Using a Laser Tracker System to Align and Position LAMOST

Abstract

Paul Zhuo, Faro Technologies Inc.; Wang Gang, Ph.D., China National Astronomical Observatories; and Wang Shu Qing, China National Astronomical Observatories he Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) project is an innovative scientific project being undertaken by the Chinese Academy of Science. LAMOST is a quasimeridian reflecting Schmidt telescope that has been laid down on the ground with its optical axis fixed in the meridian plane. The aperture of LAMOST is 4 m, enabling it to capture the spectra of objects as faint as 20m.5 (with F = 5) using an exposure of 1.5 hours. Its focal plane is 1.75 m in diameter (a 5° field of view) that accommodates as many as 4,000 optical fibers. Light from 4,000 celestial objects is simultaneously fed into a number of spectrographs. The telescope possesses one of the highest spectrum acquiring rates in the world.