Anna Brucalassi

Search for giant planets in M67 - III. Excess of hot Jupiters in dense open clusters

Since 2008 we used high-precision radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with different telescopes to detect signatures of massive planets around main-sequence and evolved stars of the open cluster (OC) M67. We aimed to perform a long-term study on giant planet formation in open clusters and determine how this formation depends on stellar mass and chemical composition. A new hot Jupiter (HJ) around the main-sequence star YBP401 is reported in this work. An update of the RV measurements for the two HJ host-stars YBP1194 and YBP1514 is also discussed. Our sample of 66 main-sequence and turnoff stars includes 3 HJs, which indicates a high rate of HJs in this cluster (5.6(-2.6)(+5.4%) for single stars and 4.5%(-2.5) for the full sample). This rate is much higher than what has been discovered in the field, either with RV surveys or by transits. High metallicity is not a cause for the excess of HJs in M67, nor can the excess be attributed to high stellar masses. When combining this rate with the non-zero eccentricity of the orbits, our results are qualitatively consistent with a HJ formation scenario dominated by strong encounters with other stars or binary companions and subsequent planet-planet scattering, as predicted by N-body simulations.

The assembly integration and test activities for the new SOXS instrument at NTT

Son Of X-Shooter (SOXS) is the new instrument for the ESO 3.5 m New Technology Telescope (NTT) in La Silla site (Chile) devised for the spectroscopic follow-up of transient sources. SOXS is composed by two medium resolution spectrographs able to cover the 350-2000 nm interval. An Acquisition Camera will provide a light imaging capability in the visible band. We present the procedure foreseen for the Assembly, Integration and Test activities (AIT) of SOXS that will be carried out at sub-systems level at various consortium partner premises and at system level both in Europe and Chile.

The mechanical design of SOXS for the NTT

SOXS (Son of X-shooter) is a wide band, medium resolution spectrograph for the ESO NTT with a first light expected in early 2021. The instrument will be composed by five semi-independent subsystems: a pre-slit Common Path (CP), an Acquisition Camera (AC), a Calibration Unit (CU), the NIR spectrograph, and the UV-VIS spectrograph. In this paper, we present the mechanical design of the subsystems, the kinematic mounts developed to simplify the final integration procedure and the maintenance. The concept of the CP and NIR optomechanical mounts developed for a simple pre- alignment procedure and for the thermal compensation of reflective and refractive elements will be shown.

The acquisition camera system for SOXS at NTT

SOXS (Son of X-Shooter) will be the new medium resolution (R~4500 for a 1 arcsec slit), high-efficiency, wide band spectrograph for the ESO-NTT telescope on La Silla. It will be able to cover simultaneously optical and NIR bands (350-2000nm) using two different arms and a pre-slit Common Path feeding system. SOXS will provide an unique facility to follow up any kind of transient event with the best possible response time in addition to high efficiency and availability. Furthermore, a Calibration Unit and an Acquisition Camera System with all the necessary relay optics will be connected to the Common Path sub-system. The Acquisition Camera, working in optical regime, will be primarily focused on target acquisition and secondary guiding, but will also provide an imaging mode for scientific photometry. In this work we give an overview of the Acquisition Camera System for SOXS with all the different functionalities. The optical and mechanical design of the system are also presented together with the preliminary performances in terms of optical quality, throughput, magnitude limits and photometric properties.

Optical design of the SOXS spectrograph for ESO NTT

An overview of the optical design for the SOXS spectrograph is presented. SOXS (Son Of X-Shooter) is the new wideband, medium resolution (R>4500) spectrograph for the ESO 3.58m NTT telescope expected to start observations in 2021 at La Silla. The spectroscopic capabilities of SOXS are assured by two different arms. The UV-VIS (350-850 nm) arm is based on a novel concept that adopts the use of 4 ion-etched high efficiency transmission gratings. The NIR (800- 2000 nm) arm adopts the ‘4C’ design (Collimator Correction of Camera Chromatism) successfully applied in X-Shooter. Other optical sub-systems are the imaging Acquisition Camera, the Calibration Unit and a pre-slit Common Path. We describe the optical design of the five sub-systems and report their performance in terms of spectral format, throughput and optical quality. This work is part of a series of contributions1-9 describing the SOXS design and properties as it is about to face the Final Design Review.

