CUBES: The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph for the VLT

The four 8.2m telescopes of ESO's Very Large Telescope are the world's most scientifically productive ground-based observatory at visible/infrared wavelengths. Looking to the future of the VLT there has been a long-standing aspiration for an optimised near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectrograph, which culminated in plans for the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES). High-efficiency observations of the ground UV (305-400 nm) with CUBES will remain uniquely competitive for many years, opening new discovery space for a broad range of astrophysics--from stellar astrophysics and nucleosynthesis to compelling cases from extragalactic astronomy and Solar System science.

The UK objectives within CUBES are the scientific leadership of the project (via the role of the CUBES Project Scientist); influential roles in the optical design (fore-optics, image slicers and spectrograph); and the design and delivery of the entire detector sub-system (CCD & electronics, detector cryostat and cryostat control electronics). The proposed UK participation in the development of CUBES will deliver impact across multiple aspects of the project, including high science return, the participation of UK industry, international collaboration with European and non-European partners, as well as training opportunities for junior engineers and scientists.