CUBES, the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph

Cristiani, S.; Alcalá, J.M.; Alencar, S.H.P.; Balashev, S.A.; Bastian, N.; Barbuy, B.; Battino, U.; Calcines, A.; Calderone, G.; Cambianica, P.; Carini, R.; Carter, B.; Cassisi, S.; Castilho, B.V.; Cescutti, G.; Christlieb, N.; Cirami, R.; Coretti, I.; Cooke, R.; Covino, S.; Cremonese, G.; Cunha, K.; Cupani, G.; da Silva, A.R.; De Caprio, V.; De Cia, A.; Dekker, H.; D'Elia, V.; De Silva, G.; Diaz, M.; Di Marcantonio, P.; D'Auria, D.; D'Odorico, V.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Ernandes, H.; Evans, C.; Franchini, M.; Genoni, M.; Gänsicke, B.; Giribaldi, R.E.; Gneiding, C.; Grazian, A.; Hansen, C.J.; La Forgia, F.; Landoni, M.; Lazzarin, M.; Lunney, D.; Maciel, W.; Marcolino, W.; Marconi, M.; Migliorini, A.; Miller, C.; Noterdaeme, P.; Opitom, C.; Pariani, G.; Pilecki, B.; Piranomonte, S.; Quirrenbach, A.; Redaelli, E.M.A.; Pereira, C.B.; Randich, S.; Rossi, S.; Sanchez-Janssen, R.; Seifert, W.; Smiljanic, R.; Snodgrass, C.; Stilz, I.; Stürmer, J.; Vanzella, E.; Ventura, P.; Verducci, O.; Waring, C.; Watson, S.; Wells, M.; Wright, D.; Zafar, T.; Zanutta., A.

doi:10.1117/12.2629990

CUBES, the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph

Cristiani, S.; Alcalá, J.M.; Alencar, S.H.P.; Balashev, S.A.; Bastian, N.; Barbuy, B.; Battino, U.; Calcines, A.; Calderone, G.; Cambianica, P.; Carini, R.; Carter, B.; Cassisi, S.; Castilho, B.V.; Cescutti, G.; Christlieb, N.; Cirami, R.; Coretti, I.; Cooke, R.; Covino, S.; Cremonese, G.; Cunha, K.; Cupani, G.; da Silva, A.R.; De Caprio, V.; De Cia, A.; Dekker, H.; D'Elia, V.; De Silva, G.; Diaz, M.; Di Marcantonio, P.; D'Auria, D.; D'Odorico, V.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Ernandes, H.; Evans, C.; Franchini, M.; Genoni, M.; Gänsicke, B.; Giribaldi, R.E.; Gneiding, C.; Grazian, A.; Hansen, C.J.; La Forgia, F.; Landoni, M.; Lazzarin, M.; Lunney, D.; Maciel, W.; Marcolino, W.; Marconi, M.; Migliorini, A.; Miller, C.; Noterdaeme, P.; Opitom, C.; Pariani, G.; Pilecki, B.; Piranomonte, S.; Quirrenbach, A.; Redaelli, E.M.A.; Pereira, C.B.; Randich, S.; Rossi, S.; Sanchez-Janssen, R.; Seifert, W.; Smiljanic, R.; Snodgrass, C.; Stilz, I.; Stürmer, J.; Vanzella, E.; Ventura, P.; Verducci, O.; Waring, C....

Authors

S. Cristiani

J.M. Alcalá

S.H.P. Alencar

S.A. Balashev

N. Bastian

B. Barbuy

U. Battino

Dr Ariadna Calcines Rosario ariadna.calcines@durham.ac.uk
Head of Optical Design - CfAI

G. Calderone

P. Cambianica

R. Carini

B. Carter

S. Cassisi

B.V. Castilho

G. Cescutti

N. Christlieb

R. Cirami

I. Coretti

R. Cooke

S. Covino

G. Cremonese

K. Cunha

G. Cupani

A.R. da Silva

V. De Caprio

A. De Cia

H. Dekker

V. D'Elia

G. De Silva

M. Diaz

P. Di Marcantonio

D. D'Auria

V. D'Odorico

A. Fitzsimmons

H. Ernandes

C. Evans

M. Franchini

M. Genoni

B. Gänsicke

R.E. Giribaldi

C. Gneiding

A. Grazian

C.J. Hansen

F. La Forgia

M. Landoni

M. Lazzarin

D. Lunney

W. Maciel

W. Marcolino

M. Marconi

A. Migliorini

C. Miller

P. Noterdaeme

C. Opitom

G. Pariani

B. Pilecki

S. Piranomonte

A. Quirrenbach

E.M.A. Redaelli

C.B. Pereira

S. Randich

S. Rossi

R. Sanchez-Janssen

W. Seifert

R. Smiljanic

C. Snodgrass

I. Stilz

J. Stürmer

E. Vanzella

P. Ventura

O. Verducci

C. Waring

S. Watson

M. Wells

D. Wright

T. Zafar

A. Zanutta.

Abstract

In the era of Extremely Large Telescopes, the current generation of 8-10m facilities are likely to remain competitive at ground-UV wavelengths for the foreseeable future. The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) has been designed to provide high-efficiency (>40%) observations in the near UV (305-400 nm requirement, 300-420 nm goal) at a spectral resolving power of R>20,000 (with a lower-resolution, sky-limited mode of R ~ 7,000). With the design focusing on maximizing the instrument throughput (ensuring a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) ~20 per high-resolution element at 313 nm for U ~18.5 mag objects in 1h of observations), it will offer new possibilities in many fields of astrophysics, providing access to key lines of stellar spectra: a tremendous diversity of iron-peak and heavy elements, lighter elements (in particular Beryllium) and light-element molecules (CO, CN, OH), as well as Balmer lines and the Balmer jump (particularly important for young stellar objects). The UV range is also critical in extragalactic studies: the circumgalactic medium of distant galaxies, the contribution of different types of sources to the cosmic UV background, the measurement of H2 and primordial Deuterium in a regime of relatively transparent intergalactic medium, and follow-up of explosive transients. The CUBES project completed a Phase A conceptual design in June 2021 and has now entered the detailed design and construction phase. First science operations are planned for 2028.

Citation

Cristiani, S., Alcalá, J., Alencar, S., Balashev, S., Bastian, N., Barbuy, B., …Zanutta., A. (2022). CUBES, the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph. In Proc. SPIE 12184, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629990

Conference Name	SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2022
Publication Date	Aug 29, 2022
Deposit Date	Sep 29, 2022
Publicly Available Date	Sep 29, 2022
Publisher	SPIE
Volume	12184
Series Title	SPIE Proceedings
Book Title	Proc. SPIE 12184, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629990
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1136288

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