Our projects

AESOP

AESOP is the fibre positioner unit for the 4MOST instrument planned for the 4-metre European Southern Observatories VISTA telescope in Chile. The 4MOST project, led by the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (Germany), involves a number of European partners. The AAO component, AESOP, deploys 2400 optical fibres to required positions on the curved focal surface of the telescope. Each fibre can be deployed anywhere within a fixed patrol area.

Field reconfigurations are achieved in an iterative closed-loop process with positional feedback from a metrology system. Optical fibres are connectorised at their exit from the positioner system, where they feed a fibre bundle terminated a series of optical spectrographs. The proposed design for AESOP is an evolution of the AAO’s tilting spine technology, first designed and implemented in the FMOS-Echidna instrument for the Subaru telescope.

GHOST

The Gemini High-Resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) instrument is the newest instrument being developed for the Gemini telescopes, in a collaboration between the AAO, the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Canada, and the Australian National University.

GHOST uses a high resolution asymmetric white-pupil Echelle spectrograph fed by two moveable optical-fibre image-slicing integral-field-units located at the Gemini Cassegrain focus. The instrument provides a simultaneous wavelength coverage from 363nm to at least 900nm at a resolution of R=50k-75k. GHOST is designed scheduled for commissioning 2017.

Hector

Hector is the next major dark-time instrument for the AAT and is a multi integral-field-unit spectrograph aimed at obtaining a low-redshift galaxy survey of up to 30,000 galaxies, with 90% imaged out to 2 effective radii.

Hector will decipher the diversity of galaxies through understanding the physical basis for their individuality.

The key science questions for this instrument include how do galaxies build up mass and angular momentum? How is star formation and nuclear activity affected by environment? What is the role of feedback? And, How does large-scale environment modulate galaxy growth through tidal torques and gas accretion?

Hector will be built in stages and the first stage called Hector-I is under construction.

Hector-I on 2dF:

• Will employ the first new Hector spectrograph (blue and red arm) alongside the existing AAOmega spectrograph, with 13 current SAMI hexabundles plus ~8 new larger hexagonally-packed hexabundles with up to 217 fibre cores each.
• Combination robotic and manual positioning.
• Science operations by early-2019.
• Offers significant science gains over SAMI with increases in survey speed, galaxy coverage to 2 effective radii for most galaxies and higher spectral resolution.
• Will deliver the only IFS survey large enough to connect galaxy evolution and kinematics to large-scale-structure to explain the evolutionary history leading to individuality of galaxies.

Hector-II on 2dF:

• Will be an extension of Hector-I by adding new modules. Each module is one Hector spectrograph (blue and red arm) plus 10 new larger hexagonally-packed hexabundles with up to 217 fibre cores each.
• Allows a faster survey speed and higher fraction of galaxies imaged to 2 effective radii.
• Modules will be added as funding becomes available.

(There are three tabs under Hector: Overview, Instrument Team and Galaxy survey Team. I’ve just included the overview here).

MANIFEST

MANIFEST is a fibre positioner designed to feed all the natural seeing spectrographs, presently GCLEF and GMACS, of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The concept features several hundred Starbug robots that patrol the whole ~20’ GMT field. Each Starbug houses an image-slicing fibre bundle. MANIFEST provides enhanced functionality for the GMT spectrograph by increasing the field-of-view, multiplex, and spectral resolution.

After completing the feasibility study for MANIFEST in mid-2011, the AAO completed an R& D phase in late 2013. We are now conducting the MANIFEST Prototyping Design Study which aims to develop a Starbug-based positioning system for the TAIPAN instrument on the UKST.

PRAXIS

The primary aim of PRAXIS is to determine the full astronomical potential of the technique of using fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) for atmospheric OH suppression in astronomy. To achieve this, we are now building, in a close collaboration with the University of Sydney and the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, a dedicated high-throughput low-noise J and H-band spectrograph and associated fibre feed and telescope fore-optics unit.

For atmospheric line filtering, the instrument will employ the GNOSIS FBG fibre bundle and a new multicore FBG bundle now being developed.

TAIPAN

The TAIPAN instrument consists of a 150-fibre robot positioner operating over the 6 degree field of view of the UK Schmidt Telescope and a dedicated spectrograph. The positioner is based on the Starbug robot technology, which allows for field configurations within a few minutes. The spectrograph is a dual-arm design giving a simultaneous wavelength coverage from 370 to 870 nm at a spectral resolution of R> 2100.

The objectives for TAIPAN are to deliver a capability to Australian astronomers to carry out a comprehensive spectroscopic galaxy and stellar survey of the Southern Hemisphere using a refurbished UK Schmidt Telescope, and to act as a proof-of-concept for the Starbugs positioning technology, proposed for use on the Giant Magellan Telescope. TAIPAN is due for commissioning in early 2016.

AST3-NIR

This is a new infrared camera for deployment with the AST3-3 wide-field survey telescope to Dome A on the Antarctic Plateau.  This project is designed to take advantage of the low Antarctic infrared sky thermal background (particularly within the K dark near infrared atmospheric window at 2.4μm) and the long Antarctic nights to provide high sensitivity temporal data from astronomical sources.

2dF data reduction

2dfdr is an automatic data reduction pipeline dedicated to reducing multi-fibre spectroscopy data, with current implementations for AAOmega (fed by the 2dF, KOALA-IFU, SAMI Multi-IFU or older SPIRAL front-ends), HERMES, 2dF (spectrograph), 6dF, and FMOS.

