La Silla Instruments Summary Table

Instrument Spectral Coverage Observing Mode Spectral Resolution Multiplex Note Telescope
HARPS optical
378-691nm
echelle, polarimetry 120,000 no 2 fibres, high accuracy; 2 fibers, high efficiency
3.6m
EFOSC-2 optical
350 - 1100nm
imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry, coronagraphy ~1000 yes imaging and spectroscopic polarimetry NTT
SOFI near-IR
1-2.5 µm
imaging, spectroscopy 600-2200 no - NTT
ULTRACAM

optical: u',g',r' or

u',g',i' or

u',g',z'

3-channel, high-speed CCD camera - no frame rate up to 300Hz; field-of-view of 6 arcmin
NTT

Paranal Instruments Summary Table

Instrument Spectral Coverage Observing Mode Spectral Resolution Multiplex Note Telescope
FORS2 optical
330 - 1100 nm
imaging (incl. configurable occulting bars), long slit and multi-object spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, imaging polarimetry 260 - 2600 yes Spectroscopy with ~7' long slit, ~20" multi-slit, and laser-cut slit masks; multiple object spectroscopy; RRM VLT UT1
KMOS near-IR
0.8 - 2.5 µm
multi-object integral field spectroscopy (24 arms) 1800 - 4000 yes 24-arms Integral Field Spectroscopy; 2.8x2.8", 0.2" sampling IFU over a 7.2' field; VLT UT1
FLAMES optical
370 - 950 nm
multi-fibre echelle,integral field spectroscopy 6000 - 47000 yes 132 Medusa fibres; 15 deployable IFUs, one large IFU; GIRAFFE: single echelle order; 8 fibres to UVES VLT UT2
VISIR mid-IR: 4.5 - 21 µm M, N and Q band normal and burst-mode imaging; coronagraphy (Angular Groove Phase Mask, 4-Quadrant Phase Mask); N band low resolution long slit spectroscopy;  high-resolution long slit and cross-dispersed spectroscopy ~400, 20000 no
pixel size of 0.045 and 0.076 arcsec in imaging, and 0.076 arcsec in spectroscopy VLT UT2
UVES optical
300 - 1100 nm
echelle, image slicer, slit spectroscopy up to 80,000 (blue arm) / 110,000 (red arm) no long slit capability in single order; iodine cell; RRM VLT UT2

SPHERE

optical: 500 - 900 nm

near-IR: 0.95 - 2.32  µm

high-contrast imaging, dual-band imaging, integral field spectroscopy, differential-polarimetric imaging with or without classical, apodized pupil Lyot coronagraphs, sparse aperture mask ~30, 50, 400 no extreme AO with optical wave-front sensor; fast star hopping; RRM VLT UT3
X-SHOOTER

UV-optical-NIR
300 - 2500 nm

echelle, slit and integral field spectroscopy

~5000-17000

no

full spectral coverage with one pointing; slit + IFU; RRM

VLT UT3
HAWK-I near-IR 0.85-2.5 µm broand and narrow band imaging, fast photometry - - pixel size of 0.106"; field: 7.5'x7.5', subwindow readout capability; GLAO; RRM VLT UT4
MUSE


optical

465 - 930 nm

integral field spectroscopy

1770 @ 480nm

3590 @ 930nm

no IFU size on sky 60"x60" with spaxel size 0.2" (WFM) or 7.5"x7.5" with spaxel size 0.025" (NFM); GLAO, LTAO, no AO; RRM.
VLT UT4
ESPRESSO

optical

380 - 788 nm

fibre-fed échelle spectroscopy 140,000, 190,000, or 70,000 (median) no 2 fibres (1 object, 1 sky or simultaneous reference); RV precision < 1 m/s (with the ultimate goal of reaching 10 cm/s); 1-UT and 4-UT modes

VLT UT1,

VLT UT2,

VLT UT3, or/and

VLT UT4

GRAVITY

near-IR

2.05 - 2.45 µm

spectro-interferometry R ~ 20, 500, & 4000
no
4 beam combiner - delivers spectrally
dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases
VLTI - ATs VLTI - UTs
MATISSE

mid-IR

2.8 - 4.1 µm

4.5 - 5 µm

8 - 13 µm

spectro-interferometry

R ~ 30 (covers L&M-band)

R ~ 506, 959, 3666 (L or M band)

R ~ 30, 218 (N band)

no 4 beam combiner - delivers spectrally
dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases
VLTI - ATs VLTI - UTs
PIONIER

near-IR

1.65 µm

spectro - interferometry R ~ 5 or 40
no 4 beam combiner - delivers spectrally
dispersed visibilities, differential and closure phases
VLTI - ATs
VLTI - UTs
VIRCAM near-IR
0.8-2.2 µm
imaging - - 1.5 degree  x 1 degree field of view with 0.34" average pixel size VISTA
OmegaCAM optical  350-910 nm imaging - - 1 degree x 1 degree unvignetted field of view with 0.21" pixel size VST

APEX Instruments Summary Table

Instrument Spectral Coverage Observing Mode Spectral Resolution Multiplex Note Telescope
LABOCA 870 µm bolometer array - - 295 pixels APEX
SEPIA

159-211 GHz

272-376 GHz

578-738 GHz

heterodyne receiver -
-
Sideband separating receiver with instantaneous coverage in 2 bands of 4 GHz in both polarizations (for SEPIA180) or 8 GHz in both polarizations (for SEPIA345 and SEPIA660). APEX
ARTEMIS

350 µm

450 µm

bolometer array

-

- FoV: 4' x 2'; 2304 pixels (fully sampled) APEX
nFLASH

200-270 GHz

385-500 GHz

heterodyne receiver
- -

Sideband separating receiver with instantaneous coverage in 2 bands of 4 GHz in both polarizations (for nFLASH460) or 8 GHz in both polarizations (for nFLASH230).

 

APEX