`Alopeke & Zorro

Gemini North Gemini SouthOptical

Last Modified:

Thursday, January 14, 2021 - 14:29

`Alopeke and Zorro (Hawaiian and Spanish for "fox") are identical fast, low-noise, dual-channel, and dual-plate-scale imagers based on the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI, Horch et al.2009, 2012). `Alopeke is permanently mounted on the calibration port at Gemini North, and Zorro on the calibration port at Gemini South. In speckle mode they provide simultaneous two-color diffraction-limited optical imaging (FWHM~0.02" at 650nm) of targets as faint as V~17 over a 6.7" field of view. Wide-field mode provides simultaneous two-color imaging in standard SDSS filters over a 60" field of view.

Available For Proposals at Gemini North
For more details, see the schedules and the CfPs.
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Available For Proposals at Gemini South
For more details, see the schedules and the CfPs.
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Capability Summary

Speckle Imaging

1-minute integrations comprised of 1000 images of 60 msec each
256x256 pixel (2.5") subarray
Can achieve diffraction-limited resolution (0.016" FWHM at 500nm and 0.025" at 800nm)
Larger subarrays may be used for extended objects, but the performance will depend on the stability of the atmosphere.

Wide-Field

Read out of the full frame at 1MHz
Possible to:
- bin
- read out a subarray
- use the EMCCD amplifier for faster readout
- read more slowly (0.1 MHz) for lower read noise

Guiding Options

PWFS

Papers containing 'Alopeke and/or Zorro data should acknowledge Gemini and the 'Alopeke / Zorro team.

The PI for the Gemini Speckle program is Steve Howell (NASA Ames Research Center).

Instrument Team

Instrument Scientist GN

Andrew Stephens

Instrument Scientist GS

Ricardo Salinas

Coronavirus COVID-19 Measures

`Alopeke & Zorro

Current Instruments

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