Ian Price

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: Spectra and redshifts

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) is designed to measure redshifts for approximately 250 000 galaxies. This paper describes the survey design, the spectroscopic observations, the redshift measurements and the survey data base. The 2dFGRS uses the 2dF multifibre spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope, which is capable of observing 400 objects simultaneously over a 2° diameter field. The source catalogue for the survey is a revised and extended version of the APM galaxy catalogue, and the targets are galaxies with extinction-corrected magnitudes brighter than b J = 19.45. The main survey regions are two declination strips, one in the southern Galactic hemisphere spanning 80° × 15° around the SGP, and the other in the northern Galactic hemisphere spanning 75° × 10° along the celestial equator; in addition, there are 99 fields spread over the southern Galactic cap. The survey covers 2000 deg 2 and has a median depth of z = 0.11. Adaptive tiling is used to give a highly uniform sampling rate of 93 per cent over the whole survey region. Redshifts are measured from spectra covering 3600-8000 A at a two-pixel resolution of 9.0 A and a median S/N of 13 pixel - 1 . All redshift identifications are visually checked and assigned a quality parameter Q in the range 1-5; Q ≥ 3 redshifts are 98.4 per cent reliable and have an rms uncertainty of 85 km s - 1 . The overall redshift completeness for Q ≥ 3 redshifts is 91.8 per cent, but this varies with magnitude from 99 per cent for the brightest galaxies to 90 per cent for objects at the survey limit. The 2dFGRS data base is available on the World Wide Web at http://www. mso.anu.edu.au/2dFGRS.

A measurement of the cosmological mass density from clustering in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey

The large-scale structure in the distribution of galaxies is thought to arise from the gravitational instability of small fluctuations in the initial density field of the Universe. A key test of this hypothesis is that forming superclusters of galaxies should generate a systematic infall of other galaxies. This would be evident in the pattern of recessional velocities, causing an anisotropy in the inferred spatial clustering of galaxies. Here we report a precise measurement of this clustering, using the redshifts of more than 141,000 galaxies from the two-degree-field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey. We determine the parameter β = Ω0.6/b = 0.43 ± 0.07, where Ω is the total mass-density parameter of the Universe and b is a measure of the ‘bias’ of the luminous galaxies in the survey. (Bias is the difference between the clustering of visible galaxies and of the total mass, most of which is dark.) Combined with the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background, our results favour a low-density Universe with Ω ≈ 0.3.

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: spectral types and luminosity functions

We describe the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS), and the current status of the observations. In this exploratory paper, we apply a Principal Component Analysis to a preliminary sample of 5869 galaxy spectra and use the two most significant components to split the sample into five spectral classes. These classes are defined by considering visual classifications of a subset of the 2dF spectra, and also by comparing to high quality spectra of local galaxies. We calculate a luminosity function for each of the different classes and find that later-type galaxies have a fainter characteristic magnitude, and a steeper faint-end slope. For the whole sample we find M ⋆ = 19.7 (for =1,H0=100kms 1 Mpc 1 ), � = 1.3, � ⋆ = 0.017. For class 1 (‘early-type’) we find M ⋆ = 19.6, � = 0.7, while for class 5 (‘late-type’) we find M ⋆ = 19.0, � = 1.7. The derived 2dF luminosity functions agree well with other recent luminosity function estimates.

The giant magellan telescope laser tomography adaptive optics system

The Giant Magellan Telescope presents a unique optical design with seven 8.4 m diameter primary mirrors matched by seven adaptive secondary mirrors (ASM). The ASMs can be controlled in several dierent Adaptive Optics (AO) observing modes coupled to the telescope . One of these AO systems, the Laser Tomography Adaptive Optics (LTAO) system is currently in its preliminary design phase. The LTAO observing mode will provide a Strehl ratio in H band of at least 30% over more than 20% of the sky and an ensquared energy in K band of at least 40% in a 50 milli-arcsec spaxel over more than 50% of the sky. To achieve its performance requirements, the LTAO observing mode uses six 20W Laser Guide Stars (LGS) with six order-60x60 Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. The LGSs are launched from three locations at the periphery of the telescope primaries. A natural guide star (NGS) is used separately to measure tip-tilt, focus and low-bandwidth-low-order aberrations, as well as telescope segment piston. An open-loop controlled deformable mirror corrects the o-axis NGS infrared wavefront. We give an update on the design of the LTAO WFSs, the LGS facility, the on-instrument wavefront sensors and the tomography and control algorithms.

A sodium laser guide star facility for the ANU/EOS space debris tracking adaptive optics demonstrator

The Australian National University and EOS Space Systems have teamed up to equip the EOS laser space debris tracking station on Mount Stromlo near Canberra, Australia, with sodium Laser Guide Star (LGS) Adaptive Optics (AO). The AO system is used to correct for laser beam degradation caused by the atmospheric turbulence on the upward infrared laser pulse used to illuminate space debris. As a result, the AO-equipped laser tracking station can track smaller and more distant debris. This paper presents the joint ANU/EOS AO Demonstrator LGS facility requirements, architecture, and performance at the time of the conference.

