Imaging the universe in 3D with the VLT: the next-generation field spectrometer SPIFFI

Eisenhauer, F.; Tecza, Matthias; Mengel, Sabine; Thatte, Niranjan; Roehrle, Claudia; Bickert, K.; Schreiber, J.

doi:10.1117/12.395483

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…A detailed description ofthe instrument design can be found in [2]. When used with the adaptive optics -the angular resolution at a wavelength of 2.2 im is 56 mas (milli-arceconds)the size ofa pixel corresponds to 25 mas.…”

Section: Integral Field Spectrometer Spiffimentioning

confidence: 99%

SINFONI - Integral field spectroscopy at 50 milli-arcsecond resolution with the ESO VLT

Eisenhauer¹,

Bonnet²,

Abuter³

et al. 2003

SPIE Proceedings

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339

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SINFONI is an adaptive optics assisted near-infrared integral field spectrometer for the ESO VLT. The Adaptive Optics Module (built by the ESO Adaptive Optics Group) is a 60-elements curvature-sensor based system, designed for operations with natural or sodium laser guide stars. The near-infrared integral field spectrometer SPIFFI (built by the Infrared Group of MPE) provides simultaneous spectroscopy of 32 x 32 spatial pixels, and a spectral resolving power of up to 3300. The adaptive optics module is in the phase of integration; the spectrometer is presently tested in the laboratory. We provide an overview of the project, with particular emphasis on the problems encountered in designing and building an adaptive optics assisted spectrometer. 1. SINFONI: ADAPTIVE OPTICS AND INTEGRAL FIELD SPECTROSCOPY SINFONI (SINgle Faint Object Near-IR Investigation) is an adaptive optics assisted near infrared integral field spectrometer mounted to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) VLT (Very Large Telescope). The instrument is a combination ofthe Adaptive Optics module [1], a clone ofMACAO (Multiple Application Curvature Adaptive Optics), developed and built by ESO, and of the near infrared integral field spectrograph SPIFFI (SPectrograph for Infrared Faint Field Imaging) [2], developed and built by the Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial Physics (MPE).Currently, ESO offers two state-of-the-art near infrared instruments at the VLT: ISAAC [3] for seeing limited infrared imaging and spectroscopy, and NAOS/CONICA [4,5] for high order adaptive optics imaging and low-resolution spectroscopy. However, spectroscopy of faint objects with diffraction limited angular resolution at an eight-meter telescope will strongly benefit from a dedicated instrument, which combines the following characteristics: first, diffraction limited observations at near infrared wavelengths, optimized for faint wave-front reference stars and laser guide star operations; second, instantaneous spectroscopy of a two dimensional field with sufficiently high spectral resolution for deep observations between the night sky emission lines.Both partner institutes collected extensive experience with diffraction-limited spectroscopy with their instruments ADONIS/SHARP [6] at the La Silla 3.6 m telescope, and ALFA/3D [7] at the Calar Alto Observatory 3.5 m telescope. Our conclusion is that when observing with adaptive optics, integral field spectroscopy gains significantly over long-slit spectroscopy and Fabry-Perot imaging. The latter suffers significantly from the variation of the sky emission and the point-spread-function (PSF) between consecutive images, and consumes exorbitant observing time for large wavelength coverage. Long-slit spectroscopy, on the other hand, lacks the essential two-dimensional information for decomposing the spatial flux distribution, and loses most ofthe source flux for a diffraction limited slit width and moderate correction of the atmospheric aberrations. In addition, flexure within the instruments complicates the acquisition of...

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Section: Integral Field Spectrometer Spiffimentioning

confidence: 99%

SINFONI - Integral field spectroscopy at 50 milli-arcsecond resolution with the ESO VLT

Eisenhauer¹,

Bonnet²,

Abuter³

et al. 2003

SPIE Proceedings

Self Cite

339

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“…However, extension of this approach to larger fields-of-view and larger detector formats leads to complications in that the beams from adjacent IFU channels overfill their beam-steering mirrors, which in turn leads to unacceptable cross-talk. Adjacent beam steering mirrors can be offset in a brickwork pattern by tilting the corresponding image slicer mirrors 8 , but a trade-off still has to be made between slow enough beams to make the image slicer mirrors manufacturable and fast enough beams to reduce the physical length of the reformatted slit so that the collimator optics are manageable. The solution proposed by Content 2 is to apply power to the image slicer mirrors so that pupil images are formed on the beam-steering mirrors (Figure 1 right).…”

Section: Ifu Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

NIFS concentric integral field unit

2003

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The Gemini Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) will be used with the ALTAIR adaptive optics system on Gemini North. NIFS uses a reflective, concentric, integral field unit (IFU) to reformat its focal plane. The concentric IFU design integrates the IFU with the spectrograph collimator to form a dedicated IFU instrument. The IFU channels are identical and fanned about a single axis passing through the image slicer. The spherical optical surfaces of the spectrograph collimator are all concentric and centered on this fanning axis. The grating is also located on the fanning axis, and the system is arranged to produce coincident pupil images at the grating. In this way, each channel of the IFU performs as if it is on-axis. This avoids complications due to off-axis angles that are intrinsic to other reflective IFU designs.

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“…These reasons led to IRMOS not being chosen as a first-light instrument for the TMT. However, the landscape has now changed with MOAO successfully demonstrated on-sky through technical pathfinders, 4-6 and infrared integral field spectrographs being well-established technology (e.g., Very Large Telescope's SINFONI/SPIFFI, 7 and Keck's OSIRIS, 8 and Gemini's NIFS 9 ). However, an MOAO-fed workhorse scientific instrument does not currently exist at 8 − 10meter class telescopes, and an instrument like this is required to make a credible attempt at building a similar capability for an Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gemini infrared multi-object spectrograph: instrument overview

Sivanandam

Chapman

Simard

et al. 2018

Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII

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The Gemini Infrared Multi-Object Spectrograph (GIRMOS) is a powerful new instrument being built to facilityclass standards for the Gemini telescope. It takes advantage of the latest developments in adaptive optics and integral field spectrographs. GIRMOS will carry out simultaneous high-angular-resolution, spatially-resolved Telephone: +1 (416) 978-6550 arXiv:1807.03797v2 [astro-ph.IM] 3 Aug 2018 infrared (1 − 2.4 µm) spectroscopy of four objects within a two-arcminute field-of-regard by taking advantage of multi-object adaptive optics. This capability does not currently exist anywhere in the world and therefore offers significant scientific gains over a very broad range of topics in astronomical research. For example, current programs for high redshift galaxies are pushing the limits of what is possible with infrared spectroscopy at 8 − 10meter class facilities by requiring up to several nights of observing time per target. Therefore, the observation of multiple objects simultaneously with adaptive optics is absolutely necessary to make effective use of telescope time and obtain statistically significant samples for high redshift science. With an expected commissioning date of 2023, GIRMOS's capabilities will also make it a key followup instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope when it is launched in 2021, as well as a true scientific and technical pathfinder for future Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) multi-object spectroscopic instrumentation. In this paper, we will present an overview of this instrument's capabilities and overall architecture. We also highlight how this instrument lays the ground work for a future TMT early-light instrument.

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Imaging the universe in 3D with the VLT: the next-generation field spectrometer SPIFFI

Cited by 20 publications

References 4 publications

SINFONI - Integral field spectroscopy at 50 milli-arcsecond resolution with the ESO VLT

SINFONI - Integral field spectroscopy at 50 milli-arcsecond resolution with the ESO VLT

NIFS concentric integral field unit

Gemini infrared multi-object spectrograph: instrument overview

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