CARMENES: the VIS channel spectrograph in operation

W. Seifert; W. Xu; O. Stahl; H. J. Hagen; M. A. Sánchez Carrasco; G. Veredas; J. A. Caballero; J. Guardia; J. Helmling; L. Hernandez; A. Pérez-Calpena; S. Tulloch; A. Kaminski; M. Zechmeister; A. Quirrenbach; P. J. Amado; I. Ribas; A. Reiners; H. Mandel

doi:10.1117/12.2231582

Translator Disclaimer

9 August 2016 CARMENES: the VIS channel spectrograph in operation

W. Seifert, W. Xu, O. Stahl, H. J. Hagen, M. A. Sánchez Carrasco, G. Veredas, J. A. Caballero, J. Guardia, J. Helmling, L. Hernandez, A. Pérez-Calpena, S. Tulloch, A. Kaminski, M. Zechmeister, A. Quirrenbach, P. J. Amado, I. Ribas, A. Reiners, H. Mandel

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9908, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI; 990865 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2231582
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

CARMENES is a fiber-fed high-resolution Echelle spectrograph for the Calar Alto 3.5m telescope. The instrument is built by a German-Spanish consortium under the lead of the Landessternwarte Heidelberg. The search for planets around M dwarfs with a radial velocity of 1 m/s is the main focus of the planned science. Two channels, one for the visible, another for the near-infrared, will allow observations in the complete wavelength range from 550 to 1700 nm. To ensure the stability, the instrument is working in vacuum in a thermally controlled environment. The VIS channel spectrograph is covering the visible wavelength range from 0.55 to 0.95 μm with a spectral resolution of R=93,400 in a thermally and pressure-wise very stable environment. The VIS channel spectrograph started science operation in January 2016. Here we present the opto-mechanical and system design of the channel with the focus on the (re-)integration phase at the observatory and the measured performance during the testing and commissioning periods, including the lessons learned.

Citation Download Citation

W. Seifert, W. Xu, O. Stahl, H. J. Hagen, M. A. Sánchez Carrasco, G. Veredas, J. A. Caballero, J. Guardia, J. Helmling, L. Hernandez, A. Pérez-Calpena, S. Tulloch, A. Kaminski, M. Zechmeister, A. Quirrenbach, P. J. Amado, I. Ribas, A. Reiners, and H. Mandel "CARMENES: the VIS channel spectrograph in operation", Proc. SPIE 9908, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI, 990865 (9 August 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2231582

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE