Capital Equipment Infrastructure in the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation

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The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI) at Durham University develops innovative technologies for applications across a wide range of fields including astronomy, space science, remote sensing, gamma ray astronomy and fusion diagnostics (http://www.dur.ac.uk/cfai). It hosts one of the largest UK university groups developing instrumentation for ground-based optical/infrared astronomy. These core activities are funded via an STFC Consolidated Grant which provides staff resource and consumables for basic R&D into new technologies for future applications on the world's largest telescopes. This grant will enhance the laboratory infrastructure at CfAI by providing matched funding for three specialist capital equipment items that will support our future programme over the next decade. These include (i) an instrument for ultra-sensitive measurements of optical surfaces free from the effects of local disturbances in the CfAI laboratories and clean rooms; (ii)a system for generating artificial satellite navigation signals for evaluating the potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to calibrate single and multiple ground-based telescopes; (iii) a narrow-line tuneable wavelength source which can be used to fully characterise the performance of new optical /infrared instruments and which will also have applications in technology spinout activities related to ophthalmology and biophotonics.