On 11 December 2023, Professor Dimitri Mawet, from CALTECH, presents MODHIS, the high-resolution infrared spectrograph currently in development as one of the first light instruments for TMT. As the Principal Investigator of MODHIS, Mawet provides a comprehensive overview of its current design, highlighting the main science goals expected to be achieved by the instrument.
Attendees from the ELT Science in Light of JWST conference visited the TIO Lab in Monrovia on 13 December 2023. TIO engineers conducted a tour of the laboratory, providing detailed information about the development of TMT’s primary mirror control, and the technical challenges associated with maintaining each of the 492 mirror segments in optimal position and shape. This visit allowed conference participants to gain a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of the TMT project, while also fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration between the ELT projects and their respective scientific communities.
Nearly 30 engineers and scientists attended the review in person at the Pasadena project office or remotely. The international review panel included experts from ESO, Durham University, NRC, and TIO.
TMT Secondary Mirror Support System and Positioner (M2SSP) Kickoff Meeting at AMOS, on 24 and 25 October 2023 held on site at M2SSP supplier AMOS offices in Belgium. The meeting participants, including representatives from TIO Optics, Systems Engineering, Structure, and Controls groups, conducted a thorough review of the M2SSP requirements with AMOS.
TMT participated in the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program exhibit at the 2023 NSBP (National Society of Black Physicists) annual conference in Knoxville, Tennessee on 9–12 November 2023.
Saeko Hayashi (TMT/NAOJ) and Takashi Nakamoto (TMT/NAOJ) described the design of the M1 segment, its support structure, and associated control systems.
TMT staff gave introductory talks about TMT sciences, AO and science instrument capabilities, the connection between science cases and instrument requirements and the status in Hawaiʻi.
TMT Project Manager Fengchuan Liu and Education, Outreach, and Broader Impacts Manager Yuko Kakazu gave presentations at the International Astronomical Union Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting (APRIM 2023) held from 7–11 August, in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
U.S. Representative Judy Chu of California visited the TMT Lab in Monrovia in August 2023. TIO Executive Director Bob Kirshner and other project team members were on hand to talk about the project's development and showcase the work going on in the lab.
Sergio Salata, Astronomy Project Manager of Added Value Solutions (AVS) in Tenerife visits the TMT office. Sergio (far-right) joins a group of Caltech astronomy summer undergraduate research students, led by Prof. Matthew Graham (center), Project Scientist for the Zwicky Transient Factory, and visits the TMT lab. in California on 20 July 2023.
Sr. Optical Engineer & Group Leader of the M1 Optics at ITOFF S. Sriram (from left) along with optics team members Chetan C (Sr. Optics Technician), T. Nataraj (Sr. Optics Technician), Sanjeev Jha (Optical Engineer), Pramod Panchal (Optical Engineer), Remya B S (Sr. Optics Technical Assistant), Devika Divakar (Scientific Associate), Alikhan Basheer (Optical Engineer).
Commissioning of TMT’s Primary Mirror Segment Polishing and Metrology Equipment in India -
