The twin 10-m telescopes of the W.M. Keck Observatory have now been in operation for almost a decade. The original complement of first generation instruments remains in use (NIRC, HIRES, LRIS, and LWS) and all second generation instruments have been commissioned and are in regular operation (NIRSPEC, ESI, NIRC2 and DEIMOS). Both telescopes are equipped with Adaptive Optics (AO) systems, but only Keck II is equipped for AO science at the present time. Several detector upgrades and new third generation instruments are in progress. The blue side of the LRIS double spectrograph received two new E2V 2k x 4k CCDs in July 2002 and a 3-CCD mosaic upgrade to HIRES is scheduled for commissioning in mid-2004. An upgrade of the LRIS-R CCD is planned for completion in late 2005. The near-infrared integral field spectrometer for AO (OSIRIS) has passed critical design review and is in advanced fabrication, and studies for a near-infrared multi-object spectrometer are in the preliminary design phase. An Atmospheric Dispersion Compensator (ADC) for LRIS is currently under development. Other major developments include regular operation of the Keck-Keck interferometer, and the first successful closed-loop operations with the Laser Guide Star on Keck II.

ESO celebrated the end of the first 5 years of very successful operation of its VLT in Chile on 1st April 2004 and is now set to expand this facility further with the addition of several 1.8 m, movable outrigger telescopes for interferometry, the VST (VLT survey telescope) and the VISTA (infrared) survey telescope. Here I will review briefly the status of the 8 operational 1st generation VLT/VLTI instruments plus the 3 in commissioning and the 3 still in development and will introduce the first 3 of the 2nd generation instruments which have recently been approved. I will also discuss briefly some of the 'Lessons Learned' from the development of the 1st generation instruments during an exercise conducted in 2003 with the participation of the external consortia of institutes to which ESO contracted out much of the instrument development.

An updated overview of the performance and science achievements of the first generation observational instruments for the 8,2-m Subaru Telescope (http://subarutelescope.org/index.html) is presented. Also given is the status of the development of the second generation instruments.

Gemini's instrument program, which has existed for about a decade, has recently produced enough instruments to fully populate all of the instrument ports on both Gemini-N and Gemini-S. These delivered instruments, as well as those currently under construction and due to be delivered in the next ~2 years, are described in this report. We also summarize the bold new directions Gemini's development program will go in the next 5-10 years, as our Community embarks upon a new science mission to answer some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy.

The Magellan Telescopes are a collaboration between the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (OCIW), University of Arizona, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) consisting of two 6.5 meter telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, in the Chilean Andes. The Walter Baade telescope achieved first light in September 2000 and the Landon Clay telescope started science operations in September 2002. In addition to two modified spectroscopic instruments, the Boller and Chivens Spectrograph and the Low Dispersion Survey Spectrograph (LDSS-2), four first generation instruments are now deployed at the Magellan Telescopes. Here we briefly describe the operations and performance of MagIC - a direct imaging CCD camera, MIKE - a double echelle spectrograph, PANIC - a near-IR imager, and IMACS - a multi-purpose, multi-object imaging spectrograph.

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), which had its ground-breaking in September 2000, is rapidly nearing completion, with commissioning planned for most of 2004 and first science observations due to begin in early 2005. This paper describes the design and status of the SALT instrumentation, including the facility instruments (e.g. atmospheric dispersion compensator, guidance system, etc) and the First Generation science instruments: SALTICAM, a high-speed optical imager, PFIS, a versatile prime focus imaging spectrograph and SALT HRS, a fiber-fed high resolution echelle spectrograph. These first instruments are confined to the UV-visible region, and in the case of the first two, optimized for UV-blue performance, with a capability down to ~320 nm. The First Generation instruments, which are all seeing limited, will provide the following capabilities: broad and narrow band imaging, long-slit and multi-object spectroscopy (up to R ~ 6000), spectropolarimetry, Fabry-Perot imaging spectroscopy and precision high resolution spectroscopy (up to R ~ 80,000). Time resolved studies are an important aspect of the overall SALT science drivers and special efforts are being made to ensure an ability to run at >10 Hz, with minimal dead time, by employing frame transfer CCDs on two of the instruments (SALTICAM and PFIS). SALTICAM was installed on SALT in October 2003, while its full imaging mode will be commissioned in 2004. PFIS is currently on schedule for integration on SALT in December 2004, while SALT HRS is due to complete its Preliminary Design Review in July 2004.

The Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) has an instrumentation group for engineering, design, and fabrication that integrates tightly with an energetic group of instrument scientists1 to develop complex astronomical instruments. This instrumentation group puts ideas for innovative technical solutions generated by the instrument scientist group into reality. One demonstration of past achievement is the highly ambitious and successful 2dF instrument that yielded invaluable scientific insight into the cosmological structure of the universe. The more recent successes of the instrumentation group include the OzPoz fiber positioner for the FLAMES facility on the VLT and the award-winning, imaging and multi-object IRIS-2 infrared spectrograph for the AAT. VPH gratings were first put into action in LDSS++ on the AAT and numerous VPH gratings are now in routine use on the 6dF spectrograph for the UKST. Under development are a completely new and unique fiber positioning scheme (Echidna) for use in the FMOS instrument for Subaru; a double-beamed, VPH-based, bench-mounted spectrograph for 2dF; new IR and optical detector controllers; a renovation of the telescope and instrument control systems for the AAT; and a feasibility study for an Echidna-style positioner for the Gemini telescopes. Several other design studies are underway for new instrument technologies using leading edge and innovative concepts in robotics and fibers. The synergy between our scientists and engineers establishes a sound basis for solving the instrumentation challenges facing us.

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC1) 10m telescope is now being integrated at the ORM, in La Palma Spain. Likewise, three instruments are being prepared for first light and, as of this writing, are about to start their laboratory integration. These first light instruments are: 1) OSIRIS, a large field of view imager and multi-object spectrograph, optimized for tuneable filter imaging, 2) ELMER a very sensitive imager and spectrograph, also for the visible range, and 3) CANARICAM, a diffraction-limited imager, spectrograph, polarimeter and coronagrapher for the mid-IR. The GTC set of first light instruments will offer some special observational capabilities to the astronomical community, namely Tuneable filter Imaging in OSIRIS, fast spectroscopy and photometry in both, ELMER and OSIRIS, and 10 microns Coronagraphy and Polarimetry with CANARICAM. Yet another instrument, EMIR, a large field, near-IR multi-object spectrograph and imager is in the Detailed Design phase. EMIR will be the first of the GTC second generation set of instruments. At the planning stage are several future instruments that will arrive to the GTC with different calendars after Day One. In particular, FRIDA, a near-IR diffraction-limited imager and spectrograph, that will operate with the GTC Adaptive Optics system. FRIDA's conceptual design is being started by a consortium lead by UNAM (Mexico) and in which the IAC and the University of Florida also participate. FRIDA should be at the telescope by the time that the AO system is having first light. This is expected by late 2007 early 2008. There is interest in the GTC community for installing visiting instruments on the GTC, thus the GTC board is discussing a policy to allow visitor instruments, some of which have already been proposed to be hosted by the GTC. In particular, CIRCE is a near IR camera that is being built by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Florida in Gainesville for the GTC using private funds, under the GTC visitor instrument scheme. CIRCE should bridge the gap between Day One and the arrival of EMIR enabling near IR imaging capabilities to the GTC.

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is a revolutionary large telescope of 9.2 meter aperture, located in West Texas at McDonald Observatory. The HET operates with a fixed segmented primary and has a tracker which moves the four-mirror corrector and prime focus instrument package to track the sidereal and non-sidereal motions of objects. The HET has been taking science data for five years, but the image quality and primary mirror stability have been far from specifications. Work over the past two years has improved performance significantly, and demonstrated site-seeing limited images of 0.8 arcsec., showing that the telescope will meet all specifications. The performance of the HET is discussed in detail. The first phase of HET instrumentation includes three facility instruments: the Low Resolution Spectrograph (LRS), the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS), and High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS). The current status of the instruments is described. Upcoming near infrared capabilities for the LRS and MRS are also discussed.

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27'x 27') UB/VRI optimized mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6\arcmin\ field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4'x 4') imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0'.5 x 0'.5) imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench beam combiner with visible and near-infrared imagers utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC/NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support.

It is generally believed that very fast cameras imaging large Fields of View translate into huge optomechanics and mosaics of very large contiguous CCDs. It has already been suggested that seeing limited imaging cameras for telescopes whose diameters are larger than 20m are considered virtually impossible for a reasonable cost. We show here that, using existing technology and at a moderate price, one can build a Smart Fast Camera, a device that placed on aberrated Field of View, including those of slow focal ratios, is able to provide imaging at an equivalent focal ratio as low as F/1, with a size that is identical to the large focal ratio focal plane size. The design allows for easy correction of aberrations over the Field of View. It has low weight and size with respect to any focal reducer or prime focus station of the same performance. It can be applied to existing 8m-class telescopes to provide a wide field fast focal plane or to achieve seeing-limited imaging on Extremely Large Telescopes. As it offers inherently fast read-out in a massive parallel mode, the SFC can be used as a pupil or focal plane camera for pupil-plane or Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing for 30-100m class telescopes.

Many astronomical imaging studies, such as those of weak gravitational lensing, call for better angular resolution than is normally possible from the ground over wide fields of view . For many of these studies astronomers need images which show a consistent point spread function across the field even if this comes at the expense of the ultimate in angular resolution at the centre of the field. Adaptive Optics does not show any prospect of being able to achieve fields of view as large as are needed at visible wavelengths and therefore a new technique of delivering high resolution images from the ground must be developed. Electron multiplying CCDs are available that allow images to be taken at high speed without the usual penalty of read noise. We have developed a new technique called Lucky Imaging which achieves high resolution by selecting the better images from a sequence of images, then shifting and adding each to give a much higher resolution output image. Resolutions in the range 0.1-0.2 arc seconds can be obtained routinely under relatively good conditions on a 2.5 metre telescope working in I band (850 nanometres) and using as much as 30% of the images taken. Even under poorer conditions we find that image selection allows the final resolution to be better than the traditional seeing value by a factor of as much as three. This paper describes the technique and some of the results obtained using this method.

