Galaxy formation and evolution

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Optical and infrared investigation towards the z=3.8 quasar pair PC1643+4631A&B

(1996)

Authors:

Richard Saunders, Joanne C Baker, Malcolm N Bremer, Andrew J Bunker, Garret Cotter, Steve Eales, Keith Grainge, Toby Haynes, Michael E Jones, Mark Lacy, Guy Pooley, Steve Rawlings

A radio galaxy at redshift 4.41

Nature Springer Nature 383:6600 (1996) 502-505

Authors:

Steve Rawlings, Mark Lacy, Katharine M Blundell, Stephen A Eales, Andrew J Bunker, Simon T Garrington

A New I-Band Tully-Fisher Relation for the Fornax Cluster: Implication for the Fornax Distance and Local Supercluster Velocity Field

The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 463 (1996) 60

Authors:

M Bureau, JR Mould, L Staveley-Smith

3D: A new tool for probing the stars and ISM in AGN

Vistas in Astronomy 40:1 (1996) 227-231

Authors:

LE Tacconi-Garman, M Cameron, A Krabbe, H Kroker, N Thatte, L Weitzel

Abstract:

3D, the new MPE NIR imaging spectrometer, provides us with a unique opportunity to probe in detail the structure of the stars, ionized gas, and hot molecular gas in the very centers of AGN. The instrument delivers data cubes with 16×160.5″ pixels which are 256 spectral channels deep. Thus, in a single observation we are able to obtain data on the entire K-Band over an 8″×8″ field of view, with a spectral resolution of R = λ/Δλ = 1000. In this paper we detail the working principles behind the instrument, and show first results from observations of the inner regions of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469 made at the Calar Alto observatory. Copyright ©1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

3D: The next generation near-infrared imaging spectrometer

Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 119:3 (1996) 531-546

Authors:

L Weitzel, A Krabbe, H Kroker, N Thatte, LE Tacconi-Garman, M Cameron, R Genzel

Abstract:

The new MPE near infrared imaging spectrometer 3D represents a new generation of astronomical instrumentation. It is based on a 2562 NICMOS-3 Rockwell array and can simultaneously obtain 256 H- or K-band spectra at R= 1100 or 2100 from a square 16×16 pixel field on the sky. Typical pixel scales are 0.3″/pixel or 0.5″/pixel. 3D is a combination of a novel image slicer and a liquid nitrogen cooled long slit spectrometer. It includes high definition on-axis lens optics, a high efficiency directly ruled KRS-5 grism as well as a cold closed-loop piezo-driven tilt mirror allowing full spectral sampling. The instrument efficiency including detector is 15%. Combining the advantages of imaging and spectroscopy increases the observing efficiency on key astronomical objects (e.g. galactic nuclei) by such a large factor over existing grating or Fabry-Perot spectrometers that subarcsecond near-IR spectroscopy of faint Seyferts, starbursts, quasars, or distant galaxy clusters becomes feasible for the first time with 4m-class telescopes. As a portable instrument 3D has already been successfully deployed on several 2 and 4m-class telescopes.