TY - GEN
T1 - Hector
T2 - Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IV
AU - Lawrence, Jon
AU - Bland-Hawthorn, Joss
AU - Bryant, Julia
AU - Brzeski, Jurek
AU - Colless, Matthew
AU - Croom, Scott
AU - Gers, Luke
AU - Gilbert, James
AU - Gillingham, Peter
AU - Goodwin, Michael
AU - Heijmans, Jeroen
AU - Horton, Anthony
AU - Ireland, Mike
AU - Miziarski, Stan
AU - Saunders, Will
AU - Smith, Greg
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - First light from the SAMI (Sydney-AAO Multi-object IFS) instrument at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) has recently proven the viability of fibre hexabundles for multi-IFU spectroscopy. SAMI, which comprises 13 hexabundle IFUs deployable over a 1 degree field-of-view, has recently begun science observations, and will target a survey of several thousand galaxies. The scientific outputs from such galaxy surveys are strongly linked to survey size, leading the push towards instruments with higher multiplex capability. We have begun work on a new instrument concept, called Hector, which will target a spatially-resolved spectroscopic survey of up to one hundred thousand galaxies. The key science questions for this instrument concept include how do galaxies get their gas, how is star formation and nuclear activity affected by environment, what is the role of feedback, and what processes can be linked to galaxy groups and clusters. One design option for Hector uses the existing 2 degree field-of view top end at the AAT, with 50 individual robotically deployable 61-core hexabundle IFUs, and 3 fixed format spectrographs covering the visible wavelength range with a spectral resolution of approximately 4000. A more ambitious option incorporates a modified top end at the AAT with a new 3 degree field-of-view wide-field-corrector and 100 hexabundle IFUs feeding 6 spectrographs.
AB - First light from the SAMI (Sydney-AAO Multi-object IFS) instrument at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) has recently proven the viability of fibre hexabundles for multi-IFU spectroscopy. SAMI, which comprises 13 hexabundle IFUs deployable over a 1 degree field-of-view, has recently begun science observations, and will target a survey of several thousand galaxies. The scientific outputs from such galaxy surveys are strongly linked to survey size, leading the push towards instruments with higher multiplex capability. We have begun work on a new instrument concept, called Hector, which will target a spatially-resolved spectroscopic survey of up to one hundred thousand galaxies. The key science questions for this instrument concept include how do galaxies get their gas, how is star formation and nuclear activity affected by environment, what is the role of feedback, and what processes can be linked to galaxy groups and clusters. One design option for Hector uses the existing 2 degree field-of view top end at the AAT, with 50 individual robotically deployable 61-core hexabundle IFUs, and 3 fixed format spectrographs covering the visible wavelength range with a spectral resolution of approximately 4000. A more ambitious option incorporates a modified top end at the AAT with a new 3 degree field-of-view wide-field-corrector and 100 hexabundle IFUs feeding 6 spectrographs.
KW - Astronomical spectroscopy
KW - Fibre positioning systems
KW - IFU
KW - Integral field spectroscopy
KW - Wide field correctors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871979426&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.925260
DO - 10.1117/12.925260
M3 - Conference contribution
SN - 9780819491473
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IV
Y2 - 1 July 2012 through 6 July 2012
ER -