Four years after its announcement at SPIE, FLAMES, the VLT fibre facility, has been completed, integrated into the VLT observatory and commissioned. It has been in operation since February 2003. More than 250000 scientific (single) spectra have been obtained, which have enabled the on-sky performance of the instrument to be compared to the predictions. We show that in several relevant aspects the real instrument significantly outperforms the specified astronomical performance. Some of the early scientific results are finally presented.

HARPS is a new high resolution fibre-fed spectrograph dedicated to the extremely precise measurement of stellar radial velocities. After being used for about one year including the commissioning runs we report a very successful implementation of the measures taken to maximise stability, efficiency and spectral performance. Using the Simultaneous ThAr Reference Method a short term precision of 0.2 m/s during one night and a long term precision of the order of 1 m/s have been achieved. Equipped with a fully automated data reduction pipeline that produces solar system barycentric radial velocities in near real-time, HARPS promises to deliver data of unequalled quality. HARPS will primarily be used for the search for exoplanets and in the field of asteroseismology. First exciting scientific results confirm these expectations.

The Gemini bHROS instrument, (Bench-Mounted High Resolution Optical Spectrograph) was delivered to the Gemini South Telescope in March 2003, after passing it's onsite acceptance test at UCL (University College London). The instrument was installed through the 2003 period, getting its final components, the fibre system, in September of that year. A number of nights were then allocated to the instrument to verify it throughput. This paper discusses the installation of the bHROS system in the pier lab and the difficulties encountered getting an accurate measure of the throughput of the system. An overview of the measured performance of the instrument and details of additional, proposed, system enhancements is given and an indication of the timescales for its release to the astronomical community is discussed.

The use of spectrographs with telescopes having high order adaptive optics (AO) systems offers the possibility of achieving near diffraction-limited spectral resolution with ground-based telescopes, as well as important advantages for instrument design. The use of an optical fiber to couple the instrument to the telescope affords additional advantages such as flexibility in the placement of the instrument and improved homogeneity of the input illumination function. In the case of Steward Observatory's Adaptively Coupled Echelle Spectrograph (ACES), the instrument is normally coupled to the telescope with an 8 micron diameter near single-mode optical fiber, although the instrument can be used at fixed focus locations without the fiber for telescopes so equipped. The use of a fiber coupler results in the phenomenon known as 'modal noise', where the transmission of multiple modes in the fiber leads to a wavelength-dependent variation in illumination that limits flat fielding precision. We have largely eliminated this effect through the use of an automated fiber stretcher device. We report here on improvements to the fiber feed optics and on interim observations made with the instrument at a conventional telescope not equipped with adaptive optics.

GMOS is the first telescope - spectrograph combination that acts as a complete system to deliver enhanced image quality and stability while simultaneously exploiting the large aperture of an 8m telescope. The entire system (optics, mechanics, software, detectors) was designed to take advantage of the best images that the Gemini telescopes produce while being extremely reliable and efficient. The built-in wavefront sensor allows the telescope to quickly point at an object, optimize its focus and then track it precisely for many hours (possibly over several nights) while maintaining perfect telescope and instrument focus and providing first order image compensation. As a result of the carefully-engineered design of its structure and mechanisms and its active flexure control system, GMOS offers unique scientific opportunities. A recent enhancement was the implementation of the "nod and shuffle" technique to give improved sky subtraction for very faint object spectroscopy. Some of the scientific highlights of GMOS' many modes (Imaging, MOS, IFU, precision velocities) are reviewed, and some of the "lessons-learned" during the first few years of operation are described.

Externally dispersed interferometry (EDI) is a technique for enhancing the performance of spectrographs for wide bandwidth high resolution spectroscopy and Doppler radial velocimetry. By placing a small angle-independent interferometer near the slit of a spectrograph, periodic fiducials are embedded on the recorded spectrum. The multiplication of the stellar spectrum times the sinusoidal fiducial net creates a moire pattern, which manifests high detailed spectral information heterodyned down to detectably low spatial frequencies. The latter can more accurately survive the blurring, distortions and CCD Nyquist limitations of the spectrograph. Hence lower resolution spectrographs can be used to perform high resolution spectroscopy and radial velocimetry. Previous demonstrations of ~2.5x resolution boost used an interferometer having a single fixed delay. We report new data indicating ~6x Gaussian resolution boost (140,000 from a spectrograph with 25,000 native resolving power), taken by using multiple exposures at widely different interferometer delays.

The Rochester Institute of Technology Multi-Object Spectrometer (RITMOS) utilizes a Texas Instruments Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) for target selection, instead of the fiber bundles or customized slit masks normally used in multi-object spectroscopy. The DMD, which sits at the telescope focal plane, is an 848 x 600 array of 17 micron square mirrors that can individually deflect incident light into one of two output paths: an imaging path or a spectroscopy path. In standard operation, all light is deflected towards the imaging path, consisting of an Offner relay which reimages the DMD onto a CCD detector. The locations of spectroscopic targets are then noted, and the micromirrors corresponding to these targets are then deflected towards the spectroscopy path. This path utilizes a 1200 l/mm transmission grating to disperse images of the micromirror pattern onto a second CCD detector. The spectroscopic parameters (e.g., 0.66 Å/pixel dispersion for a 13.5 micron/pixel detector) were chosen for MK spectral classification. Among the benefits of replacing a fiber bundle or custom slit mask with a DMD are the latter's instantaneous reconfigurability and its aptitude for the study of compact fields. RITMOS is thus suited towards spectral classification surveys of star clusters. We present a description of the instrument, details of its design, and initial measurements, including multi-object stellar spectra.

X-shooter is a single target spectrograph for the Cassegrain focus of one of the VLT UTs. It covers in a single exposure the spectral range from the UV to the H band with a possible extension into part of the K band. It is designed to maximize the sensitivity in this spectral range through the splitting in three arms with optimized optics, coatings, dispersive elements and detectors. It operates at intermediate resolutions (R=4000-14000, depending on wavelength and slit width) sufficient to address quantitatively a vast number of astrophysical applications while working in a background-limited S/N regime in the regions of the spectrum free from strong atmospheric emission and absorption lines. The small number of moving functions (and therefore instrument modes) and fixed spectral format make it easy to operate and permit a fast response. A mini-IFU unit (1.8" x 4") can be inserted in the telescope focal plane and is reformatted in a slit of 0.6"x 12" .The instrument includes atmospheric dispersion correctors in the UV and visual arms. The project foresees the development of a fully automatic data reduction package. The name of the instrument has been inspired by its capability to observe in a single shot a source of unknown flux distribution and redshift. The instrument is being built by a Consortium of Institutes from Denmark, France, Italy and the Netherlands in collaboration with ESO. When it operation, its observing capability will be unique at very large telescopes.

ELMER is an instrument for the GTC designed to observe between 365 and 1000 nm. The observing modes for the instrument at Day One shall be: Imaging, Long Slit and Mask-Multi-object Spectroscopy, Slit-less multi-object spectroscopy, Fast Photometry and Fast short-slit spectroscopy, over a FOV of 4.2 arcmin diameter. Spectral resolutions of 250, 1000 and 2500, covering the whole spectral range, will be available. ELMER has been designed and managed within the GTC Project Office. ELMER is currently in the final stage of testing previous to be shipped to the Observatory. The general description of this instrument and its expected scientific performance are summarised.

An unsolved problem in astronomical instrumentation is an imaging integral field spectrograph where the user has the freedom to specify arbitrarily complex, contiguous or disjoint regions over the focal plane, rather than a contiguous rectangular field. We present a new concept to solve this problem. Our device allows the user to format the field of view with fibre bundles packed into arbitrary patterns. The field of view is segmented by a large N(N microlens array (e.g. N=1000). This element divides the wavefront into small beams which pass through a metal plate drilled with a grid of holes in the same format as the microlens array. On the reverse side of the grid, hexagonal blocks comprising 67 input fibres are plugged into position on the grid with a pair of sliding "croupier" sticks. The fibred blocks transport the light to the spectrograph. The blocks are held magnetically and the plugging ensures accurate and repeatable registration with respect to the microlens array. The grid plate is micromachined with baffled holes in order to ensure photometric uniformity over the field of view.

We investigate the role of industrial replication in the construction of the next generation of spectrographs for large telescopes. In this paradigm, a simple base spectrograph unit is replicated to provide multiplex advantage, while the engineering costs are amortized over many copies. We argue that this is a cost-effective approach when compared to traditional spectrograph design, where each instrument is essentially a one-off prototype with heavy expenditure on engineering effort. As an example of massive replication, we present the design of, and the science drivers for, the Visible IFU Replicable Ultra-cheap Spectrograph (VIRUS). This instrument is made up of 132 individually small and simple spectrographs, each fed by a fiber integral field unit. The total VIRUS-132 instrument covers ~29 sq. arcminutes per observation, providing integral field spectroscopy from 340 to 570 nm, simultaneously, of 32,604 spatial elements, each 1 sq. arcsecond on the sky. VIRUS-132 will be mounted on the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope and fed by a new wide-field corrector with a science field in excess of 16.5 arcminutes diameter. VIRUS represents a new approach to spectrograph design, offering the science multiplex advantage of huge sky coverage for an integral field spectrograph, coupled with the engineering multiplex advantage of >102 spectrographs making up a whole.

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.

We will present a design of a high contrast 3D spectrometer with the attractive characteristics to provide very low differential aberrations. This concept, very well suited for an instrument as planet finder, is based on our expertise in slicer unit. Thanks to a control of diffraction and roughness effect, this new concept will provide spectrograph entrance sub-slit with a high purity. Very low level of cross-talk signal is expected. Associated with the slicer unit, we will present a spectrograph concept allowing to guaranty a negligible level of differential aberration between wavelength in the spectrum.

