Development of an IFU for diffraction-limited 3D spectropolarimetry

Deqing Ren; Christoph Keller; Claude Plymate

doi:10.1117/12.674536

Translator Disclaimer

27 June 2006 Development of an IFU for diffraction-limited 3D spectropolarimetry

Deqing Ren, Christoph Keller, Claude Plymate

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy; 62695Z (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.674536
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

Ground-based telescopes can achieve diffraction-limited images when equipped with adaptive optics (AO). A major limitation of AO is the small field of view, which is due to the limited isoplanatic patch size. Nevertheless, conventional long-slit spectrographs cannot sample the entire AO-corrected field of view in a single exposure. However, equipped with a modern, large detector array, the Integral Field Unit (IFU) technique will allow a 3-dimensional (3-D) data cube to be recorded simultaneously over the entire AO corrected field of view, with a conventional long-slit spectrographs. We are building a state-of-the-art image slicer IFU for the National Solar Observatory's (NSO) McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope (McMP). This will be the first time that an advanced image slicer IFU is used for 3-D spectroscopy and polarimetry at a solar telescope. The IFU consists of 25 slices that will sample a 6.25" x 8" AO corrected field of view simultaneously, and produces a 200" long slit for diffraction-limited 3-D spectroscopy and polarimetry. This IFU 3-D technique will provide the most high spatial, high temporal resolution with high throughput for solar spectroscopy and polarimetry. This is critical for state-of-the-art spectral diagnosis of solar velocity and magnetic fields. We discuss the design, construction, and testing of this new IFU.

Citation Download Citation

Deqing Ren, Christoph Keller, and Claude Plymate "Development of an IFU for diffraction-limited 3D spectropolarimetry", Proc. SPIE 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy, 62695Z (27 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.674536

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE