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Yardstones


Movies
26. SINFONI
25. SPIFFI-GI at the VLT
24. Swinging SPIFFI
23. SPIFFI mounted to the Cassegrain simulator
22. Pictures from inside
21. AO module
20. Spectra
19. Mounting the cryostat to the flange
18. Preopticstest
17. Fachbeirat
16. Very First Spectrum
15. Very First Light
14. The new BaF2 blank
13. Spectrograph Camera
12. Grating tests
11. The slicer
10. Preoptics tests
9. Collimator mirrors
8. Camera optics tests
7. First Cooldown
6. Cassegrain simulator / Assembly
5. Housings and the Reinforcing structure
4. Integrating sphere
3. SPIFFI cryostat II
2. SPIFFI cryostat I
1. Cassegrain simulator


 

The photos on this page are sorted chronologically. They give you an overview of some 'yardstones' we have passed.


All photos on this page are copyrighted. Any presentation or distribution of these photos without written or oral agreement will be regarded as a copyright infringement.


SINFONI

 




SPIFFI-GI takes operations at the VLT

 
SPIFFI-GI is transported to UT2 Lifting SPIFFI through the UT2 hatch
SPIFFI on the Azimuth platform Frank Eisenhauer and Roberto Tamai (head of the engeneering department at Paranal observatory) inspecting the flange
Mounting SPIFFI to the Cassegrain derotator Mounting done
SPIFFI at 90 degrees In the control room. Preparing the first night together with Jason Spyromilio
The SPIFFI team When the night comes ...
A more unusual view, all domes are open.
In the control room. First light with SPIFFI A shot from outside. In the foreground UT1. In the background Jupiter and the Praesepe. In between UT2 with SPIFFI.
After the night. M3 still folded away. Thanks SPIFFI

Swinging SPIFFI

 






SPIFFI mounted to the Cassegrain simulator

 
Before Lifting
In between Done
 
   

Pictures from inside

Between the Kloepperboden and the coldplate
I II
 
III  

Interface test

In this test the conformaty of the interfaces (SPIFFI and the AO module) are checked. The AO module (blue) is directly connected to SPIFFIs top flange.
I II
III IV

Spectra taken with SPIFFI

These are raw images !!!

A argon frame in the J band. A neon+xenon frame in the H-band. The grating is still slightly misaligned.
A J-band spectrum of the above image A H-band spectrum of the above image

Mounting the cryostat to the flange

For the first time SPIFFI and the racks have been mounted to the flange.
Mounting the upper flange to the Cassegrain derotator I We are good guys. We use helmets.
Mounting the upper flange to the Cassegrain derotator II Mounting the upper flange to the Cassegrain derotator III
Delivery of the spindle actuators The mounted top flange I
The mounted top flange II The mounted top flange III
The mounted top flange IV The mounted spindle actuators
Mounting SPIFFI to the lower flange I Mounting SPIFFI to the lower flange II
Mounting the racks to the lower flange I Mounting the racks to the lower flange II
Mounting the racks to the lower flange III Mounting complete
 
Almost done  

Preopticstest

Pictures of the preopticstest
Images of a 10um fiber imgaged with the 100mas and 250mas scale optics.
The separation of the two black lines corresponds to the width of a slitlet. The measured Strehl ratios vary between 75% and 100%.
100 mas, h-band, measured 100 mas, h-band, theoretical
250 mas, j-band 250 mas, h-band
 
250 mas, k-band  

Fachbeirat:

Pictures of the Fachbeirat session.
 

VERY FIRST SPECTRUM OF SPIFFI (cold) (6/5/2002):

The first spectrum of SPIFFI in the lab.
 
This is the spectrum of a neon lamp
used for wavelength calibration.
This picture shows an image of the slicer. Instead of a grating a mirror has been used. The big blob in the middle comes from light passing directly through the slicer. In other words we forgot to mount the appropriate baffle. You can also see the shadow of the small slicer in this blob. 6/4/2002

VERY FIRST LIGHT OF SPIFFI (warm) (5/29/2002):

All mayor components have been mounted to the cold plate. Without any calibration or alignment, SPIFFI had its very first light at room temperature today in the lab. Instead of a grating a mirror has been used for this exposure. A simple torch has been used as a light source.
 
VERY FIRST LIGHT OF SPIFFI !!! 5/29/2002  

Delivery of the new BaF2 blank:

SPIFFIs spectrograph camera consits of BaF2 and IRG2 crystal lenses. Especially the BaF2 crystals are difficult to polish. Several blanks broke during the manufacturing process. These pictures show one of the latest blanks before polishing.
The new blank. Between two sheets of polarizing filters with their polarizing direction perpendicular to each other
the crystal shows its block structure.
One of the crystals from a former melt.

Delivery of the SPIFFI GI equipment (5/23/2002):

This equipment will be used during the SPIFFI GI phase in 2003. The flange is neccessary to connect SPIFFI directly to the Cassegrain derotator of the telescope.
One part of the interface flanges. The other part of the flange
 
The storage carriage  

Assembly of the camera with the coated lenses (5/22/2002):

Here you can see the subunits of the camera.
One of the big BaF2 lenses broke during the coating process. Unfortunately there was no spare left for this lens. So the parts have been glued together. The lens will be exchanged as soon as possible.  

