonstrated that with a half-wave plate, it achieves or exceeds the design goals for imaging both polarization planes simultaneously.

FORCAST has been selected to be the "first light" U.S. science instrument aboard SOFIA. FORCAST will offer dual channel imaging in discrete filters at 5 - 25 microns and 30 - 40 microns, with diffraction-limited imaging at wavelengths > 15 microns. FORCAST will have a plate scale of 0.75 arcsec per pixel, giving it a 3.2 arcmin x 3.2 arcmin FOV on SOFIA. We give a status update on FORCAST, including filter configuration for SOFIA's early science phase; anticipated in-flight performance; SOFIA facility testing with FORCAST; ground-based testing performance at Palomar Observatory; performance of its new dichroic beamsplitter; and a preliminary design of the in-flight calibration box.

Correct interpretation of a vast array of astronomical data relies heavily on understanding the properties of silicate dust as a function of wavelength, temperature, and crystallinity. We introduce the OPASI-T (Optical Properties of Astronomical Silicates with Infrared Techniques) project to address the need for high fidelity optical characterization data on the various forms of astronomical dust. We use two spectrometers to provide extinction data for silicate samples across a wide wavelength range (from the near infrared to the millimeter). New experiments are in development that will provide complementary information on the emissivity of our samples, allowing us to complete the optical characterization of these dust materials. In this paper, we present initial results from several materials including amorphous iron silicate, magnesium silicate and silica smokes, over a wide range of temperatures, and discuss the design and operation of our new experiments.

Mid-infrared polarimetry remains an underexploited technique; where available it is limited in spectral coverage from the ground, and conspicuously absent from the Spitzer, JWST and Herschel instrument suites. The unique characteristics of SOFIA afford unprecedented spectral coverage and sensitivity in the mid-infrared waveband. We discuss the preliminary optical design for a 5-40μm spectro-polarimeter for use on SOFIA, the SOFIA Mid-InfraRed Polarimeter (SMIRPh). The design furthers the existing 5-40μm imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of SOFIA, and draws on experience gained through the University of Florida's mid-IR imagers, spectrometer and polarimeter designs of T-ReCS and CanariCam. We pay special attention to the challenges of obtaining polarimetric materials suitable at both these wavelengths and cryogenic temperatures. Finally, we (briefly) present an overview of science highlights that could be performed from a 5-40μm imaging- and spectro-polarimeter on SOFIA. Combined with the synergy between the possible future far-IR polarimeter, Hale, this instrument would provide the SOFIA community with unique and exciting science capabilities, leaving a unique scientific legacy.

CanariCam is the facility mid-infrared (MIR) instrument for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), a 10.4m telescope at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. One of the science drivers for CanariCam is the study of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We will exploit the instrument's high sensitivity in imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry modes to answer fundamental questions of AGN and their host galaxies. Dust in the nucleus of an active galaxy reprocesses the intrinsic radiation of the central engine to emerge in the MIR. Current work demonstrates that the hot dust immediately associated with the AGN, which blocks direct views of the AGN from some lines of sight, is confined to small (parsec) scales. Thus, high spatial resolution is essential to probe the "torus" of unified AGN models separate from the host galaxy. CanariCam provides a 0.08" pixel scale for Nyquist sampling the diffraction-limited point spread function at 8μm, and narrow (0.2") spectroscopy slits (with R=120-1300). New observations with the GTC/CanariCam will provide key constraints on the physical conditions in the clumpy torus, and we will sensitively determine AGN obscuration as a function of nuclear activity. We will therefore address the fueling process and its relationship to the torus, the interaction with the host galaxy, and dust chemistry. These data will be essential preparation for the next generation of telescopes that will observe the distant universe directly to explore galaxy and black hole formation and evolution, and the GTC/CanariCam system uniquely provides multiple modes to probe AGN.

Inside an aircraft fuselage there is little room for the mass of all the instrumentation of a ground-based observatory much less a primary objective aperture at the scale of 10 meters. We have proposed a solution that uses a primary objective grating (POG) which matches the considerable length of the aircraft, approximately 10 meters, and conforms to aircraft aerodynamics. Light collected by the POG is diffracted at an angle of grazing exodus inside the aircraft where it is disambiguated by an optical train that fits within to the interior tunnel. Inside the aircraft, light is focused by a parabolic mirror onto a spectrograph slit. The design has a special benefit in that all objects in the field-of-view of the free spectral range of the POG can have their spectra taken as the aircraft changes orientation. We suggest flight planes that will improve integration times, angular resolution and spectral resolution to acquire targets of high stellar magnitudes or alternatively increase the number of sources acquired per flight at the cost of sensitivity.

The Wide field Infrared Camera (WIRCam) is one of the 3 workhorse instruments in operation at CFHT. It's mosaic of four HAWAII-2RG is read using two SDSU-III controllers with 32-amplifiers in parallel per detector. First-light images showed that WIRCam suffered from three flavors of cross-talk: the "positive", "negative" and "edge" cross-talks. All have now been eliminated at the source and WIRCam is now cross-talk free. Two of these cross-talks originated from the controller electronic and one, the "edge" cross-talk, is intimately linked to the HAWAII-2RG detector and its description may be of a broader interest for other instruments using these detectors. We present the three cross-talk flavors and the hardware or software solutions implemented to eliminate them.

We present the current status of the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE) an all-reflective near-IR, imager, spectrograph, and polarimeter for the 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). In particular, we review the progress of the opto- and cryo- mechanical design and manufacture, focusing on the custom filter, lyot, and grism wheels, lightweight optics, and mirror brackets. We also outline our progress with the optical bench. Finally, we discuss a number of CIRCE's features that both complement and augment the planned suite of GTC facility instruments.

The Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE) for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is one of the few infrared instruments in the world using a four-beam polarimeter. The classical double-beam configuration consists of a half-wave plate (HWP) and a Wollaston Prism (WP) that allow measurement of two linear polarization components of the light in a single exposure. Instead, our instrument includes a WeDoWo - a dual-WP system with principal axis at 45 degrees that is inserted near the pupil plane. Thus, all linear Stokes parameters can be obtained in a single observation. We can also perform medium-resolution (R=400-1500) spectro-polarimetry by inserting a grism in the beam. The CIRCE focal plane mask includes three field stops for imaging polarimetry, three slits for spectropolarimetry and three slits for regular spectroscopy of nearby sources. CIRCE also has a high-speed photometry mode that, combined with polarimetry on a large telescope such as the GTC, will provide important insights into highly-variable sources such as microquasars.

We present the design for a high-speed readout imaging mode for the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE), a visitor-class near-IR imager, spectrograph, and polarimeter for the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). This mode, along with the polarimetric and spectroscopic capabilities of the instrument will provide a powerful and unique instrument for the study of fast variability objects. Modification in the firmware of the readout control electronics of the HAWAII-2 2048×2048 detector will allow us to select the effective detector size and hence reduce the readout time. We present a description of the final design along with a discussion of potential future improvements.

This paper details the design process for AIR-C, the Antarctic Infra-Red Camera, for use with Tohoku University's 40 cm Antarctic telescope. The camera will also be compatible with the planned 2 meter class Japanese telescope at Dome F. First, we review of the design requirements which shaped the development process. The optical chain receives the most detailed discussion. The other components will be discussed briefly. The effect of cryogenic temperatures on the lenses was taken into account during the design process. AIR-C's performance is predicted. Finally, we discuss the scientific potential for a small Antarctic telescope.

The Smithsonian Widefield Infrared Camera (SWIRC) is a Y -, J-, and H-band imager for the f/5 MMT. Proposed in May 2003 and commissioned in June 2004, the goal of the instrument was to deliver quickly a wide field-of-view instrument with minimal optical elements and hence high throughput. The trade-off; was to sacrifice K-band capability by not having an internal, cold Lyot stop. We describe SWIRC's design and capabilities, and discuss lessons learned from the thermal design and the detector mount, all of which have been incorporated into the upcoming MMT & Magellan Infrared Spectrograph.

In this paper, we present the preliminary optical design of PANIC (PAnoramic Near Infrared camera for Calar Alto), a wide-field infrared imager for the Calar Alto 2.2 m telescope. The camera optical design is a folded single optical train that images the sky onto the focal plane with a plate scale of 0.45 arcsec per 18 μm pixel. A mosaic of four Hawaii 2RG of 2k x 2k made by Teledyne is used as detector and will give a field of view of 31.9 arcmin x 31.9 arcmin. This cryogenic instrument has been optimized for the Y, J, H and K bands. Special care has been taken in the selection of the standard IR materials used for the optics in order to maximize the instrument throughput and to include the z band. The main challenges of this design are: to produce a well defined internal pupil which allows reducing the thermal background by a cryogenic pupil stop; the correction of off-axis aberrations due to the large field available; the correction of chromatic aberration because of the wide spectral coverage; and the capability of introduction of narrow band filters (~1%) in the system minimizing the degradation in the filter passband without a collimated stage in the camera. We show the optomechanical error budget and compensation strategy that allows our as built design to met the performances from an optical point of view. Finally, we demonstrate the flexibility of the design showing the performances of PANIC at the CAHA 3.5m telescope.

PANIC is a wide-field NIR camera, which is currently under development for the Calar Alto observatory (CAHA) in Spain. It uses a mosaic of four Hawaii-2RG detectors and covers the spectral range from 0.8-2.5 μm (z to K-band). The field-of-view is 30×30 arcmin. This instrument can be used at the 2.2m telescope (0.45arcsec/pixel, 0.5×0.5 degree FOV) and at the 3.5m telescope (0.23arcsec/pixel, 0.25×0.25 degree FOV). The operating temperature is about 77K, achieved by liquid Nitrogen cooling. The cryogenic optics has three flat folding mirrors with diameters up to 282 mm and nine lenses with diameters between 130 mm and 255 mm. A compact filter unit can carry up to 19 filters distributed over four filter wheels. Narrow band (1%) filters can be used. The instrument has a diameter of 1.1 m and it is about 1 m long. The weight limit of 400 kg at the 2.2m telescope requires a light-weight cryostat design. The aluminium vacuum vessel and radiation shield have wall thicknesses of only 6 mm and 3 mm respectively.

NEWFIRM, the widefield infrared camera for the NOAO 4-m telescopes, saw first light in February 2007 and is now in service as a general user instrument. Previous papers have described it conceptually and presented design details. We discuss experience gained from assembly, laboratory testing, and on-sky commissioning. We present final system performance characteristics and summarize science use in its the first semester of general availability. NEWFIRM has met its requirement to provide a high efficiency observing system, optimized end-to-end for survey science.

We have been developing a near infrared camera called ANIR (Atacama Near InfraRed camera), for the University of Tokyo Atacama 1.0m telescope installed at the summit of Co. Chajnantor (5640m altitude) in Northern Chile. The major aim of this camera is to carry out an imaging survey in Paschen α emission line (1.8751μm) from the ground for the first time. The camera is based on a PACE-HAWAII2 array with an Offner relay optics for re-imaging, and field of view is 5.'3 × 5.'3 with pixel scale of 0."308/pix. It is scheduled to see first light in the end of 2008, and start the Paschen α/β survey of the Galactic plane in 2009.

