After the formal acceptance of our fabrication of E-ELT segments, we aim to further accelerate th... more After the formal acceptance of our fabrication of E-ELT segments, we aim to further accelerate the mass production by introducing an intermediate grolishing procedure using industrial robots, reducing the total process time by this much faster and parallel link. In this paper, we have presented research outputs on tool design, tool path generation, study of mismatch between rigid, semi-rigid tool and aspheric surface. It is indicated that the generation of mid-spatial frequency is proportional to the grit size and misfit between work piece and tool surfaces. Using a Non-Newtonian material tool with a spindle speed of 30 rpm has successfully reduce the mid-spatial error. The optimization of process parameters involve the study the combination effects of the above factors. These optimized parameters will result in a lookup table for reference of given input surface quality. Future work may include the higher spindle speed for grolishing with non-Newtonian tool looking for potential applications regarding to form correction, higher removal rate and edge control.
International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2010, Nov 20, 2017
To achieve superb stability in cryogenic optical systems, NOVA-ASTRON generally designs optical i... more To achieve superb stability in cryogenic optical systems, NOVA-ASTRON generally designs optical instruments on the basis of a 'no adjustments' philosophy. This means that in principle no corrections are possible after assembly. The alignment precision and consequently the performance of the instrument is guaranteed from the design, the tolerance analysis and the detailed knowledge of the material behavior and manufacturing process. This resulted in a higher degree of integrated optomechanical-cryogenic design with fewer parts, but with a higher part complexity. The 'no adjustments' strategy is successful because in the end the risk on instrument performance and project delays is much reduced. Astronomical instrument specifications have become more challenging over the years. Recent designs of the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO VLTI) 4 Telescope combiner MATISSE include hundreds of optical components in a cryogenic environment. Despite the large number of optical components the alignment accuracy and stability requirements are in the order of nanometers. The 'no adjustments' philosophy would be too costly in this case, because all components would need to meet extremely tight manufacturing specifications. These specifications can be relaxed dramatically if cryogenic mechanisms are used for alignment. Several mechanisms have been developed: a tip-tilt mirror mechanism, an optical path distance mechanism, a slider mechanism, a bistable cryogenic shutter and a mirror mounting clip. Key aspects of these mechanisms are that the optical element and mechanism are combined in a compact single component, driven by e.g. self braking piezo actuators in order to hold position without power. The design, realization and test results of several mechanisms are presented in this paper.
International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2008, Nov 21, 2017
SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary EXploration) is an innovative, compact remotesensing instr... more SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary EXploration) is an innovative, compact remotesensing instrument for measuring and characterizing aerosols in the atmosphere. The shoebox size instrument is capable of accurate full linear spectropolarimetry without moving parts or liquid crystals. High precision polarimetry is performed through encoding the degree and angle of linear polarization of the incoming light in a sinusoidal modulation of the spectrum. Measuring this intensity spectrum thus provides the spectral dependence of the degree and angle of linear polarization. Polarimetry has proven to be an excellent tool to study microphysical properties of atmospheric particles. Such information is essential to better understand the weather and climate of a planet. Although SPEX can be used to study any planetary atmosphere, including the Earth's, the current design of SPEX is tailored to study Martian dust and clouds from an orbiting platform. SPEX' 9 entrance pupils can simultaneously measure intensity spectra from 0.4 to 0.8 microns, in different directions along the flight direction (including two limb viewing directions). This way, the scattering phase functions of dust and cloud particles within a ground pixel are sampled while flying over it. SPEX can provide synergy with instruments on rovers and landers, as it provides an overview of spatial and temporal variations of the Martian atmosphere.
The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations acr... more The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations across the globe, with each station containing a battery of low-cost cameras to monitor the near-entire sky at each location. Once all stations have been installed, MASCARA will be able to provide a nearly 24-hr coverage of the complete dark sky, down to magnitude 8, at sub-minute cadence. Its purpose is to find the brightest transiting exoplanet systems , expected in the V=4-8 magnitude range-currently not probed by space-or ground-based surveys. The bright/nearby transiting planet systems, which MASCARA will discover, will be the key targets for detailed planet atmosphere obs ervations. We present studies on the initial design of a MASCARA station, including the camera housing, domes, and computer equipment, and on the photometric stability of low-cost cameras showing that a precision of 0.3-1% per hour can be readily achieved. We plan to roll out the first MASCARA station before the end of 2013. A 5-station MASCARA can within two years discover up to a dozen of the brightest transiting planet systems in the sky.
