Our instrumentation and telescope improvement agenda is full for the coming year. As reported elsewhere in this Newsletter, the f/14 tiptilt system is in routine use on the Blanco telescope, with both COB and CIRIM imagers and the IRS. The latter was successfully converted to f/14, and the improved image quality has led to significant S/N improvements for spectroscopy. Further work on the tiptilt system will be ongoing; in particular the installation of a low noiserapid readout CCD (from EEV) should improve the faint limit of the guide/acquisition camera.
The other major projects include local preparation for the Hydra multiple fiber spectrograph to replace our prime focus fiber system this calendar year (NOAO Newsletter No. 51, September 1997). We have designed and are constructing the spectrograph, fiber connectors, and calibration system, as well as the mount and control system for the ADC Cass corrector. The latter will be remotely stowable to allow other instruments at the Cass focus (IR, in particular) to function without this large piece of glass in the beam.
We continue to develop and implement the Arcon controllers for the NOAO Mosaic and Mosaic II (which is due at CTIO in about one year). We are modifying the prime focus cage and pedestal to accommodate this instrument and provide improved precision for focusing at the prime. We are also continuing to work on improvements to the Blanco servo control system, to provide improved tracking, guiding, and a modern system, based on Gemini specifications that can be maintained into the next decade. A related and important part of this effort includes ongoing upgrades to our guide TV hardware and software, based on our experience with the f/14 tiptilt system. We hope to propagate some of these improvements to the small telescope guiders in the coming year.
Our staff is also becoming involved in aspects of the SOAR telescope projects to understand and collaborate on the design and implementation of a modern 4-m telescope system.
Bob Schommer, Chair-ACTR (rschommer@noao.edu)