FLAMINGOS: A multi-object near-IR spectrometer

We are constructing a fully cryogenic near-LR multi-object spectrometer for use from 9000 Angstrom to 2.4 mu m (The FLoridA Multi-object INfrared Grism Observational Spectrometer or FLAMINGOS). When completed in the summer of 1999, FLAMINGOS will be the first fully cryogenic near-IR multi-object spectrometer and will thus allow efficient background limited operation through the entire H and K windows. Due to its very fast, wide field optical design FLAMINGOS is also an excellent survey imager being more than an order of magnitude more efficient than current and planned near-IR cameras. When used for multi-slit spectroscopy FLAMINGOS will be a factor of 50 to 100 more efficient than current near-IR spectrometers. FLAMINGOS can accept any input beam slower than f/6. This makes it extremely versatile allowing use on a large number of telescopes. FLAMINGOS will have a large collimated space with a grism wheel and a filter wheel, providing multiple object near-IR survey spectroscopy at resolutions of 600 up to 2000. It will have a small separate cryogenic dewar with a cycling time less than 6 hours, which will hold 11 cryogenic multi-slit plates that are fabricated outside the dewar. This will allow multi-slit spectroscopy 50-100 objects simultaneously.