We present a status update on SCORPIO, the next facility instrument for the Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. SCORPIO is now in advanced Assembly, Integration and Verification phase at SWRI (San Antonio) and LICA (Madrid) in anticipation of shipment to Chile by Fall-2025.
SCORPIO (Spectrograph and Camera for the Observation of Rapid Phenomena in the Infrared and Optical) is a multiband instrument covering 0.385um to 2.35um in spectroscopy and 0.400um to 2.35um in imaging, currently under development for the Gemini Observatory. The instrument is intended to be deployed as a facility instrument at Gemini South in Chile to enable detailed follow-up observations of transients detected by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The instrument is designed with eight parallel channels corresponding to the standard g, r, i, z, Y, J, H, and Ks passbands. Here we present an update on the status of the instrument, the data reduction software, and the current path forward to completion.
SCORPIO is the next facility instrument for the Gemini South telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. SCORPIO’s main science driver is the detection and monitoring of faint time-domain events, in particular the follow-up of discoveries by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, but it can also carry out with unique efficiency a large variety of astrophysical programs. The instrument has recently passed Critical Design Review and is now in its Assembly, Integration and Verification phase. In this paper we provide an updated overview of the final instrument design and the main performance parameters in light of the science drivers.
H. T. Diehl, E. Neilsen, R. Gruendl, T. M. Abbott, S. Allam, O. Alvarez, J. Annis, E. Balbinot, S. Bhargava, K. Bechtol, G. Bernstein, R. Bhatawdekar, S. Bocquet, D. Brout, R. Capasso, R. Cawthon, C. Chang, E. Cook, C. Conselice, J. Cruz, C. D'Andrea, L. da Costa, R. Das, D. DePoy, A. Drlica-Wagner, A. Elliott, S. Everett, J. Frieman, A. Fausti Neto, A. Ferté, I. Friswell, K. Furnell, L. Gelman, D. Gerdes, M. S. Gill, D. Goldstein, D. Gruen, D. Gulledge, S. Hamilton, D. Hollowood, K. Honscheid, D. James, M. Johnson, M. W. Johnson, S. Kent, R. Kessler, G. Khullar, E. Kovacs, A. Kremin, R. Kron, N. Kuropatkin, J. Lasker, A. Lathrop, T. Li, M. Manera, M. March, J. Marshall, M. Medford, F. Menanteau, I. Mohammed, M. Monroy, B. Moraes, E. Morganson, J. Muir, M. Murphy, B. Nord, A. Pace, A. Palmese, Y. Park, F. Paz-Chinchón, M. E. Pereira, D. Petravick, A. Plazas, J. Poh, T. Prochaska, A. Romer, K. Reil, A. Roodman, M. Sako, M. Sauseda, D. Scolnic, L. Secco, I. Sevilla-Noarbe, N. Shipp, J. Smith, M Soares-Santos, B. Soergel, A. Stebbins, K. Story, K. Stringer, F. Tarsitano, B. Thomas, D. Tucker, K. Vivas, A. Walker, M.-Y. Wang, C. Weaverdyck, N. Weaverdyck, W. Wester, C. Wethers, R. Wilkenson, H.-Y Wu, B. Yanny, A. Zenteno, Y. Zhang
The Dark Energy Survey (DES) is an operating optical survey aimed at understanding the accelerating expansion of the universe using four complementary methods: weak gravitational lensing, galaxy cluster counts, baryon acoustic oscillations, and Type Ia supernovae. To perform the 5000 sq-degree wide field and 30 sq-degree supernova surveys, the DES Collaboration built the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), a 3 square-degree, 570-Megapixel CCD camera that was installed at the prime focus of the Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). DES has completed its third observing season out of a nominal five. This paper describes DES “Year 4” (Y4) and “Year 5” (Y5), the survey strategy, an outline of the survey operations procedures, the efficiency of operations and the causes of lost observing time. It provides details about the quality of these two-season's data, a summary of the overall status, and plans for the final survey season.
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