The 4-m aperture Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) is the next generation ground based solar telescope. In this paper we provide an overview of the ATST post-focus instrumentation. The majority of ATST instrumentation is located in an instrument Coude lab facility, where a rotating platform provides image de-rotation. A high order adaptive optics system delivers a corrected beam to the Coude lab facility. Alternatively, instruments can be mounted at Nasmyth or a small Gregorian area. For example, instruments for observing the faint corona preferably will be mounted at Nasmyth focus where maximum throughput is achieved. In addition, the Nasmyth focus has minimum telescope polarization and minimum stray light. We describe the set of first generation instruments, which include a Visible-Light Broadband Imager (VLBI), Visible and Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectropolarimeters, Visible and NIR Tunable Filters, a Thermal-Infrared Polarimeter & Spectrometer and a UV-Polarimeter. We also discuss unique and efficient approaches to the ATST instrumentation, which builds on the use of common components such as detector systems, polarimetry packages and various opto-mechanical components.

In recent years, it is beginning to be shown observationally and theoretically that the existence of the magnetic field is indispensable for active phenomena on the solar surface. In particular, the rotation or helicity of the magnetic field and their temporal variation are considered to be important factors which influence solar activity. In order to confirm this, it is necessary to compute vector components of the magnetic field with a higher accuracy than before. Therefore, we developed two kinds of filter-type magnetographs for the Solar Magnetic Activity Research Telescope (SMART) at Hida observatory, which allow us to observe the polarization components in sunlight with high accuracy. We use a Lyot filter in one of two sets of magnetographs. On the other hand, a tandem-typed Fabry-Perot filter is used in one more set. For these two instruments, we made the following concrete advances. 1. The method of coating of the pre-filters. 2. Special fine-anneal on the main lenses. 3. Highly accurate rotating wave-plate. 4. Simultaneous observation of two kinds of filtergrams which have orthogonally polarized light mutually by using Fabry-Perot channel. 5. Observation in four wavelengths which can suppress various errors. 6. Low apparent Doppler shift in the FOV due to the oblique incidence of the rays to the filters. 7. Large format CCD (large-sized chip, large full-well). 8. High speed data transfer interface between the CCD and PC. In this paper, we report the details of these points, the expected effect of them, and the results of initial measurements.

The Adaptive Optics System NACO at the VLT has been equipped with a Simultaneous Differential Imager (SDI) designed to provide direct imaging of giant extra-solar planets. Exploiting the fact that all cool (Teff < 1200K) extra-solar giant planets have strong CH4 (methane) absorption beyond 1.62 μm in the H band NIR atmospheric window, diffraction limited narrow-band images centred on this absorption edge are obtained with NACO simultaneously to reduce the speckle-noise floor and increase the sensitivity for Jupiter-like planets around nearby young stars. We present the technical realization of this device and first results obtained during the commissioning run.

WIRCam (Wide-field InfraRed Camera) is a near-infrared (0.9-2.4 microns) camera developed for the prime focus of the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), a 3.6-m telescope located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. WIRCam is based on 4 x 2048x2048 HAWAII2RG arrays, developed by Rockwell. The camera provides a 0.3"/pixel sampling, and the close packaging of the detectors allows to cover an almost contiguous field-of-view of 20.5' x 20.5'. All optical elements are assembled in a cryovessel and cooled down to 85K by a He closed cycle cryogenerator. The two filter wheels have capacity for 8 filters (110 mm in diameter), cooled at low temperature together with the Lyot stop. These wheels are mounted on sapphire ball bearings and powered by external motors. Passive spring indexers define their positioning. A fused-silica tip/tilt plate powered by voice coil type motors provides image stabilization in front of the cryovessel. It compensates for flexures as well as for low frequency telescope oscillations from wind shake. This paper describes the overall architecture of the camera, giving the optical estimated performances and details some specific points of the design such as filter wheels, thermal connections, etc.

The VISTA IR Camera has now completed its detailed design phase and is on schedule for delivery to ESO’s Cerro Paranal Observatory in 2006. The camera consists of 16 Raytheon VIRGO 2048x2048 HgCdTe arrays in a sparse focal plane sampling a 1.65 degree field of view. A 1.4m diameter filter wheel provides slots for 7 distinct science filters, each comprising 16 individual filter panes. The camera also provides autoguiding and curvature sensing information for the VISTA telescope, and relies on tight tolerancing to meet the demanding requirements of the f/1 telescope design. The VISTA IR camera is unusual in that it contains no cold pupil-stop, but rather relies on a series of nested cold baffles to constrain the light reaching the focal plane to the science beam. In this paper we present a complete overview of the status of the final IR Camera design, its interaction with the VISTA telescope, and a summary of the predicted performance of the system.

IRIS2 is a near-infrared imager and spectrograph based on a HAWAII1 HgCdTe detector. It provides wide-field (7.7’×7.7’) imaging capabilities at 0.4486”/pixel sampling, long-slit spectroscopy at λ/Δλ≈2400 in each of the J, H and K passbands, and the ability to do multi-object spectroscopy in up to three masks. These multi-slit masks are laser cut, and have been manufactured for both traditional multiple slit work (≈20-40 objects in a 3’×7.4’ field-of-view), multiple slit work in narrow-band filters (≈100 objects in a 5’×7.4’ field-of-view), and micro-hole spectroscopy in narrow-band filters allowing the observation of ≈200 objects in a 5’×7.4’ field.

The CHEOPS Planet Finder is one of the proposed second generation instruments for the VLT. Its purpose is to image and characterize giant extrasolar planets in different phases of their evolution: young, warm planets as well as old, cold ones. Imaging the last ones is the most challenging task because of the very large (>10⁸) flux contrast with their star. Detection of such faint sources close to the stars from the ground requires a very high Strehl ratio and efficient suppression of the speckle noise. Two complementary strategies, based on imaging polarimetry using fast modulation and on integral field spectroscopy, are included as scientific channels of CHEOPS, after the high order adaptive optics module. The outputs of the two channels will allow a close insight into the main properties of detected extrasolar planets. In addition, the CHEOPS instrument is well suited for a number of astrophysical projects, which are briefly described.

DAzLE is a near infrared narrowband differential imager being built by the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, in collaboration with the Anglo-Australian observatory. It is a special purpose instrument designed with a sole aim; the detection of redshifted Lyman-α emission from star forming galaxies at z>7. DAzLE will use pairs of high resolution (R=1000) narrowband filters to exploit low background 'windows' in the near infrared sky emission spectrum. This will enable it to reach sensitivities of ~2 x 10^-21Wm^-2, thereby allowing the detection of z>7 galaxies with star formation rates as low as a few solar masses per year. The design of the instrument, and in particular the crucial narrowband filters, are presented. The predicted performance of DAzLE, including the sensitivity, volume coverage and expected number counts, is discussed. The current status of the DAzLE project, and its projected timeline, are also presented.

The Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) is the science camera and commissioning instrument for the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) system on the Gemini South telescope. GSAOI is required to deliver diffraction-limited performance at near-infrared wavelengths over a 85"×85" field of view. It must be delivered on a short timescale commensurate with MCAO delivery. GSAOI will use a high throughput, all-refractive optical design and a mosaic of four HAWAII-2RG detectors to form an imager focal plane of 4080x4080 pixels with a fixed scale of 0.02"/pixel. The On-Detector Guide Window (ODGW) capability of the HAWAII-2RG detectors will be used for flexure monitoring and as near-infrared substitutes for MCAO natural guide star wave front sensors. The imager will include a pupil viewer for accurate alignment to MCAO and defocus lenses to measure wave front phase errors at the science detector using the curvature technique. Non-common path wave front errors will be nulled by setting the base shapes of the three MCAO deformable mirrors. The science drivers, performance predictions, optical design issues, and detector system for the instrument are described.

We describe LINC-NIRVANA, a 1-2.5 micron interferometric imaging instrument for the Large Binocular Telescope. Operating in Fizeau beam combination mode, LINC-NIRVANA will deliver the sensitivity of a 12-meter telescope and the angular resolution of a 23-meter telescope. Unlike traditional interferometers, LINC-NIRVANA will be a true imaging device, with a field of view of ten arcseconds on a single HAWAII-2 detector array. LINC-NIRVANA employs a number of state-of-the-art technologies, including multi-conjugated adaptive optics (MCAO), innovative cooling systems, and complex software for instrument control and data analysis. We report on overall project progress and highlight some unique aspects of LINC-NIRVANA that should be of wider interest to the near-infrared instrument-building community.

We present an overview of the science instrument program for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Funded for an initial suite of facility and PI instruments, the SOFIA instrument development program includes imagers and spectrometers from both U.S. and German development teams. With an emphasis on lessons learned, we review the development of the facility instrument suite. We conclude with the anticipated role for SOFIA as a new technology test bed for the latest far-infrared detectors.

HAWC (High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera) is a facility science instrument for SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy). It is a far-infrared camera designed for diffraction-limited imaging in four spectral passbands centered at wavelengths of 53, 89, 155, and 216 μm. Its detector is a 12x32 array of bolometers cooled to 0.2 K by an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator. In this paper, we report on the development and testing of the instrument and its subsystems.

FIFI LS is a far-infrared integral field spectrometer for the SOFIA airborne observatory. The instrument is designed to maximize the observing efficiency by simultaneous and nearly independent imaging of the field of view in two medium spectral resolution bands. Both spectral channels - covering a wavelength range of 42 to 110 microns and 110 to 210 microns respectively - allow diffraction limited spectral imaging. Reflective image slicers rearrange the 5x5 pixel field of view into the 1x25 pixel entrance slit of a grating spectrograph. Littrow mounted gratings with anamorphic collimators are used for spectral multiplexing with a spectral resolution between R = 1400 - 6500, depending on observing wavelength. Each spectral band employs two large format 25x16 pixel Ge:Ga detector arrays, axially stressed for the long wavelength band to achieve a longer wavelength response and slightly stressed for the short wavelength band. For each of the 25 spatial pixels, we are able to cover a velocity range of approximately 1500 km/s around a selected far-infrared line. This arrangement provides good spectral coverage with high responsivity. We present a summary of the FIFI LS design and the current status of instrument integration.

