Camera for Quasars in Early Universe

  • Park, Won-Kee (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) ;
  • Pak, Soojong (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Im, Myungshin (CEOU/Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University) ;
  • Choi, Changsu (CEOU/Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University) ;
  • Jeon, Yiseul (CEOU/Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University) ;
  • Chang, Seunghyuk (Samsung Electronics) ;
  • Jeong, Hyeonju (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Lim, Juhee (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Eunbin (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Choi, Nahyun (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Hye-In (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Sanghyuk (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Jeong, Byeongjoon (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Ji, Taegeun (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University)
  • Published : 2013.10.08

Abstract

Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse (CQUEAN) is an optical CCD camera system made by Center for Exploration of the Origin of the Universe (CEOU). CQUEAN is developed for follow-up observation of red sources such as high-redshift quasar candidates ($z{\geq}5$), gamma-ray bursts (GRB), brown dwarfs and young stellar objects. The CQUEAN is composed of a science camera with deep-depletion CCD chip which is sensitive at around $1{\mu}m$, a set of custom-made wide-band filters for detection of quasar candidates at z~5, and a guide camera. A focal reducer was developed to secure $4.8^{\prime}{\times}4.8^{\prime}$ field of view, and an in-house user software for efficient data acquisition. CQUEAN was attached to 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope in McDonald Observatory, USA, in August 2010. About 1000 quasar candidates including 3 confirmed with follow-up spectroscopy, have been observed so far, and many high-z galaxy cluster candidates, GRBs and supernovae were also observed. And monitoring of HBC 722, a young stellar object, is under way since 2011. Further enhancement of CQUEAN including the introduction of narrow-band filters is planned.

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