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We present the development of a Skipper Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) focal plane prototype for the SOAR Telescope Integral Field Spectrograph (SIFS). This mosaic focal plane consists of four 6k $\times$ 1k, 15 $\mu$m pixel Skipper CCDs mounted inside a vacuum dewar. We describe the process of packaging the CCDs so that they can be easily tested, transported, and installed in a mosaic focal plane. We characterize the performance of $\sim 650 \mu$m thick, fully-depleted engineering-grade Skipper CCDs in preparation for performing similar characterization tests on science-grade Skipper CCDs which will be thinned to 250$\mu$m and backside processed with an antireflective coating. We achieve a single-sample readout noise of $4.5 e^{-} rms/pix$ for the best performing amplifiers and sub-electron resolution (photon counting capabilities) with readout noise $\sigma \sim 0.16 e^{-} rms/pix$ from 800 measurements of the charge in each pixel. We describe the design and construction of the Skipper CCD focal plane and provide details about the synchronized readout electronics system that will be implemented to simultaneously read 16 amplifiers from the four Skipper CCDs (4-amplifiers per detector). Finally, we outline future plans for laboratory testing, installation, commissioning, and science verification of our Skipper CCD focal plane.

The Fiber Optical Cable and Connector System (FOCCoS), provides optical connection between 2400 positioners and a set of spectrographs by an optical fibers cable as part of Subaru PFS instrument. Each positioner retains one fiber entrance attached at a microlens, which is responsible for the F-ratio transformation into a larger one so that difficulties of spectrograph design are eased. The optical fibers cable will be segmented in 3 parts at long of the way, cable A, cable B and cable C, connected by a set of multi-fibers connectors. Cable B will be permanently attached at the Subaru telescope. The first set of multi-fibers connectors will connect the cable A to the cable C from the spectrograph system at the Nasmith platform. The cable A, is an extension of a pseudo-slit device obtained with the linear disposition of the extremities of the optical fibers and fixed by epoxy at a base of composite substrate. The second set of multi-fibers connectors will connect the other extremity of cable A to the cable B, which is part of the positioner's device structure. The optical fiber under study for this project is the Polymicro FBP120170190, which has shown very encouraging results. The kind of test involves FRD measurements caused by stress induced by rotation and twist of the fiber extremity, similar conditions to those produced by positioners of the PFS instrument. The multi-fibers connector under study is produced by USCONEC Company and may connect 32 optical fibers. The tests involve throughput of light and stability after many connections and disconnections. This paper will review the general design of the FOCCoS subsystem, methods used to fabricate the devices involved and the tests results necessary to evaluate the total efficiency of the set., Comment: 14 pages, 27 figures, SPIE

The Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) of the Subaru Measurement of Images and Redshifts (SuMIRe) project has been endorsed by Japanese community as one of the main future instruments of the Subaru 8.2-meter telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. This optical/near-infrared multi-fiber spectrograph targets cosmology with galaxy surveys, Galactic archaeology, and studies of galaxy/AGN evolution. Taking advantage of Subaru's wide field of view, which is further extended with the recently completed Wide Field Corrector, PFS will enable us to carry out multi-fiber spectroscopy of 2400 targets within 1.3 degree diameter. A microlens is attached at each fiber entrance for F-ratio transformation into a larger one so that difficulties of spectrograph design are eased. Fibers are accurately placed onto target positions by positioners, each of which consists of two stages of piezo-electric rotary motors, through iterations by using back-illuminated fiber position measurements with a wide-field metrology camera. Fibers then carry light to a set of four identical fast-Schmidt spectrographs with three color arms each: the wavelength ranges from 0.38 {\mu}m to 1.3 {\mu}m will be simultaneously observed with an average resolving power of 3000. Before and during the era of extremely large telescopes, PFS will provide the unique capability of obtaining spectra of 2400 cosmological/astrophysical targets simultaneously with an 8-10 meter class telescope. The PFS collaboration, led by IPMU, consists of USP/LNA in Brazil, Caltech/JPL, Princeton, & JHU in USA, LAM in France, ASIAA in Taiwan, and NAOJ/Subaru., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, submitted to "Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IV, Ian S. McLean, Suzanne K. Ramsay, Hideki Takami, Editors, Proc. SPIE 8446 (2012)"