OPTIMOS-EVE (OPTical Infrared Multi Object Spectrograph-Extreme Visual Explorer) is the fiber fed... more OPTIMOS-EVE (OPTical Infrared Multi Object Spectrograph-Extreme Visual Explorer) is the fiber fed multi object spectrograph proposed for the E-ELT. It is designed to provide a spectral resolution ranging from 5000 to 30.000, at wavelengths from 0.37 µm to 1.70 µm, combined with a high multiplex (>200) and a large spectral coverage. The system consists of three main modules: a fiber positioning system, fibers and a spectrograph. The OPTIMOS-EVE Phase-A study, carried out within the framework of the ESO E-ELT instrumentation studies, has been performed by an international consortium consisting of institutes from France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy and Denmark. This paper describes the design tradeoff study and the key issues determining the price and performance of the instrument.
Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, 2018
When combined with the huge collecting area of the ELT, MOSAIC will be the most effective and fle... more When combined with the huge collecting area of the ELT, MOSAIC will be the most effective and flexible Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) facility in the world, having both a high multiplex and a multi-Integral Field Unit (Multi-IFU) capability. It will be the fastest way to spectroscopically follow-up the faintest sources, probing the reionisation epoch, as well as evaluating the evolution of the dwarf mass function over most of the age of the Universe. MOSAIC will be world-leading in generating an inventory of both the dark matter (from realistic rotation curves with MOAO fed NIR IFUs) and the cool to warm-hot gas phases in z=3.5 galactic haloes (with visible wavelenth IFUs). Galactic archaeology and the first massive black holes are additional targets for which MOSAIC will also be revolutionary. MOAO and accurate sky subtraction with fibres have now been demonstrated on sky, removing all low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) items from the instrument. A prompt implementation of MOSAIC is feasible, and indeed could increase the robustness and reduce risk on the ELT, since it does not require diffraction limited adaptive optics performance. Science programmes and survey strategies are currently being investigated by the Consortium, which is also hoping to welcome a few new partners in the next two years.
Product Assurance is an essential activity to support the design and construction of complex inst... more Product Assurance is an essential activity to support the design and construction of complex instruments developed for major scientific programs. The international size of current consortia in astrophysics, the ambitious and challenging developments, make the product assurance issues very important. The objective of this paper is to focus in particular on the application of Product Assurance Activities to a project such as MOSAIC, within an international consortium. The paper will also give a general overview on main product assurance tasks to be implemented during the development from the design study to the validation of the manufacturing, assembly, integration and test (MAIT) process and the delivery of the instrument.
We present an update of the design of the Central Wheel Mechanism (CWM), a subsystem of the MICAD... more We present an update of the design of the Central Wheel Mechanism (CWM), a subsystem of the MICADO instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)1. The CWM consists of a Filter Wheel Mechanism (FWM) with two Filter wheels, the Pupil Wheel Mechanism (PWM) with one Pupil wheel and the Atmospheric Distortion Corrector (ADC). The CWM has a diameter of about 1.5 meter. Challenges in the mechanical design work are focused on fitting all the components in the available design volume and ensuring that the accuracy and repeatability requirements are met. The mechanisms should work in a cryogenic environment for an intended lifetime of 10 years and survive transport and seismic conditions. Additionally the system has to cool and warm-up properly. The most noticeable update since the PDR2 is a self-contained ring assembly of a connected FWM and PWM that is suspended to the MICADO instrument using flexible supports. The arrangement of these supports creates a point of shrinkage at the optic...
