“MOONS is a new Multi Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope (VLT). To the observers disposal are ~1000 fibers over a field of view of ~500 square arcmin, the largest patrol field offered by the Nasmyth focus at the VLT. The total wavelength coverage is 0.8μm-1.8μm and two resolution modes: medium resolution and high resolution. At the Centre for Astro-engineering here at Universidad Católica we are focused on the precise, high-speed measurement for the positions (Metrology) of the ~1000 fibers.”
Team Members:
- Leonardo Vanzi
- Holger Drass
- Rolando Dünner
- Miguel Torres
- Louise Dauvin
- Francisco Belmar
The international, multidisciplinary team at AIUC, working on the MOONS metrology consist of Astronomers and Engineers from different areas. Together they are designing building and commissioning a system to measure the positions of ~1000 fiber exact to few micrometer (thousands of a millimetre or the width of a cotton fiber). The system consist of cameras and lamps and is organised in a circular structure as part of the spectrograph’s Rotating Front End.
The Cameras are observing the focal plane array in as shown in Figure XXX and focal plane coverage is shown in Figure 4 (right).
On the focal plane array (Figure 5 right) each honeycomb is filled with motorised positioning units. ~1000 in total. The metrology system is targeting two dots on top of the arm..
For further details on the MOONS project, please see http://www.roe.ac.uk/~ciras/MOONS/VLT-MOONS.html Interested in working with us? Please contact Leonardo Vanzi or Holger Drass.