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Astronomical Instrumentation at Texas A&M. Jennifer Marshall Darren DePoy. TAMU Instrumentation. The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University has built a new astronomical instrumentation lab Three years old Led by Darren DePoy
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Astronomical Instrumentationat Texas A&M Jennifer Marshall Darren DePoy
TAMU Instrumentation • The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University has built a new astronomical instrumentation lab • Three years old • Led by Darren DePoy • Mission: to design and build astronomical instrumentation to support Dark Energy and Cosmology observations • Partner in DES, LSST, HETDEX/HET, GMT
DECam for DES • Dark Energy Survey • Led by Fermilab • DECam: Large new camera for CTIO 4m telescope • DePoy is Project Scientist for DECam • TAMU is involved in calibration efforts for DECam • DECal • aTmCam
DECalfor DES Calibration system for DECam: • Flat field screen • Daily flat field system • LED flat field lamps • Spectrophotometric calibration system • Long fiber bundle • Monochromator (with spectrometer monitor) • Monitor photodiodes Photodiode Screen Projection optics Mono chromator Light source Spectro meter Fiber bundle
aTmCam for DES aerosol • aTmCam is an atmospheric monitoring camera • Goal: produce <1% photometry by monitoring sky during DES observations ‘cannon’ mask with wedge prism and narrowband filters pressure ozone water
VIRUS for HETDEX VIRUS is a new instrument for HET to support HETDEX survey • 150+ channel fiber-fed spectrograph • >33,000 1.5” fibers • 350-550 nm coverage at R~700
GMACS for GMT • Texas A&M is a founding partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope • Recently completed a one-year design study of GMACS • Wide field multi-object optical spectrograph
MooSci for GMT • We have built a lunar scintillometer called MooSci for GMT site testing • Used to test site before and after top of mountain is removed
Antarctic instrumentation • We are interested in collaborating in projects for Antarctica/Dome A • We have begun discussions with Teledyne regarding purchasing detectors for KDUST • We could also help with camera design/testing