The Giant Magellan Telescope adaptive optics program

The Giant Magellan Telescope adaptive optics system will be an integral part of the telescope, providing laser guide star generation, wavefront sensing, and wavefront correction to most of the currently envisioned instruments. The system will provide three observing modes: Natural Guidestar AO (NGSAO), Laser Tomography AO (LTAO), and Ground Layer AO (GLAO). Every AO observing mode will use the telescope’s segmented adaptive secondary mirror to deliver a corrected beam directly to the instruments. High-order wavefront sensing for the NGSAO and LTAO modes is provided by a set of wavefront sensors replicated for each instrument and fed by visible light reflected off the cryostat window. An infrared natural guidestar wavefront sensor with open-loop AO correction is also required to sense tip-tilt, focus, segment piston, and dynamic calibration errors in the LTAO mode. GLAO mode wavefront sensing is provided by laser guidestars over a ~5 arcminute field of view, and natural guidestars over wider fields. A laser guidestar facility will project 120 W of 589 nm laser light in 6 beacons from the periphery of the primary mirror. An off-axis phasing camera and primary and secondary mirror metrology systems will ensure that the telescope optics remain phased. We describe the system requirements, overall architecture, and innovative solutions found to the challenges presented by high-order AO on a segmented extremely large telescope. Further details may be found in specific papers on each of the observing modes and major subsystems.

Adaptive optics tracking and pushing system for space debris manoeuvre

As space debris in lower Earth orbits are accumulating, techniques to lower the risk of space debris collisions must be developed. Within the context of the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC), the Australian National University (ANU) is developing an adaptive optics system for tracking and pushing space debris. The strategy is to pre-condition a laser launched from a 1.8 m telescope operated by Electro Optics Systems (EOS) on Mount Stromlo, Canberra and direct it at an object to perturb its orbit. Current progress towards implementing this experiment, which will ensure automated operation between the telescope and the adaptive optics system, will be presented.

GMTIFS: deformable mirror environmental testing for the on-instrument wavefront sensor

GMTIFS requires a deformable mirror (DM) as part of its on-instrument wavefront sensor (OIWFS). The DM facilitates wavefront correction for the off-axis natural guide star, with the objective being to maximize the energy in the diffraction core and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the guide star position measurement. It is essential that the OIWFS be positionally stable with respect to the science field. The use of J–K to observe the guide star, and thus the need to limit thermal background, essentially requires the DM in the OIWFS to be operated at or below −40°C. This is below the standard operating temperature range of currently available DMs. In cooperation with the manufacturers we are testing the performance of three DMs at temperatures from ambient to −45°C, or cooler. In the context of the OIWFS adequate stroke, open-loop positioning stability, hysteresis, interactuator surface figure and dynamic response are key performance criteria. A test system based around high spatial sampling of the DM aperture with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor has been built. The opto-mechanical design permits a DM to be contained in a cryostat so that it may be cooled in isolation. We describe this test system and the test cases that are applied to the ALPAO DM-69, Boston MicroMachines 492DM and the IrisAO PTT111 deformable mirrors. Preliminary results at ambient temperatures are presented.

Adaptive optics for space debris tracking

Space debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is becoming an increasing threat to satellite and spacecraft. A reliable and cost effective method for detecting possible collisions between orbiting objects is required to prevent an exponential growth in the number of debris. Current RADAR survey technologies used to monitor the orbits of thousands of space debris objects are relied upon to manoeuvre operational satellites to prevent possible collisions. A complimentary technique, ground-based laser LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) have been used to track much smaller objects with higher accuracy than RADAR, giving greater prediction of possible collisions and avoiding unnecessary manoeuvring. Adaptive optics will play a key role in any ground based LIDAR tracking system as a cost effective way of utilising smaller ground stations or less powerful lasers. The use of high power and high energy lasers for the orbital modification of debris objects will also require an adaptive optic system to achieve the high photon intensity on the target required for photon momentum transfer and laser ablation. EOS Space Systems have pioneered the development of automated laser space debris tracking for objects in low Earth orbit. The Australian National University have been developing an adaptive optics system to improve this space debris tracking capability at the EOS Space Systems Mount Stromlo facility in Canberra, Australia. The system is integrated with the telescope and commissioned as an NGS AO system before moving on to LGS AO and tracking operations. A pulsed laser propagated through the telescope is used to range the target using time of flight data. Adaptive optics is used to increase the maximum range and number or targets available to the LIDAR system, by correcting the uplink laser beam. Such a system presents some unique challenges for adaptive optics: high power lasers reflecting off deformable mirrors, high slew rate tracking, and variable off-axis tracking correction. A low latency real time computer system is utilised to control the systems, with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and deformable mirror running at 1500 frames per second. A laser guide star is used to probe the atmosphere and the tracked debris object is used as a natural guide star for tip-tilt correction.

Adaptive optics for laser space debris removal

Space debris in low Earth orbit below 1500km is becoming an increasing threat to satellites and spacecrafts. Radar and laser tracking are currently used to monitor the orbits of thousands of space debris and active satellites are able to use this information to manoeuvre out of the way of a predicted collision. However, many satellites are not able to manoeuvre and debris-on debris collisions are becoming a signicant contributor to the growing space debris population. The removal of the space debris from orbit is the preferred and more definitive solution. Space debris removal may be achieved through laser ablation, whereby a high power laser corrected with an adaptive optics system could, in theory, allow ablation of the debris surface and so impart a remote thrust on the targeted object. The goal of this is to avoid collisions between space debris to prevent an exponential increase in the number of space debris objects. We are developing an experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of laser ablation for space debris removal. This laser ablation demonstrator utilises a pulsed sodium laser to probe the atmosphere ahead of the space debris and the sun reflection of the space debris is used to provide atmospheric tip{tilt information. A deformable mirror is then shaped to correct an infrared laser beam on the uplink path to the debris. We present here the design and the expected performance of the system.