The FourStar infrared camera is a 1.0-2.5 μm (JHK_s) near infrared camera for the Magellan Baade 6.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory (Chile). It is being built by Carnegie Observatories and the Instrument Development Group and is scheduled for completion in 2009. The instrument uses four Teledyne HAWAII-2RG arrays that produce a 10.9' × 10.9' field of view. The outstanding seeing at the Las Campanas site coupled with FourStar's high sensitivity and large field of view will enable many new survey and targeted science programs.

We present the design overview and on-telescope performance of the WIYN High Resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC). As a dedicated near-infrared (0.8-2.5 μm) camera on the WIYN Tip-Tilt Module (WTTM), WHIRC will provide near diffraction-limited imaging with a typical FWHM of ~0.25". WHIRC uses a 2048 x 2048 HgCdTe array from Raytheon's VIRGO line, which is a spinoff from the VISTA project. The WHIRC filter complement includes J, H K_S, and 10 narrowband filters. WHIRC's compact design makes it the smallest near-IR camera with this capability. We determine a gain of 3.8 electrons ADU^-1 via a photon transfer analysis and a readout noise of ~27 electrons. A measured dark current of 0.23 electrons s^-1 indicates that the cryostat is extremely light tight. A plate scale of 0.098" pixel^-1 results in a field of view (FOV) of ~3' x 3', which is a compromise between the highest angular resolution achievable and the largest FOV correctable by WTTM. Measured throughput values (~0.33 in H-band) are consistent with those predicted for WHIRC based on an elemental analysis. WHIRC was delivered to WIYN in July 2007 and was opened for shared risk use in Spring 2008. WHIRC will be a facility instrument at the WIYN telescope enabling high definition near-infrared imaging studies of a wide range of astronomical phenomena including star formation regions, proto-planetary disks, stellar populations and interstellar medium in nearby galaxies, and supernova and gamma-ray burst searches.

We describe diamond-turned material tests for the integral field unit (IFU) for the FRIDA instrument (inFRared Imager and Dissector for the Adaptive optics system of the Gran Telescopio Canarias). FRIDA is closely based on the design of the successful FISICA cryogenic infrared image slicing device, which used "monolithic" mirror arrays, diamond turned into single pieces of metal. FRIDA, however, will require better roughness characteristics than the 15nm RMS of FISICA to avoid light scatter in FRIDA's shorter wavelength limit (900nm). Al 6061 seems to be limited to this roughness level by its silicate inclusions so some new combination of materials that are compatible with FRIDA's Al 6061 structure must be found. To this end, we have tested six diamond-turned mirrors with different materials and different platings. We used the Zygo interferometer facility at IA-UNAM to do warm and cold profile measurements of the mirrors to investigate possible bimetallic deformation effects. We present a detailed comparison of the various performance characteristics of the test mirrors.

We describe the design and optimization of a wide-field near-infrared camera and spectrograph (NICAS) for Mt Abu 1.2 m, f/13 Cassegrain telescope of Physical Research Laboratory. The principal science goals include photometric mapping of star forming regions and medium resolution spectroscopy of Young Stellar Objects, evolved stars and transient sources. The design goals are to achieve seeing-limited angular resolution in an un-vignetted field of view of ~ 8'x8' with 0.5" per pixel (of 18.5 μm) on a HgCdTe 1024×1024 infrared array, requiring a two-fold Cassegrain focal reduction. In addition to the imaging, the instrument is required to have spectroscopic capability with a resolving power of 10³ in the 0.85 - 2.5 μm region, needing a dispersion of 1 nm per pixel. Finally, since our telescope has a moderate aperture, the throughput losses need to be minimized. The specifications are achieved by an optical design using 9 singlet lenses. Only those lens materials are chosen for which measured values are available for refractive indices at 77 K (detector operating temperature), changes of indices with temperature, and thermal coefficients of expansion. The design is optimized to give sharpest images at 77 K. The optical path is folded by 90° after collimation by a fold-mirror and re-imaged on the detector. The fold-mirror is replaced by a diffraction grating for spectrograph mode. In order to minimize the reflection losses, all the lenses will be anti-reflection coated for the full operating wavelength range. Details of the design are presented.

MOSFIRE, the multi-object spectrometer for infra-red exploration, is a near-IR (0.97-2.45 micron) spectrograph and imager for the Cassegrain focus of the Keck I telescope. The optical design provides imaging and multi-object spectroscopy over a field of view (FOV) of 6.14' x 6.14' with a resolving power of R~3,270 for a slit width of 0.7 arc seconds (2.9 pixels along dispersion). The detector is a 2.5 micron cut-off 2K x 2K H2-RG HgCdTe array with a SIDECAR ASIC for detector control. A special feature of MOSFIRE is that its multiplex advantage of up to 46 slits is achieved using a cryogenic Configurable Slit Unit (developed in collaboration with the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Micro Technology) reconfigurable under remote control in <5 minutes without thermal cycling. Slits are formed by moving opposable bars from both sides of the focal plane. An individual slit has a length of ~7.1 arc seconds but bar positions can be aligned to make longer slits. A single diffraction grating in two positions along with order-sorting filters gives essentially full coverage of the K, H, J and Y bands using 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th order respectively. The grating and a mirror are mounted back-to-back, and when the bars are retracted from the FOV MOSFIRE becomes a wide-field imager. A piezo tip-tilt mirror following the field lens is used to provide flexure compensation at the 0.1 pixel level. Two large CCR heads allow the instrument to reach operating temperature in ~7 days. MOSFIRE is currently in construction.

The combination of immersion grating and infrared array detector technologies now allows the construction of high-resolution spectrographs in the near-infrared that have capabilities approaching those of optical spectrographs. It is possible, for instance, to design multi-object spectrographs with very large wavelength coverage and high throughput. However, infrared spectrographs must be cryogenic and the cost of complexity can be large. We investigate lower cost design options for single-object high-resolution spectrographs. The trade-off in these designs is between the size/number of infrared arrays and the inclusion of moving parts. We present a design for a no moving parts spectrograph with either 1.1-2.5 or 3- 5 μm simultaneous wavelength coverage. The design was undertaken with attention to cost as well as scientific merit. Here we review the science drivers and key functional requirements. We present a general overview of the instrument and estimate the limiting performance. The performance is compared with that of medium-resolution infrared spectrographs as well as other high-resolution infrared spectrographs.