We report laboratory tests amd development progress for the Faint Object Infrared Camera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST). FORCAST is a two-channel camera with selectable filters for continuum and line imaging in the 5 - 40 micron wavelength region. Simultaneous imaging will be possible in the two channels: 5 - 25 microns using a Si:As 256x256 blocked impurity band (BIB) detector array, and 25-40 microns using a Si:Sb BIB. FORCAST will sample 0.75 arcseconds per pixel allowing a 3.2'x3.2' instantaneous field-of view in both channels simultaneously. Imaging will be diffracted limited for lambda> 15 microns on the SOFIA telescope. Since FORCAST operates in the wavelength range where the seeing is best from SOFIA, it will provide the highest spatial resolution possible from the airborne observatory. In addition to imaging, the FORCAST optical design provides for a simple upgrade to include spectroscopic observations using grisms mounted in the filter wheels. FORCAST will be available for facility testing and astronomical observations at SOFIA first (f)light.

LIRIS is a near-infrared (1-2.5 microns) intermediate resolution spectrograph (R=1000-3000) with added capabilities for multi-slit, imaging, coronography, and polarimetry, built by the IAC to be a common instrument for the WHT (La Palma). Here we report the results of the two commissioning periods. The image quality was checked, obtaining a FWHM of 0".5 in the Ks band over the whole field of view (4'.2 x 4'.2). Zero points and sky brightness were measured, and very low values were found in the latter. The long slit spectra obtained matched the expected spectral resolution (2.6 pixels for a 0".65-wide slit). Flexure tests were carried out with good results. Several science targets were observed, the most note-worthy result being the detection of the CIV 154.9 nm line in the most distant qso at z=6.41.

The Infrared Multi-Object Spectrometer (IRMOS) is an innovative near-IR instrument employing an array of MEMS micro mirrors for focal plane target selection. IRMOS is a joint project of the Space Telescope Science Institute, the NASA James Webb Space Telescope, and the Kitt Peak National Observatory and will shortly become available to the community at Kitt Peak. IRMOS uses a Texas Instruments 848x600 element DMD as a micro mirror array to synthesize slits to obtain up to 100 simultaneous spectra. It provides R~300, 1000, and 3000 spectroscopy in the J, H, and K bands plus R~1000 in Z together with imaging in all bands. Designed for the KPNO 4 and 2.1-meter telescopes, IRMOS will provide 3x2 and 6x4 arc minute fields of view on these telescopes. We describe the design and status of IRMOS, summarize its expected performance, and present early test data from system level lab tests.

The Infrared Multi-Object Spectrometer (IRMOS) is a principle investigator-class instrument for the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1 m and Mayall 3.8 m telescopes. IRMOS is a near-IR (0.8-2.5 micron) spectrometer with low- to mid-resolving power (R = λ/Δλ = 300-3000). On the 3.8 m telescope, IRMOS produces simultaneous spectra of ~100 objects in its 2.8 x 2.0 arcmin field of view using a commercial micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) digital micro-mirror device (DMD) from Texas Instruments. The multi-mirror array DMD operates as a real-time programmable slit mask. The all-reflective optical design consists of two imaging subsystems. The focal reducer images the focal plane of the telescope onto the DMD field stop, and the spectrograph images the DMD onto a large-format detector. The instrument operates at ~90 K, cooled by a single electro-mechanical cryocooler. The bench and all components are made from aluminum 6061. There are three cryogenic mechanisms. We describe laboratory integration and test of IRMOS before shipment to Kitt Peak National Observatory. We give an overview of the optical alignment technique and integration of optical, mechanical, electrical and cryogenic subsystems. We compare optical test results to model predictions of point spread function size. We discuss some lessons learned and conclude with a prediction for performance on the telescope.

SPIFFI (SPectrometer for Infrared Faint Field Imaging) is a fully cryogenic, near-infrared imaging spectrograph built at the Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) and upgraded with a new detector and spectrograph camera by ASTRON/NOVA, ESO and MPE. The upgraded instrument will become a facility instrument for the ESO VLT in summer 2004 as part of the SINFONI (SINgle Faint Object Near-IR Investigation) project, which is the combination of SPIFFI and ESOs adaptive optics module MACAO (Multiple Application Curvature Adaptive Optics), at the Cassegrain focus of Yepun (UT4). In spring 2003 we had the opportunity to observe with SPIFFI as a guest instrument without the AO-module at the Cassegrain focus of UT2 of the VLT. In this paper we discuss the performance of SPIFFI during the guest-instrument phase. First we summarize the technical performance of SPIFFI like the spatial and spectral resolution, the detector performance and the instruments throughput. Afterwards we illustrate the power of integral field spectroscopy by presenting data and results of the Galactic Center.

The Cambridge Infra-red Panoramic Survey Spectrograph (CIRPASS) is described. This near-infrared (NIR) spectrograph has been used on the 8m Gemini-South Telescope, the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope (WHT). Its performance in both integral field mode and multi-object mode is discussed and some scientific highlights are presented. A multi-IFU system, which is currently under construction, is also described.

The Multi Unit spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) is a second generation VLT panoramic integral-field spectrograph operating in the visible wavelength range. MUSE has a field of 1 x 1 arcmin² sampled at 0.2x0.2 arcsec² and is assisted by a ground layer adaptive optics system using four laser guide stars. The simultaneous spectral range is 0.465-0.93 μm, at a resolution of R~3000. MUSE couples the discovery potential of a large imaging device to the measuring capabilities of a high-quality spectrograph, while taking advantage of the increased spatial resolution provided by adaptive optics. This makes MUSE a unique and tremendously powerful instrument for discovering and characterizing objects that lie beyond the reach of even the deepest imaging surveys. MUSE has also a high spatial resolution mode with 7.5 x 7.5 arcse² field of view sampled at 25 milli-arcsec. In this mode MUSE should be able to get diffraction limited data-cube in the 0.6-1 μm wavelength range. Although MUSE design has been optimized for the study of galaxy formation and evolution, it has a wide range of possible applications; e.g. monitoring of outer planets atmosphere, young stellar objects environment, supermassive black holes and active nuclei in nearby galaxies or massive spectroscopic survey of stellar fields.

LRS-J is a 142 mm f/1 near infrared (J-Band) camera designed as a drop in replacement for the optical camera installed on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) multi-object low resolution spectrograph (LRS). The Hawaii-1RG (H1RG) based instrument is liquid nitrogen cooled, but it mates to the warm LRS making use of the existing longslit and multi-object (MOS) units as well as the existing optical collimator. LRS-J utilizes a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) based Hawaii-1RG (H1RG) detector. The design is a fully cryogenic catadioptric Maksutov-type, with the detector at the internal focus. This configuration produces excellent images, but presents particular challenges in the mounting of the detector. This is the first time that such an arrangement has been used in an astronomical instrument with an infrared detector. By replacing the conventional optical grisms with two 170 mm diameter near-IR VPH grisms, LRS-J covers the 0.9-1.3 μm bandpass with R ~ 1750-2000. We present the opto-mechanical design of LRS-J including the thermally self-compensating corrector doublet mount, and 100 μm/turn cryogenic mirror adjusters, FEA optimized vacuum housing, and custom Dewar. We also characterize the electrical and thermal connections necessary to mount the detector head in this unusually small inverted arrangement.

UIST is a facility class near-infrared instrument recently commissioned at the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). UIST provides a comprehensive imaging and spectroscopic facility with spatial resolution limited only by the delivered tip-tilt corrected seeing. In addition to long slit spectroscopic modes, UIST includes the first deployable cryogenic integral field unit in a common user instrument. We will present results obtained during the commissioning period in late 2002. These include measurements of the image quality and the sensitivities of the different observing modes of the instrument. We also discuss the use of an instrument-specific telescope pointing-model developed for UIST to allow the instrument to meet the stringent flexure requirements arising from the choice of 0.06arcsec/pixel and 0.12arcsec/pixel plate scales. We pay particular attention to the performance of the image slicing integral field unit (IFU). We will present astronomical results from the first year of UIST operations, during which time UIST carried out diverse programmes, from mineralogical studies of Mars to measuring the mass of the black hole at the centre of the most distant quasar.

We have developed a high resolution near-infrared temperature tunable cryogenic spectrometer with solid Fabry-Perot etalons. It is designed and built for diffuse emission of ionized hydrogen Brγ studies, although with the appropriate pre-filter it can be configured for any near infrared lines. The etalons made from silicon and germanium operate near 77K. The high refractive index of these etalons allows for the construction of a very compact spectrometer. Germanium etalon with 20mm clear aperture is equivalent to a gas spaced Fabry-Perot interferometer of about 80 mm in diameter. A strong temperature dependence of the refractive index for these two materials makes it easy to tune etalons. Combination of these factors allowed to build a compact, high resolution (R=12000) high throughput instrument.

We describe the design of a 2nd generation instrument for the ESO VLT which will deliver a unique multiple deployable integral field capability in the near-infrared (1-2.5μm). The science drivers for the instrument are presented and linked to the functional specification. The baseline instrument concept is described with emphasis on technological innovations. Detailed discussions of specific technologies, and ongoing prototype studies, are described in separate papers.

