Contributions by Gemini staff
On the Horizon
Despite some technical issues, installation of the GMOS-N new
detector system is progressing. Other updates include progress
on the new Toptica Photonics GeMS laser, the release of the Gen
4#3 Request for Proposals for worldwide solicitation, and the
start of the GHOST project’s build phase.
GMOS CCD Update
The GMOS-N CCD upgrade project encountered some technical delays and is now back on track
for installation later this year. The reason is because the latest Astronomical Research Camera
(ARC) controllers (which are different from those in GMOS-S) created unexpected technical issues, such as high read-out noise (RON).
Tim Hardy from Canada’s National Research Council Herzberg (NRC-H) helped debug the GMOSN detector system, getting its performance closer to that of the already-installed GMOS-S system. We have been able to lower the RON from 5.6 electrons-root mean square (erms) down to
3.9erms (current GMOS-S performances). We also replaced the two original cable sets that were
found to be erratic, and repaired two new boards designed to mitigate electrostatic dam-
Figure 1 (left).
Bias image with the
new GMOS-N focal
plane array while
adjusting the vertical
clock voltages to
optimize the full well.
Figure 2 (right).
Sum of 10 acquisitions
from GMOS-S to reveal
the very low level
pattern.
July 2016
GeminiFocus
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