BigBOSS is a Stage IV ground-based dark energy experiment to study baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and the growth of structure with a wide-area galaxy and quasar redshift survey over 14,000 square degrees. It has been conditionally accepted by NOAO in response to a call for major new instrumentation and a high-impact science program for the 4-m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak. The BigBOSS instrument is a robotically-actuated, fiber-fed spectrograph capable of taking 5000 simultaneous spectra over a wavelength range from 340 nm to 1060 nm, with a resolution R = 3000-4800. Using data from imaging surveys that are already underway, spectroscopic targets are selected that trace the underlying dark matter distribution. In particular, targets include luminous red galaxies (LRGs) up to z = 1.0, extending the BOSS LRG survey in both redshift and survey area. To probe the universe out to even higher redshift, BigBOSS will target bright [OII] emission line galaxies (ELGs) up to z = 1.7. In total, 20 million galaxy redshifts are obtained to measure the BAO feature, trace the matter power spectrum at smaller scales, and detect redshift space distortions. BigBOSS will provide additional constraints on early dark energy and on the curvature of the universe by measuring the Ly-alpha forest in the spectra of over 600,000 2.2 < z < 3.5 quasars. BigBOSS galaxy BAO measurements combined with an analysis of the broadband power, including the Ly-alpha forest in BigBOSS quasar spectra, achieves a FOM of 395 with Planck plus Stage III priors. This FOM is based on conservative assumptions for the analysis of broad band power (kmax = 0.15), and could grow to over 600 if current work allows us to push the analysis to higher wave numbers (kmax = 0.3). BigBOSS will also place constraints on theories of modified gravity and inflation, and will measure the sum of neutrino masses to 0.024 eV accuracy.

The R 3 B-Glad superconducting Magnet is a large acceptance dipole, dedicated to the analysis of Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive ions Beams. It takes part in the FAIR Project at GSI. As the superconducting NbTi Rutherford cable was under production, detailed studies of the mechanical structure (with both simulation and experiment on a half-scale mock-up) led to revise the magnet design and to abandon the grading of the coils in three stages. Due to the large magnetic forces (up to 400 tons/m), the maximum shear stress level of 20 MPa was impossible to meet in the coils. The main reasons consist in the orthotropic thermo-mechanical behavior of the coils together with the large differential thermal shrinkage between the Cu stabilized coils and their Al alloy casings. Indeed after several studies of different mechanical designs, we decided to simplify the magnet in order to cope with these difficulties. One innovative point is that the coils are not blocked at room temperature, but only at 4.5 K. This paper presents the magnetic calculations of this active shielded magnet, and shows how the new design features meet the specifications. Currently, the 22 tons magnet cold mass, i.e. the 6 coils and their integration in the casings, is ordered and under construction. Meanwhile, the design of the magnet cryostat has evolved into a shape of elliptical cylinder with a lateral satellite. The total weight is expected to be around 50 tons.

The present paper describes the different steps leading to the Flight Model integration of the Mid-Infra Red IMager Optical Bench MIRIM-OB which is part of the scientific payload of the JWST. In order to demonstrate a space instrument capability to survive the challenging space environment and deliver the expected scientific data, a specific development approach is applied in order to reduce the high level of risks. The global approach for MIRIM-OB, and the principal results associated to the two main models, the Structural Qualification Model for vibration and the Engineering and Test Model for optical performance measured in the infra red at cryogenic temperature will be described in this paper.

The R3B-Glad superconducting Magnet provides the field required for a large acceptance spectrometer, dedicated to the analysis of Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive ions Beams. In the framework of the FAIR Project to GSI and within NUSTAR physics program, the technical study started in 2006, and the engineering design is undertaken.One main feature of this butterfly-like magnet with graded, tilted and trapezoidal racetrack coils is the active shielding. It makes it possible to decreasing the field by two orders of magnitude within a 1.2 m length, despite the large opening on the outlet side of the magnet (around 0.8 square meters). The fringe field is lower than 20 mT in the target area beside the entry, while the main field is larger than 2 teslas, out of 2 m length.The other principal characteristics are as follows: first, a high level of magnetic forces (300 to 400 tons per meter), with little place to block the coils, requiring a very specific mechanical structure; then, the magnet protection system that is based on an external dump resistor, coupled to a strong quenchback effect, to prevent any damage of the coils which could be caused by the 24 MJ of stored energy; lastly, the indirect cooling of the cold mass with a two-phase helium thermosiphon. The overall size of the conical cryostat will be around 3.5 m long, 3.8 m high and 7 m broad.

MegaCam is an imaging camera with a I square degree field of view for the new prime focus of the 3.6 meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. In building the MegaCam mosaic we encountered unprecedented challenges from both the large size of each CCD device (2K x 4.5K with 13.5 micron square pixels each) and the large size of the mosaic in which 40 devices have been assembled in a nearly 4-buttable edge manner on a cold plate. The CCD mosaic flatness of +/- 16 mum has been optically checked at its nominal functioning temperature. The CCD mosaic is cooled at 153 K with a cryogenic unit; a close cycle pulsed tube with a power of 90 W at 140 K. A cold capacity, allows a slow warm-up during cooling shutdowns, and a thermal dispatching leads to a temperature uniformity better than 3 K on the whole mosaic. The camera cryostat is designed in order to have easy access to the CCDs. The vacuum needed to avoid CCD contamination, leaded us to the use of low out-gassing materials in the cryostat. The instrument was delivered to the observatory on June 10, 2002 and first light is scheduled in October 2002.

MegaCam is a wide-field imaging camera built for the prime focus of the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This large detector has required new approaches from the hardware up to the instrument control system software. Safe control of the three sub-systems of the instrument (cryogenics, filters and shutter), measurement of the exposure time with an accuracy of 0.1%, identification of the filters and management of the internal calibration source are the major challenges that are taken up by the control system.Another challenge is to insure all these functionnalities with the minimum space available on the telescope structure for the electrical hardware and a minimum number of cables to keep the highest reliability. All these requirements have been met with a control system which different elements are linked by a WorldFip fieldbus on optical fiber. The diagnosis and remote user support will be insured with an Engineering Control System station based oil software developed on Internet JAVA technologies (applets, servlets) and connected on the fieldbus.

MegaCam is an imaging camera with a 1 square degree field of view for the new prime focus of the 3.6 meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This instrument will mainly be used for large deep surveys ranging from a few to several thousands of square degrees in sky coverage and from 24 to 28.5 in magnitude. The camera is built around a CCD mosaic approximately 30 cm square, made of 40 large thinned CCD devices for a total of 20 K x 18 K pixels. It uses a custom CCD controller, a closed cycle cryocooler based on a pulse tube, a 1 m diameter half-disk as a shutter, a juke-box for the selection of the filters, and programmable logic controllers and fieldbus network to control the different subsystems. The instrument was delivered to the observatory on June 10, 2002 and first light is scheduled in early October 2002.

MegaCam is an imaging CCD camera with a 1 square degree field of view for the new MegaPrime prime focus of the 3.6 meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. This CCD camera is fixed on an aluminum structure, called Camembert for its shape, housing a shutter, a filter system and a roll pitch system to tune the CCD mosaic plane. The shutter is made with 1 meter diameter honeycomb half disks that rotates to covers or exposes the CCD mosaic. On this shutter a calibration source is fixed to monitor the CCD and its electronics. The filter system is made of a jukebox with a capacity of eight 30 cm square filters and of a loading arm to place them under the field of view. The instrument was delivered to the CFHT observatory on June 10, 2002 and first light is scheduled in October 2002.

This paper presents the current status of the MegaCam project, which is nearing its Final Design Review.

MegaCam is the new wide-field imaging camera currently being built for the new prime focus of the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The camera will offer a 1 square degree field of view and is built around a mosaic of 40 2Kx4.5K CCD devices. The delivery of the CCDs is proceeding along the schedule, the project passed its Final Design Review and the realisation phase started, for an expected delivery to CFHT in Summer 2001.

We present our new astronomical wide field imager, which consists of two 4k x 8k CCD mosaic cameras allowing simultaneous imaging in two focal planes with different color passbands. Each mosaic is maintained at 180K by using a fully automated original cryogenic system without LN2. A modular electronic system permits an individual computer controlled setting and a parallel readout of the CCDs. An acquisition system has been developed in order to process the data rate of 10–15 Gbyte per night. The described instrumentation will be used in a sky-survey and sky-patrol to search for gravitational microlenses, supernovae and red dwarfs