MIRADAS (Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical Spectrograph) is the facility near-infrared multi-object echelle spectrograph for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) 10.4-meter telescope. MIRADAS operates at spectral resolution R=20,000 over the 1-2.5µm bandpass), and provides multiplexing (up to N=12 targets) and spectro-polarimetry. The MIRADAS consortium includes the University of Florida, Universidad de Barcelona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya and Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, as well as partners at A-V-S (Spain), New England Optical Systems (USA), and IUCAA (India). MIRADAS completed its Final Design Review in 2015, and in this paper, we review the current status and overall system design for the instrument, with scheduled delivery in 2018. We particularly emphasize key developments in cryogenic robotic probe arms for multiplexing, a macro-slicer mini-IFU, an advanced cryogenic spectrograph optical system, and a SIDECAR-based array control system for the 1x2 HAWAII-2RG detector mosaic.
CIRCE is a near-infrared (1-2.5 micron) imager (including low-resolution spectroscopy and polarimetery) in operation as a visitor instrument on the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.-4m tele scope. It was built largely by graduate students and postdocs, with help from the UF Astronomy engineering group, and is funded by the University of Florida and the U.S. National Science Foundation. CIRCE is helping to fill the gap in time between GTC first light and the arrival of EMIR, and will also provide the following scientific capabilities to compliment EMIR after its arrival: high-resolution imaging, narrowband imaging, high-time-resolution photometry, polarimetry, and low-resolution spectroscopy. There are already scientific results from CIRCE, some of which we will review. Additionally, we will go over the observing modes of CIRCE, including the two additional modes that were added during a service and upgrading run in March 2016.
The Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical Spectrograph (MIRADAS, a near-infrared multi-object echelle spectrograph operating at spectral resolution R=20,000 over the 1-2.5μm bandpass) was selected by the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) partnership as the next-generation near-infrared spectrograph for the world's largest optical/infrared telescope, and is being developed by an international consortium. The MIRADAS consortium includes the University of Florida, Universidad de Barcelona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, as well as probe arm industrial partner A-V-S (Spain), with more than 45 Science Working Group members in 10 institutions primarily in Spain, Mexico, and the USA. In this paper, we review the overall system design and project status for MIRADAS during its early fabrication phase in 2016.
The Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical Spectrograph (MIRADAS) is a near-infrared (NIR) multi-object
spectrograph for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). It can simultaneously observe multiple targets selected by
20 identical deployable probe arms with pickoff mirror optics. The bases of the arms are fixed to the multiplexing
system (MXS) plate, a circular platform, and arranged in a circular layout with minimum separation between
elements of the arms. This document presents the MXS prototype P2a, a full-scale, fully operational prototype
of a MIRADAS probe arm. This planar closed-loop mechanism compared to other previous designs offers some
advantages specially in terms of stability and from the point of view of optics. Unfortunately, these benefits come
at the expense of a more complicated kinematics and an unintuitive arm motion. Furthermore, the cryogenic
motor controllers used in prototyping impose severe restrictions in path planing. They negatively impact in the
slice of pie approach, a collision-avoidance patrolling strategy that can gives good results in other scenarios. This
study is a starting point to define collision-free trajectory algorithms for the 20 probe arms of MIRADAS.
CIRCE is a near-infrared (1-2.5 micron) imager, polarimeter and low-resolution spectrograph intended as a visitor instrument for the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.-4m telescope. It was built largely by graduate students and postdocs, with help from the UF astronomy engineering group, and is funded by the University of Florida and the U.S. National Science Foundation. CIRCE is intended to help fill the gap in time between GTC first light and the arrival of EMIR, and will also provide the following scientific capabilities to compliment EMIR after its arrival: high- resolution imaging, narrowband imaging, high-time-resolution photometry, imaging- and spectro- polarimetry, low-resolution spectroscopy. In this poster, we review the lab testing results for CIRCE from 2013 and describe the instrument status (currently in shipment to GTC).
We describe the design, development, and laboratory test results of cryogenic probe arms
feeding deployable integral field units (IFUs) for the Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical
Spectrograph (MIRADAS) - a near-infrared multi-object echelle spectrograph for the 10.4-meter
Gran Telescopio Canarias. MIRADAS selects targets using 20 positionable pickoff mirror optics
on cryogenic probe arms, each feeding a 3.7x1.2-arcsec field of view to the spectrograph
integral field units, while maintaining excellent diffraction-limited image quality. The probe arms
are based on a concept developed for the ACES instrument for Gemini and IRMOS for TMT.