The near infrared (NIR) upgrade to the Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS) on the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), RSS/NIR, extends the spectral coverage of all modes of the optical spectrograph. The RSS/NIR is a low to medium resolution spectrograph with broadband, spectropolarimetric, and Fabry-Perot imaging capabilities. The optical and NIR arms can be used simultaneously to extend spectral coverage from 3200 Å to approximately 1.6 μm. Both arms utilize high efficiency volume phase holographic gratings via articulating gratings and cameras. The NIR camera incorporates a HAWAII-2RG detector with an Epps optical design consisting of 6 spherical elements and providing subpixel rms image sizes of 7.5 ± 1.0 μm over all wavelengths and field angles. The NIR spectrograph is semi-warm, sharing a common slit plane and partial collimator with the optical arm. A pre-dewar, cooled to below ambient temperature, houses the final NIR collimator optic, the grating/Fabry-Perot etalon, the polarizing beam splitter, and the first three camera optics. The last three camera elements, blocking filters, and detector are housed in a cryogenically cooled dewar. The semi-warm design concept has long been proposed as an economical way to extend optical instruments into the NIR, however, success has been very limited. A major portion of our design effort entails a detailed thermal analysis using non-sequential ray tracing to interactively guide the mechanical design and determine a truly realizable long wavelength cutoff over which astronomical observations will be sky-limited. In this paper we describe our thermal analysis, design concepts for the staged cooling scheme, and results to be incorporated into the overall mechanical design and baffling.

We are developing a new NIR high-resolution (R_max = 100, 000) and high-sensitive spectrograph WINERED, specifically customized for short NIR bands at 0.9-1.35 μm. WINERED employs the following novel approaches in the optical system: portable design with a ZnSe immersion grating and warm optics without any cold stops. These concepts result in several essential advantages: easy to build, align, and maintain; these result in a short development time and low cost. WINERED is also equipped with a "normal echelle mode", which can cover the entire wavelength range simultaneously with R = 30, 000. In this poster paper, we will present the results of the detailed testing of optical components and the laboratory first light for the normal echelle mode. See Poster paper 7018-183 by Ikeda et al. in another session for the status of the development of the ZnSe immersion grating for R = 100, 000. We plan to complete the normal mode first by the end of 2008 and will install the immersion grating in 2010.

We present an upgrade plan of the infrared camera and spectrograph for the Subaru Telescope (IRCS^1-4) to introduce the high resolution spectroscopic mode (a resolving power; R=λ/Δλ > 70,000) in the infrared bands (1.4-5.5 μm). To realize the compact and stable cooled instrument, we are developing the immersion grating⁵ with Si whose refractive index is ~ 3.4. The optics design is significantly compact (600mm × 250mm × 250mm) using the Si immersion grating, and it can be easily located beside or inside the IRCS main dewar. The IRCS has been operating for 8 years with an extremely stable condition, and it is combined with the next generation adaptive optics system (AO188⁶) and the laser guide star system (LGS⁷) of the Subaru Telescope. The quick integration of the new high resolution spectrograph unit (HRU) can be expected by using the existing stable instrument. The total performance with the designed optics is so good that the optical design could meet the required specifications. The image quality shows a strehl ratio of > 0.88 for the entire bands, and 24 scannings of the gratings can cover the 1.4-5.5 μm. We plan to fabricate the Si immersion grating for the actual astronomical use in 2009, and the HRU will be built around 2011. It will be the first high sensitive infrared spectrograph with high spectral resolution capability in the northern hemisphere and with the laser guide star AO system.

We present FLEX, an instrument to demonstrate the power of fibre Bragg grating OH suppression. This ground breaking technology promises great gains in sensitivity for near infrared instrumentation and the time is now right for a pioneer instrument to prove the effectiveness of the technique. Our proposal is for an adaptive optics fed integral field unit for an 8 metre class telescope. We envisage a 61 element IFU with 0.22" sampling and a 2.2" field of view. J and H-band OH suppression units would cleanly suppress the atmospheric emission lines, effectively lowering the sky background by 3 or 4 magnitudes respectively. The capabilities of FLEX will make it ideal for deep Epoch of Reionisation studies, as well as studies of star formation at z~1-4. To enable rapid and economical deployment FLEX would use an existing near infrared spectrograph with R ≈ 1000 and employ facility adaptive optics.

Modern NIR spectrographs aiming at the detection and spectral study of faint deep sky objects are potentially sensitive to performances-degrading straylight effects. In particular, the following straylight mechanisms have been identified: - ghost images, inherent to large aperture broadband camera in multi-band spectrographs, have often specific distribution which can (and needs to) be simulated when baffling is not possible; - scattered light generated at the surface of the component is also interesting in the NIR spectrum as it is often at the cross-over between a micro-roughness dominated behaviour and a particulate contamination dominated one; - the use of dispersing element such as diffraction grating brings its own straylight issues related to the control of non-evanescent orders and under incidence different from the one given by the main sequential optical path from telescope to detector; - finally, thermal background from local spectrograph environment or more remote observatory-level sources affects particularly the long wavelength end of the NIR spectrum (H and K bands typically) and in-band or out-of-band rejection is desirable as complementary or even alternative to potentially complex and costly full cryogenic operation. These different points are discussed and illustrated through case studies of several NIR multi-object spectrograph designs like the fibre-fed reflective grating with OH lines suppression FMOS (designed and built), the broadband multi-IFU slicer and slit grating KMOS (under development) and the fibre-fed grism-based SIDE (in conceptual design stage).

