IFU Unit in SCORPIO-2 Focal Reducer for Integral-Field Spectroscopy on the 6-m Telescope of the SAO RAS

TL;DR

This paper details the design, implementation, and testing of a new integral-field unit (IFU) for the SCORPIO-2 instrument on the 6-m telescope, enabling detailed spectral mapping of astronomical objects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel IFU design based on lens raster and optical fibers for the SCORPIO-2 instrument, expanding its spectral and spatial capabilities.

Findings

Successful test observations of Seyfert galaxy Mrk 78 conducted.

Achieved spectral range of 4600-7300 Å with resolution up to 2800.

Quantum efficiency of 6-13% depending on the grating used.

Abstract

We describe the scheme and design features of the new IFU unit (Integral Field Unit) meant to perform integral-field spectroscopy as a part of SCORPIO-2 focal reducer, which is mounted in the prime focus of the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The design of the unit is based on the principle of the formation of array spectra using a lens raster combined with optical fibers. The unit uses a rectangular raster consisting of 22x22 square 2-mm diameter lenses. The image of the object is transferred by an optical system with a 23x magnification from the focal plane of the telescope to the plane of the lens raster. The image scale is 0.75"/lens and the field of view of the instrument has the size of 16.5"x16.5". The raster also contains two extra 2x7 lens arrays to acquire the night-sky spectra whose images are offset by $\pm$3' from the center. Optical fibers are used to transform micropupil images into two pseudoslits located at the IFU collimator entrance. When operating in the IFU mode a set of volume phase holographic gratings (VPHG) provides a spectral range of 4600-7300 \AA\ and a resolution $\lambda/\delta\lambda$ of 1040 to 2800. The quantum efficiency of SCORPIO-2 field spectroscopy is 6-13% depending on the grating employed. We describe the technique of data acquisition and reduction using IFU unit and report the results of test observations of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 78 performed on the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.