Small telescopes being effective: MAGIC or not?

TL;DR

This paper presents the MAGIC multi-mode focal reducer for a 1-m telescope, enabling efficient photometry, polarimetry, and spectroscopy with improved field of view and accuracy, demonstrated through various astronomical observations.

Contribution

Introduction of the MAGIC focal reducer with multiple observational modes and enhanced capabilities for studying extended astronomical objects.

Findings

Achieved spectral resolution R ~ 1000 in 4000-7200 Å range.

Photometry accuracy better than 0.01 mag for 14 mag stars.

Polarization accuracy better than 0.6%.

Abstract

The paper describes the MAGIC multi-mode focal reducer (Monitoring of Active Galaxies by Investigation of their Cores), commissioned on the 1-m Zeiss-1000 telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences in September 2020. Three observational modes are currently realised: photometry, polarimetry, and long-slit spectroscopy. Reducing the focal length makes it possible to obtain a sufficiently large field of view for photometry and a large slit height for spectroscopy of $\sim$12$'$, as well as a large field of view for polarimetry with a quadrupole Wollaston prism of $\sim$6$'$.4. This feature makes the complex study of extended nebulae and galaxies efficient. The MAGIC capabilities are presented in examples of observations of various astronomical objects. The spectral mode in the range of 4000-7200 AA provides the spectral resolution $R \sim$ 1000; for a starlike target up to 14 mag in medium-band filters with a seeing of 1$''$ for 20 minutes of total exposure, the photometry accuracy is better than 0.01 mag and the polarization accuracy is better than 0.6%. Especially for the new focal reducer, an offset guide and a position angle rotation system were implemented. The results of the modernization of the baffle system in the optical scheme of the telescope for the suppression of scattered light are also described.