SOXS mechanical integration and verification in Italy

TL;DR

This paper details the mechanical integration and verification process of the SOXS spectrograph in Italy, including subsystem validation, acceptance results, and procedures for addressing integration challenges.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanical integration process, validation results, and problem-solving strategies for the SOXS instrument.

Findings

Successful validation of mechanical subsystems

Effective integration procedures and modifications

Preparation for installation at La Silla observatory

Abstract

SOXS (SOn of X-Shooter) is a medium resolution (~4500) wide-band (0.35 - 2.0 {\mu}m) spectrograph which passed the Final Design Review in 2018. The instrument is in the final integration phase and it is planned to be installed at the NTT in La Silla by next year. It is mainly composed of five different optomechanical subsystems (Common Path, NIR spectrograph, UV-VIS spectrograph, Camera, and Calibration) and other mechanical subsystems (Interface flange, Platform, cable corotator, and cooling system). A brief overview of the optomechanical subsystems is presented here as more details can be found in the specific proceedings while a more comprehensive discussion is dedicated to the other mechanical subsystems and the tools needed for the integration of the instrument. Moreover, the results obtained during the acceptance of the various mechanical elements are presented together with the experiments performed to validate the functionality of the subsystems. Finally, the mechanical integration procedure is shown here, along with all the modifications applied to correct the typical problems happening in this phase.