Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: We introduce the scientific motivations for the development of the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) that is now in construction for the Very Large Telescope. The assembled cases span a broad range of contemporary topics across Solar System, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, where observations are limited by the performance of current ground-based spectrographs shortwards of 400 nm. A brief background to each case is presented and specific technical requirements on the instrument design that flow-down from each case are identified. These were used as inputs to the CUBES design, that will provide a factor of ten gain in efficiency for astronomical spectroscopy over 300-405 nm, at resolving powers of $$R~\sim$$ R ∼ 24,000 and $$\sim$$ ∼ 7,000. We include performance estimates that demonstrate the ability of CUBES to observe sources that are up to three magnitudes fainter than currently possible at ground-ultraviolet wavelengths, and we place its predicted performance in the context of existing facillities.
Source: Experimental Astronomy
Authors: Chris Evans, Stefano Cristiani, Cyrielle Opitom, Gabriele Cescutti, Valentina D’Odorico, Juan Manuel Alcalá, Silvia H. P. Alencar, Sergei Balashev, Beatriz Barbuy, Nate Bastian, Umberto Battino, Pamela Cambianica, Roberta Carini, Brad Carter, Santi Cassisi, Bruno Vaz Castilho, Norbert Christlieb, Ryan Cooke, Stefano Covino, Gabriele Cremonese, Katia Cunha, André R. da Silva, Valerio D’Elia, Annalisa De Cia, Gayandhi De Silva, Marcos Diaz, Paolo Di Marcantonio, Heitor Ernandes, Alan Fitzsimmons, Mariagrazia Franchini, Boris T. Gänsicke, Matteo Genoni, Riano E. Giribaldi, Andrea Grazian, Camilla Juul Hansen, Fiorangela La Forgia, Monica Lazzarin, Wagner Marcolino, Marcella Marconi, Alessandra Migliorini, Pasquier Noterdaeme, Claudio Pereira, Bogumil Pilecki, Andreas Quirrenbach, Sofia Randich, Silvia Rossi, Rodolfo Smiljanic, Colin Snodgrass, Julian Stürmer, Andrea Trost, Eros Vanzella, Paolo Ventura, Duncan Wright, Tayyaba Zafar
Institutions: Space Telescope Science Institute, European Space Agency, Royal Observatory, UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Trieste Astronomical Observatory, University of Edinburgh, University of Trieste, Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, National Institute for Astrophysics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Ioffe Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, Ikerbasque, Donostia International Physics Center, University of Hull, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Astronomical Observatory of Rome, University of Southern Queensland, Collurania Teramo Observatory, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, Heidelberg University, Durham University, Brera Astronomical Observatory, University of Arizona, National Observatory, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, University of Geneva, Australian Astronomical Optics, Macquarie University, Queen's University Belfast, University of Warwick, Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Padua, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Valongo Observatory, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio
Language: English
Subfield: Instrumentation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,390
Awards: G5031320599, G8075771800
OpenAlex ID: W4298177751