We present a status update on SCORPIO, the next facility instrument for the Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. SCORPIO is now in advanced Assembly, Integration and Verification phase at SWRI (San Antonio) and LICA (Madrid) in anticipation of shipment to Chile by Fall-2025.
MOSAIC is the Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) for the 39m Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), with unique capabilities in terms of multiplex, wavelength coverage and spectral resolution. It is a versatile multi-object spectrograph working in both the Visible and NIR domains, designed to cover the largest possible area (∼40 arcmin2) on the focal plane, and optimized to achieve the best possible signal-to-noise ratio on the faintest sources, from stars in our Galaxy to galaxies at the epoch of the reionization. In this paper we describe the main characteristics of the instrument, including its expected performance in the different observing modes. The status of the project will be briefly presented, together with the positioning of the instrument in the landscape of the ELT instrumentation. We also review the main expected scientific contributions of MOSAIC, focusing on the synergies between this instrument and other major ground-based and space facilities.
MOSAIC is the multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the ESO 39m European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) approved to enter phase B beginning 2023. MOSAIC combines visible and near-infrared channels, from resolved stars up to the most distant galaxies, with multi-object and multi-integral field spectroscopy capabilities. The NIRspectrograph (130K-90K) is one sub-system of the NIR-channel, led by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Spain). It includes four camera modules delivered by the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM, France) and equipped with Teledyne H4RG science detectors (4kx4k, 15 μm pixels). The four modules distribute two identical cryogenic benches ensuring, on each, the spectral coverage of the two observing bands J (0.95 – 1.34 μm) and H (1.43 – 1.80 μm in LR mode and 1.52 – 1.63 μm in HR mode). This paper presents the design of a cryogenic NIR camera prototype based on an athermal concept and details the ongoing AIT development for verification in the 0.95 – 1.34 μm domain in relevant environment (ESO TRL5).
MOSAIC* is the multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the ESO 39m European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) approved to enter phase B at the of beginning 2023. MOSAIC combines visible and near-infrared channels, from resolved stars up to the most distant galaxies, with multi-object and multi-integral field spectroscopy capabilities. The NIR-spectrograph (130K-90K) is one sub-system of the NIR-channel, led by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Spain). The NIR Spectrograph (NIRSPEC) comprises 2 identical spectrographs, each one equipped with Teledyne H4RG science detectors (4kx4k, 15 μm pixels). Each spectrograph operates at 130K (with detectors at 90K) and covers the 2 observing bands J (1 – 1.38 μm) and H (1.43 – 1.85 μm in low-resolution mode and 1.52 – 1.65 μm in high-resolution mode). This paper presents the optical design of the NIRSPEC.
SCORPIO (Spectrograph and Camera for the Observation of Rapid Phenomena in the Infrared and Optical) is a multiband instrument covering 0.385um to 2.35um in spectroscopy and 0.400um to 2.35um in imaging, currently under development for the Gemini Observatory. The instrument is intended to be deployed as a facility instrument at Gemini South in Chile to enable detailed follow-up observations of transients detected by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The instrument is designed with eight parallel channels corresponding to the standard g, r, i, z, Y, J, H, and Ks passbands. Here we present an update on the status of the instrument, the data reduction software, and the current path forward to completion.
SCORPIO is the next facility instrument for the Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. SCORPIO’s main science driver is the detection and monitoring of faint time-domain events, in particular the follow-up of discoveries by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, but it can also carry out with unique efficiency a large variety of astrophysical programs. The instrument has recently passed Critical Design Review and is now in its Assembly, Integration and Verification phase. In this paper we provide an updated overview of the final instrument design and the main performance parameters in light of the science drivers.
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