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Camera

September
This exploded view of the LSST’s digital camera highlights its various components, including lenses, shutter and filters.
Credit: 
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
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Monday, August 31, 2015

(SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope's 'Eye' Will be Built at SLAC

Menlo Park, Calif. — The Department of Energy has approved the start of construction for a 3.2-gigapixel digital camera – the world’s largest – at the heart of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).  Assembled at the DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the camera will be the eye of LSST, revealing unprecedented details of the universe and helping unravel some of its greatest mysteries.

See the SLAC Press Release.

 

Monday, August 10, 2015

The LSST achieved a significant milestone August 4-6, 2015, with the Camera passing a critical independent review that evaluated the project's readiness for seeking approval of Critical Decision (CD)-3, Approve Start of Construction. The review committee found the LSST Camera to meet all requirements and recommended immediate CD-3 approval. Specifically the committee found the project team to be "expert and very capable. The team is well managed and can effectively deliver on the construction phase tasks, manage the procurements, interfaces, and risks. The management structure and resources are in place to successfully deliver the project within the cost and schedule." The LSST camera final design (including all interfaces) was found to be capable of achieving the previously approved science objectives and sufficient to begin construction. Led by Camera Project Manager Nadine Kurita at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Camera Deputy Project Manager Vincent Riot at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the entire Camera team and LSST Project should be congratulated for this outstanding effort and outcome!

February

Camera "Onion"

A slideshow video of the camera being taken apart piece by piece.
Movie icon Camera_onionLG.mov
January
Diagram of cryostat assembly in cross-section with labels.
Credit: 
LSST
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Camera Receives Approval

The LSST project has achieved another significant milestone. The baseline for fabrication of the 3,200 megapixel digital camera has received key “Critical Decision 2” approval from the DOE. The LSST team can now move forward with the development of the camera and prepare for the “Critical Decision 3” review process this summer, the last requirement before actual fabrication of the camera can begin.

Subscale Refrigeration System

Testing of a subscale LSST Camera refrigeration system at SLAC has demonstrated the ability to run reliably for extended periods at consistent, acceptable temperature and power use. During study periods of typically 10 days, the system has run reliably at approximately -128 degrees Celsius with a total load of about 87.5 Watts. The subscale test began in June 2014 in order to simulate more realistic camera geometry and operations.

After beginning the tests using a non-flammable refrigeration mixture designated LSST29-19C, the team later returned to using the original mix, LSST-3N, whose higher hydrocarbon content aids in the transport of oil through the system. This provided more robust performance and improved temperature stability and overall reliability. During the week of December 8, the team tested the feedback control system, used to stabilize the cryoplate temperature. With the feedback control system turned on, cryoplate temperature stabilized at -125C to better than plus/minus 0.1 degrees Celsius, with a total load about 97.5 Watts.

BNL Demonstrates Test Camera

In early February, a team working on the LSST Camera project at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) demonstrated the first successful operation of a test camera using a “vertical slice” of the final camera sensors and electronics. The test assembly contained prototype CCDs and one 48-channel raft electronic board, all housed in a developmental model of the Commissioning Camera cryostat. The raft sensor assembly was set at -100C, and the electronics sink was set at -10C. Using a variety of optical and electronic stimuli, the team found all 48 channels reading out and meeting critical performance specifications for noise, crosstalk and linearity.

Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Agreement No. 1258333, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).  The DOE-funded effort to build the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.   




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