SPIRAL Phase A: a prototype integral field spectrograph for the AAT

摘要

Abstract: As telescope apertures increase, fundamental limits for doing efficient slit-based spectroscopy are being reached. We propose that lens arrays feeding fiber bundles be used in the focal plane of large telescopes to counteract these problems and in the process add the capability of integral field spectroscopy. A description of the first phase of the SPIRAL (segmented pupil/image reformatting array lenses) project is presented. This system will provide spatially mapped spectroscopy with high spectral resolution and high throughput. An alternative mode in which the lens array is used to segment the pupil rather than the sky is also described. Finally, we briefly discuss our future instrument development plans. !1