We report on the detailed design and opto-mechanical testing of MIRADAS prototype probe
arms, including positioning accuracy, repeatability, and reliability under fully cryogenic
operation, and their performance for MIRADAS. We also discuss potential applications of this
technology to future instruments.
We report on the design, on-sky performance, and status of the FLAMINGOS-2 instrument – the 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 2048x2048-
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 6x2-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 3x1-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 on-sky performance measured during
acceptance testing in 2009, as well as current status of the project and future plans.
The Mid-resolution InfRAreD Astronomical Spectrograph (MIRADAS, a near-infrared multi-object echelle
spectrograph operating at spectral resolution R=20,000 over the 1-2.5μm bandpass) was selected in 2010 by the Gran
Telescopio Canarias (GTC) partnership as the next-generation near-infrared spectrograph for the world's largest
optical/infrared telescope, and is being developed by an international consortium. The MIRADAS consortium includes
the University of Florida, Universidad de Barcelona, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Canarias, Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya and Universidad Nacional
Autonoma de Mexico, as well as probe arm industrial partner A-V-S (Spain). In this paper, we review the overall system
design for MIRADAS, as it nears Preliminary Design Review in the autumn of 2012.
We present the current results from the development of a wide integral field infrared spectrograph (WIFIS). WIFIS offers an unprecedented combination of etendue and spectral resolving power for seeing-limited, integral field observations in the 0.9 - 1.8 μm range and is most sensitive in the 0.9 - 1.35 μ,m range. Its optical design consists of front-end re-imaging optics, an all-reflective image slicer-type, integral field unit (IFU) called FISICA, and a long-slit grating spectrograph back-end that is coupled with a HAWAII 2RG focal plane array. The full wavelength range is achieved by selecting between two different gratings. By virtue of its re-imaging optics, the spectrograph is quite versatile and can be used at multiple telescopes. The size of its field-of-view is unrivalled by other similar spectrographs, offering a 4.511x 1211 integral field at a 10-meter class telescope (or
2011 x 5011 at a 2.3-meter telescope). The use of WIFIS will be crucial in astronomical problems which require
wide-field, two-dimensional spectroscopy such as the study of merging galaxies at moderate redshift and nearby star/planet-forming regions and supernova remnants. We discuss the final optical design of WIFIS, and its predicted on-sky performance on two reference telescope platforms: the 2.3-m Steward Bok telescope and the
10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We also present the results from our laboratory characterization of FISICA.
IFU properties such as magnification, field-mapping, and slit width along the entire slit length were measured by our tests. The construction and testing of WIFIS is expected to be completed by early 2013. We plan to commission the instrument at the 2.3-m Steward Bok telescope at Kitt Peak, USA in Spring 2013.
In this paper we present the results of image quality tests performed on the optical system of the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE), a visitor-class near-IR imager, spectrograph, and polarimeter for the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The CIRCE optical system is comprised of eight gold-coated aluminum alloy 6061 mirrors. We present surface roughness analysis of each individual component as well as optical quality of the whole system. We found all individual mirror surface roughness are within specifications except Fold mirrors 1 and 2. We plan to have these components re-cut and re-coated. We used a flat 0.2-arcseconds pinhole mask placed in the focal plane of the telescope to perform the optical quality tests of the system. The pinhole mask covers the entire field of view of the instrument. The resulting image quality allows seeing-limited performance down to seeing of 0.3 arcseconds FWHM. We also observed that our optical system produces a negative field curvature, which compensates the field curvature of the Ritchey-Chretien GTC design once the instrument is on the telescope.
FRIDA (inFRared Imager and Dissector for the Adaptive optics system of the Gran Telescopio Canarias) is designed as
a diffraction limited instrument that will offer broad and narrow band imaging and integral field spectroscopy capabilities
with low (R ~ 1,500), intermediate (R ~ 4,500) and high (R ~ 30,000) spectral resolutions to operate in the wavelength
range 0.9 - 2.5 μm. The integral field unit is based on a monolithic image slicer. The imaging and IFS observing modes
will use the same Teledyne 2K x 2K detector. FRIDA will be based at the Nasmyth B platform of GTC, behind the AO
system. The key scientific objectives of the instrument include studies of solar system bodies, low mass objects,
circumstellar outflow phenomena in advanced stages of stellar evolution, active galactic nuclei, high redshift galaxies,
resolved stellar populations, semi-detached binary systems, young stellar objects and star forming environments. FRIDA
is a collaborative project between the main GTC partners, namely, Spain, México and Florida. In this paper, we present
the status of the instrument design as it is currently being prepared for its manufacture, after an intensive prototypes'
phase and design optimization. The CDR was held in September 2011.