We present the final global design and performances of EMIR, the NIR multi-object spectrograph of the GTC, as well as the plan for its early scientific exploitation. EMIR, currently in the middle of its final phase, will be one of the first common user instruments for the GTC, the 10 meter telescope under construction by GRANTECAN at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Canary Islands, Spain). EMIR is being built by a Consortium of Spanish and French institutes led by the IAC. EMIR is designed to realize one of the central goals of 10m class telescopes, allowing observers to obtain spectra for large numbers of faint sources in an time-efficient manner. EMIR is primarily designed to be operated as a MOS in the K band, but offers a wide range of observing modes, which include imaging and spectroscopy, both long slit and multi-object, in the wavelength range 0.9 to 2.5 mm. It is equipped with two innovative subsystems: a robotic reconfigurable multi-slit mask and dispersive elements formed by the combination of high quality diffraction grating and conventional prisms, both at the heart of the instrument. The present status of development, expected performances, schedule and plans for scientific exploitation are described and discussed. This project is mostly funded by GRANTECAN and the Plan Nacional de Astronomia y Astrofisica (National Plan for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Spain).

We report on the design and status of the FLAMINGOS-2 instrument - a fully-cryogenic facility near-infrared imager and multi-object spectrograph for the Gemini 8-meter telescopes. FLAMINGOS-2 has a refractive all-spherical optical system providing 0.18-arcsecond pixels and a 6.2-arcminute circular field-of-view on a 2048x2048-pixel HAWAII-2 0.9-2.4 mm detector array. A slit/Dekker wheel mechanism allows the selection of up to 9 multi-object laser-machined plates or 3 long slits for spectroscopy over a 6x2-arcminute field of view, and selectable grisms provide resolutions from ~1300 to ~3000 over the entire spectrograph bandpass. FLAMINGOS-2 is also compatible with the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics system, providing multi-object spectroscopic capabilities over a 3x1-arcminute field with high spatial resolution (0.09-arcsec/pixel). We review the designs of optical, mechanical, electronics, software, and On-Instrument WaveFront Sensor subsystems. We also present the current status of the project, midway through its construction phase in June 2004.

LUCIFER (LBT NIR Spectrograph Utility with Camera and Integral-Field Unit for Extragalactic Research) is a NIR spectrograph and imager for the LBT (Large Binocular Telescope) working in the wavelength range from 0.9 to 2.5 microns. The instrument is to be built by a consortium of five german institutes (Landessternwarte Heidelberg (LSW), Max Planck Institut for Astronomy (MPIA), Max Planck Institut for Extraterrestric Physics (MPE), Astronomical Institut of the Ruhr-University Bochum (AIRUB) and Fachhochschule for Technics and Design Mannheim (FHTG)). LUCIFER will be one of the first light instruments of the LBT and will be available to the community at the end of 2005. A copy of the instrument for the second LBT mirror follows about one year later. The paper presents a brief status report of the procured and built hardware, of the workpackages already carried out and summarizes the ongoing work in progress.

CRIRES is a cryogenic, pre-dispersed, infrared echelle spectrograph designed to provide a resolving power lambda/(Delta lambda) of 10⁵ between 1 and 5mu m at the Nasmyth focus B of the 8m VLT unit telescope #1 (Antu). A curvature sensing adaptive optics system feed is used to minimize slit losses and to provide diffraction limited spatial resolution along the slit. A mosaic of 4 Aladdin~III InSb-arrays packaged on custom-fabricated ceramics boards has been developed. This provides for an effective 4096x512 pixel focal plane array, to maximize the free spectral range covered in each exposure. Insertion of gas cells to measure high precision radial velocities is foreseen. For measurement of circular polarization a Fresnel rhomb in combination with a Wollaston prism for magnetic Doppler imaging is foreseen. The implementation of full spectropolarimetry is under study. This is one result of a scientific workshop held at ESO in late 2003 to refine the science-case of CRIRES. Installation at the VLT is scheduled during the first half of 2005. Here we briefly recall the major design features of CRIRES and describe its current development status including a report of laboratory testing.

Designs for Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) are quite well advanced, but the requirements of instruments have had limited impact. Since provision of a suitable environment for instruments is a critical aspect of all telescopes, we outline some well-known and some less-appreciated challenges of designing instruments for ELTs. A wide-field spectrometer (WFSPEC) with ~10 arcmin field-of-view, probably with AO correction of ground-layer seeing, illustrates the well-known difficulty of matching modern detector pixels to large (~0."3) images. The challenges of exploiting wide-field (1'-2' FOV) high-performance AO systems on ELTs are illustrated by a Multi-Object Multi-field Spectrometer and Imager (MOMSI), which provides imaging and integral-field spectroscopy, at near-diffraction-limited pixel scales, of targets in approximately 300 subfields each. This instrument, roughly equivalent to all the astronomical spectrometers yet built, extracts ~200 times less of the available information from the ELT's FOV than near-future instruments on 8-m class telescopes will do for their hosts. We emphasise the great size of such instruments (40-100 tonnes, 100-200 m3) and the need to accommodate this size in telescope plans. A third area of challenge is the exploitation of the potential capabilities of ELTs in the mid-IR, where they would offer powerful complements to JWST and ALMA; low-emissivity telescope designs and, possibly, cryogenic AO, may be needed. Finally, we outline the potential challenges of correcting atmospheric dispersion effects.

Based on expected Science Drivers for a 60 to 100-m diameter OWL-class telescope, we derive the basic instrumental capabilities that are needed to address them effectively. They come in three flavors -viz. an extremely high-contrast fully diffraction-limited spectro-imager, a cryogenic AO-assisted imager and multi-integral field spectrometer. Their highest priority wavelength range lies in the near-IR. In terms of size and technical requirements, these instruments belong to a quite similar class than instruments currently being developed for the 8-10 m telescopes. This places them hopefully in the feasible category, even if already rather challenging. A big caveat however is that enlarging the imaging field or the spectrometer multiplex would require large clusters of these basic “bricks”. The requirements on the adaptive optics correction are stringent and call for a close and careful integration between the telescope adaptive optics systems and the instruments. We also introduce here, as a relevant example of a new observational strategy, an instrument focused on a specific scientific program - the direct measurement of the acceleration of the Universe at different epochs via the Lyα forest in QSO spectra. Being able to host dedicated facilities of this type, used for a specific observing programs in a CERN experiment-like fashion, is deemed essential to ensure that the giant telescopes of the future get and stay at the cutting edge of research in the next decade and beyond. Finally, we comment briefly on the articulation between the development of generic instrument concepts for ELTs in the frame of the European ELT Design Study and their adaptation to the OWL case.

The Science Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT) is nearing completion in its deliberations on defining a set of instrumentation capabilities for the first decade of operation. These are encapsulated in the SAC’s Science Requirements Document (SRD). We focus here on issues related to the challenges posed by the proposed first generation requirements for both seeing-limited, wide-field spectroscopy for the UV/optical and for integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopy for the near infra-red (NIR).

A wide-field low-resolution multi-object optical spectrograph suitable for a 30-m F/15 telescope is described. The effort to build a 30-m class telescope is gaining momentum. Many science cases for such a telescope make the need for a wide-field seeing-limited spectrograph a high priority. Our concept comprises four identical instruments placed symmetrically around the optical axis of the telescope, this allows smaller dimensions for the spectrographs and their components. Each instrument is placed in one quadrant of the telescope focal plane; a space at the center of the field is free for other instrumentation. Using a dichroic beam-splitter each instrument feeds a "red" and "blue" camera. The total field is 81 square arcmin, the wavelength range covers simultaneously 310 nm to 1000 nm and the spectral resolution (R) is 300 to 5000. The instruments are designed for vertical mounting at a Nasmyth focus to avoid gravity vector changes and reducing mechanical flexure problems during observation. The layout also allows access to internal components for maintenance. The design offers advantages for the location of a slit mask and filters. The instruments can also be used for imaging. Optical and opto-mechanical models and analyses are presented with specifications and expected performance.

The Anglo-Australian Observatory's (AAO's) FMOS-Echidna project is for the Fiber Multi-Object Spectroscopy system for the Subaru Telescope. It includes three parts: the 400-fiber positioning system, the focal plane imager (FPI) and the prime focus corrector. The Echidna positioner concept and the role of the AAO in the FMOS project have been described in previous SPIE proceedings. The many components for the system are now being manufactured, after prototype tests have demonstrated that the required performance will be achieved. In this paper, the techniques developed to overcome key mechanical and electronic engineering challenges for the positioner and the FPI are described. The major performance requirement is that all 400 science fiber cores and up to 14 guide fiber bundles are to be re-positioned to an accuracy of 10μm within 10 minutes. With the fast prime focus focal ratio, a close tolerance on the axial position of the fiber tips must also be held so efficiency does not suffer from de-focus. Positioning accuracy is controlled with the help of the FPI, which measures the positions of the fiber tips to an accuracy of a few μm and allows iterative positioning. Maintaining fiber tips sufficiently co-planar requires accurate control in the assembly of the several components that contribute to such errors. Assembly jigs have been developed and proven adequate for this purpose. Attaining high reliability in an assembly with many small components of disparate materials bonded together, including piezo ceramics, carbon fiber reinforced plastic, hardened steel, and electrical circuit boards, has entailed careful selection and application of cements and tightly controlled soldering for electrical connections.

The LUCIFER MOS unit has been designed to exchange long-slit and multi-slit masks between two mask storage cabinets and the focal plane area. In combination with auxiliary cryostats, the MOS unit also permits the exchange of cold mask cabinets between LUCIFER and the auxiliary cryostats. Main functional components of the MOS unit are: a focal plane interface accepting the active mask, a mask handling unit transporting the masks between the focal plane mount and their storage locations, a stationary and an exchangeable cabinet holding 10 longslit and 23 multi-slit masks respectively, the translation drives for the exchangeable cabinet and the mask handling unit, and the mask locking unit securing the masks in their cabinets. For mask cabinet exchange, the LUCIFER cryostat as well as the auxiliary cryostats are equipped with 32 cm clear diameter gate valves. A test cryostat has been built to test all MOS unit functions at LN2 temperature. Most of the MOS unit components have been completed. System tests at ambient have started. First results are presented.