A graphical user interface is provided to control data reduction and allow inspection of the reduced spectra. It is being continually developed at the AAO in response to user feedback. You can reduce most of your data by simply pressing START AUTO REDUCTION in the Graphical User Interface.

AAOmega – an optical multi-object spectrograph for the AAT – 2006

AAOmega upgrade - new CCDs for the AAOmega instrument at the AAT – 2014

The AAOmega spectrograph was successfully commissioned in January 2006. The spectrograph is a dual-beam system, with Blue and Red arms that cover the full wavelength range, 370nm to 850nm, or 470nm to 950nm using a redder dichroic, at low resolution and are tuneable over these ranges at higher resolutions.

The AAOmega spectrograph can be fed by several front-ends, either the Two Degree Field ("2dF") multi-object system, KOALA integral field unit or SAMI multi-object integral field unit.

In 2014 AAOmega was upgraded to receive two new CCDs.

HERMES - moderate resolution optical spectrograph for the AAT – 2014

HERMES is a four channel fibre-fed spectrograph with high resolution and multi-object capability. It provides a nominal spectral resolution of R~28,000, and an option of higher resolution of R~50,000 using a slit-mask at the cost of approximately 50% light loss. HERMES provides simultaneous observations in the following fixed optical bands:

Blue: 471.5 - 490.0 nm
Green: 564.9 - 587.3 nm
Red: 647.8 - 673.7 nm
IR: 758.5 - 788.7 nm

The HERMES system is built upon the AAT’s existing Two-Degree Field (2dF) optical fibre positioner.  In 2018 the cryostates for HERMES were upgraded.

KOALA - 500 element fibre-IFU for the AAT – 2014

KOALA, the Kilofibre Optical AAT Lenslet Array, is a wide-field, high efficiency, integral-field unit designed for use with the bench mounted AAOmega spectrograph on the AAT. KOALA has 1000 hexagonal lenslets in a rectangular array. The field of view is selectable between either 15.3 x 28.3 arcsec (0.7" sampling) or 27.4 x 50.6 arcsec (1.25" sampling). To achieve this, KOALA uses a telecentric double lenslet array fed by interchangeable fore-optics. The IFU is mounted at the f/8 Cassegrain focus and feeds AAOmega via a 31m fibre run.

KOALA benefits from all of the flexibility of the reconfigurable AAOmega spectrograph. The double beam spectrograph provides user selectable wavelength coverage and resolution using a series of movable, interchangeable gratings. A set of low, medium, and high resolution gratings provide R ~ 1,000, R ~ 5,000 or R ~ 10,000 across the wavelength range 330 nm to 900 nm. Each arm can be independently configured. The two arms are separated by a dichroic mirror with either a 570nm or 670nm cut. Full spectral coverage is possible in a single exposure with the low-resolution gratings.

The Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) - 2008

This is a wide-field CCD imaging telescope, which is operated by the University of New South Wales at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. The optical design employed resembles that of a Schmidt camera, but uses a 3-element lens to achieve a wide, corrected field of view. Telescope motion and operation of the CCD have been placed under computer control, allowing automated observations for long-term survey and monitoring projects. The APT has 0.5m aperture f/1 optics which produce a 5 degree flat field, of which a 2X3 degree field is utilised by the CCD currently installed. Imaging can be done either unfiltered or through B, V R and I broad-band filters.

SPIRAL - upgrade to SPIRAL-B for use with AAOmega at the AAT – 2006

SPIRAL is an integral field unit which feeds a dedicated spectrograph. The IFU has a field of view of 22.4 x 11.2 arc seconds squared with 0.7 arc second spatial sampling. There are 512 spatial sampling elements. The spectrograph is situated on the dome floor and is fed by 18m length of optical fibre.

SPIRAL operates from 4800-10000Å at a variety of wavelength resolutions. It is not recommended for use below 4800Å due to aberrations in the spectrograph optics.

SPIRAL was an "expert user" instrument and required full support from AAO staff. There are also operational limitations on its use, e.g., no grating changes during the night. Applicants granted more than one night of observing time by PATT or ATAC will be encouraged to go to the telescope for their run, to provide early feedback on the data quality, and gain experience in the use of the instrument.

OzPoz - fibre positioning robot for the VLT – 2003

The OzPoz fibre positioner is based on the successful concept developed for 2dF at AAO: while one plate is observing, the other one is positioning the fibres for the subsequent observations. The dead time between two observations is therefore limited to less than 15 minutes, guaranteeing a very good night duty cycle. OzPoz has the capability to host up to 560 fibre per plate.

IRIS2 - near-infrared slit-mask spectrograph and imager for the AAT – 2002

The IRIS2 infrared imager and spectrograph was built in-house by the AAO, and commissioned between October 2001 and July 2002. It provides the AAO with an infrared facility for

• Wide field imaging (~8'x8') with a pixel scale of 0.4486"/pixel
• Moderate resolution (R=2400) long-slit spectroscopy, and
• Moderate resolution (R=2400) multi-object spectroscopy (from 2016B onwards, the MOS mode will no longer be available)

2dF - 1997

The “Two-degree Field” (2dF) project at the AAO gives the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) a field of view two degrees in diameter at the prime focus, equipped with 400 optical fibres for multi-object spectroscopy. The basic components of 2dF are the corrector lens optics, the robot which positions the fibres and a pair of spectrographs. All these are mounted on a ‘top end ring’ so that the whole assembly can be easily put on and off the telescope.

Current AAO instrument build and design studies

Completed AAO instrumentation and telescope facility build projects

Completed AAO instrument design studies, concepts and proposals

Technology development activities