A. Holmes

UFTI: the 0.8 - 2.5 μm fast track imager for the UK infrared telescope

In 1996, it was proposed to build a near-infrared imager for the 3.8-m UK Infrared Telescope in Hawaii, to exploit the 1024 pixel format detectors that were then becoming available. In order to achieve a fast delivery, the instrument was kept simple and existing designs were reused or modified where possible. UFTI was delivered within 2.5 years of the project start. The instrument is based around a 1k Rockwell Hawaii detector and a LSR Astrocam controller and uses the new Mauna Kea optimized J,H,K filter set along with I and Z broad-band filters and several narrow-band line filters. The instrument is cooled by a CTI cry-cooler, while the mechanisms are operated by cold, internal, Bergelahr stepping motors. On UKIRT it can be coupled to a Fabry-Perot etalon for tunable narrow-band imaging at K, or a waveplate for imaging polarimetry through 1-2.5 μm; the cold analyzer is a Barium Borate Wollaston prism. UFTI was designed to take full advantage of the good image quality delivered by UKIRT on conclusion of the upgrades program, and has a fine scale of 0.09 arcsec/pixel. It is used within the UKIRT observatory environment and was the first instrument integrated into ORAC, the Observatory Reduction and Acquisition Control System. Results obtained during instrument characterization in the lab and over the last 3 years on UKIRT are presented, along with performance figures. UFTI has now been used on UKIRT for several hundred nights, and aspects of instrument performance are discussed.

The UK FMOS spectrograph

We describe the build phase of the UK FMOS spectrograph, a 200 fibre cooled OH Suppression infrared spectrograph being constructed as part of Subarus Fibre Multi Object Spectroscopy facility. Here we describe recent UK activities within the FMOS programme and the likely schedule for commissioning at Subaru.

Developments on the UK FMOS project for the Subaru Telescope

We describe the UK participation in the FMOS project to provide multi-object IR spectroscopy for the Subaru telescope. The UK is working on the design of an OH suppression IR spectrograph, this work comprises the optical design, the opto-mechanical layout, spectrograph thermal environment and cryogenics and detector control system. We give a progress report on the current design work.

The current status of the UK-FMOS spectrograph

FMOS is a near-IR OH-suppressed multi-fibre fed spectrograph for the Subaru telescope. The spectrograph will accept 200 optical fibres from the ECHIDNA positioner system at the 30arcmin Prime focus of the telescope. We will describe the recent activities here in the UK in progressing the instrument from its conceptual phase through detailed design and into manufacture. A variety of technical areas will be described including: the opto-mechanical system design and construction, development of the HAWAII-II detector control system, the thermal system design & control and OH suppression techniques.

Integration, commissioning, and performance of the UK FMOS spectrograph

The UK FMOS spectrograph forms part of Subarus 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.