Development of a Parallel Imager for Southern Cosmology Observations: Time Evolution of Dark Energy

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This project is to construct and deploy a multiband Parallel Imager for Southern Cosmology Observations for the Magellan telescope. This instrument will make fast, simultaneous, pipelined measurements of brightness, color, and redshift toward faint astronomical sources. The instrument comprises a camera that acquires simultaneous images in four optical passbands along with tightly coupled real-time analysis software to be deployed on the 6.5 meter Magellan telescope. It is designed to address a number of important questions in astrophysics including follow up to surveys by the South Pole Telescope and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment obtaining images and photometric redshifts of galaxies discovered with these surveys. It will also perform precision photometry of supernovae in order to map out the history of cosmic expansion. These measurements will help to understand the nature of Dark Energy. It would also be used to measure exoplanet transits using the four colors which can constrain planetary orbits and physical parameters.The instrument will be available to the many users of the Magellan consortium giving broad access to the astronomical community and will heavily involve student participation in the design, construction and deployment of the instrument as well as in its use.