`Alopeke & Zorro

Gemini North Gemini SouthOptical

Last Modified:

Tuesday, September 28, 2021 - 13:46

`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 (Read more)

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 (Read more)

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).

Announcements

September 28, 2021

Zorro back to full operations

August 30, 2021

Zorro unavailable until Sept 15th

View All Alopeke-Zorro News

Instrument Team

Instrument Scientist GN

Andrew Stephens

Additional Support Staff

Tom Seccull and Zachary Hartman

Email: alopeke@gemini.edu

Instrument Scientist GS

Ricardo Salinas

`Alopeke & Zorro

Current Instruments