Square-core bundles for astronomical imaging

Julia J. Bryant; Joss Bland-Hawthorn

doi:10.1117/12.925127

24 September 2012 Square-core bundles for astronomical imaging

Proceedings Volume 8446, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IV; 84466K (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.925127
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

Optical fibre imaging bundles (hexabundles) are proving to be the next logical step for large galaxy surveys as they offer spatially-resolved spectroscopy of galaxies and can be used with conventional fibre positioners. Hexabundles have been effectively demonstrated in the Sydney-AAO Multi-object IFS (SAMI) instrument at the Anglo- Australian Telescope^[5]. Based on the success of hexabundles that have circular cores, we have characterised a bundle made instead from square-core fibres. Square cores naturally pack more evenly, which reduces the interstitial holes and can increase the covering, or filling fraction. Furthermore the regular packing simplifies the process of combining and dithering the final images. We discuss the relative issues of filling fraction, focal ratio degradation (FRD), and cross-talk, and find that square-core bundles perform well enough to warrant further development as a format for imaging fibre bundles.

Citation Download Citation

Julia J. Bryant and Joss Bland-Hawthorn "Square-core bundles for astronomical imaging", Proc. SPIE 8446, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IV, 84466K (24 September 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.925127

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