Can the optical very large array be coupled with the JNLT?

Coupling the JNLT with the Keck telescope is of considerable interest. Further enhancement may be possible with auxiliary small telescopes, as planned for ESO's VLT. Current plans for installing the optical very large array at Mauna Kea provide opportunities for extra OVLA telescopes near the JNLT.A coudé field slicer is proposed for interferometric observing of a reference star together with the main object. Additions to the JNLT coudé spectrograph are also suggested for use as a speckle camera with multiple spectral channels.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Infrared instruments for JNLT

The principal features of the JNLT as an infrared telescope are presented along with its ultimate performance of detectivity in typical methods of imagery and spectroscopy. Some infrared instruments: infrared camera, grating spectrometer, and Fabry-Pérot-based imager, currently proposed as the first generation instruments are also discussed in relation to the scientific objectives of the JNLT.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Some comments on large telescope astronomy in Britain and Australia

Many of the major British telescopes are described in this volume by other speakers directly involved with those facilities, so this contribution will concentrate on aspects of the operation of the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) which seem particularly relevant to the JNLT. Some requirements for the success of the new very large optical telescopes are also discussed.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Active optics experiments for thin meniscus mirror

The concept of the active support system for JNLT is summarized. Performance of the force sensor, the optical wavefront analyzer, and the actuator under development for JNLT is reported. The results of a series of active optics experiments carried out by assembling these elements to support, measure, and actively correct a 62 cm thin mirror are described.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Development, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Fast optics for large telescopes

Reports on two optical designs studied in connection with the JNLT project: namely, the primary corrector and the camera for a spectrograph, are presented.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 2–December 2, 1988.     

Mechanical structure of JNLT

The Japanese National Large Telescope (JNLT) requires mechanical performance of high tracking accuracy to achieve good image quality and a mechanical configuration to provide several kinds of focus modes. Under these requirements, a conceptual design for the JNLT mechanical structure has been performed. This paper presents the results of the conceptual design currently under consideration.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Outline of the JNLT project

The Japanese National Large Telescope (JNLT) is a 7.5 m reflector with a monolithic thin meniscus main mirror, having the candidate construction site on the northwest cone of the Mauna Kea, Hawaii.The present concept of JNLT has the characteristics of a third generation infrared telescope, which should be capable of various observations of high spatial resolution in the optical-infrared region.Although the project is still under examination from the financial and administrative point of view, a wide range of technical studies were carried out by the JNLT Working Group with the collaboration of specialists from the academic and the industrial sectors.Paper presented at the symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Infrared detector arrays and some applications to spectroscopy

The read noise, dark current, and pixel sizes of state-of-the-art infrared arrays for astronomy are presented. Considerations for instrument development utilizing infrared arrays are discussed, with emphasis on the background emission and expected sensitivity. A simple method of estimating the background emission on the JNLT and some applications to spectroscopy are presented.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Cosmology and large telescopes

Assuming a large collecting area, a good angular resolution and a large field of view expected for the Japanese National Large Telescope (JNLT), we demonstrate that JNLT will provide a useful means of studying cosmological objects of interest. Among them I discuss how cosmological parameters and evolutionary effects can be obtained from redshift-magnitude relations, galaxy counts, distant supernovae, quasar properties, and large-scale structures. An advantage of near infrared observations is emphasized.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Evaluation of the JNLT site

Two steps have been taken to decide at what place and altitude to set up the JNLT on Mauna Kea. First, the wind tunnel experiment has been made in collaboration with the Institute of Meteorology using the two models of summit area with the reduced scales of 1/1000 and 1/5000. This study tells us that the north-west cone is suitable for JNLT. Secondly, we have done the measurement of the microthermal activities in this area with a 30 m tower, which was continued for about 4 months in collaboration with the University of Hawaii. This experiment has given the mean vertical profile ofC _T ² over 4 months and its scale height in the boundayr layer on our site. By use of these measurements, the contribution of the boundary layer to seeing is estimated. The behaviour ofC _T ² under strong winds can be explained very well by topographic effects, which is in fairly good agreement with the results of our wind tunnel experiment.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

