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EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY
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La Silla Science Operations: NTT
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Instrument Performance


-------------------- OVERHEADS --------------------

When estimating the total time required for a programme it is recommended to include about 3min on average for each target acquisition and around 30% of the estimated integration time for instrument overheads. Larger overheads may be justified for programmes requiring many short integrations and/or complex target acquisition (e.g faint sources for spectroscopy in which case time should be allowed for first imaging the field and then offsetting the target into the slit).




-------------------- BROAD BAND LIMITS --------------------



1 minute 1 minute 1 hour  1 hour
Filter Continuum 

10-16erg.s-1.cm-2.A-1 

Magnitude  Continuum 

10-16erg.s-1.cm-2.A-1 

Magnitude
J (1.25) 1.4 x 10-2  20.7 2 x 10-3 22.9 
H (1.65) 1.9 x 10-2 19.7   2.4 x 10-3 21.9 
Ks (2.16) 1.2 x 10-2 18.7   1.6 x 10-3  20.9
Table 5. Measured point source detection limits for s/n =5 in a 1.5" diameter aperture (seeing: 0.75"). Sky brightness was J = 16 mag/sq arcsec, H = 14.3, Ks = 13.




-------------------- NARROW BAND LIMITS --------------------



 1 minute  1 minute  1 hour  1 hour
Filter  Continuum 

10-16erg.s-1.cm-2.A-1 

 Emission Line 

10-16erg.s-1.cm-2 

  Continuum 

10-16erg.s-1.cm-2.A-1 

Emission Line 

10-16erg.cm-2.s-1 

1.083 6.3 x 10-2 9.3  8.1 x 10-3 1.2 
1.187  3.0 x 10-2 3.8  3.8 x 10-3 0.48 
1.215  7.5 x 10-2 14.5   9.5 x 10-3 1.9 
1.257  3.6 x 10-2 7.3  4.6 x 10-3 0.93 
1.282  7.4 x 10-2 15   9.5 x 10-3 1.9
1.644  6.3x 10-2 16.5   8.1 x 10-3 2.1
1.710
 6.3 x 10-2 17.3   8.1 x 10-3 2.2 
2.058 3.0 x 10-2 9.3  3.9 x 10-3 1.2 
2.090  3.1 x 10-2 7.0  4.0 x 10-3 0.9
2.122 2.9 x 10-2 9.3  3.8 x 10-3 1.2 
2.166  3.2 x 10-2 9.7   4.1 x 10-3 1.3
2.195  3.6 x 10-2 11.4   4.6 x 10-3 1.5 
2.280  3.1 x 10-2 10   4.0 x 10-3 1.3 
2.248  3.2 x 10-2 9.3   4.2 x 10-3 1.2 
2.336
3.8 x 10-2 
12.4 
4.9 x 10-3 
1.6 
Table 6. Estimated point source detection limits for s/n =5 through narrow band filters.


-------------------- SPECTROSCOPIC LIMITS --------------------


The sensitivity is a strong function of wavelength. For continuum sources, the sensitivity is plotted separately for the J , H and K atmospheric windows. For emission line sources, the sensitivity is plotted separately for the J , H and K atmospheric windows.

 

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Last Update: Nov 2003 (M. Billeres)		 [ESO][ESO][ESO][Search][Help][News]