INSTRUMENTATION



Below are a list of instruments that are currently in use at WIYN
as well as instruments currently in development.

     
  Current
   · 

MiniMo

  ·  Hydra
  ·  SparsePak
  ·  DensePak
  ·  WTTM
  ·  OPTIC
  ·  WHIRC
     
  Future
  ·  One Degree Imager
  ·  QUOTA
  ·  Bench Upgrade
 
 
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 Current Instruments
  

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MiniMo
MiniMo The WIYN Mini-Mosaic Imager consists of two SITe 4096x2048 chips separated by a tiny gap mounted in a dewar. The CCDs have excellent cosmetics, high quantum efficiency, and allow good sampling (0.14"/pixel) and a large field of view (9.6x9.6 arcmin). Each of the two CCDs is read out through 2 amplifiers, resulting in a modestly short readout time for the 4096x4096 equivalent array.
   
Documentation  
  The Revised MiniMo Manual (2001)
  The Original MiniMo Manual (2000)
  Stella Kafka's Reduction Notes (IRAF)
  Abi Saha's Reduction Notes (IDL)
  Bad Pixel Masks
  Arcon-IRAF Interface User's Guide
  Commissioning Report
  Direct Imaging Manual for Kitt Peak

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Hydra
Hydra Hydra is a multi-object spectrometer that utilizes fiber optics placed in the focal plane to simultaneously transmit the light from numerous objects to a bench mounted spectrograph that records the spectrum of each object onto a CCD detector.
   
Documentation  
  Hydra Users Manual v5 (PDF)
  Hydra Users Manual v5 (PS)
  Current Concentricities File
  Hydra File Submission Form
  FTP Site For All Hydra Manuals and Software

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DensePak
DensePak DensePak is a fiber optics bundle used for integral field spectroscopy at the "WIYN" port. It consists of an array of 91 "red" optimized 300 micron diameter fibers and is mounted on the Indiana echelle spectrograph adapter head (WIFOE) which provides a pellical for viewing the fiber array. The fiber cable feeds the Bench Spectrograph that is used with the Hydra multi-object spectrograph and can be used in any of the spectrograph configurations.
Note: DensePak is currently unavailable.
Documentation  
  DensePak Users Manual

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SparsePak
SparsePak SparsePak is a sparsely packed fiber optics bundle with nearly-integral core that has a special fiber geometry designed to optimize performance for the specific scientific goal of studying the spatial distribution of the internal motions of gas and stars in nearby galaxies, but is also useful in general for the study of galactic and extra- galactic nebulae. SparsePak mounts into WIFOE, just as Densepak does. As such, Sparsepak is operated in a manner essentially identical to DensePak.
   
Documentation  
  SparsePak Information
  DensePak Users Manual

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WIYN Tip-Tilt Module (WTTM)
WTTM The WIYN Tip-Tilt Module is an optical and near-IR re-imaging system that utilizes fast tip-tilt compensation. As a general rule, WTTM will provide FWHM improvements of 10-15% (R- and I-bands). The f/# for the WTTM is 7.43 which provides a field of view of 3.84 x 4.69 arcminutes at a plate scale of 0.1125 arcseconds per 13.5µm pixel. The WTTM is attached to the WIYN Instrument Adapter System (IAS) at the Nasmyth focus. Changing between the WTTM and the MiniMosaic imager is accomplished in approximately 30 seconds by moving a pick-off mirror.
Note: WTTM is currently unavailable.
   
Documentation  
  Adaptive Optics
  WTTM Users Manual (HTML)
  WTTM Users Manual (PDF)
  WTTM Commissioning Report

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OPTIC
OPTIC The Orthogonal Parallel Transfer Imaging Camera consists of 2 Lincoln Lab CCID28 2K x 4K chips mounted side by side in a dewar, so the imager is roughly 4K x 4K altogether. The pixels are 15 µm, and subtend about 0.14".

OPTIC is a visiting instrument. Scientists wishing to use OPTIC should check it's availability each semester.

   
Documentation  
  OPTIC Users Manual (PDF)
  OPTIC Reduction Notes
  Direct Imaging Manual for Kitt Peak
  OPTIC QuickStart Guide
  OPTIC focus routine

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WIYN High Resolution InfraRed Camera (WHIRC)

WHIRC The WIYN High Resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC) is a joint project between the WIYN partners, and STScI. It will be a 2K x 2K near-infrared imager (~1 - 2.5 microns) used with the WIYN Tip-Tilt Module (WTTM). WHIRC + WTTM will provide a powerful combination of high spatial resolution, with expected typical images of ~0.25", and best ~0.1", high sensitivity, and a moderately wide FOV (3.3'x3.4'; area on sky/area per pixel = 4 x 106). It will be a general purpose instrument for a wide range of science, offering the standard broadband filters (JHK), as well as a number of narrowband filters.
Documentation  
  WHIRC Information
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One Degree Imager (ODI)
ODI The One Degree Imager (ODI) is the flagship of WIYN's new instrument initiatives. ODI will utilize both WIYN's one degree field of view and excellent image qualtity. The focal plane of the optical imager will be sampled with 0.1" pixels, or 1 Gigapixels in total. The sharpness of images will be actively improved by correcting images for tip/tilt image motion during the integration corrections will be done over the entire field of view, using a novel detector technology called Orthogonal Transfer Array CCD, making ODI a unique and competitive instrument in the era of wide-field surveys. ODI is funded by the WIYN partners and the National Science Foundation.
   
Documentation  
  ODI Information
  ODI Wiki pages (login required)
  ODI Science Requirements Document

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Quad Orthogonal Transfer Array (QUOTA)
QuOTA QUOTA (Quad OTA) serves as a prototype camera for ODI. Its functionality will be the same as that of ODI, only on a much smaller scale. Featuring four Orthogonal Transfer Array CCDs, this 4k x 4k imager with a 0.1" pixel scale will become WIYN's standard optical imager until ODI's arrival in 2010.
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Bench Spectrograph Upgrade

Bench Spectrograph Upgrade The Bench Upgrade project consists of implementing a faster, off-axis collimator, the capability to use VPH transmission gratings over a full range of incidence angles, two VPH gratings, and a new CCD system. Together, these improvements are expected to yield gains in throughput of factors of 2-5 over the existing system while maintaining or improving spectral resolution and sampling for most applications, and at most degrading spectral resolution by 20%.

 

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Informational Links
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Instrument Scientists

Additional Information

For more information contact:
Sheryl Falgout
Administrative Coordinator
WIYN Observatory
950 N. Cherry Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719
E-mail: sfalgout@noao.edu

Telephone: (520) 318-8396
Fax: (520) 318-8417

 

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