Kenley, UK, August 11, 2003. Optical Surfaces has been selected to supply the key spectrograph optics to the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (Toulouse, France) for the NARVAL project at the Bernard Lyot telescope (TBL). The NARVAL instrument will require Optical Surfaces to produce two matching off-axis parabolic mirrors from a single f 2.2 Zerodur parent of 680-mm diameter.
The two off-axis collimating mirrors will be finished to achieve a uniform lambda/15 rms over the whole working area to ensure the required high throughput and ultra-low dispersion. Having previously supplied similar optics for the successful FEROS and ESPaDOnS projects, Optical Surfaces were selected for their proven record in manufacturing, mounting and testing demanding high precision spectrograph optics.
The NARVAL instrument is an adaptation of the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter design that currently acts as a bright time instrument for general community use at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope. The new instrument will be able to capture all polarisation components of stellar light across a complete optical spectrum (370 to 1000 nm) in a single exposure with a resolving power of about 70,000.
Combining a polarimeter and cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph, the NARVAL will provide a new opportunity for studying with unprecedented accuracy stellar magnetic fields, stellar surfaces, stellar interiors, and investigating stellar atmospheres and extrasolar planets.
For further information on high precision optics for astrophysics applications contact Optical Surfaces Ltd. at [email protected] or by telephone on +44-208-668-6126. Moe details can be found at www.optisurf.com .
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