Improved angular resolution at optical and infrared wavelengths
Uniform and selective compensation of low-altitude turbulence
A relatively wide field (3 arcminutes)
FWHM resolution improved to 0.3"-0.5" under good conditions
Integrated CCD Imager
Correction achieved using a low-altitude Rayleigh laser guide star and
two (or one) tip-tilt guide stars (R<18)
March 18, 2015.
Experimental observations with a Fabry-Perot etalon in SAM were conducted by C.Oliveira (Brazil) and P.Amram (France)
on March 17/18, 2015. The F-P scans a narrow spectral line with a spectral resolution of R~20000 to determine gas
velocities and other parameters. The images below (credit: P.Amram) show quick-look results on the Antennae galaxies. Left: spatial distribution of H-alpha emission, right: velocity field.
More work is needed before this mode can be offered to general SAM users. Please,
express your interest to the SOAR staff if you would like to use F-P in SAM in the future.
February 20, 2015.
False-color image of the Herbig-Haro object HH46/47 in the Gum nebula taken on
February 14, 2015 with SAM by C. Briceno and S. Heathcote.
Two 1-h exposures in the H-alpha and [SII] filters are combined with 15-min exposure in R
(red, green and blue respectively; credit: C. Briceno), with resolution of ~0.45" (under 0.9" seeing).
July 23, 2014.
The results of the deep imaging of the "Cosmic Skidmark" (interacting galaxy in a cluster)
were presented at a conference by the PI, David Murphy (U. Catolica, Chile). The object was also observed at the
VLT with VIMOS and is scheduled for observations with ALMA. More information in the
July 14, 2014.
In March 2014, SAM was used to probe the binarity of low-mass stars paired to nearby
solar-type dwarfs. One 0.2 arcsec binary was discovered. The paper is accepted by the Astronomical
Journal. Its preprint is available at ArXiv:1407.6045
March 25, 2014.
The report on SAM science verification is posted.
Get the report here.
In March 2014, SAM executed two observing proposals. The image below taken on March 4, 2014,
shows gravitational arc MACS1206.2-0847 (combined from two 12-min. exposures in the i' and r' filters,
FWHM resolution of 0.36 and 0.39 arcsec, respectively).