Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 4 – Conference Proceedings

MOSAIC is the proposed multiple object spectrograph for the E-ELT that will eventually combine two AO observing modes within a single instrument. MOSAIC will contain up to 20 open-loop multiple object AO channels feeding NIR IFUs in addition to up to 200 seeing-limited (or GLAO corrected) VIS – NIR fibre pickoffs. Wavefront tomography will be implemented using a combination of LGS and a few high-order NGS distributed across the field with the wavefront correction applied in a split open/closed loop configuration. MOSAIC will be the only E-ELT instrument planned that can utilize the full 10 arcminute diameter field of view, enabling highly efficient observing modes for this workhorse instrument. Use of the full E-ELT field inevitably requires a closer integration between the telescope control system and the instrument AO systems, however this can bring several potential benefits to overall system performance. Here we present the initial design concept and baseline performance of the MOSAIC instrument and AO system(s) taking advantage of the CANARY on-sky results and inheriting from the previous Phase A study of EAGLE. Finally, we will highlight areas of system performance and calibration that will require further analysis and trade-off during the course of the upcoming Phase A study.