Instrumentation: Astronomical Detectors and Telescopes

Many of the advances in astronomy have been due to advances
in instrumentation. Progress in this area of astronomical
research is currently providing a wealth of exciting data.
Several more promising implementations are
under construction, and improved techniques are constantly
being developed to improve precision and sensitivity.
This area of research overlaps with many of the other research
areas in the department. Related information can
also be found on the

CfA facilities pages.

Optical/IR.
Several instruments operating in the optical and IR wavebands have
been developed by groups including members of the department. This
includes some of the
new instruments
for the

converted

MMT
the
hectospec and

hectochelle 240+ fiber multiobject spectrographs,
the

binospec wide-field multislit spectograph, the
MIRAC3 imager
and the

wide field corrector.
It also includes
the Infrared Array Camera,

IRAC, under construction for use on
SIRTF.
Another project with departmental involvement is

SOAR, a 2 meter balloon borne
telescope with a 225 element bolometer array camera which is part of
NASA's long duration balloon flight program.

Department members also contributed to the development of
the
Advanced Fiber-Optic Echelle
(AFOE) spectrometer, a
fiber-fed, bench-mounted echelle spectrograph
which provides precise stellar radio velocity
measurements.

In addition,
Harvard is a 20% partner in the

Magellan Project, which
involves the construction
of two 6.5 meter telescopes in Chile. The department is also
a partner in
IOTA, the Infrared Optical Telescope Array on
Mount Hopkins, an interferometer which is currently yielding data.

Radio.
Several department members are part of the collaboration
building the

Submillimeter Array,
SMA, a high resolution instrument for submillimeter wavelengths.
Two of the eight 6-meter antennas are already in place and
operating, with the rest to be installed over the next few years.
For this array,
the

submillimeter receiver lab
has developed low-noise superconducting mixer receivers.
These currently operate at frequencies up to 700 GHz, with
higher frequency ability under development.
Department members have also been involved in modifications of the
1.2 meter
telescope since its arrival at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

X-ray/Hard X-ray.
An active program of development of both X-ray (0.1 - 10 keV)
and hard X-ray (~10 - 600 keV) detectors and telescopes is
underway at the CfA. The

HRC X-ray imaging camera (one of two)
and grating spectrometer readout on
Chandra was developed at
the CfA.
Soft X-ray calorimeter detectors are being developed by E. Silver,
and a program for development of hard X-ray imaging optics
using multi-layer techniques is being developed by P. Gorenstein
and S. Romaine for possible eventual use on
Constellation X.
An ongoing program to develop both hard X-ray imaging detectors, using
new solid state array detectors (pixellated Cd-Zn-Te) is the current
emphasis of the

EXITE program, and new concepts for wide-field
hard X-ray imaging coded aperture survey telescopes are being
developed for the
EXIST
program. The EXIST program is being
studied for both eventual implementation on the International Space
Station and a possible interim Ultra Long Duration Balloon
(ULDB) version, EXIST-LITE.