Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...209.2211m&link_type=abstract
2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #22.11; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, V
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Precision ground-based photometric and astrometric measurements enable new astrophysical research programs. The CCD/Transit Instrument with Innovative Instrumentation (CTI-II) is the second generation of a 1.8-m stationary, meridian pointing telescope fundamentally capable of millimagnitude photometry and milliarcsecond astrometry. Our goal is demonstrably to attain and maintain this precision in practice.
The optical design for this telescope is complete and a unique real-time metrology system is being tested. An innovative focal plane mosaic including real-time focus feedback is being finalized. We discuss the telescope system design considerations, support instrumentation and calibration techniques that allow this precision, even for measurements made through Earth’s turbulent and turbid atmosphere. Ancillary instrumentation includes weather stations, cloud monitors, optical and structural metrology and monitoring instruments, a microbarograph array, an atmospheric extinction lidar and a system of cameras capable of providing real-time extinction measurements.
The stationary, fully automated CTI-II uses the time-delay and integrate (TDI) readout mode operated at the sidereal rate on a mosaic of CCD detectors to nightly generate a five bandpass, 1° wide (declination) image, nominally 120° long (corresponding to observing for an eight-hour night) strip image of the sky to limiting magnitudes fainter than 21 per bandpass. After one year CTI-II will have completed observation of a small circle on the sky at a declination of +28°.
The CTI-II data, approximately 200 gigabytes nightly, will enable a large number of astrophysical research programs including Galactic astronomy based upon motions and parallaxes of stars in the solar neighborhood, discovery and synoptic monitoring of black-hole related variability in the cores of galaxies, and the discovery of targets of opportunity based upon either luminosity variability (e.g. supernovae) or motion (e.g. asteroids and comets).
CTI-II is being designed and implemented as part of the Near Earth Space Surveillance Initiative (NESSI), funded by AFRL.
Ackermann Marcel R.
Benedict George F.
Claver Charles Frederick
Gamiz Victor L.
Gerstle Walter H.
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