Maximising the sensitivity of next generation multi-object spectroscopy: system budget development and design optimizations for the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer

TL;DR

This paper details the systems engineering approach and design optimizations implemented to maximize the sensitivity of the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, ensuring it can effectively observe faint astronomical objects.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic methodology for sensitivity budgeting and design optimization in a large spectroscopic telescope, linking performance requirements to system design.

Findings

Sensitivity requirements are partitioned into throughput, noise, and fiber injection efficiency budgets.

Design optimizations improved the system's sensitivity to meet scientific goals.

The anticipated sensitivity performance enables key scientific observations of faint Universe objects.

Abstract

MSE is an 11.25m telescope with a 1.5 sq.deg. field of view. It can simultaneously obtain 3249 spectra at R=3000 from 360-1800nm, and 1083 spectra at R=40000 in the optical. Absolutely critical to the scientific success of MSE is to efficiently access the faint Universe. Here, we describe the adopted systems engineering methodology to ensure MSE meets the challenging sensitivity requirements, and how these requirements are partitioned across three budgets, relating to the throughput, noise and fiber injection efficiency. We then describe how the sensitivity of MSE as a system was estimated at the end of Conceptual Design Phase, and how this information was used to revisit the system design in order to meet the sensitivity requirements while maintaining the overall architectural concept of the Observatory. Finally, we present the anticipated sensitivity performance of MSE and describe the key science that these capabilities will enable.