We discuss the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of the prototype Florida Image Slicer for Infrared Cosmology and Astrophysics (FISICA) Integral Field Unit (IFU). FISICA is intended for large telescopes with f/numbers close to f/15, such as the KPNO 4-m and GTC 10.4-m telescopes. It implements an image slicing approach, wherein the initial image plane is optically sliced into thin strips and the strips are optically rearranged end-to-end, whereupon the composite slit image is fed into a conventional spectrograph. We divide the field of view into 22 slices, while accommodating the entire f/15 viewing solid angle. The all-reflective instrument resides in a cryogenic dewar at the initial focal plane, and places the composite slit image output precisely at the initial focus, allowing it to interface to the existing FLAMINGOS spectrograph. The mirrors were diamond turned using various tool geometries and state-of-the-art, multi-axis tool control. The mirrors are made from a single billet of aluminum, and the optical bench and mounts are made of the same alloy as the mirrors for optimum performance during cryogenic cooling. We discuss the key design efforts, emphasizing tradeoffs among performance, volume, fabrication difficulty, and alignment requirements. We describe the fabrication, and present preliminary laboratory test results.

We report on the design and status of the Florida Image Slicer for Infrared Cosmology and Astrophysics (FISICA) - a fully-cryogenic all-reflective image-slicing integral field unit for the FLAMINGOS near-infrared spectrograph. Designed to accept input beams near f/15, FISICA with FLAMINGOS provides R~1300 spectra over a 16x33-arcsec field-of-view on the Cassegrain f/15 focus of the KPNO 4-meter telescope, or a 6x12-arcsec field-of-view on the Nasmyth or Bent Cassegrain foci of the Gran Telescopio Canarias 10.4-meter telescope. FISICA accomplishes this using three sets of “monolithic” powered mirror arrays, each with 22 mirrored surfaces cut into a single piece of aluminum. We review the optical and opto-mechanical design and fabrication of FISICA, as well as laboratory test results for FISICA integrated with the FLAMINGOS instrument. We also discuss plans for first-light observations on the KPNO 4-meter telescope in July 2004.

GIANO is an infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) cross-dispersed echelle spectrometer designed to achieve high throughput, high resolving power, wide band coverage and high accuracy radial velocity measurements. It also includes polarimetric capabilities and a low resolution mode that make it a very versatile, common user instrument which will be permanently mounted and available at one of the Nasmyth foci of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) located at Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), La Palma, Spain. GIANO was selected by INAF as the top priority instrument among those proposed within the Second Generation Instrumentation Plan of the TNG. More information on this project can be found at the web page http://www.bo.astro.it/giano

EMIR is a multiobject intermediate resolution near infrared (1.0-2.5 microns) spectrograph with image capabilities to be mounted on the 10m Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC), located on the Spanish island of La Palma. This paper shows an overview of the EMIR electronics and mechanism control. First, a description of the detector (a Hawaii-2 array) electronics is given, which involves the use of commercial components (resistors, capacitors and operational amplifiers) working under cryogenic conditions (around 77K). This paper describes the particularities of the cold electronics, showing the problems found and the way to solve them. Preliminary results of the detector characterization are also presented in this paper. Secondly, an overview of the different mechanisms of the instrument is presented. They are cryogenic mechanisms with pretty stringent positioning requirements. The technological solutions used to meet the tight control requirements will be described.

A spectrograph was designed and constructed to provide a new capability for measuring spectrum of extended emission line sources, but it has the versatility to work well on stellar bright moving sources for example emission nebulae and comets. The spectrograph uses high-speed lens system. It projects the incoming wide field light through a horizontal moving slit assembly onto a reflective grating based on a rotary platform that is synchronised with the slit mechanism. The slit width is adjustable, as is the case in conventional spectrographs. An important part of the design is the lateral movement of the entire slit assembly (in addition to the movement of the slit itself), so that the narrow beam passing through the slit will reflect off different parts of the diffraction grating and be received by the camera in a scanning mode. As a result, this single device can cover a wide field of view across the range of spectra in a short duration of time. In fact it can obtain a spectrum of sky 3 x 3 degrees in a short timescale depending on the quantum efficiency and format size of the CCD detector.

Four institutions are collaborating to design and build three near identical R ~2700 cross-dispersed near-infrared spectrographs for use on various 5-10 meter telescopes. The instrument design addresses the common observatory need for efficient, reliable near-infrared spectrographs through such features as broad wavelength coverage across 6 simultaneous orders (0.8 - 2.4 microns) in echelle format, real-time slit viewing through separate optics and detector, and minimal moving parts. Lastly, the collaborators are saving money and increasing the likelihood of success through economies of scale and sharing intellectual capital.

We present the preliminary design for the MMT and Magellan Infrared Spectrograph (MMIRS). MMIRS is a fully refractive imager and multi-object spectrograph that uses a 2048x2048 pixel Hawaii2 HgCdTe array. It offers a 7'x7' imaging field of view and a 4'x7' field of view for multi-object spectroscopy. Dispersion is provided by a set of 5 grisms providing R=3000 at J, H, or K, or R=1300 in J+H or H+K.

The Fibre Multi-Object Spectrograph (FMOS) for the primary focus of Subaru Telescope is one of the second generation instruments, aiming at acquiring spectra of faint objects with target multiplicity of up to 400. The optimised wavelengths span from 0.9 to 1.8 microns so as to extend our knowledge of galaxy formations and evolutions at higher redshifts in a systematic way, as well as of variety of intriguing near-infrared objects. On the basis of detailed design of FMOS, actual processes of fabrication are in progress, and some of critical hardware components have successfully been developed. In this report, we present the status of the FMOS project, the results of developed components, and also instrument control systems such as the new detector electronics as well the related contol softwares.

EMIR is the NIR multi-object imager and spectrograph for the GTC (Gran Telescopio Canarias). The instrument PDR phase was held successfully in March 2003, and we are at present in the middle of the ADR (Advanced Design Phase) during which a number of mechanical concepts will be tested on development prototypes to ensure the feasibility of the PDR proposed design. This presentation contains a technical description of the mechanical design of the instrument, as well as the prototypes development. The mechanical design is essentially built around the optical layout by providing an optical bench for mounting the optomechanics, the mechanisms and the detector, all this inside a custom-designed vacuum vessel and with the corresponding cooling system. One of its main design features is the use of a cryogenic reconfigurable slit mechanism to generate a multi-slit configuration, a long slit or an imaging aperture at the telescope focal plane. This feature will permit to maintain the instrument in operation conditions for a long time and take advantages in both a classically scheduled and a queued service observing schemes

This paper shows the different design concepts and techniques employed in the structural and thermal analysis of EMIR (Espectrografo Multiobjeto Infrarrojo), nowadays under development at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.

LUCIFER (LBT NIR-Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral-Field Unit for Extragalactic Research) is a NIR spectrograph and imager (wavelength range 0.9 to 2.5 micron) for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mt. Graham, Arizona. It is built by a consortium of five German institutes and will be one of the first light instruments for the LBT. Later, a second copy for the second mirror of the telescope will follow. Both instruments will be mounted at the bent Gregorian foci of the two individual telescope mirrors. The instrument is equipped with three exchangeable cameras for imaging and spectroscopy: two of them are optimized for seeing-limited conditions, the third camera for the diffraction-limited case with the LBT adaptive secondary mirror working. The spectral resolution will allow for OH suppression. Up to 33 exchangeable masks will be available for longslit and multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) over the full field of view (FOV). The detector will be a Rockwell HAWAII-2 HgCdTe-array. Extensive tests were done for all the electro-mechanical functions. Those include the grating selection and the grating tilt unit and the drive for the fold mirror to compensate for image movement due to flexure. Furthermore several optical and opto-mechanical units were tested. The procedures and results of the tests are presented in detail and compared with the specifications.

CHEOPS is a 2^nd generation VLT instrument for the direct detection of extrasolar planets. The project is currently in its Phase A. It consists of an high order adaptive optics system which provides the necessary Strehl ratio for the differential polarimetric imager (ZIMPOL) and an Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS). The IFS is a very low resolution spectrograph (R~15) which works in the near IR (0.95-1.7 μm), an ideal wavelength range for the ground based detection of planetary features. In our baseline design, the Integral Field Unit (IFU) is a microlens array of about 250x250 elements which will cover a field of view of about 3.5x3.5 arcsecs² in proximity of the target star. In this paper we describe the instrument, its preliminary optical design and the basic requirements about detectors. In a separate contribution to this conference, we present the very low resolution disperser.

FMOS is a near-IR OH-suppressed multi-fibre fed spectrograph for the Subaru telescope. The spectrograph will accept 200 optical fibres from the ECHIDNA positioner system at the 30arcmin Prime focus of the telescope. We will describe the recent activities here in the UK in progressing the instrument from its conceptual phase through detailed design and into manufacture. A variety of technical areas will be described including: the opto-mechanical system design and construction, development of the HAWAII-II detector control system, the thermal system design & control and OH suppression techniques.

A prototype cryogenic 'pick-off' arm for selecting a small field from the focal plane of a large telescope has been built and tested against a set of scientific requirements representative of those for proposed multi-integral-field spectrographs. In this paper, we present the design of the arm and the results of the cryogenic testing. Since the proposed instruments will require tens of arms, perhaps hundreds, we have also considered the industrialisation of the manufacture and assembly of the arms. We briefly discuss this aspect of the design and the possibilities for future instrumentation on Extremely Large Telescopes.

A fibre-fed near IR (J & H band) multi-object spectrograph (FMOS) is being constructed by a consortium of UK, Australian and Japanese groups for the SUBARU telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The prime focus of the telescope will support ECHIDNA, a 400-fibre multi-object positioning system. However, the IR spectrographs are located close to the Nasmyth platform, so an optical feed is required to deliver light from ECHIDNA to the spectrographs. The Astronomical Instrumentation Group at the University of Durham is undertaking the design and construction of a suitable fibre-optic downlink. To allow the prime focus unit that houses ECHIDNA to be removed, the fibre cabling is to include a connectorised break. The optical design of the fibre system also calls for a change in focal ratio from that delivered by ECHIDNA in order to couple light to the spectrographs with the greatest efficiency. This will be achieved in a custom designed connector head by means of a tailored lens array. The connector design will in addition incorporate a back-illumination system for fibre position determination at the prime focus. This paper describes the overall design of the connector that is to be employed. The modularity of the scheme and various innovative features are highlighted. A more advanced connector concept capable of dual bandwidth (visible & NIR) operation is also shown. Such a system could significantly enhance the science return from future ECHIDNA-type fibre instruments.

