Abstract

Two recent Keck optical imaging spectrographs have been designed with active flexure compensation systems (FCS). These two instruments utilize different methods for implementing flexure compensation. The Echellette Spectrograph and Imager (ESI), commissioned at the Cassegrain focus of the Keck II Telescope in late 1999, employs an open-loop control strategy. It utilizes a mathematical model of gravitationally-induced flexure to periodically compute flexure corrections as a function of telescope position. Those corrections are then automatically applied to a tip/tilt collimator to stabilize the image on the detector. The DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph (DEIMOS), commissioned at the Nasmyth focus of Keck II in June 2002, implements a closed-loop control strategy. It utilizes a set of fiber-fed FCS light sources at the ends of the slitmask to produce a corresponding set of spots on a pair of FCS CCD detectors located on either side of the science CCD mosaic. During science exposures, the FCS detectors are read out several times per minute to measure any translational motion of the FCS spot images. Correction signals derived from these FCS images are used to drive active optical mechanisms which steer the spots back to their nominal positions, thus stabilizing the FCS spot images as well as those on the science mosaic. We compare the design, calibration, and operation of these two systems on the telescope. Long-term performance results will be provided for the ESI FCS, and preliminary results will be provided for the DEIMOS FCS.

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