The MRS: A Versatile High Efficiency Spectrograph for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope

AST 9420645 摘要 该项目将为9米Hobby-Eberly望远镜（HET）设计，建造和安装一个多功能和高效的中分辨率光谱仪（MRS）。 该仪器将覆盖从350到1100 nm的整个可见光谱（具有在1800 nm处使用的清晰升级路径），具有从3000 lambda/ delta-lambda 18000的分辨率范围，并且驻留在环境受控的摄谱仪室中。 光纤将光谱仪耦合到望远镜;仪器的操作模式将包括单目标，合成长缝和多目标光谱。 由于对光谱覆盖和分辨率的需求，MRS将是一个双光束系统（在590 nm处分裂），具有光栅交叉分散中阶梯光栅和控制渐晕损失的白瞳孔，同时保持昂贵的光学元件的尺寸较小。 这种配置既经济又高效。 MRS的设计将最大限度地利用HET的高效光学和队列调度特性。 在其众多计划中，MRS将1）通过密集时间样本光谱学探索活动星系核和类星体的宽线区域，2）通过测量类星体吸收线来研究宇宙大尺度结构的演化，3）通过椭圆星系中的运动学测量来探测和表征暗物质的性质，（4）通过对白色矮星的运动学研究，测量银河系的年龄和动力学演化。

AST 9420645 ABSTRACT This project will design, build, and install a versatile and efficient Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) for the 9-m Hobby-Eberly telescope (HET). This instrument will cover the entire visible spectrum from 350 to 1100 nm (with a clear upgrade path for use at 1800 nm), have a resolution range from 3000 lambda/ delta-lambda 18000, and reside in an environmentally controlled spectrograph room. Optical fibers will couple the spectrograph to the telescope; operating modes for the instrument will include single object, synthetic long slit, and multiple object spectroscopy. Because of the need for both spectral coverage and resolution, the MRS will be a dual beam system (split at 590 nm), with a grating cross-dispersed echelle, and a white-pupil that controls vignetting losses while keeping the sizes of costly optical elements small. This configuration is both economical and highly efficient. The MRS will be designed to take maximum advantage of the high efficiency optics and queue scheduled nature of the HET. Among its many programs, the MRS will 1) explore the broad line regions of active galactic nuclei and quasars through dense time sample spectroscopy, 2) examine the evolution of large scale structure in the universe through measurements of quasar absorption lines, 3) detect and characterize the properties of dark matter via kinematical measurements in elliptical galaxies, and 4) measure the age and dynamical evolution of the Milky Way through kinematical study of white dwarfs,.