Cooperating Organizations American Astronomical Society (United States) • Australian Astronomical... more Cooperating Organizations American Astronomical Society (United States) • Australian Astronomical Observatory (Australia) • Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) • Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) (Canada) • Canadian Space Agency (Canada) • European Astronomical Society (Switzerland) • European Southern Observatory (Germany) • National Radio Astronomy Observatory • Royal Astronomical Society (United Kingdom) • Science & Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom)
After the formal acceptance of our fabrication of E-ELT segments, we aim to further accelerate th... more After the formal acceptance of our fabrication of E-ELT segments, we aim to further accelerate the mass production by introducing an intermediate grolishing procedure using industrial robots, reducing the total process time by this much faster and parallel link. In this paper, we have presented research outputs on tool design, tool path generation, study of mismatch between rigid, semi-rigid tool and aspheric surface. It is indicated that the generation of mid-spatial frequency is proportional to the grit size and misfit between work piece and tool surfaces. Using a Non-Newtonian material tool with a spindle speed of 30 rpm has successfully reduce the mid-spatial error. The optimization of process parameters involve the study the combination effects of the above factors. These optimized parameters will result in a lookup table for reference of given input surface quality. Future work may include the higher spindle speed for grolishing with non-Newtonian tool looking for potential applications regarding to form correction, higher removal rate and edge control.
International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2010, Nov 20, 2017
To achieve superb stability in cryogenic optical systems, NOVA-ASTRON generally designs optical i... more To achieve superb stability in cryogenic optical systems, NOVA-ASTRON generally designs optical instruments on the basis of a 'no adjustments' philosophy. This means that in principle no corrections are possible after assembly. The alignment precision and consequently the performance of the instrument is guaranteed from the design, the tolerance analysis and the detailed knowledge of the material behavior and manufacturing process. This resulted in a higher degree of integrated optomechanical-cryogenic design with fewer parts, but with a higher part complexity. The 'no adjustments' strategy is successful because in the end the risk on instrument performance and project delays is much reduced. Astronomical instrument specifications have become more challenging over the years. Recent designs of the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO VLTI) 4 Telescope combiner MATISSE include hundreds of optical components in a cryogenic environment. Despite the large number of optical components the alignment accuracy and stability requirements are in the order of nanometers. The 'no adjustments' philosophy would be too costly in this case, because all components would need to meet extremely tight manufacturing specifications. These specifications can be relaxed dramatically if cryogenic mechanisms are used for alignment. Several mechanisms have been developed: a tip-tilt mirror mechanism, an optical path distance mechanism, a slider mechanism, a bistable cryogenic shutter and a mirror mounting clip. Key aspects of these mechanisms are that the optical element and mechanism are combined in a compact single component, driven by e.g. self braking piezo actuators in order to hold position without power. The design, realization and test results of several mechanisms are presented in this paper.
International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2008, Nov 21, 2017
SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary EXploration) is an innovative, compact remotesensing instr... more SPEX (Spectropolarimeter for Planetary EXploration) is an innovative, compact remotesensing instrument for measuring and characterizing aerosols in the atmosphere. The shoebox size instrument is capable of accurate full linear spectropolarimetry without moving parts or liquid crystals. High precision polarimetry is performed through encoding the degree and angle of linear polarization of the incoming light in a sinusoidal modulation of the spectrum. Measuring this intensity spectrum thus provides the spectral dependence of the degree and angle of linear polarization. Polarimetry has proven to be an excellent tool to study microphysical properties of atmospheric particles. Such information is essential to better understand the weather and climate of a planet. Although SPEX can be used to study any planetary atmosphere, including the Earth's, the current design of SPEX is tailored to study Martian dust and clouds from an orbiting platform. SPEX' 9 entrance pupils can simultaneously measure intensity spectra from 0.4 to 0.8 microns, in different directions along the flight direction (including two limb viewing directions). This way, the scattering phase functions of dust and cloud particles within a ground pixel are sampled while flying over it. SPEX can provide synergy with instruments on rovers and landers, as it provides an overview of spatial and temporal variations of the Martian atmosphere.
The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations acr... more The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations across the globe, with each station containing a battery of low-cost cameras to monitor the near-entire sky at each location. Once all stations have been installed, MASCARA will be able to provide a nearly 24-hr coverage of the complete dark sky, down to magnitude 8, at sub-minute cadence. Its purpose is to find the brightest transiting exoplanet systems , expected in the V=4-8 magnitude range-currently not probed by space-or ground-based surveys. The bright/nearby transiting planet systems, which MASCARA will discover, will be the key targets for detailed planet atmosphere obs ervations. We present studies on the initial design of a MASCARA station, including the camera housing, domes, and computer equipment, and on the photometric stability of low-cost cameras showing that a precision of 0.3-1% per hour can be readily achieved. We plan to roll out the first MASCARA station before the end of 2013. A 5-station MASCARA can within two years discover up to a dozen of the brightest transiting planet systems in the sky.