A catalogue of potential adaptive optics survey fields from the UKIRT archive

We present a multicolour catalogue of faint galaxies situated close to bright stars,   V ≲ 15  , with the aim of identifying high-redshift galaxies suitable for study with adaptive optics-equipped near-infrared imagers and spectrographs. The catalogue is constructed from archival calibration observations of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Faint Standard stars with the UKIRT Fast Track Imager (UFTI) camera on UKIRT. We have analysed the deepest 16 fields from the archive to provide a catalogue of galaxies brighter than   K ∼ 20.3  lying between 3 and 25 arcsec of the guide stars. We identify 111 objects in a total survey area of  8.7 arcmin²  . Of these, 87 are classified as galaxies based on their light profiles in our ∼0.5 arcsec median seeing K -band images. 12 of the galaxies have  ( J − K ) ≥ 2.0  consistent with them lying at high redshifts,   z ≳ 2  . These 12 very red galaxies have K -band magnitudes of   K = 18.1–20.1  and separations from the guide stars of 4–20 arcsec and hence are very well suited to adaptive optics studies to investigate their morphologies and spectral properties on sub-kpc scales. We provide coordinates and JHK photometry for all catalogued objects.     

Recent developments at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

Recent developments at CFHT are described with particular emphasis in the following areas: image quality, techniques for high-resolution imaging, computers, and communications.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Development, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Circumnuclear Star Formation in M100

Near-infrared (JHK) images of the nucleus of the barred spiral galaxy M100 (NGC 4321) have been obtained using a high-bandwidth tip-tilt secondary and fast guider system on the 3.8 m United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The resulting images, with a resolution of 0.34″ at K, reveal for the first time a host of compact ‘knots’, which appear to be the result of a recent burst (or bursts) of star formation. Confirmation of this comes from K-band spectroscopy of these knots with CGS4 on UKIRT, which shows Brγ emission and CO absorption features. A comparison with starburst evolutionary models suggests ages for these knots of between 17 and 27 Myr, and a stellar population dominated by late-type supergiants. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Time‐sensitive astronomy in non‐robotic telescopes

Protocols for dealing with time‐sensitive observations have traditionally focused on robotic telescope networks and other types of automated dedicated facilities, mostly in the optical domain. Using UKIRT and JCMT as examples, which are infrared and sub‐millimetre telescopes with a traditional PI‐dominated user base, we discuss how such facilities can join a heterogeneous telescope network to their mutual advantage. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The design of the Central-Axis Reflector (ZAS)

The Central-Axis Reflector, the design principle which is presented below is a segmented-mirror telescope. The inventions relate mainly to the optical system and to the tracking apparatus.A large number of small individual mirror bodies, ground off-axis (hexagonal/polygonal) produce one primary mirror with closed circular aperture when joined together.The overall design of the tracking apperatus results directly —and thus without unnecessary adornment — from the two planes of to aminimum but which are required for tracking of the telescope.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Radio astronomy and very large telescopes

The current achievements of the observational abilities of radio astronomy is briefly reviewed putting emphasis on the imaging capability. The new projects in radio astronomy are discussed in connection with the new generation of optical/IR telescope projects.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 1988.     

The UKIRT wide field camera ZYJHK photometric system: calibration from 2MASS

In this paper, we describe the photometric calibration of data taken with the near-infrared Wide Field Camera (WFCAM) on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The broad-band ZYJHK data are directly calibrated from Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) point sources which are abundant in every WFCAM pointing. We perform an analysis of spatial systematics in the photometric calibration, both inter- and intradetector show that these are present at up to the ∼5 per cent level in WFCAM. Although the causes of these systematics are not yet fully understood, a method for their removal is developed and tested. Following the application of the correction procedure, the photometric calibration of WFCAM is found to be accurate to ≃1.5 per cent for the JHK bands and 2 per cent for the ZY bands, meeting the survey requirements. We investigate the transformations between the 2MASS and WFCAM systems and find that the Z and Y calibrations are sensitive to the effects of interstellar reddening for large values of   E ( B − V )'  , but that the JHK filters remain largely unaffected. We measure a small correction to the WFCAM Y -band photometry required to place WFCAM on a Vega system, and investigate WFCAM measurements of published standard stars from the list of UKIRT faint standards. Finally, we present empirically determined throughput measurements for WFCAM.     

Automated observing with CGS4 on UKIRT

We describe the four software modules that have lead to highly automated observing with CGS4 on UKIRT.     

Infrared interferometry with single telescopes

We examine the merits of three basic interferometric techniques using two-dimensional infrared arrays: speckle interferopmetry, pupil plane interferometry, and speckle holography.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Spectral speckle interferometry

A method of obtaining an objective prism spectrum of a stellar object with diffraction-limited spatial resolution is described.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.