ISLE is a near-infrared imager and spectrograph for the Cassegrain focus (f/18) of the 1.88 m telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. It is upgraded instrument with a new detector, HAWAII-1 HgCdTe array and new optics. ISLE provides imaging capabilities which covers 4.2 × 4.2 arcmin² field-of-view at 0.25 arc-sec/ pixel and long-slit (4 arcmin) spectroscopic capabilities at λ/Δλ = 1000 - 4000 using reflection gratings. The noise performance of the detector is excellent. The read noise of 2.5 electrons with 25 Fowler pairs has been achieved, that is one of the world's lowest level among the instruments which use HAWAII-1 array as the detector. We discuss the technical performance of ISLE and examine the upgrade effectiveness.

The Optical System for Imaging and low Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy (OSIRIS) is the first light instrument for the 10.4 meters Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC). It's a 8.5 × 8.5 arc-min visible camera; a set of grisms provides low resolution spectroscopic capability. In this contribution the accessories and mountings for alignment are presented as well as the techniques used. Also, a complete characterization of the system at laboratory for image quality, spectral and spatial resolution, and image movement, etc. are shown.

AMICA (Antarctic Medium Infrared Camera) [1] is the imaging camera that will support first-light testing for the IRAIT telescope. IRAIT (International Robotic Antarctic Infrared Telescope) is a 80 cm class telescope to be installed at Dome C, a site located at 3200m height on the Antarctic plateau. AMICA, placed at the telescope Nasmyth focus, is a dual feed infrared camera: a medium infrared optical beam designed to be operated by a Si:As detector array covering the range 5-28 μm, and a near infrared optical beam operated by a In:Sb detector array covering the spectral range down to J band. A specific goal of this project, having to face the prohibitive Antarctic environment imposing strong limits to human and equipments operation, is the need to implement robotic and remotely controlled procedures for the telescope and its instrumentation. This will impose well integrated and cooperative control systems, besides the accurate insulation for all the equipment exposed to the extreme environmental conditions of Dome C (T -90, p 640 mbar). In the present paper we will provide an overview of the progress so far obtained in the construction and testing of the AMICA control system.

GIRAFFE is an intermediate resolution spectrograph covering a wavelength range from 360-930nm and fed by optical fibers as a part of FLAMES, the multi-object fiber facility mounted at the ESO VLT Kueyen. For some time we sought a new detector for GIRAFFE spectrograph to boost the instrument's red QE (Quantum Efficiency) capabilities, while still retaining very good blue response. We aimed also at reducing the strong fringing present in the red spectra. The adopted solution was an e2v custom 2-layer AR (Anti-Reflection) coated Deep Depletion CCD44-82 CCD. This device was made in a new e2v Technologies AR coating plant and delivered to ESO in mid 2007 with performance that matches predictions. The new CCD was commissioned in May 2008. Here we report on the results.

FLAMINGOS-2 is a near-infrared wide-field imager and fully cryogenic multi-object spectrometer for Gemini Observatory being built by the University of Florida. FLAMINGOS-2 can simultaneously carry 9 custom cryogenic multi-object slit masks exchangeable without thermally cycling the entire instrument. Three selectable grisms provide resolving powers which are ~1300 to ~3000 over the entire spectrograph bandpass of 0.9-2.5 microns. We present and discuss characterization data for FLAMINGOS-2 including imaging throughput, image quality, spectral performance, and noise performance. After a lengthy integration process, we expect that FLAMINGOS-2 will be in the midst of commissioning at Gemini South by the fall of 2008.

SPHERE is an exo-solar planet imager, which goal is to detect giant exo-solar planets in the vicinity of bright stars and to characterize them through spectroscopic and polarimetric observations. It is a complete system with a core made of an extreme-Adaptive Optics (AO) turbulence correction, pupil tracker and interferential coronagraphs. At its back end, a differential dual imaging camera and an integral field spectrograph (IFS) work in the Near Infrared (NIR) Y, J, H and Ks bands (0.95 - 2.32μm) and a high resolution polarization camera covers the visible (0.6 - 0.9 μm). The IFS is a low resolution spectrograph (R~50 and R~30) which works in the near IR (0.95-1.7 microns), an ideal wavelength range for the detection of planetary features. In our baseline design the IFU is a new philosophy microlens array of about 145x145 elements designed to reduce as low as possible the contrast. The IFU will cover a field of view of about 1.8 x 1.8 square arcsecs reaching a contrast of 10^-7, giving an high contrast and high spatial resolution "imager" able to search for planet well inside the star PSF.

The ESO planet finder instrument SPHERE will search for the polarimetric signature of the reflected light from extrasolar planets, using a VLT telescope, an extreme AO system (SAXO), a stellar coronagraph, and an imaging polarimeter (ZIMPOL). We present the design concept of the ZIMPOL instrument, a single-beam polarimeter that achieves very high polarimetric accuracy using fast polarization modulation and demodulating CCD detectors. Furthermore, we describe comprehensive performance simulations made with the CAOS problem-solving environment. We conclude that direct detection of Jupiter-sized planets in close orbit around the brightest nearby stars is achievable with imaging polarimetry, signal-switching calibration, and angular differential imaging.

Direct detection and spectral characterization of Extrasolar Planets is one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging areas in modern astronomy. For the second-generation instrumentation on the VLT, ESO has supported the study and the design of instrument, called SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research). SPHERE includes a powerful extreme adaptive optics system, various coronagraphs, an infrared differential imaging camera (IRDIS), an infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) and a visible differential polarimeter (ZIMPOL). IFS is a very low resolution spectrograph (R~50) which works in the near IR (0.95-1.7 microns), an ideal wavelength range for the ground based detection of planetary features. The IFS requirements have been met via an innovative integrated design merging passive stiffness and active control to obtain a light, accessible and functional assembly. This paper gives a description of its cryogenic and mechatronic integrated design.

