MANIFEST: A many-instrument fiber-positioning system for GMT

Abstract

MANIFEST (the Many Instrument Fiber System) is a proposed fiber-positioner for the GMT, capable of feeding other instruments as needed. It is a simple, flexible and modular design, based on the AAO's Starbugs, the University of Sydney's Hexabundles, and extensive use of standard telecommunications fiber technology. Up to 2000 individually deployable fiber units are envisaged, with a wide variety of aperture types (single-aperture, image-slicing, IFU). MANIFEST allows (a) full use of the GMT's 20′ field-of-view, (b) a multiplexed IFU capability, (c) greatly increased spectral resolution via image-slicing, (d) efficient detector packing both spectrally and spatially, (e) the possibility of OH-suppression in the near-infrared. Together, these gains make GMT the most powerful of the ELT's for wide-field spectroscopy. It is intended that MANIFEST will form part of the GMT facility itself, available to any instrument able to make use of it. Show more