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Instrumentation for
Large Telescopes
VII Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics

Edited by
J. M. RODRIGUEZ ESPINOSA
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
A. HERRERO
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
F. SANCHEZ
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias

CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
 Contents

Participants x
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xv

Techniques for High Angular Resolution Astronomical Imag-

ing
/. M. Beckers
Introduction 1
Some Basics About Atmospheric Wavefront Distortions 2
Adaptive Optics 7
Interferometric Imaging in Astronomy 18
Conclusion 32
References 32

Detectors and Data Analysis Techniques for Wide Field Opti-

cal Imaging
M. J. Irwin .
Wide Field Survey Astronomy 35
Optical Telescope Design Constraints on Wide Field Imaging 42
Wide Field Detectors 48
Preprocessing CCD Images 57
Detecting and Parameterizing Objects 61
Alternative Methods for Astrometry and Photometry 68
References 72

Modern Methods of Image Reconstruction

R. C. Puetter
The Image Restoration/Reconstruction Problem 75
Language and Information Content 83
Pixon-Based Image Restoration/Reconstruction 89
The Restoration of Astronomical Images 99
Reconstruction of Complexly Encoded Images 110
References 119

Spectroscopic Techniques for Large Optical/IR Telescopes

K. Taylor
Basic Principles of Astronomical Spectroscopy 123
Diffraction Gratings 125
Multi-Object Spectroscopy 134
2dF - A Multi-fibre Case Study 141
Fabry-Perots and Fourier Transform Spectrometers 145
Integral Field and Hybrid Systems 157
References 161

vn
viii Contents
High Resolution Spectroscopy
D. F. Gray
Here We Go 163
What is a Spectrograph? 163
Diffraction Gratings 164
The Basic Spectrograph 167
The Fundamental Reasoning 168
Telescope-Spectrograph Coupling 169
Image Slicers-Another Way Out 169
High-Order Solution: Echelle Spectrographs 172
Comments on Detectors 173
Some Examples of High Resolution Spectrographs 173
Using Spectrographs, or So That's the Way it Works! 175
The Instrumental Profile 177
The Problem of Scatered Light 179
Other System Light Problems 181
Stability Checks 182
Comments on Instrumentally-Induced Distortions of Your Data 183
Spectral Lines: an Extension of Our Spectroscopic Tool Box 185
Choose the Right Equipment • 199
References 200

Near Infrared Instrumentation for Large Telescopes

/. S. McLean
The Near Infrared Waveband 203
Infrared Array Detectors 209
Matching to Large Telescopes 217
Imaging Systems 221
Spectrometers 232
References 240

Mid-IR Astronomy with Large Telescopes

B. Jones
Mid-IR Astronomy- Opportunities and Problems 241
Mid-IR Imaging 249
Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy 259
Mid-Infrared Detectors Arrays 265
The Long Wavelength Spectrometer for Keck 273
References 284

Polarimetry with large telescopes

S. di Serego Alighieri
The beauty of polarimetry 287
A formal description of polarization 289
Polarizing Mechanisms in Astrophysics 298
Photopolarimetry 302
Imaging Polarimetry 304
Spectropolarimetry 311
 Contents ix
Polarimetry with 8-10m telescopes 316
Polarimetry of AGN 322
References 328