Integral field spectroscopy coupled with an extreme adaptive optics system and coronagraphy allows a marked improvement of the standard spectroscopic simultaneous differential imaging calibration technique. Hence, with an integral field spectrograph (IFS) direct imaging of extrasolar giant planets becomes potentially feasible over a wide range of ages, masses, and separations from the hosting stars. This aim represents the prime goal of the planet finder instrument for the VLT (SPHERE). Inside SPHERE, the IFS channel exploits various spectral features of the candidate planets in the near infrared, in order to reduce the speckles noise at the level of the stellar background noise, over a field of view comprised between the coronagraphic inner working angle and the outer working angle provided by the SPHERE extreme adaptive optic system (SAXO). The IFS allows then to realize an extensive spectroscopic simultaneous differential imaging calibration technique, and at least in few cases, to get the spectrum of the candidate extrasolar giant planets. Here we present the IFS baseline design, which is based upon a new optical concept we developed for its integral field unit (BIGRE). When applied to the technical specifications of SPHERE IFS, a BIGRE integral field unit is able to take into account all the effects appearing when integral field spectroscopy is used in diffraction limited conditions and for high-contrast imaging purposes. Finally a BIGRE-oriented IFS optical design is shown here to reach the requested high optical quality by standard lenses-based optical devices.

We summarize here an experimental frame combination pipeline we developed for ultra high-contrast imaging with systems like the upcoming VLT SPHERE instrument. The pipeline combines strategies from the Drizzle technique, the Spitzer IRACproc package, and homegrown codes, to combine image sets that may include a rotating field of view and arbitrary shifts between frames. The pipeline is meant to be robust at dealing with data that may contain non-ideal effects like sub-pixel pointing errors, missing data points, non-symmetrical noise sources, arbitrary geometric distortions, and rapidly changing point spread functions. We summarize in this document individual steps and strategies, as well as results from preliminary tests and simulations.

We present some of the High Dynamic Range Imaging activities developed around the coronagraphic test-bench of the Laboratoire A. H. Fizeau (Nice). They concern research and development of an Apodized Lyot Coronagraph (ALC) for the VLT-SPHERE instrument and experimental results from our testbed working in the visible domain. We determined by numerical simulations the specifications of the apodizing filter and searched the best technological process to manufacture it. We present the results of the experimental tests on the first apodizer prototype in the visible and the resulting ALC nulling performances. The tests concern particularly the apodizer characterization (average transmission radial profile, global reflectivity and transmittivity in the visible), ALC nulling performances compared with expectations, sensitivity of the ALC performances to misalignments of its components.

IFS is the Integral Field Spectrograph for SPHERE, a 2nd generation instrument for VLT devoted to the search of exoplanets. To achieve the performances required for the IFS a new device sampling the focal plane has been designed, prototyped and tested in laboratory. This device named BIGRE consists of a system made of two microlens arrays with different focal lengths and thickness equal to the sum of them and precisely aligned each other. Moreover a mask has been deposited on the first array to produce a field stop for each lenslet. Laboratory tests confirmed that specifications and properties of the prototype are met by state of the art on optics microlens manufacturing. To characterize the device, a simulator of IFS has been built in laboratory and the BIGRE properties have been tested in real working conditions, showing that the design of the double array fulfills IFS requirements.

The SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research) planet finder instrument for ESO's VLT telescope, scheduled for first light in 2011, aims to detect giant extra-solar planets in the vicinity of bright stars by the aid of an extreme-AO turbulence compensation system and to characterize the objects found through spectroscopic and polarimetric observations. Dual imaging observations within the Y, J, H and Ks atmospheric windows (~0.95 - 2.32μm) will be done by the aid of the IRDIS cryogenic camera. We describe briefly the science goals of IRDIS and present its system architecture. Current status of the instrument design is presented, and expected performance is described in terms of end-to-end simulations.

The 2nd generation VLT instrument SPHERE will include an integral field spectrograph to enhance the capabilities of detection of planetary companions close to bright stars. SPHERE-IFS is foreseen to work in near IR (0.95-1.65 micron) at low spectral resolution. This paper describes the observing strategies, the adopted hardware solutions for calibrating the instrument, and the data reduction procedures that are mandatory for the achievement of the extreme contrast performances for which the instrument is designed.

We are developing a near infrared spectrometer for measuring solar absorption lines in the zodiacal light in the near infrared region. it has been recently demonstrated¹ that observing single Fraunhofer line can be a powerful tool for extracting zodiacal light parameters based on the measurements of the profile of the Mg I line at 5184 A. We are extending this technique to the near infrared with the primary goal of measuring the absolute intensity of the zodiacal light. This measurement will provide the crucial information needed to accurately subtract zodiacal emission from the DIRBE (Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment) diffuse sky measurements to determine the intensity of the extragalactic infrared background. The instrument design is based on a dual Fabry-Perot interferometer with a narrow band filter. Its double etalon design allows to achieve high spectral contrast to reject the bright out of band atmospheric hydroxyl emission. High spectral contrast is absolutely necessary to achieve detection limits needed to accurately measure the intensity of the absorption line. We present the design, the estimated performance of the instrument, and the expected results of the observing program.

