The Oxford SWIFT integral field spectrograph

摘要

We present the design of the Oxford SWIFT integral field spectrograph, a dedicated I and z band instrument (0.65 μm - 1.0μm at R～ 4000), designed to be used in conjunction with the Palomar laser guide star adaptive optics system (PALAO, and its planned upgrade PALM-3000). It builds on two recent developments (ⅰ) the improved ability of second generation adaptive optics systems to correct for atmospheric turbulence at wavelengths ≤ 1 μm, and (ⅱ) the availability of CCD array detectors with high quantum efficiency at very red wavelengths (close to the silicon band edge). Combining these with a state-of-the-art integral field unit design using an all-glass image sheer, SWIFT's design provides very high throughput and low scattered light. SWIFT simultaneously provides spectra of ～ 4000 spatial elements, arranged in a rectangular field-of-view of 44 x 89 pixels. It has three on-the-fly selectable pixel scales of 0.24″, 0.16″ and 0.08″. First light is expected in spring 2008.