Instrumentation for Astronomy with Large Optical Telescopes

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

   PDF

2. Optical Telescopes, Existing and Planned

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. The Zelenchuk 6M Telescope (BTA) of the USSR Academy of Sciences

      • B. K. Ioannisiani, E. M. Neplokhov, I. M. Kopylov, V. S. Rylov, L. I. Snezhko

      Pages 3-10

   3. Progress Report on the Performance of the Multiple Mirror Telescope

      • Jacques M. Beckers, Bobby L. Ulich

      Pages 11-19

   4. The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

      • Pierre Y. Bely, Gérard Lelièvre

      Pages 21-32

   5. Honeycomb Mirrors of Borosilicate Glass; Current Results and Plans for 7–8m Diameter

      • J. R. P. Angel, D. Arganbright, L. Harmonson, J. M. Hill, N. Woolf

      Pages 33-36

   6. Optical System for the University of Texas 7.6M Telescope

      • R. G. Tull, T. G. Barnes, D. N. Dittmar, F. B. Ray, Earl Pearson

      Pages 37-44

   7. A 6-Metre Polar-Viewing Telescope

      • E. B. Gajur

      Pages 45-47

   8. Design of the 4.2 M Herschel Telescope and Instruments

      • Paul Murdin

      Pages 49-59

   9. Improved Coude Efficiency of Existing Telescopes

      • W. A. Grundmann, E. H. Richardson

      Pages 61-66

   10. Use of Large Telescopes in Fast Focal Ratio Mode — Application to the 6m Telescope (BTA)

       • G. Courtes, J. Boulesteix, J. P. Sivan, H. Petit, I. Karachentsev

       Pages 67-71

   11. A Coronographic Mode for Large Telescopes

       • G. Courtes, Ph. Lamy, N. Mauron, M. Saisse

       Pages 73-78

   12. Aerodynamic and Thermal Problems Around and Inside a Dome and Telescope

       • Jean Rösch

       Pages 79-84

   13. The Performance of Ground Based Telescopes

       • D. S. Brown

       Pages 85-92

   14. Information Efficiencies of Telescopes and their Instrumentation

       • V. S. Rylov

       Pages 93-98

3. Back Matter

   Pages 99-106

   PDF

4. Spectrographs and Spectrometers

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 107-107

      PDF

   2. Multi-Order Formats to Increase the Versatility of Cassegrain Spectrographs

      • Dianne L. Harmer

      Pages 109-116

   3. Transit Telescope Designs Optimized for Multiple Object Spectroscopy with Fibers

      • J. R. P. Angel

      Pages 117-122

   4. An Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) for Large Telescopes

      • G. Courtes

      Pages 123-128

Interest world-wide in the provision of new observational astro­ nomical facilities in the form of ground-based optical telescopes of large aperture has never been higher than exists at present. The benefits to be gained from increased aperture size, however, are only utilised effectively if efficient instrumentation is also available. There have been significant improvements recently in this area, part­ icularly in detector technology and data handling as well as in optical design, so that systems which are currently being developed have the capability of being vastly more powerful in terms of the efficient use of photons than those which existed only 5 years ago. The rationale for the decision by Commission 9 of the International Astronomical Union to hold IAU Colloquium 67, therefore, was to obtain reports on these developments with the emphasis placed upon overall efficiency of the complete observational system - from telescope aperture right through to detector output. A fitting venue for the meeting was the site of the 6 metre BTA (Bolshoi Azimuth Telescope) at Zelenchukskaya in the Caucasus mount­ ains, USSR. The BTA is operated by the Special Astrophysical Observatory located at Nizhnij Arkhyz, a few kilometres from the telescope itself.

• astronomy
• instruments
• interferometry
• observatory
• spectroscopy
• telescope

• Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, UK

  Colin M. Humphries

Policies and ethics