KMOS is a second generation near infrared multi-object spectrograph instrument for the VLT. It is a highly complex astronomical instrument with over 60 cryo-mechanisms deploying pickoff arms, moving filter wheels and detector focus stages. The instrument houses three identical sections each consisting of 8 pickoff arms, 2 filter wheels, 8 integral field units feeding a spectrograph and its detector systems. The housekeeping electronics provides a semi-automation of the cryostat functions such as pump down, cool down and warm up sequences, vacuum and temperature measurement and control etc. The infrastructure electronics is responsible for the safe operation of the instrument. It monitors the various cryostat conditions, takes automatic corrective actions under faulty conditions and raises alarms when a manual intervention is needed. This semi-automation design is aimed at not only minimising the risk of instrument damage, but also takes into account the safety of instrument manual handling. This paper describes the design of the instrument infrastructure electronics and details its functions such as semi-automation of the cryostat procedures, housekeeping diagnostics, automatic corrective actions under faulty conditions, scheme of alarm and warnings, detector thermal protection etc. and presents the associated interfaces to the control electronics and the cable co-rotator.

Emerging applications in Defense and Security require sensors with state-of-the-art sensitivity and capabilities. Among these sensors, the imaging spectrometer is an instrument yielding a large amount of rich information about the measured scene. Standoff detection, identification and quantification of chemicals in the gaseous state is one important application. Analysis of the surface emissivity as a means to classify ground properties and usage is another one. Imaging spectrometers have unmatched capabilities to meet the requirements of these applications. Telops has developed the FIRST, a LWIR hyperspectral imager. The FIRST is based on the Fourier Transform technology yielding high spectral resolution and enabling high accuracy radiometric calibration. The FIRST, a man portable sensor, provides datacubes of up to 320×256 pixels at 0.35mrad spatial resolution over the 8-12 μm spectral range at spectral resolutions of up to 0.25cm^-1. The FIRST has been used in several field campaigns, including the demonstration of standoff chemical agent detection [http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.788027.1]. More recently, an airborne system integrating the FIRST has been developed to provide airborne hyperspectral measurement capabilities. The airborne system and its capabilities are presented in this paper. The FIRST sensor modularity enables operation in various configurations such as tripod-mounted and airborne. In the airborne configuration, the FIRST can be operated in push-broom mode, or in staring mode with image motion compensation. This paper focuses on the airborne operation of the FIRST sensor.

AAOmicron is a wide-field, fiber-fed, multi-object, near-infrared spectrograph concept for the Anglo Australian Telescope (AAT). It is one of a number of instruments concepts (primarily for bright time use) recently considered to complement the existing instrumentation and in particular the highly popular AAOmega system (primarily dark and grey time usage). AAOmicron has a two-degree field of view, 240 robotically configured fibers and operates between 0.98 and 1.75μm at a resolution of R~3500. AAOmicron offers a broad suite of applications from the study of low-mass stars, to determining the structure of the high-redshift Universe. We present an overview of the instrument concept, which is based heavily on the highly successful AAOmega system, and describe how the AAOmega spectrograph design could be adapted for near-infrared observations to provide a highly cost effective and scientifically compelling instrument.

LUCIFER is a NIR spectrograph and imager (wavelength range 0.9 to 2.5 micron) for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mt. Graham, Arizona, working at cryogenic temperatures of less than 70K. Two instruments are built by a consortium of five German institutes and will be mounted at the bent Gregorian foci of the two individual telescope mirrors. Three exchangable cameras are available for imaging and spectroscopy: two of them are optimized for seeing-limited conditions, a third camera for the diffraction limited case will be used with the LBT adaptive secondary mirror working. Up to 33 exchangeable masks are available for longslit or multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) over the full field of view (FOV). Both MOS-units (LUCIFER 1 and LUCIFER 2) and the auxiliary cryostats together with the control electronics have been completed. The observational software-package is in its final stage of preparation. After the total integration of LUCIFER 1 extensive tests were done for all electro-mechanical functions and the verification of the instrument started. The results of the tests are presented in detail and are compared with the specifications.

GIANO-TNG is a cryogenic high resolution infrared spectrometer whose optics include large aspheric mirrors and cross-dispersing prisms mounted over a ≃1.5 m² aluminum bench. To achieve the highest possible spectral stability and repeatability the bench is internally filled with liquid nitrogen whose boil-off pressure is actively controlled and stabilized to a fraction of mbar. The bench is isostatically mounted inside a ≃2.5 m³ cryostat. We present the characteristics and performances of the cryogenic system of GIANO which include, in particular, a temperature uniformity and long-term stability of a few mK and a remarkably low consumption of liquid nitrogen (less than 1 liter/hr).

GIANO is an high resolution cross-dispersed spectrometer operating at near IR wavelengths (0.9-2.5 microns) which will be soon commissioned at the 3.6m TNG Italian telescope in La Palma. One of its most ambitious aims is searching for earth-like planets with habitable conditions around very cool main sequence stars. This requires measurements of radial velocities with accuracies of a few m/s which can be achieved by means of a gas absorption cell containing a mixture of the halogen-hydrates HCl, HBr and HI. We present here the results of the laboratory work for the construction and characterization of such cell.

The UK FMOS spectrograph forms part of Subaru's FMOS multi-object infrared spectroscopy facility. The spectrograph was shipped to Hilo in component form in August of 2007. We describe the integration sequence for the spectrograph, the results of cooldown tests using a new chiller unit fitted to the spectrograph at the telescope, and alignment tests of the spectrograph, gratings and OH-suppression masks. We present the first-light observations for the spectrograph from May 2008.

We have developed a physical model of the VLT 2nd generation instrument X-shooter for use in wavelength calibration. We describe here the model concept, its use during the development of the data reduction software and the initial alignment of the spectrograph in the laboratory and the optimisation of the model to fit early laboratory data.