The Flamingos-2 Tandem Tunable filter is a tunable, narrow-band filter, consisting of two Fabry-Perot etalons in series,
capable of scanning to any wavelength from 0.95 to 1.35 microns with a spectral resolution of R~800. It is an accessory
mode instrument for the near-IR Flamingos-2 imaging-spectrograph designed for the Gemini South 8m Observatory and
will be fed through the upcoming Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics feed. The primary science goal of the F2T2 filter is
to perform a ground-based search for the first star forming regions in the universe at redshifts of 7 < z < 11. The
construction of the F2T2 filter is complete and it is currently in its calibration and commissioning phases. In this
proceeding, we describe the calibration and performance of the instrument.
KEYWORDS: Staring arrays, Control systems, Sensors, Analog electronics, Cryogenics, Infrared radiation, Infrared imaging, Observatories, Clocks, Control systems design
The Infrared Instrumentation Group at the University of Florida has substantial experience building IR focal plane array
(FPA) controllers and seamlessly integrating them into the instruments that it builds for 8-meter class observatories,
including writing device drivers for UNIX-based computer systems. We report on a design study to investigate
implementing an ASIC from Teledyne Imaging Systems (TIS) into our IR FPA controller while simultaneously
replacing TIS's interface card with one that eliminates the requirement for a Windows-OS computer within the
instrument's control system.
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.
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.
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.
We report on the design status of the Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE), a near-infrared visitor
instrument for the 10.4 meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). In addition to functioning as a 1-2.5 micron
imager, CIRCE will have the capacity for narrow-band imaging, low-and moderate- resolution grism spectroscopy,
and imaging polarimetry. CIRCE's all-reflective aspheric optical design offers excellent throughput and
image quality. We present an analysis of the optical layout and the progress of the opto-mechanical design and
manufacture.
The Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment (CIRCE) is a near-infrared visitor instrument for the 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). This document shows CIRCE software. It will have two major functions: instrument control and observatory interface. The instrument control software is based on the UFLIB library, currently used to operate FLAMINGOS-1 and T-ReCS (as well as the CanariCam and FLAMINGOS-2 instruments under development in the University of Florida). The software interface with the telescope will be based on a CORBA
server-client architecture. Finally, the user interface will consist of two java-based interfaces for the mechanism/detector control,
and for quick look and analysis of data.
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, currently in final testing in
mid-2006.
We report on the design, fabrication, and on-sky performance of the Florida Image Slicer for Infrared Cosmology and Astrophysics (FISICA) - a fully-cryogenic all-reflective image-slicing integral field unit for the FLAMINGOS near-infrared spectrograph. Designed to accept input beams near f/15, FISICA with FLAMINGOS provides R~1300 spectra over a 16x33-arcsec field-of-view on the Cassegrain f/15 focus of the KPNO 4-meter telescope, or a 6x12-arcsec field-of-view on the Nasmyth or Bent Cassegrain foci of the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.4-meter telescope. FISICA accomplishes this using three sets of "monolithic" powered mirror arrays, each with 22 mirrored surfaces cut into a single piece of aluminum. We review the optical and opto-mechanical design and fabrication of FISICA, as well as laboratory test results for FISICA integrated with the FLAMINGOS instrument. Finally, we present performance results from observations with FISICA at the KPNO 4-m telescope and comparisons of FISICA performance to other available IFUs on 4-m to 8-m-class telescopes.
KEYWORDS: Fabry–Perot interferometers, Gemini Observatory, Spectral resolution, Calibration, Space telescopes, Telescopes, Control systems, Electronics, Device simulation, Digital signal processing
COM DEV Ltd. is building a tandem tunable Fabry-Perot etalon to be mounted inside the Flamingos-2 imaging spectrograph on the Gemini South Telescope. The Flamingos-2 Tandem Tunable Filter has a target spectral resolution of R~800 and a clear aperture of 60 mm, and will be fed by the telescope's Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics system. The system is designed to undertake ultra-deep searches for "First-Light" sources at redshifts of z = 7-10 using foreground gravitational lensing. This paper describes preliminary characterization and expected performance F2T2.