Test of the gratings (4/29/2002):

The optical quality of the gratings is determined with an interferometric test.
Matthias Tecza and Niranjan Thatte adjusting the grating. The laser spot used for adjusting the grating.
The grating wheel. Matthias Tecza and Niranjan Thatte with the grating wheel.
 
Matthias Tecza mirrored in the K-Band grating.  

Delivery (4/23/2002) and Assembly (4/28/2002) of the slicer

The heart of Spiffi has arrived at MPE. The image slicer consists of two parts, the small and the big slicer. All components are made of Zerodur.
The maker (right) of the slicer. From the left to the right :
Matthias Tecza (MPE) Beatrice Zuend, Johann Zuend.
From the left to the right :
Matthias Tecza (MPE) Beatrice Zuend, Johann Zuend. Frank Eisenhauer (MPE)
The slicer edge-on. Slicer I
Slicer II The small slicer I
The small slicer II The small slicer III
Matthias Tecza and the slicer. The assembled slicer I.
 
The assembled slicer II.  

Beginning of the preoptics tests (4/22/2002):

With this test the imaging quality of the SPIFFI preoptics will be investigated.
The lens collimator The test stand. From left to right: Preoptics, filterwheel, collimator, detector (on top)
 
The test stand. II  

Delivery of the collimator mirrors

SPIFFI uses a three mirror collimator. The individual mirrors are diamond turned. One mirror is spherical, the other two ones are offaxis oblate ellipticals.
Mirrors in a box Mirror 2 and 3
Mirror 2 Mirror 3

Test of the camera optics

The task is to determine the optical quality of the camera. A collimated beam from the interferometer going through the camera is focused on the center of curvature of a concave mirror. The reflected light is nearly going the same way back through the camera into the interferometer where the light interferes. The pattern of interference gives information about the optical quality of the camera. The individual lenses are not yet coated with the antireflection coating. The test is performed in the cleanroom of the integrationhall.
The interferometric setup I (From left to the right: the interferometer, the camera, the return sphere) The interferometric setup II
The return sphere behind the camera The camera
Presenting the camera to ESO. From left to right :
Henri Bonnet (ESO), Frank Eisenhauer (MPE), Bernard DeLabre (ESO), Stefan Stroebele (ESO), Norbert Hubin (ESO), Hans Dekker (ESO)
And the camera works.

First Cooldown of the SPIFFI cryostat

In the first cooldown cycle we try to detect and repair vacuum leakage. Also the functionality of the the equipment used is checked.
SPIFFI mounted on the handling carriage.  

Assembly of the Cassegrain simulator

The Cassegrain simulator assembled in the integration hall of MPE will help us to determine the stiffness of the coldplate. SPIFFI will be mounted to the simulator in fall 2002.
 

Assembly of the housings and the Reinforcing structure

The reinforcing structure makes the coldplate more stiff.
The Housing. (Collimator mirror 2 in front) The Housing. (Slicer housing in front)
The reinforcing structure I The reinforcing structure II
 
The reinforcing structure III  

The integrating sphere

The integrating sphere is used for calibrating the instrument. It illuminates SPIFFIs field of view uniformly and provides several different lamps with lines covering the J, H, and K window.
The integrating sphere illuminated by the halogen lamps A halogen flat field image
The integrating sphere illuminated by the neon lamp A neon flat field image

The day after delivery of the cryostat

All optical and optomechanical components are mounted to the coldplate. It has direct contact with the liquid nitrogen reservoir and has therefore a temperature of app. 77K.
The top lid and the cylinder "Superisolation"
The coldplate I The coldplate II

February the 5th 2002 : Delivery of the SPIFFI cryostat

The SPIFFI cryostat, the biggest component of SPIFFI, has been delivered today. The box with the cryostat inside weights 800kg.
Delivery of the cryostat The SPIFFI handling carriage
A big box I A big box II
Yes, it fits into the elevator Down in the lab
Christmas I Christmas II
Here it comes Lifting the cryostat out of the storage container I
Lifting the cryostat out of the storage container II The cryostat hanging on the crane
SPIFFIs bottom Lifting the cryostat onto the handling carriage
 
The cryostat mounted onto the handling carriage  

January the 16th 2002 : Delivery of the Cassegrain simulator

The Cassegrain simulator will be used to verify the conformance of the mechanical interfaces of the SPIFFI cryostat adapter flange and the Cassegrain derotator flange. Furthermore it will be used to measure any flexures of the cryostat. E.g. internal flexures would cause a misalignment of the optical components mounted on the coldplate and would therefore degrade the scientific performance of the instrument. If the degree of the internal flexures are known well enough they can be corrected partly e.g. by adjusting the secondary mirror of the UT.
Delivery of the parts I Delivery of the parts II
 
Moving the adapter ring  

Movies

 
Mounting SPIFFI to the Cassegrain simulator I Mounting SPIFFI to the Cassegrain simulator II
Rotating SPIFFI at 0 degree I Rotating SPIFFI at 0 degree I
 
Rotating SPIFFI at 90 degree I  
 
   

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Illustrations
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   © 2002 by C.Iserlohe iserlohe@mpe.mpg.de