Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
The PYTHEAS instrumental concept is an attempt to solve the problem of getting a complete tridimensional coverage of the observed field with a high spectral resolution across a wide spectral range. It is an integral field spectrometer derived from the TIGER spectrograph (field sampling with a microlens array) in which a scanning Fabry-Perot (FP) is introduced. The spectral resolution is given by the F P and the spectral range is that allowed by the grism of TIGER. The information is recorded on the CCD as a set of channeled spectra, for each microlens and each scanning step of the FP. The spectrum of each sampled field element is reconstructed from flux measurement of the Fabry spots defining the channeled spectra.
The application ranges of this instrument are reviewed with emphasis on the potential interest in globular cluster studies.