Speaker
Description
The ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph (ANDES) is a powerful high-resolution spectroscopy instrument for the ELT that will operate over a minimum simultaneous waveband of 0.4-1.8µm, with the goal of being extended to 0.35-2.4µm with a K-band spectrograph. Consisting of fibre-fed spectrographs – UBV, RIZ and YJH – and providing a spectral resolution of ~100,000, ANDES will offer insight into a broad range of science cases.
Amongst these are the characterisation of exoplanet atmospheres and protoplanetary disks, along with their stellar hosts, through transit spectroscopy. ANDES aims to be the first instrument to unambiguously determine fingerprints of population III stars. It will be used to directly measure cosmic expansion and test for potential variations in fundamental constants. To achieve these objectives, ANDES must meet the required wavelength calibration stability of 1 m/s over 24 hours, with a goal of 0.02 m/s over 10 years, in addition to requirements on spectral resolution and wavelength range.
This talk will provide an overview of the ANDES instrument and its science objectives, with a focus on the UK’s contribution. Alongside Canadian partners, the UK will deliver the YJH spectrograph – likely to be the largest cryogenic, ultra-stable, high-resolution spectrograph ever built. Through the use of dual slits, this spectrograph will have the unique ability to operate in both seeing and diffraction-limited observing modes interchangeably. We will also present the baseline spectrograph design, which relies on the technology development of an echelle grating mosaic, over a metre in length, to accommodate the large beam size.