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 2048x2048-pixel HAWAII-2 0.9-2.4 mm detector array. A slit/Dekker wheel mechanism allows the selection of up to 9 multi-object laser-machined plates or 3 long slits for spectroscopy over a 6x2-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 3x1-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, midway through its construction phase in June 2004.
We discuss the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of the prototype Florida Image Slicer for Infrared Cosmology and Astrophysics (FISICA) Integral Field Unit (IFU). FISICA is intended for large telescopes with f/numbers close to f/15, such as the KPNO 4-m and GTC 10.4-m telescopes. It implements an image slicing approach, wherein the initial image plane is optically sliced into thin strips and the strips are optically rearranged end-to-end, whereupon the composite slit image is fed into a conventional spectrograph. We divide the field of view into 22 slices, while accommodating the entire f/15 viewing solid angle. The all-reflective instrument resides in a cryogenic dewar at the initial focal plane, and places the composite slit image output precisely at the initial focus, allowing it to interface to the existing FLAMINGOS spectrograph. The mirrors were diamond turned using various tool geometries and state-of-the-art, multi-axis tool control. The mirrors are made from a single billet of aluminum, and the optical bench and mounts are made of the same alloy as the mirrors for optimum performance during cryogenic cooling. We discuss the key design efforts, emphasizing tradeoffs among performance, volume, fabrication difficulty, and alignment requirements. We describe the fabrication, and present preliminary laboratory test results.
We report on the design and status of the Florida Image Slicer for Infrared Cosmology and Astrophysics (FISICA) - a fully-cryogenic all-reflective image-slicing integral field unit for the FLAMINGOS near-infrared spectrograph. Designed to accept input beams near f/15, FISICA with FLAMINGOS provides R~1300 spectra over a 16x33-arcsec field-of-view on the Cassegrain f/15 focus of the KPNO 4-meter telescope, or a 6x12-arcsec field-of-view on the Nasmyth or Bent Cassegrain foci of the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.4-meter telescope. FISICA accomplishes this using three sets of “monolithic” powered mirror arrays, each with 22 mirrored surfaces cut into a single piece of aluminum. We review the optical and opto-mechanical design and fabrication of FISICA, as well as laboratory test results for FISICA integrated with the FLAMINGOS instrument. We also discuss plans for first-light observations on the KPNO 4-meter telescope in July 2004.
We report on the performance of FLAMINGOS, the world's first fully cryogenic near-IR multi-object spectrometer. FLAMINGOS has a fast all refractive optical system, which can be used at telescopes slower than f/7.5. This makes FLAMINGOS a very efficient wide-field imager when used on fast small aperture telescopes and a high AW spectrometer using laser machined aperture masks for MOS spectroscopy. FLAMINGOS uses a 2048x2048 HgCdTe HAWAII-2 array by the Rockwell Science Center. The array is readout through 32 amplifiers, which results in low overheads for observations. We describe both the operating characteristics of the HAWAII-2 array and of the array controller and data acquisition system. FLAMINGOS has been in operation for about 1.5 years and is now in routine use on four telescopes: The Kitt Peak 4-m and 2.1-m, The 6.5-m MMT and the 8-m Gemini South Telescope. We will describe the operating characteristics of FLAMINGOS on each of these telescopes that deliver fields-of-view from 21x21 arcminutes to 2.7x2.7 arcminutes and pixels from 0.6 arcseconds to 0.08 arcseconds. While providing a large AW product for fast telescopes (i.e. f/8), FLAMINGOS becomes progressively less efficient on slower telescopes. Since nearly all large telescopes have fairly slow optical systems (f/12 or slower) the combination of large aperture and slow optical systems makes FLAMINGOS ill suited for optimal performance on current large aperture telescopes. Thus, we are beginning construction of FLAMINGOS-2, which will be optimized for performance on the f/16 Gemini South 8-m telescope. Similar to FLAMINGOS, FLAMINGOS-2 will be fully refractive using grisms, laser machined aperture masks and a 2048x2048 HgCdTe HAWAII-2 array. FLAMINGOS-2 will provide a 6.1 arcminute field-of-view with 0.18 arcsecond pixels. FLAMINGOS-2 will also be designed to except an f/32 beam from the Gemini South MCAO system.
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