OPTIMOS-EVE (OPTical Infrared Multi Object Spectrograph-Extreme Visual Explorer) is the fiber fed... more OPTIMOS-EVE (OPTical Infrared Multi Object Spectrograph-Extreme Visual Explorer) is the fiber fed multi object spectrograph proposed for the E-ELT. It is designed to provide a spectral resolution ranging from 5000 to 30.000, at wavelengths from 0.37 µm to 1.70 µm, combined with a high multiplex (>200) and a large spectral coverage. The system consists of three main modules: a fiber positioning system, fibers and a spectrograph. The OPTIMOS-EVE Phase-A study, carried out within the framework of the ESO E-ELT instrumentation studies, has been performed by an international consortium consisting of institutes from France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy and Denmark. This paper describes the design tradeoff study and the key issues determining the price and performance of the instrument.
Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, 2018
When combined with the huge collecting area of the ELT, MOSAIC will be the most effective and fle... more When combined with the huge collecting area of the ELT, MOSAIC will be the most effective and flexible Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) facility in the world, having both a high multiplex and a multi-Integral Field Unit (Multi-IFU) capability. It will be the fastest way to spectroscopically follow-up the faintest sources, probing the reionisation epoch, as well as evaluating the evolution of the dwarf mass function over most of the age of the Universe. MOSAIC will be world-leading in generating an inventory of both the dark matter (from realistic rotation curves with MOAO fed NIR IFUs) and the cool to warm-hot gas phases in z=3.5 galactic haloes (with visible wavelenth IFUs). Galactic archaeology and the first massive black holes are additional targets for which MOSAIC will also be revolutionary. MOAO and accurate sky subtraction with fibres have now been demonstrated on sky, removing all low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) items from the instrument. A prompt implementation of MOSAIC is feasible, and indeed could increase the robustness and reduce risk on the ELT, since it does not require diffraction limited adaptive optics performance. Science programmes and survey strategies are currently being investigated by the Consortium, which is also hoping to welcome a few new partners in the next two years.
Product Assurance is an essential activity to support the design and construction of complex inst... more Product Assurance is an essential activity to support the design and construction of complex instruments developed for major scientific programs. The international size of current consortia in astrophysics, the ambitious and challenging developments, make the product assurance issues very important. The objective of this paper is to focus in particular on the application of Product Assurance Activities to a project such as MOSAIC, within an international consortium. The paper will also give a general overview on main product assurance tasks to be implemented during the development from the design study to the validation of the manufacturing, assembly, integration and test (MAIT) process and the delivery of the instrument.
We present an update of the design of the Central Wheel Mechanism (CWM), a subsystem of the MICAD... more We present an update of the design of the Central Wheel Mechanism (CWM), a subsystem of the MICADO instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)1. The CWM consists of a Filter Wheel Mechanism (FWM) with two Filter wheels, the Pupil Wheel Mechanism (PWM) with one Pupil wheel and the Atmospheric Distortion Corrector (ADC). The CWM has a diameter of about 1.5 meter. Challenges in the mechanical design work are focused on fitting all the components in the available design volume and ensuring that the accuracy and repeatability requirements are met. The mechanisms should work in a cryogenic environment for an intended lifetime of 10 years and survive transport and seismic conditions. Additionally the system has to cool and warm-up properly. The most noticeable update since the PDR2 is a self-contained ring assembly of a connected FWM and PWM that is suspended to the MICADO instrument using flexible supports. The arrangement of these supports creates a point of shrinkage at the optic...
Cooperating Organizations American Astronomical Society (United States) • Australian Astronomical... more Cooperating Organizations American Astronomical Society (United States) • Australian Astronomical Observatory (Australia) • Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) • Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) (Canada) • Canadian Space Agency (Canada) • European Astronomical Society (Switzerland) • European Southern Observatory (Germany) • National Radio Astronomy Observatory • Royal Astronomical Society (United Kingdom) • Science & Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom)
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Papers by Ramón Navarro