We have studied the properties of wavelength calibration sources for the near-IR (NIR: 1000-2500 nm) arm of X-shooter. In a novel approach we are combining laboratory measurements from a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and literature data with corresponding simulated data derived from a physical model of X-shooter. The sources studied are pen ray lamps filled with the noble gases Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe and Th-Ar hollow cathode lamps. As a product we provide a quantitative order by order analysis of the expected properties of the calibration lamps during X-shooter operations. The analysis accounts for blending of lines and makes realistic assumptions about the dynamic range available in a typical wavelength calibration exposure. Based on our study we recommend the use of Ne, Kr, and Ar as the best three lamp combination for X-shooter calibration. A detailed comparison between the predicted and actual performance of the calibration system has been started as part of the X-shooter testing and validation phase and first results are very promising. To our knowledge this is the first time that such a detailed and quantitative analysis of a calibration system has been done prior to the operation of the instrument. The combination of laboratory measurements and instrument modeling provides a powerful tool for future instrument development.

X-shooter is a wide band (U to K) intermediate resolution (4000-14000) single object three-arms spectrograph for the VLT. Currently in the last phase of integration, X-shooter will see the first light at ESO Paranal as the first of the VLT second generation instruments in the last quarter of 2008. We describe in this paper the final steps in the integration and testing phase of the central Backbone with its key functions (including the active flexure compensation mirrors) and of the two UV-Blue and Visible spectroscopic arms. We report on the stability results of the preslit optics and of the spectrographs and on the remarkable efficiency which is derived from the measurements of the optical components of the instrument.

There were a few methods taken in the profile tolerance measurement of the LAMOST Focal Plane Plate. One of the methods was to use CMM (Coordinate Measurement Machine) to measure the points on the small Focal Plane Plate and calculate the points whether or not in the tolerance zone. In this process there are some small shortcomings. The measuring point positions on the Focal Plane Plate are not the actual installation location of the optical fiber positioning system. In order to eliminate these principle errors, a measuring mandrel is inserted into the unit-holes, and the precision for the mandrel with the hole is controlled in the high level. Then measure the center of the precise target ball which is placed on the measuring mandrel by CMM. At last, fit a sphere surface with the measuring center points of the target ball and analyze the profile tolerance of the Focal Plane Plate. This process will be more in line with the actual installation location of the optical fiber positioning system. When use this method to judge the profile tolerance can provide the reference date for maintaining the ultra error unit-holes on the Focal Plane Plate. But when insert the measuring mandrel into the unit hole, there are manufacturing errors in the measuring mandrel, target ball and assembly errors. All these errors will bring the influence in the measurement. In the paper, an impact evaluation assesses the intermediate process with all these errors through experiments. And the experiment results show that there are little influence when use the target ball and the measuring mandrel in the measurement of the profile tolerance. Instead, there are more advantages than many past use of measuring methods.

An area CCD camera is used to detect space coordinates of fibers in LAMOST positioning system, which is National Ninth Five Great Scientific Project, in order to achieve the detection of real-time, un-touched and high accuracy. This measurement method is based on photogrammetry and is applied in many other photometric measurement systems. The positioning accuracy for LAMOST is less than 40m, so fibers' position detection accuracy is at least one-third of it. The position detection of static goals through general photogrammetry can achieve high accuracy, about several microns. But fibers are active in LAMOST, so the systematic research about CCD measurement under this circumstance is carried on in this paper, which includes measurement error magnitude, form of expression, influencing factors, causes and ways to reduce measurement error. Some conclusions can be obtained through position detection experiments for movement fibers: The measurement method with a CCD camera for position detection has a good measurement stability, its accuracy can achieve about 2 microns for 8 hours; This method also has a high accuracy for position detection of one-dimensional movement fibers, which is less than 5 microns within the movement distance of several millimeters; But when fibers move in a curtain space freely, F number, lamp-house, speckle status and imaging size will probably cause additional measurement error. It is about a dozen microns to tens of microns and it stems from the changes of light intensity distribution of imaging speckles while fibers are moving. Finally, it is discussed simply to improve the measurement method and reduce measurement error.

At present, the LAMOST project is in a crucial period. The machining progressing of LAMOST Focal Plane Plate has completed. The inspection of the machining quality for the Focal Plane Plate in the machining process is a pivotal work. In all of the design requirements, the most crucial standards of accuracy are the profile tolerance and the unit-holes dimensional angle. Theirs precision will influence the observation efficiency of the LAMOST. But there are more than 4000 unit-holes on the 1.75m diameter Focal Plane Plate, it is impossible to measure all unit-holes and the whole area of the Focal Plane Plate. How to measure the minimal unit-hole and get the most accurate results about the machining process, judge whether the final machining Focal Plane Plate satisfy the design requirements. The measurement scheme optimization is discussed in the paper. There are two different ways to measure the Focal Plane Plate, one is the traditional way whish use specially designed implements for the every individual parameter, the other way used the CMM to measure the pivotal design requirements such as unit-hole dimensional angle and the profile tolerance of the Focal Plane Plate. The advantage of this is saving the time and cost on the CMM, improving the efficiency for the whole measurement work, and acquires the direct vision results before measuring the Focal Plane Plate on CMM. Whereas the implement which used in the measurement need to design and machine precisely for the credible measurement results. And all the measuring work is calibrated by the CMM sampling detection. The sampling detection based on the processing technology and some implements are mentioned in the paper.

Large sky area multi-object spectroscopic telescope(LAMOST) is a reflecting schmidt telescope, the unique telescope structure make it compatible with both large sky area and large aperture. While the vignetting effect of the telescope is not the same everywhere, the flat field is quite different from the common flat field which use a lamp projecting to a fixed white screen. We describe the Schmidt reflector(MA) cover solution of the LAMOST flat field, simulation shows the variation across the field of view is less than 2 percent. The material of flat field screen is carefully chosen to have both high reflectivity and diffusion. We also describe the material test for the LAMOST flat field screen. Flat field lamp should have high color temperature to raise the sinal in the shorter wavelength. The possible solution for the flat field lamp is described.