We present the results of a design study for the spectrograph module for KMOS - a cryogenic near-infrared multi-object spectrograph being developed as a second generation instrument for the VLT by a consortium of UK and German institutes. KMOS will consist of 24 deployable integral field units feeding three identical spectrograph units via image slicers. The spectrographs are designed to provide a resolving power greater than 3000, so as to provide adequate OH avoidance, whilst covering one of the J, H or K bands within a single exposure. We present the opto-mechanical layout of the spectrographs, together with an analysis of the impact of the image quality (and PSF uniformity) on the accuracy of sky background subtraction within each IFU's field of view.

OSIRIS is a near infrared diffraction limited imaging field spectrograph under development for the Keck observatory adaptive optics system and scheduled for commissioning in fall 2004. Based upon lenslet pupil imaging, diffraction grating, and a 2Kx2K Hawaii2 HgCdTe array, OSIRIS is a highly efficient instrument at the forefront of today's technology. OSIRIS will deliver per readout up to 4096 diffraction limited spectra in a complex interleaved format, requiring new challenges to be met regarding user interaction and data reduction. A data reduction software package is under development, aiming to provide the observer with a facility instrument allowing him to concentrate on science rather than dealing with instrumental as well as telescope and atmosphere related effects. Together with OSIRIS, a pipeline for basic data reduction will be provided for a new Keck instrument for the first time. A status report is presented here together with some aspects of the data reduction pipeline.

A point-source spectrograph under development for the APO 3.5 m telescope offers resolving powers (R = λ/Δλ) of 1000 and 4000 in the near-IR (0.85-2.5 μm) while using wide slits matched to the seeing disk. The use of diamond-turned aluminum and crystal optics in a straightforward optical path coupled with a Hawaii-1RG detector provides excellent end-to-end efficiency of 32%-39% (including the telescope optics). Designed primarily for follow-up studies of brown dwarf and high redshift quasar candidates identified by wide-field surveys such as SDSS and 2MASS, this instrument will afford the 3.5 m telescope superb capability for a wide variety of science programs. In this paper we present the goals and design of the spectrograph and its expected performance.

AMBER (Astronomical Multiple BEam Recombiner) is a 3 aperture interferometric recombiner operating between 1 and 2.5 um, for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). The control software of the instrument, based on the VLT Common Software, has been written to comply with specific features of the AMBER hardware, such as the Infrared detector read out modes or piezo stage drivers, as well as with the very specific operation modes of an interferomtric instrument. In this respect, the AMBER control software was designed to insure that all operations, from the preparation of the observations to the control/command of the instrument during the observations, would be kept as simple as possible for the users and operators, opening the use of an interferometric instrument to the largest community of astronomers. Peculiar attention was given to internal checks and calibration procedures both to evaluate data quality in real time, and improve the successes of long term UV plane coverage observations.

The Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) of CHEOPS, the 2^nd generation VLT instrument for planet finding, will attain a very low resolution (R=15) in order to search for cold (and warm) planets in stellar neighbourhood. This will allow to exploit wide band integral field spectroscopy to perform differential photometry. The complete description of CHEOPS IFS is given as a separate contribution to this conference; in this paper the analysis and the project of the very low disperser are outlined.

We present the science case, design overview and sensitivity estimate for the design study for the WIYN High Resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC). The WIYN telescope is an active 3.5 m telescope located at an excellent seeing site on Kitt Peak and operated by University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University and National Optical Astronomical Observatory (NOAO). As a dedicated near-infrared (0.8-2.5 micron) camera on the WIYN Tip-Tilt Module (WTTM), WHIRC will provide near diffraction limited imaging, i.e. FWHM~0.25" typically and 0.12" on exceptional nights. The optical design goal is to use a 2048x2048 HgCdTe array with a plate scale of 0.09" per pixel, resulting in a field of view (FOV), 3'x3', which is a compromise between the highest angular resolution achievable and the largest FOV correctable by WTTM. WHIRC will be used for high definition near-infrared imaging studies such as star formation, proto-planetary disks, galactic dust enshrouded B clusters, dust enshrouded stellar populations in nearby galaxies, and supernova and gamma-ray burst searches.

We describe a polarimeter that will be a testbed for a novel polarization modulator. This modulator is composed of two modified Martin-Puplett interferometers in which the input polarization state is transformed by adjusting the phase delays between linear orthogonal polarizations in each of the two stages. This type of modulator represents a potential improvement over existing technology in the following three ways. First, these modulators can fully characterize the polarization state by measuring Stokes Q, U, and V. The characterization of V is especially useful as a diagnostic for systematic errors. Second, the Martin-Puplett modulators can be easily retuned to observe at multiple frequencies. Finally, the small translations required for modulation can be accomplished with fewer moving parts than the rotational motions in wave plate modulators, thus potentially leading to modulators with longer lifetimes than those currently employed in polarimeters. The next generation of polarimeters, designed for both the study of Galactic magnetic fields in the far-infrared and submillimeter and the measurement of the polarized component of the Cosmic Microwave Background, will need to incorporate modulators with these attributes. This prototype polarimeter will be a modified version of the Hertz polarimeter that had until recently been operating on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. After modification, Hertz will be moved to the Heinrich Hertz Telescope in Arizona. We will utilize dynamic scheduling to efficiently observe during the best fraction of weather at this site.

The LINC-NIRVANA instrument is a 1-2.5 micron Fizeau interferometric imager, which combines the light of the two 8.4 m mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham in Arizona. The cryogenic camera forms the heart of the science channel of this instrument, delivering a 1 arcmin diameter field of view with 5 mas spatial resolution. The center 10x10 arcseconds, initially limited by the size of the 2048x2048 Hawaii-2 detector, are used for science observations. For simplicity, the camera has a fixed, F/32 optical path of the combined beams, leading to wavelength-dependent sampling. We describe the main components of the camera, as well as present the calculations of interferometric performance and the required opto-mechanical tolerances. We demonstrate that specially designed components can reach these specifications.

The Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) is a 4.2 meter telescope that will provide a two degree diameter well-corrected field of view at prime focus with wavelength coverage across the groundbased ultraviolet and optical range. The design of the telescope and the prime focus corrector are described in other papers at this conference. The prime focus of the DCT will be occupied by a CCD camera similar in scope to the SAO Megacam for the MMT, the CFHT MegaCam, and the Kepler focal plane, but with differences in detail. It will be used for a variety of planetary science and astrophysics observing programs, the most demanding technically being searches for near-Earth and Kuiper Belt objects. This paper describes the design requirements, major systems issues, current design, and expected performance of the prime focus camera for the DCT.

CPAPIR is a wide-field infrared camera for use at the Observatoire du mont Megantic and CTIO 1.5 m telescopes. The camera will be primarily a survey instrument with a half-degree field of view, making it one of the most efficient of its kind. CPAPIR will provide broad and narrow band filters within its 0.8 to 2.5 μm bandpass. The camera is based on a Hawaii-2 2048x2048 HgCdTe detector.

We introduce an architecture for changing the polarization state of far-infrared through submillimeter radiation that employs two Martin-Puplett interferometers. One interferometer is oriented with its beam-splitting grid at an angle of 22.5 degrees with respect to the Stokes Q axis. The second is oriented with its beam-splitting grid at an angle of 45 degrees. By modulating one of the arms of each interferometer, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the polarization state that a polarization-sensitive detector measures when placed at the output of the device. Because of this flexibility, one application of this device is as a calibrator for a polarimeter. In addition, it is conceivable to use such a device as a modulator for a far-infrared/submillimeter polarimeter. As such, this system has several advantages over a half-wave plate. First, the capability to measure circular polarization will provide the instrument with a novel method for checking systematic errors, as the circular polarization of most astronomical continuum sources is expected to be near zero. Second, such a device is easily adapted to work at different wavelengths, thus facilitating the construction of far-infrared and submillimeter polarimeters with multiple passbands. Finally, the small linear throws necessary for modulation eliminate the need for complicated systems of gears and low temperature bearings that are common in wave plate systems and often prone to failure. We present a Jones matrix analysis of this modulator architecture and compare the performance of this device with that of a half-wave plate.

SpeX is a cross-dispersed medium-resolution 0.8-5.5 micron spectrograph in operation at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The instrument uses prism cross-dispersers and gratings to provide resolving powers of up to R~2000 simultaneously across 0.8-2.4 micron or ~2-5.4 micron. An autonomous infrared slit-viewer is used for object acquisition, guiding, and scientific imaging. The spectrograph employs a 1024x1024 Aladdin 3 InSb array and the imager a 512x512 Aladdin 2 InSb array. Since it was commissioned in June 2000, SpeX has been used for about 45% of all telescope time. We give an overview of the design, followed by details of the use and performance of the Aladdin arrays, observing techniques, maintenance issues and lessons learned.

LIRIS is a near-infrared intermediate resolution spectrograph with added capabilities for multi-slit, imaging, coronography, and polarimetry, developed by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC). It will be a common user instrument for the Cassegrain focus of the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma. At its first commissioning, that was held in February 2003, the functionality of the mechanisms (entrance wheel, central wheels and camera wheel) under variable orientation of the telescope was verified, and no thermal nor structural problems arose. The functionality of the mechanical interface with telescope (allows for up to 5 mm of lateral displacements in the attachment plane), of the LIRIS handling trolley, of the transport equipment and of all the equipments used in the integration was also checked. For the second commissioning of LIRIS, which has been held in March 2004, some modifications have been done. The results of both commissionings were satisfactory.

