Abstract

The instrumentation plan for the ESO VLT has been approved in March 1990: it includes 10 instruments, two of which are to be replicated, distributed among the Nasmyth, Cassegrain and coude focii of the four unit telescopes of the VLT and the incoherently combined focus. The instruments will be used for a variety of observations in the wavelength range from the UV atmospheric cutoff to around 20 mu m. Conceptual designs are presented for a medium resolution IR spectrometer/imager, Ia focal reducer/low dispersion spectrograph, an echelle spectrograph, a multi-fibre spectrograph and an 8-14 mu m imager/spectrometer. Design requirements and expected capabilities are given for an high resolution infrared camera and for a speckle camera, planned to operate in combination with the telescope adaptive optics systems. These first seven instruments are expected to come into operation within a period of around 2 years beginning in 1996. The current design options for the high spectral resolution spectrometers for the UV-visual and the infrared region are also presented.

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