WiFeS: the wide field spectrograph

Michael A. Dopita; Liam E. Waldron; Peter McGregor; Peter Conroy; Matthew C. Doolan; Ross Zhelem; Gabe Bloxham; Will Saunders; Damien Jones; Lee Pfitzner

doi:10.1117/12.541264

30 September 2004 WiFeS: the wide field spectrograph

Michael A. Dopita, Liam E. Waldron, Peter McGregor, Peter Conroy, Matthew C. Doolan, Ross Zhelem, Gabe Bloxham, Will Saunders, Damien Jones, Lee Pfitzner

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5492, Ground-based Instrumentation for Astronomy; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.541264
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

WiFeS is a powerful integral field, double-beam, concentric, image-slicing spectrograph designed to deliver excellent thoughput, precision spectrophotometric performance and superb image quality along with wide spectral coverage throughout the 320-1000 nm wavelength region. It is currently under construction at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University (ANU), and will be mounted on the ANU 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. It will provide a 25x31 arc sec field with 0.5 arc sec sampling along each of twenty five 31x1.0 arc sec slitlets. The output format is arranged to match the 4096x4096 pixel CCD detectors in each of two cameras individually optimized for the blue and the red ends of the spectrum, respectively. A process of "interleaved nod-and-shuffle" will be applied to permit quantum noise-limited sky subtraction. Using VPH gratings, spectral resolutions modes of 3000 and 7000 will be provided. The full spectral range is covered in a single exposure in the R=3000 mode, and in two exposures in the R=7000 mode. The use of transmissive coated optics, VPH gratings and optimized mirror coatings ensures a throughput (including telescope and atmosphere) that peaks above 30%. The concentric image-slicer design ensures an excellent and uniform image quality across the full field. To maximize the scientific return, the whole instrument is configured for remote observing, pipeline data reduction, and the accumulation of calibration image libraries.

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Michael A. Dopita, Liam E. Waldron, Peter McGregor, Peter Conroy, Matthew C. Doolan, Ross Zhelem, Gabe Bloxham, Will Saunders, Damien Jones, and Lee Pfitzner "WiFeS: the wide field spectrograph", Proc. SPIE 5492, Ground-based Instrumentation for Astronomy, (30 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.541264

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