We describe the procedures adopted to realize the fiber unit for feeding the near IR multi-object spectrometer GOHSS. Since a scarce literature is available on this subject, all the steps of the fabrication processes are explained and documented through a detailed illustrative material: in particular the polishing methods of the fiber ends are addressed along with the criteria for evaluating the achieved results; the preparation and application of the ferrules; the matching with the input micro-lens; finally, the laboratory tests to measure the focal ratio degradation of each fiber are presented aiming also to certify the quality of the realized device.

In October 2002 the VLT Adaptive Optics (AO) facility instrument NAOS-CONICA (NACO) was offered for the first time to the astronomical community and has been operated successfully ever since. NACO is capable of performing AO assisted imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry, and coronography. One exciting and unique observing capability of NACO is its cold tunable Fabry-Perot Interferometer, that will be offered in October 2004. The 3-dimensional structure analysis of extended objects, such as planetary nebulae, is one interesting application of this device that combines imaging and medium resolution spectroscopy in the K-band. Using VLT day and night time commissioning data, the performance of the Fabry-Perot is evaluated and a strategy to handle the complex calibration and data reduction has been developed.

We present the upgraded performance of the Infrared Camera and Spectrograph for the Subaru Telescope (IRCS). The IRCS has been very successfully operating on cassegrain focus of the telescope about four years after the first light in February 2000. Initially the capability of the IRCS was limited due to the quite low sensitivity of the camera side array (Q.E.~50%) and the high dark current (~0.6e^-/sec) of the spectrograph side array. To improve the performance, two major upgrades were carried out for the IRCS in these four years. The first major upgrade was the replacement of the previous engineering grade Aladdin-II array on the camera side used for imaging and grism spectroscopy into the new Aladdin-III array with significantly improved sensitivity (Q.E.~95%) in August 2001. Then, we also replaced the previous Aladdin-II array on the spectrograph side for high dispersion echelle spectroscopy into the new Aladdin-III array with good sensitivity (Q.E.~95%) and low dark current (~0.05e^-/s) in the second major upgrade in June 2003. In this report, we will show the updated characteristics for the new Aladdin-III on the spectrograph side and also summarise the total performance of the IRCS after the upgrades together with actually achieved scientific results.

The emission of the upper atmosphere introduces an additional component into photometric observations of astronomical objects. In the I band for instance, the intensity of the atmospheric emission is of the order of 1 to 2 Imag20 per square arcsecond. The subtraction of this component is not easy because it varies during the night by as much as 50% and it is not homogeneous over the sky. A program aimed at understanding the main characteristics of the atmospheric emission was undertaken. A set of CCD images of the OH emission in the I band covering the sky was assembled in a panorama, it shows wide converging arches. An algorithm was developed in order to invert the perspective projection of the photographs. The result is a 2200 km wide view over Europe and Mediterranean Sea of the emission as seen from a virtual satellite. This image shows the presence of an extended wave field. A Fourier analysis allows to infer mean horizontal wavelength, mean temporal period and horizontal phase velocity. The atmospheric emission varies under the influence of atmospheric waves. A stereoscopic imaging program is currently under development to measure the amplitude and the energy of the atmospheric waves.

We plan to take advantage of the unprecedented combination of low thermal background and high resolution provided by the 6.5m MMT's adaptive secondary mirror, to target the 3-5 micron atmospheric window where giant exoplanets are expected to be anomalously bright. We are in the process of building a 3-5 micron camera that we will use to carry out a survey to characterize the prevalence and distribution of giant planets around nearby, Sun-like stars. Sensitivity estimates show that for a 1 Gyr old G0V primary at 10 pc, we expect to detect 5 M_Jupiter and 15 M_Jupiter exoplanets at angular separations greater than 0.45-2.1" and 0.2-1.2" respectively. Monte Carlo simulations based on these sensitivity estimates and a sample of 80 young (<1 Gyr), nearby (<20 pc) M0V-F0V stars, predict the detection of 15±3 exoplanets with masses of 4-15 M_Jupiter and separations of 17-50 AU. Construction of the camera is currently underway and on-telescope testing is expected in the Fall 2004-Winter 2005.

IRIS2, the infrared imager and spectrograph for the Cassegrain focus of the Anglo Australian Telescope, has been in service since October 2001. IRIS2 incorporated many novel features, including multiple cryogenic multislit masks, a dual chambered vacuum vessel (the smaller chamber used to reduce thermal cycle time required to change sets of multislit masks), encoded cryogenic wheel drives with controlled backlash, a deflection compensating structure, and use of teflon impregnated hard anodizing for gear lubrication at low temperatures. Other noteworthy features were: swaged foil thermal link terminations, the pupil imager, the detector focus mechanism, phased getter cycling to prevent detector contamination, and a flow-through LN2 precooling system. The instrument control electronics was designed to allow accurate positioning of the internal mechanisms with minimal generation of heat. The detector controller was based on the AAO2 CCD controller, adapted for use on the HAWAII1 detector (1024 x 1024 pixels) and is achieving low noise and high performance. We describe features of the instrument design, the problems encountered and the development work required to bring them into operation, and their performance in service.

The Infrared Side Port Imager ISPI is a facility infrared imager for the CTIO Blanco 4-meter telescope. ISPI has the following capabilities: 1-2.4 micron imaging with an 2K x 2K HgCdTe array, 0.3 arcsec/pixel sampling matched to typical f/8 IR image quality of ~0.6 arcsec and a 10.5 x 10.5 arcmin field of view. First light with ISPI was obtained on September 24 2002, and since January 2003 ISPI has been in operation as a common user instrument. In this paper we discuss operational aspects of ISPI, the behavior of the array and we report on the performance of ISPI during the first one and half year of operation.

The REM Observatory, recently installed and commissioned at la Silla Observatory Chile, is the first moderate aperture robotic telescope able to cover simultaneously the visible-NIR (0.45-2.3 microns) wavelength range. His very fast pointing and his full robotization makes it an ideal observing facility for fast transients. The high throughput Infrared Camera and the Visible imaging spectrograph simultaneously fed by a dichroic allows to collect high S/N data in an unprecedented large spectral range on a telescope of this size. The REM observatory is an example of a versatile and agile facility necessary complement to large telescopes in fileds in which rapid response and/or target pre-screening are necessary. We give in this paper an overview of the Observatory and its performances with emphasis to the innovative technical solution adopted to reach such performances.

During the early Summer 2003, the REM telescope has been installed at La Silla, together with the near infrared camera REM-IR and the optical spectrograph. ROSS. The REM project is a fully automated instrument to follow-up Gamma Ray Burst, triggered mainly by satellites, such as HETE II, INTEGRAL, AGILE and SWIFT. REM-IR will perform high efficiency imaging of the prompt infrared afterglow of GRB and, together with the optical spectrograph ROSS, will cover simultaneously a wide wavelength range, allowing a better understanding of the intriguing scientific case of GRB. In this paper we present the result of the commissioning phase of the near infrared camera REM-IR, lasted for an extended period of time and currently under the final fine tuning.

The Rapid Eye Mount (REM) telescope is an ambitious project devoted to the prompt observations, in the optical and Near Infrared (NIR), of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) whose high energy emission is mainly detected by the Swift satellite. The system is able to immediately react to a GRB alert and perform observations, data reduction and analyses, distributing GRB counterparts in a timescale of tens of seconds. Apart from GRB observations, REM can also drive autonomous observations of a variety of targets as X-ray transients, flare stars, etc. We describe here how REM can manage all these tasks robotically, taking into account environmental and scientific parameters as seeing, visibility, target priority, etc.

A near-infrared instrument is being built for the ARC 3.5 meter telescope that will operate in both an imaging and a narrow band, full field spectroscopic mode. The 4.5' x 4.5' fild-of-view is imaged onto a new-generation, low-noise Rockwell Hawaii-1RG 1024x1024 HgCdTe detector. High resolution (R~10,000) spectroscopy is accomplished by employing a Queensgate (now IC Optical) cryogenic Fabry-Perot etalon. The instrument is housed in a large Dewar of innovative, light-weight design. This report describes the as-built opto-mechanical system for the instrument and the work remaining before deployment at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico.

We present INCA, a prototype of a light and versatile camera covering the 1-5 microns wavelength range designed for ground based and space application. INCA has innovative optical solution such as aspherical mirrors obtained via ion-beam ablation, a new light cryogenic concept and a new philosophy of chip controller. Co-financed at the bread board level by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) INCA has been recently characterized and is now ready for a phase 2 development.

The Spartan Infrared Camera provides tip-tilt corrected imaging for the SOAR Telescope in the 1-2.5μm spectral range with four 2048x2048 HAWAII2 detectors. The median image size is expected to be less than 0.25 arcsec (FWHM), and in the H and K bands a significant amount of the light is expected to be in a core having the diffraction-limited width. The camera has two plate scales: 0.04 arcsec/pixel (f/21) for diffraction-limited sampling in the H and K bands and 0.07 arcsec/pixel (f/12) to cover a 5×5 arcmin² field, over which tip-tilt correction is substantial. Except for CaF2 field-flattening lenses, the optics is all reflective to achieve the large field size and achromaticity, and all aluminum to match thermally the aluminum cryogenic-optical box in which the optics mount. The Strehl ratio of the camera itself is 0.95-1.00 for the f/21 channel. The optics (including the off-axis aspherical mirrors) will be aligned with precise metrology rather than adjusted using interferometry.

PANIC (Persson's Auxiliary Nasmyth Infrared Camera) is a near-infrared camera designed to operate at any one of the f/11 folded ports of the 6.5m Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. The instrument is built around a simple, all-refractive design that reimages the Magellan focal plane to a plate scale of 0.125"/pixel onto a Rockwell 1024x1024 HgCdTe detector. The design goals for PANIC included excellent image quality to sample the superb seeing measured with the Magellan telescopes, high throughput, a relatively short construction time, and low cost. PANIC has now been in regular operation for over one year and has proved to be highly reliable and produce excellent images. The best recorded image quality has been ~0.2" FWHM.