WEAVE: The next generation wide-field spectroscopy facility for the WHT - Auxiliary design and manufacture
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
WEAVE is a new facility instrument, designed for the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope on the island of La Palma, which will upgrade the telescope with new correcting optics to give a high quality 2 degree-diamter field of view (4x the diameter of the full moon). Within this field, a robotic positioning system will allow optical fibres to select up to 1000 simultaneous targets for observation by a new highly efficient spectrograph which is optimised to deliver accurate measurements of the velocities and chemical signatures of the target sources. This facility will enable a survey of close to 10 million stars within the disk and halo of our Galaxy. These observations will be combined with new data from ESA's imminent Gaia mission to provide a detailed map of both the structure and the assembly history of the Milky Way.
WEAVE will also be used to study the population of external galaxies, extending over most of the observable history of the Universe, that will be identified by the new European LOw-Frequency ARray radio telescope (LOFAR), providing detailed information on the evolutionary history of star-formation, and a trace of the elusive Dark Energy component that appears to dominate the present-day expansion of the Universe.
In the nearby Universe, WEAVE will be able to reveal the internal dynamics of 10,000 galaxies, providing for the first time a detailed comparison of the dynamics of the older stellar populations, the areas of current star-formation activity, and (from new radio-frequency observations) the underlying distribution of cold hydrogen gas.
The construction of WEAVE is a collaboration between UK institutions, the Isaac Newton Group of telescopes in La Palma (currently operated by STFC) and partners in the Netherlands, Spain and France. With a 4 year construction preiod, the instrument will be delivered to the telescope early in 2017.
This proposal covers a small additional contribution required to cover additional manufacturing costs in Oxford associated with the WEAVE fibre positioned.
WEAVE will also be used to study the population of external galaxies, extending over most of the observable history of the Universe, that will be identified by the new European LOw-Frequency ARray radio telescope (LOFAR), providing detailed information on the evolutionary history of star-formation, and a trace of the elusive Dark Energy component that appears to dominate the present-day expansion of the Universe.
In the nearby Universe, WEAVE will be able to reveal the internal dynamics of 10,000 galaxies, providing for the first time a detailed comparison of the dynamics of the older stellar populations, the areas of current star-formation activity, and (from new radio-frequency observations) the underlying distribution of cold hydrogen gas.
The construction of WEAVE is a collaboration between UK institutions, the Isaac Newton Group of telescopes in La Palma (currently operated by STFC) and partners in the Netherlands, Spain and France. With a 4 year construction preiod, the instrument will be delivered to the telescope early in 2017.
This proposal covers a small additional contribution required to cover additional manufacturing costs in Oxford associated with the WEAVE fibre positioned.
Planned Impact
WEAVE is intended to be a low-risk project, with little scope for technology development in most areas. The primary impact is expected to arise from the science data itself, both in terms of the development of our understanding of the key scientific issues, and in the accessibility of this understanding to the wider public audience,in terms of both the scientific results from the project, and the opportunities to build new citizen science projects (e.g. within the framework of Zooniverse) using 10 million high quality stellar spectra.
We are currently in discussion with the Oxford Zooniverse team (Lintott) to see if the WEAVE archive can be developed from the ground up in partnership with their industrial contacts to provide an efficient route to this development.
In addition, WEAVE's use of Schunk's gantry technology goes some way beyond their current commercial experience, and we are working closely with them to understand how the WEAVE experience can be used to develop their technology for higher performance in commercial applications.
We are currently in discussion with the Oxford Zooniverse team (Lintott) to see if the WEAVE archive can be developed from the ground up in partnership with their industrial contacts to provide an efficient route to this development.
In addition, WEAVE's use of Schunk's gantry technology goes some way beyond their current commercial experience, and we are working closely with them to understand how the WEAVE experience can be used to develop their technology for higher performance in commercial applications.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (Collaboration)
- University of Groningen (Collaboration)
- National Institute for Astrophysics (Collaboration)
- National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Collaboration)
- Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
- Nice Observatory (Collaboration)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) (Collaboration)
- LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Nova Southeastern University (Collaboration)
- Observatory of Paris (Collaboration)
- Konkoly Observatory (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Gavin Dalton (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Costantin L
(2019)
A few StePS forward in unveiling the complexity of galaxy evolution: light-weighted stellar ages of intermediate-redshift galaxies with WEAVE
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Kraljic K
(2022)
Forecasts for WEAVE-QSO: 3D clustering and connectivity of critical points with Lyman- a tomography
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ham S. J.
(2016)
Towards an Integrated Model of the WEAVE Performance
in Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys, and Wide Fields
Dalton G.
(2016)
WEAVE: The Next Generation Spectroscopy Facility for the WHT
in Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys, and Wide Fields
Gilbert J.
(2016)
Verification of Commercial Motor Performance for WEAVE at the William Herschel Telescope
in Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys, and Wide Fields
Bonifacio P.
(2016)
WEAVE an overview and status update
in SF2A-2016: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hill G
(2021)
The HETDEX Instrumentation: Hobby-Eberly Telescope Wide-field Upgrade and VIRUS
in The Astronomical Journal
Gebhardt K
(2021)
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) Survey Design, Reductions, and Detections*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Zanutta A
(2018)
VPHGs for WEAVE: design, manufacturing and characterization
Fariña C
(2018)
Design of the observation queue scheduler for WEAVE on the WHT
Hughes S
(2022)
Calibration at elevation of the WEAVE fibre positioner
Hughes S
(2022)
Optimisation of the WEAVE target assignment algorithm
Middleton K
(2018)
Antireflective coatings for the red camera of WEAVE spectrograph
Terrett D
(2018)
First lab results of the WEAVE fibre positioner system
Mignot S
(2020)
Fibre links for the WEAVE instrument: the making of
Middleton K
(2018)
Low-level control software for the WEAVE spectrograph
Carrasco E
(2018)
The WEAVE observatory control system
Middleton K
(2018)
The polishing of WEAVE spectrograph collimator mirror
Terlevich R
(2018)
WEAVE spectrograph cameras: the polishing of the spherical lenses
Casalta J
(2018)
The WEAVE prime focus correction: from design to integration
San Vicente Astobiza A
(2020)
New prime focus rotator system for the WHT
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Konkoly Observatory |
| Country | Hungary |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Liverpool John Moores University |
| Department | Astrophysics Research Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Nice Observatory |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Nova Southeastern University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Department | United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Department | Institute of Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | WEAVE |
| Organisation | University of Groningen |
| Department | Kapteyn Astronomical Institute |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal Investigator, Project Coordinator |
| Collaborator Contribution | Various work packages |
| Impact | WEAVE project documentation |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | IET Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Outreach presentation and discussion on technology developments in WEAVE and Gaia. Request for more talks to this and other organisations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | School Visit (Christ Church) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Introduction to the Milky Way talk for 60 pupils in years 5-8 followed by lengthy discussion and multiple follow up correspondences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | School Visit (OHS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 60 pupils in year 5. Talk to the whole year on how we explore the Universe with some insights into upcoming facilities and possibilities.. Coordinated with the school as an input to a wider science topic on 'space' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | School visit (Abingdon) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talk on Dark Matter and Cosmology to 45 sixth form students at the Abingdon School. Warmly received. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk for Continuing Education department |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation on developments of the use of Light in Astronomy as part of the International Year of Light to interested members of the general public attending a saturday workshop at the department of continuing education (Rewley House) in Oxford. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/F900-34 |