Relative stability of two laser frequency combs for routine operation on HARPS and FOCES

We report on the installation of a laser frequency comb (LFC) at the HARPS spectrograph, which we characterize relative to a second LFC that we had brought to HARPS for testing. This allowed us for the first time to probe the relative stability of two independent astronomical LFCs over an extended wavelength range. Both LFCs covered the spectral range of HARPS at least from 460 to 690 nm. After optimization of the fiber coupling to HARPS to suppress modal noise, a relative stability of the two LFCs in the low cm/s range was obtained. In combination with the results of our four earlier LFC test campaigns on HARPS, the available data now cover a time span of more than six years.

Pressure and temperature stabilization of an existing Echelle spectrograph

The Echelle spectrograph FOCES1 is currently located at the laboratories of Munich University Observatories under pressure and temperature stabilized conditions. It is being used as a test bed for a number of different stability issues related to high precision radial velocity spectroscopy. We utilize FOCES to study spectrograph stability, illumination stability and fiber transport stability. With this work we continue the series of papers that present our efforts to obtain temperature and pressure stabilization in the spectrograph environment. In particular we present first optical measurement results and compare them to simulations previously published. We show the movement of the image on the CCD with changes of pressure and temperature and the stability of the spot positions in the stabilized system using measurements done by a ThAr gas discharge source.

SOXS control electronics design

SOXS (Son Of X-Shooter) is a unique spectroscopic facility that will operate at the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) in La Silla from 2021 onward. The spectrograph will be able to cover simultaneously the UV-VIS and NIR bands exploiting two different arms and a Common Path feeding system. We present the design of the SOXS instrument control electronics. The electronics controls all the movements, alarms, cabinet temperatures, and electric interlocks of the instrument. We describe the main design concept. We decided to follow the ESO electronic design guidelines to minimize project time and risks and to simplify system maintenance. The design envisages Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) industrial components (e.g. Beckhoff PLC and EtherCAT fieldbus modules) to obtain a modular design and to increase the overall reliability and maintainability. Preassembled industrial motorized stages are adopted allowing for high precision assembly standards and a high reliability. The electronics is kept off-board whenever possible to reduce thermal issues and instrument weight and to increase the accessibility for maintenance purpose. The instrument project went through the Preliminary Design Review in 2017 and is currently in Final Design Phase (with FDR in July 2018). This paper outlines the status of the work and is part of a series of contributions describing the SOXS design and properties after the instrument Preliminary Design Review.

A testbed for simultaneous measurement of fiber near and far-field for the evaluation of fiber scrambling properties

To improve our understanding of fiber scrambling properties a test bed where fiber near-field and far-field can be measured simultaneously is described. A variety of measurements has been conducted with a selection of fibers from different vendors, including state-of-the-art octagonal and hexagonal fibers. After characterization of the test bench with respect to stability and resolution, scrambling measurements have been conducted using LEDs with central wavelengths ranging between 465-635 nm. The dependence on wavelength regarding to photometrical scrambling has been initially demonstrated. Moreover, two mechanical combined fiber cables have been analyzed that were made from octagonal-circular and hexagonal-octagonal fiber sections. In this context an apparatus for focal ratio degradation (FRD) measurements was assembled to compare different shaped fibers and fiber combinations. Finally, all these preliminary investigations will help in choosing a fiber with good radial scrambling performance for the next generation fiber-link of the fiber optic coupled Cassegrain echelle spectrograph FOCES intended to be operated at the 2.0m Fraunhofer Telescope at the Wendelstein Observatory.

Architecture of the SOXS instrument control software

SOXS (Son Of X-Shooter) is a new spectrograph for the ESO NTT telescope, currently in the final design phase. The main instrument goal is to allow the characterization of transient sources based on alerts. It will cover from near-infrared to visible bands with a spectral resolution of R ∼ 4500 using two separate, wavelength-optimized spectrographs. A visible camera, primarily intended for target acquisition and secondary guiding, will also provide a scientific “light” imaging mode. In this paper we present the current status of the design of the SOXS instrument control software, which is in charge of controlling all instrument functions and detectors, coordinating the execution of exposures, and implementing all observation, calibration and maintenance procedures. Given the extensive experience of the SOXS consortium in the development of instruments for the VLT, we decided to base the design of the Control System on the same standards, both for hardware and software control. We illustrate the control network, the instrument functions and detectors to be controlled, the overall design of SOXS Instrument Software (INS) and its main components. Then, we provide details about the control software for the most SOXS-specific features: control of the COTS-based imaging camera, the flexures compensation system and secondary guiding.